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Missing Soldier's IDs Appear on Internet Site; Extradition Hearing in JFK Airport Plot; Democrats Debate
Aired June 04, 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: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Monday, June 4th.
Here's what's on the rundown.
U.S. soldiers missing for weeks. Today their I.D. photos turn up on an insurgent Web site. One relative says it gives him hope.
HARRIS: The Caribbean connection to an alleged plot against JFK airport. Two suspects in court this morning. A live report just ahead.
COLLINS: And healing after Heeling. A new report says kids who strap on the wheels may be heading for a fall -- in the NEWSROOM.
Some new information coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on those two U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq. The two disappeared May 12th after a battle with insurgents south of Baghdad.
To the Pentagon now and CNN's Barbara Starr.
Barbara, good morning to you.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for Al Qaeda in Iraq, on their Web site has now posted what clearly appears to be the military identification cards for the two U.S. soldiers that have been missing since last month, after they came under attack. The I.D. cards are for Private Byron Fouty, 19 years old, of Waterford, Michigan, and Specialist Alex Jimenez, 25 years old, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Now, these I.D. cards, again, appearing on this insurgent Web site, but U.S. military officials are very cautious about all of this, saying that it really doesn't tell them much about the status of the two men. The hunt for them goes on.
This is not considered a proof of life, if you will, or any indication of their status. The hunt for them has been going on, of course, since they disappeared after that attack May 12th. Another soldier who disappeared after that attack, his body, Joseph Anzack, was found some days later and returned to his family in California -- Heidi.
COLLINS: That's still just so tough for the families, I'm sure.
CNN's Barbara Starr reporting live from the Pentagon this morning.
Barbara, thank you.
And we want to make sure to take a moment to credit terrorism expert Laura Mansfield for first identifying this posting on the Internet.
HARRIS: Well, the month of June off to a deadly start for the U.S. military in Iraq. The Pentagon says at least 14 American troops lost their lives Saturday and Sunday, most of them killed by roadside bombs. Another soldier killed Friday as the month began.
The attacks concentrated in and around Baghdad. Other troop deaths in two northern provinces, Diyala and Nineveh. The U.S. death toll since the start of the war is now at least 3,494.
COLLINS: Securing Baghdad apparently not going as well as planned, according to some. Three months into the U.S. troop buildup in the Iraqi capital, a new report offers a bleak assessment. That report obtained by "The New York Times" quotes commanders on the ground in Baghdad.
They say U.S. and Iraqi forces control fewer than a third of Baghdad's neighborhoods. In the remaining neighborhoods, troops have either not started operations to root out insurgents or they still face resistance. The last American forces in the troop buildup plan are now arriving in Iraq.
HARRIS: An alleged plot targeting JFK International Airport had a new development this morning, an extradition hearing for two suspects.
More now from CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena.
Kelli, good to see you.
There is this extradition taking place today in Trinidad, correct?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and we actually got some news out of our Susan Candiotti, who is in Trinidad and was at that first initial hearing. She reports that a lawyer for the two men who were taken into custody in Trinidad says that he's going to fight extradition, fight having those men brought back here to the United States to face charges. And the judge has apparently scheduled a hearing to discuss extradition for August 2nd. So we have some time, at least on that front, Tony. And you know the third -- a third man is already in custody here in the United States. A fourth, they're still seeking, but officials tell me there are leads that suggests that he, too, is in Trinidad.
HARRIS: Kelli, let's back up a bit. How did law enforcement come upon this plot in the first place?
ARENA: Through the use of an informant, Tony. And we're seeing that more and more in these domestic, you know, terror investigations. This is the third one where we've heard that an informant was very useful.
In this case, the men who were allegedly trying to put this plot together recruited -- or tried to recruit another person who turns out to be working for federal law enforcement. And he, of course, went to his handlers and said, you know, this is what I've been involved in, and lo and behold, that's how the whole thing got started.
So they've been surveilling this group since early last year, January of 2006. And as you know, Tony, the plot was essentially to go after, to blow up fuel tanks, pipelines and buildings at the airport.
HARRIS: Hey, Kelli, just a quick question, just a bit off the beaten path here. Aside from the one man still at large, do law enforcement officials believe they have at least identified everyone connected to this plot?
ARENA: They believe that they have the key players of this plot, yes.
HARRIS: Yes.
ARENA: They are pretty confident. Of course, you know there's this one person that's still on the loose that we've been talking about.
HARRIS: Sure.
ARENA: But insofar as the principal players, yes. And there does not seem to be any connection with al Qaeda or any other group. As you know, this group did approach, according to the government filing, approached an extremist group in Trinidad, trying to get that group to give them some financial backing or logistical support.
They were sort of put on hold by that group, but no other -- there were some reports, as you know, Tony, and this may be what you're getting at, that there may have been some involvement from al Qaeda operative...
HARRIS: Yes.
ARENA: ... named Adnan el-Shukrijumah. You know, it was something that law enforcement said they looked into, but no evidence. There's no evidence to support that yet. And this investigation is ongoing. You know, we don't know what they'll turn up, but for right now it seems to be isolated with this -- with this group.
HARRIS: Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, on the story for us.
Kelli, thank you.
ARENA: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Chad Myers always on the story for us, too, all things weather, joining us now to give us the very latest.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Caught on tape. Check out this police cruiser video. Watch carefully.
Police -- there you see it -- police and firefighters in New York on the scene of an accident when a huge tree branch comes tumbling down on them.
Latricia Thomas of our affiliate station WTEN reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LATRICIA THOMAS, REPORTER, WTEN (voice over): Defreestville firefighter Joe Bruno is among this emergency crew trying to pull out a crash victim when the tree falls. From the smashed cruiser, you can see first responders rushing to help Sergeant Doug Pinzer, struck in the head by the two-foot-wide branch.
SGT. JOE BRUNO, DEFREESTVILLE FIRE DEPT.: I don't even remember turning around. I remember getting hit in the back, and I didn't go down or nothing. And we just went right back to work.
THOMAS: Bruno's turnout (ph) gear helped to shield his body from any major injuries, and so did his emergency vehicle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This truck saved our lives. This truck took a good portion of what came down off of that tree and protected us.
THOMAS: Also protecting Sergeant Pinzer from anything more than a serious concussion.
LYNN PINZER, POLICE OFFICER'S WIFE: Once they did let me in and I saw his eyes were open and I saw his eyes were open and he was responding, it was quite the relief.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I think right now is, thank God everyone's all right. Thank God everyone is all right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Boy, I guess so. HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: Police say that branch actually fell from at least 50 feet in the air.
HARRIS: Changing minds on nuclear power. Rising prices and greenhouse gases causing many to take a new look at nuclear energy.
That story ahead for you in the NEWSROOM.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mary Snow, in Manchester, where Democrats clashed over Iraq.
We'll have more coming up in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Doing time. Paris Hilton behind bars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, SOCIALITE: I'm really scared, but I'm ready to do this. And I'm hope that I'm an example to other young people when they make decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Hilton's not so simple life in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: A minor league manager tries to help out the umpire. Compare you little -- and the grounds crew -- and he is out. NO, really, he's out.
That story in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The road to the White House, and the way station of war. Eight Democrats face off in a CNN debate. Iraq a major focus.
CNN's Mary Snow is in Manchester, New Hampshire, where the debate was held.
Mary, good to see you.
The headliner out of this debate seems to be the clash over Iraq. Odd, when, in the final analysis, all of the candidates on that stage last night agreed that it's time to end the war.
SNOW: That's right, Tony. But you know, we saw the gloves come off fairly early on in the debate when the topic of Iraq came up, and this is when John Edwards really tried to challenge senators Obama and Clinton, criticizing them, saying that they quietly voted to -- against funding for the war. He felt that they should have been much more outspoken.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They went quietly to the floor of the Senate, cast the right vote, but there is a difference between leadership and legislation.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think, John, the fact is, is that I opposed this war from the start. So you are about four and a half years late on leadership on this issue.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is George Bush's war. He is responsible for this war. He started the war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Now, Senator Clinton really trying to say that the differences among Democrats were minor, and she was stressing the differences with the Bush administration, really seeing her trying to kind of stay above the political fray. She's been the frontrunner in the polls, and what we saw from her last night was really trying to position herself in a somewhat of a presidential-type of setting -- Tony.
HARRIS: Sure, sure.
So, Mary, how about domestic issues? Let's talk a bit about domestic issues.
Where do we see differences emerge there?
SNOW: Yes, we saw some of the differences in health care. And again, John Edwards, he's been running third in the polls, and he really tried to distinguish himself last night, needling a bit the top two contenders, Democratic contenders. And on health care, he tried to position himself as a leader in that arena, saying that he came out with the first truly universal health care plan, and he suggested that Senator Obama's plan was not truly universal.
Senator Obama answering him, saying that he did not believe that health care should be mandatory, and that his emphasis really was on driving down costs. But also said that he did want mandatory health care for children.
But, of course, you can't forget that Senator Clinton, while first lady, was the leader on health care. She reminded everybody of that last night.
HARRIS: Yes, she sure did.
SNOW: And again -- yes. And again, tried to take that position of, you know, this is good, that all the Democrats are talking about it.
HARRIS: All right. Mary Snow for us in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Mary, thank you. SNOW: Sure.
HARRIS: So, where do the Democrats stand in the eyes of the voters? We crunched the numbers of the national polls conducted over the past four months.
Senator Hillary Clinton has the top rank among the Democratic presidential nominees. Her support numbers have been consistent.
From February through May, Senator Barack Obama has seen a slight uptick. John Edwards saw a spike in April, but last month returned to the same level he had in February.
Now, tomorrow, the Republicans are up to bat on CNN. Their debate is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Our primetime coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
COLLINS: Fuel prices, greenhouse gase gases, global climate change, problems putting nuclear power in a new light.
Kara Finnstrom takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Twenty years ago, protests and blockades rocked the nuclear industry. California's Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant saw such torturous delays in construction and public outrage, that no plants have opened in the two decades since. It all seemed to spell the death of nuclear power.
(on camera): So, what's happening now is nothing short of a rebirth. Not only are plants like this one in California's San Onofre moving forward, but across the country plans are on the table for 20 new plants.
(voice over): And when we talk with people in the shadow of San Onofre's domes, many admit their perceptions have shifted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's clean and efficient.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Technology. Let it go.
FINNSTROM: So what's changed? Urgent new worries about global warming and a push to halt the production of greenhouse gases. That's drawing unusual ranks into the chorus for nuclear power.
Environmentalists like Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Green Peace, he once called nuclear power "The most criminal act ever to have taken place on this planet."
His view today?
PATRICK MOORE, GREENSPIRIT: Nuclear technology is one of the obvious solutions to reducing our alliance on fossil fuel and reducing the threat of climate change.
FINNSTROM: Moore also stresses nuclear power does not put shrink (ph) pollutants into the air unhealthy for us to breathe.
But not everyone believes nuclear power deserves a renaissance.
PAUL GUNTER, NUCLEAR INFO. RESEARCH CENTER: Right now we don't know what to do with the first cupful of nuclear waste that was generated more than 50 years ago.
FINNSTROM: Anti-nuclear activist Paul Gunter says nuclear waste has always been the industry's Achilles heel. Right now it's still being temporarily stored.
The other big issue? The potential proliferation of nuclear weapons. .
GUNTER: The real solution is to address energy efficiency and conservation with an aggressive national policy.
FINNSTROM: Duke Energy's Jim Rogers believes better conservation and other technologies can only do so much. Duke hopes to build two new nuclear plants.
JIM ROGERS, DUKE ENERGY: We recognize that the growth and demand for electricity is only going to continue. In fact, we expect it to go up 40 percent by 2030.
FINNSTROM: It's a debate that's only beginning to heat up.
Kara Finnstrom, for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Heidi, have you seen this mug shot?
COLLINS: I have.
HARRIS: Yes?
COLLINS: It's impressive, is it not?
HARRIS: Ooh, man. That's a -- that's...
COLLINS: Some good hair and makeup.
HARRIS: That's Paris Hilton, correct?
COLLINS: Yes.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
Look. She looks fabulous. She's in jail this morning, however, in Lynnwood, California.
COLLINS: Just a small detail.
HARRIS: Well, she turned herself in late last night, just hours after attending the MTV Movie Awards. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I'm trying to be strong right now. I'm definitely scared, but I'm ready to face my sentence. And even though this is a really hard time, I have my friends and family and my fans who support me, and it's just been really helpful in this really scary time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Got to stay strong for the fans. Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating probation on a reckless driving conviction. She could be out in 23 days if she behaves.
COLLINS: An alleged plot to attack America, an American citizen is one of the suspects. Who else was named?
That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Roller shoes, kids love them. Now a warning. Fancy footwear could land your child in the emergency room.
That story coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Rolling shoes. Kids zip around on those wheeled sneakers everywhere -- sidewalks, malls, playgrounds. Now, though, a warning. Doctors blame them for a rash of injuries, landing kids in emergency rooms. They base that on a study involving Heelys, the most popular brand of shoes with wheels.
Earlier, I talked about it with CNN medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: what they found in this study -- it was at a children's hospital in Ireland -- is that in a 10-week period, they had 67 kids come in with Heely-related injuries, everything from hurt wrists, broken ankles, cracked skulls.
Now, the kids you're seeing right there, and they look like they know what they're doing. They look like they've been Heelying for a while. A lot of kids in the study who got into trouble were novices. They had just started playing with their Heelys.
COLLINS: All right. So, there's an age group. I mean, I've tried to actually think about getting them for my guy, and he is still too small. So...
COHEN: How old is he?
COLLINS: Six.
COHEN: Yes. That may be a little too young.
COLLINS: Way too small.
COHEN: Yes.
COLLINS: And now that we're learning this, we should talk more about that, though. What about in this country? The study was done in Ireland. So...
COHEN: Right. There have been actually studies done in this country, too. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said they looked at a 16-month period in the U.S., and what they found was that there were 64 injuries and one death. So that's, again, a pretty high number. Again, we're talking about broken bones, cracked skulls, that kind of thing.
COLLINS: Yes. So if your kids have Heelys, they should be careful.
COHEN: Well, you know, there was one doctor who was quoted in an Associated Press article saying, you know, my kids had Heelys, but after I treated a bunch of kids with Heelys injuries, I took my child's Heelys away. So that's always an option.
Another option -- and this is according to an orthopedic surgeons group that is expected to say, you know what? If your kids are going to use Heelys, have them wear safety gear. Have them wear helmets, ankle and knee pads, wrist protectors. That kind of thing.
HARRIS: Oh lord.
COHEN: Now, the thing is, is that a lot of kids wear these to school without the heel.
COLLINS: Yes, they're not really allowed, are they?
COHEN: This heel comes off. A lot of schools don't allow them anymore.
COLLINS: Yes.
COHEN: But you can take this out and you can just put a cover on it, and they're plain old sneakers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness.
The address: CNN.com/health.
HARRIS: An alleged plot to attack JFK airport in New York. Three men in custody this morning, and right now authorities are searching for the fourth man. But who are they?
CNN's Kathleen Koch has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The apparent mastermind of the alleged plot, Russell Defreitas, is 63. He came to the U.S. from Guyana in the late '60s and became a naturalized U.S. citizen about a year later, according to a law enforcement official.
Defreitas, now retired, worked for two companies, handling cargo at JFK airport. The complaint released, Defreitas boasting that he learned bomb-making in Guyana. He said when he worked at the airport, "... these things used to come into my brain -- well, I could blow this place up. And I would sit and see a plane taxiing up the runway, and I would say, if I could get a rocket, then I could do a hit. By myself, I am thinking these things, but I had no connections with no Arabs or nobody..."
At some point, Defreitas came in contact with suspect Abdul Kadir. Kadir was one-time mayor of the city of Linden, Guyana, the second largest city in the South American nation. He was also a member of the Guyana parliament for five years until he left that position in 2006.
His wife, speaking by phone to CNN, insists Kadir has no links to terrorism and can only imagine he's being framed.
ISHA KADIR, WIFE OF ABDUL KADIR: I was shocked, because I -- you know, my husband, we are Muslims for 33 years, and no way at no time we were ever involved in anything of plots of bombing, or any plots against America. We are not -- we are not a part of that. We have family, both of us, family in America.
KOCH (on camera): Isha Kadir said Defreitas came to visit her husband in Guyana for a week earlier this year. She confirmed her husband also knows the other two suspects, Kareem Ibrahim, a citizen of Trinidad who is currently in custody in that country with Kadir, and Abdel Nur of Guyana, who is still at large.
Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Candidates in combat over combat. The campaign battlefield leads to the one in Iraq. Democrats debate in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Bottom of the hour. Welcome back everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And I'm Heidi Collins. Front and center on the political stage, eight Democrats square off for their party's presidential nomination. Analysts say there were no knockout punches but lots of jabs, that's for sure. One driving issue, the war in Iraq and the battle over funding it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN EDWARDS (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think it's the difference between leading and following. I think Hillary's right. All of us want to end this war, but there is a difference between leadership and legislating.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You want to name names?
EDWARDS: No, I think it's obvious who I'm talking about.
BLITZER: It is to me but it might not be to--
EDWARDS: Senator Clinton and Senator Obama did not say anything about how they were going to vote until they appeared on the floor of the Senate, voted. They were among the last people to vote and I think the importance of this is, that if they cast the right vote and I applaud them for that. But the importance of this is, they're asking to be president of the United States and there is a difference between making clear speaking to your followers, speaking to the American people about what you need, believe needs to be done and I think all of us have a responsibility to lead on these issues.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody supports the troops and everybody knows that. To some degree, this was a vote that had to do with how we feel about a continuation of a plan that has not worked. The president has now announced just the other day, he said that this was like Korea, keep in mind, we've been there six decades in the Korean peninsula and the best way for us to support the troops is to ensure that we are not continuing to try to impose a military solution on what is essentially a political problem in Iraq.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is George Bush's war. He is responsible for this war. He started the war. He mismanaged the war. He escalated the war and he refuses to end the war and what we are trying to do, whether it's by speaking out from the outside or working and casting votes that actually make a difference from the inside, we are trying to end the war, and each of us has made that very clear. We have different approaches. I have a three-step plan to bring the troops home starting now, put pressure on the Iraqi government to take responsibility and cut off aid when they won't, and engage in intensive diplomacy, regionally and internationally. The differences among us are minor. The differences between us and the Republicans are major.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would move them to Afghanistan to fight al Qaeda, but I believe that our troops have become a target. Our troops, right now, have done a magnificent job. All of these resolutions, the funding, supplemental appropriation on funding, on issues relating to timetables is not working.
BLITZER: Do you disagree with these other Democratic candidates?
MIKE GRAVEL (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Totally. Totally. It's just that simple. Four of these people here will say that it's George Bush's war. It was facilitated by the Democrats. They brought the resolution up. One of them co-authored it here, standing here and so sure it's George Bush's war, but it's a Democrats' war also. You want to end it? You're concerned about what's going to happen after we withdraw? Remember Vietnam. All of the dominoes are going to fall. Southeast Asia is going to go communist. Well, how do we know what will happen? I do know this, that the insurgency is successful because the population sustains that insurgency. Period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Tomorrow the Republicans are up to bat on CNN. Their debate is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Our prime time coverage begins at 6:00 p.m.
Stripping Iraqi security of any militant element, it could start with the uniforms.
CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you do when a busload of civilians are taken hostage? That's what these Iraqi police recruits are learning, taught by the U.S. military, ready to take their techniques onto the streets of Iraq. But as this mobile phone video recently posted on the Internet shows, there have been suspected cases of the boundaries between security forces and militias being crossed.
Gunmen in what look like legitimate uniforms fighting side by side with the Mehdi army. CNN cannot independently authenticate this video, but infiltration and imitation are problems the Interior Minister Jawad Bolani has been fighting for the past year.
JAWAD BOLANI, IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Gangs carry out their criminal activities either through buying uniforms or vehicles that are similar to those used by police, but our tactic now is to track the activities of our cars and personnel, so we can restrict their movement.
HANCOCKS: The interior minister is adamant that the cleanup in his police force over the past year is working. He says that more than 12,000 police and employees of the ministry have been relieved of their duties and already of those more than 2,000 have been referred to the courts on various criminal charges. One problem is that for around $10, you can be the proud owner of any Iraqi army or police uniform, police, commandos, special forces. This shop owner in central Baghdad told us he used to be an official uniform manufacturer under Saddam Hussein. He now sells a wide variety of uniforms to anyone with an official ID, one of the easiest things to fake in today's Iraq. New national police uniforms were created last year. The U.S. general in charge of training the Iraqi police says they're harder to copy and that helps, but there are still corrupt elements within the force.
MAJ. GEN. KENNETH HUNZEKER, CIVIAN ASSISTANCE TRAINING TEAM: There is an element of misconduct in any force, and you're going to have it on the army and the police side and yes it, still exists. But I tell you, as far as corruption and things along those lines, especially with Minister Bolani, I've seen huge changes take place in the last year and it's just not tolerated.
HANCOCKS: For the U.S. military to be able to leave this country, these Iraqis will have to learn to fight on their own. To govern successfully the line between police and militant has to be absolute. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Five people down in a weekend shooting, two are still in critical condition this morning in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Police say Mark Galloway (ph) shot his girlfriend, three members of her family and a family friend. He's being held on $1 million bond. Police believe it started as an argument between Galloway and his girlfriend. They say he turned himself in after the shooting.
HARRIS: The FBI releasing new crime numbers this morning. They show a slight increase in total crime across the country for the second straight year, murders and robberies both on the upswing. On the other side, rape and aggravated assault both down slightly. CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena takes a look at what's behind the numbers in one big city, that's Philadelphia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Philadelphia, especially here in the badland, violence has claimed about 170 lives so far this year.
OFFICER MICHAEL MOORE, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: In our 10 years of being on the police department, this is definitely the worst that it's ever been.
ARENA: Police officer Michael Moore patrols the most dangerous streets, where the criminals are often better armed than the cops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eighty five percent of our homicides are by handgun. We have the most lax gun laws in the entire country, Philadelphia. And I think that our legislators have to take a very, very close look at that.
ARENA: Another casket, another grieving mother, memorial t-shirts and lots of tears. Primotivo Sanchez was 20 years old. His friends called him Janito (ph). His mother says he was shot after an argument over his car.
EMILY RUIZ, VICTIM'S MOTHER: I thought they would like beat him up or fight with him or something, or take his car, but not to kill him. He was innocent. My son was innocent.
ARENA: But today, in Philadelphia, grudges are settled with bullets, not fists. Residents here say that there are a lot of reasons for the violence, gangs, drugs, poverty, but every single person we talked to said the biggest reason, by far, is how easy it is to get a gun. Now city officials are putting more cops on the streets. There's a curfew and surveillance cameras. And residents, too, are taking action. Many of these marchers are victims of violence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Put down your guns.
ARENA: Greg Bucceroni mentors young boys in crisis.
GREG BUCCERONI, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: We try to show the kids that there is no glory in what's going on in the streets with the senseless violence.
ARENA: Alex Marino is one of those kids.
ALEX MORENO, 9th GRADER: He got me away from the streets and like he helped me realize what I was doing was wrong.
ARENA: And where he could end up. Kelli Arena, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: A court appearance today for a driver accused of plowing into a crowded street fair in Washington. More than 40 people were injured in the crash, some of them children. DC police say the woman drove through the crowd shortly after hitting an unmarked police car. She's charged with aggravated assault while armed. More charges could still be filed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CMDR. PATRICK BURKE, DC POLICE: It's a very complicated investigation. We've taken close to 70 statements already and we're working through a lot of the issues. The female has been tested for alcohol and drug impairment. That's currently under investigation and obviously, it's premature to speculate on the exact cause at this point, but that is something that will come out as we go further.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Officials say all of the people injured in the incident are expected to recover.
HARRIS: President Bush on his way to Europe, some critical issues on the table for the G-8 summit. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Front and center on the political stage, eight Democrats square off for their party's presidential nomination. Analyss say there were no knockout punches and lots of common ground. One issue of agreement and concern, the bloodshed in Sudan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What we need is a country, a foreign policy that cares about Africa, that cares that 300,000 human beings have died, have been massacred, that over two million have lost their homes, gender-based violence, rape. America should care about Africa and we don't.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I heard the same argument with Milosevic. I went over there, found out there was genocide going on, came to your husband, I said we must act. Look, we acted. Not an American was killed. We saved hundreds of thousands of lives. By the time all of these guys talk, 50,000 more people are going to be dead. They're going to be dead and I tell you, I guarantee you, we have the capacity by setting up a no-fly zone to shut down the (INAUDIBLE) .
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Can faith, values and politics co-exist? CNN tonight at 7:00 Eastern, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards discuss where they stand on the issue. Join Soledad O'Brien for a special forum on faith and politics tonight at 7:00 Eastern only on CNN. Tomorrow the Republicans are up to battle on CNN. Their debate is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern. There's our lineup. Prime time coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
HARRIS: A minor league manager tries to help out the umpire. There's the grounds crew, too. You're out. The story coming up 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 a price war between two electronic giants. Details next. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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HARRIS: It is the video everyone's talking about. We had some great fun with this over the weekend, Heidi but not everyone is laughing about it. It's a little wacky. Just watch, a major league meltdown by a minor league manager. This is Philip Wellman (ph), manager of the Mississippi Braves. The reason for the outburst isn't really important here, just a lot of fun to watch. I think he was calling balls and strikes from the dugout, can't do that.
All right now he received a lot of calls, this manager from many of his former players and now, look at this, look at this. I got to stop because he's crawling along the ground, going to grab the rosin bag. He's going to pull the pin. He's going to toss it to the -- and there you go. Boom! All right, rosined up and then you get this, and then you get that, and then he walks, yeah, let's grab second base. Let's walk on out. We're going to blow some kisses. We're going to say good-bye. I've been a manager in the minors for 20 years, I'll never get the call to the majors so bye-bye, see ya. I love ya. Sayonara!
COLLINS: That's very good, Tony. Have you been on stage?
HARRIS: Oh, man. COLLINS: Two Japanese electronics giants are engaged in a price war in the market for high definition movie discs. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with more on Sony's surprise move. Hi there, Susan.
LISOVICZ: Hi, Heidi. I suppose there's drama here, too. If the gadget is your thing and I know for Tony in his household it is. There's another thing for the little guy, Tony. Sony's new weapon in the battle between the high definition disc formats, an unexpected price cut. The company's newest blu-ray disc player which this week will cost $499, that's 100 bucks less than previously announced. That means the price tag will be roughly half of what it charged for the first blu-ray player when it launched just six months ago making this one of the biggest, fastest price declines in electronics history. Sony's trying to win a war for dominance with Toshiba's HDDVD format which has been a bigger seller so far. Its players now sell for less than 300 bucks after 14 months on the market. The bottom line is with old-fashioned DVD players available for just 50 bucks, most consumers seem to be sitting on the side lines until one of the two high def formats emerges as the winner. Heidi?
COLLINS: Hmmm, Well, we know there's some new numbers out, too, on DVR use. TV executives have been very, very nervous about what happens during those commercial breaks, when people have that remote in their hand.
LISOVICZ: That's something also catching on, the DVR, the digital video recorder. Turns out users don't fast forward through commercials as much as had been feared on Madison Avenue. According to ratings tracker Nielsen Media Research, that's his business, about 70 percent of 18 to 49 years old which is the most coveted audience by ad execs, in household with DVRs stuck around for commercial during the recent survey week. Nielsen began tracking commercial viewership last month. Its surveys could have huge implication for advertisers which pay big bucks for ads based on show's ratings numbers. There you have it. But of course most households don't have DVRs yet.
Turning to the market, stocks are slightly lower as a major sell off in China's stock market put investors in a cautious mood. Also pressuring stocks, the rising of more than a buck in oil prices, you know how that trickles down quite literally. The Dow right now down 22 points, the Nasdaq composite is down just one point. Could have been worse, we've seen it worse. Heidi and Tony, back to you.
COLLINS: We have seen it a lot worse. Susan, thank you.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
HARRIS: Heading to the G-8 this hour, President Bush has a lot on his plate as he prepares to meet with his European counterparts. We get more from CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush is heading to Europe, trying to convince the world of one thing. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are a compassionate nation.
MALVEAUX: That message may be a tough sell for Mr. Bush, who faces criticism for the chaos in Iraq, growing tension with Russia and widespread skepticism about his approach to tackling global warming. In a transparent effort to blunt some of that criticism, President Bush spent the week ahead of the G-8 summit laying out a series of global initiatives, including a speech proposing long-term goals to limit greenhouse gas emissions among the world's 15 biggest polluters.
BUSH: The United States takes this issue seriously.
MALVEAUX: Germany's leader Angela Merkel (ph), host of the G-8, welcomed his remarks but wants a binding agreement to cut greenhouse gases in half by 2050. There's no sign the U.S. will sign up for that. The climate change issue is sure to test the still developing relationship between Mr. Bush and Merkel, who last year got acquainted by sharing a German barbecue and back rub. This year's class photo will look different for President Bush, with new leaders from France, Japan and soon Britain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a leadership in Europe that is more pro-America.
MALVEAUX: But it is far from certain whether that means Mr. Bush will get his way on key issues, such as imposing tougher sanctions on Iran and Sudan, expanding free trade and building a proposed U.S. NATO missile defense shield in eastern Europe. That plan is vehemently opposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sees it as a potential threat and source of friction between the U.S. and Russia.
REGINALD DALE, CTR. FOR STRATEGIC & INTL STUDIES: Russia is playing a tough game in Europe and it's trying to divide the Europeans among themselves and the Europeans from the United States.
MALVEAUX: President Bush will try to reassert his position as a player on the world stage at the G-8 summit, but he's not taking anything for granted. He's already set up a personal meeting with Putin at his family's Kennebunkport home to try to further strengthen ties. Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The debate the day after, grading the Democrats, who scored and who slipped, a closer look in the NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: So the iron curtain came crumbling down and he slept right through it. A Polish man now awake after 19 years in a coma. The railway worker was hit by a train in 1988. His injuries so severe he fell into the coma. Nearly two decades later he is recovering, during his long sleep, his four children got married and now he has 11 grandchildren. One thing he enjoys in the post-communist era, politics. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAN GRZEBSKI, RECOVERING FROM COME (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I'm interested in politics. Sometimes I listen to politicians talk for half the day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Wouldn't that put you back in a coma?
COLLINS: Very good.
HARRIS: The man showed his first signs of recovery a couple of months ago.
COLLINS: All right, the race car driver Danica Patrick getting roughed up and fighting back. Take a look. It happened in (INAUDIBLE) race in Milwaukee. Patrick is on the inside. She gets a little bump, you see there, and off the track she goes. After the race, Patrick confronts the other driver, Dan Weldon. Don't ever do that. I think that's what she says. Weldon says Patrick is just upset because she hasn't won a race yet. Danica Patrick finished eighth, Weldon finished third. Good for her.
HARRIS: ..walk away from me.
COLLINS: They have a little history there.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE)
COLLINS: CNN news continues one hour from now.
HARRIS: "Your World Today" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great day everybody.
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