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Letters Threaten Deaths at Goldman Sachs; Girl, 3, Kidnapped in Nigeria; Will Live Earth Concerts Make a Difference?; Music Festival Returns to New Orleans
Aired July 06, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Kidnapped for cash. A booming trade in oil- rich, dirt-poor Nigeria, but the latest victim is 3 years old, and her captors don't want money.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Is al Qaeda waging war on Goldman Sachs? Some chilling notes warn hundreds will die. Signed "A.Q. USA." We'll hear from the FBI.
Hello, I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: Up first this hour: extreme weather. Scorching out west, soaked in the southern plains, five inches plus in East Texas overnight, drenching areas already saturated from weeks of downpours.
Farther west, the numbers say it all: 104 in Boise, 116 in Las Vegas, 127 in Death Valley. Dangerously hot from Santa Barbara to Spokane.
Well, when can they expect a cool-down, Reynolds Wolf?
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: All right. We're also going to go live to Palm Springs, California and check in with our Kara Finnstrom. Reynolds, thanks.
LEMON: They're as simple as they are scary: hand-scrawled notes sent to nine newspapers around the country, warning hundreds will die at the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Some say the threat isn't credible, but the FBI isn't taking any chances.
Let's go to our Allan Chernoff now. He joins us live from New York -- Alan.
ALAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. Well, Goldman Sachs is taking this seriously, as well.
The letters were sent to nine newspapers around the country, including the "Star-Ledger" of New Jersey. And let me read to you exactly what the threat said. Quote, "Goldman Sachs, hundreds will die. We are inside. You cannot stop us. Signed A.Q. USA." And these were postmarked on June 27. The newspapers shared them with the FBI, and the FBI has been reviewing all of this with Goldman Sachs. The FBI, as well as local authorities here, have determined that this does not appear to be a credible threat.
Nonetheless, of course, it is being taken seriously. Goldman Sachs released a statement, saying, "We take any threat to the safety of our people very seriously. We are working closely with the law enforcement authorities, who tell us they don't believe the threat to be credible."
Now having said that, Goldman Sachs also did send out an e-mail to its employees, saying that, "We don't view this situation as a cause for concern."
But some of the employees clearly are concerned. Obviously, it's not very comfortable to have anyone making threats.
Now this is, of course, a global investment bank. The company has offices in 46 cities around the globe, 28,000 employees; and 12,000 of those employees are in the New York City metropolitan area -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Allan Chernoff in New York. Allan, thank you for your report.
PHILLIPS: The casino was packed, yet only four people were hurt in Las Vegas this morning when a gunman walked into the New York, New York complex and started shooting. Off duty troops and visiting cops wrestled the man to the ground and grabbed his handgun.
Police say he's local and neither works -- neither works nor was a guest at the casino.
And talk about luck. None of the victims is seriously hurt.
LEMON: President Bush's Iraq war support network suffers another blow from another senior Republican senator. New Mexico's Pete Domenici says the current strategy simply is not working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PETE DOMENICI (R), NEW MEXICO: We need a new strategy for Iraq that forces the Iraqi government to do more or else. I'm not calling for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq or a reduction in funding for our troops. But I am calling for a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations and on the path to continuing home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A U.S. military commander in Iraq says there will be a date to pull troops out, but it's not today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL DIVISION CENTER: Those surge forces are giving us the capability we have now to take the fight to the enemy. And the enemy only responds to force, and we now have that force.
We can conduct detailed kinetic strikes. We can do cordon and searches. And we can deny the enemy his sanctuaries. If those surge forces go away, that capability goes away, and the Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that.
So now, what you're going to find if you did that, is you'd find the enemy regaining ground, reestablishing the sanctuary, building more IEDs, carrying those IEDs in Baghdad. And the violence would escalate. It would be a mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The latest combat casualty figures from Iraq: one U.S. soldier killed in a Baghdad fire fight, six Iraqis killed in several attacks. They all happened yesterday.
PHILLIPS: Now to Nigeria, where kidnappings happen all the time. It happened again yesterday. But there's a shocking difference: the age and innocence of the victim.
CNN's Isha Sesay has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 3-year-old British girl kidnapped in Niger's Western Niger Delta. According to local police, Margaret Hill was snatched by gunmen who smashed the windows of the car carrying her to school in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
The little girl is the first foreign child to be seized in the oil-rich region that has seen kidnapping become commonplace. Her family is in shock.
CATHY DUFFY, AUNT OF KIDNAPPED GIRL: Absolutely dreadful. Dreadful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When did you hear what happened?
DUFFY: Yesterday morning. We got call from Nigeria to let us know where it happened to the -- to Margaret on the way to school. And I just couldn't believe it at all.
SESAY: Margaret's father, Mike Hill, is a British national and long-time resident of Nigeria. The child's mother, Oluchi, is a Nigerian national.
Right now, it's unclear who is responsible for the kidnapping. There are reports the hostage takers have given Margaret bread and water. They're threatening to kill the 3-year-old unless her father agrees to take her place. The British government is said to be working to secure Margaret's freedom, while the foreign office has called for her immediate safe release, a call echoed by other Port Harcourt residents.
HAJARA OTARU, STUDENT: It's a little girl I think is not from this country. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I know her parents will be very, very happy when she is released.
SESAY: Margaret's kidnapping follows that of five oil workers on Wednesday. The Niger Delta has become increasingly lawless since 2005.
While the region sits on top of the nation's oil wealth, there is widespread poverty. Armed gangs and militant groups are known to operate in the area.
Groups such as the (MEND), the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, have launched attacks and kidnappings, calling for a more equitable distribution of the region's oil wealth.
MEND have recently ended a month-long ceasefire but deny any involvement in the kidnapping of Margaret.
A spokesman for the group says they will, quote, "Join in the hunt for the monsters who carried out this abduction."
Scores of foreign workers have been taken since the beginning of this year, but the abduction of children is rare. Hostages are generally released unharmed after a ransom has been unpaid, leaving Margaret Hill's parents waiting and hoping that their little girl will return home safely soon.
Isha Sesay, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Former Vice President Al Gore is saying little about his son's arrest. Prosecutors in Orange County, California, have about a month to decide whether they'll file charges against 24-year-old Al Gore III. Police say they stopped him for speeding and found marijuana and prescription drugs.
John Roberts asked the elder Gore about the arrest on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL GORE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are very happy that he's getting treatment and that nobody was hurt and that he's in the right place and has asked for the right kind of treatment. And beyond that we are treating it as a private family matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Gore was on CNN to promote Live Earth, a global concert aimed at raising awareness about global warming. Final preparations are underway. The concert will be broadcast tomorrow from nine cities.
Well, some critics dismiss all of that as an empty gesture: more wind than earth.
CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Live Earth, a 24- hour concert; 100 acts in cities across the globe.
GORE: That's global warming.
CARROLL: Former vice president, Al Gore, developed the idea to help protect the planet.
Over the past few decades, there have been several global concerts with different causes, all with the same basic goal: raise money. Not this time.
GORE: It's actually not designed to raise money. It's designed to raise awareness and to spread word about the solutions.
CARROLL: Organizers won't put a dollar amount on expected money raised. Profit will go to Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit he founded to help reduce global warming.
Gore hopes the music will inspire people to go to the Live Earth web site and follow the seven-point pledge, which includes fighting pollution and planting new trees.
Critics say Live Earth's goals are too vague.
EVAN SERPICK, "ROLLING STONE": I think it is pretty ambiguous. I think they could have done a much better job much earlier on being very clear about hard goals.
CARROLL: Bob Geldof, the man behind two global concerts for poverty, is quoted as calling Live Earth a hollow spectacle.
But even with profit, getting the money to those in need can be challenging. In 2005, Live 8 hoped to influence world leaders to commit more money to poverty. Those leaders committed $50 billion by 2010. But at least one watchdog group says they're not on track.
On the other hand, Concert from Bangladesh in 1971 to date has raised $15 billion (ph). According to UNICEF, 87 cents of each dollar went to children in Bangladesh.
CARYL STERN, PRESIDENT, U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF: Concerts really do make a difference.
CARROLL (on camera): Performers such as Alicia Keyes, Kelly Clarkson, The Police and Bon Jovi will all be here at Giants Stadium to perform. We're told that all the performers are lending their talents free of charge.
Jason Carroll, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, at risk abroad. A 3-year-old British girl snatched in Nigeria. Why did kidnappers target a small child? What are her chances of safe return? We're going to talk to a veteran of kidnapped rescues in other countries.
LEMON: Also this. Are the skies unfriendly to your tummy? Well, a new study says maybe you're flying too high.
PHILLIPS: And a party with a purpose comes home to New Orleans, for the first time since Katrina.
You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: 1:15 Eastern Time. Here are three of the top stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Another day of unrelenting heat over much of the western U.S. Mercury crossing the 120 mark in some of the hotspots. In some places, though, they are worried the demand for air conditioning will overload the power grid.
The FBI is investigating letters sent to nine newspapers that appear to be a terror threat against the Goldman Sachs investment bank. The letters say that "Hundreds will die. We are inside. You cannot stop us."
And in Southeast Virginia, federal agents undertake another search of Michael Vick's property. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback denies being involved in illegal dog fighting.
LEMON: The essence of music in New Orleans. For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, the Essence Music Festival is back.
And our very own T.J. Holmes is lucky enough to be there.
T.J., you're lucky, but I know it's hot and sweaty.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: It's hot, it's sweaty, but the sun is the least of the heat. The Essence Festival brings the heat down here to New Orleans.
Now, I know it's going to be hard for you and Kyra to really believe me when I say this. I only got an hour's worth of sleep last night, because I was working. Yes, I was actually working.
But a lot of people down here did not sleep at all last night, but if there was ever a reason to party like a rock star, this festival is it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): They call it a party with a purpose. And this year, the party has come back home, to New Orleans.
HILL HARPER, ACTOR: What's amazing is that folks are just happy to be getting together. You know, and that's what the Essence Festival really reflects. It's partying with a purpose. It's music and fun with a purpose, and so that's why I'm here.
HOLMES: Every year since 1995, New Orleans has rolled out the red carpet for this event, except for last year, when Katrina sent the party to Houston. Festival faithful followed it to Houston but are happy to have it back.
CANDACE MATTHEWS, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: We went to Houston and Houston was gracious. They were wonderful, but it wasn't New Orleans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is New Orleans, man. The festival belongs here. This is why we're back.
HOLMES: An estimated 200,000 people will come here for the three-day festival, making an economic impact to the tune of $150 million.
The essence of the festival is a series of self-help seminars during the day. That's the purpose.
At night, the party. With thousands filing into the Superdome, once a refuge, now a symbol of resurgence in this city.
The crowd is treated to some of the biggest names in music. Gospel, hip-hop, and R&B opened the show. Politics was the final act, starring Senator Barack Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If all of you are ready to not just rebuild New Orleans, but rebuild the New Orleans all across America: on the south side of Chicago and in New York city and in Los Angeles, and in Houston, all across America. I'm am absolutely convinced that we will not just win an election this time out, but, more importantly, we are going to transform a country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, of course, we know in a lot of the national polls, Senator Hillary Clinton is ahead, and Barack Obama, you just saw there, he's not far behind.
Well, he was here last night. And she's not far behind this time. She's here today, expected to speak within the hour back here in the convention center. So a lot of people gathering, excited about that. Two major candidates here speaking at the Essence Festival. Certainly speaks to, I guess, the cultural impact that this festival certainly has grown to have now, Don.
LEMON: Absolutely. And you know, T.J., I've been talking about your story. And one of the reasons that you're there -- we don't want to put a tamper on it. The city definitely needs some positive press.
But we want to talk about the feel there, because of the crime. I'm sure people are concerned. But what's the feel with the crowd right there? Are they concerned about crime?
HOLMES: The crowd isn't, and this is the challenge for the police department here and the visitor's bureau. Is to tell people to come here. They're you safe where the visitors are. The criminals, they're killing each other. They don't want to kill you.
That sounds like an absurd idea and crazy. And you certainly can't put that on a tourism pamphlet, but that is, in fact, the case.
And that's what they're trying to tell so many potential visitors around this country: to come here, because in fact, downtown it is safe. It is secure. They've got it under control down here. And this is what they want everybody to see.
But, yes they have, on those outlying areas around downtown, they certainly admit they do have a crime problem, and, in fact, a terrible murder rate that they certainly want to get under control, Don.
LEMON: Yes. And we're going to talk to you about that a little bit later. Is that correct?
HOLMES: I do believe. Yes, sir.
LEMON: All right, T.J., thank you.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, why some travelers get sick when they fly. It may be more than just jet lag.
LEMON: The rewards may be greater, but what about the risks? Ahead in the NEWSROOM, more about working abroad and becoming a tempting target for kidnappers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A case of beauty queen blackmail. The reigning Miss New Jersey is going public and fighting back. Amy Polumbo says that someone has been sending her photos of herself, threatening to make them public if she doesn't step down by today.
Her lawyer says the photos are not lewd, and pageant officials in New Jersey say they're looking into it.
LEMON: No longer a private affair. Telemundo anchor Mirthala Salinas now off the air and under review. Her romance with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raising questions about a possible conflict of interest. Salinas once covered the mayor as a political reporter.
Villaraigosa has kept a low profile since confirming his relationship with Salinas on Tuesday. His wife has now filed for divorce. PHILLIPS: A royal welcome is planned for a revolutionary new airplane, and it doesn't even fly yet. Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stock Exchange with a preview on the rollout of Boeing's first passenger jet in more than a decade. Right, Steph?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra.
Boeing, it's latest unveil, its new 787 Dreamliner this Sunday on, well, 7-8-07. Get it? They're being very smart there.
The Seattle event will be the first time media and analysts will get to see the plane in a form other than rendering. And no, the plane won't have seats. It won't even motor down the runway. And it sure as heck won't fly.
But the purpose of the event is clear. Boeing is trying to reassure the public that, despite some missing parts, things are going according to plan.
The first test flight is tentatively scheduled for next month, and the first plane has been promised to a Japanese airplane by next May. Boeing has already gotten more than 600 orders for the 787. That make it the most popular commercial launch ever, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, the Dreamliner is groundbreaking for other reasons. too. Right?
ELAM: Yes, you might say the Dreamliner is a dream for environmentalists, as well. The plane will be the first large passenger jet to have more than half of its structure made of lightweight composite materials. That, along with a new engine, will mean the 787 burns 20 percent less fuel than similar sized jets.
Now, Boeing is a huge U.S. exporter, so any delays in the 787 could not only affect the company stock, but the nation's GDP, as well.
(STOCK REPORT)
ELAM: Microsoft gets beaten by its own game. In the next hour of NEWSROOM I'll tell you about some costly problems with the company's popular Xbox 360 video game. Until then, Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right, Steph. Thanks.
ELAM: Sure.
LEMON: It is half squid, half octopus and so rare that it doesn't even have a name. It was found off the coast of Hawaii, and biologists say it might be a new species. For now, the locals are calling it octosquid.
PHILLIPS: Sin City sizzles, and it has nothing to do with sin. Triple digit temps scorch the west again today, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
Kidnapping is not uncommon in Nigeria's volatile oil region. But the latest victim is Margaret Hill, and she's just 3 years old.
PHILLIPS: Does it signal a dangerous shift in tactics? We're going to talk with former military intelligence chief Ken Robinson.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: But, first, let's talk about the extreme weather. Scorching out West, soaked in the Southern plains. Five inches plus in East Texas. Overnight drenching areas already saturated from weeks of downpours.
Farther West, the numbers say it all. 104 in Boise, 116 in Las Vegas and Death Valley living up to its name, with 127 degrees. Dangerously hot from Santa Barbara to Spokane.
Let's go to Palm Springs now, in California where the higher the sun gets, the higher the mercury goes.
Our Kara Finnstrom is there and Kara are folks ready for this scorcher?
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fortunately they are little bit more prepared if they live in this dessert community normally. The number supposed to be 114.
And folks looking for a break from the heat anyway they can get it. You can see we're at Soak City here. We have families tubing on the water, trying to cool off here.
The organizers of this park want everyone to enjoy themselves and have a good time, but they also have some concerns about safety. This is not the first day of extreme heat. They have been having extreme heat for a couple of days. And folks maybe not hydrated and their bodies not quite recovered from the heat we had a couple of days ago. Brad overseas safety at the park. Tell us about how often do you see heat illness here at the park?
BRAD OUELLETTE, CHIEF LIFEGUARD: On average daily, about Sometimes about two to three times at least. On heavier days, more, sometimes six or seven. And we usually bring them into a cool area, give them some ice, and some water, electrolytes and most of them don't even eat breakfast, so that's where we have most of our cases, so we give them something to eat as well.
FINNSTROM: Now, what are the warning signs you are looking for?
OULLETTE: One of the signs, usually in most people get dizzy, light headed and sometimes our life guards at Soak City are well trained in heat exhaustion and we usually catch them before it gets worse if it's happens to be heatstroke, it can be life threatening and that's why we catch it before it gets there.
FINNSTROM: All right, thanks Brad. We know you have a busy day here today.
Want to give you a look here behind me. You can see some of the shelters they have set up, so that people who are outside, even though are you in the water, it's still hot and the sun is glaring.
The word from health professionals is take a break every so often. Get under a shelter like this one. And cooling centers have been set up all across the state.
Don?
LEMON: Kara Finnstrom. Thank you, Kara.
And if you are out in the middle of the heat wave, let us know about it and how are you managing to stay cool, whether are you holed up in the a.c. or standing in front of an open freezer, probably a good idea today -- just send us your i-Report. CNN.com/ireport.
PHILLIPS: Kidnapped for ransom in Nigeria, it happens often in the heart of Africa's oil country. This time though, it's different. The victim is a child. A three-year-old British girl whose captors are threatening to kill her.
Ken Robinson, our terrorism analyst joins me now from Los Angeles. He actually has had experience in rescue missions of these types. Ken, I want to get to that in a minute.
But, let me ask you about what's happening in Nigeria. Apparently, there is information coming across that possibly her father might be involved in the oil industry. So, why go after the little girl? Is it more that they want money or influence with him?
KEN ROBINSON, TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, it's reported that the father works for Royal Dutch Shell that has an enormous interest in Niger. The child is probably simply a target of opportunity because there is no real protection for the child. It was taken from a car near the port.
The industry right over there is really rolling right now because this terrorism and kidnapping has become real theater there to get their causes out to the world, because they don't feel that they are getting reported.
PHILLIPS: So it's not necessarily they want money, they somehow want influence in the business, is that what it is?
ROBINSON: Well, I think there's a couple of things going on in Niger. One, it's a very rich area and the majority of the money, according to opposition groups, is leaving the country and going to the world, but nothing is coming back in. Jeff Koinange has done a remarkable reporting on this from CNN in Africa in the past and has documented a disparity between services that the government provides versus the amount of resources being taken from the country and exported elsewhere.
PHILLIPS: With your experience in kidnappings and ransom calls, in a situation like this, it seems very political, do you think this little girl has a good chance of staying alive, or are the odds against her?
ROBINSON: They don't have a long history of executing. Most of the time when you get at risk is when you try to attempt a rescue, especially on a child. This is the first time that a child has been taken there.
It's hard to guess, because it would only be a guess, but their past performance says that they typically do not execute their hostages in Niger. They do, however, in Colombia.
PHILLIPS: And that's what I want to get to. Your experience is mainly in Colombia. Give us a couple of examples of how this is really different because in Colombia it's about money and if they don't get the money, they kill, right?
ROBINSON: In Colombia, before 9/11, before the United States went into Iraq. Colombia was the leader in kidnappings throughout the world, and it has become an economy.
There are many groups there. There are two Marxist/Leninist groups, that really aren't Marxist/Leninist anymore, are now narco terrorists. They work with the different drug groups in the country.
In the '80s and '90s, special operations kind of dessimated the two main groups -- the Cali Cartel and the Mediein Cartel. And then those groups bifurcated and then distributed, we created a bunch of smaller groups and they started reaching out to these guerrillas and getting them to help them move in traffic.
And so the guerrillas then realized that in order for them to have gains and there was an economy to be had, not just in taking prisoners for their demands, their political demands, but taking them to support the economy of narco dollars, and it's a cottage industry.
PHILLIPS: And if we go back in history and look at the influence that Pablo Escobar had. You were involved in that mission that took him out. When that happened, did it influence at all the rate of kidnappings for ransom?
ROBINSON: It did impact it for a little while, because it took him off the stage and he was desperately trying to take care of his family and keep them from going to the West. He was trying to get them sanctuary in France. And his whole network was destroyed, and kidnapping in a large part did dwindle down, but then the FARC started kidnapping again.
They kidnapped a lot of British soldiers. Right now, there are Americans are being held hostage in Colombia who have been alleged by the FARC to work for the CIA. They crashed in an airplane around February 13, 2003 and they have not been recovered.
There are new tribes missionary groups that go down and try to proselytize the Indians who have been held hostage there. Just like the Byrnams who were held hostage in the Philippines for the same thing, for trying to teach and preach their religion to the Indians.
In each case, the government of the United States puts pressure on the country, the country feels it has to respond and do something. In the case of the Byrnums, the husband was killed, the wife survived.
In the case of Columbia we don't have an answer yet as to where these hostages are being held, and the fear is them being stumbled across, because last week, if you recall, a military group in Columbia stumbled across a FARC camp and ended up killing a whole bunch of magistrates who were being held hostage.
PHILLIPS: Just hearing that background and that experience, it will be interesting to what watch what happens in Niger with this three-year-old and see if there are similarities. We'll follow it.
Ken Robinson, sure appreciate your insight today.
ROBINSON: Thank you.
LEMON: Disturbing new allegations. U.S. marines accused of killing civilians in Iraq. It allegedly took place during the U.S. siege of Falluja in November of 2004.
According to several Pentagon officials, a former Marine says his comrades gunned down their eight civilian prisoners. The allegation surfaced when a former Marine applied for a job with the U.S Secret Service and underwent a routine polygraph.
The Iraq War -- $500 billion dollars, more than 3,500 dead American troops, more than 25,000 wounded. But is all that a fair reflection of the war's true cost?
Well, this weekend CNN Chief National Correspondent John King investigates. Here is a preview of his special investigations unit report, Battlefield Breakdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the Army he proudly serves, Sergeant Chris Tucker is hurting. He can't walk in his military issued combat boots. Both feet need surgery. He is near deaf in his right ear and if the nightmares don't wake him up, his wife Nicky often nervously chases him down sleep- walking.
CHRIS TUCKER, U.S. ARMY STAFF SERGEANT: The next morning when I wake up, finding out that Nicky made me go back to bed, because she found me wandering across the house, yelling and screaming, get down and, you know, playing Army with people. It's kind of frustrating. NICKY TUCKER, WIFE OF CHRIS TUCKER: He's in this dream of being in battle. It's scary, because I won't be over there with him in Iraq to stop him from waking up in the middle of the night.
C. TUCKER: My uniform is in there somewhere.
KING: Chris Tucker is 24 years old and despite his mangled feet, failing hearing, nightmares, and depression, he's off to Iraq for the third time in four years.
The Army promises help, but says Sergeant Tucker is needed first on the battle field. Chris Tucker's first exposure came during the march on Baghdad back in 2003.
STAFF SGT. CHRIS TUCKER, CHARLIE COMPANY 54TH ARMOR REGIMENT: What's up? We're in a big fire fight out here, right outside Baghdad. it's kind of hot.
KING: When then Private Tucker mounted a camera on his tank. CNN has kept in touch since the beginning. The flashbacks and nightmares started between the first and second deployments.
TUCKER: I wake up places, and I don't even know where I'm at and it just, you know, freaks you out. And you're like, wow, that -- it just can't be safe, and you know, I've had -- I had a big problem with my anger and depression.
KING: Counseling and medications have helped some, Tucker told us, when we visited just before he shipped out the third time.
TUCKER: There's not many other places I'd rather be on the battlefield than in this baby.
KING: First, the army told Tucker he must stay in Iraq five additional months after his commitment runs out next March.
TUCKER: Yes, I'm kind of banged up, but I think there are many other people in the same position as me.
KING: Banged up, and now, feeling a bit betrayed. Just as he deployed, this bombshell. His tank unit was retasked, assigned to humvee patrols with Iraqi troops. Not the mission they spent months training for. Two men in his company died in the first two weeks back. This is it. No more army for Chris Tucker.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: CNN's Special Investigations Unit "Battlefield Breakdown," it airs tomorrow and Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.
PHILLIPS: Why some travelers get sick when they fly. It may be more than just jet lag.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Well, more of you are paying a visit to the doctor. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were more than a billion doctor and hospital visits in 2005. It represents a 20 percent increase in doctor traffic in the last five years. The most commonly prescribed medication: imagine this, anti-depressants.
LEMON: Well, with summer travel in full swing, many of us are taking to the air for some pretty long flights, and it's not always comfortable. A new study suggests the cause may not just be jet lag or being stuck in a cramped seat, it could be altitude sickness.
CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now to give us some information, some advice on that.
So, altitude sickness exists on airplanes?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, you usually think of it as just when you're mountain climbing, but if you fly on a plane, you need to really listen to this because you can get altitude sickness by being on a plane. It sounds actually kind of obvious. You're up pretty high when you're on airplane, and, in fact, some people do get a tamer version of altitude sickness than you would on the mountain.
So, for example, if you're feeling kind of a little queasy or maybe just kind of lethargic and achy and generally yicky -- I know that's not a medical term, but it sort of says it all, it may be just because of the altitude that you're at according to this new study.
LEMON: OK, so then what do you do?
COHEN: Well, there are some steps that you -- there's nothing you can do about the altitude.
LEMON: OK.
COHEN: So, there's nothing you can do about that.
LEMON: You can't say fly lower, right.
COHEN: Right, you can't say fly lower. You can try to get that message, but if you knock on that door, they -- that probably wouldn't go down very well. So, instead, what you can do is drink less alcohol and caffeine. A friend of mine said I just stay drunk the whole flight, that's how I handle it. Not a great idea.
The effects of alcohol are enhanced when you're at that altitude, not smart. Caffeine will dehydrate you. Use moisturizer and eye drops, again, because you're dehydrated, and that's going to make you feel better. Also, walk around, move and stretch as much as they will let you get out of your chair, get out. Not only is it going to make you feel better, but it will also help resist DVT, deep vein thrombosis ...
LEMON: Yes.
COHEN: ...which is even more of a serious problem.
LEMON: Yes, and that's -- that happens a lot on airplanes, I knew (ph).
COHEN: Right.
LEMON: But I always just do you know, I have to do the sleeping pill when I'm taking a long, long flight.
COHEN: Oh, well that -- that works for some people.
LEMON: Yes, yes. Got to do it. So, these cabins are supposed to be pressurized, so then why are people getting altitude sickness?
COHEN: Right, because you would think I wouldn't get altitude sickness ...
LEMON: Yes.
COHEN: ...because they pressurize these cabins. But in fact, they can't perfectly pressurize them. That's what I'm told is that no matter how hard they try, it's never going to be like it is on the ground.
So again, this isn't as bad as if you climbed to the top of a mountain. But, it's also not going to be the same on the ground. And just that little bit of a difference can make you feel not so great.
Now, what's interesting is that it appears women are more likely to get altitude sickness ...
LEMON: Oh.
COHEN: ...on an airplane, not clear why -- interesting.
LEMON: Do you have anything for the problem that I suffer on planes and Kyra suffers on airplanes?
COHEN: No, I don't. Do you want to talk about that problem?
PHILLIPS: All right, I think (ph) it's time to move on.
LEMON: No, not at all, we're not going to talk about that.
Thank you, Elizabeth ...
COHEN: OK, well you're welcome (ph).
LEMON: ...Cohen.
COHEN: We'll talk more later.
LEMON: OK.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's not a whopper, it's the truth. Another fast food chain is ditching the transfats. Burger King says that by the end of next year, it will only use cooking oil that's transfat free. Doctors say transfats increase the risk of heart disease. Burger King joins McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, and Taco Bell in the move away from transfats.
LEMON: Well, will the real Fred Thompson please stand up, all six foot six of you. Straight talking, outsider or a well-connected beltway insider? We'll take a closer look at the duelling images straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: Feeling lucky this weekend? Some folks are rolling the dice right down the aisle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been planning it for a year now, so. We're the trendsetters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: 7/7/07. The lucky sevens and the thousands of future newlyweds. God bless them. Straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: 7/7/07. If tomorrow is your lucky day or if you're hoping it is, get in line. Lots of people will buy lottery tickets and some will even try their luck at marriage. Of nothing else, at least their anniversaries will be easy to remember.
CNN's Chris Lawrence reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The line to get a marriage license came down the block, up the steps, wrapped around the corner and went inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show of hands who's here for the 7/7/7?
(CHEERING)
LAWRENCE: Some experts predict 70,000 couples could get hitched on the seventh day of the seventh month in '07.
NIA HAMILTON, BRIDE: We've been planning it for a year now, so, we're the trendsetters.
LAWRENCE: Nia Hamilton says she's paying a premium to marry Miles Ware (ph).
HAMILTON: For your chapel, they add a little bit more money because your on the special day. For your dinner, they add a little bit more money because it's on your special day. So, it's tax upon tax because you're on 7/7/7 with everyone else.
LAWRENCE: Chapels are all booked up, and the competition over superstition is fierce.
JUDY BOWE, OWNER, CUPID'S CHAPEL: We actually had one couple that booked quite a ways out, try to sell their package on eBay. So, it's been crazy.
LAWRENCE: The significance of seven can be traced back to Egyptian culture. The number shows up throughout the Bible. It's a positive card in tarot card readings. It means you've hit the jackpot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sevens are all chocolate with a blue cocoa butter on it.
LAWRENCE: Mandalay Bay's world-renowned pastry chef is making plans for a mass wedding outside. The Venetian will conduct 77 ceremonies on Saturday, and the Bellagio's flower factory is in full bloom.
Across the Atlantic, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker tied the knot in France, and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck takes the plunge.
As for Miles and Nia ...
MILES WARE, GROOM: Official. Nothing left to do now but walk down the aisle.
LAWRENCE: Marriage can be a bit of a gamble, so any couple counting on those lucky sevens should take note, next week is Friday the 13th.
(on camera): Experts say this could go down as one of the busiest wedding days ever. And a few couples told me their marriage can use all the luck it can get.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. Do you think you know who does it most?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: You better button your lip until you hear the results of a new study that charts -- charting the habit, by gender, chatting the habit by gender.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Can I talk now? Said so (ph). You talk too much. It's an age-old question. Who talks more, men or women? I already know the answer to this. A new study cites some surprising results.
And here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yack, yack, yack.
(on camera): Who do you think talks more, men or women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh women, definitely (ph).
MOOS: You're ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you kidding me? It's like no contest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Woman.
MOOS: Why do you think that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I'm married.
MOOS (voice-over): So is the author of the new study in the journal "Science" entitled, "Are Women Really More Talkative Than Men?"
(on camera): Were you surprised?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was surprised.
MOOS (voice-over): Psychology professor Matthias Mehl, at the University of Arizona says almost 400 male and female college students wore a voice recorder like this one, that sampled sounds for several days, picking up casual conversation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like they're really nice.
MOOS: When researchers extrapolated the number of words spoken per day, it was almost the same for men and women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, 16,000. Whoo!
MOOS: Actually, men spoke about 500 words a day less, but researchers called that statistically insignificant.
VOICE OF PROF. MATTHIAS MEHL, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: Had one person, the most talkative participant, who happened to be male, he used 47,000 words a day.
MOOS (on camera): Wow, he never shut up.
(voice-over): And here you thought men only used their mouths to eat, and drink and talk to the TV.
VINCE VAUGHN, ACTOR: All the talking is really starting to drain me, and now, I'm going to have watch the headlights later to see what I missed here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honey, look, Gary (ph), just ...
VAUGHN: (INAUDIBLE), shower's not important (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, just take a shower, OK?
MOOS: And now we find out men gab just as much as women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got to cut you off now. Hold on.
MOOS (on camera): Who talks more, men or women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I certainly do in my family.
MOOS (voice-over): If this sounds like the opposite of what you'd heard before, maybe you're thinking of "The Female Brain." That book quoted statistics showing women spoke 20,000 words versus a mere 7,000 for men. But the author now says her numbers were not based on reliable data.
(on camera): Do you think you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely.
MOOS: Do you think you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MOOS: Do you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trust her.
MOOS (voice-over): Most folks we talked to didn't trust the new study.
(on camera): How many words a day do you think she uses?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh definitely 55,422.
MOOS (voice-over): Her nickname is FM because she talks all the time, like a radio.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can't fight with him. He just switches off.
MOOS (on camera): Do you think you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think so, but a lot of men think I do.
MOOS (voice-over): Took her 10 words to say yes. Stereotyping starts young.
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