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American Morning

Search For A Sniper; Threat Report; Vitter Speaks; Dow Jones Deal; Political Round-Up; Al Qaeda's Revival

Aired July 17, 2007 - 06:00   ET

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

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, a critical, new report about al Qaeda's new effort to get into the U.S. And a potential loophole that could put Americans at risk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It focuses our attention on whether we need to take some additional steps with respect to checking people who are coming in from Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Secrets revealed about your security, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

And welcome. Thanks so much for being with us. It's Tuesday, July 17th. I'm Kiran Chetry.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. I'm John Roberts. We're going to be covering the terrorism angle for you all day this morning.

But off the top today, the state of Wyoming on high alert. A massive manhunt happening right now for a suspect described as highly dangerous.

CHETRY: That's right. Police are searching on the ground, but they also have a Black Hawk helicopter in the sky. They're looking for an ex-Army sniper accused of using his skills to gun down his estranged wife. She was a country singer actually performing with her band at the time that she was shot and killed. Alina Cho is following this story and she joins us now with the very latest on this search, that went into the night and now into the early morning hours out there.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They're using dogs. They're searching by ground and by air, as you mentioned, Kiran. You know, they're really using all resources, including Black Hawk helicopters, as you mentioned, in their search for 36-year-old David Munis. Now in addition to being a trained military sniper, he's also an avid outdoorsman and police are looking right now in areas where he's been known to camp.

Now authorities believe Munis may have fled in that Dodge pickup there and that truck was found about 50 miles east of Cheyenne in a remote area in Laramie. Police are hoping to get a search warrant for that truck later this morning.

Now, Munis is the only suspect in the shooting death of his wife, Robin Munis. The couple had recently separated. As Kiran mentioned a moment ago, she was singing in a local band at a Cheyenne nightclub when she was shot and killed by a single bullet that was fired from the outside. It happened shortly after midnight Saturday.

And local newspapers are reporting today that Robin Munis may have received harassing phone calls from her husband as recently as six hours before the shooting. Now David Munis is a staff sergeant with the Wyoming National Guard. He had sniper training during his service in the Army.

Cheyenne police have notified state and national parks and local law enforcement in neighboring Montana because Munis is believed to be armed and dangerous. And, Kiran, Cheyenne police will be holding a news conference at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Hopefully we will learn more about this at that time.

CHETRY: All right. Keep us posted then. Alina, thank you.

ROBERTS: We're also going to be talking with a captain from the Wyoming police, as well as somebody who knew Robin Munis. Actually the guy who led the band that she was playing with when she was shot dead early on Sunday morning.

Now to secrets revealed from the classified National Intelligence Estimate and what officials at the highest level of Homeland Security are worried about. CNN's Kelli Arena will be at a debriefing this morning where parts of the report will be declassified and described for the press. She joins us from Washington this morning.

What's the report expected to tell us, Kelli?

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the bottom line is that it will say that the United States continues and will continue to face a very persistent and ever-changing terrorist threat. That al Qaeda has regained a lot of its capability to attack here on U.S. soil and that it has increased its efforts to try to get operatives inside the United States. I spoke yesterday with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and here's how he summed it up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: They have found some safe spaces in parts of the world, and that's a negative development. Clearly, they've evolved. They essentially franchised themselves out to parts of the world in southeast Asia, in North Africa and, most disturbingly from our standpoint, in Europe. And that's a negative development.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Now, John, on the good news side of things, the secretary says that he does not believe al Qaeda is as strong as it was on September 11th. And even the report says that the United States is a much harder target to hit than it was several years ago.

ROBERTS: Does it talk at all about their capabilities, Kelli?

ARENA: Well, it will. The declassified version that we'll get will talk about the various elements that a group would needs to be successful. Command structure. Whether it has safe haven. We've talked about those things, John, you and I. Pakistan and Afghanistan, the border between those two countries has provided al Qaeda with a safe haven with which to rebuild. There will be a lot of discussion about that. Whether or not it can actually plot and have a command structure from that point, which intelligence officials believe that it does have.

So we will hear a lot about how it's regained much of its capability, not all, but a lot.

ROBERTS: All right. Kelli Arena for us this morning. Kelli, thanks. We'll keep coming back to you.

And we're going to keep you informed in America's ongoing security concerns here on this AMERICAN MORNING. We'll be talking with Senator Kit Bond. He's a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, coming up in our 8:00 hour.

Kiran.

CHETRY: New this morning, the Senate's marathon session. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that they will vote all night tonight and into tomorrow to force Republicans to either put their names fully behind the war or stop fighting the anti-war effort. Republicans are calling it "political theater." We're going to be talking with Senator Dick Durbin in our next hour. He calls this the most important week of the Senate session. And as John just mentioned, Republican Senator Kit Bond. His son is serving in Iraq. He'll be joining us at 8:00 Eastern.

Emergency workers in Japan are investigating a second nuclear scare following this week's deadly earthquake. They found 100 sealed barrels that are filled with contaminated clothes and gloves -- they consider it low level radiation -- had tipped over after that massive quake that killed nine people. Water with radioactive material also leaked out on Monday at that plant. Also, relief workers say they're struggling to feed and shelter thousands of shaken survivors.

Well, despite a $660 million settlement, the book is still open on clergy abuse in Los Angeles. The L.A. District Attorney's Office is still investigating with an eye toward possible criminal charges. Last night, Larry King spoke with some of the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIA LEWIS, CLAIMS PRIEST ABUSE: It's not -- it's not about the money. I think I can speak for most of the victims, that we're going to spend a lifetime and already have spent a lifetime of just healing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: And coming up in the next hour, we're going to be discussing what this settlement means for the future of the church with our own contributor, Roland Martin. And Tim Maldune (ph), the director of Church and 21st Century at Boston College.

TB patient Andrew Speaker will have the surgery that we've been talking about for months to remove part of his lung. It's going to take place this morning in Denver. Speaker sparked an international health scare back in May when he ignored doctors orders and flew overseas for his wedding, possibly exposing hundreds of air travelers to TB. Our chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, will be in the operating room this morning for that surgery. We're going to be talking to him in our next hour before he heads in.

And a soar ankle could delay the much anticipated U.S. debut of soccer star David Beckham. Wait a minute, he's human? He could hurt his ankle? His coach says that Beckham is listed as day-to-day and there's no guarantee he'll be able to play in Saturday's exhibition game. Beckham only did some stretching and kicking drills yesterday.

ROBERTS: Let me see if I've got this right, $250 million, day- to-day? Doesn't make much sense.

Coming up to seven minutes after the hour. Our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents are working other stories new for you this morning.

The first words from Louisiana Senator David Vitter and his wife after Vitter's phone number turned up in the D.C. madam scandal. Our Sean Callebs is in New Orleans working on that.

What do we hear, Sean?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he kept his comments very brief yesterday, John, only lasting about five minutes. The senator coming out after being in seclusion for more than a week, you're exactly right, and the D.C. madam, his link there has been well chronicled. But for the first time, the senator also addressed reports that he has been linked to a New Orleans brothel and madam, as well. He says, that is not true.

Now in his short remarks, he is accompanied by his wife. He made it clear he didn't want to talk much about it and he planed on getting on with his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DAVID VITTER, (R) LOUISIANA: Wendy and I dealt with this personally several years ago. I confronted it in confession and marriage counseling. I believe I received forgiveness from God. I know I did from Wendy. And we put it behind us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: He says he doesn't want to talk about this. He is now in Washington, D.C. In his words, John, says, he will not answer endless questions about this issue. But for many people here, he didn't answer any questions about the issue, what exactly he was involved with with a madam before he was elected to the Senate. And there was speculation he would consider resigning. People asked him if he thought about that. He didn't answer.

John.

ROBERTS: You know, and in that press conference yesterday, Sean, his wife said that she made a decision to recommit to their marriage. I think a lot of people were surprised that it wasn't him who was saying that.

Sean Callebs for us this morning in New Orleans.

Sean, thanks.

As Sean said, David Vitter is back in Washington. He plans to be back in the Senate today. Vitter emerged from seclusion yesterday, delivering a public apology one week after being linked to a Washington D.C. escort service. Vitter says he hopes to rebuild the public trust just as he repaired his marriage.

So on now to business news. Our Ali Velshi is here.

What about this news, Ali Velshi, about "The Wall Street Journal" and Rupert Murdoch. Does it look like the deal is done?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of folks have been following this. Fox's parent company, News Corporation, run by Rupert Murdoch, apparently has made a deal to go ahead with its purchase of "The Wall Street Journal" for the original price of $5 billion or $60 a share. Now that is going to go to the full board sometime this evening.

And as anybody who's been following this story knows, that board, the voting rights on that board, are dominated by the Bancroft family. Sixty-four percent of those votes. And many members of that family have expressed concern about the independence, the editorial independence of "The Wall Street Journal" and how Murdoch will do with that.

So by tonight we may have some sense about whether Rupert Murdoch, who very badly wants "The Wall Street Journal," particularly because he's launching a business channel this October, is going to get that deal. A $60 billion deal possibly adding to one of the biggest media organizations in the world. We'll keep you posted on that.

John.

ROBERTS: Who ever thought that the deal actually would have been done.

VELSHI: Yes. There were a lot of people betting against it.

ROBERTS: Yes, Ali Velshi, thanks very much. We'll see you soon.

VELSHI: All right.

ROBERTS: Chad Myers with your extreme weather. Remnants of severe storms in the Maryland area this morning, Chad?

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHETRY: Well, one senator faces up to past wrongs and another speaks out after losing more campaign staffers. It's all part of our look at political this morning. And joining me now is "Time" senior political analyst Mark Halperin.

Great to have you with us.

MARK HALPERIN, "TIME" SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Great to be here.

CHETRY: Of course, we're talking about Senator Vitter, David Vitter. He finally resurfaced yesterday, not in Washington yet, but in his home state of Louisiana. He broke a week of silence. In the long line of Washington sex scandals, how damaging is this one?

HALPERIN: Well, he's got a lot going for him. First of all, he's not up for re-election until 2010. Second of all, he is from Louisiana. People there are pretty familiar with politicians and sex scandals. And yesterday we saw he's got his wife on his side. She was very clear. She forgives him and she wants the press to leave him alone. I think the big question is going to be when he gets to Washington, does the Washington press corp leave him alone?

CHETRY: Let's hear from his wife really quickly. This is Wendy speaking at that press conference as well yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WENDY VITTER, DAVID VITTER'S WIFE: In most any other marriage, this would have been a private issue between a husband and a wife. Very private. Obviously, it is not here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: She came across as very sympathetic. But I'm wondering, in a way, does it make him look mean for trotting her out there after she was clearly already humiliated by the news?

HALPERIN: Well, probability not to the voters in Louisiana. And again, that's the main thing. He has to keep political support. Republicans don't want David Vitter to step down because the Democratic governor there could pick a successor to him. The devil, for him, is going to be in the details. Does he have to reveal the details of what he's apologizing for, what he might have done? He may well have broken the law. For now, he and his wife have said, we're not talking about the details. We'll just have to see if that holds again. I think he'll have more trouble in Washington than he will back home. CHETRY: Right. And it remains to be seen if his name shows up on any more lists because there talk that there was some stuff in Louisiana, as well as the D.C. madam.

Let's switch to John McCain. He broke his silence in this morning's Politico, politico.com, saying that he was staying in the race. He wants people to be clear about that. He also said, "in September, I will get traction, then support and then my fundraising increases a little bit." Realistics?

HALPERIN: Not the craziest plan possible. It's certainly better for him than withdrawing. John McCain is hoping to come back in September, not be defined by supporting immigration reform, not being defined by support for President Bush on Iraq. He wants to be defined by things like global warming and, most of all, someone who he says is best prepared to be commander in chief. That is the card he wants to play over and over.

Voters probably don't care as much as our friends do about how much he's raising, how his staff is departing him. He needs to be defined by what he care about. And his plan is to come back in September, when voters are really starting to pay attention, and be a different John McCain.

CHETRY: All right. We'll see if it works for him. But he says, for now, he's in it.

HALPERIN: He's in it.

CHETRY: Mark Halperin, always great to see you.

HALPERIN: Thanks.

CHETRY: Senior political analyst with "Time" magazine.

Thank you.

ROBERTS: Your "Quick Hits" now and some incredible pictures for you this morning. Strong winds kicked up a huge dust storm in Phoenix last night, turning the sky a reddish brown and making things difficult for drives that were caught in the middle of it.

A hundred thousand people are in the dark in Utah after a wildfire lit up a power line. Temperatures in Washington County hit 100 degrees while residents suffered without air-conditioning. Power, though, has since been restored.

Al Qaeda back with a vengeance. Revelations from the National Intelligence Estimate due out today show that we're not out of the woods in a struggle against al Qaeda overseas and here at home. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: And welcome back to the most news in the morning. A knock down attack caught on tape topping your "Quick Hits" now. A photographer from CNN affiliate WSB in Atlanta caught this attack while setting up his camera for a story, ironically, about crime. Well, the reporter called 911. Police were able to catch these two suspects. This all, by the way, taking place in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store. The victim is said to be doing OK.

Fallout at Eastern Michigan University. Its president and two other administrators all fired after the feds say they covered up the rape and murder of a student in her dorm room six months ago. The university is accused of telling her parent that no foul play was involved while the criminal investigation was still happening. Another student has been charged with that crime.

And a six-year-old out by himself and then held up for $10 in Lakeland, Florida. Cameron Sullivan was on his way to buy groceries for his grandmother on Friday when he says two men punched him and took his money. A 17-year-old and a 22-year-old are accused of robbing him. Cameron's mom says no more solo trips for him. He'll spend the rest of the summer inside playing video games.

She said it, not me, John.

ROBERTS: All right. Seventeen minutes after the hour.

The countdown to the new National Intelligence Estimate. The report set to be made public in just a few hours. It is expected to show that al Qaeda is a persistent and evolving terrorist threat and more determined than ever to get operatives inside the United States. Fawaz Gerges is the author of "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global." He's also a Mid East scholar at Sarah Lawrence College. He joins us now live in the studio.

Fawaz, let me start off by asking you about this new Middle East initiative that President Bush announced yesterday. Of course, the Palestinian/Israeli situation has always been a point of aggravation, an excuse the terrorists use to attack. Do you expect that this initiative will bring about any changes in the situation there? Is it possible that it could succeed?

FAWAZ GERGES, MIDEAST SCHOLAR, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: I wish. I wish. I think it's too little too late. I think the Bush administration has not really invested major, political capital in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. (INAUDIBLE) the Palestinian president is a much weaker president as a result of the events in the last weeks. This particular presidency is extremely at the last leg of its tenure. Conditions in Iraq are not very receptive. And this is why even though it's wonderful that the president is beginning to talk about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, I feel probably it's not going to produce major effects (INAUDIBLE).

ROBERTS: This idea of isolating Hamas, could that bring any success or could it do exactly the opposite and cause radical elements within Hamas to launch more attacks against Israel and, therefore, terrorism would actually go up? GERGES: John, look what happened since the election of Hamas last year. In fact, the idea, the American idea was based on boycotting Hamas, on isolating Hamas. In the last year or so, this has been the strategy of the United States and it also convinced the European partners to do so. Look what has happened. Hamas now is a much stronger, political organization than it used to be. I fear that if Hamas is isolated further, in fear if when 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza suffer more, that, in fact, more radicalism, more turmoil, more militancy in Gaza and between the Palestinians and Israel.

ROBERTS: Which brings us to the bigger picture and the National Intelligence Estimate about al Qaeda reconstituting itself. What has allowed this resurgence in al Qaeda's strength?

GERGES: John, there are two important but related points. The first point is that it seems that the weight of evidence indicates that the al Qaeda central leadership is reviving and reorganizing its command and control structure in the travel areas in Pakistan. And this has been so going on for the last three (ph) years.

The second point, some of us who are basically conducting field research in the Middle East, is that al Qaeda's ideology and tactics, as opposed to centralized control, are spreading and migrating into several Muslim and European countries. Many individuals and networks and groups, basically, even though they are not officially part of al Qaeda, adopting the same tactics and ideology and attacking Muslim governments and westerners. And this is extremely alarming.

ROBERTS: So it's growing almost like a cancer throughout the world?

GERGES: Well, what's happening, John, you said, why al Qaeda's ideology and tactics are spreading. Why al Qaeda has been able to revive. What we need to understand is that the Iraq war, in particular, has radicalized and militarized important segments of Muslim public opinion.

In my last interviews, I have spent the last 15 months in the middle east, I have interviewed scores of teenagers. Teenagers, 14, 15 years old, who have nothing to do with al Qaeda, who tell me they want to go to Iraq and join the fight against al Qaeda. What has happened is that al Qaeda's ideological claims, the big claims that the west is waging a war against Islam and Muslims, are residing in the Muslim world. They are finding receptive ears.

So you have basically the war in Iraq, you have the simmering conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli, you have the revealing reports about abuse and accusations. All these factors have enabled al Qaeda, in particular al Qaeda central leadership, to basically have ideological and munition against the United States of America.

ROBERTS: And now officials here in the United States, concerned that that could manifest itself in another attack on our homeland.

Fawaz Gerges, thanks very much. Appreciate you coming in.

Kiran.

CHETRY: Well, there is a new search for a second missing student from the University of Wisconsin. That tops your "Quick Hits" now. Police in Green Bay will be back out looking for 21-year-old Mihalia Jong (ph). She disappeared after leaving with friends at a bowling alley Friday. That's just days after police found the body of another missing student, 22-year-old Kelly Nolan.

And a deadly train wreck in Florida. Police say Amtrak's Silver Star slammed into a car at a railroad crossing in Lakeland. Four people in that car were killed. All 161 passengers on board the train are OK.

Well, you just heard about the new National Intelligence Estimate about al Qaeda's comeback. Coming up, we're going to have a look at a possible loophole in airline security that could be putting Americans at risk. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: All right. Well, here's a story you don't hear every day. In Germany, a bus driver threatened to kick a female passenger to the curb, not because she was unruly, but because she was too sexy. The driver reportedly told the 20-year-old woman that her cleavage was distracting him when he looked in the mirror. He said he could not concentrate on the road and that if she didn't move her seat, he'd have to throw her off the bus. So did she give him an earful for his eyeful? No. She just switched seats.

ROBERTS: Buddy, stop looking in the mirror. Come on.

CHETRY: You know he's got to see oncoming traffic and he needs to know if he can safely lane change and there are some, you know, cleavage.

ROBERTS: Yes, there you go.

Hey, stories on our AMERICAN MORNING radar right now.

The first woods from the man who took a painful plunge into the frigid waters of the North Pole. He did it wearing just a Speedo, a pair of goggles and a bathing cap. Lewis Gordon Pugh is the only person ever to take that leap of faith. There is a picture of him.

CHETRY: Yes, it was just a striking picture to see. He actually did a lot of training to be able to withstand it. And this morning he's not pulling any punches. He said the record setting swim was brutal. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEWIS GORDON PUGH: I look back on the swim and I wonder how on earth I did it. It was -- the swim took me 18 minutes and 50 seconds and it was the longest 18 minutes and 50 seconds I've ever had in my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: It's just incredible. It sounds like he is still shivering.

CHETRY: Yes. One of the things we talked about yesterday is just imagine even trying to dip a toe into that 29 degree weather. So when we talk to Lewis live, john and I are going to see if it's possible -- we have a huge bucket of ice here. It's going to be - there's going to ice water.

ROBERTS: A little thermometer here and the thermometer is saying that it's about, oh, 28 degrees. So that's sort of the same temperature.

CHETRY: So we are going to see if we can interview him and just even keep one extremity in water as cold as he swam in for 18 minutes.

ROBERTS: All right, those stories coming up when AMERICAN MORNING returns. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Well, there you go. There's a shot of the Time Warner Center this morning from Columbus Circle here in New York. The Time Warner center just happens to be the home of...

CHETRY: Us.

ROBERTS: Us.

CHETRY: One of those tiny little windows, there we are waving. Do you see us?

No, we can't. For security reasons, we can't let you know which one.

ROBERTS: Good morning to you.

It's Tuesday, the 17th of July.

I'm John Roberts.

CHETRY: And I'm Kiran Chetry.

Glad you're with us.

(NEWSBREAK)

CHETRY: Well, quite a square yesterday in Colorado at the state Capitol. Security there is ramping up right now after a deadly shooting outside of Governor Bill Ritter's office. Police shot and killed an armed man who refused to surrender.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is live in Denver.

I think a lot of people are wondering this morning how this guy was able to get so close to the governor's office in the first place.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran.

Well, quite frankly, it's quite simple. In this Capitol, just like many Capitols across the country, it's one of those buildings that you can simply walk into. That was a conscious decision made by legislators and lawmakers here in the state who wanted to keep the people's house opened to the people's business. So the idea of making sure that anyone could walk into this building was something that they consciously undertook.

So you could walk into the Capitol building. There are no metal detectors. There is some security once you get closer to the governor's office, and those were the state troopers that reacted to this incident yesterday afternoon.

And Governor Bill Ritter, here in Colorado, says that this incident will cause them to reevaluate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RITTER (D), COLORADO: There is certainly going to be discussions going forward about how we achieve that right balance between security and keeping it open. I think what you'll see, without us saying any more in the way of details, is a little bit of heightened security over the next few days while we have that discussion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And what that heightened security means, that for the time being, there will only be one way into the state Capitol here in Denver and metal detectors will be posted at that location. Again, that is for the time being, as lawmakers here try to figure out exactly what to do in the future.

CHETRY: Meantime, they were able to shoot and unfortunately they ended up having to kill this because he would not surrender. Do we know anything more about him or what his motive may have been?

LAVANDERA: Well, he showed up here at the state Capitol about 2:00 yesterday afternoon. Four hours earlier, police in a suburb here in Denver say that a man walked into a tuxedo shop, rented a tuxedo. He was acting very strange. They spoke with one of his family members, and they described him as delusional.

Several of the newspapers here in Denver this morning identify him as 32-year-old Aaron Richard Snyder (ph). Four hours later, after renting that tuxedo, he showed up here at the state Capitol, walked into the governor's mansion proclaiming, "I am the emperor and I am here to take over state government." He was then coaxed out of the governor's office and was then shot just outside in the big atrium area outside of the governor's office here at the state Capitol.

CHETRY: Ed Lavandera reporting from Denver this morning.

Thanks.

ROBERTS: We have been keeping a close eye on the nation's homeland security, with parts of the national intelligence estimate due out this morning. We are looking at a growing concern. This morning, at a security loophole that could be exploited by terrorists.

CNN's Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Whether it's the Glasgow airport attack or the foiled London bomb plot caught on tape, European-based Islamic terrorism is fast becoming a top concern for the U.S. One big reason is a little known State Department program that allows most Europeans to travel to America with just a passport and a plane ticket. No visa required.

It's a program some want scrapped.

JAN TING, FMR. INS ASST. COMMISSIONER: We don't know who the heck these people are. All we know is the passport they present. And, you know, we're trying to screen them on the basis of the single document that they present. I don't think it's enough.

ACOSTA: It's called the Visa Waiver Program, and it allows travelers from 27 countries to stay in the U.S. up to 90 days without applying for a visa.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has singled out the visa waiver program as a soft spot.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: They do not routinely get interviewed before they get permission to get on a plane and get over here. That does create a vulnerability.

ACOSTA: British shoe bomber Richard Reed and 9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui from France both got on flights to the U.S. from visa-waivered countries. A draft of the government's national intelligence estimate leaked to the AP reportedly calls attention to Britain, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, which have relaxed travel restrictions with Pakistan.

Homeland security officials fear Europeans could attend terror training camps in Pakistan and then travel to the U.S. with just their passports and with little scrutiny.

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: We can't leave it the way it is.

ACOSTA: New York congressman Peter King says it's time for greater 21st century tracking of travelers from visa waiver program countries.

KING: We have to ensure that it's tightened up, that it's made much more secure, and that we're not allowing terrorists to sneak in through a visa waiver program. ACOSTA: But just as some are trying to reform the program, the nation's travel industry wants it expanded, saying foreign tourists are vital to the economy.

GEOFF FREEMAN, DISCOVER AMERICA PARTNERSHIP: We're optimistic that we will see an expanded, but strengthened visa waiver program.

ACOSTA (on camera): So what to do with the 15 million foreign tourists who enter the U.S. each year without a visa? Right now, Homeland Security officials are crafting a proposal that would require all of those tourists to file their travel plans with the U.S. two to three days before they arrive on American soil.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And we're going to keep on America's ongoing security concerns and get a live report from Kelli Arena coming up on the top of the hour about other concerns raised in the national intelligence estimate. And we'll speak with a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. That's coming up at 8:00 Eastern -- Kiran.

CHETRY: All right.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

CHETRY: Well, now a story that will certainly give you the chills. Lewis Gordon Pugh has done something that no one else has and probably few people would ever want to do, actually.

ROBERTS: He is the first man to swim at the North Pole.

Pugh went for nearly a 19-minute swim in 29 degree water wearing not a wetsuit, but only a Speedo.

CHETRY: That's right. And we're going to be talking to him in just a second here, but we were just wondering what it would be like.

I mean, he did this for almost 20 minutes. For us to even be able to keep our hands or one extremity in icy water -- so we're going to try it while we talk to -- while we talk to him.

Are you ready for that? Can you do this throughout the whole time we talk to Lewis?

ROBERTS: Yes. Now, we should say that he did this whole thing to draw attention to the issue of global warming.

CHETRY: That's right.

ROBERTS: Because there is open water in the Arctic in which he was able to swim.

So he joins us now on the phone. He's on a boat, joins us by satellite phone.

Mr. Pugh, what was it that led you to want to go up into the arctic and then dive into that cold water? We should say that as we talk to you, we're going to put our hands in the cold water to see how long we can stand it.

CHETRY: Hi, Lewis.

ROBERTS: He's not there. And here we are. And I'm glad he's not there. You know why?

CHETRY: Well, I've never been happier for a guest to cancel in my entire life, but that was about 15 seconds.

ROBERTS: Cold.

CHETRY: And man, was that cold.

All right. You know what? We're going to try to get back with Lewis in just a couple of minutes.

The amazing thing was, like you said, that there was even water to swim in, because there's not supposed to be there.

ROBERTS: Right.

CHETRY: And he actually, though, says that he has this ability to raise his core body temperature by as much as 35 degrees, anticipating getting in that cold water. It's really fascinating.

ROBERTS: He would need it. And my core body temperature has been raised, too, by the fact that I'm turning red.

CHETRY: Ooh. Forty-three minutes past the hour. Chad Myers...

ROBERTS: Let's bail out of this now, yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: OK. We think we have Mr. Pugh back again.

Are you there, Lewis?

CHETRY: Are you there, Lewis?

LEWIS GORDON PUGH, ENVIRONMENTALIST/SWIMMER: Yes, I am.

ROBERTS: Oh, terrific.

Well, here, let's conduct our experiment.

CHETRY: Well, you know what, Lewis? We just wanted to see what it was like when you talk about 29-degree water. And even putting our hands in here for a second, I just can't imagine. What did it feel like when you dove in?

It was unbearable. I mean, just (INAUDIBLE).

I got off the ship and I walked across the ice, and the ice was creaking and groaning beneath me and developing cracks in it. And I stood on the edge of the ice and I looked into the dark black water of the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole, and it took everything, every little ounce of courage in me to dive into the water.

And as soon as I dived in, I could barely breathe. Massive hyperventilation and then a burning on my fingers and toes like it's never been before.

CHETRY: It really does. It feels like an actual burn.

How were you able to train your body to be able to do this? Because, I mean, most people -- are you dying right now?

ROBERTS: This hurts. OK. That's it. I'm done.

CHETRY: Most people would not even be able to simply swim, and you did it for 18 minutes. It hurts.

ROBERTS: It really hurts.

PUGH: Yes, for sure it hurts.

I did two things. First of all, I put on a lot of body weight before I did this swim. It makes sense. I've seen a number of polar bears on this trip, and all of them are nice and big and round. You need a bit of blubber in order to survive up here. And secondly, I spent a lot of time training in cold water, because the more you train in the cold water, the better you're able to handle the cold.

ROBERTS: Oh, I'll tell you, I had my hand in there for about maybe 65 seconds and it still hurts. I can -- I can barely move it.

You know, Lewis, there are -- you have your critics. You did this to draw attention to the issue of global warming, the fact that there is open water in parts of the arctic this time of year that doesn't normally exist.

They say, you know, the amount of energy that you spent -- or the amount of energy that you expended making ice for your test swims, getting up there, flying up there, the ice breaker to get out there, that really, I mean, your carbon impact was much bigger than the benefit of drawing attention to this.

What do you say to those critics?

PUGH: Yes. I took the smallest crew I could possibly take to the North Pole. I took four people. And then we offset all the carbon emissions which we -- which we made during the expedition. So I hope people will think that I didn't have an effect on the environment and that the message that I carried was far stronger.

CHETRY: So you did try and keep that in mind.

One of the things that really is fascinating -- and maybe you could explain this quickly for us -- is that you have the ability to elevate your core body temperature by as much as 35 degrees Fahrenheit, something known as anticipatory thermogenesis that they have not been able to identify in any other human?

PUGH: Yes. Before I get into the water, I get really, really frightened and I try and motivate myself by listening to very, very powerful music, anything from rap music to Beethoven. And during that process, when I'm looking into the water, we notice that my core body temperature rises. We think it's a subconscious reaction, whatever the cause. It's fantastic because it gives me the extra time I need in the water.

ROBERTS: Well, I'll you, you have got to be able to do something, because even just putting one hand into this icy water was enough to actually cause serious pain.

CHETRY: That's right.

ROBERTS: So, to be able to immerse your entire body in there for almost 20 minutes is just an incredible feat.

CHETRY: Actually, I'm just curious before we let you go, do you have any long-term impact from that, or are you completely normal again?

PUGH: No. I'm completely normal again. My fingers and toes are a little bit painful at the moment, but after a couple of days I'm sure they'll be fine.

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: Wow. That's just incredible.

CHETRY: It really is.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lewis. A lot of people around the world were fascinated when they saw those pictures. So you certainly accomplished your goal of drawing attention to it.

Thanks for being with us.

PUGH: Thank you.

CHETRY: All right. Well, I mean, just as you can tell, a minute is excruciating.

ROBERTS: You don't know what it's like until you try it.

CHETRY: I can't imagine swimming.

ROBERTS: I can't imagine what he went through for 20 minutes.

(NEWSBREAK) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Fifty-three minutes after the hour now. Ali Velshi here "Minding Your Business".

Women in the workforce and at the very top of the food chain.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, women are -- by the way, the best places to live, I'm going to come back and talk to you about that, and the best place to be single and earn lots of money. Three different places, unfortunately.

CHETRY: Oh.

VELSHI: Forty-six percent of the workforce is made up of women. OK? So, now make -- go up the food chain here. Of the Fortune 500 companies, only 3 percent of the CEOs are women.

A study out now suggests that this is going to hurt companies, because as you know, we have got a fairly low unemployment rate. And in order for companies to attract the best people, they're going to have to have systems in place that sort of encourage women up the -- up the food chain.

And what this report has said is that instead of focusing on changing the way women sort of accelerate through a company, their behaviors -- and we've had these conversations before -- really, the companies needs to change their culture because now it's a matter of need. If they can't attract the best women, they're going to suffer in the workplace. They're not going to be as competitive.

Not having women in the executive offices creates bad perceptions or creates misperceptions about women in the workforce in general. So it's not about whether it's better to have a woman as a CEO or a man as a CEO. The study is saying that there are so few women as CEOs of major corporations, that it actually hinders other women.

Now, some of the most powerful women we know of, Indra Nooyi is probably the most powerful. She's the chairman and CEO of Pepsi. She's number one on Fortune's list of 50 most powerful women. Number two is Ann Mulcahy of Xerox. And number three is the one that many people often guess, is Meg Whitman at eBay.

So obviously there are lots of powerful women in the workforce, but this study indicates that 3 percent means there's a long, long way to go.

CHETRY: All right, Ali. Thanks. We'll see you in a couple of minutes with the best cities.

VELSHI: The best cities to live in.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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