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American Morning
War on Terror: U.S. Considers Action in Pakistan; Presidential Candidates Take Voters' Questions Tonight in CNN/YouTube Debate; Security Questions Raised at Phoenix Airport; U.S. To Meet With Iran, But The Battle Against Al Qaeda Heats Up In Pakistan. Can Musharraf Reign In The Terror?
Aired July 23, 2007 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Terror threat. This morning, a new warning about al Qaeda's intent to attack America. Could it draw the U.S. military into a new fight in Pakistan?
FRAN TOWNSEND, HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: Any instrument at our -- at our disposal to deal with the problem of Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri in al Qaeda.
ROBERTS: Politics get personal. The CNN/YouTube debate just hours away. A look at your questions...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your political solution to end the violence in Iraq?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you going to do to shift the nation's spending priorities?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what will you do as president to prepare us for the next major disaster?
ROBERTS: ... and how they could make or break the Democrats for president on this Am.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And good morning to you. Welcome back. Thanks for joining us on this Monday, July the 23rd.
I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry.
We have a lot of weather to talk about today, terrible weather across the world, in fact. But we begin with a new development in the war on terror.
The White House says it's keeping open the possibility of a military strike against al Qaeda targets inside of Pakistan. They say nothing is off the table. That according to President Bush's homeland security adviser.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOWNSEND: No question that we will use any instrument at our -- at our disposal to deal with the problem of Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri in al Qaeda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, CNN's Ed Henry is live at the White House with more on this.
When she had said nothing was off the table, that includes military operations?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Especially air strikes. Not necessarily ground troops in Pakistan. But what's going on here is the White House is on the defensive.
You had that assessment by the Bush administration itself last week declaring that al Qaeda is strong again. That is embarrassing to this White House. It gives Democrats new ammunition to say, look, they diverted their attention to Iraq, away from the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
In fact, yesterday, you also had the president's own director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, saying that he believes al Qaeda has momentum and that Osama bin Laden is likely still alive and in Pakistan. That's embarrassing to this White House nearly six years after the president declared he'd get bin Laden dead or alive -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. Particularly since Pervez Musharraf, we've heard time and time again from President Bush that he is an ally. He has been praised for his work in helping fight terror, and then you see this situation where, for many years, we've said we don't know if bin Laden is somewhere in Afghanistan or along the border, or coming back and forth. And now it seems they're saying, no, no, he's in Pakistan. So it seems like, what is Pervez Musharraf going to do about it?
HENRY: Absolutely. It definitely puts President Bush on the spot as well. As you noted, he has been praising Musharraf. He's been our man in Pakistan. And all of a sudden, this report says, wait a second, Pakistan is a safe harbor for al Qaeda.
And what Pakistan, the government, keeps saying is that, look, give us actionable intelligence that you know where bin Laden or someone else is, and the Pakistani army will act on it. The problem is the Bush administration has heard that many, many times before. It hasn't happened. And Musharraf's own deal with tribal leaders to essentially try to calm things down 10 months ago did not work. Instead, gave al Qaeda the breathing space to regain momentum, and that is why now the White House realizes it has to push Musharraf more -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Ed Henry at the White House for us.
Thanks. HENRY: Thank you.
ROBERTS: The countdown is on to presidential politics like you've never seen it before. A little less than 11 hours from now, CNN teams up with YouTube to take your questions straight to the Democrats running for president. It's all happening at the Citadel in South Carolina with questions like this one. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Periodically, I get these in the mail -- my Social Security statement. But seeing that Social Security is going to be extinct in the near future, why am I still getting these? What will you do to revamp and restore Social Security for our upcoming generation?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: CNN's John King will be there. In fact, he's there right now. He joins us live from Charleston, South Carolina.
And John, these candidates have done town hall debates before. This one's a little bit different. What kind of preparations have they undertaken to try to respond to a lot of these very personal, sometimes very pointed, questions?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's groundbreaking, John. Our format tonight revolutionizing American politics, just as the Internet is revolutionizing how we do our business and how anyone can communicate.
The candidates have been preparing by going online, going to CNN.com and going to YouTube and looking at the questions. Some of the candidates, I'm told, have been using smaller video monitors in their preparation, because that is what they will have tonight up on the stage, a personal video monitor so they can look down and catch the question. There will be larger screens in the room as well.
This is breathtaking in the sense that we're bringing people closer to the politicians. When you ask people, why is voter turnout so low in the United States? They often say they feel disconnected from politics, the politicians don't speak to them, they don't speak their language.
Well, we're giving voters -- everyday Americans around the country and, in fact, around the world have submitted more than 3,000 questions for the debate tonight, the eight Democratic candidates on stage. It's already a fascinating race -- the first female with a chance to be president of the United States, the first African- American with a legitimate shot to be president of the United States, an experienced eight-member Democratic field. So already a great deal of excitement in the race. Add in this groundbreaking format and we are looking for a fun debate tonight -- John.
ROBERTS: John, we all know how good Bill Clinton was in these town hall formats or any time that anybody ever asked him a very personal question. Is there one particular candidate that tonight will have better facility to be able to answer those questions than the others?
KING: Well, I think it's a great question in the sense that you learn a lot about the candidates not necessarily in the substance of all their answers, but in the stylistic way they come about these things. And many of -- let's flip your question in the sense that one of the criticisms of Senator Clinton has been, is she too cold, is she too distant? And she has been trying to disprove that rap, if you will, in the campaign. So she will be someone to watch, because obviously she is the frontrunner, and all of her challengers will be trying to chip into her early lead.
Senator Obama is very relaxed. Senator Edwards is very relaxed. But most of these candidates have experience in a town hall format.
The questions is -- what we do expect is much more personal answers. If you and I or Anderson Cooper tonight, Wolf Blitzer in New Hampshire, asks a question about health care, asks a tough question about gay rights, for example, it's -- politicians are trained to deflect our questions. Much more difficult when you're looking into the eyes of a parent, a member of the United States military, an elderly American asking about Social Security.
So much more difficult for the candidates to deflect tonight, so we should get, as we use this groundbreaking format, perhaps a new glimpse at the style of our candidates as well.
ROBERTS: Well, it's going to be interesting and exciting to watch.
John King for us outside the Citadel.
KING: It sure will be.
ROBERTS: John, thanks very much. We'll talk to you in a bit.
And don't miss the main event starting tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, live, interactive, on TV, online, only on CNN, your home for politics. And after the debate, we still want to hear from you. Send us your post-debate reactions, opinions and thoughts by going to CNN.com and clicking on the I-Report link.
I'm going to be live from South Carolina tomorrow to see just how this groundbreaking event unfolded.
CHETRY: Well, there are some serious security questions being raised today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Our CNN affiliate KNXV 15 discovered a nearly five-hour time frame overnight during which TSA agents went away and dozens made it past a security checkpoint with their bags unchecked. These were airport workers, as well as others who have been cleared through background checks, as well as security badges.
This hidden camera video captured one flight attendant with three bags just flashing a badge and breezing through. Also, a floor cleaner pushed by without any inspection, and even a guy with a bike. He just showed his badge and was able to ride through with his crate on the back, and it was never checked.
The airport and now the TSA responding this morning to that video and to some of the charges surrounding it.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Alina Cho has been watching this story for us, and she brings us their side, what they are saying about it this morning.
Hi, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kiran.
I just had an enlightening phone conversation. We have literally just gotten off the phone with a spokesman for the TSA who calls the KNXV report "completely inaccurate and misleading".
Now, TSA spokesman Christopher White told me that each and every worker seen in that hidden camera investigation going through the security checkpoint without having their bags checked has already been thoroughly vetted by the FBI and has the credentials to bypass security at any time, even during normal working hours when the TSA is manning the checkpoint. So, at any time they can go through without going through security.
What often happens, according to White, is that those workers do go through security when the TSA is there just because it's easier, but they don't have to. White also said it makes no sense to have a mechanic who has been thoroughly vetted by the FBI go through the same sort of security as a passenger who has not been vetted. He also said there is, "no vulnerability associated with this," unless, of course, the security guard who is manning the post is sleeping.
Now, the TSA security program does allow the nation's airports, post-9/11, to hire security guards in the overnight hours when there are no flights taking off. That is between the hours of midnight and 4:30 a.m. But it is unclear how many airports across the country are actually taking advantage of this.
Now, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is conducting its own investigation. They are reviewing that hidden camera tape right now. But one security expert who spoke earlier on AMERICAN MORNING says airports and the TSA simply put too much confidence in the I.D. system. And he says in today's world, that is not enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY WANSLEY, FMR. AMERICAN AIRLINES SECURITY HEAD: There was a mad rush before 4:30 of people -- there was a virtual parade of people that wanted to get under the wire, so to speak, before 4:30, when the TSA came on board. Well, that tells me that when TSA is doing the operation, they are very, very effective. When they're not, there is an opportunity for people to go through without much checking at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHO: Again, just to recap, the TSA is discounting that CNN affiliate report, KNXV, out of Phoenix, saying essentially that the workers, airport workers who bypass security in the overnight hours already have gone through background checks, have been thoroughly vetted by the FBI, and can bypass security, Kiran, at any time, even during normal working hours.
CHETRY: You know, still -- and it is interesting to get their side. It still raises a couple of questions.
One, as Larry Wansley pointed out when we interviewed him, there were hundreds of these workers in the months and perhaps years after 9/11 that were arrested for various things, some with ties to terror and others just for narco-trafficking. So those were people who also had these very same clearances.
CHO: Well, clearly, those were lapses in security if that is, indeed, the case. But what the TSA is telling me this morning is that all of those workers that you see going through those dozens of workers have been vetted thoroughly by the FBI and they do have the clearance to bypass security, not just overnight, Kiran, but during normal working hours as well.
CHETRY: Alina Cho doing a lot of digging for us this morning.
Thank you.
Also, new this morning in the U.K., extreme summer flooding in parts of England and Wales. Meteorologists say that many areas were hit with more than a month's worth of rain in just a few hours.
Towns and villages are still under water at this hour. Hundreds of people have no drinking water as well. And major rivers are still on the version of overflowing their banks. In fact, we're hearing things could get worse today.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown held an emergency cabinet meeting to talk about, you know, some solutions and what to do to help the hundreds of thousands of people that are either stranded or looking at difficulties without water or electricity.
There are several rivers in Texas that are either at flood stage or expected to reach that level some time today. Seventeen inches of rain fell in some areas over the weekend. Flooding stranded an Amtrak train. Boats, fire trucks and helicopters rescued hundreds of residents. More rain is expected to hit that area today, as well as tomorrow.
And a massive wildfire burning about 90 miles south of Salt Lake City is threatening several communities this morning. More than 200 people have been forced from their homes. It's just one of dozens of large wildfires burning right now in the West.
Some 15,000 firefighters are on the ground trying to contain them. Crews are hoping rain will provide some relief today. ROBERTS: Coming up to 13 minutes after the hour. There are other important stories that we're following for you this morning with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents.
Extreme weather. A mountain community under a mountain of mud this morning. Our Rob Marciano live near Alpine, Colorado, where folks are dealing with a lot of property damage.
How is it looking there now that the sun has come up, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, you see why that -- the hillside gave way, because of the dramatic landscape that is so prevalent here along the Continental Divide in central Colorado.
Check it out behind me now as the sun comes up. You see just a portion of these cliffs that encompass this entire canyon. These are called the chalk cliffs. They're not made of chalk, but they are very soft kind of soil because of the hot springs that bubble up through this soil.
And we're about two miles from the actual mudslide. Not allowed to go there right now. They claim it's still very dangerous. In some cases, six, eight feet of mud came down, towering down on to that -- on to that town of Alpine.
Over 100 people evacuated, 31 -- at least 31 homes have been -- have been damaged by this mudslide. But that is that way.
This canyon very dramatic. You see the steep cliffs behind me.
The National Weather Service says it's very flashy in here because of that type of soil, and this time of year especially we get these afternoon thunderstorms that bubble up, and they can drop a whole lot of rain in a short amount of time. And that threat, John, really will continue on a daily basis for the next couple of months.
Back to you.
ROBERTS: Rob Marciano on the front range for us this morning.
Rob, thanks very much.
A botulism recall is expanding.
CNN's medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, live at the CNN Center with that.
Good morning, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John, there are so many products being recalled, we can't even list them all.
Ninety-two products being recalled by the Castleberry Food Company. Four of them are dog food. Again, that list is so long, we can't read them here. But you can go to CNN.com, where you can get a link to the entire list. One other important thing to notice and another reason to go look at that list is not all of these products are going to say "Castleberry" right on them. This is the list that you see here, just the top of it.
They're going to be sold under other names. So you need to find out all of the different names and all of the different products.
Now, how could this happen? The company says that it's because of under-processing -- that's the word that they used -- on one line, and that they have fixed that. There have been two confirmed and two potential cases of botulism identified so far. Some of the early symptoms are slurred speech, double vision and drooping eyelids -- John.
ROBERTS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen for us this morning.
Elizabeth, thanks very much for that.
Harry Potter lives up to the hype. Sales of the newest book in the series soar over the weekend. Ali Velshi's got that story.
How many copies did they sell?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the United States, 8.3 million. And remember, this isn't even an American book.
We haven't gotten the numbers from Britain yet -- 8.3 million in 24 hours. This went on sale at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. There were people lined up. You probably saw the lines. And after Saturday, you probably saw all the people reading it all over the place.
The last installment which was number six, book number six, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," sold 6.9 million copes in the first 22 -- first 24 hours. This is 8.3 million in 24 hours.
Unbelievable success. This is supposedly the last one, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
I can't say I've read it.
ROBERTS: But I would think, though, that the J.K. Rowling retirement fund is very healthy this morning.
VELSHI: Healthy, yes.
ROBERTS: Ali, thanks very much.
VELSHI: All right.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, an apparent drunk driving tragedy topping your "Quick Hits" now.
Police arrested a woman on Long Island, New York, this weekend after she apparently ran over and killed her friend. Police say he was actually trying to stop her from driving drunk.
And five more amusement park injuries to tell you about. Three adults and two children all out of the hospital now, but they were all hurt yesterday on the log flume, an amusement park ride in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Big league trouble in the world of pro sports. An NFL quarterback accused of animal cruelty, an NBA ref suspected of betting on games. What is happening and what impact could all of this have on fans, especially the younger fans?
A closer look next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Coming up to 19 minutes after the hour.
This morning, three big-time controversies are overshadowing three big league sports. An NBA ref is suspected of betting on games. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is accused of animal cruelty. And Barry Bonds is two home runs tie of tying a home run record while sitting at the center of a steroid scandal.
So how is al of this going to play out in the court of public opinion?
Sportswriter and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith joins me now.
Good to see you. Thanks very much for coming in.
STEPHEN SMITH, ESPN ANALYST: Nice to be here.
ROBERTS: This latest controversy with this NBA ref, Tim Donaghy, how bad is this?
SMITH: Well, it definitely is very, very bad. No question about that.
Any time you have got an official that's involved in this kind of scandal, and he has the power to manipulate a game, not necessarily to decide the outcome, but to manipulate the point spread, things of that nature, you know that's a serious, serious problem. Think Black Sox scandal in 1919. Think Pete Rose involved in Major League Baseball gambling and what have you. It's definitely a bad thing.
But I've said this consistently throughout the weekend, and I'll repeat it again. It would have been a gazillion times worse had it been a player that was involved in this scandal. The fact that it is an official, even though that is bad, it's not nearly as bad as it could have been.
ROBERTS: Now, NBA commissioner David Stern said of this controversy that it's a single referee, and he is accused of throwing his lot (ph) in with the Gambino crime family on all of this as well, betting on games. But he said it's a single referee, but now there are some people who say, well, he may name other names if he testifies.
SMITH: Well, the reality is that's always a fear. There's no question about that. And I think -- and I applaud the commissioner for going out of his way to say that it's one official, because as we know at this moment, it is just one guy.
And I've spoken to numerous people in the NBA over the past few days, and one of the things the referees themselves fear is that they are going to be tainted because of the actions of one individual. By and large, the commissioner has always said that that we've got the best referees in the world, or what have you. And you've got to take it at face value.
In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty. This particular individual is the one that has stained the reputation of the league itself and of the Referees Association, not of the whole body of referees. We've got to remember that.
ROBERTS: Innocent until proven guilty is what people are reminding us all the time about Michael Vick. He has been indicted on charges of running a dogfighting ring, but he is innocent until proven guilty. But it raises the questions, are sports figures the same type of role models now that they used to be?
SMITH: No. Not at all.
As a matter of fact, you know, they were just as bad before, if not worse in some situations. It's just that in this day and age it's more publicized. The media is so large and what have you. You put a spotlight on these athletes.
If you look at Michael Vick, clearly he looks guilty. He does look guilty. But we do live in a country where you are innocent until proven guilty. Let's hear the evidence and then pass our judgment.
But at the end of the day, the athletes shouldn't be role models to begin with, especially when you consider the fact that some of these guys are having millions placed in their hands before they are even adults. So, when you look at that situation, it's a societal issue and some people need to look at it from that perspective, because these guys wouldn't have been in that position if they weren't placed in that position.
ROBERTS: And what about Barry Bonds? You know, perhaps thought that he was going to tie the all-time record, perhaps even beat it over the weekend. There were thousands of fans who had printed up pieces of paper with asterisks on them which they wanted to wave in front of his face if he got that magical moment.
SMITH: Well, definitely. That just shows the cynicism of, you know, the public at large and the time that we live in. Obviously, he has been convict in the court of public opinion. We all know that.
My position is simple. Do I think he's used steroids? Absolutely. But again, if he has used it and you found him to do so, then you throw him out of the game. You suspend him. You do whatever you have to do.
The fact that he is still allowed to put on a San Francisco Giants uniform, go from stadium to stadium and to still perform, the reality is, you haven't found enough evidence on this guy to throw him out of the game. So you need to cut him some slack.
Obviously, people feel differently. And I can understand where they're coming from. But again, we're convicting guys in a court of public opinion, which I think is unfortunate but it is what it is.
ROBERTS: Stephen Smith, we thank you very much for coming in, particularly given the fact you were delayed for five hours in Las Vegas yesterday.
SMITH: Oh, tell me about it. Appreciate the time. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Good to see you -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, we may never know the number of pets killed by the toxic pet foods. Your "Quick Hits" now.
The FDA says they got 18,000 calls during the massive pet food recall between March and May. Half of the people calling claim that their pet had died from eating the pet-tainted food. The FDA put 400 people on the case but say they still don't have the manpower to investigate all of the complainants. And now they don't think they will ever have the exact number of pets who died.
CVS is recalling more than 80,000 sippy cups this morning. There are worries that kids can chew off the plastic spout, creating a choking hazard. The cups come in various colors and sell for about $5.
Well, do you spend a lot of late nights at the office? Do you think it will help you score that big promotion? Well, it may be just about as much as what you wear as what you do on the job that determines whether or not you get ahead.
We're going to explain coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Just a bit more information quickly about that sippy cup recall, because I know if you're a mother out there your kids use them.
Eighty-four thousand of these Playskool toddler brand sippy cups, they're called No Spill Cups, they're from Playskool, have been recalled. And you can actually check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site, which is cpsc.gov, to find out more details.
But most of them were sold at CVS pharmacy stores. And there's a picture of them right there.
ROBERTS: OK. Good information. Twenty-seven minutes after the hour. Ali Velshi here "Minding Your Business" now.
Casual Fridays are one thing, but how you dress -- I mean, you really do dress for success, right.
VELSHI: It's actually interesting. A new study by Syracuse University and Total Executive, which interviewed executive recruiters, CEOs and the like, said that how you dress is the third most important factor in getting a promotion. The first is your communication skill and your presentation skill, and then how you dress.
Now, interesting. Another study that I read showed that employees who dress casually at work, even if it's part of the dress code, are seen as sort of creative and fun. But those same executives said that casual dressers risk being taken less seriously when it comes to promotions. So that is kind of a double-edged sword.
You want to be thought of as casual and fun, but that's not necessarily getting you the promotion. So, some experts who were interviewed said that what people should do is be professional, not rigid and formal, but sort of dress for the position to which you are aspiring. Get a sense of how people dress. Dress that way, but be consistent. Once you've gone down that road, stick with it.
CHETRY: Right. All right. But the other interesting thing was there was just a couple of other things that can sort of derail you. Having like a very weird style.
VELSHI: Right.
CHETRY: Things that are either outdated, like certain hairstyles perhaps.
VELSHI: They mention hairstyles, they mention earrings that were sort of distracting. Makeup that was sort of distracting. And these studies sort of indicate women have it tougher than men because of...
CHETRY: What did they say about the mustaches, though?
VELSHI: You shouldn't have one.
CHETRY: All right.
VELSHI: I think it's probably fair.
Yes, women do have it -- have it tougher. But the idea is, be consistent in whatever style you have, and that's why I have the vest on every day.
ROBERTS: There you go.
CHETRY: You never -- you never leave home without it.
VELSHI: Never leave home without it. CHETRY: Thanks, Ali.
Also "On Our Radar" this morning, this tiny little five-pound dog is being hailed as a hero today by its family, for sure. There he is. Let's take a little look.
That is the little teacup Chihuahua there who actually stepped between that adorable little baby and a rattlesnake. Even risking his own life to save his baby.
ROBERTS: And the dog was bitten as well and had to go undergo anti-venom treatments. You will meet the hero dog and talk with the family coming up when AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: A beautiful shot this morning coming to us from WLS in Chicago. Boy, that Lake Michigan looks so blue from our shot. It's 67 degrees right now. Getting up to a high of 83, and sunny so maybe a nice day to dip your toe in the water.
ROBERTS: Summer is a lovely time to spend in Chicago. You don't want to be there in January, unless you want to go to the clubs or something like that. But in the summertime it's a great place to be.
CHETRY: It is Monday, July 23rd. Welcome back once again. Glad you're with us on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: I'm John Roberts.
The White House raising the possibility of military action in Pakistan, saying nothing is off the table in the fight against Al Qaeda. CNN's Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon.
Barbara, is this more about putting pressure on Pakistani President Musharraf or could this be a prelude to military action?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: When you know, John, it just may well could be. When you walk the Pentagon hallways this morning an awful lot of chatter around here what to do about Pakistan.
General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made it clear last week no troops on the ground but the U.S. is now offering Pakistan both intelligence and the possibility of some kind of -- what he called -- connectics (ph). Maybe air support, maybe artillery, maybe other kinds of very active military support in the fight against Al Qaeda.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf moving troops into that tribal region, promising the U.S. he will crack down on that Al Qaeda safe haven. So a lost things are underway but a lot of skepticism about whether Musharraf, who is in a very delicate position domestically, in his own country, can really crack down and pull it off, John.
ROBERTS: Something that really also seemed to ratchet this up a little further happened over the weekend when the director of National Intelligence, mike McConnell said it is his firm belief Osama bin Laden is in those tribal areas in Pakistan.
STARR: Absolutely. That is the working assumption but to hear Mr. McConnell come out and say it so publicly is really sending a message. The U.S. is saying we think he's there, we think you, Musharraf, need to go do something about it.
But six years after 9/11, it is the same problem. How to find bin Laden? And how to find him in time to strike at his location before he moves around again. It's been a dilemma that neither the U.S. nor the Pakistanis have been able to solve, John.
ROBERTS: Well, some ominous signals coming out of the Pentagon this morning. Barbara Starr, for us. Barbara, thanks.
CHETRY: Now to some extreme weather around the world. Here at home, in Colorado, road crews have been able to reopen one lane on Colorado Highway 82, after heavy rains triggered six to eight feet deep mudslides over the weekend. You can see some of the aftermath there.
And at least 31 homes damaged and a number of cars were literally buried under mounds of mud and debris. Emergency crews say the major concern right now is drinking water. They're fearing that some of the wells may be contaminated. They're deciding today whether or not they're going to let people come back and see what is left of their homes, or whether they're going to have to keep them away because of safety concerns.
Right now, in Texas a massive cleanup operation is under way after more than 17 inches of rain fell across the state over the weekend. We've seen a lot of various pictures of rescues taking place. Several rivers either at flood stage or expected to reach that level sometime today. Some counties are asking the Governor Rick Perry for a disaster declaration after many of the homes and businesses became swamped in two feet of water.
There, you see another one of those dramatic rescues that took place from a helicopter. They were plucking people off of their roofs and the higher levels of people's homes leaning out of windows. More rain expected to hit the area today and tomorrow.
And it's a similar situation in the U.K. Extreme flooding in parts of England and Wales. Meteorologists say that many areas were hit with more than a month's worth of rain in just a few hours. Towns and villages under water at this hour. Hundreds of thousands of people have no drinking water; thousands of others have no electricity and major rivers are on the verge of breaking their banks.
The storms are expected to batter much of China, again, today as well. Emergency crews say that dikes are in danger of being breached by a swollen river. More than a 100 people have died in the floods and landslides across the country; and thousands have been forced out of their homes in China as well. We're still talking about extreme weather, here, Bangladesh, 15 people killed in floods triggered by heavy monsoons over the past three days. Emergency crews say 500,000 people are stranded in their homes.
ROBERTS: Too much rain where you don't need it, and none where you do. New this morning, a massive wildfire burning about 90 miles south of Salt Lake City. It's threatening several communities. More than 200 people have been forced from their homes. It is just one of dozens of large wildfires burning right now in the tinder dry West. Some 15,000 firefighters on the ground trying to contain them. Crews are hoping that rain will be coming along today and may provide some relief.
A Minor League Baseball coach dead this morning after being hit by a foul ball. It happened in Arkansas during a game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Arkansas Travelers. Mike Coolbaugh was standing in the coach's box near first base when a line drive hit him in the head. He was knocked unconscious. Died on the way to the hospital. Coolbaugh had played a little bit in the Major Leagues and had just joined the Drillers earlier this month. He was 35.
Taliban kidnappers threatening to kill 23 most female South Korea hostages at 10:30 Eastern Time this morning. The South Koreans are all members of a church group on a relief mission. They were taken hostage in Afghanistan last Wednesday. Kidnappers are demanding that South Korea withdraw its 200 troops from Afghanistan. And they are calling for the release of 23 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the South Korean hostages.
American and Iran are going to meet to talk about security in Iraq again. Ambassadors from both countries will meet tomorrow in Baghdad. The U.S. charges that Iran is arming anti-American militants in Iraq.
CHETRY: Well, as the debate in Washington focuses on when and how U.S. troops should withdrawal from Iraq the military is going a step further. It is playing out some scenarios of what may happen in Iraq once U.S. troops leave. Would Al Qaeda take over? Would the Shia overrun the Sunni? What about Iran's influence?
Retired Marine Colonel Gary Anderson has conducted such war games for the military and joins me from Washington to talk about the scenarios.
Colonel, thanks for being bus.
COL. GARY ANDERSON, U.S. MARINES (RET.): Good morning, Kiran.
CHETRY: One of the things you talk about is that a split would happen in Iraq. Three autonomous regions and leaving a very weak central government, if any at all. The Sunni Anbar Province and the strife-ridden Shia south, and a Kurdish region in the north. We know about that, but what do you think that situation would be like without the U.S. troop presence in Iraq? ANDERSON: I think absent the U.S. presence and a moderating influence, I think you would definitely see an attempt by Shia elements, not necessarily the government, but militias and so forth, to ethnically cleanse the area of -- the central area of Sunnis, and put them into Al Anbar Province.
I don't think it's going to be necessarily the bloodbath that conventional wisdom predicts, simply because the Sunnis really can't generate enough mass to make it a Bosnia-type fight. I think you'll still see guerrilla conflict. But I think once they're out of there, I think the Shia will forget about them. There is nothing out there that the Shia wanted, no natural resources, and so forth.
CHETRY: All right. Well, in making the case to stay in Iraq, President Bush says if we leave too soon it will really be a safe haven for Al Qaeda. In fact, let's listen to what he said about Al Qaeda in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is the interest of the United States to not only defeat them overseas, so we don't have to face them here, but spread ideology that will defeat their ideology every time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Now, he said that, but you talk about not a focus on Al Qaeda necessarily, but on sectarian strife. What would be the biggest threat to any type of stability?
ANDERSON: I don't want to downplay Al Qaeda. I think the problem is absent our influence, particularly out in Al Anbar, I think the other Sunni states in the region would step in to try to help the tribal sheikhs out there fight the Al Qaeda. And that is not necessarily a good thing, because now you've got more outside influence in that region.
I think the real problem, however, is going to be Shia-on-Shia violence between those who are anti-Iranian and those pro-Iranian, with the secular nationalists somewhere in the middle. And I think that could be very bloody, very troublesome thing, that would probably look something like the internecine fighting in Lebanon, a couple of decades ago.
CHETRY: The news that's coming out of the region is that tomorrow, ambassadors from both the United States and Iran will be talking, at the request of Iraq, about ways to make the region safer and more stabilized. In terms of Iran, the U.S. military has said that they have found weapons with evidence, serial numbers that can't be denied, that Iran is supplying weapons to various factions in Iraq. What will the influence of Iran be if the U.S. were to leave Iraq?
ANDERSON: I think there's no two ways about it. The Iranians would get more involved. Can you look at it two ways. Either they have hegemonic aspirations, or they're worried about the whole thing falling apart and having to deal with a bunch of Arab refugees into their territory.
I think the danger would be for them to get in there -- at least from their standpoint -- for them to get in there and for them to get bogged down in a quagmire in southern Iraq.
CHETRY: All right. Retired Marine Colonel Gary Anderson, thank you.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Early detection, it is the key to fighting colon cancer. Colonoscopy is the best way to catch the problem. President Bush had one over the weekend. Who really needs the test? We'll talk about that next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: There are fresh signs of lava at Hawaii's Mount Kilauea. Your "Quick Hits" now. Scientists say lava coming out of the section of the volcano not seen action in 15 years.
And some new pictures just in to us from the International Space Station. An American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut are kicking off a six-hour spacewalk to make some repairs to the space station's power system.
And dancing the robot may be out of style, but what about dancing robots? A Japanese toy maker launching these robots for the American market. OK, I'm getting a look at them, there. Dancing a little bit, I guess. Is that dancing or walking? They can be program to dance the hula, even do karate kicks. And they cost $260. There they go.
ROBERTS: The death of Tammy Faye Messner nearly a decade after she was diagnosed with colon cancer is putting a new emphasis on catching the illness early. The colonoscopy is probably your best bet. Just this weekend the tested detected some polyps in President Bush. But who really needs the test? CNN's Elizabeth Cohen is working this story and joins us now.
So, Elizabeth, what's the answer to that question?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, everyone ought to have a colonoscopy and people sometimes forget about this. Women remember to get their mammograms and men remember other kinds of tests, but it's so important that people get colonoscopies.
For most people is going to be beginning at age 50, however, for other people who are at a high risk of colon cancer -- and I'll get to what that in a minute -- they should get it even earlier and you need to talk to your doctor about what age you should get it, if you're at high risk.
Now, high risks groups include people who have had polyps before, like President Bush. Also, people with a family history of colon cancer, need to talk to their doctor about getting those tests earlier. ROBERTS: But the procedure itself, some people might find it uncomfortable and it certainly is somewhat involved. It's not like going in for an X-ray. I definitely know, from being married as long as I have, that mammograms are not the most pleasant thing to undergo either. But how do you get people past that idea of the colonoscopy being so invasive, and so sort of time-consuming, and all of that? Just really inconvenient?
COHEN: You know, the one thing that I've said to people. When I've had friends who are scared about going in for a colonoscopy and don't want to go in there, and keep delaying it. I say, look, every single person, that I know, who has gone in to get one says it wasn't nearly as bad as they thought it was going to be. I'm talking about every single person. Of course, it's not fun but it wasn't this horrible experience that they thought it was going to be.
ROBERTS: Elizabeth, if you go in for one and it's completely clear and have you no family history of colon cancer, how often would you need to go back?
COHEN: Often, doctors will tell you that you can wait quite a while, maybe five or 10 years. It's not something you do every year.
ROBERTS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen for us, thanks.
Elizabeth, thanks for that.
COHEN: Thanks.
CHETRY: CNN NEWSROOM is just minutes away. Heidi Collins is at the CNN Center with a look at what is ahead.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Good morning, Kiran.
We have these stories coming up in the NEWSROOM rundown this morning. The candidates, your questions. We will look ahead to tonight's CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate.
Also, trying to stop a friend from driving drunk, he became a fatality. A man dragged to his death.
A dream vacation turns into a nightmare. Attacked by a tiger shark; he fights back to save his life. Incredible story.
Join Tony Harris and me in the NEWSROOM. We get started at the top of the hour right here on CNN.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Heidi, thanks so much.
Well, a dog in Colorado being called a hero this morning after saving the life of a one-year-old boy. You're going to want to stick around for this one.
There they are. There is Zoe on the right. The hero dog! And he is so blase about it, he is yawning.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Nine minutes till the top of the hour.
A shoplifting seagull in Scotland. Check this guy out. He has made it a regular thing of stealing of bag of potato chips from this convenience store. You can see -- oh, look, the camera caught him. Making off -- pilfering the chips. You can see him heading back outside, where he apparently opens up the bag and shares them with his friends.
Apparently all the birds prefer cheese flavored crisp. He's become so popular that the locals have actually started paying for the chips, so that the seagull does not go to the hoosegow.
CHETRY: Well, they say that every dog has his day and for a five-pound Chihuahua named Zoe that came late last week when the pup rushed into action to protect one-year-old Booker West from a rattlesnake that appeared in his grandparents yard in Loveland, Colorado.
So, here with the amazing story, Denise and Monty Long, and their grandson, Booker, and, of course, the hero of the day, Zoe.
Thanks to all of you for being with us.
MONTY LONG, DOG SAVED GRANDSON: Good morning.
CHETRY: So tell us. It was just a normal day. You watch a lot of your grandkids and Booker was playing in the backyard. What happened, Monty?
M. LONG: Well, I was sitting over here on the porch and I just watching Booker out here in the yard play, and he likes to get over here in this bird bath over here behind us here. And the two -- our two small dogs were playing right here in front of me.
And then, all of a sudden, Zoe ran over there in between a bush and a rock and, all of a sudden, she come back out of there yipping. And I knew something had happened. So I rushed over there and looked down there and there was a snake. So I scooped Booker up real quick- like, and put him over here in a porch swing that we got here out of harm's way. And went back and retrieved the snake, then and after I did that, then I went and got Zoe and put her in a little dog pet carrier.
(CROSS TALK)
CHETRY: Let me just stop you one quick second, because we're seeing some video. That is the skin of that rattlesnake because you were able to kill the rattlesnake. How did you do that? M. LONG: Well, I went in the garage real quick-like and got a piece of pipe about four-foot long, and got it worked out here on the yard, and stabbed it behind the head.
CHETRY: Wow. And you're pretty convinced that if it weren't for Zoe, Booker might have been bitten by that rattlesnake?
M. LONG: I'm fully convinced, because the snake was all coiled up on the rock and up in the position to strike. And so if I hadn't a noticed Zoe yipping and coming away from there and getting my attention to go out there, Booker would definitely -- because he was only 18 inches away from the snake.
CHETRY: Oh, wow.
M. LONG: And he was up in the position to strike again.
DENISE LONG, DOG SAVED GRANDSON: To strike again.
M. LING: He rattled and was --
CHETRY: Denise, let me ask you real quick about what happened to Zoe, in the aftermath. She was bitten right in the head. You actually said you could see two fang marks and her head immediately started to swell. She's lucky she made it for only being five pounds. How did you get her back to being OK?
D. LONG: Well, the vet, they took excellent care of her. The Wright (ph) Veterinarian clinic. They gave her blood plasma, anti- venom, pain medication, and her head was just swollen probably the size of a grapefruit.
CHETRY: Oh, my gosh. Did you think she wasn't going to make it?
D. LONG: Yeah. They weren't sure if she was because she is so small.
CHETRY: She's 100 percent now?
D. LONG: Oh, she's -- yeah, she's fine. There is just that mark on the top of her head left. But she's absolutely fine.
CHETRY: Do you think she knows what she did? Do you think she knows she's a hero?
D. LONG: I think she does. She prances around and -- she knows that something is going on. She's real sweet dog anyway.
CHETRY: She looks it. She certainly is. Boy, she was a protector for Booker. Hopefully, that rattlesnake was a really strange occurrence. You don't usually have rattlesnakes in your backyard, do you?
D. LONG: Oh, no, no, huh-uh.
M. LONG: No. It's the first occurrence we've had in four years that --
D. LONG: Not inside our yard.
M. LONG: Not inside the yard. I had a horse bit one time, four years ago, out here in the field, but not right here in the yard.
CHETRY: Well, you guys are lucky to have little Zoe. I know you got a $1,000s in vet bills for saving her from the rattlesnake, but glad everyone is there in one piece.
M. LONG: Worth every penny of it.
CHETRY: Ah, that's very sweet. Your grandson is adorable, too, by the way.
D. LONG: Oh, thank you.
CHETRY: Denise and Monty --
D. LONG: Yes?
CHETRY: Along with Zoe, thanks so much for being with us.
D. LONG: Thank you.
M. LONG: OK. Thank you.
ROBERTS: A whole lot of dog packed into that five pounds.
CHETRY: I know.
ROBERTS: Here is a quick look at what the CNN NEWSROOM is working on for the top of the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM: You've asked they will answer. Previewing tonight's CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate.
Isles within the British Isle, devastating floods trap English towns.
Kidnapped baby found: The biological mother accused of taking the five-month-old at gunpoint.
And seagull's got the munchies. Caught on tape. Bird swipes bag of chips.
NEWSROOM, just minutes away at the top of the hour, on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. Hope to see you back here again tomorrow.
CHETRY: You're going to be in South Carolina.
ROBERTS: I will be, down in Charleston.
CHETRY: Tomorrow morning. The YouTube debate tonight should be great.
ROBERTS: Don't miss it.
CHETRY: In the meantime, CNN NEWSROOM, right now, with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins, is next.
HARRIS: And good morning everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: Hi, there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
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