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American Morning
Terror Arrests: Ramstein & Frankfurt Targeted; Senator Larry Craig May Not Resign After All; The Search for Steve Fossett
Aired September 05, 2007 - 06:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Thanks very much for joining us on this very, very busy Wednesday, September the 5th.
I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry.
It is 7:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 1:00 in the afternoon in Germany, and that is where we start with our breaking news this morning, news of a major terror plot, one that would have been launched against Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. air base, and Frankfurt International Airport. That plot busted up this morning.
Three men were arrested in a raid that took place overnight. Germany's defense minister says there was "an imminent threat" and that the men were very close to carrying out the attacks.
The suspects are accused of planning to bomb Frankfurt International Airport. This is the busiest airport on the European continent. Also, Ramstein Air Base, a crucial post for the U.S. military. Now, these arrests come just days before the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and many of the 9/11 ring leaders were based for a time in Hamburg, Germany.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us now. He is at Frankfurt International Airport on the phone right now with the latest on this growing investigation.
Hi, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, one of the things that the German authorities are telling us is that they decided to go in and arrest these people because they felt that they were very, very close to actually starting these attacks. And one of the reasons they said was -- is that the anniversary of 9/11 is, of course, coming up, and what they said is that they found out that these people had acquired 1,600 pounds of hydrogen peroxide that they were in the process of turning into bomb-making materiel. That involves a little bit of chemistry, and they were very well in the process.
Now, aside from scouting out places like the Ramstein Air Base, aside from scouting out also the Frankfurt airport here, they say that the suspects were also scouting out clubs, pubs and night bars that are frequented by Americans here in Germany. So, certainly the authorities say that this was a very, very dangerous moment. Now, a little bit about these suspects. They say two of them are Germans who actually converted to Islam. The other one is a Turkish citizen. And apparently all three of these suspects had been inside terror camps in Pakistan.
Now, one very interesting thing, the German interior minister also said -- he said he believes that the orders to plot this and to start this terror plot came directly from al Qaeda in Pakistan -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Some fascinating details coming out from you, Frederik. So, 1,500 pounds of hydrogen peroxide. And we're talking about three individuals so far.
What are you hearing about the possibility that this sting could be expanded and that more suspects are going to be caught in this net?
PLEITGEN: Well, that's exactly what the German authorities are also saying. They say they believe that in the coming days they might be making even more arrests. They say they think that this plot could be much bigger than just these three suspects.
They know that there's terrorist activity, they say, in the sort of southeastern parts of Germany where they have a couple of radical mosques where they believe that people might be plotting, or at least are sympathizers to al Qaeda. But they certainly say that this thing could very well expand, and one of the reasons, they say, is because they just found so much of this hydrogen peroxide, so much of the stuff that is used to make bombs.
And one very interesting detail also, they say that if these three would have succeed in this plot, they believe that the explosions would have been much larger than those, for instance, in the London train bombings in 2005 -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Very fascinating.
Frederik Pleitgen reporting from Frankfurt International Airport, getting new details on this plot to -- of these suspects, Germans who converted to Islam, one of them a Turkish national and evidence, according to German authorities, that they may have visited terror camps or they did train at terror camps in Pakistan.
We'll continue to follow the latest developments on this -- John.
ROBERTS: All right.
A spokesman for Idaho Republican Larry Craig says he's reconsidering his decision to step down at the end of this month. Craig on Saturday said it was his "intent to resign. It turns out that his words were carefully chosen.
The Capitol Hill newspaper "Roll Call" obtained a voicemail message that Craig left on Saturday morning. In it, Craig says support from one colleague has inspired him to fight.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: I'm willing to fight. I've got quality people out there fighting in my defense. And that this thing could take a new turn or a new shape, has that potential.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROBERTS: "Roll Call" newspaper says it looks like Larry Craig thought that he was leaving a voicemail message for Billy Martin. The senator hired Billy Martin to fight the guilty plea to disorderly conduct charges. Craig may decide to stay in the Senate if he beats the rap.
CNN's congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins us now from Capitol Hill. She has been following every twist and turn of this story.
I imagine, Dana, on a week when Republican leaders were looking forward to Fred Thompson's announcement and, you know, stepping up the debate on the Iraq war, they've got to be going, "No!"
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's almost exactly what the reaction that I heard from Republican sources that I talked to last night who are surprised, as we all were, to hear this kind of pullback, if you will, from Senator Craig. Now, what a spokesman for Senator Craig, John, is reminding us is that he is trying to overturn the guilty plea that he signed admitting to misconduct in a men's room, and that if, if he is successful, that is why he may decide not to resign.
Now, this whole idea of keeping the door open to staying here in Congress does appear to be prompted by a phone call that Senator Craig got from the one Republican who has publicly come out and supported Senator Craig, and that is Republican Senator Arlen Specter. And that voicemail that you just played from "Roll Call," the newspaper here obtained, that suggests that the phone call did help change Senator Craig's statement on Saturday.
Listen to more of it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CRAIG: Yes, Billy, this is Larry Craig calling. You can reach me on my cell.
Arlen Specter is now willing to come out in my defense arguing that it appears by that all he knows that I've been railroaded and all of that. Having all of that, I've reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my intent to resign on September 30.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: Now, CNN has learned that Senator Craig has been calling some of his other Republican colleagues, senators here, now that they are back in Congress, to see if can he gauge if there's other support aside from that one senator, Arlen Specter. Unclear what he was told, but I can tell you in talking to Republican leadership aides that this is not being well-received here at all.
Republicans came back, they thought that they had this political nightmare for them behind them, the Republican leader Mitch McConnell declared that this episode is over. So they are certainly not thrilled at all. One Republican leadership aide saying it's like a fish out of water. He is gasping for his last breath of political air -- John.
ROBERTS: Hey, Dana, real quick, he's got 25 days left before his intended resignation date. They haven't even filed, as I understand, to try to beat back his guilty plea. So is there any hope that he can?
BASH: You know it, is definitely a long shot. Aside from what Senator Arlen Specter says, you're right. I spoke to a source close to the legal proceedings, and he apparently has not officially filed with the court in Minneapolis to overturn it. And 25 days, it's not very much time, especially with something like this, which most legal experts say is incredibly difficult to do, overturn a guilty plea that anybody, especially a United States senator, signed, admitting to misconduct.
ROBERTS: Well, maybe as Republican sources you are quoting said, this is like a last gasp of a dying fish.
Dana Bash up on Capitol Hill.
Dana, thanks. We'll talk to you soon.
BASH: Thank you.
CHETRY: Search teams in about three hours are going to be starting up again as they look for missing millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett. He has not been seen since Monday, when a plane that he was flying vanished in the Nevada desert vanished shortly after takeoff.
CNN's Ted Rowlands is live in Minden, Nevada, waiting and watching for that search to begin anew this morning.
Hi, Ted.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran.
A lot of optimism and also a lot of concern now. We're into basically day three since Steve Fossett was last seen.
Monday morning, he took off from a private airstrip. It was going to be a three-hour trip. He was basically looking for a spot for an attempt to break a land speed record.
So he was looking for flat areas, dried-up lakebeds. He was supposed to return at noon. He didn't come back.
At 6:00 he was reported missing. They started searching Monday night, but then yesterday was the first big search where they had numerous aircraft up in the air.
The weather conditions yesterday were not good. A lot of bouncing because of very high winds. They're expecting better weather today, and hoping that they can find Steve Fossett.
They are looking for a single-engine plane. It was equipped with an emergency beacon which has not gone off.
It's good news on one side, because a major crash would have set that off automatically. On the other hand, if he was able to put the plane down safely, he should be able to manually deploy that. So that's a bit concerning.
This is a guy though that has done it all, an amazing track record in terms of survival and adventurism, not only in flying, but also in sailing, cross-country skiing. He swam the English Channel. If anybody could survive harsh conditions -- and that's what they are out here -- it is Steve Fossett.
So optimism on one side, but time is now becoming a factor, so a lot of concern on the other.
CHETRY: All right. Well, Ted Rowlands reporting live for us.
And we'll check in with you a little later.
We're also waiting to hear from Richard Branson, a great friend of Steve Fossett. He's going to weigh in again, optimistic as well that, you know, if anyone could handle this situation, it would be Steve Fossett. So we're going to hear from him a little bit later as well -- John.
ROBERTS: Mattel announces its third major recall of Chinese-made toys again because of concerns about lead paint. The recall involves Barbie kitchen furniture items, Fisher-Price locomotive toys, and Bongo Band drums.
Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live now from Atlanta with more on the possible health risks for children exposed to these toys.
Sanjay, how dangerous are they?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, they could be dangerous, but I think for the vast majority of people watching, and their kids, it's probably not going to be a problem.
Since this has all been going on, John, now 675,000 more toys, one of the questions I get the most is, how much lead does it actually take to get someone sick or to cause some of these health consequences? So I set up a little bit of a demo here to give you a sense of that.
First of all, these are -- if you can show the camera over here, these are lead-based chips over here. Basically, what it would take for someone to start to get levels that are too high, a child, you basically need to eat a pencil eraser size lead-based chip every day for about four weeks. So, 28 to 35 pieces of these could start to get someone's levels too high.
That's quite a bit. I mean, you're talking about actually stripping the lead off the toy, actually putting it in their mouth and then swallowing it. Certainly, kids do put toys in their mouths from time to time, but to get that much in, that does take quite a bit.
Now, there's two concerns that made kids a little different, John, versus adults. One is that their developing bodies seem to be affected by lead more so than adult bodies. And the other thing is, they tend to absorb it faster for whatever reason. Their bodies just tend to metabolize it and absorb it faster. So kids are at an especially high risk.
And it can cause significant problems, including central nervous system problems, kidney problems, overall developmental delay. It could even cause seizures and death. But again, these are rare situations. You'd have to take a lot of lead in, John, and I just wanted to show people how much it actually took.
ROBERTS: So how would a parent know, Sanjay, that their child has been overexposed to lead? Are there any outward signs?
GUPTA: Well, it is hard to know. And one thing that keeps coming back as we've talked to people about this is that by the time the levels get high, your kid may not have any symptoms in the beginning. So, the kid may look perfectly fine and then all of the sudden start to develop problems.
The biggest -- the biggest piece of advice here is, if you're concerned, if you think your child is eating lead, absorbing the quantities of lead that I've just shown you, go ahead and get it tested. That's the best way to really know.
What they'll do, John, is they'll typically do a finger prick test to start off with. If that test comes back too high, they'll take more blood actually from the -- from a vein. And if that's still too high, they'll initiate a therapy known as chelation therapy. It doesn't -- it's not required very often anymore, but it is something that can be done if those levels come back too high.
ROBERTS: All right. Sanjay Gupta for us this morning on that.
Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: It's time to check in with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents for other stories new this morning. And we have more breaking news today, this time coming from the Pentagon and a report that the Air Force lost track of some nuclear warheads.
Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has this for us. How, first of all, could something like this happen?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, that is the question. A major investigation under way. This could not be more serious. This story first came to light from "The Army Times" newspaper, a private newspaper, but CNN has confirmed the details.
Last week, the Air Force made a huge mistake. A B-52 bomber flew for three and a half hours with six nuclear warheads on board. They didn't mean to fly with those on board.
They picked up some missiles, didn't realize they had nuclear warheads on them, and flew with them for three and a half hours. One officer has been relieved of duty. Several military personnel now decertified, if you will, from handling nuclear weapons.
A major investigation under way as to how this could have happened. The Air Force insists the public was never in danger, that those weapons, if they had somehow been launched from the airplane, simply would have fallen to the ground, that there would not have been a nuclear detonation. But nuclear weapons, Kiran, are the most protected, the most secure items in the U.S. military arsenal, and a major mistake has now been made with them -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes, that's certainly an understatement. Wow.
All right. Barbara Starr with the latest on that.
Thank you.
Well, a plot broken up in Germany against a U.S. air base, Ramstein, and Frankfurt International Airport. Now German prosecutors are saying that the three, two of them German nationals, had terror training in Pakistan, as well as close ties to al Qaeda.
CNN's Monita Rajpal joins us now from our world update desk in London with the latest
Hi, Monita.
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Kiran.
Yes, the German federal police are saying the intent of these alleged plotters was to cause mass casualties. As you were saying, the two targeted sites were Frankfurt's international airport and the Ramstein Air Base as well.
Now, the Frankfurt International Airport is Europe's third largest airport, it is the world's eighth largest airport. It accommodates some 50 million passengers per year. That is on average. About over hundreds of thousands of passengers per day.
It is a major transportation hub with a runway capacity of about 80 departures and landings per hour. Not only is it a major center for European travel, it is also a major -- it also accommodates connections to and from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Now, Ramstein Air Base is a major transit point for coalition troops who are working in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who are also injured there are transported to the air base, then taken to the Landstuhl medical facility. That's nearby.
It is also a major point for U.S. troops and materiel traveling into and out of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. But it's not just U.S. troops that are operating out of Ramstein. Army personnel from Canada, Germany, Britain, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Holland and Denmark also operate from there -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes, it would have had certainly a wide, wide circle of destruction if either one of those attacks had happened.
Monita Rajpal, thank you -- John.
ROBERTS: What was the atmosphere like inside the White House during some of the Bush administration's most momentous decisions? We'll get the view from an author who had unprecedented access to the White House.
That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
ROBERTS: It's almost 19 minutes after the hour now.
What goes on behind closed doors at the White House? How are critical decisions made? According to a new book, they're made amid fierce infighting between the president's close advisers.
The book is called "Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush". Its author, Robert Draper, had unprecedented access to the president and key members of his administration.
Robert Draper joins us now.
You know, Bob, I covered President Bush for five years at the White House. And the thing that I personally find most fascinating in this book is Karl Rove's take on Dick Cheney during the election year, prior to him being named as the vice president.
What did he say?
ROBERT DRAPER, AUTHOR, "DEAD CERTAIN": What he said to the president, then Governor Bush, that he thought that the idea of Dick Cheney as George W. Bush's running mate was not a good idea. He thought that Cheney was -- sent sort of the wrong message, which was that he came from George Herbert Walker Bush's administration. They had been wanting to distance themselves from 41's administration to prove that Governor Bush was his own man. I felt that Cheney was sort of retro and not an exciting choice, but...
ROBERTS: You say in the book that it looked meaty.
DRAPER: Yes, it looked meaty. But I think that, in fact, what trumped everything, the president was really impressed by Cheney, but I think most of all, or as much as anything else, he was impressed by the fact that Cheney didn't want the job, that Cheney had no political visions. And I think it's a real -- it's a real interesting measure of George W. Bush's -- for lack of a better word -- insecurity, that he felt it necessary to have someone has his number two who didn't have political ambitions.
ROBERTS: And now Cheney's gone on to become the most powerful vice president probably in American history.
What was the relationship like between Laura Bush and Karl Rove?
DRAPER: Well, a love-hate one. But I think maybe more hate than love.
ROBERTS: His nickname was Pigpen.
DRAPER: Pigpen, that's right. And I think she knew that Karl Rove was sort of a necessary evil, but Laura Bush is kind of a gentle soul who -- she's not a fan of the rough and tumble imperatives of politics. She knows that that's what Rove is good for, but she also -- she viewed that as sort of the necessary evil I think more than anything else.
ROBERTS: Right.
You know, Rove, as you detail in the book, was opposed to the Harriet Miers nomination...
DRAPER: Yes.
ROBERTS: ... for the Supreme Court. And you did detail in the book -- you know, because conservatives have said, whose idea was it to nominate her?
DRAPER: Sure.
ROBERTS: You say it was Chief Justice John Roberts.
DRAPER: Chief Justice Roberts. Well, he's -- well, her name had been floated around inside the White House. They were looking for a female replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor. And Chief Justice Roberts happened to mention that to the White House, and then it was as a result of that that Bush asked Card to do a vetting of Harriet Miers.
ROBERTS: Now, his spokesperson, Kathy Arberg, has come out and disputed this...
DRAPER: Yes.
ROBERTS: ... saying the chief justice did not suggest Harriet Miers to the president. The account is not true.
You're being challenged on that.
DRAPER: Yes, I'm being challenged. I understand that.
I'm quite confident in my sourcing on this and I understand why Chief Justice Roberts would want to distance himself from what was ultimately determined to be a very flawed idea. So that's -- but no, I'm confident of it.
ROBERTS: You describe President Bush as a person who listens to advice and yet sometimes does the opposite thing. For example, a 2006 meeting where he asked people what they thought he should do about Donald Rumsfeld...
DRAPER: Yes.
ROBERTS: ... who was in a lot of trouble then. Ken Mehlman, who was his campaign director, stood up and said, I think we should get rid of him. A show of hands, seven to four, I believe...
DRAPER: Yes.
ROBERTS: ... in favor of getting rid of him. And he kept him.
DRAPER: Yes. That's right.
Well, the vote that counted, of course, was George W. Bush's. And I think at that point no one had presented a compelling case.
As the president explained it to me, the sort of tick-tock for him was that there were other -- there were all of these other factors in play. There was a Baghdad security plan in effect, the retired generals came out with their sort of revolt, saying...
ROBERTS: But it does suggest he's very much his own man.
DRAPER: He is his own man, yes. I think this notion that the presidency has been run by -- has been farmed out to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney is mythology.
ROBERTS: Interesting.
Robert Draper.
The book is called "Dead Certain: An Inside Look at the White House".
You did get a lot of access. You interviewed President Bush six times, about an hour a piece.
Fascinating reading. Thanks very much for coming out with the book.
DRAPER: Thank you.
ROBERTS: And appreciate you coming in this morning.
DRAPER: Thank you, John.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: All right.
Well, we're joined on the phone right now by Sir Richard Branson, a great friend and partner, if you will, of Steve Fossett, the multimillionaire adventurer who sort of captured the imagination of Americans and those really around the world with his record-breaking endeavors, including ballooning around the world, as well as the first solo -- the longest solo flight around the world. Many other records.
Well, the news today that the 63-year-old aviation record holder is missing. He was last seen Monday after taking off in a remote part of Nevada in a single-engine aircraft.
Sir Richard Branson, thanks for being with us this morning.
SIR RICHARD BRANSON, FOSSETT'S FRIEND: Thank you very much.
CHETRY: And we've heard the latest on the rescue efforts. They say I think in about three hours they're going to resume it.
Are you surprised that they have not seen or heard anything from Steve Fossett yet?
BRANSON: Well, obviously I'm worried. I mean, the problem is there wasn't a flight plan, so he could be anywhere in a 600-square- mile block.
It seems perhaps more likely than not that he's injured, because he does have a (INAUDIBLE) on him which could send out an emergency (INAUDIBLE). But he would have to operate that manually. And we just have to hope that people can get to him as early as possible today, so that if is he injured he can he receive medical help.
CHETRY: You know, there are inherent dangers, of course, in flying alone for that very reason. What was he doing when he was flying alone in that small plane?
BRANSON: He was looking for a site. He's going after the world land record for the fastest car on the land, and he needs to do in the desert on an empty lake. And he was out looking for a site to do that.
The car is almost finished built. You know, it will almost go at the speed of sound, so it needs to be absolutely the right conditions. So that was the mission that he was on in the small plane.
CHETRY: Now, as I understand it, didn't he have another scare a while back where he ended up having to walk 30 miles to make his way out of a situation when he had to make a landing? Could there be something else besides the possibility that he's either injured or worse? Could it just be that this beacon, that watch, perhaps malfunctioned? BRANSON: Obviously, that is what one would hope. I mean, if he's landed and he's not too badly hurt, he's the one person in the world who will -- you know, who will be mentally and physically equipped to get out of it. So, you know -- so, if anyone's going to end up walking back up the ranch and apologizing for (INAUDIBLE), you know, the Hilton's plane, it's likely to be Steve Fossett.
CHETRY: You know, you describe him as an absolute delight. And boy, you must have meant it since you spent 14 days together in a balloon capsule. So you've got to like him.
What's he like?
BRANSON: He's got a great sense of humor. He's great fun to be with.
You know, he's very professional. You know, and he just loves life. And the fact that he's got more world records than anybody in the history of this world, it shows that he's incredibly capable, too.
CHETRY: He is. And you're optimistic and I know many of his family and friends are as well. The search, again, as we said, resumes in about three hours.
Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, as well as friend of Steve Fossett, thanks for talking with us this morning.
BRANSON: Thanks very much.
CHETRY: Still ahead, Mattel is recalling another batch of Chinese-made toys. Another yet again possibility of lead paint contamination.
Our Ali Velshi will give us the business end of it coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-nine minutes after the hour. Ali Velshi here "Minding Your Business" this morning.
We've been talking about the health and safety concerns about the lead paint on some of these Mattel toys. Ali has got the business concerns.
ALI VELSHI, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is a little early to be talking about the Christmas holiday season, but, you know, we start after Labor Day to start thinking about how these stores are going to do in the back end of the year.
And for parents buying toys for their kids, this new Mattel recall is just another kick. They're not entirely sure what to do. And we don't entirely know how this is going to affect American retailers, because the toys that have been shipped, that have been recalled again -- and now we're into some 20 million toys that Mattel has recalled -- are -- they're already shipped. They're already made, they're on their way.
Take a quick look at the ones that we're talking about here. We've got the Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys, about 10,000 of those. Barbie Playset accessories, 675,000 of those. And GeoTrax Locomotives, about 100,000 -- 90,000 of those.
So we'll keep track on that, but right now Mattel shares are trading about flat. We'll tell you how that goes.
ROBERTS: OK.
CHETRY: All right. Ali Velshi, thanks so much. Yet another toy recall this morning.
We're going to have much more. We're going to take a quick break. AMERICAN MORNING will be right back on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: We're back on a busy morning following a lot of breaking news. Of course the news of the terrorists out of Germany, as well as some major shakeups in Washington, and the search for adventurer Steve Fossett, still missing in the Arizona desert.
ROBERTS: Our latest on the breaking news story we're following regarding that terror plot. Authorities in Germany say they have foiled a major terrorist attack. They're calling it an eminent threat that was aimed at civilians and U.S. servicemen. Its target -- Frankfurt International Airport and the Ramstein Airbase in Germany. Officials say they arrested three men in an overnight raid. Two of them are Germans who converted to Islam. The others is a Turkish national. They had reportedly attended terror training camps in Pakistan, and had recently acquired bomb-making materials, and awful lot of them.
Let's get right to CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve. She's down in Washington.
Jeanne, how are U.S. officials reacting to this?
JEANNE MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: John, one U.S. government official saying this morning, quote, "This is the real deal." The U.S. is closely monitoring events as they unfold overseas, and will be checking e-mails, phone records and other evidence for threats leading back to the U.S.
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke says this morning, at this time, there is no credible information telling of us of an eminent threat to the homeland. But we do believe that we continue to be in a period of increased risk.
German officials at a press conference this morning talked about the alleged plotters and their motivation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JURG ZIERCKE, GERMAN FEDERAL CRIMINAL POLICE OFFICE (through translator): This organization was in close contact with al Qaeda. The main motive of the group in Germany is hatred against American citizens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: One U.S. law enforcement official says the U.S. has been working with the Germans from the earliest stages of this investigation. A counterterrorism official says the Germans had been watching the alleged plotters for awhile, and acted when the plot was lining up close to the endgame. We do know that Germany, of course, is among the closest U.S. allies in the war on terror. There's a lot of interaction and information-sharing all along the way -- John.
ROBERTS: Jeanne, yesterday's breaking news in the terror front where it was arrest of these eight people in Denmark. They had a quantity of explosives that they had cached in Copenhagen. What are people saying about those?
MESERVE: U.S. intelligence officials say those men had a connection to al Qaeda, but they aren't being any more specific than that. In that case, too the U.S. closely monitoring developments. One homeland official saying there is no indication of any link to this country. But one official saying the U.S. is very concerned, saying this was not a small-time operation.
ROBERTS: Very troubling, though, I guess is to hear that they were at these terror-training camps in Pakistan, because that is becoming an increasing sore point with administration and U.S. officials.
Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much. We'll talk to you soon.
MESERVE: You bet.
CHETRY: As we said, another major story we're following, broke late last night, a spokesman for Idaho Republican Larry Craig saying that he is reconsidering his decision to step down at the end of this month.
And we've also been listening to a voicemail that was obtained by the Capitol Hill newspaper "Roll Call." It was made by Senator Craig, recorded Saturday morning, the same day of his announcement of his announcement of his intention to resign. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Yes, Billy, this is Larry Craig calling. You can reach me on my cell. Arlen Specter is now willing to come out in my defense, arguing that it appears by all that he knows I've been railroaded and all of that.
Having all of that, I've reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my intent to resign on September 30th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, the senator has now hired an attorney to fight that disorderly conduct charge. And Craig may decide to stay in the Senate if he is able to beat the rap.
One problem, though, is that Craig already pleaded guilty, as we said, to that charge, disorderly conduct. So does he have a chance?
Joining us now senior CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
And you know, we were talking about this before the break. This story is odd, and keeps getting odder.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: That's true.
CHETRY: The latest of this voicemail coming out, that he apparently made to his lawyer, accidentally left it on the wrong machine, about wanting to retool that statement.
TOOBIN: Right. That apparently was meant for Billy Martin, who is his new lawyer, also happens to be Michael Vick's lawyer, who was Monica Lewinsky's lawyer. And you know, when he made the announcement Saturday -- I was covering it here on CNN -- I heard him say intend, but I didn't pay any attention to it, because he also said he was going to talk about a transition of his staff from the new senator -- from the old senator to the new, and there was no indication that this was anything other than a resignation. So it is totally shocking to think that he really meant that he might not resign.
CHETRY: OK, let's say he is really going to go ahead with trying to find some sort of legal case to get out of this guilty plea. How realistic is that?
TOOBIN: Very unrealistic, I think. Under Minnesota law there are two circumstances in which case -- in which when you can withdraw a guilty plea. One, coercion, if you were somehow forced. If a co- defendant said I'll kill you if you don't plead guilty. The other is confidence. Did you not speak English? Were you on drugs? That doesn't seem to apply here either. Another important factor here is he was arrested on June 11th. He didn't plead guilty until the beginning of August. So he had more than a month to think about it, to reflect on whether he should plead guilty and decided to plead guilty, so I don't see any court in the world allowing him to plead guilty -- to withdraw the plea.
CHETRY: Right. Well, one of the things that he has said in a lot of these statements is that he didn't consult a lawyer. Is that any -- can that be used for any wiggle room?
TOOBIN: I don't think so. He was -- he's a highly intelligent man. He's a United States senator. He understands that, you know, it was his choice whether to hire a lawyer or not. On the form where he signed, you know, it has "I choose not to hire a lawyer." So you know, yes, it was a foolish decision, but it was one the law allowed him to make. CHETRY: The other curious thing is the timing of it all. First of all, can you wrap up a case by September 30th? I mean, can all of this be discussed even if he does have one, and can this ethics hearing, you know, wrap up in a tidy, you know, knot by September 11th -- September 30th, rather?
TOOBIN: Impossible. Impossible. Congress moves very slowly. The Ethics Committee moves slowest of all. In terms of the legal process, you know, if he made a motion, let's say today or tomorrow, to withdraw his guilty plea, the government would surely object to it. They would be entitled to some time to respond. The judge would then set a hearing, and then make a decision. None of that could be resolved by the end of the month.
CHETRY: Interesting. Lesson learned, though -- when we hear these types of statements by public figures maybe we have to read between the lines. "Intent to resign" is coming back this week.
TOOBIN: Lesson learned -- we are in a very strange business with very strange people, yes.
CHETRY: Jeffrey Toobin, thank you.
ROBERTS: Hope he wasn't talking about us.
Some serious concerns this morning about microwave popcorn. If you thought it was only workers in popcorn factories that could get popcorn lung, well, now it turns out a man who loved to eat microwave popcorn is also sick.
Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is following this one for us this morning.
We didn't know that the risks translated to the consumer, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I didn't either. I mean, this story sort of caught my eye as well, John. We're talking about a 53-year-old man who ate two to three bags of popcorn every day for 10 years. He started to have some trouble. He started to have some trouble with his lungs, specifically when trying to breathe when trying to exhale. Went to his doctors about it, and they started to investigate this, and diagnosed him with something, as you mentioned, called popcorn worker's lungs.
The culprit appears to be a compound known as diacetyl, which sort of gives you that buttery flavoring. As you can see there on graphic, it goes down; it affects some of the smallest air waves in the lungs. It can cause scarring, and it can cause a condition known as bronchitis obliterands (ph). You don't need to remember that name; just remember that it's called popcorn workers lung.
I think we have a picture of what the lungs look like in someone who has this condition.
Basically it just traps air. You can't breathe out enough. All of the black space in the middle is actually air that's trapped inside the lung.
The man said he would actually reportedly inhale the steam as soon as he opened the bag -- that we know that is probably diacetyl. It can be vaporized. It can turned into droplets. It can even become dried. That's what causes problem as it goes down deeper into the lungs.
As you correctly mentioned, John, this is probably the first case where we've probably ever actually heard of someone who is a consumer being affected in this way. It typically tended to infect people who worked in the plants and the manufacturing areas.
ROBERTS: Eating as much popcorn for he did for as long as he did, it's amazing he didn't have a heart attack before he developed popcorn lung. But is this diacetyl found in all popcorns, just the buttered ones, certain brands?
GUPTA: It is something that's used to make synthetic butter. But really since 2002, 2003 timeframe, they've been sort of investigating this, warning plant workers that this is might be a problem, so I believe the company known as Pop Weaver has actually agreed to take the diacetyl out of their popcorn, make diacetyl-free popcorn, and other companies may follow suit as well, citing not that they think it's a safety concern for the average consumer, but more because there's enough sort of public sentiment against it now that maybe they should just take it out.
Again, this is the first time we've actually heard of someone, a consumer, actually being affected in this way.
And you know, another thing, John, that you mentioned, after he stopped, he went to the hospital and he said look, this is the problem that I have, and then they said, have you been eating a lot of popcorn? They sort of put it together, and they told him to stop cold turkey. He stopped cold turkey. Within a few months lost 30 pounds and actually his lung function started to improve as well. The other side of the story there.
ROBERTS: Big warning for popcorn lovers everywhere.
Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much.
CHETRY: You never know what to believe. They tell you air-pop popcorn, a great little snack instead of chips or pretzels. I'm sticking with chips, for sure.
ROBERTS: Once upon a time they told us cigarettes were good for us, too.
CHETRY: We're going to continue follow all of the breaking news out of Germany this morning. A major terror plot against a U.S. base, as well as an international airport. The first pictures of the suspects are coming in. We're learning new details. What were they planning to do with an enormous amount of hydrogen peroxide? Who are these guys? We're going to talk more about it coming up on AMERICAN MORNING. Also, the fury of Felix. Down to a tropical depression now, but that doesn't mean the rains aren't causing major problems, concerns about flooding, about mudslides and a look at the damage done to central America and what to expect next from the record-setting storm, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: We want to show you the first pictures coming in of three suspects. These are two of them arrested for this terror plot busted up by German authorities, a plot to attack not only Frankfurt International Airport, a huge hub and the largest airport in Europe, but one of the largest airports in Europe, but also a plot, once again, for Ramstein Airbase, of course a major, major U.S. installation in Germany.
We heard some details from CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who is there at Frankfurt Airport right now, saying they were planning to use 1,500 pounds of hydrogen peroxide, wanted to launch the attacks not only at the airport and at this airbase, but also scouting out other areas, night clubs, restaurants, bars that were popular with U.S. tourists in Germany.
So, again, two German nationals, recent converts to Islam, as well as one Turkish national, also evidence according to German authorities that these men had trained at terror camps in Pakistan and that may have gotten marching orders from al Qaeda. We're going to continue to follow the latest, but, again, the first pictures coming in, faces mostly covered, it looks like, with ski masks, but there you see them with their hands cuffed, so the first pictures of the suspects, again, in Germany.
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CHETRY: Well, still ahead this morning, no holds barred as presidential hopeful John McCain talks to students in New Hampshire. Tough crowd for the senator. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRES. CANDIDATE: You want to have one more? You're doing great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came here looking to see a good leader. I don't.
MCCAIN: Oh, well...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A little disrespectful there. Well, we're going to sit down with the high school sophomore behind those harsh words when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHETRY: Well the Straight Talk Express runs into some straight- talking high school students. Senator John McCain got hit with some pretty tough questions at a stop at a school in New Hampshire. Take a listen at how he responded to one of the students.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: I've out-campaigned all of my opponents and I'm confident that I will -- and thanks for the question, you little jerk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The student asked him, aren't you afraid you're going to die or get Alzheimer's when you're in office? Also William Sleaster was another student asking some tough questions, a 16-year-old sophomore at Concord High School. He joins us now live.
William, thanks for being with us this morning.
WILLIAM SLEASTER, CHALLENGED JOHN MCCAIN: Good morning.
CHETRY: All right, well, we're going to listen to the exchange that you had. You asked him a question about whether or not he supported civil unions or gay marriage. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SLEASTER: Do you support civil unions or gay marriage?
MCCAIN: I do not. I do not. I think that they impinge on the status and the sanctity of marriage between man and woman.
SLEASTER: So you want to take away someone's rights because what you believe it's wrong?
MCCAIN: I don't put that interpretation an my position, but I understand yours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Why was it important for to you ask that question of the senator?
SLEASTER: What was that? Can you repeat that?
CHETRY: I'm saying you guys all had a chance to ask different questions. Why was that important for you that you wanted to ask him where he stood on gay marriage and/or civil unions?
SLEASTER: Well, I am openly bisexual, and I know many people who are LGB, too, and it's very important to us in our community.
CHETRY: And did you have -- did you know what his answer was going to be, because you came back pretty quickly with your follow-up question?
SLEASTER: No, I was just winging it. I had no clue what he was going to say.
CHETRY: Now your exchange with Senator McCain continued, and I want everyone to hear what happened next. He actually complimented you. He said, do you want to have one more, meaning question. You're doing great. And you said, I came here looking to see a good leader. I don't. Let's listen to how it played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: You want to have one more? You're doing great.
SLEASTER: I came here looking to see a good leader. I don't.
MCCAIN: Oh, well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Now there were some gasps and some boos. Do you regret what you said?
SLEASTER: I regret nothing.
CHETRY: What was the reaction from your fellow students and your teachers after you said that to Senator McCain?
SLEASTER: Almost everyone I met was proud of me. If they were there, in my shoes, they said they'd do the exact same thing.
CHETRY: Why?
SLEASTER: Why? Because it's the right thing to do. He's no god; he's just a man.
CHETRY: No, it's true that he's not a god, but do you think it was an appropriate way to speak to a senator just because you disagreed with what he said?
SLEASTER: Well, he discriminated against me and treated me as if I was some idiot little kid, so why would I respect him?
CHETRY: Well, how did he treat you like you were an idiot kid? I thought he complimented you and said, would you like another question?
SLEASTER: That was no compliment. That was kind of very speaking down to me.
CHETRY: So you didn't appreciate his answer about gay marriage, and so that's why you responded the way you did?
SLEASTER: Yes.
CHETRY: What did the school say to you? Were you -- we read some reports that an administrator took you aside. Did you get in trouble for any of that exchange?
SLEASTER: No, I didn't. They only remind...
CHETRY: Go ahead.
SLEASTER: They only reminded me to keep Concord's reputation clean, Concord High respectable.
CHETRY: OK, and what did you say to that?
SLEASTER: I said, OK, I will try, and that I will respect them if they deserve my respect.
CHETRY: Are you going to be active in politics in future, and has any candidate sort of done it for you? Is there anybody that you would get behind if you were old enough to vote?
SLEASTER: No, I would not. I am still undecided, and I believe that I will ask the same questions to every candidate and respond the same way.
CHETRY: All right, William Sleaster, 16-year-old sophomore at Concord.
SLEASTER: Sleaster.
CHETRY: Sleaster, sorry. William, thank you for joining us today.
SLEASTER: All right.
ROBERTS: Four minutes to the top of the hour. Toymaking giant Matell makes its third major toy recall in five weeks. The toys were made in China and may contain lead paint.
Coming up, we'll talk with a mom who is as mad as heck at Mattel and not taking it anymore. Her story ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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