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American Morning
Maddie's Mom; Survived For Two Weeks; North Korea Shutdown; Bin Laden Message; Minding Your Business
Aired September 07, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news. A shocking turn in the case of missing Madeleine McCann. Her own mother expected to be named a suspect today. We're live in Portugal with the latest.
Plus, terror on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a feeling that this is going to be an address to Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Four days away from the 9/11 anniversary, promises of a new tape from Osama bin Laden in the hours or days to come.
And against all odds. Rescued late last night after 13 days lost and alone in the wilderness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. STEVE DELASHMUTT, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: For that age and being unprepared and being out in the cold, she's done remarkably well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The remarkable story of a 76-year-old woman's fight to stay alive, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
What an incredible story. And that's just one of the stories we've got for you on this Friday, September the 7th. Thanks for being with us. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry.
We have a lot going on today, including breaking news overnight from over seas and a stunning turn of events for the search for little Madeleine McCann. She's the four-year-old British girl who vanished from her family's hotel room back in May while her parents were at a restaurant they say 50 to 100 yards away. Well today a family spokesman says that Madeleine's mom, Kate, now expect to be named a formal suspect in her disappearance.
It comes just one day after police in Portugal questioned her for about 11 hours and she could go back for more questioning today. Madeleine's father, Gerry, also expected to be interviewed later this morning. The English couple has lived in a foreign country with their twin two-year-olds for more than four months.
They've been out there in the media, begging, pleading and searching for their little girl. They even went to the pope for help. So this latest development comes as quite a surprise and amid a report that arrest could be eminent following a forensic break-through. Paula Hancocks is live in Portimao, Portugal, with the latest on this.
Do we know any more about why authorities named Kate McCann a suspect?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Kiran.
No. At this point we don't, but we are expecting Kate McCann to arrive here any second now. She's expected to come into the police station behind me. Her lawyer turned up about half an hour ago. And she will undergo further questioning according to the press association. She is expected to be named as a formal suspect.
Now at this point, it is only speculation but certainly 48 hours ago there were quite significant forensic results that came from Britain. This was after the traces of blood, some hair and some other material was found in that holiday apartment where Madeleine went missing. It was taken to a lab in Britain and DNA results have started to filter through.
As soon as they came through, that is when Portuguese police said that they wanted to interview both Kate and Gerry, the father of Madeleine, individually. So we are expecting in the next few second Kate to arrive here. She will be questioned once again.
We are expecting her to be named as a formal suspect. And then later on this afternoon, just in a few hours' time, also Gerry McCann is expected here as well.
Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Keep us posted, Paula Hancocks, reporting for us from Portugal this morning on this case and the surprising turn of events, thank you.
Joining us now for more on this from Tampa, Florida, Prosecutor Pam Bondi.
Pam, thanks for being with us this morning.
PAM BONDI, FLORIDA PROSECUTOR: Thank you for having me.
CHETRY: Do we know any back story or any theories they're working with as to why this mother, who, for the past four months, has been out there seemingly tirelessly campaigning to get her child back, now being named a suspect?
BONDI: Well, and you said it, that's what the big puzzle is. This mother has been incredibly cooperative with law enforcement. The family has chose on it stay in Portugal instead of return to England. They have two small children as well. And they have done everything in their power. They've even gone to other countries where they heard Madeleine could have possibly been.
So it is. It's very puzzling what has changed. We know they have the forensic evidence. Of course, we don't know what that means. However, early on, investigators really, I don't want to use the word botched, but didn't do a great job in Portugal, meaning they released the family's car. They let people back into the apartment instead of treating it continuously as a crime scene when you have a missing toddler.
CHETRY: Yes, you know, and, Pam, doesn't that just ring of JonBenet Ramsey and the situation there where they let people traipse in and out of the home and, you know, family members and friends traipsing in and out of the home. And we saw what happened there, still an unsolved situation.
What are you hearing at all about what this forensic evidence could be? This blood evidence. Why would it make them turn around and possibly name the parents as a suspect? And then also, we have to remember, that wasn't there another man that was identified as a person of interest or a suspect about two or three weeks back?
BONDI: Yes, there was. And they followed him. I believe they interviewed him. But as far as what they possibly could have found, perhaps it was a mixture of Madeleline's blood in one of her parents' blood. And again, this is just, you know, all possibilities because this family had been living in this holiday apartment. Therefore, you would expect their DNA, their saliva, their hair to be all over the apartment.
Now, so we just don't know what that evidence has revealed, but police, obviously, believe it was the DNA revealed something inconsistent with what the parents had told them in the past. So that's why they brought them back in. It didn't appear it was unusual to me that they were questioning them separately because that's what good investigators do.
CHETRY: Right. And it will also be interesting to see where they believe this inconsistency is because, of course, you remember, they received a lot of flack for the story that they were at the restaurant with their friends, leaving their three children sleeping back at the place, why they would say that, you know, and open themselves up to all of that criticism if that didn't turn out to be true. It is puzzling.
Pam, we're going to continue to follow the latest on this case. Thanks for being with us.
Pam Bondi's a Florida assistant state attorney and very familiar with this case. Any moment, by the way, Kate McCann will be due back at that courthouse to be, once again, interviewed or at the police station house there. And this is a live picture right now in Portugal. It's gained, of course, not only national attention there but worldwide attention. And will continue to follow the latest, see if we can find out more about why this stunning turn of events has taken place, why the mother of this missing four-year-old has now been named a suspect by Portugal police.
John.
ROBERTS: Back here at home, an amazing story of survival and rescue. Seventy-six-year-old Ora Doris Anderson, found alive nearly two weeks after she disappeared while on a hunting trip with her husband in the rugged mountains of eastern Oregon. Right now Anderson is in intensive care. Rescuers say she was conscious and alert when they found her but she suffered a hip injury and was dehydrated.
Take a look here. This is the search area where they were looking. Police had largely given up hope of finding Anderson alive. They say the she was lightly dressed in an area where overnight temperatures had dipped into the 30s over the past two weeks.
But yesterday two officers, who decided not to rest on their day off, decided to go back to an area that had already been searched. And you can see high mountains, deep valleys, lots of forests. They say the spotted two circling ravens. That tipped them off. They looked in that area and that's where they found her.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is live in Baker City, Oregon, with more on this amazing story.
Thelma, people are just baffled as to how she could have survived out there. No food, no water, 76 years old and those temperatures.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, you're absolutely right. In fact, we talked to her doctor just a couple of hours ago. He said Doris Anderson is one lucky woman.
Now she is in critical condition, but she is in stable condition, suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. He said that he was amazed to find out that she was out there in the wilderness for nearly two weeks without any food, without any water, besides the water she was able to drink from the creek.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUTIERREZ, (voice over): In this vast, rugged, Oregon wilderness, an amazing discovery. Seventy-six-year-old Doris Anderson, who had been missing for 13 days, found alive.
MELVIN ANDERSON, BROTHER-IN-LAW: You'll never believe this. They found her and I figured they found her dead. No, they found her alive. She was in the bottom of a ravine just off the road.
GUTIERREZ: Doris's husband, Harold, believes it's a miracle.
HAROLD ANDERSON, HUSBAND: My wife, I've stated I'd never see again. That's why I have her pictures up close to me.
GUTIERREZ: Their ordeal began August 23rd when the couple went elk hunting. Their SUV got stuck in a creek in the mountains. They walked for several miles for help, but decided to separate when Doris couldn't go on. She would return to the vehicle where there was food and water and Harold would seek help. He was picked up by hunters late in the afternoon. But when they returned to the vehicle, Doris was nowhere to be found. The family said Harold was inconsolable.
M. ANDERSON: He was devastated. He said life would never be the same.
GUTIERREZ: A massive search went on for days, but the family thought there was little hope. And just as they were planning her memorial service, two Baker County sheriff's deputies found Doris Anderson. She was flown to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Baker City, Oregon, where doctors are surprised as how well she's doing, considering she survived nearly two weeks in frigid temperatures without food or water.
DR. STEVE DELASHMUTT, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: For that age and being unprepared and being out in the cold, she's done remarkably well.
GUTIERREZ: No one more surprised than Harold, who's been married to Doris 55 years.
Are you going to go elk hunting again like this?
H. ANDERSON: Never. Never. I'm going to spend the rest of my days with my wife.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUTIERREZ: Now Harold Anderson and his two daughters, we're told, arrived at the hospital just a short time ago and they're having a quiet reunion with Doris Anderson right about this moment now. The doctors said that she's expected to make a full recovery. And if all goes well, she will return home within a week.
John, back to you.
ROBERTS: Thelma, what an incredible story. They thought she was dead, planning for her memorial, she fooled them all. And thanks to those two rescuers as well, who took their day off to go look one more time. Thelma Gutierrez for us in Baker City, Oregon.
Thelma, thanks.
Kiran now with more on our breaking news development in Portugal.
CHETRY: That's right. And that is the case of missing four- year-old Madeleine McCann and the stunning news that her mother is now considered a suspect by Portugal police. Within the past couple of minutes, we just got this video. This is Kate McCann arriving for a second, grueling day of questioning. There she is arriving at the police station there in Portimao, Portugal. I believe it's about 10 minutes after 11:00 in the morning there.
And she's showing up once again. You see her looking a little drawn. Obviously under a lot of stress. Either way, this has got to be a very trying time for the family. They've been there for four months, trying everything they can to get attention brought to this case. And then now, at least friends and family say, she is stunned at the word from investigators that she is now considered a suspect in this case.
There are a lot of details that we're not getting as to why this is the case. It's something that police and investigators want to keep under wraps right now, saying it would compromise the investigation. But there has been talk of forensic evidence found and the possibility that another arrest is eminent.
So we will continue to follow that. Again, Kate McCann showing up for yet another day of questioning in Portugal in connection with her missing four-year-old daughter, Madeleine.
Also new this morning, a major development out of North Korea. The State Department says that experts from the U.S. are going to be traveling to North Korea next week. They're going to be surveying nuclear sites ahead of the planned shutdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER HILL, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: So I think it's a good step. We have to see what the results are of the visit. Our hope is that they can agree on some disabling measures that are, first of all, meet the definition of disabling, which is to make it very difficult to bring a facility back online.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Two other nuclear powers will join the U.S. on the trip. Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is live in Sydney, Australia, with details for us today.
Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kiran.
This really is a dramatic development. You heard from the U.S. negotiator, Chris Hill, who made the announcement here in Sydney. He said it's really a technical meeting to try to figure out how to disability those nuclear facilities, if it's pouring concrete or cutting cables, to make sure the North Koreans understand what the international communities is looking for in disabling those facilities.
Very important on a technical aspect, but also political as well. And we learned earlier today President Bush met with South Korea's president. Both of them talking about North Korea. A very important topic for both of them. They seem to be on the same page. But then a very unusual exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX, (voice over): It was a rare, unscripted exchange. President Bush publicly challenged to explain his position on how to formally end the Korean War. It happened after private talks and pleasantries with South Korea's president Roh Moo-hyun.
ROH MOO-HYUN, SOUTH KOREA, (through translator): I think I might be wrong. I think I did not hear President Bush mention a declaration to end the Korean War as of just now. Did you say so, President Bush?
MALVEAUX: Surprised, President Bush reaffirmed U.S./Korean policy. The U.S. will only initiate a formal declaration of peace between North and South Korea after North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il no longer poses a threat.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I said to President Kim Jong-il as to whether not we're able to sign a peace treaty and end the Korean War. He's got to get rid of his weapons and verifiable (ph) sanctions.
MALVEAUX: But Roh, throwing his head back with laughter, was not satisfied.
MOO-HYUN: I believe that they are the same thing, Mr. President. If you could be a little bit clear in your message, I think, (INAUDIBLE).
BUSH: I can't make it any more clearer Mr. President. We look forward to the day when we end the Korean War. That will end -- it will happen when Kim Jong-il verifiably gets rid of his weapons programs and his weapons.
MALVEAUX: South Korea plays a vital role as a member of the six- party talks aimed at convincing North Korea to disarm. The country is also eager to reunite with its northern neighbor. But with more than 37,000 U.S. troops, helping keep the peace along the North/South Korean border, the Bush administration is reluctant to make any changes while it still considers North Korea threat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And, Kiran, White House officials insist that this was a case of lost in translation. That both of these leaders are in agreement in terms of North Korea's role and what it needs to do in the future. That there is no tension between these two leaders. And as you know, Kiran, of course, domestic politics also playing a role in this for South Korea's leader.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Suzanne Malveaux reporting from Sydney, Australia, for us. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, an early look at what is coming in General David Petraeus's report to Congress on Monday. According to published reports, the top U.S. military leader in Iraq will recommend a troop reduction early next year. A small one though.
Petraeus responding by e-mail to questions from "The Boston Globe" said, "I expect to be able to recommend that some of our forces will be redeployed without replacement. That will, over time, reduce the total number of troops in Iraq." "The New York Times" is reporting that senior administration and military officials say Petraeus could accept the pullback of about 4,000 troops. That's about the size of a brigade, beginning in January.
CHETRY: He is the face of terror. It's a face, though, that's changed over the years. A look back at the messages from the most wanted man in the world and what Osama bin Laden could have to say six years after 9/11.
Also, he is a billionaire 44 times over and Warren Buffett just beat a pretty crazy robbery attempt by a guy in camouflage. How that went down, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Eighteen minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
As we have been telling you, we are waiting on a new tape from Osama bin Laden. We've been told to expect it any time now really.
We wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the previous tapes that we've seen. This one is from December the 13th, 2001. It's often called the smoking gun tape. It was found in a house in Jalabad in Afghanistan but is believed to have been made in Afghanistan in early November. It shows bin Laden and other men talking in some detail about the attacks of September the 11th.
This tape is from October the 29th, 2004. You might remember that this was released just before the election here. And it's credited by many with giving President Bush a boost in the voting. It also provided the last images that we have seen of bin Laden.
And this other tape here was released a year ago today. It's older footage, though, showing bin Laden meeting with terrorists as they prepare for the attacks of September the 11th.
Our security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is following developments on this. She joins us now from Washington this morning on our daily terror watch.
Is there any way to know, Jeanne, when the tape might come out?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the expectation are that it will come out in the next 60 hours or so. When and if it is released, the first order of business will be to determine if it's current. Reference to recent events could be key to that determination.
U.S. intelligence will also be looking for clues about bin Laden's health. There have been questions about that. And clues to his whereabouts. As you've mentioned, he hasn't released a videotape since shortly before the 2004 elections. The last audiotape was in 2006. Officials will also be dissecting the content of the message to try to determine if it's purely inspirational or if it is a signal for al Qaeda members or affiliates to launch an operation. National Security Advisor Fran Townsend was on Wolf Blitzer's "The Situation Room" yesterday and characterized any tape from al Qaeda as nothing more than propaganda. Saying in the absence of an attack, al Qaeda is using the media to terrorize. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security says the tape would reinforce the believe of U.S. officials that we are in a period of increased risk, but there is no credible information indicating an eminent threat to the U.S.
John.
ROBERTS: Yes, we certainly have heard from Homeland Security officials here in the administration that they believe that something could be being plotted at this point.
The timing of all of this, September the 11th, which way are they leaning toward, that is this just a finger in the eye of the United States to remind them of what bin Laden was responsible for or could this be some sort of trigger?
MESERVE: Well, they don't know whether or not it's a trigger. That's one of the reasons they'll be going over this with a fine toothed comb, trying to look for any signal that that could be the case.
You know, in the past, officials have said they don't think that al Qaeda times its attacks to anniversaries, but the timing of release now wouldn't seem to be a coincidence. Last year al Qaeda put out martyr messages from some of the 9/11 hijackers right before the 9/11 anniversary. But, you know, any message from bin Laden will be a much more important development because we hear from him so rarely and because it could provide some important clues for them to follow up on.
ROBERTS: It will certainly be important to see if it is new video or perhaps, like the last tape, just a compilation of old footage.
Jeanne Meserve for us in Washington this morning.
Jeanne, thanks.
And for the first time since 9/11, most Americans don't think that we're ever going to catch Osama bin Laden. According to the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 42 percent of Americans think that the U.S. will capture or kill bin Laden. Fifty-four percent, though, don't think so.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, a terror warning for Americans abroad topping your "Quick Hits." The U.S. embassy is warning U.S. citizens in Nigeria that they may be at risk of an attack. The west African nation is one of the top suppliers of foreign oil to the U.S. and generally considered pro-western.
An anonymous jury will hear the case against the so-called Fort Dix Six. That's a decision from a federal judge in New Jersey. The FBI arrested the foreign-born Muslims back in May. The Feds say that the suspects wanted to launch a massive assault on the base to kill as many American soldiers as possible. You may remember we talked to the unlikely hero right here on AMERICAN MORNING. He was the video store clerk who noticed when dumping down a DVD some suspicious activity by the suspects and alerted authorities.
Still ahead, the housing slump deepens. The number of homes entering the foreclosure process hitting a record high. A new look at a mortgage industry survey and what it means for home owners. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-seven minutes after the hour now. Ali Velshi here "Minding Your Business." And more on houses and mortgages and slumps and people having difficulty making payments.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, sadly, I don't sort of get to show up here once in a while and give you a story that's countered everything you're hearing. We just get more evidence about what is going on. This news is from the Mortgage Bankers Association, which surveys about half the banks that give out mortgages.
Now according to their numbers, mortgage delinquency rates are at a record now for the second three months of the year, April through June. Take a look at the numbers compared to last year. They were -- 5.12 percent of mortgages were delinquent, late on their payments, compared to 4.39 percent last year.
Now one thing if you look at these numbers you'll say, that doesn't look like a massive increase, but it feeds through. There are delinquencies, then there are serious delinquencies that are 90 days late and then there are foreclosures.
Now just to keep this in perspective, the number of foreclosures in the second quarter of all homes out there was about two-thirds of 1 percent. That's where it's going. But the Mortgage Bankers Association says this will probably continue for about another year. You'll still see this happening.
Now the thing to think about is, in the states where we've seen all these numbers, you take about three of these states in the Midwest, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Foreclosures there have been driven by underlying economic issues, job losses. Michigan, all the auto job losses -- 300,000 job losses in the last six or seven years. You take the other states that have high foreclosure rates, Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, and those are the areas where there was a lot of speculation the house prices were higher than they should be.
So the point is, it's not a national problem necessarily. It's a confluence of different problems that are causing this issue. CHETRY: But it's also still interesting that even in the delinquencies, you're talking 5 percent and 4 percent. That means 95 percent of people can pay their mortgage.
VELSHI: Correct. Correct.
CHETRY: So why is it having such a ripple effect?
VELSHI: It's a very frightening thing. I think it's one of those things, it hits so close to home that everybody worries about it. If you're getting late on a payment, you start -- you get concerned that it's going to affect you.
And between your home and your retirement in the stock market, those are the two things you can gauge very well. The only other price that you can gauge well is gas. You know gas, you know the Dow and you know what home prices are. So those are the things people get most concerned about.
Actually, milk prices are up more than gas prices, but people don't fret about that the same way. So just remember, it's serious, it's not the end of the world.
ROBERTS: All right. Ali, thanks very much.
Hey, a look at a story coming up in our next half hour that you just can't miss. Would you think that there would be a dress code on an airplane?
CHETRY: You know, you never thought about it before until this one woman and the trouble she ran into. Let's take a look at what she's wearing. Twenty-three years old. This is a girl who's wearing, she says, a denim skirt, a tank top, a sweater, a bra and I'm assuming underclothes, and she ran into a lot of problems on one particular airline. And we're going to tell you what happened to her and what the airline has to say about it, when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Lot of problems on one particular airline. We'll tell you what happened to her and what the airline has to say about it when "AMERICAN MORNING" comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Beautiful shot of the capitol this morning from Washington, D.C., as we see the flag blowing. A light breeze there. It's 72 degrees right now. It's shaping up to be 90 today and sunny in the nation's capital.
ROBERTS: It's not like you're living in a swamp there though or anything.
CHETRY: Well, what's the humidity again, like what, around 75 percent? ROBERTS: The whole place used to be a swamp so it gets pretty hot.
CHETRY: 82 percent humidity so yes, bad hair day alert in Washington.
Welcome back once again. It is Friday, September 7th. I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: Good morning to you. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Roberts. Lots going on this morning.
Breaking right now in the search for 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, the little girl's mother, Kate, just arrived in Porte Mayo, Portugal, for a second day of questioning. She could be named a suspect in the case. Four months after her daughter vanished, it comes one day after police in Portugal questioned her for about 11 hours. Madeleine's father, Gerry is expected to be interviewed later on this morning. The 4-year-old British girl vanished from her hotel room back in May while her parents were at a restaurant some 50 yards away.
An early look at what is coming in General David Petraeus' report in Congress. The top U.S. military leader in Iraq will recommend a troop reduction early next year. A small one though. Petraeus responding by e-mail to questions from "The Boston Globe" said, "I expect to be able to recommend that some of our forces will be redeployed without replacement. That will, over time, reduce the total number of troops in Iraq."
The "New York Times" is reporting that senior administration and military officials say Petraeus could accept the pullback of about 4,000 troops, about the size of a brigade, beginning in January.
Atomic experts from the United States, Russia and China will visit North Korea next week ahead of the country's planned nuclear shutdown. The State Department has accepted an invitation by the north. North Korea promised to complete the shutdown by the end of this year.
Fear of flooding and mudslides after a once powerful typhoon dumped a staggering amount of rain on parts of Japan. The slow-moving typhoon, once known as Typhoon Fitow (ph), made landfall southwest of Tokyo yesterday, pouring as much as two feet of rain on an area known to home 25 million people. Authorities say one person was killed, dozens hurt. At least three people were reported missing and tens of thousands lost power.
The death toll from the once power Hurricane Felix is almost up to 100 now. Felix came ashore in Nicaragua near the border with Honduras, as a Category 5 storm, winds of 160 miles an hour. U.S., Nicaraguan and Honduras soldiers are searching the open areas of water for bodies and possible survivors.
CHETRY: Now to an amazing survival story. This is a 76-year-old woman lost for two weeks in the rugged mountains of eastern Oregon and she was found alive. Her own family thought it was over. Aura Doris Anderson, she was separated from her husband when they were on a hunting trip together. Two weeks of searching turned up nothing. They started to scale back the search. It was night time, temperatures in the 30s. Her relatives, fearing the worst, started planning a memorial service. Then yesterday, two police officers rechecked an area that they had already searched and they found her. She is in intensive care right now but her doctors say she is in remarkably good shape considering she had no food or water for two weeks.
They say it will be like finding a needle in a hay stack and the hay stack got a whole lot bigger. Search teams in the Nevada desert expanded the search for missing adventurer Steve Fossett. It's now an area the size of Massachusetts. It was just 600 square miles at first, where they thought he might be, according to where they thought he flew. Now they say that's expanded to 10,000 square miles. He didn't file a flight plan. A spokesperson for the Nevada Civil Air Patrol says they are looking at a number of possible leads and fly- overs of the most likely landing spots could take another week. Fossett's plane disappeared Monday in the Nevada dessert, an area notorious for winds so powerful and tricky they could toss a small plane or shear off a wing.
New word of a possible videotaped message from Osama bin Laden that would be released to coincide with next week's six years since 9/11 or perhaps before that.
Joining to us talk about the timing and how concerned we should be about the message is Ben Venzke, the CEO of Intel Center, a group that monitors extremist websites.
Ben, thanks for being here this morning.
BEN VENZKE, CEO, INTEL CENTER: Good to be here.
CHETRY: You monitor the chatter closely. How confident are you that we will be seeing this new video of bin Laden, that it is new and not something together based on old statements he's given?
VENZKE: Every indication that we have by sort of looking at the history of releases by al Qaeda and the sort of pattern and steps that they follow in advance of a release, leads to us believe that this will be, in fact, a new statement, something that was probably recorded within, say, on the outside, within the last six months but most likely even sooner than that. We're not sure, however, if we're going to actually be seeing bin Laden or if this is just going to be an audio recording played on a video.
CHETRY: There have been, I don't know if it's just leaks, but there has been screen captures of something that it looks like Osama bin Laden and one of the things that people noted is that the last time we saw him was in 2004, where he had sort of a grayish, grizzled, salt and pepper beard. And in this video capture purported to be the new tape his beard is black. What do you make of that?
VENZKE: Right, exactly. Well the one thing that we're trying to determine and we don't have a conclusive assessment on it yet is whether or not this is an old or new photo. If it is a new, current photograph of bin Laden, it is in fact maybe a frame grab from the video, a scene they took out of it, then clearly he's dyed his beard because we do know that there were gray streaks and now they're gone. If this is an older picture, then that could possibly be an explanation for that. We just don't know conclusively yet at this point.
CHETRY: One of the other things that caught our attention, monitors from this thing said that in extremist form included a reference to a, quote, "gift" coming on the 9/11 anniversary. What does that mean to you, if anything?
VENZKE: It could mean anything. The thing you have to keep in mind when looking at messages that are posted on these forums and things is that thousands and thousands and thousands of people are able to post these messages. And what you really have to look at is actually who is posting it? Are they a known source? Do they have a history? For instance when al Qaeda posts something we know it's al Qaeda. In terms of the...
CHETRY: Wait. How do you know it's al Qaeda?
VENZKE: Because they have a certain manner which they do it. There's certain steps they take. They do it in a certain way. And in the case of this video, one of the reasons that we know it's coming out is because of the promotional graphics they put out which is the historic pattern.
CHETRY: You say you know it. Can you trace it back?
VENZKE: Obviously, I think it goes without saying that's something that everyone is working towards doing. I mean, when you have senior leadership figures in al Qaeda putting out these messages, there's a tremendous amount of resources dedicated to trying to figure out, following them back, where they're coming from. All that being said, it's an extremely difficult thing to do, unfortunately.
CHETRY: Ben Venzke, CEO of Intel Center, monitoring this type of chatter from these extremist web sites, thank you.
ROBERTS: Oklahoma could get another dose of heavy rain today and the National Weather Service says that you can blame it on the remnants of Hurricane Henriette. Rob Marciano is tracking our extreme weather for us today.
And yesterday I had the rare opportunity to sit down with the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Myers. He was the head of the Pentagon on the military side when the Iraq war was launched. What he has to say about Iraq today. We'll have that for you coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Something new from Midwest Travelers tops your "Quick Hits." Double-decker buses will take you between 12 Midwest cities. You book a seat ahead of time online for $1. Service from Chicago to Minneapolis just got started. You need to have a driver there.
Milan, the baby panda, is celebrating her first birthday at the Atlanta Zoo. Guests were treated to birthday cake. The cub got a birthday biscuit. Mom apparently ate most of that one. The panda birth was a milestone for the zoo just a year ago. Look at how cute.
CHETRY: So cute.
ROBERTS: So cute. So cute.
CHETRY: I could look at those all day, but we don't have time.
Forty-three minutes past the hour. Rob Marciano tracking for us some flooding. Oklahoma got the worst of it, thanks unfortunately to Henriette.
Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi there, Kiran. Looking at the extreme weather potential for today across this front, which is going to bring a fair amount of rain to a lot of spots, but also tapping moisture from what's left over of Henriette. That's interestingly enough going to plague folks in say Oklahoma who have seen a tremendous amount of flooding this summer already but you wouldn't think of the central plains getting into the act from seeing a tropical system, no less one that's from the pacific side. That's what we think is going to happen. Flood watches have been posted for Oklahoma but for southwest Missouri as well.
And remember yesterday, we were talking about tornado warnings across and near the I-44 corridor near Springfield. A little bit of action today mostly in the form of heavy rain and gusty winds from Jefferson City headed toward St. Louis. Another rough and tumble day for you folks and then upwards toward Davenport, a little bit of action, too. Chicago some thunderstorms expected today as well.
Continue to watch this, which hasn't developed into anything but still our computers continue to say it will, taken looks like this morning actually believe it or not, John. I know it doesn't look like much but it is getting a little bit more organized so something to bear watching for sure. Back up to you.
ROBERTS: Keep it offshore for us, Rob. We'd appreciate it.
MARCIANO: We'll try.
ROBERTS: An early look at what's coming in General David Petraeus' report to Congress on Monday. According to published reports, the top U.S. military leader in Iraq will reportedly recommend a small troop reduction early next year, about the size of a brigade.
Yesterday I had the rare opportunity to sit down with former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers, now retired, but still making his voice heard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: The last time you were on CNN was back in January with my colleague, Wolf Blitzer. He was asking about the so-called surge. You thought that the plan was a good idea. Let me replay just a little bit about what you said and then I'll ask but it.
RICHARD MYERS, FORMER CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: The thing I like about the plan is it has the three elements you need to defeat insurgency, a security element, a political element and economic element.
ROBERTS: It has a security element, a political element and economic element. Now, six, seven months later, how would you measure what we see in the surge against your expectations, because there hasn't been much development economically and even the national intelligence estimate says literally none on the political front.
MYERS: Right, I think on the security side obviously there's been some progress, and you can point to al Anbar Province where they used to have 50 to 60 attacks a day. They haven't had an attack for over 100 days and in Baghdad. So the violence is down so the security part is working. I think there's been some political progress. It has not gotten to the point, though, where the parliament approved things like how are we going to reconcile former Baathists? How are we going to divide the energy resources among the various folks in this country?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Later on this morning, we're going to hear more from General Myers, including whether or not he thought that we went into Iraq with the appropriate number of troops or whether we went in too light -- Kiran?
CHETRY: We're getting yet more breaking news out of the Madeleine McCann case, the missing 4-year-old British girl vacationing with her family in Portugal and disappearing.
We're just getting the news that now her father, Gerry, has also been named a suspect in this case by Portuguese police. This is according to the family friend. They say that -- the family spokesman is saying that he's been named a suspect. This comes on the heels of her mother, after 11 hours of police questioning yesterday, also being named formally a suspect but no details on why.
These two have been out in the media, out in the limelight doing anything they can to draw attention to the case. They in fact refused to go home to go back to the U.K. without word or information about their 4-year-old daughter, Madeleine. This has been a four-month saga for the family.
The family and friends saying that they're distraught by this news that they've both now been named suspects.
We're not hearing the side of the Portuguese police as to why this decision was made, and what it means for the investigation. We do know, though, that there was some forensic evidence, possibly blood evidence found in that apartment, where the family was staying while on vacation there. There has not been any information, though, as to what that DNA evidence, that forensic evidence yielded in the investigation.
But again, the news just breaking right now that also the father of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann named a suspect in the case according to a family spokesperson. They're calling it a shocking twist to this case.
We showed you video about 45 minutes ago, Kate McCann, the mother, showing up again at the police station in Porte Mayo, Portugal -- there's the video now -- for a second day of questioning.
So we are going to get more details. Paula Hancocks is there, working the story as well. And the developments are coming fast and furious this morning so we see her entering the police station there in Portugal for another day of questioning. And also the news just coming to us moments ago that her husband is now considered a suspect as well.
He is officially a candidate now. It's time for Fred Thompson to get used to long hours of stumping on the campaign trail. Our John King is tagging along and joins us live from Iowa to tell us how the brand new candidate is doing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Fifty-two minutes after the hour.
An attempted break-in at billionaire Warren Buffett's home. Policed say a man in camouflage with a fake gun ran off after a scuffle with security guards after he tried to get into the home. He got up close enough to ring the doorbell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERESA NEGRON, OMAHA POLICE DEPARTMENT: And the suspect began to struggle. During that struggle, the suspect struck the security guard on his head.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did this look like it was meant for Warren Buffett's home?
NEGRON: You know, until we actually apprehend the suspect we're not going to know why he chose to go to this specific residence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: A neighbor says there has been a string of robberies in the area. Buffet obviously beefed up security. The man still being sought by police.
CHETRY: And again major developments in the case of Madeleine McCann, the 4-year-old who has been missing in Portugal since May.
CNN's Monita Rajpal is covering today's international headlines.
And again the news coming in to us at least according to family spokesman that both Madeleine's mother father are now considered suspects in the case, Monita.
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That was the speculation as we walked into work today and as people started to read their morning newspapers, most of the dailies here in Britain were covering this as their top story. "The Daily Mirror" reporting that Kate and Gerry McCann feared they would be named as suspects. "The Daily Mirror" reported one of the reasons may be because there may have been discrepancies in the forensics that was found, but discrepancies in the account -- the McCann's account of the night Madeleine disappeared, from the forensics that was found in their room at the resort in Portugal.
"The Sun" saying the police questioning Kate for about 11 hours yesterday, and asking questions like, did you sedate Maddy and, of course, most of the papers are questioning and asking whether or not if that indeed was the case. And "The Daily Mail" also saying they're trying to set me up. That was one of the fears Kate McCann had and possibly one of the reasons maybe again Portuguese authorities are saying it's not unusual that people would prefer -- would not necessarily prefer but would also ask to be named as suspects, that would give them more rights, more legal rights and representation. But there she's saying they're trying to set me up, she's pointing the finger there at Portuguese police.
And "The Daily Express" saying now, again, same thing. "We fear that we will be named suspects." This is after they were called in to questioning at the police station there, 30 minutes away from the resort, where they are staying right now.
So again, right now it was speculated that Georry McCann would be named as a suspect, but again, they have not been formally named a suspect. These are just according to family friends -- Kiran?
CHETRY: All right, know Monita Rajpal, thank you.
Still ahead, thousands of people waiting in line all night, remember to get their iPhone in June? Apple has just came out with its new version of the phone and it's 200 bucks cheaper. So if you already bought one, are you entitled to a price adjustment? It looks like it may be your lucky day. We'll explain.
And too sexy to fly? This college student and Hooter's waitress says that's exactly what a flight attendant told her. However, then they've changed their story, it seems, and say they don't have a dress code. So what happened in this situation? We'll hear from her ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Be careful what you wear next time you fly. Kyla Evert, a college student and Hooters waitress was escorted off of a Southwest flight from San Diego to Tucson because of the outfit you see there, a mini skirt, tank top and a sweater. Once off the plane she says she was lectured on how to dress properly, told to pull up her shirt, pull down her skirt. She was allowed back on the plane. She says she was humiliated and flew the rest of the way with a blanket covering her lap.
The airline said Southwest Airlines was responding to a concern about Ms. Evert's revealing attire on the flight that day. As a compromise, we asked her to adjust her clothing to be less revealing. She complied and she traveled as scheduled. Evert, who is 23, says she was judged unfairly by the airlines, humiliated by the experience and was thinking of filing a lawsuit.
ROBERTS: Well she has retained an attorney so I'm sure we'll hear more about the case.
CHETRY: You know where she could always fly is on the Hooter's plane. Do you get special treatment?
ROBERTS: I don't know if they're still flying but I think she may get a few offers of private jets after this story airs.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm quite certain about that.
ROBERTS: Just coming up to the top of the hour. Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business."
Good thing you didn't buy the iPod. You would have overpaid.
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