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American Morning
Petraeus, Crocker Testify in Senate; 9/11 Memorial Services across Country; FBI Director Mueller Discusses Ongoing Terror Threat; Senator Joe Biden Comments on Petraeus-Crocker Report
Aired September 11, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Plus, a CNN exclusive, the director of the FBI on the threat against America today and why bin Laden is still at large.
Hearts and minds:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETRAEUS: The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met.
RYAN CROCKER, AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: A secure, stable, Democratic Iraq is in, my view, attainable.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
CHETRY: America's top diplomat and top military commander in Iraq get another chance to make the case for more time. Will it satisfy wavering Democrats or back Democrats into a corner?
Dangerous game inside the catastrophic injury that has a pro- football player fighting for his life on this "AMERICAN MORNING."
Welcome. It is 7:00 a.m. on the east coast, Tuesday, and September, 2007. I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm John Roberts, in Washington on this patriot's day. A big day of news down here as well, day two of the Petraeus-Crocker testimony. How will it go today? And what's been the impact of what they had to say yesterday? We have all of that coming up for you.
CHETRY: Six years after the attacks on September 11, we are getting a sense of how Americans are feeling today. A brand-new CNN opinion research poll was released just moments ago, asking Americans if they think the U.S. is safer from terrorism today than before 9/11. 38 percent of you say the U.S. is safer, 29 percent say about as safe, And about one- third feel that the country is less safe. When asked who is winning the war on terrorism, 31 percent say the U.S., 19 percent say terrorists and nearly 50 percent say no one is winning.
Osama bin Laden, though, trying to have his voice heard today. A new tape released early this morning appears to show bin Laden honoring one of the 9/11 hijackers. This is the second bin Laden tape in a week. Bin Laden speaks in it for 14 minutes and then followed by the hijackers' videotaped will.
CNN is trying to confirm the videotape is authentic. But the voice and the picture seem to be identical to the one that was released last week -- John?
ROBERTS: Today it's the Senate's turn to hear from and question the U.S. commander in Iraq, General Petraeus, and ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. Today's questions and answers may help Republicans on the bubble make up their minds. Does the progress report put them in the president's camp or push them over to the anti-war side?
Petraeus told the House yesterday the strategy is working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met. In recent months, in the face of tough enemies and the brutal summer heat of Iraq, coalition and Iraqi security forces have achieved progress in the security Arena.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins me now live here on Capital Hill.
What's with the impact of the Petraeus-Crocker testimony -- been so far?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, when you talk to anxious Republicans what they say more than anything, their constituents want to know there is a plan, that there is some kind of plan in place. This isn't just an open-ended strategy.
What General Petraeus said, at least in giving a timeline for the surge to end -- it is not until next summer -- but at least by articulating that timeline, it does change the narrative and allows Republicans to go home and say there is some kind of plan in place?
However, it is nowhere near what some Republicans and most Democrats, if not all Democrats, really have been demanding, which is a more specific, more robust timeline for troops to come home. When you look at it, when you talk about troop withdrawal, this time next year, at least next summer, we are going to be where the whole debate was when this year started. So it's certainly no where near what Democrats want.
ROBERTS: Democrats and some Republicans don't just want the so- called surge at the top to end, they want deeper cuts throughout the body of the troops. That 130,000 have been there some time.
Today's Senate hearing, how is it expected -- or the two hearings actually in the Senate, how will it be different than what we saw yesterday in the House?
BASH: Quite different. You will see a lot more skepticism and you are going the see a lot more politics. Skepticism in that, remember, these two committees, Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations, these have Republicans, heavyweight Republicans that have been very critical, especially in recent months of the president's strategy. You have Senator Richard Lugar, Senator John Warner, Senator Voinovich who are openly in revolt of the president's plan. Many of these Republicans didn't like the surge to begin with.
On the politics side, five presidential candidates, John, are going to be in these hearings -- Senators Clinton, Obama, Biden. On the other side -- Senator Dodd, I should say. On the Republican side, John McCain who has so much riding on this so-called surge to work because he was an early and most vocal advocate at the beginning.
ROBERTS: It'll be interesting to watch. Hopefully the microphones will work and there won't be any more open mike moments like there was yesterday.
Dana, thanks very much. We will see you again soon.
We will be talking, by the way, with two Senators who will be hearing first hand from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker today. Senator Joe Biden, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee joins us in just a few minutes' time. And Republican John Cornyn, a member of the Armed Services Committee, joins us next hour.
Kiran?
CHETRY: We are taking a look now at the nation honoring the victims of the attacks on America six years ago today. Shanksville, Pennsylvania, there will be a memorial service there this morning. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will speak at that service for the heroes of flight 93. Who can forget the brave people of flight 93 who overtook the hijackers, preventing the plane from crashing into possibly another D.C. building and potentially killing even more people.
We also have our "AMERICAN MORNING" team of correspondents out on this day marking six years since 9/11. And some changes planned for the ceremony to honor the victims in New York.
Our Alina Cho is live in Lower Manhattan this morning.
Hi, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kiran. Good morning. And this year, for the first time, the anniversary ceremony will not be held at Ground Zero, but rather it will be held at a park behind me, about a block away. The reason, they did not want to delay construction.
So having said that, it is a small but symbolic difference and families will certainly be taking note of that. As the sun rises here in New York City, those families are beginning to arrive at this hour. But there's some question as to how big a turnout there will be. It is an absolutely miserable day here in New York. It is windy, dark, and it is raining quite hard. A lot of question about turnout. The ceremony is slated to begin, as it does every year, at 8:40 a.m. eastern time. There will be four moments of silence, twice to mark the times that each tower was struck, twice to mark the times that each tower fell. And the names of the victims, of course, will be read as well. But this year they will be read by rescue and recovery workers, not family members. That's a first.
Among the dignitary expected today the mayor of New York, the governors of New York and New Jersey, former New York city Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
A lot of people wondering about the status of rebuilding. Some have asked why there is, what amounts to, a giant hole behind me at Ground Zero. If you take a look very closely, you can see that there are some signs of progress. There will eventually be four towers, including the centerpiece Freedom Tower. That Freedom Tower is slated to open in 2011. There's also a museum and a memorial planned as well. Those will open in 2010, 2009 respectively.
Kiran, keep in mind, this is a $16 billion project on 16 acres, one of the most complex construction projects in U.S. history. And planners say there are bound to be delays.
CHETRY: All right. Alina Cho, thanks so much.
By the way, we'll be speaking about that with Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City coming up in about 15, 20 minutes.
Meantime, the terrorists killed 184 people at the Pentagon on 9/11. Our Barbara Starr is live outside of the Pentagon today with more on how they will be remembering those people.
Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Kiran. At 9:38 this morning, there will be a moment of silence and a wreath laying behind me at the attack site where American Airlines flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon.
Six years later, there are some changes. We took some pictures last Friday we would like to show everyone of the memorial here already under construction. They actually hope to have it open within a year -- benches, water pools, trees, everything to remember the people who died in this place.
But six years later, for many of us, Kiran, the memories are still very personal. Like many of my Press Corps colleagues, including Jamie McIntyre, I was inside the building at the moment the plane hit. The moments that you remember simply don't go away.
Behind me, the Pentagon, rebuilt. But there's something very historic that you are looking at there. That roof line behind me, on that day, in this place -- that roof line held for about 20 minutes, allowing thousands of people to escape. That's something that is well remembered in this place, Kiran.
CHETRY: Yeah, understandably. Barbara Starr, thank you.
Now to a CNN exclusive. An interview with FBI Director Robert Mueller about the ongoing terror threat against America.
CNN's Kelli Arena talked with Director Mueller and joins us now live.
Also, Kelli, Osama bin Laden released another tape on six years marking since September 11th. What of that as well this morning, Kelli?
KELLI ARENA, CNN NEW CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kiran. Director Mueller says al Qaeda and related groups remain a big concern. But there are extremists living right here in the United States that could pose a threat. Mueller would not let me pin him down on exactly how many people we are talking about. He did confirm that there are a number of people right here in the U.S. who are under investigation? He compared to them to those involved in recent plots against Fort Dix, New Jersey, JFK airport in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR, We have persons who we are investigating who are in some way contributing to the provision of support to terrorism, and in many ways. And I'm not going to any further in specifying a group of individuals here, a group of individuals there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: Mueller also says the threat reporting remains as high as it was all summer. And he remains "substantially concerned," -- his words -- about a terror attack. Given what we have seen overseas, he says that it is clear Americans remain a target - Kiran?
CHETRY: All right. Kelli Arena, live in Washington, thank you.
ROBERTS: General Petraeus, top commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will be in the Senate hot seat today answering questions from a pair of Senate committees, including Foreign Relations.
Delaware Democrat Joe Biden chairs that panel. He joins us now from Wilmington.
Good morning to you, Senator. First question, Democrats were hoping to peel off Republicans queasy about this war and get them to support legislation to pull the troops out. After what they heard from Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus yesterday, have you lost that opportunity?
SEN. JOE BIDEN, (D), DELAWARE: Well, that remains to be seen. I just don't know. Know that's part of the purpose of the testimony, to try to hold down and nail down the Republicans from leaving the -- leaving the president. But I just don't know, John.
ROBERTS: Have the Democrats lost momentum on this? Are you allowing Republicans to frame the debate?
BIDEN: Well, you know, every time -- this is the opportunity the administration has -- to be center stage and make their case. As you know, John, these new cycles last a couple of days. The reality will be what's going to happen on the ground next Monday and next Tuesday and next Wednesday and next month. And I don't see anything that the surge has done to lead me to believe that the central purpose of the surge, which was to bring political reconciliation, meaning the Sunni stop killing the Shia and vice versa and stability to that region, is anywhere in the offing.
I think, you know, that old expression, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I think people will turn on their televisions a month from now and see nothing materially has changed. Our troops are still trapped in the middle of a civil war.
ROBERTS: Have you heard anything in the last 24 hours to change your perspective on any of this?
BIDEN: No, John, I haven't. I just got back from Iraq. I wanted to see for myself. It was my eighth trip. So I would be prepared for this hearing. What I saw and heard on the ground were two things. One, the Iraqis are not ready to stand up their army so we can stand down. You hear estimates of needing another four years to train.
The second thing I saw and I saw with my own eyes and in speaking with the sheikhs in Anbar Province is that , although they are more in line with one another in taking on al Qaeda in Anbar Province, there's no, emphasize no, no compromise with the Sunnis in the rest of the country. They still distrust the central government. There's no reason to believe that there has been any political progress made. And so they are the two things I saw with my own eyes.
ROBERTS: The statistics that General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are using in the hearings, do you trust the statistics?
BIDEN: I think they are irrelevant, quite frankly. You know, everybody can pick -- the old expression attributed to Benjamin Disraeli that said, there are three kinds of lies, lies, damn lies and statistics.
Here's the overall thing, if you are just a normal American looking at this. Do the Iraqi people feel safer? The answer is absolutely no. Just go there and look. Talk to them. And also, look at the polling data. Is there any real progress toward Sunnis and Shias living together? No. So where does that leave you? You can surge for another six months. What does it do except killing more American troops? What's the goal? The goal is not being met.
ROBERTS: And, Senator, we have to let you go. You have to catch a train so you can come back and share this hearing. The move-on.org full-page ad in yesterday's "New York Times" that called General Petraeus, General Betray Us -- said he was cooking the books -- do you support that? Do you want to distance yourself from that? BIDEN: Well, look. I don't support any personal attacks on anybody by anybody, any more than I support the $50 million ad campaign that is put on by the right in support of the surge. You know, the truth of the matter is that Petraeus is going to try to make the administration's case. That's his job. He is going to pick the facts that help him make that case the most.
My job is to try to get to the root of it and ask the central question, basically are we better off today than we were before the surge. The answer to that, so far from what I heard and seen on the ground, is no.
ROBERTS: Senator Joe Biden for us this morning from Wilmington, Delaware. Senator, thanks very much. We will see you here in Washington in a couple of hours.
BIDEN: OK, thank you very much.
ROBERTS: Kiran?
CHETRY: Still ahead, an NFL player may never walk again, suffering a catastrophic injury, a spinal cord injury on the game Sunday. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been looking into it for us and he has more on how we expect him to do as.
Thanks for being with us this morning, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. We are watching it closely. We're trying to figure out exactly what happened to his neck. We've talked to his surgeons, trying to figure out what they have done to that and what his long- term recovery will be.
Also, some new technology out there, Kiran, to try to prevent these sorts of injuries from happening. I'll have that all coming up for you on "AMERICAN MORNING."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to CNN. Jackie Jeras is tracking severe weather for us.
Kind of a dreary day, at least along the northeast as we are dealing with storms and rain. Hi, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kiran. Yes, it is. Even if it is not raining at your house, it is a gloomy one. A little bit on the misty side.
(WEATHER REPORT)
John?
ROBERTS: Jacqui, thanks very much.
A catastrophic diagnosis for Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett. He suffered a life threatening spinal injury in the season opening game on Sunday. You can see there, just -- his neck just gets crush. His chances of regaining full motion in his body are very small.
Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from Atlanta with more on this.
What was the level of the injury he received there, Sanya? It's very similar to injuries we have seen in the past where, you know, they go in there with their head and their cervical spine gets completely compressed.
GUPTA: Yes, exactly. It was actually -- you asked about the level -- C-3 and c-4. Let me show you on the model here, John. This is a model of the cervical spine. You can tell you have several different bones in here, the first bone, the second bone, the third bone. In between there, in fact, there's disk material as well. That disk cushions the bones. That disk was pushed back into his spinal canal, along with some of the bones in the back actually pushing out as well. That's what we heard -- that's what was seen at the time of his actually being taken into the hospital.
Remember, you saw the impact there. Within 15 minutes after that impact, doctors recognized, trainers recognized he wasn't moving. While he had some sensation, he was not able to move. They got him to the hospital quickly where they were able to perform scans, MRI scans and CAT scans to take a look at what happened to his spinal cord.
At that time strong medications are started as well to try to decrease inflammation around the spinal cord. And then a series of operations are performed. The goal, again, is to try to take the pressure off of this part of the spine. An operation is performed from the front where they take out some of that disk material. The patient is reversed and flipped over and an operation performed and some of the bone is removed and fused together. It is an arduous process.
He's 25 years old. He had a catastrophic injury to the spinal cord. While he does have some sensation, based on the data that exists on these sorts of injuries, it is unlikely he will be able to walk again, John.
ROBERTS: I mean, you can just see the way his arms and legs go immediately limp, how catastrophic injury that was. Is there any way, Sanjay, to monitor just how hard these players are getting hit?
GUPTA: Yes. It is interesting. There are different ways. And most recently, they put in these sensors into the football helmets. Take a look at the images of the football helmets. They have the sensors in there and the goal is to try to provide a third eye on the field to sort of monitor just how hard players are getting hit, and to try to make some determination as to what to do with that information. Maybe they have taken taking an extremely hard hit or a sequence of serious hits that warns -- warrants take something one off the field.
They are not exactly sure what to do with that information yet. But this is new technology. It is geared more towards brain injuries than spine injuries. But there might be some crossover.
Incidentally, they are about $1,000 and may become available for high school students and younger students as well and take that information, transmits it so someone at home, parent at home can sit on their home computer and say how many hits has my son or daughter taken during a specific activity, and be able to use that information in some way. Again, expensive. Not sure how to use it exactly. But it is out there right now.
ROBERTS: Maybe, you know, as it becomes more popular, the lost go down. Sanjay, thank you very much.
GUPTA: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Every Thursday we open Dr. Gupta's mailbag with your questions about the medical stories we cover. If you have a question for Dr. Gupta, go to cnn.com/am. Email your questions. Sanjay will be around on Thursday to answer them for you.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Rebuilding bridges topping your "Quick Hits" now. The Senate approving $1 billion of the $65 billion needed to repair and replace America's aging infrastructure, bridges. It comes more than a month after the I-35W Bridge came down in Minneapolis, killing 13 people.
A warning that we could see more tragedies like the Minnesota bridge collapse because big rigs are getting too big. Interviews with the Associated Press, bridge designers and others say that states are issuing permits for trucks that exceed safe weight limits and those heavy trucks can weaken steel and concrete of bridges.
A jump in oil prices. The biggest we have seen in seven months. How will OPEC respond? Our Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business." He brings you the latest, coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to "AMERICAN MORNING." 25 minutes past the hour.
Ali Velshi is here "Minding Your Business."
We normally see a dip in gas prices. What's going on that we are seeing?
ALI VELSHI, CNN NEWS SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The great thing is, over the past couple of months, gas prices have been going down. It has been a bit of light at the end of the tunnel because of all the mortgage stuff going on. Now all of a sudden, you're seeing gas prices, post Labor Day, are inching up to their highest point in July. We have been talking about that the last couple of days.
Here's the underlying problem. Look at crude oil. This is the second highest level that crude oil has ever closed at, $77.49 a barrel. Look at what has been going on in the last couple of months for the price of crude. Demand continues to increase. OPEC is meeting today and discussing should they put more oil on the market.
You have to remember, we use, in the world, more than 86 million barrels of oil a day, Rence between what we use and made is very little, the spread of around a million barrels. OPEC is discussing perhaps increasing the supply of oil on the market.
There are a couple of OPEC countries that are not interested in this -- Venezuela and Iran. Two reasons. One, they are not interested in helping the U.S. ease up. They are saying the subprime mortgage crisis, as it gets into people's pockets, is going to cause people to pull back on their demand, including their use of energy and fuel.
For the moment we are looking at oil prices going up. Of course, when oil prices go up, we see gasoline prices continue.
CHETRY: All right, Ali, thank you.
Also coming up right now, a story you can't miss. Two tiny miracles amid a nightmare of September 11th. We will meet a set of twins born on September 11, 2001 and talk with their parents. How do they explain what happened the day they were born? There they are, almost all grown up, 6 years old now -- John?
ROBERTS: Almost grown up. They've got a long way to go.
We are also going to talk with New York City's Mayor Bloomberg about the rebuilding effort downtown and how safe New York City is from another terror attack. Those stories ahead, on "AMERICAN MORNING." Stay with us. We'll be right back.
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ROBERTS: The picture this morning from the Pentagon, the American flag hanging on the side of the building there, on the sixth anniversary of September 11. At 9:37 in the morning that that American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the building. And then to ground zero in New York City. The first attack at 8:46, just about an hour and 16 minutes from now, six years ago.
You can see the rebuilding effort underway in earnest there. The foundation of the Freedom Tower laid, that tower will soon begin to rise, a big massive transit terminal going in there as well. Finally after so long, of just kind of sitting there as an open pit in the ground, things are starting to happen.
Tuesday, September 11th from Washington, D.C. Good morning. I'm John Roberts.
CHETRY: I'm Kiran Chetry.
In fact, in just couple of minutes we will be speaking with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about that, about the progress; and, of course, about some of the controversy. It seems each year marking 9/11 doesn't come without a little bit of controversy. And this morning there is some as well. We will be speaking with him in just a couple of minutes -- John.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to all of that.
Today the Senate gets to the question in the -- at least gets to question the U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. General Petraeus says he will recommend sending home 2,000 troops this month. Possibly another 5,000 in mid December. Then reduce the total number of troops in Iraq to 130,000 from the current 160,000 level by the middle of next July.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR., MUTLINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: I believe we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level of brigade combat teams by next summer without jeopardizing the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: General Petraeus says he will not make any predictions about more troops coming home. That would be beyond the so-called surge after next summer. He says he does no want to project too far into the future. Former presidential candidate John Kerry told our Larry King last night that the military itself is not enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I think the most important thing, Larry, was the fact that you had a general testifying as to tactical military gains. But a diplomat, and person in charge of the politics, who really could not report on any progress in the one area that's going to resolve this crises. Everyone has agreed there is no military solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Kerry is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before which Petraeus will testify this morning.
Democrats on the panel stayed away from criticizing General Petraeus at the hearing yesterday, but Republicans were still angry about attacks on Petraeus leading up to that testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. IKE SKELTON (D) CHRMN., ARMED SVCS. CMTE.: General Petraeus, who sits here before us, is almost certainly the right man for the job in Iraq. But he is the right person, three years too late, and 250,000 troops short.
REP. DUCAN HUNTER (R), RANKING MEMBER, ARMED SVCS. CMTE: It is an outrage we spent the last week prepping the ground, bashing the credibility of a general officer whose trademark is integrity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A particularly nasty print ad against General Petraeus by Moveon.org that appeared in "The New York Times." It may have fueled the Republicans anger and also subdued the Democrats from harsh attacks.
We heard from Democratic Senator Joe Biden in our last half hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. Coming up, we will talk to Republican Senator Jon Cornyn; he's a member of the Armed Services Committee. He will be joining us in our next half-hour -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, six years after 9/11, there have been no terror attacks here in the United States. But does it mean we are safe? Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, I asked Homeland Security Adviser Fran Townsend if sleeper cells are here in the U.S. and what kind of danger they pose?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRAN TOWNSEND, ADVISOR, HOMELAND SECURITY: Identifying, investigating, and disrupting terror plots is the single highest priority of the FBI, along with the help of other domestic agencies, like DHS, and our intelligence agencies. We enjoyed a lot of successes. Just here in New York we saw the destruction of the JFK plot and then before that the Fort Dix plot. And so we know that there are operatives who seek to do us harm, and we act against them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Townsend also said catching Osama bin Laden is still a high priority for the U.S. She says she thinks he will eventually be caught.
Still ahead, any minute we will be speaking with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He's down -- of course, he's going to be there at the memorial services today, down in Lower Manhattan, at ground zero. Actually at a park nearby. We are going to be talking with him in just a few moments.
Right now, with a new take on the nature versus nurture debate that has some very interested this morning, it is a study that suggests that your political leanings may be chemically predetermined in your brain. Chief Medical Correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta joins us from Atlanta to explain.
I'm interested to see what you think of this study.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wasn't it Aristotle who said we are by nature political animals, Kiran? This may be more evidence he may have been right on that.
Looking specifically at the brain and how it might affect our political leanings. There's always been some evidence that perhaps we are hard wired, if you will, in a way towards our political leanings. So some scientists decided to study this. Let me just say right off the top, this was a small study. Not everyone's buying into it. They did sort of stumble onto something rather interesting here.
They focused on a very specific area of the brain known as the anterior singular cortex. The name is not that important. Let me show you here, if we have some animation, exactly what we're talking about. This is the part of the brain that's responsible for changing patterns, and complex behavior, as well as conflict.
The question was when faced with certain decisions, how exactly do you deal with these sorts of decisions? What they found was that people who were -- tended to be more liberal minded tended to focus on this particular area of the brain right here. That area, which again, is responsible for conflict and complex task behaviors tended to light up much more so than people who were classified as conservatives.
Meaning, some would say, that perhaps the liberal minds tended to be a bit more nimble, or wishy-washy, depending on how you look at it. While the conservative minded tended to be a little bit more rigid, or steadfast and loyal. Again, depending on how you interpret it.
But there definitely, Kiran, this was fascinating -- a difference in the brain in terms of how it lit up, in that particular area, depending on whether they were liberal or conservative.
CHETRY: It is fascinating. It is also interesting to find out when they sort of took a look at these brains. Because don't people, as they age, change as well? There are some people when they were younger were much more liberal. When they get older, sort of become a little bit more rigid, as you may put it. Also, just taking into account the adolescent brain, which seems like it is all over the place as we have seen in other studies.
GUPTA: Yes. Absolutely. We are talking about the age related differences first. There are certainly different areas of the brain that are responsible for sort of overlapping behaviors. For example, we have done stories before on the show about the adolescent brain and how judgment is different in an adolescent brain versus someone who gets older. A lot of the judgment comes from an area of the brain that's closer to the front, called the frontal lobes. Those certainly do develop as you get older.
But this particular area is a much more nuanced area of the brain that's responsible for that complex pattern recognition. So people willing to change patterns. There's all sorts of examples, if you drive home the same way every day and suddenly have you a roadblock. How do you deal with that? How do you sort of manage that conflict? The person whose anterior singular cortex, again, that particular area of the brain, that doesn't light up. They get very frustrated by that.
If someone has a lot of lighting up in that particular area of the brain can quickly find a different route, and sort of get around the roadblock. It changes as we get older. There's no question. There does appear to be some effect of hard wiring here, Kiran.
CHETRY: That's really interesting. So, what does it all mean? Can we predict the way people may vote or think in the future? GUPTA: I don't think that we will be doing any MRI scans of all potential voters out there. You know, I think that there may be some impact in terms of how people's particular leanings are, maybe not necessarily political. But how they deal with complicated situations, someone that has been through a traumatic situation, how will they deal with that in the future. There may be some sort of impact here.
This particular study was actually focused on by political scientists along with neuroscientists, so obviously, it was more of a politically based study. There may be all sorts of applications down the road.
CHETRY: Interesting. Before I let you go, do you buy it?
GUPTA: I'm not sure yet. I think -- this is a small study of about 50 people only. The brain is so complicated, which is what makes it so interesting. We are starting to pinpoint these specific behaviors and relate them to specific areas of the brain. This is the first time we are starting to do some of that. We have a long ways to go still.
CHETRY: All right, interesting. If people want to check out more it was in the journal, "Nature Neuroscience".
Sanjay, thanks. We'll see you in a couple of minutes.
GUPTA: Thank you. All right.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: Had a little bit of a change-up in the lineup that we want to pass along to our viewers this morning, Kiran. We were expecting to have Senator John Cornyn in our next half-hour. Turns out he will be coming up next.
Also, it has been six years. For some it seems like a lifetime. For others, it is a lifetime. Twin girls born six years ago today. We will meet them and hear how their parents mark this special day. That's coming up next, as well as Senator Cornyn, on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: Coming up now to 17 minutes before the top of the hour.
General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will be before the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate at 9:30 this morning. It's the first of two hearings on day two of their Capitol Hill testimony; 2:30 this afternoon they will be before the Armed Services Committee.
We want to welcome now a member of the Armed Services Committee, Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), ARMED SVCS. CMTE.: Thanks, John. ROBERTS: From the testimony yesterday, what has the impact been on Capitol Hill? Is it beginning to calm the voices of dissent in the Republican Party?
CORNYN: I don't think it is calming many voices of dissent. I think a lot of people already had their minds made up. In fact, General Petraeus' testimony is very similar to what the National Intelligence Estimate revealed in August, as well as the Jones Commission and independent commission of former generals with 500 years of military leadership. All of these are pretty consistent with what General Petraeus is saying.
ROBERTS: As you know, there were a number of Republicans that were through the months of June and July getting a little sketchy on the Iraq war. Saying let's wait until September, wait until Petraeus makes his announcement and gives his report before we decide whether or not we are going to jump over to the Democratic side. Do you think he has stayed those defections?
CORNYN: I think because he's reported some substantial progress with the surge, it's -- it is -- I think it reassured people the new strategy under the new leader is actually working.
Unfortunately, what we saw is some -- what I would say is an equivalent of a drive-by character assassination of General Petraeus before he even testified. The shameful ad that Moveon.org bought in "The New York Times." essentially saying General Petraeus, calling him "General Betray-Us".
ROBERTS: Betray Us, yeah, cooking the books for President Bush.
CORNYN: It is just shameful for a person who is confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate, who is a leader of 170,000 of our men and women in Iraq to impinge his integrity without any apparent justification.
ROBERTS: Not too long ago, Senator Cornyn, you were somewhat critical of Senator John Warner, Republican of Virginia's suggestion that perhaps a brigade-size contingent forces should come home sometime around mid December. You didn't think it was a good idea at the time. Now that General Petraeus has suggested exactly the same thing, is it a good idea?
CORNYN: I think all of us want to bring our troops home as soon as possible. What divides us is between those who want to bring them home based on conditions, on the ground, and those who want to bring them home based on an arbitrary timetable. I wasn't being critical of Senator Warner for anything other than saying that it really ought to be based on conditions. Not based on a deadline, which we tell our enemy we are going to quit.
ROBERTS: I see. Now that General Petraeus is saying conditions on the ground would appear to make it possible to do that, you are willing to buy into it?
CORNYN: That's the difference. ROBERTS: General Petraeus is still only talking about so-called surge ending. He's not going so far as to say we can bring down more forces beyond 130,000. We don't want to make that decision until March. As you go around the state seeking re-election in 2008, what do you tell your constituents? I'm sure a lot of them want to see the troops come home.
CORNYN: I tell them it's important to our security here at home that we leave Iraq, able to govern and defend itself. And, unfortunately, that's not going to happen as quickly as we would like. So I think an orderly process that will leave Iraq stable to govern itself will keep Iran from asserting itself in the region in a way that will cause a regional conflict and further turmoil is in the best interests of the United States.
ROBERTS: We look forward to today's hearings. They will be high powered and a lot of very -- very heavy hitter type of personalities will be in there. You among them as well. Thank you very much, Senator John Cornyn of Texas.
CORNYN: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Good to see you in person, as opposed to over the electronic media.
CORNYN: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: All right, 45 minutes past the hour. Jacqui Jeras is here with us.
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Meanwhile, we are going to take a quick break. When we come back, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joins us next. He is down at ground zero in Lower Manhattan where the memorial services will be taking place, about an hour or so from now. There's a live look. AMERICAN MORNING will be right back.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
Thousands of New Yorkers, and others, who lost loved ones in the September 11th attacks are gathering near the World Trade Center site, this morning. A ceremony will begin with a moment of silence at 8:46 Eastern today. That is when the first plane struck the North Tower.
Volunteers, those who spent time down there with the rescue effort, will also begin reading the names of the 2,750 victims who died in New York. Joining us from the World Trade Center site the city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg this morning.
Mayor, good to have you with us.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK CITY: Thank you for having me. Good morning.
CHETRY: Give us a sense six years later of what 9/11 means to the city and how today will be remembered down in Lower Manhattan.
BLOOMBERG: I think today's the day for remembering those that we lost. It is also a day for trying to remember what the lessons are and make sure that they are fresh in our minds and that we can teach them to our children and grandchildren.
You know, some people found the freedoms that we hold so dear that our young men and women have been fighting around the world to protect and win for us, and the last 235 years. There are people that found those freedoms so threatening that they killed 2,800 people right behind me and 3,000 people in this country that day.
We also have to think about where we have come and going forward, making sure that we build a better life for those left behind. Remember, all of those who died left spouses or parents or siblings or children. I think we owe it to them and we owe it to the rest of us to go on, and to build for the future, and make sure that we have that balance between remembering, paying respect, but having an optimism and an understanding that that there is a future for this country. It is the most wonderful country in the world. We have given our citizens freedoms that a lot of people don't have around the rest of the world, and we want to protect those.
CHETRY: You know, in fact, you said yesterday at a press conference, you are going to have to change to keep it relevant. There were families of the victims upset because the memorial was not taking place actually at the site, but rather at a nearby park. Do you think there has been too much looking back?
BLOOMBERG: Well, I think you have to constantly change. There are people that get comfortable, and the future, and change is scary and every part of our lives. What we have to do is make sure we have the courage to say let's try something new. Let's try something different. And I think only by doing that can we keep the memories alive and keep telling the story.
And some of the changes that we do just -- you have no choice. The place where we used to hold this ceremony is now a construction site. This is probably the last year people will be able to walk down the ramp into the pit. Next year that ramp won't exist. Change is forced on us, but also change is something that we should seek. The trick is to do it slowly, revolutionary is not right. Evolutionary is, so that people can get comfortable. And to not forget that we have a future.
CHETRY: Mayor, I was just down there, at the site yesterday, and you can see signs of progress, especially in that area. Condos popping up, buildings popping up, people moving down there again.
You know, one resident said "I don't see why six years later the Freedom Tower isn't up, or even halfway up." Is, in your opinion, the rebuilding process moving along to your satisfaction? When will we see it completed? BLOOMBERG: I think everybody wants it to go quickly. Everybody wanted it to go quicker, at the same time they want it to be done, quote, "right". They want it to be done safely. Keep in mind this is probably the world's most complex construction project. You have the federal government, state government, city government, the private sector. We are building retail and residential, and industrial and commercial. All together on a site where there's an active subway, and in the middle of one of the most busy parts of New York City.
It is a phenomenally complex thing. And the construction part is the part that you can see, but it comes after the planning, after all of the working out the laws, after all of the protections you have to take. And I think it is unfair really to criticize those in the past. Could we have done it quicker? Sure. You can always -- if you knew what the future was going to hold for you -- do it quicker.
Remember, we are building to a safety standard that's never been done anyplace else in the world. We have taken precautions that nobody else has -- no other construction site ever had to take. So on balance in retrospect, we will look back and say it could have been a few months or a year quicker. It wouldn't have been very much quicker.
I think the most important thing is that 20 and 30 years from now, they look back and say they did it right. They built the right things, in the right place, with the right materials, and the right designs. And that is infinitely more important than whether or not it could have been done a little bit quicker or a little bit earlier.
Remember, the very people who are complaining about it not getting done was -- or complaining about security, health risks, are complaining about every little thing. They were on the other side of that and as you go back look three, four years ago. You can't have it both ways.
CHETRY: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City down at the ground zero site today for the remembrances. Thanks for talking with us.
BLOOMBERG: You're welcoming.
ROBERTS: Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates? Investors are keeping a close eye. What it means to you. Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business" ahead, on AMERICAN MORNING.
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CHETRY: About a minute till the top of the hour. Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business", and the Fed telling people don't get in a tizzy about the markets.
ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: And we're a week away from the next Fed meeting. Now, these Fed meetings have been pretty routine. Every six weeks or so we sit around and wait for the Fed to do something about rates. And for more than a year they've done nothing about interest rates. Now a series of Fed speeches, including one this morning from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke who is going to be in Germany, are telling markets, look, we didn't get you into this mess. It's not the Fed's job to bail investors out and maybe it's OK that this whole mortgage mess just sorts itself out without the Fed getting involved.
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