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Accident and Pileup in Santa Clarita, California; Ricardo Sanchez Calls Iraq War Nightmare; Florida Protests Over Guard Acquittals; Pennsylvania Charged With Providing Firearms for Her Son
Aired October 13, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICARDO SANCHEZ, LIEUTENANT GENERAL (RET.), FRMR. CMDR. OF COALITION FORCES: There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: (INAUDIBLE) General Sanchez slamming the war plan and this country's leadership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: SUV crash test results, which vehicle is the safest and what model performed worse than a car? How did your SUV rate?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: The "Ice-Man" Paul Wall, bling and the hip-hop culture. A new documentary takes three rappers into the diamond mines of Sierra Leone. We're going to talk to Paul Wall about his eye-opening journey.
HOLMES: Well, we certainly look forward to seeing that, Betty and Paul Wall, you will want to stick around for that. That's what we're seeing this morning.
NGUYEN: Another Texan there.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM, it is Saturday, October 13th. Good morning, everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And, I'm T.J. Holmes. Yes, it's 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, Georgia, 5:00 in the afternoon in Iraq, want to get you caught up from news around the world.
NGUYEN: First though, for those of you on the west coast, just waking up, check this out. Expect major traffic delays today. In fact, we've heard some people have been stuck for about seven hours. Interstate 5 is closed. Five big rigs are on fire, as you see right there, inside a tunnel in Santa Clarita, California. It started when two trucks collided in the rain last night and that turned into a 15- truck pileup.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON HURD, INSPECTOR, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Right now, we've had ten victims that have been transported to local hospitals, all reported with either minor to moderate injuries. Right now we have crews on the scene, and right now we have Cal-Trans engineers there looking at the bridge and the tunnel underneath and determining its integrity, whether crews can continue to work and go inside and exactly find out what we have going on, how many vehicles, number of vehicles, types of vehicles and determine exactly if we have any more victims inside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, at least one person involved in that accident has not been accounted for. We will continue to follow this story. In fact, if you are stuck in that traffic and have been for what, some, seven hours now, if you have a cell phone, try calling in to CNN. We would love to take a call from you, hear what the situation is like at this hour.
HOLMES: Well, blistering criticism of the Iraq war from a former commander of U.S. and coalition forces. Retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez says war plans were botched from the beginning and the most recent strategy is not working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: After more than four years of fighting, America continues its desperate struggle in Iraq without any concerted effort to devise a strategy that will achieve victory in that war-torn country or in the greater conflict against extremism. From a catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan to the administration's latest surge strategy, this administration has failed to employ and synchronize its political, economic and military power.
The latest revised strategy is a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and economic realities of this war, and they have definitely not been able to communicate effectively that reality to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Sanchez calls the war a nightmare with no end in sight. Sanchez retired from the military last year. He says his career was a casualty of the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal. It happened on his watch.
Meanwhile, National Security Council spokesman Kate Starr issued a short response last night to Sanchez's comments. Here it is. "We appreciate his service to the country, as General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker said, there's more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq and that's what we're focused on now."
NGUYEN: Well, a fitting tribute from General Peter Pace. CNN has just obtained these pictures, they show cards left by Pace for soldiers he commanded in Vietnam. He left them at the Vietnam memorial on October 1st, his last day as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Included on the cards were Pace's General's Stars. Pace says he promised them he'd serve in their honor.
HOLMES: High emotions happening in Florida today. Protests erupted in Tallahassee after the acquittal of seven guards and a nurse in the death last year of a 14-year-old African-American boy. Martin Lee Anderson died on his first day at a juvenile boot camp for young offenders. Surveillance video showed him being roughed up a bit by guards. An all-white jury took 90 minutes to return a not-guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial. The U.S. Justice Department is now reviewing the case for possible civil rights violations.
NGUYEN: A Pennsylvania mother is out on bail this morning. Michele Cossey was arraigned on charges related to firearms. Police say she bought for her 14-year-old son. The teen told police he was planning a Columbine-type attack on the local high school. He's being held pending a psychiatric evaluation. Now, prosecutors say his mother probably did not know his intentions and was just indulging his interest. Around 30 weapons, you see them here, were found in the home. Most were air rifles.
HOLMES: One of O.J. Simpson's co-defendants has cut a deal. Charles Cashmore's attorney says his client will testify that guns were, in fact, involved in that alleged armed robbery that happened last month. The lawyer says Cashmore will testify that Simpson, however, did not have a gun. Cashmore is expected to plead guilty to a reduced charge. He's due in court on Monday. Simpson and five others are accused of stealing sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel room.
NGUYEN: There are new developments this morning in the investigation into the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Officials tell CNN that eight search warrants have been issued. Police are searching the homes and offices of two California doctors. Authorities want to know if Smith was illegally prescribed medications. Smith died of a drug overdose in February. So, why the investigation now?
Well, here's what California's Attorney General had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY BROWN, ATTORNEY GENERAL, CALIFORNIA: The investigation started when I reviewed the fact that all these different dangerous drugs and controlled substances were a part of the death of Anna Nicole Smith and I learned that these were California doctors, and California prescriptions. So based on that, I had the Department of Justice commence an investigation, and it's been going full bore since that time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: So far, no arrests have been made, but one of the doctors has been investigated by the California Medical Board.
HOLMES: California's gay marriage ban stands. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have allowed homosexual couples to marry. This is the second gay marriage bill he's vetoed. Schwarzenegger says he supports state laws on domestic partnerships but says he wants the California State Supreme Court to have the final say on the gay marriage issue.
NGUYEN: Idaho Senator Larry Craig is back in the spotlight. He is being inducted tonight into his state's hall of fame. Craig was chosen for the honor months before his now infamous encounter in a Minneapolis airport men's restroom. Among the other inductees at tonight's ceremony, the current governor, the lieutenant governor and Boise State University head coach of the football team.
HOLMES: Now to the lingering drought that's threatening much of the South. Many areas are literally just about to run out of water. But don't expect any help from the northern neighbors.
CNN's Carol Costello has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beautiful, sparkling water. It's a resource that's becoming so scarce it's sparked a new kind of war. The latest bomb thrown by New Mexico Governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson who told a Las Vegas newspaper, "I want a national water policy. We need a dialogue between the states to deal with issues like water re-use technology, water delivery and water production. States like Wisconsin are awash in water."
JENNIFER GRANHOLM(D), GOVERNOR, MICHIGAN: The minute somebody starts talking about your national water policy, watch your lakes. That's all I can say.
COSTELLO: Them's fightin' words. Michigan's governor says what Governor Richardson really means is "my state needs water, give me some."
GRANHOLM: Hell, no. That's my response. This is exactly why we need someone in the White House who understands Michigan's concerns.
COSTELLO: Her mission is to keep the water in the Great Lakes in them. She fears water-needy states like Governor Richardson's New Mexico will raid Lakes Michigan, Superior, Erie, Heron and Ontario, siphoning off huge amounts of the Midwest water for themselves. This fear of western American cities coveting someone else's water has long been an issue. Remember the movie "Chinatown"?
"CHINATOWN" MOVIE CLIP: We need to bring the water to L.A. Or you bring L.A. to the water.
COSTELLO: It was about Los Angeles' secret attempt to siphon off water from unsuspecting farmers. Some say that's a scenario not so farfetched when you consider persistent water shortages out west and severe droughts in states like Georgia. Lake Lanier, which supplies water to metro Atlanta's 5 million citizens, will run dry in three months. But if it wants help from Michigan, forget it. If Atlanta or New Mexico wants to dip into the lakes ...
HUGH MCDIARMID JR., MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL: We invite Governor Richardson and his constituents to come to the Great Lakes and, you know, share the water but to do it within the basin where it is not being lost forever.
COSTELLO: In other words, move on over to Michigan where drinking water is plentiful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, you did hear there the Michigan Governor has some pretty harsh words for Governor Richardson and also made a comment about needing someone in the White House who understands these needs. We need to let you know that the Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm, you just heard made those comments, she is expected to announce who she's supporting for president soon, and it's expected to be Senator Hillary Clinton.
Clinton is the only leading Democratic contender who didn't pull out of January's Michigan Presidential Primary. Everybody else pulled out, that's Bill Richardson among those, so we do need to let you know that. Don't know how much politics is playing into the water thing, but it plays into everything these days.
NGUYEN: A little bit.
Not playing into the weather, but the weather has its own problems, Reynolds Wolf joins us now with a look at where people are really waiting and some even praying for a little rain.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, right here. Outside our front door here ...
NGUYEN: We are among them.
WOLF: No question about it, one of the worst spots in the country here in Georgia where we have an exceptional drought taking place, especially in the northern half of the state and in the far western half. Any spot on this map of Georgia where you happen to see the yellows, the orange, the reds, even the maroon colors would indicate very, very dry conditions, and that is the way it's been for us. That's the story.
There's a reason why it's been that way. The reason is because this big sprawling ridge of high pressure that we have set up over parts of the Atlantic, just to our Southeast. Also another ridge that's been setting up for most of the Gulf of Mexico has kept many of the tropical systems we have been dealing with this year well to the south of the Yucatan Peninsula. Also, we've had other storms stay well to our north which has kept us very dry. We are not expecting any change in this pattern easily over the next couple of months so it looks like a very dry winter, possibly dry spring also.
That's the latest. We'll send it back to you.
NGUYEN: OK, Reynolds. We appreciate it.
HOLMES: Well, of course, it is your world and we are bringing you the story behind the stats. Tune in for CNN's worldwide investigation, "Planet in Peril. That's with our Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Jeff Corwin. It airs Tuesday, October 23rd at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and then Wednesday, October 24th. You can get a preview of Planet in Peril online, go to CNN.com/planetinperil.
NGUYEN: Just in time for early holiday shopping, another major toy recall to tell you about, tens of thousands of them, in fact, made in China with too much lead. They include these Disney Winnie the Pooh play sets sold at J.C. Penney. Other items on the "don't play with" list, bendable dinosaurs, baby dolls, collectible Nascar helmets and travel art sets sold in stores nationwide.
HOLMES: Some more bad news for parents, sorry. Some children's cold and flu medicines voluntarily pulled off shelves. Those details ahead right here in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fold it like a sandwich and the driver still has to fit in there. There's nothing to -- no side air bag here to protect that chest and abdomen area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: In a side crash, just how safe is your SUV compared to your neighbor's? We're going to find out in just a few minutes.
HOLMES: But first, the multi-million dollar aircraft that even the Vice President, Dick Cheney, didn't want in combat. The B-22 Osprey, it's headed to the war-zone right now. We're going to take an in-depth look, that's coming up right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Happening right now. If you are planning on traveling on Interstate 5 anywhere near Santa Clarita out there in California, this is going to be causing you lots of problems today. A 15-truck pileup, some of those trucks still on fire. Let's get the latest from the ground. Jason Hurd joins us now, he's with the L.A. County Fire Department. Jason, first of all, if you could tell us what exactly happened here?
HURD: Sometime shortly before 11:00 last night, we did have some type of chain reaction traffic accident in the rain, in the tunnel you see behind me. Resulting in multi-semi trucks that resulted in fire, and right now we're not exactly sure how many types of semi trucks are exactly what they were carrying or any passenger vehicles involved, and it might be some quite some time until we get some of the vehicles out there.
NGUYEN: Not only was it on fire but we saw a lot of this video, we just saw flames shooting everywhere and I was reading in some of the reports that there were even explosions that took place?
HURD: Absolutely. And, there are actually still some explosions that are taking place behind me now. Fire crews encountered flames exiting both sides of the tunnel on arrival. There were some individuals that exited the tunnel on their own. Those were transported to local hospitals, about ten victims, eight that were minor, two that are moderate, and right now we do have one individual that's unaccounted for, and as crews go through the wreckage, as they go in and determine or try to determine exactly what type of vehicles and how many vehicles are in there, we'll have a better idea of exactly what we're dealing with.
NGUYEN: So, one person is missing, what, ten injured. What do you know about the injuries?
HURD: All reported as either mild or moderate injuries. Mostly cuts and scrapes, some neck and back pain. A couple with some moderate injuries, some first and second degree burns.
NGUYEN: This is an important Interstate, Interstate 5 that runs through Santa Clarita, but also is a thoroughfare for Los Angeles. What is this going to do as far as traffic on the weekend there?
HURD: You know, traffic is already backed up. It's real early, about 6:00 a.m. here. And traffic is snarled, and it's on a Saturday. You can only imagine what it will do if this interchange happens to be closed during a weekday. Both directions of the 5 freeway are closed and the transition from the 14 freeway to the northbound 5 is also closed.
NGUYEN: Goodness. We understand some people have been waiting in backed-up traffic for some seven hours and you mentioned what a mess this could be if it continues through until Monday. How long do you think it's going to be before you can get the trucks cleared and this back open? Will the tunnel even be available to be opened up, considering some of the damage it may have sustained?
HURD: We do have engineers from Cal-Trans that are actively looking at the tunnel as we speak. And they will make that determination as far as what type of condition that the tunnel is, whether we're going to be allowed to go in there and get those vehicles out of there and exactly what are our means of -- our plan of attack is on the situation. There is some significant damage again to the tunnel in which the I-5 does travel over. If that's significantly affected that could keep this thoroughfare closed for quite some time.
NGUYEN: Well you've got a lot on your hands, I know you are very busy. Thanks for spending a little bit of time with us to inform us on the latest there. Jason Hurd with the L.A. County Fire Department, thank you.
HURD: You're welcome.
HOLMES: Well, look up in the sky. It's a plane, it's a helicopter, it is a little bit of both and it is actually quite an expensive piece of equipment. It's five o'clock in Iraq and the B-22 Osprey is on duty. Many thought this multi-million dollar plane wouldn't get on the ground, much less be in combat.
Want to get much more in depth on this and we want to welcome in Gayle Putrich from the "Defense News." Gayle, thank you for being with us. Wow, this thing has a long story and in some cases, sad and complicated history but it is actually in Iraq. Is it actually in a war zone, in a combat zone a lot earlier than it was supposed to be on is this thing ready to go?
GAYLE PUTRICH, DEFENSE NEWS: Well, it depends which time you are looking at, T.J. There have been a lot of different timelines over the 20 years of this program.
HOLMES: Is it as ready as it's ever going to get, I guess? There are always going to be problems and glitches and issues with new aircraft but is it as good as it's going to get? Are they at a point where they have to give it a shot?
PUTRICH: Definitely. You are exactly right when you say there are always problems with new aircraft, so eventually, you just have to take it to theater and let it do its job.
HOLMES: Is this going to be it? There have been so many problems, of course, several crashes over its history. 25 years, $20 billion dollars, 30 lives lost in the development. But if it fails, if there happens to be a crash in Iraq, is that going to be enough for them to ground these planes? Or do you think or have you seen that the military is so dedicated and committed to this particular aircraft that it just can't be stopped? They're going to use it no matter what?
PUTRICH: The Marine Corps is definitely dedicated to having a lot of vehicles like this. The Marine Corps is looking at going to an all-stoval, which is Short-vertical Take Off And Landing, air force. Part of the attraction of having vehicles that can do that is that you don't have to worry about having improved runways, you can get in and out of a difficult situation very quickly and that's something the Marine Corps is definitely extremely committed to.
As far as this aircraft goes, like you said, we've put a lot of time and taxpayer money into this program. And it definitely, I think, reached a point and I'm sure that a lot of people have covered this. It definitely reached a point where there was just no turning back. You have to field something once you've poured that much money into it.
HOLMES: I guess how much risk is too much risk? Has the military ever said, or what do you think? Is there ever a point where, you know what? It's not worth it to continue with this aircraft. Or we're beyond that point, we're going with it no matter what it sounds like I'm hearing you say.
PUTRICH: There were discussions of that back in the mid '90s; in 1994 there were some discussions of whether or not this is still a good idea and the decision was made to push ahead. The program has really come a long way since 1994 and even since 2000. The Marine Corps is not in the business of endangering their marines any more than they want to and actually the goal of this aircraft is to make them safer. It can get them in and out of a difficult situation much faster than traditional helicopters.
HOLMES: Let's wrap up here, I'm going to have to wrap up with you on the two major safety issues it does have, one, the auto rotation, as it's described, it can't coast to a landing like a helicopter could. It would be a hard landing but it couldn't coast to a landing, like a helicopter, if the engines went out. Also, it doesn't have a forward-mounted gun on the front there to suppress enemy fire. Have those two issues, I guess, been, I don't want to say swept under the rug if you will, but kind of let go, that those aren't requirements for the aircraft?
PUTRICH: Well, let's start, first of all, with the auto rotation. It's not just a helicopter and not just a plane. The wings that it does have generate lift at about 40 knots, so you're never going to crash into the ground as hard as you would in a helicopter because you are still generating lift at certain speeds.
As far as the forward-mounted gun goes, there actually is a requirement for a forward-mounted gun that the air force and the Marine Corps are working with industry on right now. It's not going into combat completely unarmed, but it's also not traditional in the last 50 years of military aviation to forward-arm a troop transport. They are not going into situations where there are going to be bad guys after them by themselves. They have a rear mounted gun which is where about 90% of most attacks come from. They are actually working a solution on the forward-mounted gun and expect to have one fielded in the next couple years.
HOLMES: We will keep an eye on this thing. Certainly wish them good luck. It's been a long road. Gayle Putrich with the "Defense News," we appreciate you joining us this morning to talk about this B- 22.
PUTRICH: Thanks for having me, T.J.
NGUYEN: Are U.S. Military recruiters targeting low income men and women?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: CNN contacted recruiting commands for the Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Air Force. All say their methods are not predatory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Brian Todd has the story of one soldier's death and his father's promise to keep other young men from joining the military. CNN Saturday morning back after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Cold medicines for infants will be in short supply soon. Major drug makers plan to stop selling them after they announced a voluntary recall. The recall is because of overdose dangers, especially in children under the age of 2. Now the recall comes less than two weeks after the Federal Government warned about the potential health risks in babies. Among the medications affected, the infant version of Tylenol Plus Cold and Pediacare's Infant Drops. The recall does not affect cold medicines for kids over the age of 2.
HOLMES: That SUV you drive, is it as safe as you think it is? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety out with its side-crash test results. CNN's Greg Hunter has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER: The side-crash test simulates the impact of another SUV or pickup at 31 miles an hour. This Nissan Xterra on the left, without airbags. On the right, with them, the dummy faired much better.
ADRIAN LUND, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: Having a side-airbag to protect your head from whatever is coming in or to protect your chest and abdomen, could mean the difference between surviving and dying in a crash.
HUNTER: Nissan told us, "While airbag systems have been shown to help mitigate risk of injury, Nissan believes that seat belts and vehicle structure help provide the primary protection in crashes." But even with side-airbags, the Institute says two SUV models rated worse than many cars in the side-test. This Jeep Grand Cherokee was rated marginal because its airbag only protected the head.
ADRIAN LUND, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: You can see how the driver's seat is smushed together.
HUNTER (on camera): Folded like a sandwich.
LUND: Folded like a sandwich. And, you know, the driver still has to fit in there. There's nothing to -- no side airbag here to protect that chest and abdomen area.
HUNTER (voice-over): Chrysler, jeep's manufacturer, told CNN: "The 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee has performed well in a variety of internal and external test conditions and meets or exceeds all federal motor safety standards."
The Chevrolet Trailblazer rated marginal due to a similar problem.
LUND: Too much intrusion and the side of the vehicle has been pushed in and then the driver's chest and abdomen weren't adequately padded.
HUNTER: In contrast, a smaller sedan, the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta, seen here on the right, protects the driver better than the Trailblazer, on the left. That's because it has side airbags for both head and torso, not just the head. In a statement, the manufacturer, General Motors, said: "The Chevrolet Trailblazer meets or exceeds all federal motor vehicle safety standards."
But there is some encouraging news. The Institute says all six models performed well in the 40 mile an hour frontal crash tests.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: So keep it under 40 miles an hour.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: And just don't crash into anything, better yet.
HOLMES: If you can.
Well, folks, we've some quick headlines now to get you more news in a little less time, but all the details you need.
First here, a fiery big rig crash that's on a highway tunnel has shut down Interstate-5 in Los Angeles County. Ten people injured here. At least one person still unaccounted for in this crash. The crash caused a 15-truck pileup. Engineers are checking for structural damage.
NGUYEN: A Pennsylvania woman charged with illegally buying guns for her 14-year-old son is free on bail this morning. Authorities say the teen was planning an attack on a high school. The prosecutor says the mother did not know about the alleged plot.
HOLMES: Today, marks the end of Ramadan. The holy month of fasting is the most sacred time of the Muslim year. Muslims around the world are now celebrating the fees known as Eid. The Empire State Building, as well, illuminated in green in observance of Eid.
Well, from a big election loss in 2000 to a big winner in 2007 -- Al Gore's Nobel victory. This time there's no recount.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...so empowered was completely demoralizing and destroying, you know, other black people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Kanye for you. Three rappers travel to Sierra Leone to see where diamonds are mined. And now rapper Paul Wall is changing the way he buys bling. You want to keep it here on CNN. We have the latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Blunt comment and harsh criticism of the war in Iraq -- and it comes from a former U.S. commander. Retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez calls the war "a nightmare with no end in sight". And despite that bleak assessment, Sanchez says U.S. forces should stay in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: America has no choice but to continue our efforts in Iraq. A precipitous withdrawal will unquestionably lead to chaos, in my opinion, that would endanger the stability of the greater Middle East. If this occurs, it would have significant adverse effects on the international community. Coalition and American force presence will be required at some level for the foreseeable future. Given the lack of a grand strategy, we must move forward rapidly to minimize that force presence and allow the Iraqis maximum ability to exercise their sovereignty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: National Security Council spokeswoman Kate Starr issued a short response last night to Sanchez's comments. She said: "We appreciate his service to the country. As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker said, there's more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq. And that's what we're focused on now."
HOLMES: Companies everywhere trying to recruit more minorities. But one grieving father says the military's recruiting tactics are predatory.
Our Brian Todd with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fernando Suarez del Solar wears a father's grief on his chest, holding his 20-year-old son's dog tags, speaking of the day he received the worst news.
FERNANDO SUAREZ DEL SOLAR, FATHER OF KILLED U.S. SOLDIER: Three Marines go and told me, "Your son is a hero. He died last night in combat when received a shot in the head."
My -- my life is destroyed.
TODD: Marine Lance Corporal Jesus Suarez del Solar was one of the Iraq War's earliest casualties. Now, his father fights to discourage other young Hispanics from following in Jesus' footsteps by visiting hundreds of high schools and publicly accusing the military of predatory recruiting tactics aimed at Hispanics. He calls his campaign Aztec Warrior for Peace.
SUAREZ DEL SOLAR: Today, you see in the barrios, in the working class areas, the recruiter meets every single day in the high school. But in the rich areas, you never see the recruiter in the high school.
TODD: CNN contacted recruiting commands for the Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force. All say their methods are not predatory.
(on camera): The Marines told us they work very hard to ensure that recruits have the best and most accurate information before enlisting. Each command also said that their recruiters do not target one ethnic group more than another and they say that the rise of Hispanics in the armed forces has been modest.
One Hispanic commentator explains the recruit increase this way.
LESLIE SANCHEZ, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM: There is a tremendous sense of patriotism, honor and respect for the military within the Hispanic community. And a recruiter is going to receive a very positive response there, because a lot of Hispanics see this as an economic way out of the barrio.
TODD: Those who study the military's demographics say economics do play a heavy role in recruitment.
DAVID SEGAL, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: You've got a sector of the civilian young adult community that is disadvantaged in the civilian labor force, and you've got an employer, the military services, that are pretty much ethnicity and race blind.
TODD: And there's also word of mouth, one professor telling me, when Hispanic Marines leave the force, they often go out into their communities and talk about the positive experiences to kids.
But this time, Fernando Suarez del Solar will joining them with a very different message.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, for more, you can check out "THIS WEEK AT WAR," tonight at 7:00 Eastern. Host Tom Foreman talks to some senior military officers about how the U.S. military is dealing with insurgent attacks.
NGUYEN: All right, here's a question for you -- is Howard Dean coming to the big screen?
HOLMES: Uh-oh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN: And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House! Yahhhh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We just love playing that. Surely, you remember that -- Iowa, 2004. Actually, Dean won't be on the big screen. But Leonardo DiCaprio he may be. DiCaprio is considering a starring role in a movie loosely based on Dean's flame out in the 2004 election. It follows a staffer during the candidate's quick rise and fall. It's being reported in Hollywood circles that George Clooney would actually direct and produce the movie. So stay tuned.
HOLMES: well, a politician who is maybe a real movie star we can talk about here -- Al Gore. He started in an Academy Award winning movie. Now he is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Gore, the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, along with the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change. That group promotes research on global climate change. Gore was honored for his efforts to keep the climate change issue in the public spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL GORE, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER: It is the most dangerous challenge we've ever faced, but it is also the greatest opportunity that we have ever had to make changes that we should be making for other reasons anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, the climate is definitely changing in the Midwest. Reynolds Wolf joins us now with a look at the storms that are brewing there -- hey, Reynolds.
WOLF: You're absolutely right. I just missed the last bit that I heard from you, but I guess you're talking about the storms in the Midwest?
Am I right?
NGUYEN: Yes, I am.
WOLF: These things?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: well, "Fortune" magazine's 50 Most Powerful Women In Business list is out and it is your chance to guess who made the cut.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): She sold makeup door-to-door and has climbed the corporate ladder at Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's. Now she heads up one of the largest female run firms in the country.
So who's the woman who transforms beauty in bucks?
We'll tell you after the break.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Coming in ninth on "Fortune" magazine's most powerful women in business list, Andrea Jung, chairman and CEO of Avon Products. She's given Avon a make-over by targeting teens and launching new products. The stocks are up 15 percent this year. And with Reese Witherspoon as the new face of Avon, Jung plans on bringing more attention to women's issues, such as breast cancer and domestic violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, makeup brings in the money for her, but when rappers and hip hop artists want to show off their worth, it's all about the bling -- diamonds, baby, and plenty of them. A new documentary takes three rappers into the diamond mines of Sierra Leone and we're going to talk to Paul Wall about his emotional journey. HOLMES: The ice man himself. Yes.
NGUYEN: Paul Wall.
HOLMES: We'll see if he does (INAUDIBLE).
But, also, teen speak is hip. Are you? Do you know what Kraft singles are? We're not talking about the cheese in the cheese section of the store. No, do you know what that really means?
We'll have that answer coming up.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) look fake. You should look (INAUDIBLE).
You the man, you know?
And soon imitate. Let me just see that. To imitate...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The glitz and glamour of bling. Even in the poorest parts of the world, people want to prove their worth with diamonds. And you certainly know you cannot watch a hip hop video these days without seeing somebody iced out.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. But a new documentary is changing the minds of some. One rapper has even stopped wearing diamonds altogether.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me about this bling right here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you could like fund a small country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lots and lots of ice on this carpet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These diamonds are bigger than the ones I had before.
NGUYEN (voice-over): Diamonds, better known as bling in the hip hop industry, serve as a status symbol.
KANYE WEST, RAPPER: It's just ironic that what made black people feel so empowered was completely demoralizing and destroying, you know, other black people.
NGUYEN: To shine a lot on the problem, the documentary "Bling: A Planet Rock" flies rappers Raekwon, Paul Wall and Tego Calderon into Sierra Leone, the world's second poorest country, yet rich in diamonds. And it's in that irony that filmmaker Raquel Cepeda finds her message. RAQUEL CEPEDA, FILMMAKER: I want rappers to understand that they're powerful and that their voice is a very loud one and it resonates all over the world. I want them to get involved. And when you buy diamonds, I'd like for you to ask if, you know, your diamonds are clean.
Do you subscribe to the Kimberly process?
NGUYEN: A monitoring system called the Kimberly process is aimed at keeping stones used the to fuel war off the open market.
CEPEDA: Do some research. You know, if you're going to rock diamonds, I'm nobody to tell you not to do that. But just try to be conscious. You know, let's make consciousness sexy, if I can sample Puffy or P. Diddy or whatever he calls himself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is slavery, man. He working hard every day and he find a diamond in like six months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And when he finds one he gets...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, $2.
NGUYEN (on camera): So what are you hoping, that by shedding light and using rappers as a jumping off point, what are you hoping will be done when people see this film?
CEPEDA: I hope people will start to care about the communities outside of their neighborhoods, outside of the state, outside of the country. We are a global community. It's time to care for your brothers and sisters, regardless of what race they are, regardless of what religion they are. We're one world now.
NGUYEN (voice-over): It's a message that's not lost on the rappers who took this emotional journey.
(on camera): Well, Paul Wall is in the jewelry making business.
Has he made any changes because of this?
CEPEDA: Yes. He actually, you know, I had -- a friend of mine was listening to the radio and he was talking about the fact that he fired his distributor because they couldn't give to him...
NGUYEN: Guarantee?
CEPEDA: Guarantee that they were ascribing to the Kimberly process. And he's got a new distributor, which is probably, you know, more money to be able to do business in the right way.
NGUYEN: One of the other rappers that you went to Sierra Leone with -- in fact, he's not even wearing diamonds anymore, correct?
CEPEDA: Oh, yes. There's an artist. He's an amazing, amazing artist, one of my favorite, named Tego Calderon, and he is from Puerto Rico. And, you know, he made the decision not to wear diamonds. And this wasn't a boycott film. "Bling: A Planet Rock" wasn't a boycott film. But, you know, it was his decision. And he just did it out of solidarity and, you know, and I commend him for doing whatever he wants to do.
NGUYEN (voice-over): And that's the point -- when you witness poverty on this scale it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do something to make a difference.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you believe this, man?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So let's get some inside information on the trip and the documentary. Rapper Paul Wall joins me from Houston. And I know you're all blinged out. Let me see those teeth. Got the grill on today. Not only are you a rapper, but you're also in the jewelry business. And we'll get to that in just a second.
But, first of all, when Raquel Cepeda approached you about taking this trip and doing this documentary, did you even come close to expecting what you went through?
PAUL WALL, RAPPER, JEWELRY DESIGNER: I had no idea. Really, I had never even heard of Sierra Leone until I heard Kanye West mention it in a song. And I felt, you know, that's one of the main reasons why I should go, because I know none of the people where I'm from had heard about it, none of my fans really had heard about it, you know, maybe the more socially conscious rappers might know about it and their fans might know about it, but my audience didn't really know.
So I felt like I should go and speak as a voice and represent my people, you know?
NGUYEN: You know, one of the most poignant moments in the documentary is when you went to a place where young women had really learned some skills. Now, these are women learning to sew and get a trade and women that have been through so much. They had been raped, they had been kidnapped during the decade of war that Sierra Leone went through.
WALL: Yes.
NGUYEN: That was a very personal moment for you. And I want our audience to take a listen to how it affected you.
WALL: Yes, well, definitely, you know...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALL: And sometimes you could just look in their eyes and tell that they just, you know, just hide all their emotions. It's like they were just stone cold faces. They just had these stone cold faces that you could just see right through. And it just was -- it was a scary scene that my mother, she was raped. She was sexually assaulted. She was molested, you know, on numerous occasions when she was younger and then she grew up to be, you know, how they are. So, you know, it's just like every time I seen one of these girls, I see my mom and just knowing all the pain that my mom went through, you know, she still feels pain. To this day, she's affected by it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: How difficult was that for you?
WALL: It was hard, you know, because just being able to see that and thinking, you know, what can I do to help these people?
And you just see people go through pain and suffer like, it's hard to just sit back and watch, especially knowing that at the end of the week, yes, we're here in Sierra Leone for this week, but at the end of the week, I get to come back to Houston to my big crib and just, you know, see my family. And these people don't get to do that.
NGUYEN: Well, you were able to send a little help. You provided many of the girls with shoes. And you also were able to go into the diamond mines of Sierra Leone and among the miners working day in and day out to find the diamonds, many of which are on the open market now. Sierra Leone, of course, is not in a civil war anymore.
But what was that like for you, especially being in the jewelry business, to see these men and women working so hard?
WALL: Man, the working conditions just were horrible. They, you know, they were out there naked, almost all the way naked. But pretty much out there naked, just, you know, sifting through water and the mud in the river. And they didn't have any kind of labor laws at all in place. And it's pretty much modern-day slavery. That's just how we looked at it, like, man, this is modern day slavery. Yes, they're getting paid, but they're getting 30 cents a day.
And when they find a diamond, they get $2. So that just didn't really make sense to me, you know?
And, of course, I know how it is in business. You know, in business, the people working, you know, at the bottom, they get the paid less and the people that own the business get paid the most. But at the same time, you have a responsibility as a business owner and, you know, just to abide by certain practices and moral ethics, you know, when you do your business.
NGUYEN: So what is your business doing to make sure that you provide cruelty-free diamonds?
WALL: Well, first off, we fired our distributor. We let go of them and we picked up somebody else who could, you know, prove to us that they were abiding by the Kimberly process. That was number one. But, also, at our store in Houston, Texas, TV Jewelry in the Sharpstown Mall, me and my boy Johnny Dang, we got that together. Also, on my Web site, grillsbypaul.com, all the jewelry we sell, all the grills we sell, anything that has a rare ruby in it or any kind of red stone just to, you know, commemorize the blood diamond, you know what I'm saying?
Or anything that has red in it, we donate the profits to helping out the people (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Oh, that's a great thing, yes, helping others with the profits that you're making off the jewelry business. And you're making sure that you provide cruelty-free diamonds.
WALL: Yes.
Paul Wall, we appreciate your time today.
Thanks so much.
WALL: Thank you.
NGUYEN: And, you know, we've been talking about this and many other issues here at CNN.
Teen speak -- how hip are you?
Are you hip at all?
Well, what does the word Kraft singles mean?
We're going to have the answer on the other side of that break.
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(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Oh, that's Huey Lewis for you this morning.
All right, so earlier we told you about some new teen slang that we picked up, terms like bonk and nar.
HOLMES: Yes. We left you with four others to think about. See if you recognize any of these phrases in teen speak.
First, Kraft singles. That, actually, according to the "Urban Dictionary," it means money, especially dollar bills.
NGUYEN: Oh, like cheese, right?
HOLMES: the singles, yes. Cheese singles, yes.
NGUYEN: I've got you.
OK, here's another. Break your crayons. That means to upset someone.
Who knew? Who knew?
HOLMES: yes.
NGUYEN: And, you know, in an effort to stay cool, not only with the slang, but we just had Paul Wall on the show and he was showing us all his bling and that grill that he had all diamoned out there. Well, we decided we'd try to keep up a little bit.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: Take a look.
HOLMES: We went to his Web site and we all ordered our grills.
NGUYEN: Some grills.
HOLMES: And this is the picture we took. This going to be up on our Web site in our new promo picture, actually.
WOLF: We look like -- like appliances. Look at us.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: I mean all that metal and stuff.
Did it hurt when you guys put your grills in?
HOLMES: Mine was good.
NGUYEN: They had to file down my teeth a little bit, but I think we're good now.
WOLF: You know, this is a family show and we're making kids have nightmares by seeing (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Well, Halloween is around the corner, guys.
WOLF: This is true, very, very true.
All right, good times.
NGUYEN: Hey, we can start up our own rap group, huh?
WOLF: Well, we do what we can.
NGUYEN: All right, coming up, a teenager who knows all about slang and making lots of Kraft singles. She may even have a grill. Ashley Qualls may be only 17, but she is the CEO of her own multi- million dollar Web site and she joins us in the NEWSROOM next hour.
HOLMES: And then a little later, part of the best political team on television, our own Bill Schneider weighs in on whether Al Gore will use his Nobel Peace Prize to run for president.
Stay here in the NEWSROOM.
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