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Petraeus, Crocker Testify about State of Iraq War; Olympic Torch Bearers Ready for San Francisco Leg
Aired April 08, 2008 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: War, politics, would-be presidents and protesters all converging on Capitol Hill for two days of crucial hearings on the fight for Iraq.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: The military clock is ticking; the political clock is ticking; and emotions are simmering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring them home! Bring them home!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm afraid we have to ask you to leave.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring them...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The answers have not gotten easier over time, and the time has not abated the anger.
We're live in Washington, in Baghdad and right here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: You have already heard plenty of arguments and assertions about the war. And you're about to hear plenty more. But are you getting the facts? Our team of correspondents is ready to break it all down. From the military frontlines to the political trenches, we are all over it.
KEILAR: Let's get right to it now. The top U.S. commander and the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq in a Q&A session today with senators, including the three presidential candidates. The questions are tough. The answers are complicated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCES IN IRAQ: As events in the past two weeks have reminded us, and as I have repeatedly cautioned, the progress made since last spring is fragile and reversible.
Still, security in Iraq is better than it was when Ambassador Crocker and I reported to you last September. And it is significantly better than it was 15 months ago when Iraq was on the brink of civil war and the decision was paid to deploy additional forces to Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Let's head to Washington now and break down those comments with our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, the headline from General Petraeus is that he is going to order that pause in U.S. troop withdrawals after the surge ends in July. He put a number to that: 45 days. After that, he says he will make his assessment based on the conditions at the time.
When pressed by Senator Carl Levin for how long the additional time that would take, he said it could be anywhere from the next day to months down the road before additional U.S. troops can come back. It all depends on what happens on the ground.
General Petraeus also conceded that in many parts of Iraq, conditions are not satisfactory, that the progress has not been what they wanted. And he also conceded that the failed Iraqi-led operation in Basra was a disappointment and not something he recommended.
Nevertheless, when questioned by Senator John Warner of Virginia, asked the crucial question, is it worth the U.S. lives, 4,000 dead, 30,000 wounded, the enormous cost to the U.S. taxpayer, here was what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: Up to 80 percent of the Americans just don't accept the premise at this point in time that it's worth it. Can you now, just in simple language, tell us, yes, it is worth it? And it is making us safer here at home?
PETRAEUS: Senator, I do believe it is worth it or I would not have, I guess, accepted -- you do what you're ordered to do, but you sometimes are asked whether you would like to -- or are willing to take on a task. And I took on the task of -- the privilege of command of multinational force, Iraq, because I do believe that it is worth it. And I do believe the interests there are of enormous importance, again, to our country, not just to the people of Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: It was interesting watching the dynamics between General Petraeus and the presidential hopefuls, with Senator John McCain. McCain was cross-examining Petraeus almost as if he was already his boss and wanted some answers for why things weren't going better. He questioned what happened in Basra and asked Petraeus what he was going to do about the increase in the tax on the Green Zone.
Senator Kennedy really tried to zero in on how bad things would actually have to be in Iraq for General Petraeus to advocate a change in policy. And General Petraeus continued to assert that, given enough time and patience and commitment, that Iraq could turn out to be a success.
KEILAR: So Jamie -- Jamie, a 45-day pause. How much is the sense here that, really, this is putting the ball in the court of the next president?
MCINTYRE: Well, clearly, there're not going to be substantial additional troop reductions this year. Because if you just do the math, you take the 45 days after July. You're getting into the fall. It takes a month or two to start moving troops out, if you don't make those decisions until then.
Although Pentagon sources indicate that there's still a hope at the Pentagon that maybe one or two additional brigades could come home before Christmas. That could also be facilitated by a cut in the length of Army tours -- Brianna.
KEILAR: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks for that.
LEMON: The three major presidential candidates are on Capitol Hill for today's hearings on Iraq. Republican Senator John McCain is the ranking Republican on the armed services committee. He supports the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not want to keep our troops in Iraq a minute longer than necessary to secure our interests there. Our goal, my goal is an Iraq that no longer needs American troops. And I believe we can achieve that goal, perhaps sooner than many imagined. But I also believe that the promise of withdrawal of our forces, regardless of the consequences, would constitute a failure of political and moral leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton is also on the armed services committee. She opposes the war and President Bush's so-called troop surge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just want to respond to some of the statements and suggestions that have been made leading up to this hearing and even during it, that it is irresponsible or demonstrates a lack of leadership to advocate withdrawing troops from Iraq in a responsible and carefully planned withdrawal.
I fundamentally disagree. Rather, I think it could be fair to say that it might well be irresponsible to continue the policy that has not produced the results that have been promised time and time again.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: And both McCain and Clinton voted to authorize the U.S.- led war in Iraq.
KEILAR: A look now at where the presidential candidates stand on Iraq. Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton supports ending the war and removing American troops. She introduced legislation last year to end the authorization for the war.
Clinton's Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama, supports a clear timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. He introduced the Iraq War De-escalation Act in January last year.
And Senator John McCain supports continued U.S. military action in Iraq. The presumptive Republican nominee had a distinguished military career. He was taken prisoner of war in Iraq in 1967 and held for more than five years.
LEMON: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee gets to hear from David Petraeus, General David Petraeus, at about 2:30 Eastern. Barack Obama is a member of that panel. And he'll get the chance to question the top U.S. commander in Iraq. We'll have live coverage when the hearing gets underway.
KEILAR: Also ahead in the NEWSROOM, the situation in Iraq. Is it really what U.S. military leaders say it is? We'll take a look at the facts.
And we'll also go live to Baghdad for reaction to today's testimony on Capitol Hill.
And instead of fighting some of Iraq's insurgents, the U.S. takes them on as allies. We'll find out how this deal is working out.
LEMON: The Olympic flame arrived quietly in San Francisco this morning. But for days now, anti-China crowds have been protesting loudly against its visit. The torch relay runs through the city streets tomorrow, two days after the chaotic Paris leg.
And CNN's Dan Simon is live for us in San Francisco with the very latest.
Dan you remember what happened in Paris. And I'm sure they are hoping it doesn't happen in San Francisco.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Don.
That's really the daunting task facing San Francisco police: how to prevent that kind of massive chaos, that kind of mayhem that you saw in London and Paris the last couple of days.
Meanwhile, we are in the United Nations Plaza here in San Francisco. You can see behind me some of the pro-Tibet people waving flags. Actor Richard Gere and Archbishop Desmond Tutu actually expected to join them later today for a candlelight vigil.
Meanwhile, the Olympic flame arrived here into San Francisco early this morning under the cover of darkness. It is now at an undisclosed location until the torch relay gets underway tomorrow at about 1 p.m. local time.
And again, the real challenge for San Francisco police is how to prevent the kind of chaos that we saw in London and in Paris. No doubt, Chinese officials are concerned. The Chinese ambassador actually met with Mayor Gavin Newsom yesterday to discuss security.
One of the things they're actually talking about is having officers run alongside torch-bearers to protect them and the flame. The mayor says that the security is very fluid, that they actually may change things in the minutes leading up to the torch relay.
No one was hurt yesterday, but it was quite a scene when you saw those three people scale the Golden Gate Bridge, scaling up the cables. We are now hearing that the people who did that, they unfurled those pro-Tibet banners, we're now hearing that that was planned, actually, a year in advance. So no doubt these protestors have been gearing up for this.
We should tell you that San Francisco has probably more demonstrations than any other city, so police are generally prepared for these kinds of events, but, of course, not taking anything for granted -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Dan Simon. Dan, thank you very much for that, sir.
We should tell you, San Francisco's mayor says the torch route could change between now and tomorrow, and even after the relay has already started. As of now, the torch's six-mile route takes it along the Central Waterfront and past the famed Fisherman's Wharf. It then moves back around for a closing ceremony at Justin Herman Plaza.
Make sure you stay with CNN for live reports all day tomorrow on the San Francisco torch relay. And of course, we'll be covering protests and other developments this afternoon and tonight.
KEILAR: More storms on the horizon. And wouldn't you know it, Chad Myers? Not where they're needed.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KEILAR: All right. Well, we know you'll still be keeping an eye on it today and especially tomorrow. Chad Myers, thanks.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You're welcome.
LEMON: The top U.S. commander in Iraq gives senators an update where things stand right now in Iraq. Our Tom Foreman is listening to what General David Petraeus is saying, and he'll join us with a check of the facts.
KEILAR: And would you believe, a huge reptile feared by humans might help you kick some nasty illnesses? We'll find out why researchers are excited about alligator blood.
LEMON: Look at those teeth.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Some apparent fallout from the airline oversight controversy. The flight standards director at the Federal Aviation Administration's Ft. Worth regional office has been reassigned. That office oversees Southwest Airlines, recently fined $10 million for failing to keep up with safety inspections.
The FAA won't say exactly why Thomas Stuckey was reassigned, but it did say Stuckey's new job does not include safety oversight.
LEMON: Let's talk now about the rising cost of food worldwide. It's causing some unrest. And the World Bank says it's a trend that is not going away, at least not any time soon.
Susan Lisovicz joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange with the very latest on that.
Not going away. Worldwide unrest. Food costs are high, even for people here in a developed country.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And in already poverty-stricken countries, it is a -- it could be a crisis. That's right, Don. The price of food up all over the world, including countries where food costs make up a much bigger part of the family budget.
Now the president of the World Bank is warning that a serious risk exists of a big increase in poverty. Robert Zoellick blames strong demand, changes in diet and a push for more biofuels for the price spike.
He says the poor in Indonesia, for instance, now import more rice than they sell, and an increase in the price of the rice by 10 percent there would result in an additional two million poor people.
He's calling for a new deal for global food policy that aims to increase agricultural output by lending twice as much money for agriculture in Africa, certainly hoping that a lot more countries come onboard in this effort -- Don.
LEMON: You mentioned Africa. Did you mention Indonesia? I think you said Indonesia, as well, in that. But it's not just -- it's not just food costs, Susan. And it's not just overseas in those countries you mentioned.
LISOVICZ: That's right. I mean, we live in a global economy, and the U.S. is the biggest consuming nation by far. For years we've been importing cheap goods from many of these countries, especially those in Asia. As poor countries face higher prices, they're more likely to pass on those costs to the U.S. consumer.
"The New York Times" says one Vietnamese company recently raised prices on vases it sells to Pier 1 Imports by 10 percent, because its labor costs had surged 30 percent. And a shoe importer tells us footwear prices will jump about 20 percent by the end of the year.
The sliding value of the dollar also pushing up prices. It's the kind of trend the Fed must watch as it cuts interest rates to spark the economy, especially as jobs erode, and we have fresh evidence of that today.
Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices cutting 10 percent of its staff -- that's about 1,700 jobs -- after warning that revenue in the first quarter will not meet expectations. Its shares right now down nearly 4 percent and weighing on the Dow 30 and rival Intel.
Checking the numbers, the Dow Industrials right now off about a third of a percent or 37 points. And the NASDAQ, meanwhile, is down half a percent.
Don, back to you.
LEMON: You know what I wonder? I mean, it just -- we're having a tough time here in the U.S., but it seems like overseas, as well. And I'm wondering, Susan, if the whole world economy is changing, and it's not going to be the same rules as it once was before.
Has anybody studied that to see if there's a shift in the way the economy will work or the system's going to work?
LISOVICZ: Well, I think we're learning as we go along, right, Don?
LEMON: Yes.
LISOVICZ: I mean, we -- you know, we live in the digital age. Everything is very -- happens very fast.
The U.S. economy is slowing down. Oil is -- oil prices are through the roof. There's a great interest in ethanol. So you're seeing -- so you're seeing -- one of the reasons why food prices...
LEMON: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ... your basics: you know, your cereals, your pastas, your rice. And for instance rice, that is a huge component of the daily diet in so many countries around the world.
So it's not only human suffering, just you know, managing your budget. It's instability. That's what it could be. It's more political instability. It's a problem.
LEMON: Yes. So we'll see. They, thank you very much, Susan Lisovicz.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
LEMON: Back with you in a little bit.
KEILAR: Making deals and taking back the streets. We'll tell you about the Pentagon's hard lessons in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The Iraq war is definitely one of the big issues driving this year's battle for the White House. All three top presidential candidates are on Capitol Hill for today's testimony on Iraq.
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, joins us now from Washington.
Bill, what are the candidates trying to accomplish today? Obviously, they want to look good in front of the camera, because they're still campaigning, but they want answers from these guys, as well, from Crocker and from Petraeus. But really, what are they trying to accomplish today?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, they're trying to establish their potential authority as commander in chief. That's the job that they're applying for, and this is a hearing with both a diplomatic and a military officer. And they've all got to come up across as matching or surpassing the knowledge and authority of the -- General Petraeus, because in the end, they're applying for the job of Petraeus's commander.
LEMON: OK. Let's talk about the cost of the war. Senator Clinton talked about that in her questioning today. Take a listen, Bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Our current strategy in Iraq has very real costs. We rarely talk about the opportunity costs, the opportunities lost because of the continuation of this strategy. The longer we stay in Iraq, the more we divert resources, not only from Afghanistan but other international challenges, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Not likely to silence her critics, but what will it do, if anything to her critics of the war?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the critics have always resented the fact that she initially voted to authorize the war, though now she claims that the war was a failed strategy and that the United States needs to withdraw, which she said she would do immediately upon her taking office as president.
She's also drawing attention to what it's costing the United States at a time of economic pressure when Americans are extremely sensitive to the costs of this war.
And also the costs she was just talking about, not just monetary costs, but the opportunity costs, as she described them, of efforts the United States should be making elsewhere in the world, like Afghanistan. In the end, this should be and will be, I think, a debate about which is safer, which will make Americans safer: to stay in Iraq where critics say we are just increasing the recruitment of terrorists, or to withdraw from Iraq, which John McCain warns, in his view, would lead to chaos and possible genocide in the Middle East, and make the United States less safe. That's what the argument should be about.
LEMON: OK. So the foreign relations committee gets its chance later. And that's when Barack Obama -- he's a member of that committee -- will get his chance with Petraeus and also with Crocker. So what does he have to do in order to come across as, frankly, Bill, presidential?
SCHNEIDER: Well, he has a policy that is in direct contradiction to what General Petraeus is talking about. General Petraeus wants an open-ended suspension of troop withdrawals after July, when the troop buildup that President Bush ordered is drawn down. He says no more troop withdrawals after that.
And Barack Obama is campaigning for president on an explicit promise to withdraw American combat troops within 16 months of his taking office. You can't imagine two policies that are more in direct competition -- conflict with each other, really, because Petraeus said the policy that he's recommending does not allow for a set withdrawal timetable. That is exactly what Barack Obama is proposing.
So we're going to see a pretty titanic clash here when Barack Obama questions Petraeus. And what he's got to do is, of course, sound at least as knowledgeable and as authoritative as Petraeus when he makes his recommendation.
LEMON: So I've got to ask you real quick, in just a couple seconds here. Do -- is it an advantage or disadvantage for Barack Obama that he voted against the initial war in Iraq?
SCHNEIDER: He didn't vote -- he announced against it.
LEMON: Announced against it, yes.
SCHNEIDER: He gave a speech opposing it. In the Democratic primaries, it looks like a big advantage. He's ahead right now, and Democrats -- Democratic primary voters are dead-set against this...
LEMON: I was meaning in this particular hearing. It doesn't really matter, does it?
SCHNEIDER: I don't think it matters a great deal. His position has been laid out there. That speech was in 2002. Right now, he's calling for a timetable. Right now Petraeus is rejecting a timetable. Let's see how that argument proceeds.
LEMON: Senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Very knowledgeable about all of this. Thank you very much, Bill.
And again, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gets to hear from General David Petraeus at 2:30 Eastern. Barack Obama is a member of that panel, and he'll get the chance to question the top U.S. commander in Iraq, as we've mentioned. And we'll carry it for you live as the hearing get -- hearings get underway.
KEILAR: Arguments and assertions. Almost too many to count after more than five years of war. You're hearing plenty of them in today's hearings on the Hill, but are you getting the facts? We'll take you to our Iraq -- Iraq facts desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Keira Phillips. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is half past the hour and here are three of the stories that we are working on in the CNN NEWSROOM. The fight over Iraq moving to Capitol Hill. General David Petraeus and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker insist the surge is working, but skeptical Democrats say it's time to start withdrawing troops.
Pro tibet protestors gear up as the olympic torch arrives in San Francisco. A series of demonstrations are expected aimed at China, the host of this year's summer games.
And Texas authorities continue to interview more than 400 children removed from a polygamist compound. Investigators are asking about abuse or neglect and a hearing is expected tomorrow.
LEMON: Where do we stand in Iraq after five plus years of fighting and where are we heading? Key questions today on Capitol Hill where the top U.S. commander in Iraq and top U.S. diplomat have kicked off two days of hearings. General David Petraeus and ambassador Ryan Crocker both cite progress but they caution against any rapid U.S. troop withdrawal saying the recent surge in violence has made that progress fragile.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I remain convinced that a major departure from our current engagement would bring failure. And we have to be clear with ourselves about what failure would mean. Al Qaeda is in retreat in Iraq, but it is not yet defeated. Al Qaeda's leaders are looking for every opportunity they can to hang on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All three presidential contenders are among the senators grilling Petraeus and Crocker today. Earlier Republican John Mccain said, "We are no longer staring into the abyss of defeat in Iraq," while Democratic senator Hillary Clinton said U.S. strategy is failing. We'll hear from her democratic rival Barack Obama a little bit later on this afternoon.
Accusations, arguments, assertions; you are hearing them all in today's Iraq hearings. But in the end you just want the facts, right? Well, you are about to get them. Our Tom Foreman is staffing the Iraq facts desk and he joins us now from Washington. Hi, Tom
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brianna. The truth is we got a lot of facts this morning from both sides. It's not so much about people saying things that aren't true, but about picking the facts that they really like the most.
If you listen to Crocker and Petraeus, these are the areas of progress they were citing most today. They said that the violence remains greatly diminished in what's happening over there right now. That we are not losing nearly as many troops nor are we losing as many Iraqis. That Iraqis are fully in charge of half the provinces there and moving towards taking control of more of them.
That there are agreements on local power sharing and elections next year. And that the Iraq economy is growing, growing enough that it is significantly going to cut down on the amount of money that the U.S. has to spend to support the Iraqis.
Those can all be facts if you see from their perspective. However, opponents of the war and even Petraeus and Crocker admit there are other facts which counterman those a bit. If you look at the challenges still ahead, they all say that this progress is very uneven. It is slow and it is fragile.
That's critical because the question is, can it survive without U.S. troops there? They both talk about the iranian influence, and everybody is concerned about that. It is not entirely clear how much influence Iran would have if the United States left. They warn that Iran would step in and have a huge influence. But at the same time they say Iran is having a big influence now.
And there is no clear end in sight. That is also a fact, no matter which way you approach this. And that is the big question, of course, for Democrats, Brianna. They are saying if you don't have an end in sight, no matter what progress you are making, how do you know when you are ever done?
KEILAR: But both sides here, Tom, guilty of a little cherry picking?
FOREMAN: Oh, cherry picking, yes. Generally, the facts seem to be on point. Here and there somebody will stray a bit. But by and large what they are doing is saying, with this framework of facts, are we making enough progress to stay or is this enough progress to go?
The simple truth is both sides are trying to pick what will make it go their way. As Joe Lieberman said earlier today, there is a lot of criticism over the Iraqi government for not reaching conclusions on how to move forward. He said, look, since last September our government has made no real conclusion on how to move forward or how to get out that we continue arguing too. And our politicians aren't being shot at.
KEILAR: All right, Tom Foreman. A very helpful check of the facts there, thank you. And you can see more of Tom on AC360 weeknights at 10 ET. Tonight, what is the real truth about the troop surge in Iraq. Is it working? Again, that's AC360 every weeknight at 10 ET.
LEMON: Possibly going to hear that now. U.S. strategy in Iraq, well, is full of trade-offs, full of gave-and-take, but is it working? Today's hearing inspired our very own Michael Ware to ask that question in a series of reports on the war. From the ground you are about to see the answers are controversial, they are complex and they are also provocative.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When horror is commonplace and Old Man Bailey flinches as a humvee erupts in a blast behind him. An attack video by an insurgent faction still at war with America, even as other factions from the same group, the Islamic army of Iraq have alleyed with America, joining 70,000 geurrillas now on the U.S. government payroll.
Announcing the surge a year ago, the U.S. administration warned there would be trade-offs. This deal with enemies it once called terrorists was the greatest trade-off of all. From American commanders to the U.S. President, it's acknowledged that rather than fighting Sunni insurgents, enlisting them in the so-called awakening program has dampened the violence.
Yet the deal was a long-time coming. From the beginning, the insurgents were willing to negotiate. Talks with American officials began way back in 2004. But why did so much American and Iraqi blood have to be spent before agreement was found?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. RICK WELCH, U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES: I think we didn't recognize all the opportunities when they presented themselves because we saw all of these groups through one lens and didn't really have the mechanism in place to talk about specific strategies with each group.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARE: Green Beret, Colonel Rich Welch is one of the original architects of the covert discussions with insurgent leaders that opened four years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WELCH: We saw everyone through the lens of anti-Iraqi forces. But it was quite a complex time. We did not distinguish national resistance groups from al Qaeda or insurgents or terrorists. And that is a distinction that those groups had and was an important distinction for some of those groups.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARE: Abu Ahmed, a top commander of the Mujahideen army, now running a U.S. backed militia, remembers the frustration. "The delay pointed to the American fears," he told me. "The delay to distinguish the national resistance from al Qaeda was understandable, though painful." Years later, it took a seismic shift in American thinking for the deal to finally work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WELCH: General Petraeus in his vision on counterinsurgency began to drive that through the organization. You have to change course a little bit. Ambassador Crocker. Getting some people coming at the right place at the right time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARE: Key to the breakthrough was America dropping its insistence on including the Iraqi government in the arrangement. Now the Sunni militias are a check against the Iranian influence regime in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it is a period of time where there has to be confidence-building measures, there has to be trust developed because in some cases these are folks who were once fighting this government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARE: Folks with intentions to fight again, should the Americans leave Iraq. Despite the risks, it's the opportunities and lives lost that give the most pause.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WELCH: In the pure sense of it, yes. I mean, if we had -- if we could have seen everything as clearly then as we see it now, maybe we could have avoided -- our policies would have reflected our clarity of vision.
WARE: A clarity Colonel Welch and others had from the beginning, but which took time for America's leaders to share. Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Much more from Michael Ware in our next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, including a visit to one of Baghdad's toughest neighborhoods. We're going behind the surge.
KEILAR: How killer alligators could save our lives. Research that suggests their blood could be used to fight serious infections, maybe even HIV.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: They play hard, they're growing and they need their sleep. In fact, two new studies have found babies and toddlers need a whole lot of sleep; about 14 hours a day for infants and a minimum of 12 for toddlers, then 11 for preschoolers. Anything less and they could be at higher risk of being overweight when they get to preschool. Researchers say that's because the more tired they are, the more likely they are to eat.
LEMON: Brianna, this is one of the most interesting medical stories to come along recently. Most of the time when you hear about alligators attacking, you hear them attacking people, sometimes killing them. How about saving them? Researchers say the blood of these reptiles could be the source of a very powerful healing agent. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I refer to it as gator-aid. Maybe not the most clever thing in the world, but a good way of thinking about it. Thinking about actually using gator blood to try and treat burns, ulcerations, even infections including the super bug, which is MRSA. This research has been going on for some time.
In fact, previous research has shown that gator blood could actually be effective against the HIV virus, but in petri dishes. It hasn't actually been used in any human clinical trials. So, why alligators? I found this interesting. Alligators, they swim around obviously in often times bacteria and fungus-infected water, yet they seem resilient to all sorts of infections.
The question was, why? Well it's maybe something in their blood. Take a look, here is how they actually take some of the blood from the alligator. And they actually put some of this blood in petri dishes and found it was very effective, nine out of 11 bacteria that were tested were in fact affected by the blood, and six out of the eight funguses affected, as well.
Now, a lot of people say, well isn't there a concern about introducing some sort of animal blood into humans? A couple of caveats here. One, is that there is a concern about that because specifically, you might bring animal diseases into the human species. But also, this particular product was intended to be used as a cream or as an ointment, specifically not to be taken internally. So something you would rub on your skin.
There have been other examples of actually taking animal products in creating human medicines. For example, heparin which is a blood thinner, part of the ingredients actually comes from pig intestines. That's maybe something you didn't know. And also, a medication used to treat Cystic Fibrosis actually comes from pig's pancreas. So, a couple of examples there.
Best bet obviously, to boost your own immune system as best as you can, get plenty of sleep, eat a good diet, also iron and zinc get plenty of that in your diet. Meat, whole grains, leafy green vegetables that might help as well. Back to you for now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Caseworkers seek answers as investigators keep searching a Polygamist compound for children possibly at risk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KEILAR: Caseworkers across Texas are rushing to San Angelo, Texas. Hundreds of children have been removed from a 1,700 acre ranch there, that's home to members of a Polygamist sect. So far, 401 children are in protective custody. And a judge has found they are at risk of harm or victims of abuse or necessity neglect. 133 women have left the ranch to join the children.
Attorneys for the Polygamist sect want to stop anymore searches of the compound. A hearing is set for tomorrow. These raids began after police said a 16-year-old girl called them to say she had given birth to a child by a 50-year-old man. Now they still don't know if she is among the children taken from that ranch.
Carolyn Jessop, who used to belong to the Polygamist community run by Warren Jeff says it won't be easy getting information from them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLYN JESSOP, FORMER WIFE OF POLYGAMIST: They need to understand the types of crimes, and why these children are not going to talk about them. I mean, I left Merrill (ph) nearly five years ago. My children were so terrified of their father, that it was three years after I left him before they started talking about some pretty significant abuses that he did to them and the other family members did to them.
So if it took them three years after they were in the safe place, I think, I don't think anybody can think these children will be willing to just come out and start talking about these abuses. After just a couple of days of being in a shelter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Carolyn Jessop was 18 when she was told she would be Merrill Jessop's fourth wife. He was then 50-years-old.
LEMON: Colonels beware. A savvy cyber victim used the power of the internet to catch the thief who robbed his house.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So, if you've ever been robbed, God forbid, but many of you have, you know how helpless you feel. Not much chance you'll ever see your stuff again or that the robber will be caught, but what if you could hunt down the thief online and get a little cyber vigilante justice?
CNN Internet correspondent Veronica De La Cruz shows us that it is possible.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSE MCPHERSON, CYBER-SLEUTH: They took out the screen, and then just pretty much slid the window up and came on in.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jesse McPherson's Philadelphia home was broken into last month.
MCPHERSON: They came in and they pulled the TV right off my wall.
DE LA CRUZ: They also snatched his Xbox and Mac PowerBook. Police dusted for fingerprints and filed a report. But Jesse, a computer engineer, did his own investigation online.
(on camera): What's the first Web site you hit up?
MCPHERSON: I went to Google Maps and did a search for pawn shops in the area.
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): He called the first pawn shop and got confirmation that somebody tried to sell a PowerBook there and it was all captured on surveillance video.
(on camera): So, bingo. How did you feel at that point?
MCPHERSON: I felt very excited.
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): Jesse told the police, who said they'd get back to him. Meanwhile, Jesse's co-workers surprised him with a new Xbox. But the bigger surprise came when he hooked it up.
MCPHERSON: I saw a -- notified (ph) message pop-up saying that you have a new voice message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yo dude, I got your Xbox.
DE LA CRUZ: Jesse was being taunted apparently by a teenager who said he stole the Xbox.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you want it, you can buy it back off me.
DE LA CRUZ (on camera): Did you feel your blood boil?
MCPHERSON: Yes, I was just pacing. So, while I was upset, I still knew that was his downfall.
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): As a result of the voice mail, Jesse now had the kid's game tag, the screenname that identifies a player. But he still didn't know his real name. Since he has his own blog, Jesse decided to write about what happened and included the clues he had.
(on camera): This community posted everything on this kid.
(voice-over): The online community was outraged and in just eight hours' time, had posted three pages of information on the teenager.
MCPHERSON: You have his Instant Messenger screenname, his name on MySpace, his IP address.
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): They even found this YouTube video of him rapping. The kid was quickly bombarded with angry messages.
MCPHERSON: They were taunting him, saying what an idiot he is and he's going to end up in jail.
DE LA CRUZ: It was too much for Jesse's tormenter and the Xbox was dropped off on Jesse's doorstep. But the kid wasn't the real thief. Police say he bought the Xbox from the burglar, the guy pictured in the pawn shop. Amazingly, that guy decided to return the PowerBook taken from Jesse's home after hearing how the boy was attacked online.
(on camera): So, you really applaud this group who pulled together for you.
MCPHERSON: Yes, I think they are amazing people and they are only trying to do what was right.
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): Today, Jesse's a local celebrity in Philly, not only because of all the publicity he got in cyber space, but in the real world, too.
(on camera): CNN contacted the Philadelphia police about the case and they told us one man is in custody charged with burglary and that a warrant is out on a second suspect.
Veronica De La Cruz, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Barack Obama showed off his bowling form. Can Hillary Clinton do any better? Our Jeanne Moos is going to find out.
LEMON: Plus, she is ready for her close-up. A furry phenom gets the star treatment in Germany. We'll take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, a live look now at the chamber -- that chamber in Washington, D.C. where Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus are speaking there in front of the committee. You can hear the protestors in the background. Let's listen for a little bit.
All right, apparently that's frozen right there. Anyway, they're adjourning for now. And then of course, later testimony from a little bit later on where Barack Obama will question Crocker and Petraeus, as well.
But sorry about that. Getting some instructions in my ear. But you can again, hear the protestors in the background. Someone screaming as we saw during General Petraeus' testimony a little bit earlier. There were some protestors, one of them had to be removed, as well. We want to get you that.
KEILAR: Senator Barack Obama shared his questionable or should we just say terrible bowling form? I mean, you can see it right here, not so good. And he got a bunch of grief for it. Well now, Senator Hillary Clinton has gotten her shot at knocking down some pins.
And CNN's Jeanne Moos has the results.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another pin drops in bowling '08. This time, it's Hillary who's not exactly on a roll. Remember all the grief Obama got for bowling a 37? From a mock attack ad on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Barack Obama can't control a 16-pound bowling ball, how can he control our nation?
MOOS: ...to out and out taunts that a three-year-old could do better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, you're going to strike!
MOOS (on camera): Yes, well maybe that three-year-old bowls better than Hillary, too.
(voice-over): Back on April Fool's Day, Hillary challenged Senator Obama ...
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ...to a bowl- off. I'll even spot him two frames.
MOOS: But when it came time to put her bowling ball where her mouth was on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show," Hillary started lowering expectations.
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": You're probably really good, though, because there was a bowling alley in the White House, right?
CLINTON: I know, but I have not bowled since I left the White House.
MOOS: Ellen went first. And after Hillary had admonished Obama ...
CLINTON: To get out of the gutter.
MOOS: ...look where she ended up. Hillary's next and last toss wasn't much better. But at least she didn't up like the elder George Bush did, assuming this YouTube video really is George Bush Sr. Maybe Barack and Hillary should have the kind of bowl-off that blows off some steam.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really can't understand (ph) you, Hillary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) drop it right, you snivelling ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could be the vice president!
MOOS: And speaking of moves, bowling or otherwise, well, Obama dared to dance, not once but twice with Ellen. Hillary did not bust a move. We feel we may have stumbled on bowling date. Did someone tamper with a videotape of Hillary's bowling? Noted in a promo, she knocks down two pins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But only Ellen takes her bowling!
MOOS: While during the show, she got one. Remember that when you hear Obama insulted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barack Obama, he bowls like a woman.
MOOS: Yes, this woman.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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