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U.S. Targeting Iran?; Second Autopsy Planned in Death of Pregnant U.S. Soldier; John McCain Prepares for Town Hall Meeting in Pennsylvania

Aired June 30, 2008 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Journalist Seymour Hersh says the U.S. is preparing the battlefield in Iran right now. He writes in "The New Yorker" magazine, an attack could happen before President Bush leaves Washington. The State Department is basically laughing it off.
Let's talk with senior defense correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, what is your take?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, I can tell you, the Sy Hersh article in "The New York" magazine has been the talk of the Pentagon today. Mostly, what we have gotten is a lot of no comments and a few denials.

Here's a little bit of what Seymour Hersh said that the U.S. was doing not just to Iran, but in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEYMOUR HERSH, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, "THE NEW YORKER": We sent in a special task force that operates out of Afghanistan into Iran. I did notice what Ambassador Crocker said about not cross-border. And I have a lot of respect for him and I don't want to challenge him. But the fact is we're inside, but not necessarily cross-border.

We have teams inside Iran. And these include a joint special operations force, our most elite commando unit. And basically they're guys that go after high-value targets around the world. They capture them or kill them. So it's a significant increase for American potential for damage inside Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: What Seymour Hersh is referring to is a denial from the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, who told CNN that U.S. forces had not crossed into Iran from Iraq, not from southern Iraq, not from anywhere in Iraq.

But Seymour Hersh is saying that there are other teams and other places, like Afghanistan, that the U.S. is operating from that Ambassador Crocker may not be aware of.

That got a mocking response today from the State Department spokesman. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CASEY, SPOKESMAN, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: After I stop laughing, I will try and address it for you.

Look, Ryan Crocker talked about this on -- in his appearance with CNN. I would refer you to his remarks. In terms of speculation about intelligence related issues, well, you can speculate with intelligence officials about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Casey went on to say that he was -- quote -- "sure that conspiracy-minded journalists knew more than the ambassador in the country."

And, again, regarding that very specific denial from Ambassador Crocker, he may be right, but I have to tell you, Kyra, that we have gotten a few hints, winks, nods, nudges, you know, eyebrows raised that -- that tells us that something is going on inside Iran regarding U.S. forces, but it's something that's so secret, so classified that nobody here is really authorized to talk about the kind of operations that are going on.

They are apparently, though, aimed at destabilizing and undermining the Iranian regime. We have no idea how effective they might be -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, we will keep following it.

And, Jamie, I had a chance earlier to talk about the Hersh report with our military analyst retired Army Brigadier General David Grange. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And we should make the point that covert operations doesn't mean preparation for war or that the U.S. will engage in an open war with Iran.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID GRANGE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You're exactly right. It could be for other reasons. It could be to get some type of effect that's necessary before a negotiation, to give people the opportunity to do something within a country, whatever the case may be, not necessarily for war. That is correct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And you can expect more on this story at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Another thick report on the war in Iraq says high-level failures led things astray from the very beginning.

Now, the study released today by the RAND Corporation cites failures to challenge rosy prewar assumptions, bureaucratic bungling, and a lack of adequate power to destabilize -- or to stabilize, I should say, the country at the end of major combat.

Now, the RAND report has done for the Army, which released an internal review over the weekend. Among the errors, the Army lists a lack of necessary troop strength, a dissolution of Iraq's armed forces, and a change in the chain of command that blindsided the military leadership and hampered combat efforts during the rise of Iraq's insurgency.

At the White House today, President Bush signed legislation providing $162 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress finished voting on the bill on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We owe these brave Americans our gratitude. We owe them our unflinching support. And the best way to demonstrate that support is to give them the resources they need to do their jobs and to prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the funding bill the president signed puts the official total for the war in Iraq at more than $650 billion.

A little bit later on right here in the CNN NEWSROOM, I-Reports on Iraq, and a Baghdad bomb squad cooling its heels. Its workload is now down.

Now let's take a look at where the presidential candidates stand on Iraq. Democrat Barack Obama opposed the use of military force in Iraq. He voted for a war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March of this year. He supports a phased redeployment of U.S. combat troops at a pace of one or two brigades a month.

He also opposed President Bush's plan to send additional troops to Iraq. Republican John McCain voted for the use of military force in Iraq and was an early opponent -- proponent of sending additional American troops to Iraq. He also supported President Bush's veto of a war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops from Iraq by March of this year.

PHILLIPS: Leading our Political Ticker: controversy on the campaign trail. Retired General Wesley Clark is drawing fire for some comments about John McCain's military experience. On one of the Sunday talk shows, Clark, who supports Barack Obama, called McCain a hero, but said he's untested.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "FACE THE NATION")

WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: That large squadron in the air in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Now, a short time ago, during a meeting with reporters in Pennsylvania, McCain was asked whether Obama should address Clark's comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know we have heard this many times and other comments that have been made, and -- but, no, that's certainly up to Senator Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, during a stop in Harry Truman's hometown, Independence, Missouri, Barack Obama didn't respond directly to Wesley Clark's comments about John McCain. But he said no one should ever devalue the Republican's military service. Obama also focused on patriotism during his speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now some fence-mending by Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The two men plan to talk as early as today about the former president's role in Obama's campaign -- that word from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe.

Now, while he has stayed behind the scenes so far in the general election battle, Bill Clinton has said in a statement that he will do whatever he can to help Obama win. McAuliffe denies claims that the former president is bitter over his wife's loss in the Democratic race.

LEMON: Well, John McCain, praise, but no endorsement after a meeting with one of America's most prominent evangelists. The presumptive Republican nominee stopped off yesterday at the Reverend Billy Graham's home in North Carolina, also there, Graham's son, Franklin.

The 89-year-old Graham, who is ill, sat up in a chair and took part in the meeting. After the talks, Franklin Graham said he is impressed by McCain's personal faith and moral clarity on important social issues.

Check out our Political Ticker for all the latest campaign news. Just log on to CNNPolitics.com, your source for all things politics. And a reminder that we're awaiting remarks from Senator John McCain at a town hall event in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. That happens at the bottom of the hour. See it live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. And get the latest from the campaign trail on both candidates at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM," of course with Wolf Blitzer.

PHILLIPS: The Pentagon says it will seek the death penalty against a Saudi Arabian for allegedly organizing and directing the bombing of the USS Cole. Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri has been held at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay since 2006. He says he was tortured into confessing. The CIA admits waterboarding Nashiri several years ago. Seventeen American soldiers were killed and dozens wounded when the Cole was attacked in Yemeni port of Aden in 2000.

And Army investigators are now joining police to probe the mysterious death of this soldier in North Carolina. Specialist Megan Touma was seven months pregnant. Her decomposing body was found in a hotel near Fort Bragg more than a week ago. Investigators are treating the case as a homicide, but they're not saying how Touma was killed.

The military is planning a second, more advanced autopsy. Investigators say that another Fort Bragg soldier is a so-called person of interest in that case.

LEMON: Following up on a story we first told you about in November, a Houston, Texas, grand jury refused today to indict this man, 61-year-old Joe Horn. He is a homeowner who shot to death two men outside his neighbor's house. Horn said he believed the men were burglarizing that house, and while he was on the phone with a 911 operator, he grabbed his 12-gauge shotgun.

Here's part of that call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: Mr. Horn, do not go outside the house.

JOE HORN, TEXAS RESIDENT: I'm sorry. This ain't right, buddy.

911 OPERATOR: You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun. I don't care what you think.

HORN: You want to make a bet? I'm going to kill them.

911 OPERATOR: OK? Stay in the house.

HORN: They're getting away.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Horn's attorney says his client shot the men only when they came into his yard and threatened him.

Now, you remember the protests that followed. Civil rights activists argued the shooting was racially motivated. The victims were unemployed illegal immigrants from Colombia. Horn's supporters say he was protecting himself and being a good neighbor.

Part of a disturbing national trend, that's how federal investigators describe this fatal helicopter collision over Flagstaff, Arizona. Two medical choppers carrying patients to the same hospital hit each other yesterday. At least six people are dead, one critically injured.

Now the National Transportation Safety Board has taken over that investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ROSENKER, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: This has been a serious issue. As a matter of fact, just this year, only six months into the calendar year, there have been eight such accidents, not necessarily midairs. Midairs are rare, extremely rare. But eight EMS aircraft have had accidents.

And we're very concerned about that. That's why we're going to work very, very hard to make sure we understand exactly what happened here, determine the probable cause, and make recommendations to prevent it from happening again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, three of the first rescuers at the scene were hurt in a second explosion. They are all, by the way, in good condition. A 10- to 15-acre wildfire the crash set off has been contained.

PHILLIPS: Well, at the rate we're going, worth its weight in oil might become the new saying. Black gold sets another record. This morning, crude surged past $143 a barrel for the first time. Analysts point to fears of a supply disruption in Iran, still locked in an international stalemate over its nuclear program.

As for your Monday markets, let's take a look at the Big Board, right now, the Dow industrials up 50 points, slowly climbing up. We're going to go live to Wall Street in about 10 minutes for a full business roundup with our Susan Lisovicz.

And you have seen it, you have heard it, and you have probably felt it. Record-high gas prices have many Americans' wallets running on empty. In fact, according to a new Associated Press/Yahoo! poll, nine of 10 people expect fuel costs to put them in a financial squeeze over the next six months.

Now, for some, that means giving up little luxuries like vacations and brand names, but nearly half foresee serious hardship because of gas prices.

So, how high will those gas prices go, and what are our energy alternatives? We are going to seek questions from Chevron chairman Dave O'Reilly. He's taking your questions tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN. LEMON: Tragedy at an Alabama air show. A young boy loses his life when a powerful storm strikes a group of spectators.

PHILLIPS: And a young murder suspect is found dead in his cell in Maryland. Police are baffled by the case.

LEMON: And, as we told you at the top of the hour, we're awaiting John McCain. He's at a town hall in Pennsylvania. See it live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Army Captain Gregory T. Dalessio of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, one of America's fallen heroes. Greg died a week ago today of wounds suffered during combat operations just outside Baghdad. He was only 30 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, so, barring any more rain, the worst of the great flood of '08 may be over for Missouri. The Mississippi River is finally cresting at Saint Louis about nine feet above flood stage. The river won't crest for another day or two down river in Cape Girardeau.

Firefighters are gaining ground slowly against more than 1,000 wildfires burning across Northern California. Crews have managed to build a fire line between one of the biggest and the town of Big Sur. In Arizona, firefighters are scrambling to keep these flames from the town of Crown King. The winds are picking up, and everyone there, well, they have evacuated their homes for now.

Spectator tents collapsed, and a 5-year-old boy was killed during a violent thunderstorm in Huntsville, Alabama. It happened at an air show yesterday. Twelve other people were hurt. One, another child, was taken to the hospital.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: Well, a Chicago firefighter, his job is dangerous enough without someone shooting at him. Take a listen to this. He was investigating a possible arson yesterday when a bullet tore into his ribs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND OROZCO, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: He's been a fire investigator for three to four years that I know of. So, I'm going to see him, good man, good family man. And we can now is just pray that he's going to be OK and he's going to make a good recovery.

It's been a long time. I have got to go back in memory a long time, going back, thinking about when a firefighter was shot in the line of duty. It's been a while. So, it was just wrong place, you know, wrong time. And he's out doing his job. And we don't really have all those details. We will let the police department look at that. Like I said, our main concern is his health and making sure that we take care of his family. (END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The firefighter is in serious but stable condition right now.

LEMON: Pipersville, Pennsylvania, in the political spotlight today. We're waiting for John McCain, a town hall meeting there. And we will have it live. Our coverage is getting under way. We will have it live for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

PHILLIPS: And what would you say to candidates on the topic of Iraq? A new I-Report feature allows to you state your case. We will tell you about it.

LEMON: Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, one of America's fallen heroes, the 20-year-old Marine died June 14 after his Humvee was blown up by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, take a live look at the South Lawn. Doesn't look like the South Lawn, does it? Well, that's because today it is transformed into a T-ball field, T-ball at the White House. Do we have any sound on this we can we hear, all this applause, get these guys up?

Anyway, President Bush has been doing this since 2001. He launched this T-ball on the South Lawn to encourage fitness among America's youth and promote our national pastime to people of all ages. Well, today, they open up the eighth season by honoring the Latino community's many contributions to the game of baseball.

Today's game features, we have some big names here. But let me tell you, first of all, the Little League Angels from Manati, Puerto Rico, and Little League Red Sox from Camden, New Jersey, also, Roberto Clemente Jr. standing next to the president. So, it's T-ball time on the South Lawn of the White House.

Do we want to take this or do we want to move on? Move on.

All right, so, anyway, hope they do have a fun game today. It would be fun to be there and be outdoors.

We have some important news for seniors. The Bush administration is freezing a planned cut of doctor's fees for Medicare patients. The 10 percent cuts were scheduled to go into effect tomorrow. A congressional vote to stop the cuts altogether is expected after the Fourth of July recess. Now, some physicians had been running ads hinting that the reduced rates could make it harder for seniors to find doctors willing to treat them.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you usually cram all your stuff into a carry- on bag instead of checking luggage, better stow some extra cash on you now. Apparently, the airlines are cracking down on travelers who overflow those overhead bins. Several carriers now are charging for checked bags. And you're going to have employees out there policing the size of your carry-ons. And now if you're stopped at the gate with a bulky bag, well, American Airlines is going to charge you $15 right there to check it.

United hasn't decided whether to charge yet. And for now, anyway, U.S. Airways won't charge you for checking the bag at the gate.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Next half-hour starts right now.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, not in Plano, Texas, but in New York City.

LEMON: Boy, that went off real, didn't it, partner? OK.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: I'm Don Lemon, live...

PHILLIPS: Giddyup.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: ... live in the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right, time now to tell you some of the stories we're working on for you today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A Houston grand jury has refused to indict a suburban homeowner who fatally shot two men last November. Sixty-one-year-old Joe Horn suspected the men of breaking into his neighbor's suburban home when he fired on them with a shotgun. A 911 operator pleaded with him to stay inside.

Investigators are planning a second autopsy on a pregnant soldier whose decomposing body was found in a hotel near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, more than a week ago. They're now treating Specialist Megan Touma's case as a homicide, and they have identified a fellow soldier as a -- quote -- "person of interest."

Live pictures now from Pipersville, Pennsylvania -- no live pictures -- live pictures of me. But we're going to be checking in on Pipersville, Pennsylvania, where John McCain is holding a town hall meeting this afternoon. We will dip into that live just as soon as it happens.

PHILLIPS: And getting a break in Baghdad -- a bomb disposal unit relaxes a bit before danger sets in again. We're going to go along with them as they answer a call in the CNN NEWSROOM.

But before we do that, we want to go to Candy Crowley on the phone with us right now. Apparently, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Candy, spending some time together?

VOICE OF CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a little ahead of the game, but they did talk on the phone. As you know, this is probably the most widely anticipated phone call since Dr. Livingston, I presume.

But nonetheless, what happened was they talked this morning. It was described to me by a source as a good conversation. That's as far as we've gone. As you know, a close friend of Bill Clinton's said yesterday that what he was waiting for wasn't that he was angry. It wasn't that he held bad feelings against Barack Obama but that he wanted to give his wife, Hillary Clinton, the time to go through the unity weekend because she was the candidate.

So nonetheless, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton did talk by telephone this morning, and that really sort of burst the kind of remaining bubble over this. Now, I suppose next we'll be talking about when they'll appear together, but nonetheless, Bill Clinton talking to Barack Obama today, and that is one of the things we've been waiting for.

PHILLIPS: Well, Candy, what kind of impact could this make? Bill Clinton received a lot of heat and so did his wife during her campaign trail days about his behavior, things that he said.

So say he comes behind Barack Obama, shows his full support, goes out together, you see them together. Good, more good than bad?

CROWLEY: Oh, absolutely. There are places that the former president can be enormously helpful to Barack Obama.

The Clinton name, particularly in rural and working class areas really still have a magic to it. They remember the Clinton era fondly. This is a group that Barack Obama does need, if you will, some help. Maybe a stamp of approval from the Clintons, which could, in fact, be very helpful to him. So, yes, no one ever doubted that Bill Clinton would come forth and say, I support him.

In fact, his office put out a statement saying that Bill Clinton intended to do whatever he could and whatever he was asked to. But the fact that the two are talking, there have been so many reports denied by Bill Clinton's friend, at least some of them, that he was angry about his legacy being tarnished and he was angry that he was framed as a racist. That he was angry, of course, that his wife lost. Obviously, these things did affect him. But he's going to be there. He will, in fact, support him.

So the fact that the two have talked certainly does kind of break that ice and the Obama campaign has said repeatedly -- Barack Obama has said repeatedly I want to use him. So I suspect they will in some way, shape, or form. I suspect Bill Clinton will be greeted as a hero at the Democratic convention. So, it helps, they do need unity.

PHILLIPS: Candy, just coming across my e-mail right now, apparently the Obama campaign has come forward with a statement. I'm just going to go ahead and read it Candy. It says, "Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign. He has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation's great leaders and most brilliant minds and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come." This is according to Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

Candy, so just confirming what you broke, Candy. And part of this statement saying receiving his counsel in the months to come. You mentioned the white collar vote that Barack Obama still needs to win over. He's also been working the working women. That's another section that he needs. Where else would he be receiving good counsel from Bill Clinton?

CROWLEY: In fact, Barack Obama said, when he was in Unity, New Hampshire, with Hillary Clinton, that, you know, he wanted the Clintons plural, advice, not just in the weeks to come, but to Obama, if he becomes president. I mean, obviously, a former president does bring a lot to the table, all of them. And they do, all presidents, tend to reach out to their predecessors for certain things.

Beyond that, Bill Clinton is a terrific political strategist. He knows these states. So in terms of political advice, he can be very, very helpful. And obviously, showing up at any point is a huge draw. He brings an audience. And, again, he's helpful in those small rural towns where they really still have so much respect for the Clinton name. So strategically he can be very useful.

He has a golden rolodex that may not yet be open to Barack Obama. He can raise money, as can Hillary Clinton. So obviously, what people will be watching in the coming months is, well, OK, how much of a help? That will be the next question. But there's no one that doubts, including the Obama campaign, that the Clintons bring a lot to the table.

PHILLIPS: Candy Crowley, as do you. You always bring a lot to the table for us, including that developing news. Thanks, Candy.

LEMON: All right Kyra and Candy keeping an eye on what the Democrats are doing.

We're also keeping an eye on what the Republican presumptive nominee is doing. John McCain he is in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, about to hold a town hall meeting. As soon as that happens, we'll dip into that and let you see how his day is going and what he is talking about.

But first, if gas prices have you down, it might be time to rethink your commute and how much power your house is pulling. This week's "Right on your Money," Ali Velshi has some bright ideas to help you save the environment and also save some money.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Going green and saving green now go hand in hand. With fuel prices rising, mass transit isn't only a way to pinch some pennies, it's also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

HOWARD GOULD, ECO-ENTREPRENEUR: I think the idea of using mass transit is probably the number one thing that most people that are commuters need to think about. That could be taking a train. Trains are actually really not that bad for the environment. Or now we're actually putting in buses that run on hydro. Or think about getting a hybrid car.

VELSHI: Another way to save and stay green this summer, power down.

GOULD: The fact is that power is still running through to appliances when they're still there..

VELSHI: You could save up to $50 on your yearly electric bill just by unplugging appliances like your computer, microwave, and cell phone charger when they're not in use.

That's this week's "Right on your Money."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Journalist Seymour Hersh is reporting in the New Yorker Magazine that President Bush could order an attack against Iran before he leaves office. Part of the alleged plan stepped up special ops missions inside Iran. The article is the talk of the pentagon today. Lots of no comments and a denial, of course. Earlier we spoke with the president of the non-partisan national Iranian American Council.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRITA PARSI, PRESIDENT, NATL. IRANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL: The United States is supporting the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union back in the 1980s. And a lot of those people ended up being part of al Qaeda who, of course, about a decade later committed the terrorist act against the United States.

And beyond that, we're in the middle of a war on terror. To give support to groups that are using terrorism, even if 's against a foe of the united states, it's going to make the United States lose a lot of credibility in the eyes of the international community.

LEMON: Not only credibility. We were saying there were people in Washington -- and I talked to you before this -- who may say, well, these are things that are done. Military leaders who say these are things that are done, and it's not surprising. To the person in the middle of the country, in the Midwest in America, they don't think it's done. If this does happen, it has repercussions for them. Tell us what those are.

PARSI: Absolutely. First of all, if we've said that military option is the last option. It's not the first option. Well then this certainly looks strange if what Sy Hersh is writing is true. Because in essence it means that there's a dirty war going on between the United States and Iran without us first giving diplomacy a fair chance. Beyond that, mindful of the war in Iraq, mindful of the tensions that currently exist in the Middle East, increasing those tensions or starting another war would get gas prices to go up much higher than they currently are.

We're talking about oil being at $143 today. That means that prices for ordinary people in the United States would pay for gas is probably going to get above $5 a gallon if this situation continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was Trita Parsi. Parsi is the president of the non- partisan national Iranian American Council.

PHILLIPS: We're asking for I-Reports. From CNN viewers directly affected by the war in Iraq.

Josh Levs here with a few that we have already received -- Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're pouring in, it's great. You know we go in there and ask for them and boom, they appear. Love it.

Kyra, this is the deal. It's something brand new. As you know, I-Report is a very popular feature that we have, ireport.com. We're inaugurating something brand new right now. This is the main screen, ireport.com/Iraq. It's all about Iraq and the next president. I've made this text huge so you all will be able to see it. This is the point, if you or a loved one have previously served or are currently serving in the military in Iraq, please share your story.

Tell us the most important thing the next president needs to know about Iraq. What we're doing is we're reaching out to you, you're in the military or a loved one is. What do you want to show the president or people running for president what you want to hear from them?

We've already been hearing from some people. For example we've gotten this already, this comes to us from Sergeant Steve Hartman. And actually our control room can take a prettier version of it. He cents us these photos today. Now he does security in Iraq. And he writes to us about how he's been getting this opportunity to work with all these people from all over the world, and it's really opening his eyes to multicultural experiences.

So when he wrote his comments, here's what he had to say. Let's show you this quote here. He says, "I would like the new president to bring back a strong United States in the eyes of the world through more collaboration with other countries to better their economic situations, which would help make allies for the future to shape new policies on energy, food, and other important issues."

So that's what Sergeant Steve Hartman is telling us right there. I'll show you quickly before I bring it back to Kyra. We are getting more as well. In fact last hour we mentioned one over here that we've gotten from Wendy Raymond. She sent us a picture of her husband Scott who is serving in Iraq right now.

She talked about the toll that the war takes on marriages. She says, look, I have a great marriage but I'm seeing way too many marriages break up. This is a big problem. I want to hear the president talk about how he's going to help keep families together, not just how we can keep people in Iraq. Whatever your angle is, if you or a loved one is serving in Iraq or has served in Iraq, feel free to go to ireport.com/Iraq.

Send your photos, your videos, just your stories, whatever you want, and we in turn will share them here. Who knows, whoever becomes the next president will eventually respond to that -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right Josh, thanks.

LEMON: The presumed culprit pulled of store shelves and restaurant menus. But if tomatoes are behind the salmonella outbreak, why are people still getting sick?

PHILLIPS: What are the chances that your favorite actors will walk the picket lines? Hear what the head of their union says right here in the CNN NEWSROOM..

LEMON: But first Army Major Dwayne M. Kelley, one of America's fallen heroes. The 48-year-old Kelley Died last Tuesday in a bomb attack on an office in Sadr City in Baghdad. Back home he was a New Jersey state trooper who worked with the department's terrorism task force.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. So if there are lingering questions about the cause of a nationwide salmonella scare originally linked to tomatoes. Now health officials aren't so sure. Stores pulled the tomatoes from their shelves and restaurants, have taken them off the menus. But more people are getting sick. The CDC says there have been more than 800 cases in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Health officials spent the weekend searching for other possible sources of the outbreak, checking warehouses and distribution centers in Mexico and also in Florida.

Get more on the safety of your food. It is a Lou Dobbs special report it's at 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

PHILLIPS: Published report details a daring secret plan to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants. The "New York Times" reports that late last year U.S. Special Forces were about to head into the mountains of Pakistan to respond to a build-up of al Qaeda training camps. Six months later, the times says the special ops teams are still waiting for the green light. The "Times" also says that al Qaeda has a new band of terrorist camps where they can plan and train attacks on Western targets. And you can expect more on this story at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. John Roberts filling in for Wolf today.

LEMON: A young murder suspect is found dead in his cell in Maryland. Police are baffled by the case. The news keeps coming. We'll bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: And navy hospital man Dustin K. Burnett of Fort Mohave, Arizona, one of America's fallen heroes today. Burnett died June 20th in a roadside bombing in western Afghanistan. He was just 19 years old.

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LEMON: An accused cop killer dies and police in Maryland are at a loss to explain why. Here's Rich Reeves from our affiliate WJLA.

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RICH REEVES, WJLA REPORTER (voice-over): Authorities at Prince George's County Correctional Center say they have no idea why 19-year- old accused murderer Ronnie White would be found unconscious in his maximum security cell.

COL. GREGORY HARRIS, PRINCE GEORGES CO. DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS: Certainly there was no cloth or rope or materials tied around his neck. There were no cuts on his wrists or anything.

REEVES: White facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the Friday death of Prince George's County Corporal Richard Finley appeared fine earlier in the day.

HARRIS: At 10:15 a.m. this morning, correctional officers found him sitting on his bed alert. When officers returned 15 minutes later to serve him his lunch, he was unresponsive.

REEVES: White was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. Just yesterday he was accused of striking and fatally injuring Corporal Finley with this stolen pickup.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This officer was confronted by criminals who would not yield to an appropriate law enforcement authority.

REEVES: Police apprehended White and three others after a massive manhunt. As a high-security inmate, White was kept in solitary confinement and checked every half hour. Authorities don't suspect foul play.

HARRIS: He was of sound mind, showed no signs of suicide or depression.

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LEMON: That was Rich Reeves from our affiliate WJLA. The officer White was accused of killing was a 10-year veteran of the police department.

PHILLIPS: Don't say the word strike around Allen Rosenberg. The head of the Screen Actors Guild doesn't want to hear it. He calls any such talk a distraction. The contract between SAG and Hollywood's major studios runs out at one minute after midnight. Union leaders say they're willing to keep talking.

LEMON: Let's get you live now to Pipersville, Pennsylvania, where we're going to show you John McCain on stage -- do we have John McCain there?

There it is, the crowd, and you see his wife, Cindy McCain there as well-being introduced by the folks there in Pipersville, Pennsylvania.

This is a town hall meeting for them. We're going to check in, in just a little bit right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Otherwise, "The Situation Room" with John Roberts will have it for you at the top of the hour. We're back in a moment.

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PHILLIPS: We're going to wrap up just a couple minutes early.

John Roberts in for Wolf Blitzer today in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Don.

LEMON: Yes, we get a free afternoon, four whole minutes Kyra. Yes, we're going to go now.

PHILLIPS: What do we do with ourselves?

LEMON: I don't know.

John McCain, we're going to listen to John McCain's speech in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, and he's going to take us to "THE SITUATION ROOM."

See you tomorrow, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Bye-bye.