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American Morning
Candidates Square Off on Iraq; Father of Rescued American Hostage Speaks Before Reunion; Ingrid Betancourt Freed From Guerillas; Inside the Daring Hostage Rescue in Colombia
Aired July 03, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Violence has fallen and even former critics acknowledge the surge seems to be working. So far, Obama shows no signs of changing policy.
SUSAN RICE, SR. FOREIGN POLICY ADV. OBAMA CAMPAIGN: He's been very clear that he will withdraw American forces at a responsible rate carefully from Iraq. He's also said that he will be responsive to what his commanders on the ground tell him.
YELLIN: The McCain campaign sees an opening. Today a top McCain supporter charged that Obama is prepared to sacrifice the progress that has been made in Iraq and is clinging to a very ideological commitment to left wing supporters. In recent weeks, McCain has accused Obama of being naive on national security.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRES. NOMINEE: The best idea is to not broadcast what you're going to do. That's naive.
YELLIN: And he's questioned Obama's judgment because he --
MCCAIN: Hasn't traveled to Iraq to meet with General Petraeus and see for himself the progress he threatens to reverse. Americans should be concerned.
YELLIN: Shortly after, the Obama campaign announced the candidate will visit Iraq before the election.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN: Two factors working in Obama's favor. Something Susan Rice pointed out in our interview that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he'd like to have more troops in Afghanistan, but first they need to be freed up in Iraq.
And a new CNN poll, it shows most Americans want troops to start leaving Iraq regardless of the conditions on the ground -- John, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Jessica, thanks.
Top of the hour now, and breaking news. Three freed American hostages back on U.S. soil for the first time in more than five years after they were taken hostage in Colombia. Here's some new video that just came in of them arriving this morning. It was right around about quarter past midnight. And there they were arriving at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. And they're expected to undergo some medical tests and then they're going to see their family members for the first time today.
And, again, brand-new video as the contractors touch down in San Antonio after that daring military rescue inside of Colombia. It took their Colombian kidnappers by total surprise and not a shot was fired. Here's a brand new photo of the three men as they were on their way back home.
Ed Lavandera live in San Antonio where the hostages touched down in the very, very wee hours this morning. Hi, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. Well, after arriving here at Lackland Air Force Base just before midnight Central time last night, they were then ferried by helicopter over to Brooke Army Medical Center. And, of course, many people might know of this center because this is a hospital that has treated many of the Iraq war veterans and Afghanistan war veterans. They have come here for their extended treatment.
This is a hospital that has prepared for the arrival of these hostages. And now that they have been recaptured and brought back here to the United States, they will undergo a long series of medical and psychological testing.
But one of the air force airmen who was on that flight back from Colombia to San Antonio last night talked about the mood of the three men as they were on that flight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAFF SGT. DARYL BRADLEY, AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION TECHNICIAN: They were very grateful. Very excited to be home. Can't wait to see their families. Can't wait to see the differences in the United States. And they're just absolutely pleased to be home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Of course, all the attention now focused on the well being of these three men. We do understand that they do have some issues, medical issues that they need to deal with in terms of physical ailments. Many of them -- several of them we were told or have heard in recent months that they are still suffering from injuries suffered from that plane crash back in February 2003 that led to them being captured as well as the ambassador, the U.S. ambassador in Colombia, also saying yesterday that two of the three men were suffering from leishmaniasis disease, which is a parasitic disease that can really cause a lot of problems. So you can imagine that all of that will be at the center of these medical exams that they will begin in earnest here today in San Antonio -- Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. So still, a lot of challenges ahead, but of course the overriding news that they're back safe is really what their families wanted to hear. Ed, thank you. JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Four minutes after the hour. George Gonsalves is one of the lucky parents who received word late yesterday about his son's amazing rescue. Mr. Gonsalves is about to leave for Texas to be reunited with his son Marc. In fact, he's headed for the airport right after we speak with him. And he joins me on the phone now from his home in Hebron, Connecticut.
George, it's great to talk to you. You've had a number of hours for this to sink in. How are you feeling this morning?
GEORGE GONSALVES, RESCUED HOSTAGE'S FATHER (ON THE PHONE): I'm feeling like it's still sinking in. It's been a long, long night for me.
ROBERTS: You haven't so far talked to Marc, have you?
GONSALVES: No. I'm going to see him today.
ROBERTS: And what have you heard about him at least from officials who were connected with his rescue and his transportation back here.
GONSALVES: Yes, I haven't gotten any updates on him yet. The only thing I've gotten is from Northrop Grumman and they've indicated that the men are in fairly good health. They have yet to go through the exams, find out exactly what is and what isn't (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTS: Right really. So you haven't heard that much about your son so far?
GONSALVES: Not yet. Not yet. A lot of that's going to happen today.
ROBERTS: You must have an awful lot to talk about when you get down there to San Antonio.
GONSALVES: We have a lot to talk about is right. There's been a lot of things that have happened. I'm sure there's a lot of things that happened with him that we'd certainly like to exchange a little conversation for about two or three hours anyway.
ROBERTS: Oh, I can't imagine. I mean, it's going to be difficult for him, I would expect, to reenter back into society after being captured there in the jungles of eastern Colombia for the last five years.
But let me ask you, George, how have you and your family coped over these years? You had some early indication the fall of 2003, about six months after the plane went down, that he was alive. And then as I understand it, there was nothing until earlier this year.
GONSALVES: That's correct. Yes, there was a proof of life video. Another one came out earlier this year. And that was something that the President Chavez had put together with FARC, one of his initiatives for a humanitarian exchange. And as part of that too there were also some hostages that were released. And we were fortunate enough to meet with some of them and got some insight as to how the guys were and what the camps were like into that nature.
ROBERTS: Right. So how did you hang on for those four interceding years?
GONSALVES: Yes, that was an uphill battle because it was kind of like a roller coaster ride. You know, initially we didn't get much information. Then the information that we got, we just -- we were very sketchy about. We really didn't understand, you know, what was going to happen to them.
We couldn't communicate with them. There was no way we could get like a phone call, for example, like we're having right now. I couldn't talk to him and I haven't spoken to him. So it was very hard.
ROBERTS: I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. You know, we found out late yesterday that the rescue of your son and the other 14 hostages was made possible because of U.S. intelligence had pinpointed where they are. The U.S. has been working hand and glove with the Colombian government to try to effect a rescue. But have you been happy with the way that the U.S. has dealt with the situation since February of 2003.
GONSALVES: Well, initially we didn't get a lot of support from the government, where there was something obvious that they were doing something. We were under the impression they were doing something but it wasn't obvious.
Later, I would say actually last year is when we got -- I think and I believe the other families, that's when we actually got some real support from the government. That was a real turning point as far as the hopefulness of seeing our guys back again.
ROBERTS: Well, I just -- I can't imagine your relief and excitement that your son is going to be back home soon. Marc, we'll let you go. George, we'll let you go because I know that you've got to get to the airport to get out to see your son, Marc.
GONSALVES: That's right.
ROBERTS: We thank you so much for spending time with us.
GONSALVES: Thank you so much.
ROBERTS: And all of our best to you and your family.
GONSALVES: Thank you.
CHETRY: Oh, we have another very happy family member to talk to right now as well. Amanda Howes, she is the niece of freed hostage Thomas Howes. And when she heard the news she said it redefined the word "miracle." She joins us now from Massachusetts on the phone this morning.
Amanda, thanks for getting up with us.
AMANDA HOWES, NIECE OF HOSTAGE (ON THE PHONE): Oh, no problem. Good morning. How are you?
CHETRY: Great. How are you? Better question.
HOWES: We are wonderful. Just wonderful this morning. Thank you.
CHETRY: All right. So tell us what you've learned or -- as I understand it, you haven't had a chance to talk to your uncle yet, correct?
HOWES: No. Not as of right now. We are planning on making contact with him this morning. And hopefully, you know, just reconnecting and telling him how much we love him and how thankful we are on his safe return to the states.
And we watched the coverage last night and we're just completely overjoyed with the way that everything was handled. And we're just -- we're so happy. And honestly, we had hope for five years. It's such a miracle that he returned to us safely.
CHETRY: You did have hope?
HOWES: So we can't wait to talk to him this morning.
CHETRY: You did believe that there was -- that he was going to come back to you guys alive?
HOWES: I think we had hope for those five years. But there was -- you know, there's always that small thought in the back of everyone's mind, you know, like, oh, you know, is he honestly going to return to us? You know, we had -- we have a happy ending now. We have it this morning.
And, you know, like I said, we're going to try to make contact with him this morning. My -- our family -- my family's hearts go out to all the hostages, you know. We have such gratitude towards everyone that assisted with the rescue and we're just so happy, you know, that he is here with us.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Yes, you know, it really --
HOWES: I've been talking to, you know, the families who still have loved ones in Colombia. You know, I mean, it worked out for our family. But, you know, we just hope that the same can work out for the families that have loved ones that are still stuck there.
CHETRY: You're right. And that shows a lot of compassion on your part because while it is a time of joy for your family, there are others who are hoping this will happen for them down the road. Talk about timing, Amanda, this is very interesting. You work at a Boston TV station. You work at WHGH. And what people might not know about our business is that, you know, we use the computer a lot. We get news updates and news flashes. And as I understand it, it flashed on your computer that they had been rescued, including Thomas, your uncle. What was that moment like?
HOWES: That was correct. I work at WHGH in Boston with the local NBC affiliate. And we're in the middle of breaking news. And we had been -- you know, I had been there all day and a news alert crossed on the bottom of the screen. Then I clicked on it and it's this wonderful news.
As you know it mentioned Bogota, Colombia. U.S. military had performed a rescue of Ingrid Betancourt as well as the three U.S. military contractors. And I just -- I literally screamed with enjoyment and I started shaking.
And, of course, everyone was like, oh, you know, what's the hot news tip? What's the hot news tip? And it wasn't anything, you know, really for the local coverage that we were doing.
CHETRY: Right.
HOWES: It was more for -- it was more personal for me and my family, you know.
CHETRY: Of course.
HOWES: And all my colleagues and coworkers had been, you know, I had told them about the incident that happened five years ago. And they were informed of what was going on. They were all, you know, just overcome and overjoyed as well and excited for my family and I. I appreciate everything that they did for me yesterday.
CHETRY: Amanda, that's just wonderful. And I'm so glad you're getting the chance to reconnect with your uncle today. Just in time, by the way, as we understand it, his birthday is on the 4th of July.
HOWES: Yes, yes.
CHETRY: So he's certainly getting a heck of a birthday present.
HOWES: Yes, it's the best birthday present I think anyone could ever ask for.
CHETRY: Absolutely.
HOWES: It's the true holiday for my -- for obviously the Howes family tomorrow.
CHETRY: Independence Day takes on a new meaning for the Howes family. Thanks so much.
HOWES: That, it does. That, it does.
CHETRY: Thanks for joining us, Amanda.
HOWES: Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.
CHETRY: You too.
ROBERTS: Well, the rescue mission itself is a plot fit for an action movie. We're going to take a look at that coming up.
Also, sheer joy for families of three Americans who were freed. Hundreds of other prisoners remain, though. We go live to Colombia as the fight for their freedom continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRID BETANCOURT, FORMER COLOMBIAN HOSTAGE: This morning when I woke up, the last thing that I imagined was that I was going to be here with you tonight. This is a miracle. I don't know how you can call it any other name. To me, this is a miracle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: That was Ingrid Betancourt. She was a presidential candidate in Colombia when she was kidnapped. Imagine one of our presidential candidates being kidnapped and then disappearing for six years. That's exactly what happened to her, a former Colombian presidential candidate who is now free along with three American contractors.
She campaigned in dangerous territory, ignoring warnings to stay away, and then was used as a bargaining chip against the Colombian government.
Susan Candiotti is live for us now in Bogota, Colombia, with more on the happy news that Ingrid Betancourt is now free. Hi, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy, happy news. And, of course, this is also -- hi, Kiran -- considered to be a huge blow to FARC. After all, she was such an important high-value bargaining chip as well as the American hostages. So the question is, what might happen to FARC now? But who is Ingrid Betancourt?
Well, she meant a lot in this country. She ran a very high- spirited campaign and certainly a very unorthodox one. At one point handing out condoms here, something you would probably not see in the United States. She also fought long and hard against corruption and against drugs. An article has been written about her in "Vanity Fair" magazine.
Interestingly her mother campaigned hard against rescue operation because her mother thought this would be far too dangerous. She felt a diplomatic solution would be far more helpful.
But now, times are better. She is back. She is back reunited with her mother and soon to be with her family. Will she run again for president? Well, she said she would like to serve Colombia again in some capacity.
Will she run for president? She said it's too soon to tell. We do expect within the next hour that a plane from France carrying her family, her two teenage children as well as her ex-husband, she has dual citizenship with France, will be arriving here in Colombia. They will reunite.
It's not known whether she will spend a little bit of time here. However, the "Associated Press" is reporting that she is expected to be back in France by tomorrow afternoon where there will be a welcoming ceremony and a great day of celebration there. A ceremony at a military base back in France. And certainly a day of celebrations here too. Back to you, Kiran.
CHETRY: Susan Candiotti for us in Bogota. Thank you -- John.
ROBERTS: The rescue mission itself is a plot fit for an action movie. Espionage, infiltration, deception and ultimately success.
Randi Kaye is here now. She takes us through this dangerous mission step by step. It's just amazing what they do.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It sure is. This really -- this whole mission was a blow to the morale of the FARC. You know, they're about 10,000 strong in the jungles of Colombia, but their numbers are going down.
What I think they're going to be trying to figure out now for quite some time is how they were duped by the Colombian military into allowing these hostages to be taken. They are their bread and butter. They have been working to keep these hostages and use them in exchange for the guerrillas. And now, this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): After more than five years in captivity, they are free.
MARC GONSALVES, RESCUED FARC HOSTAGE: I love you guys. And I'm just waiting to come home.
KAYE: This proof of life video was taken just months after Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, were kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a guerrilla group that survives in the jungles and has been at war with the Colombian government for decades.
The American hostages were private contractors for Northrop Grumman working for the U.S. government. In February of 2003, their surveillance plane went down in FARC territory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have lost engine. We are north of 030394.
KAYE: The three surviving American contractors became hostages joining an estimated 750 others, including Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, now free after six years in captivity. INGRID BETANCOURT, RESCUED FARC HOSTAGE (translator): Please join me to thank God. To the Virgin Mary, I prayed a lot. I imagined this moment very often with my mom. Don't cry anymore. You don't have to cry anymore.
KAYE: Betancourt, a rising political star in Colombia, was kidnapped while campaigning for president in a FARC stronghold in 2002. This video was taken just hours before she disappeared. Last year a video surfaced showing the three Americans and the presidential candidate sickly but alive.
JUAN CARLOS LECOMPTE, INGRID BETANCOURT'S HUSBAND: We are right now in emergency. We cannot wait any longer, more months or more years. We can wait only weeks or days.
KAYE: But it's been an excruciating wait with little movement. Marc Gonsalves' mother recently told me she had visited Colombia three times to urge the government to find her son.
JO ROSANO, MOTHER OF FARC HOSTAGE: I look around I see all these mountains, and I see my son somewhere up there. And I'm getting no help at all from this government. No help at all.
KAYE: Keith Stansell's daughter talked to CNN last year about her dream that she would some day be reunited with her father.
LAUREN STANSELL, DAUGHTER OF KEITH STANSELL: I just want to hug him. I just want to hold him. I don't want to worry about catching up anything or telling him anything. I just want to hold my dad.
KAYE: A bait and switch before FARC ever knew what hit them. Not even the hostages' families could have dreamed of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: What's really amazing is after all these years in captivity, six years for Ingrid Betancourt, she was still worried about protecting her captors after she was rescued. During that press conference yesterday, she told the FARC leaders not to harm the FARC members who were there when the hostages were freed. That it wasn't their fault.
A bit of that Stockholm syndrome that we hear so much about where the victims actually protect their captors. In some cases, John, you know, they can fall in love with their captors. So we're seeing a little bit of that here. So it's a good thing that they're going to check their mental fitness as well.
ROBERTS: An extraordinary demonstration of benevolence yesterday. Of course, she said that she hopes that this might lead to some sort of peace negotiations between the Colombian government and FARC, which remains to be seen.
We saw her in some video last year. She looked incredibly ill. She looks terrific. What do we know about the three American hostages? KAYE: Yes, we were talking about that. She looks very, very different. Much improved, we should say. She was very sickly in that last video that we saw of her.
We do know from the policeman that had escaped in May of 2007, Pinchao (ph), he had said that one of the hostages, Marc Gonsalves, had hepatitis. So there was quite a bit of concern about him.
But now, going to the Brooke Army Medical Center, this is very good news because apparently, they specialize in treatment of tropical diseases. They have a state of the art facility there, so this is going to be very good news for them. They can take a good look at the hepatitis or whatever else these folks might have been bringing back from the jungle. And also, I mentioned this morning we were also discussing the parasitic disease that at least two of them possibly have.
CHETRY: Yes, leishmaniasis, which typically manifests itself as boils of the skin. That can also cause some internal organ problems depending on how long you've got it. So we'll find out all of that I would imagine as the day unfolds.
KAYE: They did say though that some of the good news is that they were able to come back right away.
ROBERTS: Yes.
KAYE: I mean, so obviously, they're in well enough condition to be able to return so quickly to the base. So that is good news.
ROBERTS: Great. Randi, thanks so much for that.
Righting a wrong to take care of our war heroes. Coming up, work starts this morning on a new facility replacing Walter Reed's crumbling veterans hospital. President Bush is going to be on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony.
CHETRY: And still ahead, one community now sits empty along California's coast. The state's raging wildfires force the evacuation of an entire town. The latest on the forecast there, the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Twenty-five minutes past the hour. National headlines now.
You may remember reports of toxic fumes in FEMA trailers that were used by Hurricane Katrina victims. Well, scientists are now saying they may know why. It may have been the particle board inside of those trailers. Fumes actually found to be the preservative formaldehyde which can cause breathing problems and even some forms of cancer. The CDC is now recommending using different material to produce those emergency housing trailers.
President Bush will be in Bethesda, Maryland, to do a bit of digging today attending the groundbreaking of the new state of the art naval medical center just after 10:00 this morning. The new center will replace the rundown facilities at Walter Reed.
ROBERTS: Market jitters. The Dow suffered big losses on Wednesday following more than 166 points. The Nasdaq and S&P also finishing lower. This as oil hit another new record in overnight trading in Asia, rising to more than $145 a barrel.
And as hundreds of wildfires rage across California, the entire town of Big Sur sits empty this morning. People there have been forced to evacuate. Around 850 people live in that scenic coastal community.
CHETRY: Still to come, he is the first blind governor in the nation. New York's David Paterson underwent surgery on his eye and he decided to have the operation filmed to help others who may be suffering from the same thing.
We're talking live with the governor in our studio when the "Most News in the Morning" comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It was pretty good timing for the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain, who just happened to be in Colombia when the rescue operation of those hostages happened. McCain said Colombian President Alvaro Uribe briefed him on the raid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just finished a phone conversation with President Uribe, and he told me some of the details of the rescue, dramatic rescue of 15 people who were held hostage. The three Americans are freed and Ingrid Betancourt is also freed.
He says that they are in good condition. Of course, he is pleased at the success of the operation. These are very high-risk operations. Sometimes in the past they have killed the hostages rather than allowed them to be rescued. So I congratulate President Uribe, the military of the nation of Colombia. This is great news. And now we will renew our efforts to free all of the others, innocent people who are unlawfully being held hostage. I would remind you that the three Americans and Ingrid Betancourt have been held hostage for many years. In the case of Ms. Betancourt, six years. Thank god they are released. And they have been rescued.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: And we will continue to follow the homecoming of the three American hostages. There's new video to us here at CNN of them deplaning after finally arriving in San Antonio early this morning.
ROBERTS: Crossing the bottom of the hour, making news this morning, a French judge has reportedly ordered Continental Airlines and five people to stand trial for manslaughter over a plane crash that killed over 113 people. An Air France Concord went down in a ball of fire back in 2000 shortly after take off from Charles De Gaulle Airport. A judicial inquiry ruled that a piece of metal that had fallen off a Continental airliner was hit by the Concord which shredded the tire which then sent debris through the gas tank and caused the fire. The Associated Press reports that two Continental employees, two ex-Concord heads and a former chief in French Civil Aviation will stand trial later on this year.
Some church sex abuse claims are being covered by insurance companies. The Roman Catholic diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts says it's getting more than $8 million for claims that were paid out in the past and for more than 60 victims who are still waiting. Some of them could receive as much as $200,000.
Charities are being hurt by record gas prices. "USA Today" says volunteers who use their own cars are quitting because they cannot afford to fill up. Meals on Wheels says it lost people at almost 60 percent of its chapters. The American Red Cross says it's spending an extra $10,000 a day on fuel at Midwest flood sites.
CHETRY: Well, New York state Governor David Paterson is with us this morning, He is the nation's first legally blind governor. And just days ago he had his fourth eye operation in just two months. The next day, though, he was marching in a parade. Governor Paterson opted to have the surgery taped. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen takes a look at the procedure.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID PATERSON, NEW YORK GOVERNOR: I, David A. Paterson do solemnly swear.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been just a few months since New York Governor David Paterson first made headlines. From day one he's been open about everything from his personal life -
PATERSON: I betrayed a commitment to my wife several years ago.
COHEN: - to his health. On Saturday, Paterson had surgery to remove a cataract from his left eye.
PATERSON: Allowing myself to be filmed and to have this presentation more public might help for those who are a little anxious about this situation.
COHEN: Paterson, who's 53, has been legally blind since infancy.
PATERSON: My vision is the same as a person standing 400 feet behind me.
COHEN: His eye condition may have made him more vulnerable to cataracts, but he wants to spread the word that anyone can get cataracts, and they're easily fixed. Cataracts form when protein clumps together, creating a cloudy area on the lens of the eyeball affecting vision. Dr. John Danias says everyone will get cataracts eventually, but wearing sunglasses with UV protection can help delay them.
He removes the cataract from the governor's eye and replaces the lens with a synthetic lens.
DR. JOHN DANIAS, MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Cataract surgery these days is much simpler and easier than it used to be.
COHEN: Saturday's procedure lasted less than 90 minutes. And the next day the governor was marching in a parade. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: And we're pleased to have with us now New York Governor David Paterson. He joins me in the studio. Great to have you with us this morning.
PATERSON: Thank you.
CHETRY: And I was just speaking to you a little bit in the break as we were looking at that piece. You underwent this surgery and they do not do anesthesia because they need you to be able to move your eye. What was that like?
PATERSON: It's slightly painful. And they tell you that it isn't going to be. But that's how doctors get you to come into the operating room in the first place. But it's really a rather short procedure. Many people in this country, 40 percent of adults over 50, 90 percent of adults over 75, have forms of cataracts. And it can lead to total blindness. So addressing it as soon as possible is the most important thing. And because people don't, I realize that this is an opportunity to inform the public through the video taping of my surgery, so I was happy to do it.
CHETRY: And how are you? What's the prognosis? How are you doing today?
PATERSON: Oh, I'd say I'm fine. I was able to resume normal activities. I was supposed to spend the rest of the day resting instead I spent the rest of the day settling a power authority strike.
CHETRY: Right. Because the job of governor never ends, right, even if you are trying to recover. And, in fact, it was just a day later that you also marched in New York's gay pride parade that was on Sunday. The first New York governor to do this. You also recently ordered state agencies in New York to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. Would you like to see New York take the next step and legalize same-sex marriage?
PATERSON: Well, I would like to see New York take that step and legalize same-sex marriages. However, whatever my opinion would have been, I've thought that I was interpreting the court's decision and following the law, which in New York, there are 41 states that have defensive marriage acts. So you could not do it in those states. But in New York, which is silent on the issue, we recognize common law marriages that are out of state. Even though we don't have common law marriages in New York. And, therefore, we should recognize same-sex marriages out of the full faith and credit clause of the constitution where we grant people rights in our state that they would have in other states.
CHETRY: You know --
PATERSON: So people from California or Massachusetts, it's a little bit more difficult who have gotten married there. We would recognize it in New York.
CHETRY: It's really been a time of upheaval if you follow the news here in New York state in Albany. Of course, you came into office under a very strange situation as well. Former Governor Eliot Spitzer needing to leave. He resigned amid a sex scandal. And then right away you did open up about both past infidelities and past drug use. Why did you decide to go public with that?
PATERSON: Well I think whenever you're trying to stabilize a government, you don't want any further encumbrances. And my wife and I were separated. All we had to do was say we were separated. No one really would have paid any attention to what we were doing. But when you have small children, you really don't want to involve them in your process. That's what we had. Neither of us had ever become governor, no one would ever have known about it. And then in my youth like everyone else, I experimented a little bit. And that was just a reality and I thought that it was the truth inevitably becomes a very good political decision.
CHETRY: It's a tough town in Albany, especially with what goes on in and in some of the end fighting. Establishing yourself as someone who's candid and a straight shooter, has it helped you in terms of doing your job better?
PATERSON: I think it did. We passed the budget a couple weeks after I got there and the budget was due a couple weeks after I got there. And then we were able to establish more three-way agreements, bipartisan agreements in the last week of session than in the history of the New York state legislature. And that's just three months of my service for what I appealed to democrats and republicans was to look at the issues that are higher than our partisan differences.
Our state is $21.5 billion in deficit over the next three years. And we received only 14 percent of the taxes that we had gotten from our 20 largest taxpayers, corporations and banks in the first quarter of this year. So we are in tremendous financial hardship. And I don't think we have time to be debating the method in which we go about solving these problems as much as all of us, regardless of party affiliation, have to come together and try to save our state from some of the problems that we're having in this country. Extreme economic hardship.
CHETRY: Yes. It's happening all over the country, in fact. Well, I'm glad to hear that you're recovering from your surgery. We want to thank you for drawing attention to the issue of glaucoma and the treatment. Thanks so much for being with us. Governor Paterson, great to have you on the show. PATERSON: Thank you.
CHETRY: John.
ROBERTS: 39 minutes after the hour now. Ali Velshi is off for the independence day holiday. Stephanie Elam filling in today. She's watching the markets, oil prices and everything else for you. Good morning, Steph.
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ROBERTS: 42 minutes after the hour. A shot of the helicopter that was taking the three freed American hostages, Steve Stansell with Mark Gonsalves and Thomas Howes from Lackland Air Force Base to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. There's a shot of them coming off the C-17 that brought them in from Colombia. Five years in captivity. February 2002 until July of 2008. But they are free. Their family members will be reuniting with them later on today. And we hope to get a whole lot more of that as the day progresses.
The hairless profit of doom Ali Velshi is now the horsy prophet of doom. He is up in Calgary, Alberta, for the stampede.
CHETRY: That's right, we have Stephanie Elam who, you know, may have hair, but doesn't bring any better news than Ali would have delivered.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: He has a horse. I only have a bear. So, it's not much better at all but before we get into animals and our whole zoo here, let's start with oil. Because oil is really causing some energy here today. I should tell you that it crossed $145 a barrel this morning in trade. Yesterday it closed at a new record of $143.57. So this right now shows you a gain of $2.60 yesterday on tensions in Nigeria and Iran.
And then we have some new information coming from the Treasury Secretary Henri Paulson, traveling right now in London, speaking this morning saying that he doesn't see quick fixes for oil and also saying that oil prices are likely to prolong the world economic slowdown. So this adding some more fuel to the fire that, perhaps, oil prices will continue to grow here. I also want to point out gas prices. We have a new record there as well. I'm sure you're not surprised about that as we head into the fourth of July weekend. New record. It's almost $4.10. Not quite. But it's almost there. So this is up six-tenths of a cent from yesterday's record of about $4.09. The sixth increase in a row and the fourth record high in a row as well.
So, with all this said, yesterday the Dow officially closed in bear market territory. That means it's off 20 percent from its record high in this cycle which was also the high it ever saw which was back in October, 14,164 was the high there. Those are the numbers for yesterday. As you can see the Dow losing 1.5 percent. Nasdaq off more than two percent, S&P off two percent as well. So growling. Growling occurring, no more bull for right now. We'll see if it changed.
ROBERTS: The Bears are definitely out there.
ELAM: Yes, the Bears are there.
ROBERTS: Stephanie, thanks.
ELAM: Thanks.
CHETRY: Still ahead, three sex change operations and a major push to legalize same-sex marriages happening right now in Cuba. The woman behind it all is no other than the president's daughter. She talks about her mission and the changing face of her nation. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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ROBERTS: 12 minutes to the top of the hour. One of the most progressive voices in Cuba is none other than Raul Castro's daughter. She is not only pushing for causes that were once jailable offenses but she is having a lot of success in doing it too. CNN's Shasta Darlington reports.
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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mariela Castro has a faithful following in Cuba. But not the following you'd expect the president's daughter to have. Many of her fans are transvestites. Thanks to Castro's work as director of the National Center for Sexual Education, gay and transsexual rights are a topic of national debate.
MARIELA CASTRO, NATIONAL CENTER FOR SEXUAL EDUCATION (through translator): What we want is dialogue and understanding, she says. And above all respect for people's sexual orientation and gender identity.
DARLINGTON: Cuba's health ministry recently authorized free sex change operations. And Castro's also pushing the government to legalize homosexual unions. This in a country that once sent homosexuals to labor camps. Castro believes her prominent family ties have had little to do with her successes.
CASTRO: The only advantage is that the person who is now president is also my papa and I can talk to him. But don't think I can talk to him a lot. She says work is a forbidden topic at Sunday family gatherings. Castro says she has to submit all of her proposals in writing just like everyone else.
DARLINGTON: But President Raul Castro has offered a bit of fatherly advice.
CASTRO: He's seen there's things you can't push for too much, she says. They don't work out, and then they take a lot longer to be accepted by society.
DARLINGTON: The younger Castro knows that well. She's already facing backlash over her work. There was harsh reaction from the Catholic Church and from citizens who have written in to the communist party to complain, which means gay unions won't be legalized for at least another year, she predicts.
Approval was initially expected this month. Castro says she sees the same pattern of cautious change being carried out on the national stage. Since taking office in February, Raul Castro has launched farm reforms and lifted unpopular restrictions on things like cell phones. Many Cubans say those changes don't go far enough. But his daughter's work is helping cast communist Cuba in a more tolerant light. Shasta Darlington, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Breaking news. Three American hostages back on U.S. soil after five years, without a shot fired.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It redefines the word miracle, it really does.
CHETRY: Plus the $800 fill up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two credit cards coming in to pay for their fuel.
CHETRY: Boaters anchored down by the pump. You're watching the most news in the morning.
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CHETRY: Police in Indonesia foiled an alleged terror plot, targeting tourists. They say militants were planning to bomb a cafe in West Sumatra. That's very popular with travelers. Nine suspects were arrested and authorities seized bomb making materials and guns. The suspects were later transferred handcuffed wearing ski masks from a plane on to police buses at an airport in Jakarta.
Both the United States and Iran are down playing ideas that Israel or perhaps the U.S. will attack Iran by the end of the year. And a candid comment from America's top military officer, the U.S. isn't up for another war. More from CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
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JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: While Admiral Mike Mullen won't say what message he delivered in recent meetings with Israel's top generals, the warning is to Israel seemed clear. Don't drag the U.S. into war by launching a preemptive attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: This is a very unstable part of the world and I don't need it to be more unstable.
MCINTYRE: Privately, U.S. military officials say there is some concern Israel might feel compelled to strike before the end of the year. In New York, Iran's foreign minister dismissed the war talk as a psychological flaw.
MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Following repeated defeats in the Middle East, we do not believe that the United States is in a position to impose another war on American taxpayers.
MCINTYRE: With U.S. forces tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan, Admiral Mullen appeared to be on the same page.
MULLEN: Opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us.
MCINTYRE: While Mullen stresses that diplomacy, he concedes Israel is operating on a shorter time line. For one thing, Israel fears Iran is closer to getting a nuclear bomb than the U.S. does. And it's concern that Iran is about to upgrade its air defenses with new Russian SA20 missiles. That would make air strikes more difficult for the Israeli Air Force which lacks the stealth bombers and cruise missiles in the vast U.S arsenal. Mullen also conceded that Iran could make good on its threat to disrupt shipping in the Persian Gulf but insisted the U.S. military could keep the vital Strait of Hormuz open to keep oil flowing for the world. As for Israel, its public statements have mirrored the U.S. position refusing to take the military option off the table while insisting no strike is eminent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are daunted here to the carrot and the stick diplomacy that we've initiated. We are also ready for a military conflict.
MCINTYRE (on-camera): Ironically, the Bellicose rhetoric comes as there may be a tiny crack in Iran's hard line position. Iran is indicating it may be willing to suspend temporarily the enrichment of uranium while it negotiates with European governments. Jamie McIntyre for CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: And speaking earlier in the day, President Bush said military action is not his first choice and the Iran problem should be solved diplomatically.
ROBERTS: It's four minutes now to the top of the hour, and here are some of the top stories that we're following right now.
The three American hostages rescued in Columbia are spending their first morning in more than five years on U.S. soil. They arrived overnight at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. The three Americans, a former presidential candidate and 11 other hostages were rescued during a daring operation that actually tricked their captors into turning them over. It was carried out by Colombia and monitored by the White House.
Remember those FEMA trailers that were sent to hurricane victims in New Orleans. Well, scientists now say that particle board may be to blame for high levels of formaldehyde fumes in the trailers. The chemical can cause respiratory problems and even cancer. Right now, FEMA no longer use travel trailers but about 15,000 hurricane victims are still living in them.
And as officials prepare to shut down the current troubled Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This morning, the ceremonial ground breaking will take place for the new Walter Reed Hospital in Maryland. President Bush is expected to make remarks before meeting with wounded soldiers.
We're turning now to our breaking news. The families of the American hostages rescued in Colombia are reuniting with their loved ones for the first time in more than five years. Last night, the son and daughter of Keith Stansell, one of the former hostages reacted to the news that their father is finally coming home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN STANSELL, DAUGHTER OF FMR. HOSTAGE KEITH STANSELL: We're so glad to know that they're okay and we're going to get to see them.
KYLE STANSELL, SON OF FMR. HOSTAGE KEITH STANSELL: I couldn't tell you what I would do, I really couldn't.
LAUREN STANSELL: Just looking forward to get my arms around him. I'm definitely daddy's girl and have been missing him very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And more new video this morning, we are hearing from an airman who was aboard the C-17 transport jet describing the joy that the rescued men felt knowing they were finally walking on American soil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAFF SGT. DARYL BRADLEY, AEROMEDICAL EVACUATON TECHNICIAN: It's a great day at the Air force. Absolutely. They can't think of anything else.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you get to talk to any of them?
BRADLEY: Yes, we did. We talked to them on the way home and they were very grateful, very excited to be home, can't wait to see their families and the differences in the United States. And they're just absolutely pleased to be home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And we're learning more details this morning about the daring rescue. Operation check began earlier this year when the group's leadership was infiltrated, that's the FARC group. That enabled Colombian troops to trick the rebels to giving up their hostages. Our Anderson Cooper has got more on this incredible ruse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Military video shows the moment the helicopter carrying the hostages lands ending years of captivity for 15 people, including three Americans. It began with a breath-taking rescue. One that was planned by Colombia, monitored by the White House and supported by the U.S. The operation was daring and deceptive. Rebel forces were holding hostages in a remote jungle area. The guerrillas assembled them in a field where a helicopter will take them to another insurgent control or so they thought. What the rebels didn't know, Colombian forces had infiltrated the insurgency, the trip was all a ploy to set the hostages free. One senior U.S. official tells CNN that the U.S. provided specific intelligence to help pinpoint the exact spot where the hostages were being held. But it wasn't until they were in the chopper that the captives were told they had been saved.
INGRID BETANCOURT, RESCUED FARC HOSTAGE (through translator): The helicopter almost fell because we started jumping. We screamed, we cried, we hugged. We couldn't believe it. God carried out this miracle. This is a miracle.
COOPER: Ingrid Betancourt was held for six years. She was running for president of Columbia when members of the revolutionary members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, seized her.
BETANCOURT: I would not be here if it were not for all the commanders of the Army, that had the bravado and the bravery to plan this extraordinary operation.
COOPER: The Americans, Keith Stansell, Mark Gonzalves, and Thomas Howes were military contractors employed by the U.S. government on a counter narcotics mission.
