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Senator Barack Obama Delivers Powerful Speech in Berlin Today

Aired July 24, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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

GERRI WILLIS, CO-HOST, "ISSUE #1": We are committed to covering it for you. "ISSUE #1" will be back here tomorrow, same time, 12 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time now to get you up to speed on other stories making headlines. CNN NEWSROOM with Kyra Phillips starts right now.

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: He's been to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Israel, but this hour, a speech in Germany that may be the highlight of Barack Obama's overseas trip. We're going to have it for you as we monitor these life pictures.

And Dolly downgraded, but still a powerful force. Word this hour of a possible tornado strike near San Antonio.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live in New York. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

As we mentioned, Dolly has been downgraded but still a pretty powerful force. Let's get straight to Rob Marciano. He's monitoring New Hampshire storms now and also a possible Texas tornado. Severe thunderstorms already sweeping through central and eastern parts of New Hampshire today, right?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's been a rough morning across much of New England. And tornado warnings posted about an hour or so ago. And now we're getting confirmation on the ground that there has been some damage across parts of northeastern New Hampshire, with a number of homes damaged, as many as 50 to 100. Even reports of people trapped in cars because of falling trees.

There is now a tornado warning in effect for counties just to the north and east of where that one came through. And also this one brand new tornado watch box that has been issued by the storm's prediction center in reaction to the action that we've seen so far this morning.

The tornado warning that was in effect up until 1 p.m. was for Oxford County and Carroll County. That is with the cell right on the border that is now crossing into -- into New Hampshire. And that one has a history of producing tornadoes. It's moving northeast at about 45 miles an hour.

And again, we're looking at the potential for seeing or for having saw a tornado there, and for all intents and purposes in the reports that we've seen -- we haven't seen any pictures, but the reports that we've heard are that there was a tornado that touched down in eastern parts of New Hampshire.

All right. Let's slide the map down to southern Texas. There's a tornado watch out here, as well. A possible tornado report in southern San Antonio.

Check out some of this video coming into the CNN NEWSROOM. KSAT, that's our affiliate up that way. Chopper in the sky. Damage from what was likely a tornado. There was tornado warnings that were posted earlier this morning for the San Antonio area and points south and east and up until -- we actually still have a tornado warning out for Gonzales and Guadalupe County.

And there you can see some of the damage from these tornadoes that are spinning off of hurricane -- what was Hurricane Dolly. So root damage, tree damage, and we saw some damage to the marina earlier this morning, as well.

So that threat will continue through this afternoon. Freshly issued tornado watch that's in effect for pretty much most of Maine, Kyra, is in effect until 7 p.m. tonight. So from the northeast to the Deep South, we've got the threat for tornadoes, not to mention the threat for flooding from what is now Tropical Storm Dolly and we'll talk more about that as this broadcast progresses.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right. It's going to be a busy day. Rob Marciano, thanks so much.

And in Oklahoma City, a deadly collapse at this work site this morning. Apparently, the crane was lifting a steeple onto the church, and it toppled over and crushed a car. An 80-year-old man was inside and was killed. He and another occupant had stopped to watch the construction.

And a big crowd gathering in the heart of Berlin to hear a much- anticipated speech by Barack Obama. The Democratic presidential candidate is scheduled to begin his remarks in the German capital just moments from now. We will bring it to you live as soon as it gets underway.

Now here in the U.S., John McCain is visiting another battleground state, the Republican candidate campaigning in Ohio, where his focus is on health care. Later today, he takes part in a cancer summit in Columbus.

CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is traveling with the Obama campaign. She joins us now live from Berlin.

You know, the last time he made a speech and a lot of noise was that incredible talk he gave on race relations. I think it was back in February, Candy. Ask now they're hailing this as the next, and -- well, the next biggest speech coming from him.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have to tell you, it is going exactly as they had planned. Here's what the Obama campaign wants. They want this kind of picture, of Europeans coming to see this new young man on the political scene in the U.S.

When we have traveled the campaign trail in the U.S. with Barack Obama, Kyra, one of the things that he stresses all the time and one of his biggest applause lines has been we need to restore more leadership to the country. He talks about how Americans are embarrassed when they go overseas. So this is the picture he wants to send back.

First of all, can you see me here, on the international stage? And look at the people who have come to see me. I'm the guy that can begin to forge new relationships with old allies.

And that's really what the speech is about today. It's going to be about transatlantic relationships; about the countries coming together to solve things like global warming, the war on terror, international trade, third-world country poverty, that sort of thing. So he says this is the big opportunity that one turns the page, that Europe, the Middle East, all of these countries that are U.S. allies can come together to cooperate on those.

So there's not a lot of campaign language that we're used to hearing. As you know, they sort of give the same speech a lot when you're on the campaign trail in the U.S. They've steered clear of that sort of thing. It's sort of a soaring rhetoric idea. And with some meat on it, but generally, it's about forging new alliances.

But it is this picture that they most wanted to have beamed back there to you all in the states, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, you know, I'm thinking about the last time we saw a rally like this, so many people showing up to see Barack Obama. It was in Oregon. And people were astounded by the number of people that showed up. And this is sort of what we're seeing here, but overseas.

I'm curious, Candy. Are these folks that are just interested in showing up to see what this man is all about, the first African- American to make it this close to the presidency? Is it curiosity? Or do they want to hear what he has to say about the issues, about international relations? Or as we're looking at some of the video here, it looks like it's just one big party.

CROWLEY: I was just going to say, I mean, that's the atmosphere here. It's set up like a rock music event. I mean, they have -- they're going to have a live band. You can see behind me the stage, sort of majestic looking over this sea of people.

So it's definitely -- is kind of, to use a '60s word, a happening. There are people all over the place. There are kiosks where you can get something to eat. So there's a very definite attitude.

But, you know, when we talk to people as we move from country to country, there is a lot of curiosity. And it's not just on the streets. And by the way, this is the first time, really, that Obama has seen what we call normal people. A lot of -- all of his visit up to now has been official heads of state, party opposition leaders, that kind of thing. So this is his first real contact, if you will, this speech with Europeans, mostly obviously Germans at this point.

So yes, it's a curiosity. Because remember, this is a man who came on the national scene three years ago. Nobody -- he's an unknown quantity in the international scene. But he's got this newness and this youngness about him that I think appeals to Europeans as they look to see -- and they're very caught up in the election in the U.S. -- as they look to see, well, who's next? What's coming next? And there's something appealing about this new man that they don't know much about at this point, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Candy Crowley, live from Berlin as we await Barack Obama's speech. We will take that live as soon as he comes to the podium. Candy, thank you so much.

Now, our other top story that we've been talking about this afternoon, of course, are those severe storms that we've seen in New Hampshire, also possible tornado in Texas. Rob Marciano is following all the radars for us and keeping us updated on the severe weather.

What I can tell you about New Hampshire is that the severe thunderstorms had swept through the central and eastern part of that state. And also, I'm looking across my BlackBerry right now getting some reports of collapsed buildings. At least two possible funnel clouds coming through that area, causing that destruction.

Jim Van Dongen, state emergency management spokesperson, on the phone with us right now in Concord, New Hampshire.

Jim, what can you tell me about the conditions there? We've only been able to see a little bit through our radars, haven't been able to get any video yet.

JIM VAN DONGEN, STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SPOKESPERSON: Well, this is a storm that came up very suddenly. We've been primarily concerned about flooding, actually, because we've had some heavy rains the last couple of days.

But just before noon today we had a rash of heavy thunderstorms with possible tornadoes, causing a swathe of damage roughly from the towns of Deerfield and Epsom through Wolfeboro and Alton. Those are mostly in Stratford County, in the central part of New Hampshire, as you indicated.

We've got reports from about seven communities with reports of the type of damage you would probably expect: trees down, trees on power lines, roads closed. Structural damage is primarily shingles off roofs and that sort of thing. We have had reports of more serious damage, but we haven't been able to confirm any of that yet.

PHILLIPS: All right. So are you advising any communities to evacuate at this point?

VAN DONGEN: No, because a storm like this goes through very quickly. By the time people would -- would try to leave, they'd actually be in more danger if they left their houses. What they should do, in any situation where you've got a tornado, is to get to the basement or the lowest, strongest part of the house.

PHILLIPS: So are you advising any communities to evacuate at this point?

VAN DONGEN: No, because a storm like this goes through very quickly. By the time people would try to leave, they'd actually be in more danger if they left their houses. What they should do in any situation where you've got a tornado is to get to the basement or the lowest, strongest part of the house and take shelter there, rather than try to evacuate.

Because of the nature of a tornado, it's very different from flooding and other sorts of things where you would ask people to leave.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jim Van Dongen, emergency management spokesman there in New Hampshire. We'll continue to check in with you and, of course, follow all the severe weather throughout New Hampshire and also Texas. Rob Marciano on top of that for us.

Well, a quick check of issue No. 1, how the economy affects you and your money.

Ford says it lost a whopping $8.7 billion in the second quarter of this year. But the company says it's taking action to cut the red ink. It plans to bring six smaller car models to sell in Europe to the North American market. Three of its truck and SUV plants will be modified to manufacture smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

And an oil trading firm is being charged with manipulating oil prices. The federal government says October Holdings (ph), two subsidiaries of three employees tried to bully and hammer the market.

Now according to regulators, the firm bought large positions in crude oil, heating oil, and gasoline just before the markets closed, driving the prices up, then selling them quickly and pocketing the profits as it drove prices back down.

This is the first indictment since regulators began a new investigation into activity on the energy markets.

And it's the Senate's turn to the consider the housing bill designed to help 400,000 people avoid foreclosure and to prevent the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The House passed the bill easily late yesterday, and it's expected to pass the Senate soon. Once Congress approves, President Bush says he will sign that into law.

And more on the housing crunch ahead. The San Diego City attorney is suing major lenders to prevent them from foreclosing on homeowners in his city. He's going to join me live to talk about his legal strategy.

And a woman takes her own life just hours before her home was set to be sold at a foreclosure auction. A live update on that pretty tragic story from Massachusetts.

Now, in the heart of New Orleans and 100 miles down river, an oily sheen covers the Mississippi. A tanker and a barge collided early yesterday, causing a 420,000-gallon spill. Now, according to the Coast Guard, the pilot of the tug boat moving the barge didn't have the proper license.

Meantime, the river remains closed to help speed up the clean-up. Now traffic's starting to backup, with dozens of ships bound for the Gulf stranded.

And we want to remind you once again we are waiting for Barack Obama to step up to the podium. He's getting ready to address folks there in Berlin, Germany. The last time we saw crowds like this, it was when he was working his way down the campaign trail. You may remember Oregon and the thousands of people that turned out for that.

Also the last speech that he made that really made headlines for the -- the -- what he said in his speech, the subject matter of his speech, was that race speech that he gave back in February. So it will be interesting to see what he has to say as he addresses hundreds of thousands of people that have showed up to see the first African- American running for the White House in the United States.

Also terror suspects believed to be intent on destroying the United States. So what's it like inside their special prison at Guantanamo bay? We're going to take you on an exclusive tour with our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

And an Australian submarine takes aim at a U.S. Navy ship, blowing it apart. What's going on here? We're going to tell you why it happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And we are waiting for Barack Obama to step up to the podium there live in Berlin at Germany, as he gets ready to address the thousands of people that have showed up to see the presidential hopeful speak overseas. We will take it live as soon as it happens.

Whole lot of shaking, and just because earthquakes are fairly common in Japan, that doesn't mean that they're any less frightening. This one hit just after midnight and shook much of north central Japan. It was strong, too: 6.8 magnitude. More than 30 buildings were toppled, and more than 100 people injured.

Here's where it hit, far from Tokyo, by the way, but near the same spot that a big quake struck last month. That quake killed at least 10 people.

And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants more pressure on Myanmar from that country's neighbors. Rice calls Myanmar's frequent promise for democratic reform a kind of mockery.

The secretary of state is in Singapore this week at a gathering of Asian diplomats and security officials, including those from Myanmar. She repeated her criticism of Myanmar's handling of the cyclone aftermath and its stated reform plans, which she called badly out of step.

Now, an exclusive look inside Camp Delta, where the worst of the worst terror detainees are held at Guantanamo Bay. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre got unique access and gives us a tour of the U.S.-run prison.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Down a cool dim hallway, behind a remote-controlled steel door...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open bravo one, one, one. I repeat, bravo one, one, one.

MCINTYRE: ... is a prison cells that holds what the Pentagon likes to label the worst of the worst.

(on camera) I'm actually inside a high security cell in Camp Delta (ph). This is the cell detainees are kept in. This one is set up for display purposes.

It's 12 feet by 8 feet. You can see it has a sink and a toilet. And behind me, you can see a window that you can see light through, but it's not the kind of window you can actually see outside. It's been made opaque.

And behind me, these are the items you get if you're in compliance: prayer rug, couple of sets of shoes, a light brown uniform, extra blanket. These are the items you get if you're not in compliance. A prayer rug, some religious items, pair of flip-flops, and the famous orange jump suit.

(voice-over) This is the recreation yard where even the hard-core cases get up to three hours of outdoor activity, with an exercise mat, a soccer ball and Gitmo's version of a treadmill. There's even an arrow pointing to Mecca.

But you won't see any prisoners in this video. The military restrictions on photography are draconian: all images must be digital so military censors can delete the ones they don't approve of. That includes any faces of detainees and any security measures, including locks and towers. So any glimpse into the shadowy world of Gitmo is just that: only a glimpse.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, inside Camp Delta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Stunning video of a U.S. naval ship being blown apart. It happened during international military exercises off the coast of Hawaii. An Australian submarine fired the new heavyweight torpedoes that sank that ship. Not to worry, though: the vessel was a decommissioned destroyer. The military exercises run until the end of the month and are held every two years, by the way, to promote stability in the Pacific region.

And we're waiting, along with thousands of Berliners, for Barack Obama to deliver a speech there in the German capital. Live pictures, we're going to bring it to you as soon as it gets underway.

Every little bit helps. Minimum wage climbs a little bit higher.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And Barack Obama has stepped up to the podium, in front of quite an excited crowd there in Berlin as he gets ready to give his speech. He's made it clear this is not a political rally. His speech is not going to be political. It's more lyrical, as our Candy Crowley has said, versus content.

Let's go ahead and listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And thank you to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you, Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all, thanks to all of you for this extraordinary welcome. Thank you.

I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before, although tonight I speak to you not as a candidate for president, but as a citizen, a proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world.

I know that I don't look like the Americans who have previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father -- his father, my grandfather was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning, his dream required the freedom and opportunity promised by the west. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody somewhere answered his prayer for a better life. That is why I am here. And you are here because you, too, know that yearning.

This city of all cities knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work and struggle and sacrifice for that better life.

Ours is a partnership that truly began 60 years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Temple Hall. On that day -- on that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the west, America, Britain, and France took their stock of their losses and pondered how the world might be remade.

This is where the two sides met. And on the 24th of June, 1948, the communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than 2 million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin. The size of our forces was no match for the larger Soviet army. And yet, retreat would have allowed communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another world war could have easily begun. And all that stood in the way was Berlin.

And that's when -- that's when the airlift began. When the largest and most unlikely rescue in the history brought food and hope to the people of this city. The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.

But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here to the Tiergarten and heard the city's mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. "There is only one possibility," he said, "for us to stand together united until this battle is won. The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty," he said, "and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world, now do your duty."

People of the world, look at Berlin. People of the world, look at Berlin. Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle. Look at Berlin, where the determination of people met the generosity of the Marshall plan and created a German miracle. Where a -- where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.

Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insists that we never forget our common humanity.

People of the world, look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.

(APPLAUSE)

Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad with new promise and new peril. When you the German people, tore down that wall, a wall that divided east and west, freedom and tyranny, fear and hope, walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Capetown, prison camps were closed and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st century has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers. Dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.

Think about it. The terrorists of September 11th, plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi, before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil. As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the icecaps in the arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya. Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan, could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The Poppies in Afghanistan come to Berlin in the form of heroin. the poverty and violence in Somalia, breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur, shames the conscious of us all.

(APPLAUSE)

In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. And that is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we're honest with each other, we know that sometimes on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart and forgotten our shared destiny.

In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help us make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe's role in our security and our future. Both views missed the truth that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.

(APPLAUSE)

Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more, not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice. It is the only way. The one way to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.

(APPLAUSE)

That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least, cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christians and Muslims and Jews cannot stand. These now are walls we must tear down.

(APPLAUSE)

We know that these walls have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a union of promise and prosperity. Here at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they've come down in Belfast where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together. In the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice. And in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated Apartheid.

(APPLAUSE)

So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy, of peace and progress. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and most of all, trust each other.

(APPLAUSE)

That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that binds us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together through constant cooperation and strong institutions and shared sacrifice and a global commitment to progress to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

It was this spirit that led airless planes to appear in the sky above our heads and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment where our nations and all nations must summon that spirit anew. This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we can could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and (INAUDIBLE), in London and Bali, in Washington and New York.

If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.

(APPLAUSE)

This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to route the terrorists who threatened our security in Afghanistan and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond U.S. borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan and for our shared security, the work must be done. America can't do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops. Our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaeda, to develop their economy and to help them rebuild their nation.

We have too much at stake to turn back now. This was the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

(APPLAUSE)

The two super powers that faced each other across the wall of this city, came too close, too often, to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials. To stop the spread of nuclear weapons and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.

(APPLAUSE)

This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow, free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century, in this city of all cities, we must reject the Cold War mind set of the past. And resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent.

(APPLAUSE)

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that opens markets have created and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been cornerstone of out growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few and not the many.

(APPLAUSE)

Together, we must force trade that truly rewards the world that creates wealth with meaningful protections of our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all. This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe, in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions.

(APPLAUSE)

We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy And the Israelis and the Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past difference, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.

(APPLAUSE)

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children to a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations, including my own will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere.

(APPLAUSE)

This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one. And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. 60 years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food and coal and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds, love and loyalty and trust; not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

Now the world will watch and remember what we do here. What we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity, by security and justice. Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty and shelter the refugee in Chad and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time. Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe. Will we give meaning to the words "never again" in Darfur?

(APPLAUSE)

Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law?

(APPLAUSE)

Will we welcome immigrants from different lands and shun discrimination against those who don't look like us, or worship like we do and keep the promise of equality opportunity for all of our people?

(APPLAUSE)

People of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment. This is our time. I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes. And there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived at great costs and great sacrifice to form a more perfect union, to seek with other nations a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom. Indeed, every language is spoken in our country. Every culture has left its imprint on ours, every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us, what has always driven our people, what drew my father to America's shores, is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people. That we can live free from fear and free from one. And we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please. These are the aspiration that join the faiths of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart.

It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people everywhere became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation, our generation, must make our mark on the world. People of Berlin and people of the world, the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope with an eye towards the future with resolve in our hearts. Let us remember this history and answer our destiny and remake the world once again.

Thank you, Berlin. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

PHILLIPS: Pretty powerful speech there by presidential hopeful Barack Obama, live in Berlin, Germany.

And boy, he hit every single possible subject matter. Going back starting at 1948, talking the airlifts, race relations, nuclear weapons, Iraq, the environment, AIDS, immigration. Even coming forward and apologizing for the mistakes made on behalf of the United States over the years. Bottom line, we are all one people and that is something that the senator definitely brought to Berlin and the thousands of people, possibly hundreds of thousands of people, that have gathered there to watch his speech.

Something that stood out we'll never forget, President Ronald Reagan, when he made that famous quote to Mikhail Gorbachev, to tear down that wall. One thing that stood out in Barack Obama's speech, he said, "The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."

Powerful quote coming from presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Christiane Amanpour also there at the scene of Obama's speech in Berlin.

She joins us now. Christiane, I was trying to get a little bit of a wrap on what the senator had to say to the thousands there gathered. Pretty powerful speech.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Kyra.

And there are a lot of people talking now over this. This is the speech that a lot of people were hoping to hear. There's a huge crowd over here. Lots of people waving American flags.

Basically, each time Barack Obama spoke about a new partnership, having America and its allies, particularly Europe, he got a huge, huge cheer. He talked about having -- as you heard -- all these walls torn down. Walls between nations, walls between religions and races. Walls between people who had come into, you know, some difficulties as he acknowledged, over the last seven years.

But every time he said that kind of thing, he got a big cheer from the public. There are about tens of thousands of people standing out here right now. They've waited for several hours to hear him speak. He got a huge reception when he arrived and he has a huge reception as he's just walked off. He's probably still down there. Maybe you can see. But he's there down, getting pictures, shaking hands that I can see on somebody's monitor.

And basically, he's also said to the people here, that, look, it's not just about us doing for you, you have to do for us as well. He talked about Afghanistan. He talked about stabilizing Afghanistan and having not just U.S. troops there, but also Germany, adding more of its heavyweight presence to try to stabilize that as well. He talked about all sorts of things that people here want to hear. About leading on the environment. About leading on poverty and hunger. About creating a nuclear-free world. About creating a world in which all races, all religions, all people can work in partnership.

He obviously referred many times to the history of Berlin. That this forever has been the center of freedom in the west. He talked about the Berlin airlift. How American planes came here, not dropping bombs, but dropping food, dropping candy and good will to the people of this country. And he talked also about how previous Americans had come here to address Berlin.

And he made a little bit of a joke when he said that I'm not exactly like -- I don't look like the previous Americans who came here. And then launched into the history of his father, who was Kenyan, of his grandfather, who grew up as a domestic servant. And of the hope that they put in America, just like the rest of the world did. And that was the sum total of what he was trying to get across here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour. Thank you so much. Live from Berlin.

Christiane also monitoring Senator Barack Obama's speech there in Berlin. And it's interesting -- Christiane pointed out, that the Senator did talk about his mother, born in the heartland of America. But, my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. And that's where you even heard a large part of that crowd, giving a Kenyan cry, which made Barack Obama smile, bringing him back to his home country.

We're going to take a quick break, continue to monitor that speech out of Berlin. We've got other news stories for you, today. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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PHILLIPS: Live pictures once again, out of Berlin. A smiling presidential hopeful, Barack Obama. Smiling because he had an incredible turnout there in Berlin. And quite a powerful speech, hitting on everything from the Berlin airlift to race relations to nuclear weapons to the Iraq war to the environment. Bottom line, we are all one and we've got to continue to tear down those walls. Walls that he pointed out of racial hatred. Once again, pretty powerful speech there by Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, John McCain, he was visiting a battleground state today. He was campaigning in Ohio, where the focus there for him is health care. We did monitor that. We'll bring you coverage from that as well, coming up in the hour.

Also, severe weather in New Hampshire and Texas.

Our Rob Marciano is following all of that for us. We will have a live report at the top of the hour. We're almost there, about three minutes away from 2:00 Eastern time. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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PHILLIPS: Barack Obama steps into one of the political theater's most vaunted stages. But, did he live up to the historic echoes of Kennedy and Reagan in his Berlin address?

Both presidential candidates say they would close it. But, for now, Gitmo is still open for business. We're going to take you along as CNN gets unprecedented access to the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

And put down the cell phone. That's a message coming from one prominent cancer researcher. Is there a link? We're going to find out what he says.

Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at the Time Warner Center in New York and you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.