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American Morning
Taliban Advances Forces in Palestine; California Representative Wiretapped by Feds; Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster Discusses Safety on Web; Somali Pirate Appears in Court; American Added to FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List
Aired April 22, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning on this Wednesday, it's the 22nd of April. John Roberts along with Kiran Chetry. Welcome to the Most News in the Morning.
Good morning to you.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, good morning to you as well. And we have a lot to cover, as always, this morning. The big stories we're going to be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.
A dangerous development in Pakistan as the Taliban proclaims victory in its attempt to control a district just 60 miles from the capital. Now it's a key territory, a setback in the fight against the Taliban. In a moment, we're going to take you live to Islamabad.
A major voice in Congress on national security issues now fighting for her political life. California Democrat Jane Harman says she's outraged by reports that her conversations were secretly wiretapped by the feds. We're going to take a look at what was recorded and what Harman is saying about it.
Police in Boston are trying to piece together a motive in the so- called Craigslist killing. Local media reporting that the suspect, the 22-year-old, was struggling with gambling debts. Philip Markoff now being held without bail. In an exclusive interview with the CEO of Craigslist, John talked about the problems the Web site has had before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: What do you say to this notion that while Craigslist is very valuable as a community bulletin board, it could also be a conduit through which predators can find prey?
JIM BUCKMASTER, CEO, CRAIGSLIST: You know, we think that quite the reverse is true in that, you know, you have to remember that there are 50 million Americans using Craigslist each month, most of them using it several times a month. Whenever you have that amount of human activity, there is a possibility of things going wrong despite everyone's best efforts to protect people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, you can see John's full interview coming up in just about ten minutes.
ROBERTS: We begin with the breaking news overnight and an alarming development as Islamic militancy collides with a nuclear- armed nation.
The Taliban expanding its operations in Pakistan today. Overnight, the group moved in and took control of a district just 60 miles from the capital city of Islamabad. The Taliban's latest push coming just days after it imposed Islamic law in the violence-plagued Swat Valley.
Right now, Washington concerned about growing militancy in Pakistan and Islamabad's lack of power to stop it. CNN's Ivan Watson is live in the Pakistani capital this morning.
And this is an extraordinarily troubling development, particularly given warnings from people as high up in the ranks of the political process there as Nawaz Sharif saying that it looks like the Taliban is trying to expand its control of Pakistan, Ivan.
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's definitely how it looks right now, John.
Another domino appears to have fallen as the movement has advanced into the Buner District. That's about a little more than 60 miles from where I'm standing right now. The eyewitnesses, the residents of that town, they're describing Taliban militants and pickup trucks heavily armed, traveling around playing Islamic anthems. A real show of force in that district.
Now, we've spoken, John, with the commander of the Taliban in that district. He says he has brought his man in to impose sharia law, to enforce Islamic sharia law in Buner District.
It is a pretty remarkable development here, especially just days after the Pakistani government signed a peace deal with the Taliban, it was hoping that that would defuse the situation, the tensions right now. We've spoken with a Pakistani government official who says that this is a violation of that peace deal, and that he warns that there could be strict action and response to this.
ROBERTS: Ivan Watson for us this morning in Islamabad. Ivan, thanks very much for the development. We'll get back to you just a little bit later on.
CHETRY: Well, we're also following news out of Washington this morning.
An explosive debate on the handling of the Bush administration's harsh interrogation policy which critics have called torture and what President Obama is planning to do about it. President Obama now opening up the possibility of prosecution from Bush-era lawyers who authorized brutal interrogation of terror suspects, suggesting Congress might order a full investigation.
But CNN has also learned that the president's own director of national intelligence said that these methods were effective. Here's CNN's Ed Henry in Washington with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Last Thursday, when the president released these so-called torture memos, his own director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, released this two- page memo we've just gotten our hands on in which, basically, he privately distributed to intelligence officials in which he said these controversial tactics may have actually yielded some very important information to help keep America safe.
He said in this two-page memo, "High-value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qaeda organization that was attacking this country."
Now even more interesting, that paragraph I just read was not included in a one-page statement later on Thursday that the director put out to the public. And so Republican officials who were provided this memo, who are against President Obama's policies on this, of course, are basically saying they believe that the White House was not putting the whole story out to the public last Thursday.
Just gotten some very strong pushback. I just got off the phone with Wendy Morigi. She is a spokeswoman for the director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair. She said these were two completely different statements. There was nothing nefarious going on.
She says that Director Blair does believe that high-value information was obtained from these interrogations, but he believed more damage was done to America by the fact that there was alleged torture going on. That at the end of the day, the price the U.S. paid in terms of image, in terms of recruitment, outweighed any benefits that may have come from this interrogation.
So there you have it, both sides, very interesting development.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: All right. Ed Henry for us this morning.
ROBERTS: And we're following another developing story for you today. One of Congress's most influential Democrats, California's Jane Harman, at the center of a national security drama that's threatening her political career. The congresswoman is fighting back after reports that a telephone conversation was intercepted on a national security agency wiretap.
Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has got that story for us this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Congresswoman Jane Harman is outraged by reports that her conversations were secretly wiretapped in 2005 and 2006. REP. JANE HARMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: I am offended by it. I think it's an abuse of power and I want to make sure it's not happening to other people.
MESERVE: Sources say, Harman was overheard talking to an investigative target whose conversations were being legally intercepted. "Congressional Quarterly" and "The New York Times" reports that Harman discussed using her influence to reduce espionage- related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee. In return, the person with whom she was speaking would lobby then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to appoint Harman chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Harman reportedly ended the conversation by saying, "This conversation doesn't exist."
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Harman did not deny it.
HARMAN: I have no idea what I might have said in conversations with somebody or some bodies. Wolf, this was four years ago. I have many conversations every day with advocacy groups. There's nothing wrong with doing this.
MESERVE: In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Harman asks that, "The Justice Department release all transcripts and investigative material involving me in an unredacted form," and says she'll make it public.
The Justice Department is reviewing her request.
HARMAN: Let's see what I said and said to whom. And I did not make any effort, this I remember clearly, at all ever to influence our government at any level.
MESERVE: She did not, Harman says, contact anyone about the AIPAC case.
LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: This could be career ending. She must be aggressive. She must fight it at every turn. She has to fight it on every front, legal and political, in the public forums and private forums.
MESERVE (on camera): The former attorney general had no comment. The Justice Department says only that it is reviewing Harman's letter.
And as for that deal that was allegedly discussed, Harman didn't get the intelligence committee chairmanship and the trial of the AIPAC officials is slated for June.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: All right. Well, also new this morning, Fidel Castro seems to be throwing cold water on hopes for improved Cuba-U.S. relations. The 82-year-old Castro says President Obama "misinterpreted his brother, Raul's, comments last week. The Cuban president expressed a willingness to discuss everything with the U.S. including human rights, freedom of the press and political prisoners. President Obama responded by then calling for a new beginning with Cuba, but Fidel Castro says there is no reason for Cuba to concede on any issue.
Well, after months of speculation, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is making it official. He is running for governor of California. Newsom went to the news media to kick off his campaign launching with messages as well on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
And new details on the so-called Craigslist murder. Police returning to the suspect's apartment as an alleged motive emerges. Also, the CEO of Craigslist speaks exclusively to AMERICAN MORNING about what the site is doing to protect people who use it.
It's eight minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Ten minutes after the hour now, and new developments on the Craigslist murder.
Right now, suspected murderer Philip Markoff wakes up in a Boston jail cell; he's being held there without bail.
CNN is learning, late last night, the police were called back to his apartment looking for more evidence in what the district attorney is calling a brutal, vicious crime.
Also this morning, the beginnings of a theory of what allegedly drove the clean-cut medical student to kill a young masseuse and assault at least one other woman. Earlier reports suggests that he owed gambling debt. And while the D.A. is not commenting on that, he's telling CNN that when Markoff was picked up, there was evidence to suggest he was heading to a casino in Connecticut.
ROBERTS: The story is giving a lot of new attention to Craigslist because this is not the first time that the Web site has been at the center of a criminal investigation. Yesterday, I spoke exclusively with the CEO of Craigslist, Jim Buckmaster, and asked him about the Web site allegedly being used to commit murder.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUCKMASTER: We feel terribly and it's quite sad that anyone would lose their life, and we're horrified that the use of Craigslist could in any way be connected with a violent crime of this nature. It just causes us to redouble our efforts to try to get across to users to take a few common sense precautions that eliminate most of the risks.
ROBERTS: So what do you plan to do in response to this Markoff case, if anything? BUCKMASTER: Well, we're examining the way the site is set up and the processes we use to see if there - as we always do, to see if there's some incremental new change that we can make that could make the use of the site even safer for our users.
ROBERTS: Police believe that Philip Markoff preyed on his victims by using his Craigslist account or at least surfing Craigslist. It's also believed that in New York City, a New York radio personality, George Weber met his killer on Craigslist.
What do you say to this notion that while Craigslist is very valuable as a community bulletin board, it could also be a conduit through which predators can find prey?
BUCKMASTER: You know, we think that quite the reverse is true in that, you know, you have to remember that there are 50 million Americans using Craigslist each month, most of them using it several times a month. Whenever you have that amount of human activity, there is a possibility of things going wrong despite everyone's best efforts to protect people.
But having said that, no incidents of violent crime, obviously, is OK and we're looking and seeing if there's anything that we could be doing differently to make people even safer when they're using the site.
ROBERTS: Well, let me ask you about this in the case of Philip Markoff and police in Boston. Did you assist in the investigation? Not you personally, but did Craigslist officials assist in the investigation?
BUCKMASTER: As always, we make ourselves completely available to law enforcement and provide them with anything that they need that can help them either find the individual they're looking for or prosecute the case once they found the person.
ROBERTS: Why do you even allow these services to be advertised on Craigslist, whether they're posted under erotic services or under other services?
BUCKMASTER: Back in 2005, our users saw these kinds of ads being posted throughout the site. They asked us to set up a dedicated category where these ads would live and where they could be put behind a warning screen. So we ended up doing what telephone yellow pages and newspaper classifieds have typically done over the decades, which is have a dedicated category for these kind of ads. One difference on Craigslist, of course, is that 100 percent of the net revenues goes to charity.
ROBERTS: Right. That is under the erotic services category. But is it not true that people can post these erotic services, mask them and post them under other areas in Craigslist as well, making it that much more difficult for you to police?
BUCKMASTER: That's what they were doing previously. But now that we have a dedicated category, escort ads and massage ads, et cetera, that's generally where they're posted now.
ROBERTS: Right. Cook County Sheriff in Illinois, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, appealed to you to shut down these erotic services saying that he makes dozens of arrests for prostitution based on ads that he sees on Craigslist. As well, in Worcester, Massachusetts over the weekend, 50 people were arrested after they responded to an ad that Worchester police put on Craigslist offering erotic services. So, I mean, it's clear that criminal enterprise is being conducted. Does Craigslist condone that?
BUCKMASTER: Of course, we don't. We prohibit all kinds of illegal activity. And in the erotic services category, we adopted telephone verification, credit card authorization. Those two steps eliminated about 90 percent of the inappropriate activity on the site, and we're now chipping away at that remaining 10 percent.
ROBERTS: Why not just refuse to take any ads of this nature?
BUCKMASTER: That's actually the great thing about Craigslist, in that, when there is criminal activity - which, of course, we don't condone - it is easier for law enforcement, at least they tell us on a regular basis, to spot the bad apples and root them out and prosecute them and get them off the site, which we really appreciate.
ROBERTS: All right. Jim Buckmaster, CEO of Craigslist, it's good to talk to you this morning. Thanks for taking the time, sir.
BUCKMASTER: Thanks for having me on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Interesting to talk to him and hear from him.
I mean, they insist that they're doing everything possible, but the very nature of the site makes it so difficult to police. It's like if you took every classified ad from every newspaper in the country and put them all in one place, you know. People who have nefarious intent can, you know, find a lot of what they're looking for on Craigslist. There's no doubt about that.
CHETRY: Yes, exactly. It's very, very interesting to hear from him, though, because he defends the site. He says, you know, we actually responded to a lot of calls for people that were saying, you know, what we're finding, these erotic ads crop up everywhere and so we just try to get them in one place. And, you know, again, it's hard to police.
ROBERTS: And it is true, though, that every time you go on Craigslist, they are monitoring your IP address. They also, you know, record your e-mail so it does give some sort of an electronic tracer for police who are looking for people who might have committed a crime based on what they saw on Craigslist.
CHETRY: Right. And that's what they're looking for, we're looking at right now in the Markoff case as well. So, we'll see what happens. Meanwhile, we're counting down to the end of the president's first 100 days in office.
Also, tracking the mountain of campaign promises he's made. We're firing up the Obameter with PolitiFact.
And defending bank bailouts. Treasury Secretary Geithner getting a grilling from Congress. Christine Romans is here to help us separate fact from fiction.
Seventeen minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Twenty minutes past the hour, we fast forward to the stories that will be making news later today.
It is Earth Day today. President Obama will spend part of it in Iowa promoting alternative energy sources.
At 12:20 p.m. Eastern, he'll visit a former Maytag plant in Newton. It's now building towers for wind turbines. The president will also tour the facility and meet with some workers there.
Also, some major U.S. companies will release earnings reports today. McDonald's, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, AT&T, Apple and eBay all due to announce first quarter numbers.
And at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner delivers a speech on the Obama administration's continuing efforts to address the global recession. On Capitol Hill yesterday, Geithner was grilling by a panel overseeing the bank rescue program. He said that even with the bailouts, credit markets are still tight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, U.S. SECRETARY OF TREASURY: Despite these improvements, and these are material improvements, the cost of credit is still very high. Reports on bank lending show significant declines in lending for consumer loans, for commercial, industrial loans, although mortgage refinancings have picked up considerably.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: And Geithner told the committee that most banks have enough capital to weather the current economic crisis. And so, sort of a mixed report from the treasury secretary about the health of our economy right now.
ROBERTS: Yes. He didn't have good things to say about the TARP fund either, did he?
Christine Romans here, by the way, "Minding Your Business."
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know. And behind me you could see the people with the signs who say, "Give me my money back." "Where's my money?"
ROBERTS: You're just promoting Ali Velshi's book.
ROMANS: Yes, exactly. His book is called, "Gimme My Money Back," in case you're wondering.
You're right. The treasury secretary's strong defense of the program so far, what they've done, why they're putting all this money into the banks, even though as you said and as that sound bite showed that we are seeing still high costs for credit. We're still seeing problems getting loans for everything really except for mortgage lending.
So why are we doing this? Well, every dollar of new capital into these banks, he pointed out, equals $8.00 to $12.00 of new lending. That's why they want to keep these banks recapitalized.
The real headline was that the vast majority of banks do have enough capital, but we also know that there are concerns about the quality of the loans on their portfolios. We know that some banks are in a better position than others. And he basically said that the banks that don't have enough capital can get to private investors. The government will be able to recapitalize properly.
But the IMF, folks, in a report just released said that there are $4 trillion of bad loans globally on the books of banks and other financial institutions, but most of the banks. That is a lot of money. So you clearly have a situation where they're trying to keep the banks cushioned for future losses.
It's been confounding watching these earnings reports, right? Some parts of the banks are doing well; other parts are not. Credit quality deteriorating here; but in other parts, fixed income trading and the like, they're doing better. So you're - you can be forgiven for looking at the banks' earnings and saying, what's going on here? Why can't we have our money back? But clearly, they're being cautious at the Treasury Department.
ROBERTS: And as we said last week, not healthy yet, but perhaps less sick.
ROMANS: That's right. Exactly.
ROBERTS: Great.
CHETRY: And we're hearing from - let's see - Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Apple, McDonald's. They're going to be giving their first quarter earnings today as well.
ROMANS: I know. It's going to be really interesting morning to find out how a lot of different companies are doing in this environment.
CHETRY: Thanks, Christine.
ROMANS: You're welcome. CHETRY: Well, 500 promises in 100 days. We are putting the cards on the table literally, right? You have them back here?
ROBERTS: We do. We've got President Obama's 500 promises right here. A little card game?
CHETRY: He made them on the campaign trail, and we're going to be talking with Bill Adair from politifact.com about how many of them he's kept so far.
ROBERTS: Promise 203, develop a comprehensive cyber security and response strategy. Promise made, promise cut (ph), we'll find out.
CHETRY: I feel like I'm playing Trivial Pursuit.
Also, a Somali teen in a New York City jail right now. The first person in a century to be charged with piracy in the United States. A closer look at how this case could pan out.
Twenty-four minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. That's a live look right now at Baltimore courtesy of WMAR. Forty degrees right now, going up to 58 in Baltimore with some showers though.
And welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. It's happened at some point to everyone who flies - sudden turbulence. It can be frightening. When it's over, it's over.
But as one Ed Lavandera reports, one mother of three on a rough flight hit her head in the airplane bathroom and now she may never be the same again.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, a Continental Airlines flight out of Houston hit turbulent skies over south Texas. The incident left one woman partially paralyzed and now federal aviation authorities are looking into how it happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Severe storms barreled through Houston last Friday night, forcing flight delays. On the tarmac that night was Continental Flight 511. A hundred and four passengers and five crew members waiting out the storms on their way to south Texas. After a three-hour delay, the flight finally took off.
But when it landed in the town of McAllen, ambulances were waiting to transport two injured passengers and one injured crew member. The most seriously injured passenger is an unidentified 47- year-old woman who is currently paralyzed and in intensive care. Her attorney says the woman struck her head on the bathroom ceiling when the plane suddenly dropped in the turbulent skies.
RAMON GARCIA, PASSENGER'S ATTORNEY: We have a lady who got off her seat, went to the bathroom. While either in the bathroom or coming out of the bathroom is when this situation occurred.
LAVANDERA: Continental Airlines says its focus is on helping the passenger's family. A spokeswoman says the seat belt light was illuminated during the turbulence, but it's not clear if the passenger was already out of her seat when the light came on or if she ignored the light and got up to go to the bathroom.
The passenger's attorney says the woman was stretched out on the plane's floor for the remainder of the flight until paramedics could start treating her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: The passenger is a mother of three children, but beyond that very little is known about her. Her attorney says she doesn't want her name released publicly. The FAA says it is turning over crucial flight information over to the NTSB for further investigation - John and Kiran.
CHETRY: Ed Lavandera for us, thanks.
It's 28 minutes after the hour. Checking our top stories, drama in the court. A Somali teenager facing life in prison if convicted on piracy charges will be tried in the U.S. as an adult. The defense attorneys failed to convince a federal judge that the surviving pirate from the Maersk Alabama hijacking was a minor. Prosecutors claim the teen was the ring leader and was the one that fired shots at the ship's captain.
The United States has a new ambassador to Iraq. The Senate confirming veteran diplomat Christopher Hill to take charge of the largest U.S. embassy in the world. The final roll call was 73-23. Hill replaces Ryan Crocker who's held the position from March of 2007 until February.
And some New York Mets fans scored a bargain by purchasing Bernard Madoff's season tickets. The two seats right behind home plate were auctioned off for $38,100 on eBay. That's well below the list price of about $56,000 for the pair - John.
ROBERTS: Well, one week from today marks day 100 for President Obama in the White House. We're keeping track of some 500 campaign promises that the president has made. And for that, we're firing up the Obameter.
Bill Adair, editor of the Pulitzer Prize winning politifact.com, joins us now from Washington.
First of all, a big congratulations on the Pulitzer Prize. That's terrific to see.
BILL ADAIR, EDITOR, POLITIFACT.COM: Well, thank you very much. It's been an exciting couple of days. It was a real honor to win it as a Web site as much as we are a newspaper these days.
ROBERTS: Oh, I'll tell you, a big shout-out, a big cheer for you here.
Hey, I've gotten my hand here, your new card game. President Obama's 500 promises.
This is really interesting stuff.
You've got 500, and I think 10 cards here, each one with a campaign promise on it. And you're following this on your PolitiFact Web site as well. I mean, 510 promises in 100 days. That's an awful lot of promises.
BILL ADAIR, EDITOR, POLITIFACT.COM: Well, he made an awful lot of promises. And if you look at these cards, you really get the sense of the scope of his promises. Five hundred and ten, he promised something to nearly every conceivable group.
And so we've been rating them, as you mentioned, on our Obameter, and he's made progress on about 100 of them. And we rate them, you know, in different ways. So, he's off to a start.
ROBERTS: Let's get right to the Obameter this morning.
FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, back in the news again today, with news that Congresswoman Jane Harman was caught up in this warrantless wiretapping. President Obama, during the campaign, said of that, quote, "As president, Obama would update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to provide greater oversight and accountability to the congressional intelligence committees to prevent future threats to the rule of law."
What did the Obameter say about all that?
ADAIR: So far, that one is rated "No Action" on our Obameter. We just haven't seen anything yet on this one. And in fact, lately, we've seen some evidence - "The New York Times" reported that these wiretaps have actually continued and in some cases may have violated the 2008 law about them.
So for now, that one is rated "No Action."
ROBERTS: All right. On the topic of a chief - chief technology officer - gosh, I got - you know, the extra half hour typically that I had before we talk to you, Bill, is helpful.
The chief technology officer, the campaign statement, quote, "President Obama will appoint the nation's first chief technology officer to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century.
What did the Obameter say about that?
ADAIR: We have that one rated, "In the Works." It is nearly a promise kept. But Aneesh Chopra is the - has a similar post in Virginia and has been named to this federal position by President Obama. But one of his jobs requires Senate confirmation. So for now, until he's confirmed, we're rating it, "In the Works." ROBERTS: All right. This is one that we actually left over for last week, we didn't get a chance to get to it. We'll get to it today. Tax relief for senior citizens. The campaign promise said, "We will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 a year. This will eliminate taxes for seen million seniors and will also mean that 27 million seniors will not need to file an income tax return at all."
What did the Obameter say about that?
ADAIR: That one got a, "Promise Broken." This one - there's just been no sign of this one since Obama said it during the campaign. It wasn't in his stimulus bill. It wasn't in his budget. And symbolically important, it was not even mentioned in his tax day speech. So that one gets a, "Promise Broken" on PolitiFact.
ROBERTS: All right. Three campaign promises ran through the Obameter this morning, just 507 left to go.
Bill Adair, PolitiFact.com, good to see you this morning. Again, congratulations on the Pulitzer. That's great.
ADAIR: Thanks, John. Thank you very much.
ROBERTS: All right. We'll see you again soon - Kiran.
CHETRY: We're following breaking news. The Taliban expanding its control over Pakistan this morning. The terror group now just 60 miles from the capital.
Also, the newest name on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list is now an American. We're going to find out what he's charged with that now has him on the same list as Osama bin Laden.
It's 33 minutes after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These designer duds aren't exactly what they seem. The clothes you see here are bulletproof. Yes, you heard right - bulletproof. They're created by Colombia-based designer Miguel Caballero. You could call him, "the Armani of armor."
MIGUEL CABALLERO, DESIGNER: Let me show this. This one I prefer to this one. This one is special for me. That is Italian leather.
FEYERICK: Caballero says his clientele include state executives and celebrities who need to stay safe without sacrificing comfort and appearance.
CABALLERO: Our customers aren't sure what protection they would need. We actually say these panels have been actually shot in to with all of these different kinds of guns.
FEYERICK: His lightweight, flexible and fashionable clothes even caught the eye of Harrods Department Store in London.
NICK CHALKLEY, GENERAL MERCHANDISE MANAGER, HARRODS: Miguel has the irony of catwalk collection in the world. And we decided to work with him because lots of customers hate being contacted or by appointment service, personal shopping service.
FEYERICK: But for bullet-dodging VIPs, protection comes at a price. Caballero's clothes can cost up to $10,000 an item.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN BREAKING NEWS.
CHETRY: It's 38 minutes past the hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.
We're following breaking news in a dangerous development in Pakistan. The Taliban flexing its might, overtaking a district just 60 miles from the capital of Islamabad. The new terrorist stronghold now (OFF-MIKE) as well.
CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour joins us now with more on what this means and what exactly is going on here.
Are we talking of the Buner District?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's dire, Kiran. In no uncertain terms, it's dire.
When the Pakistan government decided to allow the Taliban a safe haven in Swat and essentially handed over a great swathe of Pakistani territory, many analysts both inside Pakistan and outside and the United States government expressed severe concern that this would just lead to a domino effect. And it does appear now that these people are becoming emboldened, that they are moving along and not just staying in the Swat area.
Already, they brought dramatic Islamic sharia rule to the Swat area and it's having a huge effect not just on the civilians, but eventually on the stability of that area. That affects the Pakistan government and the United States, which needs a stable Pakistan just for stability in the region and to be able to prosecute the war in Afghanistan.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: I was just thinking - didn't they also make a peace agreement or some sort of treaty...
AMANPOUR: Well, yes.
CHETRY: ... that was signed and then we're seeing this happen right after that? AMANPOUR: Precisely. They made a peace agreement and Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Richard Holbrooke, President Obama's special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, were there. They were talking to the Pakistan government. And no sooner did they leave than the government signed this law and handed over the Swat area to this Taliban and other militants.
And I spoke to Admiral Mullen, and he said that he was extremely concerned about this and that they didn't even know that this was going to happen. And he says that they must now stay engaged to make sure that somehow this doesn't escalate way out of control. The United States need to stay engaged not just militarily but also in a civilian way in development and in supporting the government.
But now what we're seeing is open disagreement between the Pakistani government and the U.S. government. You know, Pakistan saying don't tell us what to do, this is a homemade solution.
ROBERTS: So why is the Pakistani military so incapable of gaining control of those areas? Why don't they just go in and strike hard? And then the other question is, where is bin Laden in all of this? Is he still behind the scenes pulling the strings or has the Taliban moved on without him?
AMANPOUR: Well, the Taliban is the Taliban, and this is the Pakistani Taliban. Bin Laden is - his al Qaeda network is presumed to still be working and he presumed to be somewhere out there. He constantly sends out audio messages. He keeps putting his presence out there like that.
But the fact of the matter is that Bin Laden or not, this is still a viable and organized network. And if something is going on like what it is in Pakistan right now, it's remarkably dangerous.
And I know that many in the U.S. government, in the intelligence community, many in and around that region are very concerned that this is going to lead to an implosion of Pakistan as a failed state. And this is what's going to be really dangerous.
And just a little while ago, Pakistan released from prison one of its most - let's say, wanted, dangerous militant and they put him back on the street. So, you know, if they know what they're doing, it's not clear right now. And I think many people hope that they will push back.
ROBERTS: Christiane Amanpour for us this morning. Dire news this morning.
Thanks, Christiane.
He's an American computer network specialist and a strict vegan, but find out why he's now on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list alongside operatives of al Qaeda and other terror groups.
And new details emerging about the suspected Craigslist killer. This morning reports of a motive as police return to his apartment. It's 41 1/2 minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
At first glance he may not appear to be a likely candidate for the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list, but this morning, the 31-year- old computer specialist and animal rights activist from California is the newest name on it.
So who is he? CNN's Jason Carroll joins us now.
Well, tell us.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me get to it.
His name is Daniel Andreas San Diego, and he's the first domestic terrorist to make a list that has been reserved for international terrorists. And some animal rights activists are asking, why him?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): The FBI's most wanted terrorists list. The majority of men on the roster are wanted for alleged involvement in mass killings, blowing up government buildings, mostly in the name of religion. Now, a newcomer - Daniel Andreas San Diego. He's the only one of his kind on the list - an animal activist accused of terrorism.
MIKE HEIMBACH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FBI COUNTERTERRORISM DIVISION: San Diego's criminal acts of violence were domestic acts of terror, planned out and possibly intended to take lives, destroy property, and create economic hardship for the companies involved.
CARROLL: FBI investigators say San Diego claimed responsibility for the bombings of biotechnology buildings in the San Francisco Bay area. No one was hurt in the blast, but federal officials say the intent was there.
HEIMBACH: On September 26th, 2003, once again, in the early morning hours, a bomb exploded outside the front lobby. The device was placed near the glass front door leading to the lobby of the facility. Investigation revealed that metal nails were also use in the construction of the device.
CARROLL: Some animal rights activists question why San Diego is on the same list with terrorists like Osama bin Laden or Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, wanted for the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seems to me incredibly political that somebody who has not hurt a mouse or a man is on a list with international terrorists who have killed thousands and thousands of human beings. CARROLL: The FBI's assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division was asked if San Diego was on the same level of a Bin Laden?
HEIMBACH: No, but indeed, three acts of a violent act where improvised explosive devices were used, where potentially someone could have been seriously injured and/or killed, is quite concerning to us.
CARROLL: Federal officials say San Diego has been linked to an animal rights extremist group responsible for cyber attacks, bomb threats and death threats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I spent six years on FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigating some of the cases. San Diego deserves to be on the list with them. He hasn't killed anyone yet. The reason they have him on the list is to make sure he doesn't kill anyone.
CARROLL: San Diego may have altered his appearance. He has ties to Germany and Costa Rica. He also has a tattoo on his chest depicting burning hillsides, which says, "It only takes a spark."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: San Diego has been on the run since 2003. Investigators say they found materials similar to those used in bombs at his home. The FBI also says animal rights and environmental extremists are a widespread threat responsible for over 1,000 criminal acts.
Also the FBI was saying, one point about putting this guy on the list is that, you know, basically the trail ran cold. They're looking for some leads, you get a little bit of publicity, maybe you get a tip.
ROBERTS: All right. Yes, you get out there and jog somebody's memory.
CARROLL: Yes.
ROBERTS: Jason Carroll for us this morning. Very interesting story. Thanks, Jason.
CARROLL: All right.
ROBERTS: Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, a teenage Somali pirate behind bars in the U.S. facing trial as an adult. The first person charged in a century with piracy in the United States. A live report just ahead.
And bending and bonding with your dog. It's yoga for dogs coming to a mat near you.
Forty-eight minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHETRY: Brings back wonderful memories. That's the first - first song we played at the wedding reception.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: Really, I'm not lying.
Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
Yoga, of course, you know, many people say has many benefits. In stressful times, even your dog could benefit from some yoga, maybe to relax a little bit. That may explain the popularity of yoga classes for dogs. It's known as Doga.
Is that right, Doga?
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Doga.
CHETRY: OK, and there you have it.
Lola Ogunnaike was seeking her canine moment of Zen at Doga class here in New York.
Did you borrow someone's dog, or do you got one?
OGUNNAIKE: I did. I borrowed my neighbor's dog and I had a stuffed dog. You'll see, check it out.
CHETRY: All right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OGUNNAIKE (voice-over): Between layoffs, threats of terrorism, and tainted dog food, the world can be a stressful place for you and your four-legged friend. So how do you relax? Enter doggy yoga or Doga.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just lift one leg up behind you.
OGUNNAIKE: Where pooches' tender masters are giving new meaning to the phrase, "downward dog." In the 45-minute class, they stretch, they chant, they breathe. And occasionally, they bark.
(on camera): Why are you here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it would be a nice way to bond with my dog and to calm him down. Because he can get a little bit hyper as you can see.
OGUNNAIKE (voice-over): My dog didn't have a problem with that. Nor did my other yoga partner, Sophie.
I had a little tightness in my back, but I feel like - yes, keep walking, girl.
Doga instructor Kerri Harren Dorf (ph) started the class in New York City a year ago. She said attendance is up significantly, and classes like hers are popping up all around the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it's a really stressful time and it's actually been proven scientifically that just the simple act of petting a dog will release happy hormones in humans.
OGUNNAIKE (on camera): What about those people who say this is really bizarre?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think a lot of people will think it's a little silly. But it's just - you know, the class is very light hearted. We don't really - you know, it's not really taken - no one takes it too seriously.
OGUNNAIKE (voice-over): Light heartedness and a little R&R. This pooch was hoof after the week he had.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And today he came to yoga to sort of, you know, get very Zen after the long work week of Monday and Tuesday.
OGUNNAIKE (on camera): No stress anymore, right, Sophie? No more stress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: How could you be stressed if you're being carried around in a Louis Vuitton bag all your life?
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly. Sophie was living large. But it's sort of the anti-dog park. You take your dog out to run. This is where you take your dog to just chill out and relax.
And I have to tell you, those dogs seem very Zen by the end of our session. And it was one of the hardest workouts I've ever had. I mean, imagine lifting a ten-pound dog up in the air and holding her? I mean, I would drop a dumbbell, but I didn't want to drop little Sophie, because she's so adorable.
CHETRY: I thought that would be one of those "only in New York" stories, but she said it's happening around the country.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes. There are classes in Seattle and classes in Chicago. So you can take your Boston terrier to a class in Chicago if ever you're traveling and in need of a moment of downward dog.
And the scene I love the most, instead of saying "ohm," in their class, they say "bone".
CHETRY: Very cute. Something for everyone.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Lola.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Following breaking news this morning, the Taliban extending its control over Pakistan. This morning, the terror group just 60 miles from the capital. And an influential congresswoman reportedly wiretapped by the feds. A look at what was recorded and why she's calling it an abuse of power. We've got that story coming up.
It's 54 minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
It's happened at some point to everyone who flies. You experience that feeling of turbulence. It can be frightening, but when it's over, it's over - usually. But we're going to have more on this story in just a moment.
First, though. All right, actually, first of all, we are going to talk a little bit more about the pirate. The first pirate in a century that could be facing charges here in the United States - trial here in the United States.
Let's check in with Deb Feyerick.
FEYERICK: John, Kiran, the alleged pirate looked very subdued in that shoulder-to-shoulder packed courtroom. A very different image from the AK-47 wielding pirate prosecutors accused them of being.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): At the start of the hearing, alleged pirate Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse appeared to wipe tears from his face, his voice briefly choking with emotion. Gone was the smile Muse flashed photographers a day earlier when he first arrived in the U.S. escorted in to the FBI's New York headquarters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's never seen a camera before. He comes from a place with no electricity, no water. And he's outside for the first time. He's been held with a blindfold and shackled for eight days.
FEYERICK: Though his court appointed defense lawyers painted Muse is a fisherman with little education. According to the criminal complaint, Muse acted like the pirate ring leader. He was the first to board the U.S. flagged Maersk Alabama, firing a shot at the bridge, then ordering the captain to stop the ship and later opened the safe taking $30,000.
When the U.S. crew fought back, the complaint says Muse was the one tackled to the ground. He later escaped jumping on to a lifeboat with the other pirates, and U.S. cargo ship Captain Richard Phillips hostage, a five-day ordeal that ended when Navy SEALs shot dead three of the pirates.
Muse may have escaped a similar fate by boarding the USS Bainbridge. The complaint says both to get medical care for a stab wound in his hand and to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips in exchange for the pirates' safe passage. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The captain's testimony is going to be critical, because you can expect that defense attorneys will say that this young man was acting under duress. They're going to say he was coerced by his cohorts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: There was a moment of uncertainty when the judge closed the courtroom to determine whether Muse is 16, and therefore protected under juvenile law. But after speaking to the alleged pirate's brother and listening to other evidence, the judge determined he is 18 and the courtroom was reopened to the public - John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Deb Feyerick for us this morning. Deb, thanks very much.
