Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Neda Turns into the Voice of Iranian Opposition Movement; Videos and Text Messages Continue to Pour in from Iran; Professor of Iranian Studies Does Not Believe Protesting in Iran Is a Revolution; Higher Airline Fees to Come Again; Pentagon Studies Social Networking; Unlocking the Mystery of Autism; Newsmakers on Iran Uprising

Aired June 22, 2009 - 06:00   ET

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


KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Hope everyone had a great Father's Day weekend. Meanwhile, we have a lot going on this Monday morning.

The big stories we're breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes. A stunning admission from Iran's election authority. It could signal cracks at the very highest level of government. State- run media is saying that Iran's Guardian Council now admits that the number of ballots has exceeded the number of eligible voters in 50 Iranian cities.

They say that could mean about three million votes or more. But the council is denying allegations of fraud, saying that the voting in those locations did not noticeably affect the election outcome.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Republicans are criticizing President Obama for how he is handling Iran. Senator McCain urging his former campaign rival to take a stronger stand in support of the opposition. But Senator Lindsey Graham is going a step further than that saying the president is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it.

CHETRY: Also Iran's election protest has been dubbed the Twitter revolution. Iranians relying on the social media to tell the world what's happening outside of their country. And we look at how the U.S. military is responding to this cyber driven revolt.

ROBERTS: But we begin this morning with chaos and deaths on the streets of Tehran after a violent showdown with protesters and the government. Iranian state media is reporting more than a dozen people killed in massive demonstrations over the weekend, unconfirmed reports -- and we again stress these are unconfirmed reports, with that number as high as 150.

But one death stands out to the world this morning. Her name was Neda. It was described as her brutal murder captured on video posted on YouTube and Facebook. The video we warn you is extremely graphic and the report that you're about to see may be inappropriate for small children's eyes.

Here's Octavia Nasr with how one dark moment of despair -- in one dark moment of despair, this young woman has become the face of a movement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Her name is Neda. The facts surrounding her life and death difficult to verify. She appears to have been a young student who joins thousands of countrymen to voice her disapproval of Iran's election results. Eyewitnesses say Basij militia men hiding on a building rooftop shot Neda in the chest silencing her forever.

A man who appears to be her father desperately calling on her to open her eyes. A stranger begging her to stay awake. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Neda," the man says, but Neda doesn't respond. She dies right there on the streets, another protester capturing her last moments on a cell phone camera.

And just like that, Neda, who came to the square thinking she's one voice among thousands, turned into the voice of an entire opposition movement. Neda, which means "the calling," is now on millions of clips across the globe, on the Internet is especially designed avatars, a young life cut down in its prime.

One woman's gripping story speaking volumes, a grim reminder of the price Iranians could pay for freedom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: There's an inescapable irony to the meaning of young Neda's name, as Octavia said, and Farsi, the language spoken in Iran. Neda means calling for a voice. And in her apparent death Neda tragically found her voice. This morning it's being heard around the Middle East and around the world.

For more on the impact of Neda's described death on the protest movement in Iran, we turn to CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. She's watching the events from London this morning.

Can you characterize how this unconfirmed tragedy has affected Iran and its people this morning, Christiane?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it remains to be seen how far it's being spread in Iran. It's obviously not being carried on state-run media and not everybody in the country has Internet or satellite television, so it seems to be affecting the group of people who do have access to the information and obviously clearly affecting the outside world.

There's conflicting reports as to when and where or if there would be a funeral or a memorial service. In terms of what the Iranian media are saying and Iranian officials, there's quite a lot of information coming out from Iran today. Basically Iran is saying, according to official media, that it has arrested more than 400 people over the last several days.

Also saying, according to the, again, state-run media, that the Iranian police chief has been on saying his people that his people, his police, while well equipped to put down riots and control riots, are not given permission despite carrying firearms to use those firearms.

And this perhaps is coming out because these deaths, apparently, are being attributed to the revolutionary militias, those Basij, the hard-line revolutionary militias, who have traditionally been the shot proofs, those who are wield out to club and pound flesh and maintain some kind of street order and lack accountability, despite the fact that they are under the authority of the government and of the state there.

So that interestingly coming from the police that they have not been given orders, according to the chief, to use their firearms.

Now in terms of other developments there, again, it's very difficult to confirm, but some saying that there may be another protest today. Others say that that's not likely. And Chatham House, a very important think tank here in London, has issued a report saying -- and pointing out irregularities and possible fraud.

Iran saying only until Wednesday do the candidates have to put forward their investigation requests. John?

ROBERTS: Christiane, what do you make of this proclamation, then, by the Guardian Council that there were some three million more ballots cast than there were people eligible to vote?

AMANPOUR: Yes.

ROBERTS: Does that suggest that there is some disagreement in the Guardian Council on how this vote went or is that just a reaffirmation that they believe the results were legitimate?

AMANPOUR: Well, this is an interesting development and it certainly follows on the heels of what both Mehdi Karroubi, but most importantly, Mir Hossein Mousavi, has been saying since the election that they have had -- they've done their own sort of informal exit polling and looking at papers and people in various cities and provinces and in several places.

They had already earlier said there seemed to be many more ballots cast than people in that area. So this now apparently the Guardian Council is admitting. This has been a long complaint since Friday's election by Mousavi. And they keep -- yes, there are rifts, there are most definitely rifts, appearing not just between reformers and conservatives but amongst the conservative establishment as well.

ROBERTS: All right. Christiane Amanpour for us from London with the very latest. Christiane, thanks so much for that. Kiran?

CHETRY: And we are getting some of these incredible images from eyewitnesses on the ground in Iran. Some of it shaky and not that clear because they are being filmed using cell phone cameras.

But in the video we're about to show you, you can hear the sounds of gunshots and government helicopters buzzing over head. Witnesses say these helicopters were dropping a substance that burned their skin. Let's watch some of the video. You can see smoke there and you can hear the buzzing of the choppers overhead. Meanwhile, CNN and other foreign outlets have been barred from reporting in Iran, so we have been sifting through these tens of thousands of text messages, photos, videos and also phone calls that show up on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Our Ivan Watson is at CNN's Iran desk. This is where we piece together a picture of what's happening on the ground based on all of these reports we've been getting in from the various social media.

Ivan, good morning.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. And absolutely, we've been not only looking at these videos that have been posted by some of these very brave citizen journalists but also talking to sources on the ground.

Let's take a look at one video that shows the results of these clashes that erupted. Most of this is on Saturday. This is where demonstrators tried to gather downtown, tried to organize what had been peaceful protests and then they were blocked by security forces.

And as we watch this, you can see smoke burning in the distance, people clapping and chanting, covering their faces to protect themselves. If you watch this a little bit further, you'll actually see somebody coming out. And he seems to have seized a riot policeman's shield.

Let's take a look at that right now and take a listen.

I'm afraid we don't have the audio there. But you can see how he's triumphantly walking there carrying the clubs that have been wielded by these security forces that were used so effectively to break up the demonstrations on Saturday. Another video I'd like to show you, Kiran, which should have some audio -- this is a video that shows protesters chanting. Let's take a listen to what they are saying.

And in this video they are actually chanting in Persian, "Death to the government that fools its people." And we've heard a lot like that, often hearing people chanting to the dictator, and in some cases we believe that means Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a big taboo being broken. This is the most powerful man in Iran. The supreme leader, whose words cannot really be challenged.

Finally, some images of protesters fighting back, actually pushing back the riot police at this stage after riot police tried to push forward on motorcycles. We've seen different versions of this video. And here you see the police fleeing the enraged crowd. Incredible stuff coming out of Tehran. Most of this filmed on Saturday. Kiran?

CHETRY: It is incredible. It is incredible. And you remind us by saying that, you know, his word, the Ayatollah's word, is not to be challenged. And he called on these protesters to be stopped. And yet again, day after day, we've seen people take to the streets yet again. So it is fascinating. And Ivan's following all of it for us at our Iran desk.

Ivan Watson this morning, thank you.

ROBERTS: And there's some other stories new this morning to tell you about.

President Obama delivering a pointed message to North Korea. He tells CBS that the U.S. military is prepared for any contingencies involving the communist regime. That includes a reported threat to launch a long-range missile towards Hawaii sometime around the 4th of July.

The U.S. has beefed up its military defenses around Hawaii just in case North Korea pulls the trigger.

He saved Chrysler from bankruptcy once, now Lee Iacocca has some advice for Detroit automakers -- get out of business with the Feds as soon as possible. Iacocca telling the Associated Press that government intervention was necessary for Chrysler and General Motors, but he says government oversight is just too extreme. He says the automakers should repay those loans and repay them fast.

And back to the crisis in Iran, in just a few minutes at 6:10 Eastern, we'll talk with a professor of Iranian studies who says the massive street protests are not a revolution in the making. There's something else. What are they? We'll find out. Coming up. It's 11 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Thirteen and a half minutes now after the hour. More election protests are expected today in Iran. Some say the massive show of support for the opposition candidate signals a revolution in the making.

But our next guest doesn't quite see it that way. Hamid Dabashi is a professor of Iranian studies at Columbia University. He's with us from Washington this morning.

Professor, we'll get to that point in just a second. But let me ask you, first of all, this declaration by the Guardian Council that yes, it appears that there were some voting irregularities. Some three million more votes were cast than there were people eligible to vote. But again, at the same time, they say it wouldn't affect the overall outcome of the election.

What affect do you think that's going to have on the demonstrators today?

HAMID DABASHI, PROFESSOR OF IRANIAN STUDIES, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Well, it simply acknowledges that there are certain irregularities of as Mr. Mousavi and other oppositional candidates have indicated. And to what degree this will satisfy Mousavi's camp and other oppositional figures remains to be seen.

But in his Friday sermon, Mr. Khamenei, in effect, prejudiced the decision of the Guardian Council by siding completely with Ahmadinejad and saying that his position is very close to me.

So I don't believe whatever the conclusion of this particular round of calculations by the Guardian Council might be is going to have much effect on -- these demonstrations. Just...

ROBERTS: Go ahead.

DABASHI: These scenes that you're seeing coming from Iran that Ivan Watson has been watching you, it is important for your audience to know the reason that you see these scenes of confusion and chaos is these people have been denied their constitutional right for peaceful protest.

Under Article 27 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, Iranians are entitled to peaceful protests. Not even under the condition of so-called national security are they to be denied their constitutional rights.

So it is really the custodian of the Islamic Republic who are in violation of their constitutional right rather than the other way around.

ROBERTS: Right. I'll come back to a point that you just made in just a second. But I want to ask you, the street actions, as you see them, are they a revolution in the making as many people think there might be or do you see them as being something else?

DABASHI: No. On the surface of them, on the look of them, they are very similar to the events that were happening in 1979, the commencement of the Islamic revolution. But in my judgment this is not a revolution. This is the closest thing that we have had in Iran to the civil rights movement of the United States.

So you have to zoom back and look at it -- pull yourself back to 1955, Montgomery bus boycott, and have a larger frame of reference. These people are not after regime change. All their protests are within the boundaries of law. The repeatedly -- the leader Mousavi has emphasized that they are only after their constitutional right, and they simply have lost trust in the way that their elected officials or an elected official are tabulating these numbers.

ROBERTS: OK. Well, let me come back to something you said just a second ago, Professor, now -- was that on Friday the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei seemed to come down firmly on the side of Ahmadinejad?

Ali Larijani, the parliamentary speaker, seems to have disagreed somewhat with Khamenei saying that he doesn't think that the Guardian Council should be coming down on the side of one candidate. Now Larijani has said he's disagreed with Ahmadinejad but he has been an ally of Khamenei. Is this a significant split that we're seeing now between Larijani and Khamenei?

DABASHI: Excellent point, John. But I don't believe so. The way that the upper echelon of the Islamic Republic operates, the speaker of the house Larijani is, in fact, an ally of Khamenei. So what we are witnessing, Khamenei has in fact planted a voice inside the opposition so he has everything that so he has control.

One of the three oppositional candidates also, Mr. Reza'i has a mild contestation so far as the result of the election is concerned. So we -- what you just said were beginning to tap into the way that the operation under the Islamic republic operates.

Khamenei himself comes out on Friday morning and gives a very belligerent speech and says blood will be shed and it is on the hands of the opposition, particularly the Moussavi. But then a close ally of him, namely Mr. Larijani, speaker of the house, comes and sides slightly, ever so moderately, with the opposition.

ROBERTS: So you think that a case of good cop/bad cop?

DABASHI: Exactly.

ROBERTS: All right. Professor, Dabashi, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us, sir.

DABASHI: Thanks for having me.

ROBERTS: Really appreciate it. Thanks. Kiran.

CHETRY: It's 18 minutes past the hour right now. When we come back we're going to be talking about, yes, higher airline fees yet again coming. Our Stephanie Elam is "Minding Your Business." She breaks it all down for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Here's Stephanie Elam with us, "Minding Your Business" this morning. How do you like that tune?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That was from college. I'm very happy now. That's (INAUDIBLE). This got me through the college years. I'm loving it.

CHETRY: Totally reminds me of nursery school, you're right.

ELAM: Nursery school, right. I know where you went to college and I know you were there when I was there, so...

(LAUGHTER)

CHETRY: Well, we are talking this morning about yet again paying more to fly.

ELAM: Yes.

CHETRY: And it gets you. It'll get you on these little things, right?

ELAM: Right. They're not raising the rates, you know? They're not raising the fares here. But they're taking -- find ways to nickel and dime you all the way to your destination. And it's really something that a lot of travelers are just not so happy with, obviously.

This is all started last summer because fuel prices just got out of control last year, and they're like how can we get people to still travel and then find ways to charge them for things.

So let's take a look at some of the things that are on the list that we do know that are out there. How about $13.50 for a convenience fee? That's to book on Allegiance Air booking service. So basically if you book online, that's what you can expect to pay.

Twenty bucks to buy an extra row seat on AirTran -- an exit row. So if you want to sit in that comfortable extra leg room, 20 bucks for that. Now for many airlines to book travel in person or by phone, you can pay buy 10 to 45 bucks. They really just want you to do it online. This is some basic things here.

Now if you're wondering how much is this actually making for the airlines? Well, take a look at this. For the first quarter United says that they made $259 million. And that's just off of these fees. That's it. That's all this money. So if you look at that, you think for each quarter, we're talking about $1 billion in revenue of just these special fees.

And that also means that during the first quarter these revenue fees bringing in, they're up about 60 percent per passenger, so that's about $14 more for each flight that a passenger is paying there as well. So usually how this happens, one airline will say, let's try this, let's charge -- let's try charging for a blanket and a pillow. And if people don't revolt, then you might see other airlines take it on.

That's usually how these make their way out into the mainstream flying arena. I have these few small bits of advice for people who are flying and are just annoyed with the fees like most people are. There's two things you can do. One thing I would say is look at the loyalty programs because if you do fly the same airline all the time usually you can get to a certainly level you don't have to pay those fees.

The other thing is if you're a bowler, like you guys are, you can fly first class or business class, and if you do, then a lot of times you don't get those fees, either.

ROBERTS: A what?

ELAM: A bowler. Yes. Trust me. There's a lot of people out there who know what that word is.

ROBERTS: Something else to look at the dictionary.

CHETRY: John is a bowler.

ELAM: John is definitely a bowler.

CHETRY: He is.

ELAM: I know Kiran knows what it is.

CHETRY: He qualifies for sure.

ELAM: Yes.

CHETRY: But you know who knew? Who knew all that money to be made? It's a compliment, I swear.

ELAM: Yes. It is.

(LAUGHTER)

But think about it. One airline making about $1 billion in a year off just these fees.

CHETRY: Charging extra to sit in the exit row.

ROBERTS: And they're still losing money, too.

ELAM: Yes.

CHETRY: They should pay you $20 because you're responsible, God forbid, if anything happens.

ELAM: For that door, yes.

CHETRY: To get that darn door open.

ELAM: Exactly.

CHETRY: Knock out the window and get people out of the plane.

ELAM: You should tell them that.

CHETRY: All right.

(LAUGHTER)

CHETRY: Thanks, Stephanie, I think.

ROBERTS: I have a feeling it's going to work, though.

Twenty-four minutes now after the hour. There's been a lot of Republican complaints about how President Obama has been handling Iran. Yesterday, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said it was timid and passive.

Is it? Or is it the right approach? We'll look at both sides of the argument coming right up.

ANNOUNCER: "Minding Your Business" brought to you by...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Do I believe my eyes? Is that Washington with the sun shining? Partly cloudy there now and 70 degrees later on today. Listen to this. Sunny, and a high of 84. No rain in the forecast.

Welcome back to the Most News In The Morning. Republicans are demanding that President Obama take a stronger stance with what's going on in Iran. And some members of his own administration are now questioning whether he should be more visible, more vocal.

Former Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz telling CNN's Wolf Blitzer yesterday the president needs to reach out to Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, FORMER DEPUTY SECY. OF DEFENSE: I would certainly find out if he wants a conversation. If he doesn'tM I wouldn't push it, but I'll certainly make it that the phone is open at my end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: The president continues to take heat for trying to remain on the sidelines. Jim Acosta has been working that side of the story from Washington.

Jim, we've heard from Republicans, Wolfowitz there, Senator Lindsey Graham said his response yesterday was timid and passive, but is there enough pressure coming from the Democratic side of things that he may step up and become more forceful this week?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not at this point, John. It's a mixed bag coming from both sides of this point. For now, the president appears to be standing firm and making only restrained and measured comments on the unfolding developments coming out of Iran. But some Republicans in Washington argue that approach is too hands- off.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): With Iran quickly becoming one of the biggest foreign policy tests of his administration, President Obama is feeling the heat in Washington where key Republicans argue the White House is being too cautious at exactly the wrong time.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: There's a monumental event going on in Iran. And, you know, the president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: And again, it's not so much about Iran, although it certainly is at the moment, but it's also about being on the right side of history.

ACOSTA: At first determined to keep the U.S. on the sidelines and avoid any appearance of meddling in Iranian affairs...

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is a concern to me and it's a concern to the American people. That is not how governments should interact with their people. ACOSTA: ... the president is now dialing up his rhetoric. On the violent backlash against protesters in Tehran, Mr. Obama said in a statement over the weekend, "We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people."

He only had to look out his windows at the pro-democracy demonstrators gathered outside the White House to know how the issue has come home.

But President Obama has his defenders, ranging from conservatives Henry Kissinger and Pat Buchanan to congressional Democrats who are saying an aggressive stance against the Iranian government would have tainted the protesters in the streets as American tools.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: It is very crucial, as I see, that we not have our fingerprints on this, that this really be truly inspired by the Iranian people. We don't know where this goes. And I sure wouldn't want to be responsible for thousands of people being killed, which is a distinct possibility.

ACOSTA: Even GOP elder statesman Richard Lugar warns the U.S. has no choice but to engage Iran diplomatically in the future, no matter how the current standoff is settled.

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: We would sit down because our objective is to eliminate the nuclear program that is in Iran. This is...

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even though they are shooting people in the streets and beating people in the streets and arresting political opponents?

LUGAR: Yes. In order to have any kind of a relationship when you'd be able to talk to people, hear from people, argue with people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: But other Republicans have noted even leaders in Europe have taken a much tougher stance on Iran. Just over the weekend, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called the elections a fraud and described Iran's crackdown as brutal and inexcusable -- John.

ROBERTS: Jim Acosta for us from Washington this morning.

Jim, thanks so much.

Kiran?

CHETRY: All right. Well, a check of some of the other top stories this morning.

The Canadian journalist working for "Newsweek" magazine has been taken into custody by the Iranian government. "Newsweek" says that Maziar Bahari was asleep in his apartment, this was on Saturday morning, when security officers showed up. They reportedly seized his computer, some videotapes and then took him away. "Newsweek" is now demanding his release immediately. The Associated Press reports that at least 24 journalists and bloggers have been arrested since protest in Iran began last week.

ROBERTS: President Obama is set to sign a new anti-smoking bill at the White House today. It gives the Food and Drug Administration control over the tobacco industry. That means the agency could reduce nicotine in cigarettes, ban candy flavorings, eliminate low tar and light brands and require more graphic warnings on packaging.

CHETRY: Well, the first named storm of the Pacific hurricane season is now headed towards Mexico this morning. It's Tropical Storm Andres. It has sustained winds right now of just 45 miles per hour. Forecasters do expect it to drop some heavy rain, though, tomorrow and today in the southwest coast of Mexico.

Is President Obama keeping his campaign promise to double the size of the Peace Corps? It's just one of the statements that we're going to run through the Truth-O-Meter. Bill Adair is the man for that. He's the founder and editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact.com, and he joins us now from Washington.

Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

BILL ADAIR, EDITOR, POLITIFACT.COM: Good morning.

CHETRY: All right. So, let's go through some of them. One of the things that we've been talking about right now is the Iranian protests. We've seen them take to the streets. We've the video that's come to us via cell phone as well as other medium. And we've been having a chance to take a look at this.

Now, some supporters of President Obama say that it was his address to the Muslim world in Cairo that perhaps sparked some of this momentum for change. But there have been conservative critics, on the other hand, that have been really quick to criticize him for that speech.

Ann Coulter, in an op-ed in "Human Events" said he went too far in praising Muslims. And here's what she wrote. This is what you ran through your -- you guys ran through your Truth-O-Meter.

"President Obama was wrong about Muslims' historical contributions to mankind such as algebra - actually, that was the ancient Babylonians -- the compass, that was the Chinese, pens, the Chinese again, and medical discoveries."

Coulter says the president is inaccurate about the historical contributions of the Muslim world. So, how did you rate what Ann Coulter said?

ADAIR: We gave that one a "Barely True" on the Truth-O-Meter. Sort of specifically if you break it down. She's wrong about algebra. The Muslims really did have a hand in creating it. She's right, though, about the compass and navigation. She's wrong about pens. It's kind of a mixed bag on medicine. So, overall, that one gets a "Barely True" on our Truth-O-Meter. CHETRY: All right. And also with the issue of Guantanamo Bay. We'll talk about this. It's another one of the topics certainly making news. The Obama administration, when talking about Guantanamo Bay, said that, you know, finding a place for these detainees that are there, they're not sure if they're going to be charged with anything. It has been quite a challenge. It's an issue that Republicans have seized upon.

And in responding to GOP criticism, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer held a press conference in which he stated some 500 detainees were released from Guantanamo during the Bush administration, and it's a figure that we haven't heard a lot. So, how truthful is that claim?

ADAIR: We gave that one a "Mostly True" on our Truth-O-Meter. And that one surprised us. I think we're all very aware that there have been many detainees that have left Guantanamo. But we were surprised to find that, indeed, it was more than 500 under the Bush administration.

Our quibble with Congressman Hoyer's statement, though, was he said released. And actually the Pentagon defines it in two ways -- released, meaning they can just walk away and go wherever they want. But most detainees are transferred to another country where the country agrees to either incarcerate them or provide some kind of monitoring or travel restrictions. So, Hoyer gets a "Mostly True" on the Truth-O-Meter.

CHETRY: All right. Let's get to the Obameter, and what we talked about as being the Obameter. As a candidate, Barack Obama pledged many different things. He made more than 500 promises. And you guys have sort of been breaking down the promises made and the progress. One of them was to, quote, "double the Peace Corps to 16,000 by its fiftieth anniversary in 2011 and to push Congress to fully fund this expansion."

Because you can you call on doubling it, but if you don't have money to pay for it, it doesn't really work. So in recent weeks, there have been dozens of Peace Corps volunteers. My mother was one of them, by the way. So, there is a slight personal connection. She knows how wonderful the Peace Corps organization has been in helping people around the world. But they've rallied Congress and the Obama administration to try to fulfill that promise. And you've done some checking into this. Tell us where he stands on that?

ADAIR: We did. We rated this one "Stalled" on the Obameter. And the reason is that in the president's budget he did not provide the funding that was needed to double the Peace Corps. To double it to 16,000, they really got to start making some serious investments, and his budget doesn't envision that. It only envisions about 9,000 Peace Corps employees.

Now, there's some movement in Congress. It's going to be interesting to watch because I think a lot of former Peace Corps volunteers have gotten very active and are pushing Congress to do what the president hasn't done and that's moving along. But for now, we've got it rated "Stalled" on our Obameter. CHETRY: And you talked about also Congress playing a role in this. How much would it be to fulfill that promise in terms of cost to double the size and the funding?

ADAIR: I'm thinking the number is up around $900 million, something like that. But what's fascinating here is the power of a grassroots movement, that the former Peace Corps volunteers have really gotten together and are pushing this hard. They've had rallies. They have been contacting members of Congress. And so it's interesting that it may actually be the former Peace Corps volunteers that make the president keep his own promise more than the president himself.

CHETRY: Yes, it certainly is fascinating. They're passionate about their volunteerism, for sure. Bill Adair, founder and editor of PolitiFact.com, always great to see you every Monday morning here on the program. Thanks so much.

ADAIR: Thanks, Kiran.

ROBERTS: We've been talking for the last week or so about the effect that Twitter has had on the reform movement in Iran. The demonstrators, of course, are using it to get the word out. What's interesting is that -- in this crazy kind of twist, the Ayatollah Khamenei even sent out a Twitter message in the last couple of days. But the big question everybody has is, is it enough to change a nation? We'll get the view from the Pentagon coming up with Barbara Starr in just a moment.

Thirty-eight minutes now after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. What's happening in Iran has been dubbed a Twitter revolution. And it's now got the attention of the Pentagon.

Well, the top brass are trying to understand how 140 characters might be enough to change the world.

CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon this morning. No doubt reading up on her tweets.

Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, John.

Well, absolutely. The U.S. military may not fully understand social networking, but they are using it to think very differently about the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): It's being called the Twitter revolution, a protest of Iran's election outcome. Iranians using Twitter, YouTube, texting, cell phone videos, any social media they can to mobilize and tell the world what's happening in their country. It's a communications revolution with global implications for repressive government trying to control the Internet and social networking.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: They just can't draw the net tight enough to stop everything.

STARR: What's unique here in defiance, young computer savvy Iranians are finding alternate online routes to get around their government's firewalls and filters.

RICARDO REYES, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, YOUTUBE: And people are getting around it. And these YouTube logos represent videos uploaded from Tehran.

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The use of Twitter is a very important one, not only to the Iranian people, but now increasingly to people around the world, and most particularly young people.

STARR: Gates and Clinton know it's a young person's communication's revolution.

CLINTON: I wouldn't know a Twitter from a tweeter, but apparently it is very important.

GATES: My guess is in some of these countries that the leadership is kind of like me, they don't have a clue what it's about.

STARR: But Gates is serious about understanding the new freedom of communication where millions of young people in their 20s and 30s are communicating faster than the U.S. military can react.

GATES: How do we reach to them in a way that they understand? And this department, I think, is way behind the power curve in this. And it's an area where, I think, we have a lot of room for improvement.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Even Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is now twittering to the troops. Yes, John, I did sign up for a Twitter account, and I confess I have already forgotten my password so I need to reset it, and I'll be back to you on that.

ROBERTS: So, I see it's going well so far for you, is it, Barbara.

STARR: Yes. I'm right in there.

ROBERTS: All right. If you need some tips, give us a call.

CHETRY: It's for all of us. They told me, Barbara, that my password was too easily hackable, so I need to come up with another one, and then I forgot that one. So, it is. It's hard. Because I have the same password for everything, which you're not supposed to have, right?

ROBERTS: Yes. No, you shouldn't. You should mix it up at least a little bit.

CHETRY: Yes. And then, what do you do? Write down on a piece of paper, here are my passwords.

ROBERTS: It's all a matter of getting used to it, Barbara. That's all.

STARR: I'm ready.

ROBERTS: You're on the cusp for the revolution.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: Yes. She's ready to join the Twitter nation.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Barbara.

CHETRY: If I could only remember my password.

All right. Well, 54 days and counting. That's how many days in a row.

STARR: Thank you.

CHETRY: Thanks, Barbara.

Fifty-four days in a row is how many days in a row we've seen gas prices rise. They said they haven't seen a run-up like that since the 1970s so when is it going to end? Will we see relief?

ROBERTS: Apparently. Maybe.

CHETRY: Fingers crossed, we're going to talk about it when we come back.

ROBERTS: I hope I didn't give it away.

CHETRY: That's OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. "Minding Your Business" now. It is getting harder to find companies in this rough economy that are willing to match your 401(k) contribution. The study conducted for Financial Services Provider Charles Schwab found a quarter of all employers have eliminated them. And a quarter of all companies have begun limiting enrollment in 401(k) plans.

Gasoline prices may finally start to drop this week, if you can believe the experts, that is. A gallon of unleaded regular now $2.70 nationwide. It has gone up, as Kiran said, 54 days in a row. But inventories have increased unexpectedly, and wholesale prices plunged on Friday. Analysts are now predicting a drop in prices unless the violence in Iran impacts production.

Investors are hoping for a rally on Wall Street this week. Things have been pretty sluggish lately. But a Federal Reserve meeting this week, plus critical reports on housing and consumer spending could be key to getting those markets moving again.

CHETRY: Meantime, there's some bizarre weather taking place lately, right, for us, but also the country as well.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTS: I went out for a ride on my bicycle yesterday.

CHETRY: Did you get soaked?

ROBERTS: I got north, just south of the George Washington Bridge, hit about a 40-mile-an-hour head wind and then a series of squalls came through. The good news was when I turned to go back the other way, I was flying. But, you know --

CHETRY: And then you drive yourself off on the way back, right? I mean, did you get covered and you got soaking wet, right?

ROBERTS: Pretty wet -- yes.

CHETRY: It always happens that way, Rob. You know, it's like Murphy's Law.

He's on a motorcycle.

ROBERTS: No, bicycle.

CHETRY: Oh, bicycle, sorry. Because when you says bike, you know, you use a Harley, too. Either or --

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: He's got them both. But, clearly, if you're going down when you want to get the sale up, you wanted -- you know, you'll take advantage of the wind. That would help you down the Westside that way.

CHETRY: Right. Exactly. You had the bike on the Westside Highway?

ROBERTS: No, it's at the bike path. Adjacent to it.

I was going 28 miles an hour coming back down. That's how strong the wind was, Rob.

MARCIANO: That will get you home in a hurry.

(CROSSTALK)

CHETRY: You can't even pedal.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHETRY: That's why they decided to put it off until September.

ROBERTS: It would be a good idea.

MARCIANO: All right, guys. We'll see you in a bit.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTS: Oh, that one.

CHETRY: All right, Rob. Thanks.

Forty-nine minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

There is a massive new medical research project getting underway. The mission, to unlock the mystery of autism. How children get it and why families with one autistic child are more likely to have another.

Alina Cho now on how this study will work.

It's an ambitious project. Researches haven't made much progress with autism in some years of understanding it...

(CROSSTALK)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, they're just starting.

ROBERTS: ... or where it comes from.

CHO: No, they haven't. I mean, it's been many, many years. And it's just in the past five years, really, that people have become aware of the word "autism." Before that, a lot of people didn't know what it was.

Good morning, everybody.

You know, for years researchers have been stumped about what causes autism. So many theories out there. Everything from childhood vaccines to diet, even cell phone use, but nothing definitive. Which is why researchers are taking on this massive project, a study aimed at finding a cure with the public's help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHO (voice-over): Like many families living with autism, Daureena and Tony Williams suspected early on something was wrong with their newborn, Tony Jr.

DAUREENA WILLIAMS, MOTHER OF AUTISTIC CHILD: It was hard to change his diapers. And he was really tight. Like he couldn't really open up his arms and legs like a normal baby. CHO: Their baby was diagnosed with autism.

TONY WILLIAMS, FATHER OF AUTISTIC CHILD: When we first found out, it was just heartbreaking. I sat in the room and cried.

CHO: Tony Jr. is nearly three, but even with early intervention, he barely speaks and he's prone to tantrums.

Common among children with autism. And nobody knows the cause.

D. WILLIAMS: That's the thing that gets under your skin every day. No matter how good you feel about your child, it feels like, where does this come from? Why is this happening to him?

CHO: A medical mystery the Williams are hoping to help unlock.

Daureena is pregnant again, making her a candidate for a ground- breaking study.

PROFESSOR CRAIG NEWSCHAFFER, DREXEL UNIVERSITY: These are families that we know are at high risk for autism by virtue of the fact that there's already that affected child.

CHO: Drexel University professor Craig Newschaffer is heading up a team of researchers. They'll follow 1200 pregnant woman who already have an autistic child, then study the first three years of the baby's life. The research will look at the environment and genetics, everything from household cleaning products to the baby's first bowel movement.

NEWSCHAFFER: We're collecting in real time comprehensive information, things that the mom is exposed to in pregnancy and the baby's early life. Things that the baby is exposed to in early life.

CHO: All clues that could lead to an answer to the question what causes autism. Why the Williams want to be involved?

D. WILLIAMS: We just want to know like, when we're old and gray that we did something to help our child. That brings warm to our heart. Even though he's only two years old now, he's going to be a man someday. And we just want him to have a nice life. It doesn't have to be perfect, just a nice life where he can function on his own and do things on his own.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: So cute, right?

Kiran -- and that is what every parent wants, of course. Pregnant women who already have an autistic child, we should mention, are at a greater risk for having another child with autism. Daureena said she had no idea about that. Her second son was actually born before her first, Tony Jr. was diagnosed. And she says she was only told about being a high-risk pregnancy after she got pregnant.

Now having said that, though, she and her husband, Tony Sr., say if their third child is diagnosed with autism, they will definitely be more prepared to deal with it this time around.

ROBERTS: I can't imagine, three.

CHO: Two. It would be two. The second one, the second one is healthy.

ROBERTS: Oh, sorry.

CHO: But to have two -- yes. I mean, it would be an enormous amount of work. But they say they are ready.

ROBERTS: All right, thanks Alina.

To find out more about autism and research about the study, check out Alina's blog, just log on to cnn.com/amfix.

Fifty-five and a half minutes now after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Coldplay.

ROBERTS: It could be (INAUDIBLE). I'm not sure.

CHETRY: All right. I love that song, though.

It's a Monday morning, and we're coming up on two minutes before seven o'clock here in New York. Thanks so much for being with us. Welcome to the Most News in the Morning.

The world is watching the bloody uprising that's taking place in Iran through the eyes of the people right in the middle of it. And it certainly has everyone talking from our president on down.

"STATE OF THE UNION's" John King has a look at what the newsmakers were saying about the situation in Iran on the Sunday talk shows.

KING: Good morning Kiran and John.

Iran is again the big story and our "Sound of Sunday" reflects a fascinating debate over whether the government in Tehran is at risk, and whether President Obama here on Washington is being too timid in his response. What matters most, of course, are the developments in Iran. But as you watch those today, some leading policymakers believe those who are defying their supreme leaders and taking to the streets could help engineer major change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUGAR: Leader Khomeini perhaps made a grievous error. He said now, out in the streets, you're indicating opposition to the state, to the regime itself. It's not a question of Mousavior Ahmadinejad; it's me and the supreme council.

SEN. BOB CASEY (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It's never going to be the same in Iran. Something is stirring in the hearts of Iranians that we've never seen before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: President Obama says the world is watching and calls the crackdown unjust. How his performance is being graded hence to breakdown along party lines.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: There's a monumental event going on in Iran. And, you know, the president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world and not follow it.

SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: I think we do great damage to the effort if it appears this is a U.S.-led effort.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Frankly, it's not only what's about taking place in the streets of Tehran, but it's also what takes place in America's conscience.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think our ability to get in there and change the course of human events is very low, to be very candid with you.

KING: The Iranians say Western nations, including the United States are in sighting and helping the demonstrators.