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Missile Defense Scrubbed; Terror Probe Moves West; Obama Ponders Troop Increase
Aired September 17, 2009 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The missile defense shield is being shut down. The White House confirms to CNN the plan to stop the controversial program. President Obama is scheduled to talk about his decision coming up in less than 15 minutes.
In fact, CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is covering the story. She is joining us now live. All right. So Suzanne, we should probably remind everybody exactly what we're talking about here. This is sort of a program that's been in place since George W. Bush re-enacted a type of missile defense for the country. This one the Shield Program. Obviously this is a radar site in the Czech Republic. They were talking about 10 missile interceptors to counter the threat of Iran possibly launching long range missiles. Now, the administration says we don't need it anymore. Why?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, in speaking with White House officials, the administration officials explain it this way. They say that intelligence shows them they did the 60-day review and the intelligence says that the kinds of missiles that would be coming from Iran would not be long range that they're not able to deliver long-range missiles to allies in Europe but rather short and medium range. So they don't need this elaborate system in Poland and in the Czech Republic to deal with this particular threat. They're going to basically put another system that's in place that would be more regional and be better developed. They say more effective.
So they don't need this to begin with. So they're scrapping it. They also say that this is something that they have been assessing the threat level and they don't see the threat as serious as the Bush administration did when it comes to launching those type of missiles to U.S. allies. This is part - as we know, Heidi, of looking at all of the possibilities here.
We know the Russians - the president went to Moscow just months ago and have been very upset about the Bush administration's idea of putting this system in their backyard. They see it as a threat to their own national security. This is something that very likely will please the Russians. Not the Bush administration, the Obama administration but they certainly they are going to need to mend some fences with Poland as well as the Czech Republic to say, look, you know, we understand. We are still looking at your own security needs as well. Heidi -
COLLINS: It's very interesting. A lot more to talk about here certainly with regard to the possibility that this was perhaps decided because of the Russians. So we will continue to follow that story very closely. And of course, we'll bring you these statements coming up in about 15 minutes or so. Suzanne Malveaux, sure do appreciate that.
International troops among the victims of a suicide attack in Afghanistan's capital this morning. The attack targeted the troops as they drove through a residential area on their way to the military airport. 16 people are dead. Six of them Italian soldiers with a NATO force there. And dozens more are injured in the blast.
The mission in Afghanistan under discussion big time on Capitol Hill today. You are looking now live at the Senate foreign relations committee. They're hearing testimony on alternate strategies for Afghanistan. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham will also hold their own event on Capitol Hill today. Both took part in Arms Services Committee hearings earlier this week. They're talking today about the need to add additional troops in Afghanistan.
President Obama has not been formally asked to send more troops just yet but a request could come in the next couple of weeks from commanding General Stanley McChrystal. The president made it clear he wants to hear a winning strategy first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no immediate decision pending on resources because one of the things that I'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources. You don't take determinations about resources and certainly you don't make determinations about sending young men and women into battle without having absolute clarity about what the strategy is going to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The mission in Afghanistan has taken a hit in the polls but at least one top commander says people may not be seeing the whole picture. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more now on the strategy and calls for a troop increase.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Troops on patrol talk with Afghans about building a medical clinic. This is the type of action U.S. commanders want. Helping Afghans so they don't turn to the Taliban. But the combat reality, senior U.S. officers increasingly believe urgent change is needed.
GEN. JAMES CONWAY, U.S. MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT: If I could change one thing today with what's happening in the south of Afghanistan, it would be more troops but more Afghan troops.
STARR: In an exclusive interview with CNN, General James Conway, Marine Corps commandant, spells out how more troops might be used.
CONWAY: I think there's lots of places that we believe we can put the Taliban on the run, as well as disrupting his logistics and supply line, his command and control, his money source, which in large measure is drugs.
STARR: Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, now says even more U.S. troops may be needed.
VOICE OF SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: What will happen in that two or three-year period, do you think, in terms of the security environment while we're training?
ADM. MICHAEL MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: If it's - if we're just training?
GRAHAM: Yes.
MULLEN: I think the security environment will continue to deteriorate.
GRAHAM: OK.
STARR: As public support for the war continues to slip, Conway says the public isn't seeing the full picture.
CONWAY: So I'm an optimist. I think that, one, the country needs to understand better perhaps what's taking place.
COLLINS: And Barbara Starr joining us now live from the Pentagon. So what is the status of the McChrystal review? We heard as you mentioned in your piece from Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, waiting to hear more now about when this formal request may go in.
STARR: Well, Heidi, a senior U.S. military official tells us this morning that actually General McChrystal has completed his work and he, General McChrystal, has now made a decision about how many more troops he needs. The numbers you hear floating around are 30,000 to 40,000.
So I asked that senior official familiar with the request, does that sound right to you? He says he wouldn't wave us off those general numbers, that general range of about 30,000 to 40,000. But Heidi, here's what's really interesting. The request though it may be done hasn't been sent to Washington yet. General McChrystal we are told is waiting to be told that he can send it on to the White House and to the Pentagon, hasn't happened yet. Heidi.
COLLINS: Why? A lot of people, Barbara, may not understand that there is definitely sort of a protocol or a procession as to how these requests are made. And if you need it, don't you just ask?
STARR: Well, you would think so. I mean, General McChrystal on the one hand has been told to ask for whatever he needs and now he's got it all formulated. But he hasn't actually been told to put it in the mail yet to Washington. You know, this is a very sensitive issue. I don't know that we have a very good understanding of what's going on here.
Clearly they want to take their time. That was the signal from the White House yesterday. But clearly there is an urgent need for more troops because here's the bottom line, Heidi. You don't see any U.S. commander coming out there saying I have enough. Don't worry.
COLLINS: Yes.
STARR: Don't send me anymore.
COLLINS: Exactly.
STARR: Everyone is saying they need more and they need it now.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Great point. Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, appreciate that.
And also we want to let you know, CNN today at 4:00 Wolf Blitzer talks to Afghan president Hamid Karzai about the military campaign and the recent elections. Today at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN, worldwide leader in news.
And tomorrow, we will have a very special guest on our own show. Khaled Hosseini, the author of "The Kite Runner" and the United Nations good will ambassador who is also just back from Afghanistan. We're going to talk to him at 9:30 Eastern about the struggles of refugees there.
The man at the center of a terror investigation in New York City has been found in Colorado. Federal agents searched the home of the Afghan national while he was at the FBI office in Denver. The investigation moved into high gear with Monday's raids at several buildings in New York.
CNN's Ted Rowlands joining us now live on the telephone from Denver. Ted, what's the update here?
VOICE OF TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, it's still in high gear, that investigation. And it has really moved here in the Denver area, to Aurora. You mentioned an apartment that was searched yesterday also another home of this person of interest, if you will, and Najibullah Zazi, the individual that lived here in Denver but traveled via rental car to New York where he stayed at an apartment there. That's where the initial search took place yesterday.
Not only was the apartment searched but also his aunt and uncle's home. And it is very bizarre. Because you're wondering is there a there, there, sort of mixed messages coming out. During this search, agents were wearing protective hazmat gear. A local school was closed down. Or students were held at a school. People were pulled out of an apartment. One woman was wearing a cosmetic facial mask, sitting there, watching a movie. They told her to get out because of potential danger.
And (INAUDIBLE) you have Robert Mueller, FBI director, basically telling the Senate committee yesterday that nothing in terms of the investigation he believed had revealed an imminent danger and perhaps Zazi's attorney saying this guy is completely cooperating. He met apparently for eight hours yesterday. Is meeting again today and provided fingerprints, DNA and writing samples to investigators.
What we do know for sure is that something sparked this investigation and they are leaving no stone unturned. What we don't know is why Zazi's at the center of it, what connection possibly he has to something larger. They are also today looking at hardware stores and looking for people who have purchased large quantities of muriatic acid, bomb making materials. So the authorities are taking this very, very seriously. People here in Denver obviously are startled by this. But at this point you talk to Zazi's attorney and on the other side of the coin they say bring it on.
We want to comply with all of your requests -
COLLINS: Sure.
ROWLANDS: It's an on-going investigation and there is a lot of concern especially here in Denver, of people living here to see where this goes.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. Across the nation I'm sure.
Ted, keep us posted should things change there. We'll certainly get back to you. Ted Rowlands coming to us by telephone from Denver, Colorado. Thanks so much.
Breaking news out of New Haven, Connecticut. Just about two hours ago 24-year-old Raymond Clark was arrested at a nearby hotel. He is a Yale university lab technician now charged with killing graduate student Annie Le. Her body was found in the basement wall of the off campus research building on Sunday. That was also to have been her wedding day. Police are not releasing a motive but say it was a case of workplace violence.
Many economists believe the recession is over but most Americans don't share that feeling. In fact, the latest CNN opinion research poll finds an overwhelming majority of us, look 86 percent, think the U.S. is still in a recession. Traditionally economists have declared the recession is over before the public really feels any relief.
For more on how your neighbors are doing in these economic tough times, check out CNN's "Money and Main Street." You can see it tonight at 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
And we want to hear from you as well. Do you think the U.S. is still in a recession? Make sure you go to my blog, cnn.com/heidi. And let us know what you think.
Meanwhile, Rob Marciano standing by now in the severe weather center to talk a little bit more about some of these storms, Rob, that we've been having in the south and this major amount of rain. The little yellow lab actually a big yellow lab, not very happy even though he's a swimmer, he got caught in the rain yesterday.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, your dog needed a bath regardless. So -
COLLINS: How do you know?
MARCIANO: I'd -
COLLINS: You're right. How did you know that?
MARCIANO: Torrential downpours, as Heidi mentioned, across parts of Georgia yesterday. So this storm is really expanding and now this morning right now flash flood warnings into western Tennessee. Weather is coming up when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.
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COLLINS: Rob Marciano standing by in the severe weather center because we have to keep talking about this massive amount of rain.
MARCIANO: Check out some of these video coming in just out of - just north of Little Rock, Arkansas. This is the (INAUDIBLE) Mountain State Park. Flooded pretty bad yesterday. And they shut it down for some of the worst flooding they've seen in some time. Check out some of these numbers. You know, Arkansas, 8.36, (INAUDIBLE) 7.68, Little Rock at 3.31. And these are just 24-hour totals. A lot of totals for the storm for the two, three day totals, well over 10 inches. So very impressive. No doubt about that.
Here is where the radar is showing the moisture. Actually The low is backed up into parts of Texas but the moisture field is really expanding across the entire southeast. So this will bubble up. This will fill in throughout the afternoon and we'll see more in the way of torrential downpours.
The strength of this system overall is weakening just a tad but it has brought some beneficial rainfall. I want to show you the drought monitor that measures the drought intensity. This dark maroon and through south central Texas is where is exceptional drought. That was as of last week. But now we move into this week, you notice a good chunk of Texas really has improved quite a bit.
Still there are spots including Corpus Christi, there are exceptional as far as drought concerns. But Austin down to San Antonio seeing a little bit of improvement there. So that is the good news. They went from about 13 percent of the state being under exceptional drought to all the way way down to about three and change. So that's certainly good news for those folks.
All right. What are we looking at for the rest of the south? Well, tomorrow we're going to push this a little bit farther to the east. Still, it is pretty expansive. But generally speaking we'll start to see a little bit of improvement there. Daytime highs today will be held down because of the rainfall in Dallas. 76 degrees expected in Memphis. We have flash flood warnings that are posted for some western counties in Tennessee right now.
So that's where the heaviest rain is. It will be 78 degrees in Atlanta. 67 degrees in New York. Some scattered showers in the New York City area but I think the bigger story will be cool air. Very cool in Boston. And then temperatures warming up like a pretty nice weekend for folks in the New York City area.
So how's your dog? Did you not take pictures of the torrential downpour in your neighborhood yesterday, Heidi?
COLLINS: I did not. I was just saying I should have brought a picture in of him. He was pretty pathetic.
MARCIANO: We saw some of the worst rain I've have ever seen in Atlanta, in six years living here.
COLLINS: Unbelievable.
MARCIANO: We don't have one lick of video of it. CNN being based here. It's a little bit embarrassing.
COLLINS: I'm not saying a word.
MARCIANO: I should have taken pictures myself. We're all guilty.
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: I'm glad your dog is now clean.
COLLINS: Yes, he is now clean. That's true. He actually smells worse because wet dog is about the worst smell you can have. Rob, appreciate it. We'll keep our eye on all of that flooding in the south. Thanks so much.
Also, we are keeping an eye on this. The podium there where the president is expected any moment because the missile defense shield program is being shut down. The White House confirms to CNN now the plan to stop this controversial program. President Obama is scheduled to talk about the decision any minute now. Originally scheduled for 10:15. so we will bring it to you when it happens.
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COLLINS: As promised, President Barack Obama talking about scrapping the missile defense shield program. Let's listen.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... defenses against any and all threats to our people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
OBAMA: ... Joint Chiefs of Staff strengthen America's defenses against ballistic missile attack. This new approach will provide capabilities sooner, build on proven systems and offer greater defenses against the threat of missile attack than the 2007 European missile defense program. This decision was guided by two principle factors.
First, we have updated our intelligence assessment of Iran's missile programs, which emphasizes the threat posed by Iran's short and medium range missiles which are capable of reaching Europe. There's no substitute for Iran complying with its international obligations regarding its nuclear program. And we, along with our allies and partners, will continue to pursue strong diplomacy to ensure that Iran lives up to these international obligations. But this new ballistic missile defense program will best address the threat posed by Iran's ongoing ballistic missile defense program.
Second, we have made specific and proven advances in our missile defense technology, particularly with regard to land and sea based interceptors and the sensors that support them. Our new approach will therefore deploy technologies that are proven and cost effective and to counter the current threat and do so sooner than the previous program. Because our approach will be phased and adaptive, we'll retain the flexibility to adjust and enhance our defenses as the threat and technology continue to evolve.
To put it simply, our new missile defense architecture in Europe will provide stronger, smarter and swifter defenses of American forces and America's allies. It is more comprehensive than the previous program. It deploys capabilities that are proven and cost effective and it sustains and builds upon our commitment to protect the U.S. Homeland against long range ballistic missile threats and it ensures and enhances the protection of all our NATO allies.
Now, this approach is also consistent with NATO's missile defense efforts and provides opportunities for enhanced international collaboration going forward. We will continue to work cooperatively with our close friends and allies, the Czech Republic and Poland, who agreed to host elements of the previous program. I've spoken to the prime ministers of both the Czech Republic and Poland about this decision and reaffirmed our deep and close ties.
Together we are committed to a broad range of cooperative efforts to strengthen our collective defense and we're bound by the solid commitment of NATO's article five that an attack on one is an attack on all. We've also repeatedly made clear to Russia that concerns about our previous missile defense programs were entirely unfounded. Our clear and consistent focus has been the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missile program and that continues to be our focus and the basis of the program that we're announcing today.
In confronting that threat, we welcome Russia's cooperation to bring its missile defense capabilities into a broader defense of our common strategic interests as even as we continue to our shared efforts to end Iran's elicit nuclear program. Going forward my administration will consult closely with Congress and with our allies as we deploy the system and we will rigorously evaluate both the threat posed by ballistic missiles and the technology that we are developing to counter.
I'm confident that with the steps we've taken today, we've strengthened America's national security and enhanced our capacity to confront 21st century threats. Thank you very much, everybody.
COLLINS: All right. So there you have President Barack Obama talking about the missile defense shield program Eastern Europe, just to give you an idea of what we're talking about here these are radar sites. Ten missile interceptors in fact in the Czech Republic in order to and also Poland in order to sort of ward off the threat of any long range missiles that would come in potentially from Iran.
There has been controversy about this. There are certainly winners and losers in all of it. I want to take a moment to bring in our correspondent Jill Dougherty here. Because, Jill, you have covered Russia for a very long time and the relations between Russia and the United States, how do they figure into all of this?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Russians have really been opposed to this very vehemently and very emotionally for a long time. Ever since the Bush administration developed this idea. And so one of the issues for the Obama administration here is they want Russia's help in putting pressure on Iran to end its nuclear program.
COLLINS: They're talking about economic sanctions here?
DOUGHERTY: Oh, economic sanctions against -
COLLINS: Against Iran. They would need, if in fact, this were to go in that direction, if there was more nuclear development, then they would need Russia's help, the United States, in order to possibly impose something like tougher economic sanctions.
DOUGHERTY: Precisely, and that's what they've been trying to do, to get the Russians onboard to stiffen up and to help end Iran's nuclear program. So that was one thing that they were trying to do. But in doing this, in backing down and deciding, probably backing down isn't the phrase but deciding not to go ahead with this plan, they do not want to look as if they are caving into Russia.
So you see at the end, the president saying we welcome Russia's cooperation in this. Maybe eventually Russia, as they've talked about before, could be part of this missile shield in same fashion but they also want Russia to put its good efforts towards containing the Iranian nuclear threat.
COLLINS: Yes. Also, back in July there was a press conference in Moscow where the president actually used the words resetting the button, if you will, with Russia. So very, very interesting in all of this. My other question is and I'm not sure you have an answer for it. I don't think anybody does but what is this new program going to look like.
We should be clear that according to President Obama - yes this particular program, the Missile Defense Shied is going to be scrapped but because of greater technology, more cost effective technology, there is going to be some sort of new missile defense program. Does anybody know what that looks like or when it's going to be in place?
DOUGHERTY: They do. But there are some hints of what it could be. I mean, if you listen to the president, what he's saying is right now there's not a long range threat of missiles coming from Iran. But there are short range. They have short range and they have medium range. So what do you do with that?
What he's saying is there are different technologies for going closer to Iran. Some ideas have been for instance putting interceptors in Turkey, which would be closer. He's also talking about sensors that might be in the region. So he's talking about broadening it out and not just Poland and the Czech Republic. That's off the table. But a broader, let's say NATO based and maybe even bringing Russia into it.
COLLINS: Understood. All right. Jill Dougherty, I'd like to talk about here. We sure do appreciate your expertise as always. Thanks so much.
Happening this hour, a health care reform plan billed as having the best chance at passing the Senate is getting a close look. Chairman Max Baucus going over it with fellow finance committee members. President Obama back on the campaign trail.
Next hour, he'll take part in a rally for health care reform, being held at the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. This weekend he continues his blitz with appearances on five Sunday talk shows.
An ACORN worker seen on video bragging about being in the sex trade and killing her husband. Now she tells CNN it was all an act.
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HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now, we want to get you to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates there who is making some comments at the Pentagon about the missile shield defense program, and the President just announcing moments ago that that plan has now been scratched. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ROBERT GATES, US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: ... we have made great strides with missile defense, particularly in our ability to counter short and medium range missiles. We now have proven capabilities to intercept these ballistic missiles with land and sea based interceptors, supported by much improved sensors. These capabilities offer a variety of options to detect, track and shoot down enemy missiles. This allows us to deploy a distributed sensor network rather than a single fixed site like the kind slated for the Czech Republic, enabling greater survivability and adaptability.
We have also improved the Standard Missile-3, the SM-3, which has had eight successful flight tests since 2007. These tests have amply demonstrated the SM-3's capability and have given us greater confidence in the system and its future. Based on these two factors, we have now the opportunity to deploy new sensors and interceptors in northern and southern Europe that near term can provide missile defense coverage against more immediate threats from Iran or others.
In the initial stage, we will deploy Aegis ships equipped with SM-3 interceptors which provide the flexibility to move interceptors from one region to another if needed. The second phase, about 2015, will involve fielding upgraded land based SM-3s. Consultations have begun with allies, starting with Poland and the Czech Republic, about hosting a land-based version of the SM-3 and other components of the system. Facing some interceptors on land will provide additional coverage and save costs compared to a purely sea-based approach. Over time, this architecture is designed to continually incorporate new and more effective technologies as well as more interceptors, expanding the range of coverage, improving our ability to knock down multiple targets and increase the survivability of the overall system.
This approach also provides us with greater flexibility to adapt to developing threats and evolving technologies. For example, although the Iranian long range missile threat is not as immediate as we previously thought, this system will allow us to incorporate future defensive capabilities against such threats as they develop. Perhaps most important, though, we can now field initial elements of the system to protect our forces in Europe and our allies roughly six to seven years earlier than the previous plan, a fact made more relevant by continued delays in the Czech and Polish ratification processes that have caused repeated slips in the time line.
I would also note that plans to cover most of Europe and add to the defense of the US homeland will continue on about the same schedule as before. As the president has said very clearly, as long as the Iranian threat persists, we will pursue proven and cost effective missile defenses.
Today, the Department of Defense is briefing the Congress and our NATO allies about this plan. One of our guiding principles for missile defense remains the involvement and support of our allies and partners. We will continue to rely on our allies and work with them to develop a system that most effectively defends against very real and growing threats.
Those who say we are scrapping missile defense in Europe are either misinformed or misrepresenting the reality of what we are doing. The security of Europe has been a vital national interest of the United States for my entire career. The circumstances, borders and threats may have changed, but that commitment continues.
I believe this new approach provides a better missile defense capability for our forces in Europe, for our European allies, and eventually for our homeland than the program I recommended almost three years ago. It is more adaptive to the threat we see developing and takes advantage of new technical capabilities available to us today.
With that, let me now turn to General Cartwright - who has been deeply involved in the development of this proposal - for a more detailed presentation of it.
GENERAL JAMES CARTWRIGHT, VICE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Thank you. What I'd like to do is kind of step down through some of the elements of this capability and this architecture as it develops and give you a sense of how we're thinking about it.
Most of this work has emanated from the congressionally directed ballistic missile defense review that is a part of our QDR analysis. One thing that has not changed is the set of priorities that we started with, which is the defense of the homeland first, defense of our deployed forces, and then friends and allies. It is consistent with the budget decisions that we took in both '09 and in '10, as we move forward associated with missile defense and the capabilities that we wanted to have there, and some of these decisions started back in the Bush administration as we started to shift the priority and the weight of our effort towards the deployed forces after we fielded the initial ground-based interceptors up in Alaska and - and out in California.
The review and the accompanying analysis has moved us, based on the threat principally, but also on the opportunities that technology has availed to us to shift the architecture and enhance it. OK? This is not a moving away of the defense of the homeland and the capabilities of the ground-based interceptor, but what it is is an acknowledgement that there are capabilities out there that are able to, one, address the threat that has really emerged versus the threat that we initially postulated would be what we would call most dangerous, which is the - a threat to the United States.
But the fact that...
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: All right. There you have the latest information we're getting out of Pentagon now. General Cartwright there speaking, and prior to him Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as well, discussing a little bit more in detail for us to understand what this new missile defense program will look like, because obviously the news today that we had been following all morning long and the president just moments ago coming out and saying that indeed the missile defense shield program eastern Europe will be scrapped. But, apparently, there is a new program that is going to be put into place. Don't have times for you. There's a little bit of mention by the different phases and when they're going to go into effect by the defense secretary there.
But once again, saying that there is a better technology now to be more specific with the threats, specifically from Iran potentially. So that's what we're talking about today. We'll continue to follow that story, lots of different angles to it, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Also, we have been following this story this morning. Police in New Haven, Connecticut make an arrest in the murder of a graduate student. CNN's Mary Snow is joining us now with the new details.
Mary, there is a person in custody. You'll give us more information on that, as well as this potential arraignment that we have gotten word of just a few minutes ago here in the NEWSROOM.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And Heidi, we just got word from our producer, Julian Cummings, that Raymond Clark was arrested this morning - was just brought into court with chains on his ankles. He's being arraigned. He was brought here first to the New Haven Police Department where he was processed.
He's being held on $3 million bond and has been charged with murder, that announced by the police here in New Haven just a - a few hours ago. He had been under surveillance for several days, but because this arrest warrant was sealed, the New Haven Police Department are not giving out any details about what led to the arrest or the possible motive. They did say what led them to this arrest was forensic evidence, video surveillance and interviews with people.
The police chief did say yesterday that a DNA analysis was what was going to lead to an arrest, and Raymond Clark have been taken into custody so that police could obtain DNA analysis from him and from his home. As far as how he knew murder victim Annie Le, the Yale graduate student who was killed a week ago, that still remains unclear. But the police chief did have this to say. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES LEWIS, POLICE CHIEF, NEW HAVEN POLICE DEPARTMENT: I think it's important to note, this is not about urban crime, it's not about university crime, it's not about domestic crime but an issue of workplace violence which has become a growing concern around the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Le was a researcher, using a lab where Raymond Clark was a lab technician, looking after mice in that lab. Yale University says he's been an employee since 2004 and that his supervisor says that there was nothing in his employment history that would have raised a red flag like this.
We do expect to hear from Yale University's president, Richard Levin. He will make a statement just about an hour from now. It's the first time we've been hear - we've heard from him so far this week. And he did say, though, that the - the community here is relieved and encouraged by the progress in this investigation but he also said - he also said not rush to judgment - Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, obviously. But, boy, it is worth pointing out, Mary, that this has gone very, very quickly. Been speaking a little bit earlier to the New Haven independent reporter that we had saying, yes, you know, they - they are moving forward very, very quickly here.
I think we also have the date - the next court appearance coming up that we have been trying to get a hold of here, October 6th, I believe, is that next court date. So of course we will continue to follow this very, very closely alongside you.
Mary Snow, I sure appreciate that. Thank you.
And time now for a check of our top stories this morning. Investigators are looking at possible hate crimes charges against this man. He is charged in the beating of an African-American woman in front of her seven-year-old daughter. The woman, a US Army Reserve, says she still can't sleep one week after the attack at a restaurant south of Atlanta. She spoke about the ordeal with our own Campbell Brown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TASHA HILL, BEATING VICTIM: Yes, he did, punch me with a closed fist, repeated times. My head is hurting still today. I have knots (ph) on my head. My daughter had to stand by and witness the entire thing, and she was afraid. She had mentioned to me and had cried about the fact that she was trying to protect mommy by pushing the door and the man pushed the door back and squished her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Troy West, the suspect in the case, is out on bond. He is charged with battery, disorderly conduct and cruelty to children.
A heated session is likely in the Massachusetts State House today. At issue? Filling the US Senate seat left vacant by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. Lawmakers are set to debate a bill that would allow Governor Deval Patrick to name an interim replacement. A special election is set for January 19th. The longtime Massachusetts senator died of brain cancer August 25th.
An ACORN worker seen on video bragging about being in the sex trade and killing her husband. Now she says - tells CNN it was all an act.
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COLLINS: There are new doubts this morning about some allegations resulting from a hidden camera interview of an ACORN worker in California. Now, the woman in the video tells our Abbie Boudreau she lied about being in a sex trade and about killing her husband.
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ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT RESPONDENT (voice-over): An ACORN worker in San Bernardino not only offering advice to help a pimp and a prostitute but telling them she gets it because she too was once in the sex trade.
TRESA KAELKE, ACORN WORKER: I ran a service.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?
KAELKE: Yes. Heidi Fleiss is my hero. I understand, and believe me, I do know because I used to employ girls that - that would do this because they didn't care.
BOUDREAU: And that she once killed an abusive ex-husband.
KAELKE: I shot him. I shot...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From self-defense?
KAELKE: Yes. (INAUDIBLE) you! And I shot him. And he died right there.
BOUDREAU: But the worker caught in the sting, Tresa Kealke, now says she made it all up. KAELKE: It's a joke. Everything is a joke. You know, none of it is true. They came into my office. I - they were a little suspicious to me when they came in. They played with me and I played back. I shocked them like they were trying to shock me.
BOUDREAU: Kaelke told us she first told the filmmakers that ACORN would in no way help them with their prostitution project, but when they didn't leave, she became uncomfortable. Alone in the office in a tough neighborhood with strangers, she started to make up stories - stories she wishes she could take back.
KAELKE: It's affected my life extremely, and the lives of everyone around me. And I'm - I'm deeply sorry for that. It was a bad joke, I feel, but I felt a bad joke was being played on me.
BOUDREAU: The video took the ACORN controversy to another level. In the earlier videos, workers were apparently caught offering advice on how to hide prostitution money from the tax man and even bringing underage sex workers from overseas. But no one ever claimed to be a killer before.
San Bernardino police even investigated and found that the claims "do not appear to be factual". Investigators have been in contact with the involved party's known former husbands who are alive and well. The couple who took the video, James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, are both Conservative activists.
ACORN contends they've been deliberately manipulating the videos to put the Liberal group - which has become a target amid serious corruption, voter fraud allegations - in the worst light possible. Amy Schur is ACORN's California's chairwoman. She accompanied Tresa Kaelke to the interview.
AMY SCHUR, CHAIRWOMAN, ACORN CALIFORNIA: We believe these two Conservative activists broke the law, filming this. And then, what are they putting on the air and on - on the - online? They are putting doctored, edited, sliced and diced versions of these tapes.
BOUDREAU: That said, ACORN has already fired four workers for the earlier tapes and Kaelke told us she's been placed on indefinite suspension.
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BOUDREAU: ACORN announced they will conduct an independent review of these incidents and have plans to retrain its staff to make sure this kind of stuff does not happen again. I do want to tell you that we - we did reach out to the filmmakers many, many, many times. They have refused to get back to us. We've also reached out to all the other employees that you've seen on the tapes, the previous tapes, but this is the only woman that's actually come forward and agreed to talk to us on camera.
COLLINS: I'm trying to figure out, first of all, why she would want to come forward and why she would choose to go this route to begin with, talking about, you know, killing an ex-husband and... BOUDREAU: Well, she just kept saying, you know, they were trying to shock me and, you know, I'm going to shock them right back. And the reason that she came forward - at least the reason she told us is she came forward - is because she said she wasn't telling the truth then and wanted the truthful story out because it's obviously affected her life, it's affected the people around her.
And we did ask her, you know, so, you know, when - when you were watching the other videos popping up, were you thinking, "Oh, no. I'm next." And she said, "Oh, yes."
COLLINS: Really?
BOUDREAU: Because she recognized those people and thought I'm part of this too.
COLLINS: Yes. And we should say quickly, ex-husband is -?
BOUDREAU: Alive and well.
COLLINS: Alive and well.
BOUDREAU: Alive and well. And there was another video that did pop up today. It was streamed online. This one is from San Diego. We're looking into it. You know, we'll probably have more details throughout the day on that.
COLLINS: Very good. All right, Abbie Boudreau of our Special Investigations Unit. Thanks so much. Appreciate that.
We're going to take a quick break here in the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be back in just a moment.
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COLLINS: In his last moments, Jared Monti thought of his parents. This afternoon, his parents will be at the White House as Sergeant First Class Jared Monti, US Army, posthumously receives the Medal of Honor.
Monti was killed in Afghanistan in 2006 while rescuing a wounded private trapped by heavy fire. Before dying, Monti recited the Lord's Prayer, and then said, "Tell my family I love them."
To honor Sergeant First Class Jared Monti, the army has created a new website unlike anything it's had before. In fact, our Josh Levs has been looking into it and is here to show us a little bit more. Good morning to you, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPODENT: Good morning to you, Heidi. I've been hearing about this for a few weeks. I wasn't allowed to talk about it yet. But joining me right now is the head of online efforts for the military, Lt. Col. Kevin Arata. He's on the phone with us. Kevin, are you there?
KEVIN ARATA, CHIEF OF SOCIAL MEDIA, US ARMY: Yes I am, Josh. LEVS: Great. Well, thanks for doing this. And I want to show everyone this site. This is to honor Jared Monti. And there's a lot of great stuff here.
One of the things you have here is an audio slide show. I want to play everyone just a little clip from the beginning of one piece here.
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SSG. CHRIS GRZECKI, US ARMY: He was willing to stand up for his soldiers. Well, in the army, what you get a lot of is people that are - they're not so concerned with the guy below him as much as they are concerned about impressing the guy above him. Sergeant Monti was the opposite of that. He - he didn't care what the guy above him thought of him as long as he knew that he was doing the right thing to take care of his guys.
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LEVS: This is really amazing stuff. This is just one of the many features here. And one of the most striking features I want to show everyone - Kevin, help me talk us through this - is the battlescape.
Check this out - you trace everyone through various steps of exactly what happened on the day that Jared Monti gave his life, and one of the things that we see here that I'd like you explain is this, right here. You have some video, some audio, but you also have these red marks. Talk to me - what are we seeing right here? What does this trace us through?
ARATA: Sure, Josh. Right here, what we see is where the enemy was coming in from the north and attacking the soldiers that were up to the - the northern position here, the red arrows. They've since pulled back, and that one dot just below your finger there is - is where Pfc. Bradbury was at, and that's the soldier that Sgt. Monti was going to get.
It was this third attempt to go out there and try and get him, three attempts to go out and try and save one of his soldiers. And - and at that point where he was mortally wounded...
LEVS: He was mortally wounded. This is where he was killed - right here. That's where he gave his life, and this is who he was trying to save right here.
Before we go - I know we have top (ph) the show - I want to mention that we have actually heard from the family before, right here at Heidi's blog. They wrote to us on Memorial Day, saying - saying one cannot put into words the grief and loss military families go through and describing what they've been through. Also, as you know, Kevin, we have a link to all of the soldiers who have given their lives in Afghanistan.
Kevin, really quickly, you - why now? Why this? Why did you all take a new step online for this one man? ARAT: Well really, it's because of the technology that exists right now and what we're able to get. We got some amazing support from the soldiers that were out there on the battlefield, from the family, the photos - a lot of the photos came from the family. And so we were able to take all of that information and put it into this fantastic memorilization, really, of Sergeant First Class Monti and what he did, really, the epitome of an NCO, a noncommissioned officer, putting the needs of a soldier above his own.
LEVS: Wonderful. I mean, it's - it's - you know, he is a hero, a true war hero. We thank him. We're all thinking of his family today.
I want everyone to know you can see this at the blog, cnn.com/heidi or cnn.com/josh. And, Heidi, obviously, it's great to see that - that the military is doing this, helping people understand the heroism of this - this war hero.
COLLINS: Well, I think it's absolutely critical and so very important. I'm really, really glad that we were able to get this on today. Josh Levs, we do appreciate that, and, again, appreciate the service of all the men and women who are defending our country. Thanks again.
I'm Heidi Collins. CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Tony Harris.
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