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9/11 Suspects to New York; Concerns Over Nidal Hasan; NASA: Water Found on Moon
Aired November 13, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for your top-of-the-hour reset.
I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It's noon in New York, where accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will face trial in a Manhattan courtroom.
It is 11:00 in Texas, where an attorney says the Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan may have been paralyzed by gunshot wounds.
And it is noon on Capitol Hill, where the Senate is expected to begin debate on its version of health care reform next week.
Let's get started.
Up first, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The U.S. government calls him the mastermind of 9/11. Last hour, the Obama administration announced he and four other men will face trial on American soil as criminal defendants.
Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve is on the story for us.
And Jeanne, the questions I've been receiving in e-mails this morning is, why make this move?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the administration had said it was committed to trying as many detainees as it could in civilian court. The attorney general says he went through these cases one by one, did a personal review, and it's his best judgment that these five can go to civilian courts in the southern district of New York.
He said he would not have made this decision to go to civilian courts unless he thought the prosecutions could be brought successfully. The attorney general said they would be charged together likely, and likely would be charged with masterminding and carrying out the 9/11 attacks, and he promised he would seek harsh penalties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I also want to assure the American people that we will prosecute these cases vigorously and we will pursue the maximum punishment available. These were extraordinary crimes, and so we will seek maximum penalties.
Federal rules allow us to seek the death penalty for capital offenses. And while we will review the evidence and circumstances following established protocols, I fully expect to direct prosecutors to seek the death penalty against each of the alleged 9/11 conspirators.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Now, the attorney general also announced that five others will be going to military commissions. Among them, the man who allegedly planned the attack on the USS Cole. But it's the decision to bring the 9/11 alleged conspirators to New York that is igniting a firestorm already.
Senator John Cornyn issued a statement this morning. He said, "Trying them in courts like common criminals is unconscionable. It would compromise the safety of Americans," he said.
Deborah Burlingame (ph), who is a family member of one of the victims of 9/11, called it a travesty a sham. She predicted that the trial would give Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others a platform to spew their jihadi rhetoric.
Now, the attorney general was asked about all of these questions during the press conference. He believes that New York is safe, that that particular district has much experience in trying terrorism cases. And he believes that the presiding judge will be able to keep order in the courtroom and keep the discussion relevant to the trial.
Back to you, Tony.
HARRIS: Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, for us.
Jeanne, thank you.
MESERVE: You bet.
HARRIS: The number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay topped 700 at one point in the early part of the decade. When President Obama took office last January, that number was down to 242. Today, according to a senior administration official, there are 215, and a majority of that number has been approved for transfer out.
The fallout over plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison leading to a staff shake-up at the Obama administration. White House counsel Greg Craig announced his resignation today. It takes effect January 3rd.
Craig played a key role in advising President Obama to sign an executive order on Guantanamo during his first week in office. The order called for shutting down the prison by the end of January 2010. White House aides have since backed off that timeline.
Let's do this -- let's check the wire now and get you caught up on the day's other big stories.
President Obama stresses U.S. ties with Japan on the first leg of his trip to Asia. The president says the U.S. and Japan have been and will continue to be equal partners. He and the newly elected Japanese prime minister held talks on a wide range of issues, including the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The world's two leading economies, we have spent a lot of time working together in the G-20 to help bring the world back from the brink of financial crisis, and we're going to continue to work to strengthen our efforts so that we can expand job growth in the future. And we will be discussing with our APEC partners how to rebalance our deep economic cooperation with this region to strengthen our recovery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: NATO is trying to boost its troop presence in Afghanistan. Britain's prime minister says he believes he can secure commitments for 5,000 more troops from NATO nations. Germany says it will send 100 more soldiers in January. The NATO force is now 71,000 strong, half of them Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES APPATHURAN, NATO SPOKESMAN: It's worth remembering that the number of non-U.S. troops in Afghanistan has just about doubled in the last two years to 36,000. So, the allies have dug deep already to do more. They continue to add more force.
As you mentioned, the German troops, I can mention a number of Turks also coming into the country. So, people are doing more, but the secretary-general believes that this cannot just be an American effort. All of the allies need to look to what more they can contribute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Just this morning, the attorney for Army Major Nidal Hasan revealed his client is apparently paralyzed from the waist down. The attorney says the suspected Fort Hood shooter's speech is garbled and he tires easily. Hasan was shot several times by police answering the emergency call last week.
We're also learning about concerns over Hasan's medical competency.
Here's our Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A former colleague of Nidal Hasan's during his medical training tells CNN Hasan's contemporaries had widespread concerns about his competence as a psychiatrist. Former colleagues who did not want to be identified because of the ongoing investigation say they thought Hasan's presentations were not academically rigorous. And one said, "No one in class would have ever referred a patient to him."
Earlier this week, Hasan's supervisor at Fort Hood was asked about reports of problems.
COLONEL KIMBERLY KESLING, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF CLINICAL SERVICES, DARNALL ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: His evaluation reports said that he had had some difficulties in his residency fitting into his residency. And, so, we worked very hard to integrate him into our practice and integrate him into our organization. And he adapted very well and was doing a really good job for us.
TODD: But Hasan's former colleagues tell us of Hasan talking about the persecution of Muslims, justifying suicide bombings during presentations in class, and saying his allegiance was to the Koran, not the Constitution.
NPR reports, Hasan's superiors had a series of meetings in 2008 and 2009 discussing whether Hasan was psychotic. But they didn't find clear evidence he was unstable. Why wasn't he disciplined or at the very least counseled? At least two of Hasan's former classmates believe they know Hasan's superiors were reluctant to discipline him because they didn't want to alienate a Muslim soldier.
While this was their strong belief, they didn't provide evidence of that.
A retired military lawyer familiar with such investigations says political correctness does factor in these situations.
THOMAS KENNIFF, FORMER ARMY JAG OFFICE ATTORNEY: In a post-9/11 world, there are a lot of forces in the military that may be very hesitant to give the appearance that they are singling out Muslim soldiers, even when that individual Muslim soldier may be making statements that are looked at as very incendiary and very questionable.
TODD: Defense Department officials wouldn't comment on that. And there's no specific information that Hasan's superiors didn't address his presentations with him or that they avoided doing so because he's Muslim. Given these patterns, should someone have intervened with Nidal Hasan?
General Russel Honore, who was not involved in Hasan's career, makes this point...
LIEUTENANT GENERAL RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Something was missed in this major's tone, his demeanor, and the things that have been reported that he has said, that we could have possibly done more to help him before he got that far.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right. Police Sergeant Kimberly Munley exchanged gunfire with the shooter, wounding him in the process, and being wounded herself.
You can hear her describe the incident. Wolf Blitzer interviews Sergeant Munley today at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
You know, there's been an important discovery made on the moon. I didn't get the -- I didn't get the e-mail. Chad Myers is going to fill us in next, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Want to get to Chad Myers in the Severe Weather -- Chad, I'm checking once, twice, for e-mails on this discovery on the moon. Can you help me here, Doctor?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. It looks as they -- remember they shot that rocket into the moon?
HARRIS: Yes. Yes. Oh yes.
MYERS: I had a great shot. Well, here are the discoverers. Here are the investigators.
HARRIS: It took a while, but finally, yes.
MYERS: Yes. They finally -- they shot this rocket in there and they waited for the dust to come out. And when they shot the dust out, they expected it to be just like moon dust.
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: And so, they had the spectrometer and the wavelengths and the near infrared, and all these spectrometers looking for this one -- this isn't the right thing, but we'll just pretend. This is what they were looking for.
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: And this is what they found. And because it changed here from what they were looking for, they knew there must have been something else in this spectrum making the curve, not what they expected and not what they have found. They have found that this big turn in what they didn't expect was most likely water under the surface of the moon. Now, this isn't, like, they found glaciers on the top of the moon.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
MYERS: Right? This is water that was under the ground, under this first layer. But because they took this rocket and they blasted it right into the layer, and this layer literally made its own crater -- and, you know, we see craters from the surface of the Earth and with telescopes, and those are hundreds of miles across -- this crater was about 60 feet across, a few feet deep. But what it did when it blew the dust up, they found completely different thing, they found a completely different color with their spectrometers than they anticipated. HARRIS: OK.
MYERS: And so then they went, hey, what's this color? And then they found out that that color was most likely water. Nobody was in there yet with a shovel and looking for -- and melting water down, right? This is still far, far away. Called remote sensing, because it was remotely done from a spectrometer up here...
HARRIS: Right.
MYERS: ... on the surface of the moon. They'll probably have to use that new rocket that they just launched to get to the moon and maybe dig a well.
HARRIS: And Chad will be in front of a Web camera and posting his comments on this online any moment now.
MYERS: OK.
HARRIS: All right, Chad. Thank you, man.
Got to tell you, you know, the fight over health care reform picks up again next week with a showdown in the Senate. Debate is expected to begin on the Senate's health reform bill. Well, it's about time here.
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser, right here in Atlanta.
Good to see you, man.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good to be here.
HARRIS: So, Paul, what's next, next week? What can we look forward to?
STEINHAUSER: The big showdown, as you mentioned, in the Senate. We saw all that action in the House. Now it moves to the Senate.
This is interesting. In the Senate, you actually have to, in a way, vote to even begin debating the bill.
HARRIS: What do you mean by that?
STEINHAUSER: You need to have a vote to begin the deliberations on this bill. And we haven't even seen the bill yet, Tony, because Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, has been putting it together with other top Democrats behind closed doors, so we don't know exactly what's in the bill, Tony.
HARRIS: So, there has to be a vote to begin debate on a bill that we haven't seen just yet.
STEINHAUSER: Pretty much.
HARRIS: So we're going to get something over the weekend, or Monday, I would think.
STEINHAUSER: We would hope so. Harry Reid is waiting to get the score of the bill, how much it actually costs.
HARRIS: From the Congressional Budget Office.
STEINHAUSER: The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, yes, sir.
HARRIS: Any idea what's taking so long with that? I mean, look, we expected this score back at least week ago, maybe even two weeks ago.
STEINHAUSER: Right. First, they were held up by the House bill, so they are trying to get through it and actually give us a good estimate of how much it's going to cost. No guarantees that he's got all 60 votes that he needs to get that vote to pass -- to begin deliberations. That's going to be the big sticking point next week.
HARRIS: Why? What are the hurdles here?
STEINHAUSER: Well, because there are 60 Democrats in the coalition in the Senate, but...
HARRIS: And when you factor in the two Independents, right?
STEINHAUSER: Right. You got it.
HARRIS: Right. Right.
STEINHAUSER: Right. But Ted Barrett and Craig Rothman (ph), two guys that cover the Hill, two experts for us, they're telling me that some of the more moderate or conservative Democrats, maybe one or two, may not be 100 percent on board because this bill will probably have some kind of public option.
HARRIS: Well, at least what we're hearing is that it will have an optional public option, but are you saying that even those moderates have issues with this idea of an optional public option?
STEINHAUSER: Maybe, because they still don't know what's in the bill. And as you said, it could have this option that would states to opt out.
HARRIS: Ah, the bill, the bill, the bill. What are the differences that we're aware of right now between the House version and what's being discussed, at least, with the Senate version of health care reform?
STEINHAUSER: We'll start with that public option, which, as you know, is a government plan that competes with private insurance. The House one will be different than the Senate one if the Senate one has it.
Other things that are different? The price tag. The House bill is probably going to be more expensive than what we've seen in the Senate. How do you pay for these bills?
HARRIS: Pay-fors. Pay-fors. Pay-fors.
STEINHAUSER: The House bill calls for taxing of wealthier Americans. The Senate bill, as of now, we think, calls for those Cadillac, those very high-end health care plans to be taxed.
HARRIS: OK. And maybe Tuesday?
STEINHAUSER: Probably later in the week now.
HARRIS: You think so?
STEINHAUSER: Probably later in the week to get a vote. And if they get that vote to begin debate -- they don't debate immediately. Why? It's Thanksgiving the following week. They take it off.
HARRIS: That's right.
STEINHAUSER: This is going to go into December and maybe into next year.
HARRIS: Which is why the president is not likely to get this bill, a health care bill, any health care bill on his desk before the end of the year.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, that's real wishful thinking, because if the Senate finally gets a bill passed, then you're going to have a different bill than in the House. You've got to put the two together. That's going to take time. It's going to be 2010 most likely.
HARRIS: So smart. That's why he has the job he has.
Paul, good to see you. Appreciate it. Thank you.
STEINHAUSER: Good to see you. Thank you.
HARRIS: And have a great weekend here in Atlanta.
Doctors across the country are trying to cope with flu cases. And we will hear from a couple about how it is going for them so far.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on our top stories now.
Five Gitmo detainees, including the man accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will face civilian trials in New York. The attorney general made the announcement last hour. Five other men will come to the United States to face military commissions.
The parents of the infamous balloon boy pleaded guilty a short time ago to charges stemming from the incidence. Richard Heene and his wife reported their son missing aboard a runaway balloon, but the boy was hiding at home. Authorities say the elaborate hoax was all a publicity stunt.
And federal health officials say about 22 million people in the United States have been sickened by the H1N1 flu virus since April. About 4,000 have died. New figures out this week are about four times higher than previous death estimates.
We will get another check of our top stories in about 20 minutes.
Hospitals across the country hit hard by H1N1. CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" getting the view from the front lines.
Our Kiran Chetry asked two emergency room physicians why we weren't better prepared for this strain of flu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. CHRISTINA JOHNS, E.R. SPECIALIST, CHILDREN'S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER: We are still learning about H1N1. It is a novel type of Influenza A. We're just learning about it.
I think we are handling it very well, I'm proud to say, but I think that this is really very much par for the course. Would it be great if we had less of a lag time between -- to get folks their vaccinations quicker? Absolutely. But, again, this is all a very new process for the medical field and for all of us.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Dr. Roberts, do you think the medical community has done the best job possible right now, especially the federal government, in terms of trying to get out the word and get out the vaccine?
DR. BECKY ROBERTS, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN: I would put it even stronger than Dr. Johns would. We've never seen this particular virus before, and I think that it emerged last spring and that we already have pushed out vaccine. I'm going to give the example of Chicago right now.
Chicago's Department of Public Health has received 375,000 doses. They have distributed that immediately, as soon as they receive it, to all the hospitals. They've delivered -- actually given flu vaccine to over 51,000 people in Chicago.
I think that we've done the best job we could expect given that this is a brand new virus we haven't seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: H1N1 is hitting the minority community hard. It's what we're talking about in our "What Matters" segment.
According to the CDC, black and Latino children made up half of H1N1 deaths from April to August. Boston is one of the only cities tracking the swine flu by race, and health officials have launched a church-based program to get more people vaccinated. City officials say three out of four people hospitalized in Boston last spring were black or Latino. First lady Michelle Obama is teaming high school girls up with some of the most powerful women at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: We thought, what can we do to make the White House different, to make kids in our own new neighborhood know that the White House is a place for them?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, 13 girls joined the first lady and staffers in the State Dining Room to kick off a new White House mentoring program. The high school girls from Washington, Maryland and Virginia will meet with their mentors at least once a month through the end of the school year. A similar program for boys is planned.
Mentoring is one way many young people are able to succeed and stay out of trouble. An estimated 200,000 juveniles are tried, sentenced and jailed as adults every year.
For one man, a split-second decision he made as a teenager landed him in prison, but the experience eventually changed his life for the better.
Fredricka Whitfield explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
R. DWAYNE BETTS, AUTHOR, "A QUESTION OF FREEDOM": They say, this kid's the minister of society.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet R. Dwayne Betts, college graduate, husband, father, and ex-con. He has a story to tell.
BETTS: I remember the first time after the sentencing, my mother came to see me. When she saw me, she kissed her hand and placed it on the glass where my hand waited. What's more painful to a mother than seeing her only son behind a jail's prison cell walls?
WHITFIELD: That's a passage from R. Dwayne Betts' book, "A Question of Freedom," the story of his life and his transformation behind bars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard you on the radio this morning.
WHITFIELD: At 16, he was at the top of his class when he and a friend made a decision that would change their lives.
BETTS: I found myself with a gun in my hand, and the next thing I know, I was walking up to a man who was asleep in his car. Moments later, the man was outside his car watching us drive away from his car, and we didn't know it at the time, but we basically drove ourselves to prison. WHITFIELD: While serving almost nine years for carjacking, he found solace in the written word.
BETTS: I could pick up a book and I could leave the world I was in and go into another world. But the beautiful thing is, when I finished reading, I could bring pieces of the world that I had went to back into the jail cell. So, I think of it as an escape, but more so I think of it as a sort of transformation.
WHITFIELD: The moment the prison door closed, Betts decided to better himself. He got his high school diploma, tutored fellow inmates, and began writing.
BETTS: I ended up having three or four poems published while I was in prison, and that was like winning the lottery.
WHITFIELD: After his release, one of the jobs Betts landed was in a bookstore. There, he met his future wife.
These days, he's working on on his masters in poetry. He also spends time sharing his love for words with a new generation in a D.C. creative writing workshop.
BETTS: I think it's really important to change our community so that somebody like me who is on the fence to find an outlet and get back on track..
WHITFIELD: Betts credits his time in jail for changing his life.
BETTS: I was able to meet men who helped me learn who I was and who I wanted to be. I was tenacious in my effort to prove that my life was more than the 30 minutes that it took for me to commit the crime.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Be tenacious. Betts' second book, a collection of his poems, will be published in about six months.
For more stories like these, just pick up the December issue of "Essence" magazines on newsstands right now.
The U.S. government is trying to seize several mosques. What triggered this move?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Let's get you to CNNMoney.com because of the terrific work done every day by our money team. I love the headline. I'll tell you what it is in just a moment. But for the latest financial news and analysis, CNNMoney.com.
So, three hours into the trading day. Flip the script here just a bit, and let's get you to the big board. New York Stock Exchange.
OK, so the headline at CNNMoney.com, a Friday the 13th market rally taking hold. You could see it for yourself right there. The Dow is up 101 points. The NASDAQ, at last check, was up 20. We are following these numbers for you throughout the day, trying to end the week on a positive note right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
President Obama overseas today kicking off a weeklong trip to Asia. It is his first visit to the region since he took office. Why does this trip matter so much?
Well, Asia for all intents and purposes is America's banker. China and Japan are the two biggest holders of Treasury securities to the tune of $1.5 trillion. Asia is also the place where million of American jobs have gone over the past decade. That said, here's the breakdown. The president will visit four nations over eight days. First stop, Japan, where he is meeting with their prime minister. The president will then head to Singapore, China and South Korea. The trip's mission? To try to diplomatically prod leaders to get tough on North Korea for its disputed nuclear program. The president will also try to persuade China and economic powerhouses, we keep telling you, to buy more U.S. imports.
Tired of earning less than one percent on a CD or money-market account? There must be a better way to make the most of your cash. Felicia Taylor is in the CNNMOney.com newsroom in New York.
Felicia, people are saving more, but then what?
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. It's a good thing that people are saving more.
HARRIS: Yes.
TAYLOR: But then what do you do? So let's say, Tony, you've got $1,000 set aside if you're lucky enough. "Money" magazine has some creative ideas on how to spend it or invest it. So the first suggestion we've got is to buy a no-load stock fund. This three have a minimum investment of only $1,000. That's a difference because most require $2,500.
So let's take a look at the five-year returns. They're not bad, because the SMI Large Cap has almost six percent return over five years. And it's concerning the Dow tanked 33 percent last year, not bad at all.
HARRIS: Right.
TAYLOR: Another idea we've got is spend a few hours with a fee- only financial planner. They typically charge about $150 to $250 an hour. If you're not sure where to find one, GarrettPlanningNetwork.com is a good place to start your research.
This is also a great time to upgrade your appliances. There are plenty of highly rated one that costs less than $1,000. The EPA says replacing old models with energy star appliances can save about 75 bucks a year on average. And also they're going to be some hefty rebates that will roll out in the next few months worth about $250 on some appliances. So it's kind of a win-win on both end. Tony?
HARRIS: Got you. You know, Felicia, we've all heard the expression you have to spend money to make money. But how can $1,000 actually help your career?
TAYLOR: Yes. This doesn't always make sense.
HARRIS: Right.
TAYLOR: But really what this falls into is the self-improvement category, and maybe distinguished yourself in the workplace which is worth a lot down the road. What you could do is spend maybe $450 on a class, like learning a foreign language or maybe an improv class that might help you with public speaking and get you other engagements. Another 300 bucks can buy you two hours with an executive coach and that person can help develop career goals.
The rest maybe goes to networking. You can take someone you admire out to lunch, that's a great compliment. Or invest a little in your work wardrobe. Experts say dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
So for more ideas on how to spend $1,000 or even $10,000 if you're lucky enough, check out CNNMOney.com.
Tony?
HARRIS: Need to snazz up my gear a little bit here.
Felicia, have a great week. Appreciate it. Thank you. Great tips.
TAYLOR: You, too.
HARRIS: You know, it could be the biggest counterterrorism seizure in the nation's history. Federal prosecutors are trying to seize several mosques and a New York high-rise. The Muslim group that owns them tied to the government of Iran. Details now from CNN's Deborah Feyerick in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials are attempting to seize four mosques, plus a New York City skyscraper just steps from Rockefeller Center, on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. The charge that the Alavi Foundation which gets money from these properties is actually a front company for a larger Iranian-owned bank and that that bank channels money to support Iran's nuclear program and parts of its military forces labeled terrorist organizations by the United States.
The four mosques include the Islamic Institute of New York in Queens, New York; the Islam Education Center in Houston, Texas; and two other mosques in Maryland and California. We're told that the imam at the New York mosque is on a pilgrimage to Mecca and could not be reached for comment.
President Obama, Thursday, extended the national emergency with respect to Iran because of ongoing problems with that country. U.S. officials are also attempting to seize bank accounts and other properties believed to have direct ties to the Iranian government. The U.S. accuses Iran of deceptive practices designed to fund terrorism and pursue its nuclear and missile programs.
American Muslims are already concerned about potential backlash because of the Fort Hood shootings. A senior justice official stresses that the move is against the Iranian landlords and that the mosques just happen to be in some of the targeted buildings.
An attorney for the Alavi Foundation tells CNN the foundation has been cooperating with prosecutors and that they will fight these charges. Meantime, the skyscraper on Fifth Avenue remains open.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: One of the mosques being seized is in Carmichael, California, near Sacramento. Richard Sharp of affiliate KCRA gets reaction from worshippers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIJAN TOBAIE, FOUNDING MEMBER: Who the heck these people are?
RICHARD SHARP, KCRA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's Bijan Tobaie. He's the founding member of the Islamic Center in Carmichael called COBA. The center is owned by the Alavi Foundation, accused of funneling money to the Iranian government. But Tobaie tells KCRA 3 it's the American government that's wrong.
(on camera): Do you think Alavi is capable of sending money back to Iran?
TOBAIE: This place is a broken place. How could they even have food to eat? Never mind about sending money to Iran.
SHARP (voice-over): The federal government is seizing four Islamic centers around the country. Local Muslims are concerned.
BASIM ELKARA, COUNCIL FOR AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS: This is an unprecedented move by the government to seize houses of worship.
SHARP: It's just something that Muslims haven't seen here before. Part of the problem is timing.
ELKARA: We're a few days away from the pilgrimage in Mecca, to Hajj. Millions of Muslims are going to gather. They just heard that a so-called Muslim killed these soldiers at Fort Hood, then the next thing you know you're hearing mosques being seized.
SHARP: And what scares Muslims being associated or branded as a terrorist because of this case.
MAYER ZAHID, MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION: If there's something is said about a small group of people, they associated that with the whole entire majority.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: The council on American-Islamic Relations worries the seizures may send a negative message to Muslims worldwide.
Hey, did you grow up taking a daily trip to "Sesame Street"? Where's the music? I am going to --
Yes, yes, yes, there you go. Only the good stuff here on the CNN NEWSROOM. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up now on our top stories.
The Attorney General said five key players in the 9/11 attacks will be taken to New York to face a traditional criminal trial. The suspects include the alleged architect of the crime, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Five other Gitmo suspects will face military commissions.
President Obama stresses U.S. ties with Japan on the first leg of his trip to Asia. He and the Japanese prime minister held talks on a range of issues including the economy. The president says the U.S. and Japan have been and will continue to be equal partners.
The Colorado parents of a 6-year-old boy believed aboard a runaway experimental balloon admit to the hoax. Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a demeanor today. Her husband, Richard, pleading guilty to a felony charge. She could get 60 days in jail; her husband, 90.
Here we go. Good, isn't it?
Forty years sunny days and sweeping the clouds away. One of the most famous streets in the world marks a milestone. We are talking about the 40th anniversary of "Sesame Street."
Joining us from New York, Roscoe Orman, better known as Gordon.
Roscoe, good to see you.
ROSCOE ORMAN, KNOWN AS GORDON, SESAME STREET: Good to see you, Tony.
HARRIS: And someone who needs no introduction, Elmo! Baby!
ELMO, SESAME STREET: Hi, Mr. Tony. How's Atlanta?
HARRIS: Baby, you look good! You are looking fit.
ELMO: Thank you.
HARRIS: You're looking toned. Your color is really good these days.
How are you, Elmo?
ELMO: Elmo's great, Mr. Tony.
How are you?
HARRIS: I am awesome.
ORMAN: He seems to me young, too, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, it does. He does it for all of us. But, Roscoe, what's the deal here? Has he been spending time in the gym making some changes to his diet? Spending time with the nutritionist or something?
ORMAN: Yes. He's very -- he is buff.
HARRIS: Look at him.
ORMAN: He's really been working out. He's an inspiration.
HARRIS: Elmo, it's good to see you. It is good to see you.
First of all --
ELMO: It's good to see you, too.
HARRIS: Well, I want to know what this week has been like for you. Fill us in. You're meeting a lot of really cool people.
ELMO: Yes.
HARRIS: Tell us about the week so far.
ELMO: We've been partying! Oh, yes, we've been partying!
ORMAN: It's a big celebration, you know, 40 years. Wow. That's something we never imagined.
HARRIS: Oh, come on, come on, Roscoe, you're being -- as we look at pictures of you here --
ORMAN: 40 years?
HARRIS: Yes, 40 years is a long, long time.
ORMAN: It's a long time.
HARRIS: What's changed?
ORMAN: But you see we don't -- well, a lot. You know, we're continually changing and growing and experimenting, and keeping up with the kids of today. You know, kids are different than they were back in 1969.
HARRIS: What are you most proud -- what are you most proud of with the show, Roscoe?
ORMAN: Oh, see I think, we've really had -- we've played a really strong role in raising and preparing a few generations of children for this 21st century. And the parents of today who grew up watching us are so committed to all the values that "Sesame Street" has espoused for 40 years. And I think we've helped to create a better world, you know?
HARRIS: Yes.
ORMAN: To put it bluntly, we really have. A great example of that was when Michelle Obama came and visited us.
Do you remember Mrs. Obama came?
ELMO: Yes, she was fun.
ORMAN: She was great. And she was so enthusiastic in her -- in her admiration and her excitement to being -- about being on "Sesame Street." And I realized it was because she actually grew up watching the show herself.
HARRIS: That's great.
ORMAN: The first First Lady to have done that, so pretty amazing.
HARRIS: Well, I'm just sort of curious. Elmo, do you think you'll get an opportunity to maybe go to the White House and maybe visit the daughters? What do you think?
ELMO: Elmo hopes so.
ORMAN: Yes, that would be cool.
ELMO: Miss Michelle -- Miss Michelle was talking about her two daughters...
ORMAN: Yes.
ELMO: ...were mad with her because she didn't bring them to "Sesame Street."
HARRIS: Oh.
ELMO: So we said, well, you must come back. But Elmo would love to go to the White House and spend time with them.
HARRIS: Well, Elmo, I know that, you know...
ORMAN: I'm sure they'd love that.
HARRIS: Elmo, I know I'm not a big shot like a lot of the people who get an opportunity to visit you. But you think one day maybe I could just come and hang out with you? That would be a real thrill for me. ELMO: Elmo and Gordon would love that.
ORMAN: Yes. We would love for you to come and visit "Sesame Street." It's a wonderful place to hang out.
HARRIS: That would be nice.
ELMO: Yes.
ORMAN: We have so much fun. And you'll fit right in.
ELMO: So, you are officially invited.
HARRIS: Oh! Love it, love it, love it.
ORMAN: Yes.
HARRIS: Hey, Roscoe, what do you think about the future for "Sesame Street"?
ORMAN: Well, you know, as I said, we never dreamed in terms of it being around for four decades, so who knows how much further "Sesame Street" will continue? As long as there are kids and parents who appreciate and love what we do, the show will continue. And as long as we keep up with the times and changing. We're doing a whole series of programs this year on nature and --
ELMO: Yes.
ORMAN: ... and, you know...
ELMO: Science.
ORMAN: ...and science, and, you know, focusing on -- on the natural world and getting kids to appreciate the environment.
HARRIS: Yes.
ORMAN: So, we're staying current.
HARRIS: Yes. And maybe one last one for Elmo. Again, it's so good to see you.
ELMO: Good to see you, too.
HARRIS: Yes, you be good. And, Roscoe, take care of him, all right?
ORMAN: Oh, you know it.
HARRIS: Will you please?
ORMAN: Absolutely.
HARRIS: You take care of him.
ORMAN: Always.
ELMO: Yes.
HARRIS: Happy 40th and...
ORMAN: Say bye, Elmo.
HARRIS: Let's do 40 more, OK?
ORMAN: Do 40 more.
HARRIS: All right.
ELMO: Bye-bye.
HARRIS: Have a great weekend.
ORMAN: Thanks, Tony.
ELMO: You, too.
ORMAN: You, too.
HARRIS: My day is done. All right.
All right, a lot of you feel really strongly about what the United States should do in Afghanistan. We've been having you phone us, and now you're sending us iReports. We're going to share. Coming back in just a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Angry guests, interviews that go haywire and unintended personal revelations. Pure gold for our Jeanne Moos. You know, there's one particular moment we just had to share.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We never turn up our nose for news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's disgusting, I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Especially not at those wonderfully...
(VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: ...awkward moments.
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CARRIE PREJEAN, FORMER MISS CALIFORNIA USA: Larry, you're being inappropriate. You really are, so I'm not going to talk about...
LARRY KING, HOST, LARRY KING LIVE: What? I'm asking a question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, ANCHOR: We screwed up.
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MOOS: This week had more than its share of awkward TV moments, thanks to the former Miss California USA. Maybe you saw her getting miffed at Larry King and taking off her mike.
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KING: Is she leaving because I asked what motivated the settlement?
Did you hear the question?
PREJEAN: No, I can't hear you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: But I'm answering what I can't hear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PREJEAN: And I'm about to leave your show.
KING: Who are you talking to? Hello?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS (on camera): But we crown Carrie Prejean Miss Awkward Moment because she inspired awkward moments on more than one show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: And yet you say that you're a victim. I don't -- I don't totally buy it.
PREJEAN: Did you see the attacks that I was under?
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: It's the best thing that happened to you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not worried about you, Carrie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: But our favorite was Barbara Walters describing Prejean's X-rated home movie.
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WALTERS: Are you alone doing whatever you were doing with yourself?
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MOOS: What was Sean Hannity doing on Fox News, Jon Stewart wondered. Using video of a major rally two months ago to illustrate a smaller protest against health care reform.
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JON STEWART, HOST, THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART: Not a cloud in the sky. The leaves have changed. All of a sudden, the trees turn green again and it's cloudy.
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MOOS: Trying to make the smaller rally seem bigger, said Stewart.
Inadvertent stake, said Hannity, but he apologized.
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HANNITY: So Mr. Stewart, you were right. I want to thank you and all your writers for watching.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: CNN's SITUATION ROOM went to pot this week.
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JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Wolf, would you know a marijuana plant if you saw one?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: I'm not sure I -- I'm not sure I would know. I could smell it. You could smell the marijuana, Lou, but you probably wouldn't recognize a plant, am I right or wrong?
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Well, you're dead wrong.
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MOOS: Certitude plus attitude -- what a dude. Lou, we're going to miss you.
DOBBS: This will be my last broadcast here on CNN.
MOOS: From veteran leaving to cub arriving, "The Today Show" announced the winner of its Kid Reporter competition.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Deidra Shores. It's you. Deidre, it's you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's you, Deidra.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's you. You won.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're Today's Kid Show Kid Reporter winner. You're the winner, Deidra.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: If you're going to be a reporter, kid, you've got to learn to fill dead air.
(VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: We said fill it, not kill it.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right.
Chad Myers, can we get the remnants, the remains, what's left of Ida out of here so folks along the east coast there can have a decent weekend there, weatherwise?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Glad we're not trying to have a World Series.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes. Can you imagine?
MYERS: It's been ugly.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: All right, Chad, thank you.
MYERS: Sure.
HARRIS: Have a good weekend, man.
President Obama considering options and listening to advisers about troop levels in Afghanistan. Of course, we are listening to you.
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CALLER: This is Demetrius (ph) calling from California. I'm calling in regards to the issue of Afghanistan. I think we need to bring our troops back home. When the question is asked, why are we in Afghanistan, many times the response is to prevent another 9/11. Well, 9/11 happened here on our own home turf. Bring our troops home, strengthen our security at home and all of our measures here and be prepared for anything that may come.
CALLER: I just came back from Afghanistan. I was working on the signal operations with the military and USAID. And I believe that we should pull most of our troops out, build up a presence in Kabul, and put special ops and go after very highly selective targets that we want to go after. Our money is being totally wasted over there.
CALLER: It's Williams calling from Prince Edward Island in Canada. I wish Mr. Obama would listen to his generals and send his troops, more troops over there.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: We appreciate your calls. We really do. You can still phone in your comments. There's the number. 1-877-742-5760. Let us know what you think we should do. The United States should do, next, in Afghanistan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, listen to this. The Republican National Committee will no longer provide employees with health insurance coverage that includes elective abortions. GOP lawmakers, as you know, fought vigorously to restrict abortion coverage in the House's health care reform bill. Well, embarrassingly, it surfaced this week that RNC staffers had abortion coverage through CIGNA since 1991.
Those abortion restrictions in the House bill came after pressure from the Roman Catholic Church. Here's congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar.
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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Rhode Island, a high-profile feud between the bishop of Providence, Thomas Tobin, and Catholic Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Tobin has called the son of the late health care champion Ted Kennedy a disappointment for his support of abortion rights.
VOICE OF REV. THOMAS J. TOBIN, BISHOP OF PROVIDENCE, RI: If you freely choose to be a Catholic, it means that you believe certain things, you do certain things. If you cannot do all of that in conscience, then you should perhaps feel free to go somewhere else.
KEILAR: The clash happening as the Catholic Church flexes its muscle in the debate over health care reform. To get the needed support of conservative Democrats, Speaker Pelosi was forced to allow a vote on tougher abortion restrictions in the bill and at one point found herself negotiating directly with representatives of the Catholic Church.
REP. BRAD ELLSWORTH (D), INDIANA: A lot of members had a lot of faith in what the Catholic bishops' view of this was. They wanted some kind of blessing by the bishops.
KEILAR: Abortion rights Democrats bristled at the thought. REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: This is disturbing to me that such an extraordinary lobbying effort was launched by a church pushing an idea that many Americans, probably the majority of Americans, really don't agree with.
KEILAR: The health care debate moves now to the Senate where a quarter of the chamber is Catholic and where the church will again exert its influence, says Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to President Clinton.
BILL GALSTON, FORMER POLICY ADVISER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON: And I think it is very, very likely that the outcome will be the same in the Senate, as it was in the House.
KEILAR (on camera): Democratic aides in the Senate concede Galston may be right, but sources tell me they think abortion rights senators probably won't scuttle the health care bill over this issue of abortion. But in the House, some liberals say they will vote no on the final bill if this tougher language is in it. A promise of more tough negotiations ahead for Speaker Pelosi.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And we are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Melissa Long.
