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Secretary Clinton Makes Surprise Visit to Afghan President; Poll: Many Don't Want Flu Shot; Teen Goes Cold Turkey on Texting

Aired November 18, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And we are pushing forward with the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM with Richard Lui.

RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks a lot, Tony.

Coming up for you, standing up for Karzai, or merely showing up? A surprise appearance by Hillary Clinton in Kabul on the eve of the presidential inauguration and on the brink of a U.S. decision on the course of the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUCY MARION, PH.D., RN, U.S. PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE: There are some life years gained, but it's not very large.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: All right. How many life years warrant mammograms? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta grills a member of the panel that wants to cut back on breast cancer screening. You'll want to hear this.

And you may want to text about this, but if you text about everything, constantly, or if you're the parent of a teen who does do that, may we suggest cold turkey for Thanksgiving?

Hi, I'm Richard Lui, in for Kyra Phillips on this day.

We begin on a critical moment for Afghanistan. Those are not my words, but Hillary Clinton's. The secretary of state is on an unannounced visit to the Afghan capital. Tomorrow she will attend the swearing in of Hamid Karzai to a second term. A term many believe that he stole.

We're also on the cusp of a landmark decision from President Obama on more troops, and a new plan for the war.

Now, Mr. Obama is in Asia, as well. Today, he flew from Beijing to Seoul, South Korea. Before he took off he sat down, one-on-one, with CNN's Ed Henry. Afghanistan, the war, Hamid Karzai, all came up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Do you trust President Karzai?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that President Karzai has served his country in important ways. If you think about when he first came in, there may not have been another figure who could have held that country together.

He has some strengths, but he's got some weaknesses. And I'm less concerned about any individual than I am with a government as a whole that is having difficulty providing basis -- basic services to its people in a way that confers legitimacy on them. So, these are all factors that have gone into the decision making. I am very confident that, when I announce the decision, the American people will have a lot of clarity about what we're doing, how we're going to succeed, how much this thing is going to cost, you know, what kind of burden does this place on our young men and women in uniform, and, most importantly, what's the end game on this thing, which I think is something that unless you impose that kind of discipline, could end up leading to a multiyear occupation that won't serve the interests of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: OK, we are following the visit by the secretary of state and pushing forward on the tough decisions ahead with CNN's Sara Sidner in the Afghan capital and Jill Dougherty at the State Department.

Let's begin stateside right now.

Jill, given all the concerns about the reliability of Hamid Karzai, is Secretary Clinton carrying a message of note here?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: No, the message, Richard, is definitely about corruption. You know, you talk to any expert on corruption in Afghanistan, and they say it is pervasive, from the cop on the beat all the way up to the government officials and Karzai.

So, where do you start? Well, Secretary Clinton, when she arrived in Kabul, said that this is really a moment of opportunity, a clear window for President Karzai to show that he really is serious about getting tough on corruption.

Now, there are a couple of things that they're pointing out that President Karzai has done. They've started an anti-corruption commission, and they've also started a tribunal that's going to start prosecuting, based on what they find in those investigations.

And another thing, Richard, that they're doing is the U.S. is actually setting benchmarks now. Vetting, in essence, ministries in the government and saying, are they open and transparent or not? And if they're not open and transparent, they won't get direct funding from the U.S. government.

So, it's a very serious issue, and you can be sure it's going to be at the top of the agenda with Secretary Clinton.

LUI: Jill, you've also been talking about today the civilian aid efforts. How important are those? Not many of us have heard of those.

DOUGHERTY: Yes, it's not talked about, but it really should be. Because this is the second half of this conflict. One part is the military; the other part is civilian. And it's really crucial. They're calling it the civilian surge.

And let's look at it. What are they going to be doing? These are people from the State Department, USAID and outside experts. They'll improve Afghan governance, provide security, justice, jobs, and service, and also provide very important, meaningful alternatives to the Taliban's recruiting.

How many of them? Well, there will be 974 Americans, they say, by the end of the year. They'll be going out into villages with the people. That's up from 603 right now. And, by the way, they say you can say times ten, because there will be others who will come in to assist them.

Then the civilian surge has recruits from inside the U.S. government, outside the U.S. government, and diplomats, lawyers, agronomists, development specialists.

And then, finally, they're not going to be armed. They're going in there with the military, so they follow the military, and they'll rely on the military for security and also for mobility -- Richard.

LUI: Jill Dougherty, very significant there, the civilian surge, those details that you gave us. Thank you so much.

From Jill now we head over to Kabul , where Sara Sidner is at.

And Sara, as we get ready for Secretary Clinton, who will be there for tomorrow's ceremonies, set that up for us. What's going to be happening?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, security here is no joke. To give you an example, if you're trying to get somewhere that normally takes you five minutes from here, it's taking an hour, because there is so much security on the streets, many of the streets blocked off. And so there are a lot more security forces holding their AK-47s, holding their guns, tanks in the streets, just to make sure there is no unrest here in Kabul.

What we understand tomorrow the inauguration is set to take place. It is supposed to take place in the highly-fortified presidential palace, but we have not yet been given a time for that event, partly due to security reasons. So, everyone is sort of expecting and waiting for a time for that to happen.

And a lot of people are coming in from around the world, high- level authorities coming in from around the world to be here, to stand with Karzai as he takes the oath of office. Of course, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is here. She will be here for the inauguration. We're also hearing that an envoy from Japan, the U.K. also coming. And President Zardari of Iraq is also going to be here, according to the Afghan government -- Richard.

LUI: Geographically, a really large country you're talking about there, Sara. How are Afghans reacting to yet another Karzai administration, what will be happening after tomorrow?

SIDNER: You made a good point there. It's a very diverse population, geographically and otherwise, and so it's hard to get really a pulse from the people.

But in speaking with people here in Kabul and some of the provinces outside of Kabul, what you're hearing is twofold. Many people are in some ways glad that he will be the president again. It gives some stability to the country.

But really what people are talking about across the board is jobs. And it's not something that he's really addressed. He's been addressing other issues, of course, corruption being a big one, but a lot of people here, because the unemployment rate is somewhere around 40 percent or more, most people feel like jobs are the most important issue.

And a lot feel like the reason for the insurgency and the attraction for many of the poor to the insurgency is because of poverty, because they don't have any other avenues to go through -- Richard.

LUI: Quite a salient point. Four out of ten people without jobs. Sara Sidner there in Kabul, Afghanistan, getting ready for the inauguration, which will be happening tomorrow. Thank you so much, there in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The attorney general saying there is no reason to be afraid of what Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has to say. Eric Holder defending his decision to bring the alleged 9/11 mastermind and four other suspects to civilian court in New York.

Critics are saying here a military commission should try them instead for a variety of reasons, from fear of classified information coming out to a fear of "not guilty" verdicts or giving terror suspects a platform to rant.

Holder fired back before the Senate Judiciary Committee just hours ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Nine-eleven attacks were both an act of war and a violation of our federal criminal law, and they could have been prosecuted in either federal courts or military commissions. Courts and commissions are both essential tools in our fight against terrorism. Therefore, at the outset of my review of these cases, I had no preconceived notions as to the merits of either venue.

And, in fact, on the same day that I sent these five defendants to federal court, I referred five others to be tried in military commissions.

I am a prosecutor. And as a prosecutor, my top priority was simply to select the venue where the government will have the greatest opportunity to present the strongest case in the best forum.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: The attorney general also promised to seek the death penalty for those suspects. More on that later.

And what about the rampage at Fort Hood? What will it take to make sure something like that does not happen again? And that's a topic another Senate panel is looking in to today, the Homeland Security Committee. Senator Susan Collins wondering if the red flags were there but the communication was not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: Once again, in the wake of a mass murder, we must confront a troubling question. Was this, once again, a failure to connect the dots? Were there inexcusable gaps and communications failures and failures to act on compelling evidence that might have allowed us to prevent the attack at Fort Hood?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Collins is the ranking Republican member of the committee. Senator Joe Lieberman is chair there.

H1N1, pretty much what everyone is talking about right now. Haven't you noticed a lot more hand sanitizer around the office here and there? Of course, you have. So, why is it that more than half of you do not want the vaccine?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: There are lots of must-reads for President Obama. Homeland security briefings, CIA briefings, but how about Sarah Palin's new book? We'll ask the president one-on-one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Of course, a lot of you are worried about swine flu. But that doesn't mean you want the hard-to-find vaccine. Check out this new CNN/Opinion Research poll. Seven percent of you have gotten the vaccine so far and another 35 percent want it, even if you have not tried to get it.

But this last figure is what worries doctors. Look at the bottom of your screen there, a whopping 55 percent of you say, "I simply don't want the vaccine."

OK. Let's bring in senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here.

Elizabeth, as we take a look at this, are people taking this a little bit too lightly?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the way I look at it. I'm sort of philosophical about it.

LUI: Right.

COHEN: This is America. You can make whatever decision you want.

LUI: That's right.

COHEN: If you don't want the H1N1 vaccine, you don't have to get it. If you fear a drug or this vaccine is relatively new, that's your choice.

However, you should make a smart decision, and a smart decision includes knowing that many people have died of H1N1 who were perfectly healthy to begin with.

Take a look at this. Nearly 4,000 people in this country have died of H1N1 since April. Twenty percent of those were previously in good health. So, if you're thinking, "I'm healthy. I don't really need the H1N1 shot. I'm not going to get it. I fear things that are new." Or "I don't want to get it for my child," you can make that decision, but know that your child might die of H1N1. I certainly obviously hope not, but that is a possibility.

I spent the day on Friday with a 15-year-old girl who was in intensive care for three weeks with H1N1 and three times almost died.

LUI: And you've been -- you and I have been talking about this. This is a real threat. That's what we have to remember: something bad can happen. Vaccinations, important. What about availability?

COHEN: Still not enough. As you saw from that poll there, there are people out there who are trying to get the H1N1 vaccine and haven't been able to get it. Now, the federal government had said a couple weeks ago, ten million new doses every week. They haven't quite caught up to that. They haven't quite lived up to that. However, there is new vaccine coming out every week.

So, if you want it, keep trying.

LUI: And there was some question about what were actually H1N1 symptoms and other. Have you received more clarity on that?

COHEN: I think what's important is not necessarily to know if you have H1N1 or seasonal flu. That's sort of less of an issue, because you would treat both of them in the same way.

What's important with H1N1, especially since so many kids are getting it, when do you know when your child or when you are really in trouble? When you really need to high tail it to the doctor's office.

If your child has fast breathing, if they have bluish skin color, especially in their lips or their feet or in their hands, a fever with a rash, or if they get better and then worse, those are signs that their H1N1 could be going from just normal, run-of-the-mill to something extremely dangerous that could kill them, and you want to get to a doctor ASAP.

Let's look at the warning signs now for adults, because they're slightly different. For adults the warning signs, again, are difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, or severe and persistent vomiting.

LUI: And we have to remember, we're about to hit the high season of the flu, aren't we, if we're not already in it.

COHEN: Right.

LUI: That's right. OK, Elizabeth Cohen, senior medical correspondent, thank you so much.

COHEN: Thanks.

LUI: Her fingers fly across a keypad at warp speed. So, what happens when a teen says "B4N" as her parents full the plug? Bye for now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: It is enough to make you say "OMG." How many text messages do you send a month? Fifty, 100, 200 perhaps? Well, how about 7,000? After a Texas teen did that, she had to go cold turkey, no more messaging her BFFs for one week. The question is, did she survive?

Here's Ginger Allen with CNN affiliate KTXA with that answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINGER ALLEN, KTXA REPORTER (voice-over): When 14-year-old Brittany Curran (ph) of South Lake wakes up, the first thing she does is send text messages.

BRITTANY CURRAN, AVID TEXTER: It's just addicting.

ALLEN: But her parents had no idea how much Brittany texted.

KAREN CURRAN, MOTHER OF BRITTANY: I was shocked.

ALLEN: Until we asked them to look at their bill.

K. CURRAN: And this one was 7,633. I had 26.

BRETT CURRAN, FATHER OF BRITTANY: I can't imagine that. You know, I get 150, you know, e-mails a day, which seems enormous.

ALLEN: Brittany says texting has become her main form of communication.

BRITTANY CURRAN: It's easier to express what you're trying to say sometimes. DR. SYLVIA GEARING, PSYCHOLOGIST: Basically their communication skills are beginning to disintegrate.

ALLEN: Psychologist Dr. Sylvia Gearing says because of texting, teens aren't learning to understand traditional forms of communication.

GEARING: It's how we say it. It's the inflection of our voice. But more to the point, it's how our body moves that's incredibly important communication.

ALLEN: But does that simple act of texting really have that much of an effect? To find out, Brittany gave up texting for one week.

BRETT CURRAN: This is going to be interesting.

ALLEN: She sent her final text message on a Monday. And three days later, when we returned...

BRITTANY CURRAN: I've been better at talking now that I haven't been texting so much.

K. CURRAN: We went out to dinner a few times, and it was the first dinner that I could -- you know, the dinners that I could remember in a long time where we would have a conversation.

ALLEN: She also noticed a difference in her grades.

BRITTANY CURRAN: Today I got -- I ended up getting a 96 on my test.

BRETT CURRAN: The first thing she said was, "Dad, I made a 96 on my Spanish test! And it was because I wasn't texting."

ALLEN: And by the end of the week, even her sleep patterns had changed.

BRITTANY CURRAN: I would be up texting till one or two in the morning, and lately, I've gotten so much more sleep, and I'm not, like, cranky anymore.

GEARING: There have to be rules here. And about 60 percent of kids say that there are no rules in their house about their cell phones. Absolutely none. Time that parents get active on that.

ALLEN: The Currans now say they're instituting a no-texting policy during homework and sleep hours. But Brittany says now that she's got her texting back...

BRITTANY CURRAN: You can't stop it. We'll find a way to start texting again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LUI: And a note here: while text-free, Brittany's social life had tanked. She says she could not make plans with her BFFs. They wouldn't even talk to her. They only could communicate via texts. What do we have to say about that? OMG.

Top stories right now for you.

Big kudos on Capitol Hill to Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. He is now the longest-serving member of Congress. The Democrat, who turns 92 on Friday, served six years in the House and has been nearly 51 and counting in the Senate. He has never lost an election. Congratulations, Senator Byrd.

Attacked by pirates, this time a second time. But this time the Maersk Alabama fights back. The latest incident yesterday off the Somali coast. Security guards on board the vessel shot back after the U.S.-flagged ship was shot at. The Maersk Alabama was hijacked in April and its captain held captive for five days.

And we turn to police in southwest Florida that are still looking for two gunmen who walked into a T.J. Maxx and held about half a dozen people hostage last night. This standoff lasted for hours. Details are sketchy at the moment, and it's not clear when and how the gunmen escaped. The hostages are safe right now.

He is a pilot for Singapore Airlines but grounded in helping needy children in Indonesia. Budi Soehardi founded an orphanage that's given kids food and shelter and an education, as well. Now, he is one of our 2009 top ten "CNN Heroes" and he joins us now via Skype from Singapore.

Budi, thank you for stopping by with us right now. I know it's a little bit late in the evening for you. But tell us, if you can, why did you decide to open up this orphanage?

BUDI SOEHARDI, FOUNDED ORPHANAGE: Well, because (AUDIO GAP)?

LUI: OK. Budi Soehardi, again, one of the top ten "CNN Heroes." It looks like we're having a little difficulty with the audio right now. Rudy, I'm sure if you will be able to make an adjustment on your side that we can get a better sense of what we're saying.

Let me ask you one last question to see if we can get the audio pumped up for you. How did you feel when you first found out that you became one of the ten winners?

SOEHARDI: (AUDIO GAP)

LUI: OK. Budi Soehardi, I guess the audio is a little difficult right now. We're going to have to go at the moment, but I do want to tell the rest of our viewers.

Budi and I were talking earlier this morning. He was saying he's absolutely excited. He and his entire family are going to get on a flight tomorrow morning. They're going to ship on off to Los Angeles. The taping will happen tomorrow, and that is what he's looking forward to at the moment. Absolutely can tell, at least in the pictures, he was smiling and quite proud of what he had accomplished.

Now, to find out find out more about Budi Soehardi, or to vote for our top ten "CNN Hero" finalists, just go to CNN.com/heroes. And by the way, today is the last day you can vote. Plus, watch our all- star tribute hosted by Anderson Cooper on Thanksgiving night. That's right here only on CNN.

Breast cancer screenings. When? We told you about the controversial new guidelines. Now, many of you are taking it to heart and taking it personally. Our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta jumped into that fray, and he did not hold back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Growing outrage over those new breast cancer screening recommendations. Women, cancer survivors, doctors ripping this advice.

Here's how it all started this week. A government task force said most women under 50 do not need routine mammograms. Well, just minutes ago Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius tried to put things in perspective.

She released this statement, touching partly on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, saying, quote, "They do not set federal policy, and they do not determine what services are covered by the federal government. I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action."

Going on to say, "My message to women is simple: keep doing what you have been doing for years. Talk to your doctor about your individual history. Ask questions and make the decision that is right for you."

Well, our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is one of the many doctors taking issue with this task force and what it has said. He spoke with a member and did not hold back.

Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: About 75 to 90 percent of breast cancers are found in women who have absolutely no family history and no identifiable risk factors. If you're a woman hearing that at age 40, right now watching, 75 to 90 percent of breast cancer are found with people who have no risk factors, no family history, what should they do?

MARION: I would -- I would not recommend it. I would not make a recommendation. We are saying that the benefits are small.

GUPTA: What do you mean by that? When you say the benefits are small? Let's not beat around the bush here. What exactly are you trying to say?

MARION: We look at it in various ways. For example, we look at -- life years gained by the actual screening every year or every other year. And the life years gained for that group is not very large. There are some life years gained. But it's not very large...

GUPTA: You're a nurse, and I just -- I don't want to, you know, dig ourselves into a hole here. You're a nurse. You're in a profession of healing and compassion. Are you comfortable with what you're saying right now?

Because what you're saying -- what I'm hearing you say is that you're saying some lives just aren't worth it. We -- we -- that's why we're changing these screening recommendations. And that is an incredibly frightening thing to hear from someone like yourself. Is that what you're saying?

MARION: No, I'm not saying that some lives are worthless. I do not say that so -- but with -- as you know, as a physician, that there are many screening tests that could save lives, but could create many other issues that we've made decisions about.

GUPTA: So, really, the harm that you're saying to women, the harm that you cite, is that it could cause -- cause unnecessarily anxiety and worry in women who get these mammograms, for example, if they have a false positive? Do you think that it would cause anxiety in women if they're told that, look, 90 percent, up to 90 percent of women who developed breast cancer never had a risk factor. And now you're not sure if you have that breast cancer because you didn't get the test? Don't you think that causes anxiety as well?

MARION: Yes, we do know that the biggest risk factor is age and -- and that's clear. And so -- we know other risk factors. And we know that many do not have known risk factors if you don't include age.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LUI: All right. That was that conversation.

You're sharing your feelings as well on our Twitter page. Let's share a couple with you.

Dennis Linville writes, "Wow, that was one cold nurse! Why not meet in the middle? Cancer detection seems logical at 40, so start there every two years instead."

Then we got curious1966 who writes, "I have to wonder how many more deaths will be attributed to breast cancer in the following years because of these new guidelines. Sad."

All right, well, thanks to all of you for your tweets. You can send your thoughts to @kyraCNN. We'll be watching for those certainly.

So, as President Obama heads to the home trip on his Asia trip, he's got plenty of time to catch up on those must-reads on the flight back home. You think he'll thumb through Sarah Palin's new bestselling memoir, "Going Rogue"? Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry asked him in a one-on-one chat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Let's end on a very short political question. Sarah Palin's got a new book out.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Right.

HENRY: Do you think she'll be a candidate in 2012? And will you be a candidate in 2012?

OBAMA: You know, I don't think about 2012 right now. I think about next week. But, look, obviously Sarah Palin's attracted a lot of attention. She is going to do very well with this book. That's clear. And...

HENRY: Did you read it?

OBAMA: You know, I probably won't. But I don't get a chance to read things other than briefing books very often these days, anyway.

You know, she obviously has a big constituency in the Republican party. You know, there are a lot of people who are excited by her. And, you know, I do think it says something about our political process, though, that about ten months after the...

HENRY: We're already talking about it.

OBAMA: We're already talking about it.

HENRY: Can you envision a scenario where you don't run for re- election?

OBAMA: Here's how I think about it. I said to myself very early on, even when I started running for office, that I -- I don't want to be making decisions based on getting re-elected, because I think the challenges that America faces right now are so significant.

Obviously, if I make good decisions and I think that I'm moving the country on the right direction economically, in terms of our security interests and our foreign policy, I'd like to think that those policies are continued, because they're not going to bear fruit just in four years. I mean, you know, we will -- we will have to take a lot of time to get a clean energy economy. It's going to require a lot of effort. Reforming our education system is going to take a lot of time. I think we're putting the foundations in place for that kind of long-term growth.

But, you know, if -- if I feel like I've made the very best decisions for the American people and three years from now I look at it and my poll numbers are in the tank and, you know, because we've gone through these wrenching changes, you know -- you know, politically I'm in a tough spot, I'll feel all right about myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIU: All right, President Obama returns home tomorrow. We will not obey. One of the tenets of the Oath Keepers. They call themselves patriots. Defenders of the Constitution. But just who are they?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIU: Three decorated U.S. Army sergeants shooting and killing four detainees at a Baghdad canal. What happened on that day in 2007? Well, it is contained on Army interrogation tapes obtained by CNN. Special Investigation's Unit correspondent, Abbie Boudreau, has a preview of tonight's "AC360" special report, "Killings at the Canal: The Army Tapes."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: We've obtained 23-and-a-half hours of Army interrogation videotapes where investigators pressed soldiers on details of the crime, tapes you'll only see here on CNN.

Here, Sergeant Michael Leahy, who was eventually convicted of premeditated murder, confesses to firing at two of the men.

UNIDETIFIED MALE: How many times did you fire?

SGT. MICHAEL LEAHY, U.S. ARMY: I fired twice. I fired and, like, this other guy fell back on me. And when he fell back on me, I don't know why I fired again. It wasn't at him.

Like, my arm went up to the right and I fired again. I'm pretty sure it didn't hit anybody, but I'm not going to say that because I don't know for sure. I wasn't looking when I shot the second time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No reasonable person is going to believe that you shot and then this guy fell back on you, and then your arm went at this angle. If you shot this dude, just say you shot him.

LEAHY: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just be honest about it.

LEAHY: It is true. This guy did fall, and my arm...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't doubt that that guy fell on you, but if you purposely shot this guy, Mike, just say it.

You've already manned up. You've already shown that's what you're made of. I know it's hard, but I know that's what happened, dude.

You wouldn't have so much question in your mind right now if you didn't know what happened. And I know it's hard.

LEAHY: You're right, it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just tell us what happened, Mike. LEAHY: I'm, like, 80 percent sure, yes, I turned and shot this guy. But I'm not 100 percent sure I turned and this guy.

BOUDREAU: Sergeant Leahy would go on to tell Army investigators that his bullets killed one of the men, but not the other. He says another sergeant actually killed the second man with two bullets to the chest.

This is all part of our investigation, "Killings at the Canal: The Army Tapes," tonight, only on "AC 360."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIU: OK. It's a story you don't want to miss, "Killings at the Canal: The Army Tapes," tonight as she was saying. Abbie Boudreau, 10:00 Eastern, on "AC360."

OK. Let's get you the top stories right now.

Secretary of State Clinton makes a surprise visit to Kabul today. Just in time for tomorrow's inauguration of Afghan president Hamid Karzai, re-elected in a vote clouded by fraud allegations. Clinton considers it a critical moment for Afghanistan right now.

And Attorney General Eric Holder atop Capitol Hill today defending his decision to try several 9/11 terror suspects in civilian court instead of military tribunals. Holder says his decision will, quote, "withstand the judgment of history."

And a lot of you are talking about the swine flu. But most of you don't want the vaccine itself. According to a new CNN poll, a majority of American adults say they will pass on the H1N1 shot. Fifty-five percent of respondents saying no.

And you want some bad weather? Well, it is multiple choice up in the Pacific Northwest. They got wind, winter storm, and flood watches on Washington State. Chad Myers, a lot happening there. And then you've got the Midwest to boot.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And another storm coming in. I mean, so, you know, they're lined up like planes going in LaGuardia here.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIU: Hey!

MYERS: You got little and he got big.

LIU: I want to be big. There you go.

MYERS: And they are playing in Mount Hood, and they are going to get 2 to 3 more feet. So, if this is going to be your first excursion to a volcano and you want to go walk around, don't do it, because there will be 3 feet of snow on top of you. There's always lost hikers. You don't want to try to find them in this snowstorm. LIU: You don't want to do that. Perhaps time to head up to Worcester (ph), a little north, too.

MYERS: Getting ready for the Olympics!

LIU: He's salivating. Mr. Chad Myers, thank you so much.

Also, a subject that Chad knows a lot about, the space shuttle. Atlantis, STS-129 docked with the international space station. We've got live pictures, I understand -- are these live pictures? OK, live pictures right now coming from space. The shuttle is staying at the station for one week as they get moving with the wires.

You often wonder what are they doing right now? It's delivering a big load of spare parts. That's their goal. These parts will keep the station running long after the shuttle fleet long is been retired. Atlantis astronauts did a preliminary check of the shuttle to see if there was any damage from launch. Nothing found there, but more analysis, of course, coming, they're always concerned about that.

By the way, the astronauts plan to install two big platforms to the space station to hold all the spare parts that they are delivering. A big delivery truck, if you will. And this mission is among six shuttle missions planned before the fleet is retired next year for good. They are planning to do that, mission control.

So much for second chances. Somali pirates try to hijack the Maersk Alabama, again. This time the Maersk was ready.

But first, she's not Rosie the Robot, but she's close. She can help you out of bed, even cook you an egg. Our Kyung Lah is on the "Edge of Discovery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The helping hands here are metal and silicone designed to assist a person to a wheelchair. Her name is 21, robot for the elderly. She's may look like ET but inventor (INAUDIBLE) says she's more than just a cute friend. Cook an egg and have the dexterity to delicately pick up food and serve it. The goal of 21 isn't necessarily to replace a human caretaker but to simply assist someone in this case to help me toast this piece of bread.

The aging baby boomers in the U.S. and Japan (INAUDIBLE) says will need this robot. By 2050, 40 percent of Japan's population will be over the age of 65 and fewer young people to care for them because Japan has one of the lowest birth rate in the world. So what man can't, machine can says graduate student Atomu Maeshiro.

I believe this robot will be a big help in the near future he says. Right now the robot needs a team of researchers and a screen full of computer prompts (ph) to work. Its inventor believes a commercial version will be ready to go by 2020, giving the elderly a hand up for independent living.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIU: For the second time in seven months, Somali pirates attacked the U.S. flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama. Sounds familiar you to, doesn't it? The U.S. Navy says the ship came under a pirate assault this morning some 300 miles off the Somali coast. But this time, the Maersk Alabama, it was ready. Private security guards on board returned fire, repelling the bandits. Back in April, you might remember, pirates seized the ship and kidnapped the captain, holding him for several days before Navy SEALS came to the rescue in that.

And we also this hour have new details in the pirate abduction case of Paul and Rachel Chandler. They are the British couple seized last month and held for ransom ever since. A standoff that appears more dire by the day. Here's Angus Walker from ITN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANGUS WALKER, ITN-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rachel and Paul Chandler have now been held hostage for almost four weeks by Somali pirates. When we last spoke with the couple, Rachel insisted they were being well treated.

RACHEL CHANDLER (via telephone) They (INAUDIBLE0 us that we're safe and that we shouldn't worry, you know, there very hospitable.

WALKER: But it now seems that their conditions are worsening. ITV News has established that the couple are getting ill from the food and water they're being given. Pirates often desperate themselves. In this case, impatient for an outcome, appear to be running out of money to care for their captives. Local clan elders may be able to help.

ROGER MIDDLETON, PIRACY EXPERT: In the past, the German couple who were held, one of them got sick, and through clan elders, it was possible to get certain medicines to them to help them get better.

WALKER: The Chandlers left the Seychelles aboard their yacht, the "Lynn Rival" (ph) on the 22nd of October. They were heading to Tanzania. In the early hours of the next day, they were seized by pirates and forced to sail to Somalia.

ITV news has learned that the Chandlers are still being held in the area around the coastal town of Haradari (ph), a notorious pirate stronghold. A spokesman for the pirates called ITV news, saying that he was angry that negotiations over their demands for a four million- pound ransom had ground to a halt.

But it's clear Somali politicians, including the transitional government's prime minister, who met Rachel Chandler's brother and niece, are working to convince the pirates that the Chandlers are worthless. HASSAN HAJI IBRAHIM, SOMALI MP: Keeping them -- they're not going to benefit anything. What we need to say to them is please release them. They're not worth to you anything.

The government, they are working with the elders there from grassroot level and liaison. And we're seeing progress, but it's very, very small progress.

WALKER: So the health and fate of the Chandlers depends on any Somalis that may have power over the pirates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIU: That's Angus Walker of ITN, and by the way as we watch this story for you, the pirates reportedly want the equivalent of $7 million in ransom money.

Pushing forward to our next hour. We are talking pot. Easier to find than a cup of coffee? At least in LA. Some people have had enough. Others want more. Both sides, they are fired up.

Plus, you can't look at this without saying, aww. They're just babies, but they're in danger and they need your help.

They are the Oath Keepers and they're busy recruiting cops and soldiers. Are they patriots or are they extremists?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIU: You may not have heard of the Oath Keepers, but they are out there, recruiting new members across the United States. Among their ranks, troops and police officers. Among their tenets, "We will not obey." More now from CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a couple of miles off the Las Vegas strip, inside this casino ballroom...

OATH KEEPERS: We solemnly swear...

ACOSTA: Dozens of men and women are taking the oath, an oath they say is to the constitution of the United States.

OATH KEEPERS: So help me God.

ACOSTA: Not they say to the president.

RICAHRD MACK, FORMER ARIZONA SHERIFF: If we're going to watch while our country dies, and think that there's nothing we can do about it, we're wrong.

ACOSTA: They call themselves the Oath Keepers and last month they held their first national conference.

STEWART RHODES, OATH KEEPERS FOUNDER: Our forefathers flew this flag...

ACOSTA: The group's founder, Stewart Rhodes, former Army paratrooper and staffer for Congressman Ron Paul, says his members recite a revised version of the oath that's used for enlistment in the Armed Services. But they exclude this phrase: "I will obey the orders of the president of the United States.

RHODES: Our role is not to be obedient to whoever happens to be the leader. Our role is to defend the Constitution and the Republic.

ACOSTA (on camera): The Oath Keepers aren't in Vegas looking for gamblers. They're seeking out police officers, sheriff's deputies, military veterans, even active duty members of the Armed Forces. If you've taken an oath to protect this nation, the Oath Keepers want you.

(voice-over): The group's Web site features pictures of veterans and active duty soldiers who say they've become Oath Keepers. The patch on this military uniform bears the group's name.

(on camera): Is the Oath Keepers a militia group?

RHODES: No. We don't need to be. We're the military and police.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The Oath Keepers call on their members to disobey any orders as they put it to disarm the American people, or to force citizens into detention camps. It's a pledge Rhodes recites in an anti-Obama DVD called "The Fall of the Republic."

RHODES: Do not obey orders to impose martial law. I will not obey.

ACOSTA: Mark Potok who monitors extremists groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center says the Oath Keepers are exploiting false rumors found on fringe Web sites.

MARK POTOK, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: Many of the Oath Keepers are people who believe that martial law is about to be imposed at any moment. It is right around the corner.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Do you think President Obama is plotting to build detention camps in this country?

RHODES: I don't know. Do you think President Obama was planning to do that? Who knows? You know, the point -- the point...

ACOSTA: You don't have any evidence of that, the full evidence of that.

RHODES: No. I have no evidence that he's doing that.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But Rhodes insists his group is not anti- government and not anti-Obama.

(on camera): So who's talking about taking those guns away? RHODES: So we have to wait until someone talks about it before we can say we won't do it.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Brian McGough (ph) with the Democratic- leaning veterans group votevets.org worries soldiers and the Oath Keepers will pick and choose which orders to follow disrupting the chain of command.

BRIAN MCGOUGH (ph), VOTEVETS.ORG: All they're doing is hurting the units. All they're doing is hurting the military, and all they're doing is hurting their friends. And they should really think about that.

ACOSTA: Critics say the Oath Keepers simply vindicate this recent report from the Department of Homeland Security that warned right wing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans. The DHS declined to comment for the story that Rhodes blasted its report at the founding of the Oath Keepers earlier this year.

RHODES: When they across the ocean saving their country, they're considered heroes. But when they come home, now they're considered potential terrorists.

ACOSTA: The group was founded in Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the first shots fired in the American Revolution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIU: As for those orders that the Oath Keepers say they will not obey, there is no proof that the government is building detention camps around the country, and there are no proposals coming from the White House or Democratic leaders in Congress for new gun control laws.