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Indian Prime Minister Visits U.S.; Biggest Crib Recall in U.S. History; Recession Brings Many Young Adults Back to Home; Additional 34,000 Troops to Afghanistan to be Announced Next Week; A Look at Delta's Nerve Center

Aired November 24, 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: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes!

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, kind sir.

HARRIS: Yes, sir.

HOLMES: Talk to you soon.

HARRIS: OK.

HOLMES: All right. We do continue right now. Welcome, everybody.

Up first, here, he says they crossed a line. They say he broke a bond. A soldier accuses his comrades of murder. Now, they're in prison. He's on CNN. Our exclusive investigation "Killings at the Canal."

Also, locked in. A working mind, in a non-responsive body. The man you're seeing in the video was totally aware for 23 years. His doctors, on the other hand, not so much.

Also, business or coach? Window or aisle? Virus or non-virus? If only it were that easy to steer clear of germs on planes. We'll show you how to breathe easy for the holidays.

But, first, here, U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Indian prime minister at the White House. Talked long pieces of a complicated high-stakes puzzle with President Obama's smack dab in the middle.

Right now, he's in the middle of a full day of ceremony and substance, the first state visit of his presidency, and the guest of honor is the prime minister of India, Prime Minister Singh. He's the leader of the world's largest democracy. One whose historic rivalry with Pakistan bears on the U.S. war in Afghanistan and beyond. The two leaders wrapped up face-to-face talks and then faced reporters a short time ago. You may have seen it, live, right here on CNN. President Obama wouldn't get too specific on his long-awaited decision on Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that the review that we've gone through has been comprehensive and extremely useful. And has brought together my key military advisors, but also civilian advisors. I can tell you, as I've said before, that it is in our strategic interests, in our national security interests, to make sure that al Qaeda and its extremist allies cannot operate effectively. In those areas, we are going to dismantle and degrade their capabilities and ultimately dismantle and destroy their works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, in terms of people, culture, money, clout, India is, in a word, big. It's the world's 12th largest economy, but fourth in purchasing power. It's the third largest economy in Asia behind Japan and China. And America is its most important business partner. We buy Indian software, textiles, jewelry and leather. That's one reason India forecasts economic growth in the neighborhood of six percent to seven percent in the year ahead.

Now, money still just a small part of this whole equation. We can factor in security, politics, diplomacy. To do that, let's meet Sumit Ganguly. He's a professor of Indian studies at Indiana University. Also the research director of IU Center on American and Global Security.

Hello to you, sir.

Also I'm joined right now by CNN national political correspondent Jessica Yellin. There she is.

Good afternoon to you both.

I guess I want to go ahead and start with you, if I can, Jessica, about this decision. We are still -- we're still waiting. We gave it a try today in that press conference to see if he would let us go to the Thanksgiving break with the information, but not. So, why are we still waiting?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president wants to unveil this in a formal way. We're expecting him to address the nation when he does.

And, T.J., it's important that he is able to strike a balance. Because the president, as you know, has committed himself to helping achieve stability in Afghanistan, so on the politics alone, he has to have results. But on the other hand, his very most loyal supporters, progressives, are likely, many of them, to feel utterly betrayed by any troop build-up.

So, for the president it is essential that he explain and justify exactly what the mission is, what the costs will be and how the U.S. will leave. And I believe he's setting a stage to do that in a way that the nation is prepared and ready to hear his message.

HOLMES: Well, what are his people telling him, and also what are polls telling us about how the American people are feeling right now about this war in Afghanistan? YELLIN: Right. Our poll numbers show that I think -- we have a graphic, I believe it's about 55 percent of the American public, 50 percent favor a troop increase of 35,000 or more. About 49 percent don't approve. So, it's a very even split. But what you see when you break that down even further, T.J., is that the heft of his support, the majority of those who are in favor of that troop build-up, are conservatives. And as you drop the number below 34,000, he loses some of that support among conservatives because they want a significant build up.

So, what does this tell us? This tells us that -- to underscore what I said a moment ago, the president needs to make a very clear case to rally the American public, not just in terms of the substance, why -- you know, how many troops, why that many, what it will lead to, but emotionally rally the country to remember why the U.S. is in Afghanistan. And our pollster says very often after the president, any president makes a momentous decision like this, you do see a bump in the number -- a bump in the support, it's a rally factor where Americans say, yes, we're behind you for now, short-lived, though.

HOLMES: Well, that's in for Afghanistan.

Let's bring you in professor, Professor Ganguly, to bring in -- bring you in and talk about India.

President Obama, a lot of people believe just by being elected, and some of the things he immediately did just changed the tone in a lot of ways and changed how the rest of the world viewed the United States. But India, a lot of people would say, was a lot more comfortable with the previous president, with President Bush, than with President Obama.

Why is that?

SUMIT GANGULY, PROFESSOR OF INDIAN STUDIES, INDIANA UNIVERSITY: In large measure because President Bush had made India a significant foreign policy priority. Now what India is witnessing, that it is one of several amongst competing priorities for this president.

And, of course, with Afghanistan having become a centerpiece of American foreign and security policy, India is not getting the attention that it received during the Bush administration, particularly during the second Bush administration. So, there's a little bit of unease and concern in New Delhi about the stature of the relationship at the moment.

HOLMES: Is he making up for it? I know some of the things he said today in the press conference was talking about a strategic dialogue and a personal partnership when he was talking about things to show how the Obama administration is committed to India.

But besides that, I think that a lot of people might say are vague, a personal partnership, a strategic dialogue, what other kind of overtures, what other kind of reaching out to India can this president do to make India feel better about the relationship with the -- with the Obama administration? GANGULY: Well, for one thing, if both sides could agree on how to finally implement the civilian nuclear deal that was reached under the Bush administration, that would be a great step forward in the relationship. Also, if the two sides could agree on some kind of accommodation on the very contentious issue of climate change, that, again, would be an important development.

But besides those, I think it's also important that the president did make these kinds of verbal gestures because these symbolic gestures also account for a great deal in international politics and improve the tenor of the bilateral relationship.

HOLMES: And that the gesture of the big state dinner, the big tent party out on the lawn, is that a pretty good gesture as well?

GANGULY: Oh, I think so. I saw the very substantial Indian press contingent last night. And they will, of course, go back and report on this in considerable detail.

HOLMES: All right, well, professor, we appreciate you. Again, Sumit Ganguly, we appreciate you taking the time.

Jessica Yellin talking to us today about Afghanistan. And it sounds like we will have to, like the reporter said in the press conference, depend on leaks for the rest of the holiday, and maybe hear from the president next week.

To both of you, thank you so much.

GANGULY: My pleasure.

HOLMES: We'll turn to some serious misconduct going on right now, some would say. Also dishonor, some shame, disgrace. Fighting words from South Carolina lawmakers regarding South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

Now what you are seeing there is a live picture of a hearing going on right now. They are deciding whether or not to impeach the governor. Yes, there's a resolution of impeachment out there that was drafted yesterday due to be debated right now by that legislative panel. They're just now getting under way.

Now, this all stems from Sanford's five-day disappearance, if you will, back in June. He said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail when it turned out he was actually holed up with his mistress in Argentina. The woman he called his soulmate.

Now separately, a state ethics panel has hit the governor with a 37-count complaint over travel expenses. Again, that's separate from what you're seeing here. Now don't look for a resolution to possibly be voted until early next year.

You can forget about the old nursery rhyme when the bow breaks. The reality now babies dying in their own beds? The largest crib recall in U.S. history. All right. Also, a little history we want to bring to you. It's not the history of Guns N' Roses. One-hundred and fifty years ago today, Charles Darwin tell the world his stake on how living things evolve on the "Origin of Species," published on this day in 1859. One-hundred and fifty years later a first edition being auctioned in London. A family in Oxford had kept it in the Louvre for some 40 years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Mom, dad, I'm home! Again. Yes. Get out in the world and fend for yourself? Not in this economy. Being grounded never felt so good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, it's the largest baby crib recall in U.S. history. It applies to more than 2 million drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada. Infants can become trapped or asphyxiated when the drop side of the crib gets detached, which according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission has been documented now more than 100 times.

Now, here's what you need to know. More than one million of the cribs in question were distributed here in the U.S. 968,000 in Canada. The recall includes about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. Concerned parents can contact the company at the toll-free number listed on your screen. That's 877-274-0277 or you can go online to StorkCraft.com.

Well, just in time for the holiday season. The annual trouble in Toyland report is out. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group citing examples of toys it considers dangerous. Notables including an Elmo lunch box?

Elmo? He can't be dangerous, can he? Well, potentially toxic chemicals in there.

Also Playschool Triceratops, a toy the group says could lead to hearing loss. For the entire list of dangerous toys, you can click on our blog. You know where to find it at CNN.com/Kyra.

Well, millions of parents all across the country are finding that their empty nest, once again full. A new study said many young people are moving back in with mom and dad, and it's all because, you guess it, the recession.

Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with details.

Susan, they're calling these boomerang kids. I cannot imagine. My folks would not take my call if they thought I was calling to ask to move back in.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. I think that is a chorus, a national chorus. It's a very cute name, not always a cute situation. But the fact is, the ugly truth is, rather, that there is a wave of boomerang kids, that is, young adults coming back to shack up with mom and dad because of this recession.

The Pew Research Center, T.J., says that one in seven parents with a grown child say at least one of those kids has come back to live with them.

Why is that?

Well, we know that unemployment is high, T.J., but particularly among young adults. 16 to 24, it's practically 50 percent. They are the first to bear the brunt of hard times. And this is historically true. We saw this in 2001. We've seen it in earlier recessions. And, so, they're coming back to live with mom and dad, because those older folks, like you and me, we're holding on to our jobs, right? We're not going to give it up.

The other thing is that a lot -- a lot of kids are fully going back to school. Whether it's a community college, a four-year college, a vocational school, to get advanced degrees to make themselves more marketable. And they're also, again, living at home. Home for the holidays, and every other day, too, T.J.

HOLMES: Yes. You know, but when we were kids, you know, we didn't like following our parents' rules when we were, you know, 15, 16 years old. So how when a 25-year-old or a 30-year-old moves back into the house. They have to follow those rules again? That could be kind of a tricky situation.

LISOVICZ: Well, that's right. All-nighters don't always work with mom and dad. And neither do, you know, lack of rent, lack of financial contribution, lack of chore-doing, that kind of thing. It can really -- can make a -- a tough situation a lot worse.

The other thing is, I just want to say real quickly, is that in this same survey, 15 percent of young adults have postponed marriage. About the same amount also put off having a baby. So, it's created stress in a lot of relationships, T.J.

HOLMES: Oh, wow. I'm sure some guys out there are trying to put off marriage anyway. And this just gives them another excuse.

LISOVICZ: Oh, you wouldn't know any of them, T.J.

HOLMES: Susan, we should stop now. I'll talk to you soon, dear lady. Good to see you.

LISOVICZ: OK.

HOLMES: Well, of course, it's the holiday and crunch time on the holidays and in the air. If you're heading out for the holiday, hold on! You need to talk to that guy right there before you do anything!

Chad Myers, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, we may be getting the word now about just what President Obama plans to do on his decision on Afghanistan. We have gotten words from our folks at the Pentagon that officials there are telling our CNN Pentagon folks that in fact they are being told to expect an order for some 34,000 troops.

Again, let me make sure how I'm clear on what is happening here. That is the Pentagon planners who are tasked to getting troops ready to go to Afghanistan have been told to prepare for an order of 34,000 troops. That is according to sources. That is what they are telling our folks at the Pentagon.

Now, of course, the president, just had his final -- what we're told was his final, his ninth meeting he's had with his planners on Afghanistan, had that meeting last night. Word we got today is that the president would make an announcement soon. He came out and said just a short time ago in a press conference that he would make that announcement shortly, but don't expect it before Thanksgiving.

So, we're expecting to hear it officially from the president, possibly in some kind of address next week, but right now we are being told from our sources at the Pentagon that in fact their planners are being told to get ready for an order of some 34,000 troops that would be going to Afghanistan. That falls somewhere in the range of what we have been reporting here at CNN for the past several days, even weeks. We will continue to follow that, and still waiting for official word.

Meanwhile other top stories we want to tell you about. The leaders of the world's biggest democracy paying a visit to President Obama in Washington. The president welcomed India's prime minister to the White House this morning. And, tonight, there will be a state dinner. The first of the Obama presidency. In a news conference this morning, the Indian leader pledged to step up his country's contributions to the war on terror.

Also in Kentucky, a story we have been following for some time here. Expecting investigators there to release their findings in the death of a census worker who was found hanging from a tree. His name was Bill Sparkman. He had the word "Fed" scrawled on his chest. Police have not said whether his murder was a murder, a suicide or an accident of some kind. A news conference is scheduled for the top of the hour. We'll bring you any new details that come out of that.

Also pay back for a nightmare flight. The Transportation Department is fining three airlines a total of $175,000. All three had a role in stranding dozens of passengers overnight on the tarmac last summer in Rochester, Minnesota. The airlines are Continental and its partner Express Jet plus Mesaba Airlines. The plane had to land in Rochester during a storm.

All right. Let's bring in Chad Myers, who is keeping an eye on the weather. Helping us out. There's a lot of people getting ready to travel. $175,000? I wonder if those folks stuck on that plane overnight think that's enough, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. That was an entire -- that was a convoluted thing where they couldn't get to the right gate, and they wouldn't let them off. And there was nobody there. That was just -- that was a random event, I'll tell you. And that doesn't seem -- you divide that up by the number of people on that plane and how long they were there. I think that's below their pay scale for whatever pay scale they're on certainly.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: We appreciate it. We're about to find out what one airport is doing.

Chad, thank you.

We are talking about the biggest airline in the world running at the world's busiest airports. That's a pretty big job. And even bigger job this week for the Delta Command Center right here in Atlanta. And CNN's Rob Marciano gives us a behind-the-scenes look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Behind this door is the nerve center of Delta Airlines. The operations control center. Let's go meet the people that keep this airline flying.

I'm here with David Holtz. He's director of operations management. He's going to show me a little bit about what this very intimidating room does to keep Delta flying.

DAVID HOLTZ, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: It's - this is the nerve center. This is the place where we run the operation, the entire system of Delta Air Lines.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Eighteen different departments working together to get 2,500 flights up and down safely and hopefully on time every day.

One of those departments is Weather. Stephanie Klipfel's team of meteorologists work to help the pilots steer clear of trouble.

MARCIANO (on camera): I mean, what's the most important part of your job? Is it what's going on at the upper levels for the flight or what's going on at the lower levels for takeoff and landing?

STEPHANIE KLIPFEL, METEOROLOGY SUPERVISOR: We have people who are looking at our airports, at our hub weather, helping to plan the operation for bad weather that may be experienced there. And then the other half of the department is really monitoring for safety of the upper air -- upper atmosphere, watching the airplanes en route.

MARCIANO: Obviously weather plays a huge role into having a successful flight, so the Weather Department will speak directly with the aircraft dispatchers. One of those is Jeff Hubright, also a former meteorologist.

Jeff, what kind of strategies do you put in place to have an airplane get where it needs to be?

JEFF HUBRIGHT, FLIGHT SUPERINTENDENT: Well, there are two things, Rob, that are really important to us. Obviously the surface weather and then we're looking at turbulence forecast for the end route phase of the flight. I use that information to tailor my fuel load, my flight level and maybe even the route. There are times I may flight plan a route several hundred miles off the most direct course to avoid severe weather and to avoid areas of turbulence.

MARCIANO (voice-over): And if your flight gets diverted or canceled.

GREG CARDER, RESERVATIONS OPERATIONS COORDINATOR: Then we will try to find alternate routing, alternate flights for those customers to be sure that they get to their final destination as quickly as possible.

MARCIANO: All in an effort to get ahead of the delays and get you where you want to go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Rob, is that the place to be right now? Joining us live now.

Rob, it's interesting stuff back there. And you're in the command center, the brains of this whole operation, I assume. So, any given day, you got all kinds of problems out there, cancellations and all kinds of issues. As busy as it is now, are they seeing problems just yet?

MARCIANO: Today has been pretty smooth, T.J. Take a look at some of these screens that are up, a very mission control-like feel. They also have CNN and HLN on just in case some news breaks. But some of these numbers, or most of them, actually, all of them, are either black or green. That's good. Red, it's bad.

What we also have here on the bridge is basically you've got customer service people. You've got people -- this is Melanie. She actually has to basically get you on another flight if your flight happens to be canceled.

Today there's only really been a handful of those. Well, if your plane is broken, you got a mechanical on this same row here is where they would switch out that equipment for a plane that's not broken and get you out and -- out and going.

Duty, pilot on duty, the liaison between the pilot and the company, and the FAA as well, the liaison between the flight attendants and then you have dispatchers on both sides of this room. It looks like a trading floor, T.J.

Look at this.

Today is pretty calm, but I suspect last week when they had to file their flight plans by hand, it was pretty crazy in here. And they're certainly happy that's not the case today. Tomorrow, obviously, a much, much bigger day, although volume is increasing today. Tomorrow they hope it to be just as calm, just as controlled as it is today. That would be the ideal situation, but it's fascinating to look. Never before have they allowed media to broadcast live from this space, so it's been a pretty cool day.

T.J.

HOLMES: Well, that is pretty cool. And the lady you showed us at the beginning who handles if you need a cancellation or a change flight, I need you to get her direct number for me. I'd appreciate it.

MARCIANO: I know that was coming. That is an extremely private number. I already tried that, T.J. Nice go with that one.

HOLMES: All right, Rob, we appreciate you. Thanks so much. We'll talk to you again soon, buddy.

MARCIANO: All right.

HOLMES: Well, stay with us here. We'll continue a series we have been bringing you here exclusively on CNN. It's about a soldier who's speaking out. He couldn't stay silent anymore. But did he betray his comrades, or did they betray him? Our exclusive report, "Killings at the Canal."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: A soldier turns witness. Breaks his silence and reveals the secret that would lead to murder charges against three Army sergeants. Did he do it for the sake of justice? Did he do it for self-interest?

We'll let you decide in an exclusive interview that goes to the heart of our special report of the execution-style shootings of four Iraqi detainees in Baghdad. The defendants? Decorated servicemen, have all been found guilty in what their fellow soldier said may have sealed their fates.

Here now Abbie Boudreau of our Special Investigations Unit, with part three of "KILLINGS AT THE CANAL: THE ARMY TAPES."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The murders of four Iraqi detainees next to a Baghdad canal remained a secret for nine months. and might have stayed that way if it weren't for this man. For the first time, he's talking about why he came forward.

JESS CUNNINGHAM, FORMER ARMY SGT. AND MURDER WITNESS: I feel betrayed. Felt let down. I really feel stabbed in the back.

BOUDREAU: Jess Cunningham is no longer in the Army. The former sergeant is back at home in California. He was at the canal that day in March 2007, but says the murders never should have happened.

(on camera): This is hard for you to talk about. CUNNINGHAM: I think a lot of soldiers were betrayed. I think the wrong thing was done for someone's ego, and I think that others became followers instead of doing the right thing and taking a good stand and having character and integrity.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Only weeks before the incident, Alpha Company lost two soldiers in combat. Staff sergeant Karl Soto Pinero (ph) and specialist Mario Guerrero (ph). Cunningham says the loss has devastated First Sergeant John Hatley.

CUNNINGHAM: Maybe he did snap. I don't know. Do I think so? No. I believe he knew right from wrong. And I don't have respect for him.

BOUDREAU: You don't have respect for him?

CUNNINGHAM: No. I don't.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): Private First Class Joshua Hartson was also at the canal. He feels the decision to kill the Iraqis was the right thing to do. He remembers the night of the murders. First Sergeant Hatley told him the executions were for Soto Pinero and Guerrero.

(on camera); It sounds more like a revenge killing.

FORMER PVT. FIRST CLASS JOSHUA HARTSON, U.S. ARMY: I don't think it was revenge. It was these guys were bad. We take them in. They're back out. More weapons they would gather up. More people they might kill, so we, I guess, prevented it by taking their lives.

BOUDREAU: Hartson and other soldiers, like specialist Jonathan Shafer, who's in this Army interrogation video, say they kept the murders a secret because their sergeants were like family. Neither was charged in the crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All friends. I'm family with Sergeant Mayo, First Sergeant Doc Leahy. I mean, those guys are obviously guys I went downrange with. They're my friends. That's why I didn't talk about this, or I decided not to come forward and say, "Hey, you know, this is what happened down there."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOUDREAU: But Cunningham did come forward. Nine months after the crime. When he was facing military discipline for assaulting Sergeant Leahy and being disrespectful to another officer, he reported the murders at the canal to his lawyer.

(on camera): You can see why some people might say, well, the only reason you came forward was because you didn't want to get yourself in trouble. You wanted to get out of that situation.

CUNNINGHAM: No, that's not the case. I don't really care what other people think about me. I don't worry. I'm not going to lose any sleep. I did the right thing.

BOUDREAU: Why didn't you report it right away?

CUNNINGHAM: Fear.

BOUDREAU: Fear of what?

CUNNINGHAM: Retaliation. Fear of being alone. Fear of being the only one that had a problem with it.

BOUDREAU (voice-over): He says he waited to break his silence until he got back to his military base in Germany. He was afraid of reporting the crime while he was in Iraq, fearing his fellow soldiers would turn on him.

DAVID COURT, HATLEY'S ATTORNEY: It was a benefit to have it tried here...

BOUDREAU: David Court is First Sergeant Hatley's attorney, based in Hertz (ph), a small town outside Frankfurt. Court says Cunningham's fears were warranted.

COURT: If I were Sergeant Cunningham, not be comfortable in a combat environment.

BOUDREAU: Why do you say that?

COURT I'd be worried that having broken the band of brothers' band, something might happen to me.

BOUDREAU: Cunningham says he's not surprised by that comment.

CUNNINGHAM: Exactly why I didn't come forward. But I did the right thing. And I'm not going to hide behind excuses. I'm not going to hide behind false brotherhood.

BOUDREAU: Cunningham and another sergeant were later charged with conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, but those charges were eventually dropped.

Based on Cunningham's information, the Army launched a full investigation, considering this case a matter of interest at the highest levels with the potential for major repercussions. It was a potential PR nightmare for the Army. This interrogator worried about what would happen when the media found out. He talks to one of the soldiers who was not charged in the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be ugly. 'Cause it is.

BOUDREAU: He brings up Abu Ghraib and how the media made that scandal worse than it really was. He feared the same could happen in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like them stacking the naked prisoners in pyramids at Abu Ghraib. We walked down the streets and that's a shame we all carry. And I had nothing to do with that. I don't know about you, but I wasn't at Abu Ghraib.

But I can tell you it happens when I'm walking down the streets, that's what people think when they're looking at us. "There's the damn Americans that abuse those poor prisoners. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) frat boys get abused worse here in pledge week and college and that crap. But it's what the media made of it. What the hell do you think they're going to make of this?

BOUDREAU: Investigators questioned all 13 soldiers who were there that day. Most gave permission to be videotaped. Those tapes reveal not only a reason for the murders, but also why soldiers felt the Army's rules protected the enemy more than them, making it increasingly difficult to lock up detainees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems like even if you do your job and take these guys to the detainee center, it will come right back. They're the same (EXPLETIVE DELETED) guys shooting at us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. And our reporter on the story, Abbie Boudreau, joins us here live now. We were talking so much during this. It raises so many questions I'm sure our viewers have as well. The guy you talked to, the one that came forward -- like you said, there were 13 down there when this happened.

BOUDREAU: Right.

HOLMES: But had he not come forward, there's a good chance we would not know about the story in the first place. Even though some others talked, he was the one that came forward and started all of this.

BOUDREAU: You're exactly right. From watching all the tapes, the soldiers didn't really want to be there being questioned. None of them would have come forward. It's easy to say, we've talked to a lot of the soldiers, Joshua Hartson, who was also on this piece -- he was never planning to come forward. By all accounts, the men wanted to keep this a secret. They wanted to forget about this day.

HOLMES: We talk about the policy of detaining -- holding people, the detainees. I mean, is this really -- how much do the soldiers now blame that policy for really being the impetus for all this happening in the first place?

BOUDREAU: Well, they feel as though they were being asked to be soldiers and then being asked to be police officers were, but they weren't getting trained to be police officers. And that was part of the problem here. And they felt as though they had to collect all this evidence in order to get these -- these men detained. And they -- they felt as though they weren't being trained to do that.

HOLMES: Wow.

BOUDREAU: And that was the frustration they felt on the battlefield. HOLMES: All right. Well, you are coming back next hour, right?

BOUDREAU: Yes.

HOLMES: What will we be hearing about next hour?

BOUDREAU: More about the policy. I asked the general point- blank, you know, what kind of training do the soldiers get? They feel like they're not getting enough. We know the average soldier is getting a 50-minute PowerPoint presentation on how to collect evidence on the battlefield before they're being sent over. They're being asked to treat the war zone like it's a crime scene. We examine that.

HOLMES: We're looking forward to it next hour. Next hour, Abbie Boudreau will be back with part four. So, please, stay tuned for that. You can get all even more details by logging on to CNN.com/specials. Abbie, thank you so much. We'll see you again here shortly.

Also, for all you travelers out there. You take all the precautions to protect yourself from swine flu, but what do you do when the guy next to you on the plane, the train, the car - he's coughing and sneezing and blowing snot all over the place? Just nasty. Well, we've got some tips to help you travel safe.

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HOLMES: Well, looks like we are getting closer to a new war strategy in Afghanistan. Just a short time ago, a defense source telling CNN this, that Pentagon planners expecting an order to send 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan. The president expected to make a formal announcement after Thanksgiving.

Well, also right now, high honor for India's prime minister. President Obama welcomes him to the White House. And tonight there will be a big old state dinner, marks the first such gala of the Obama presidency. The president said the move reflects the highest esteem America has for India.

Also some positive news in the battle against HIV/AIDS. A new U.N. report says new infections are down by an average of 17 percent and the decline has been steady over the past few years. Education programs credited for that drop.

Turn to some swine flu news now. Swine flu and turkey, that doesn't go together, does it? So, as you load up at grandma's house for thanksgiving, we're trying to help you get there safely. Elizabeth Cohen here to help us with this one.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: For the record...

HOLMES: Yes.

COHEN: ... my grandmother never gave me swine flu when I went to her house for turkey. I just want to ... HOLMES: Got to make that clear.

COHEN: Got to make that clear, right.

HOLMES: But sometimes people show up sick. How are we supposed to keep from getting sick if you got to get on a plane with a bunch of other sick folks?

COHEN: Exactly. Because you want to see what happens when you get on an airplane and someone is sick? This is an animation from the folks at Purdue University, they actually did the little show. That guy in red sneezes, boom, look where the germs go. Those germs fly to the people next to him several rows over and a row behind.

So, you don't have to just worry about the sneezy person next you to, you got to worry about the sneezy person sitting in front of you and a couple seats over. Not a good thing.

HOLMES: OK, but for the most part it does look like it's confined to right around the guy.

COHEN: The guys who are blinking, right.

HOLMES: If you're up front and the guy in back is sick, you might be OK.

COHEN: Yes.

HOLMES: But people are -- clearly people are flying and they're going to travel sick no matter what. They got to get to grandma's house.

COHEN: Yes, because you already bought the tickets. There was an unscientific survey done by Tripadviser.com where they asked folks -- here we go, would you still fly sick in order to avoid paying a booking-change fee? Fifty-one percent of the people said, oh, yes, I would. And as someone else said, those other 49 percent are lying.

HOLMES: Lying, yes.

COHEN: Some airlines will allow you to change without a fee if you get a doctor's note.

HOLMES: Oh, really?

COHEN: So, it's important to keep in mind. You should check with your airline. But a lot of people fly sick, they pay for the flights.

HOLMES: How are you supposed to protect yourself from the guy who is spewing all over the place? How can you? Is it almost impossible?

COHEN: It's not. There are a couple things you can do. There are some things you can do to try to avoid all of the germs.

First of all, if you happen to be sitting next to someone who is ill, turn away from the person. I know that sounds simple.

HOLMES: It's rude.

COHEN: It's rude. But you know what? Be rude. You'd rather be rude than sick.

HOLMES: Good point.

COHEN: Also, reach up and turn the air vent towards the sick person. It will not solve the problem, but it will at least get the flow of air flowing a little bit away from you.

And also, sanitize or wash your hands often. You know, the kiosks we all use to get our tickets? You know, you touch the screen? Do you know how many people touch -- everybody touches them.

HOLMES: Everybody touches them.

COHEN: So use them, but sanitize your hands afterwards. Do not go to the airport without a bottle of hand sanitizer.

HOLMES: Turn your back on the guy and blow the air on him?

COHEN: You're making friends on the airplane.

HOLMES: Sounds great. One last thing, it would help if you had the vaccine. Can you get it?

COHEN: Exactly. That's the best thing you can do is to get yourself vaccinated against both seasonal flu and H1N1.

Now for H1N1 there's a problem that there is not enough vaccine out there. Federal officials had said they wanted 195 doses of vaccine on the market by the end of this year. Well, we are six weeks away from the end of the year and there have only been about 60 doses out there instead of 195. Obviously, not enough is out there.

HOLMES: All right. And they have priority groups, so most people are not going to be able to get them.

Elizabeth Cohen, thank you, some great information. Thanks so much.

COHEN: Thank you.

HOLMES: A treasure thrown away like trash and historians are so pleased and also so puzzled over this find.

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HOLMES: Just like with a baby, there's a lot of stumbling. Those words from a Belgian man who says it's like he's been reborn. Trapped in silence for decades by a misdiagnosis. He wasn't comatose, he could actually hear everything that was happening around him. We'll hear from him next hour. Also, boy give him some credit, they're some crafty suckers ain't they? Stunned by government's credit crackdown, some banks dreaming up debit card fees to hit you with next year. That info just ahead.

Well, most pictures, as they say, worth 1,000 words. These raising 1,000 questions. Historians amazed and a bit confused about this batch of pictures dumped underneath a Texas bridge. Now some show just anonymous everyday things, but some are priceless. There's a picture of JFK in his motorcade moments before those fatal gunshots 46 years ago this week. Also a picture of a young man named George Herbert Walker Bush presenting a football decades before he becomes the U.S. president.

Where in the world did all these photos come from? That's the mystery here, folks. Ft. Worth's illegal jumping team just stumbled upon them the other day. Maybe the mystery will one day be solved.

Mecca, the symbol of the Muslim universe, especially during the upcoming Hajj celebration. But what do you know beyond that? Your tutorial in the Fifth Pillar of faith awaits.

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HOLMES: Islam, second only to Christianity in terms of followers but growing fast. And on the eve of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, many non-Muslims may not fully appreciate its significance or understand just what it's all about.

CNN's Isha Sesay takes us on the journey of a lifetime.

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ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): the pilgrims come from all corners of the globe to the birthplace of Islam. And once in Mecca, they're required to cast aside their differences. Here participants are to have just one focus, performing the series of ancient rites and rituals which make up the Hajj.

Before performing the Hajj, pilgrims must first enter into a state of spiritual purity known as Ihram. Men indicate this by wearing special white clothing without stitching; women dress simply.

The preliminary rites are performed in the Masjid al-Haram or grand mosque. It's home to the Kaaba, a cube-shaped stone structure covered in embroidered black silk. Muslims pray in the direction of the Kaaba five times a day and during the Hajj they circle it seven times in a counterclockwise procession called the tawaf.

Seeing the Kaaba for the first time, can be an emotional experience for some.

As soon as the tawaf is completed, the pilgrims are required to drink from the well of Zamzam, an act which symbolizes spiritual refreshment. They then move on to perform the rite of Saee or running. This is performed a few yards from the Kaaba along a passageway built between two hills. Muslims believe ritual commemorates the desperate search for water by Hagar, the prophet Ibrahim's wife.

The migration of the masses from Mecca five miles east marks to Mina marks the formal commencement of the Hajj. Now in the desert, they camp out overnight in tents and at dawn make their way another five miles east to the plane of Arafat. This day is spend standing in the open absorbed in prayer and meditation. The day of standing together before god is the defining ritual of the Hajj. Muslims believe it's a dress rehearsal for the Day of Judgment. Failure to make it to Arafat by sunset renders one's entire pilgrimage invalid.

After sunset, the pilgrims are on the move again, this time heading westward. The destination is Muzdalifah where they spend the night in the open, collecting stones and meditating.

At dawn, they head to a special area in Mina where three large stone pillars stand. These pillars collectively represent the devil and during the next three days the pilgrims will cast their stones and symbolically reject temptation. The first day of Jamarat is also the start of Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, a major holiday throughout the Muslim world.

At some point during the three-day rite, pilgrims are required to return to the Grand Mosque to again circle the Kabba. A third and final circling of the Kabba is the last requirement of all pilgrims before they depart Mecca.

Many who attend the Hajj save their whole lives to be able to make this challenging spiritual journey. But in spite of the challenges, they continue to come in the millions, striving not only for a deeper relationship with god, but also with each other.

Isha Sesay, CNN, Atlanta.

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HOLMES: Well, pushing forward now on the hour's top stories, CNN has learned the Pentagon making plans to send 34,000 more troops to the war in Afghanistan, hours after his tenth meeting with his Afghan war cabinet. President Obama isn't talking numbers in public nor is he confirming reports that he plans a speech to the nation next Tuesday. He does say he plans to finish the job against the Taliban.

Also, the job of South Carolina governor may not be Mark Sanford's much longer. A legislative panel debating impeachment stemming from Sanford's is escapades with his Argentine mistress. He's also facing a separate slate of ethics charges, but nothing definite is likely to happen before new year.