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30,000 More Troops to Afghanistan; Accused Cop Killer Shot Dead; Escalation: Is It Worth It?

Aired December 01, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The plan is to wrap things up and get most troops out within three years.

Escalation now with an eye on the end. So much more than sheer numbers to talk about here. We're trying to push forward on what the new strategy means for the people who will make it happen.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence spent some time with the troops and just got back. Plus, our senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry, is in West Point, New York, where the president will lay it all out.

So, Chris, 30,000 more troops. Where will they go? What will they do? And what do the troops already there need most?

He's actually going to take a look at that for us now because he just got back from Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Most of the new combat forces will be sent south to help shrink the huge battle spaces troops are trying to cover in places like Kandahar Province.

CPL. JIMMY PARKER, U.S. ARMY, 11TH INFANTRY: We need the help down here. Even though we're handling it on our own, but we need more forces down here.

LAWRENCE: NATO has nearly 37,000 troops in southern Afghanistan, more than the rest of the country combined. But officials admit it hasn't been enough manpower to remove the Taliban from parts of Helmand province and other areas.

SPC. BRIAN SCHOENBECK, U.S. ARMY, 11TH INFANTRY: More infantry, get another battalion or brigade out here to help us out.

LAWRENCE: A defense official says the U.S. Marines will nearly double their numbers there, with 1,000 expected to deploy in late December and 8,000 more over the next few months. Troops say it will allow them to get to know Afghans in their area, which could encourage more of them to cooperate.

SCHOENBECK: To give us any information if they have anything about where the Taliban are and what they're doing. LAWRENCE: Roadside bombs kill more troops in Afghanistan than any amount of enemy artillery. And a key mission for new troops would be putting more eyes on Highway One, a road known as IED alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.

LAWRENCE: The goal is to catch insurgents planting bombs, and then replanting them after route clearance teams go through.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just to make sure that the routes stay clear.

LAWRENCE: The Obama administration also emphasizes quickly increasing the size of Afghan forces, nearly 40,000 more soldiers and nearly 70,000 more Afghan police in the next year. That's why the U.S. troop increase will include thousands of additional trainers.

The key will be the trainers' backgrounds and how experienced they are in actual police work. Right now, units like the 82nd Airborne are training Afghan police, but combat paratroopers are no experts in evidence collection or investigations.

MAJ. SCOTT BRANNAN, U.S. ARMY, 82ND AIRBORNE: A lot of the guys don't have that skill set, so we're working now to try to get more law enforcement professionals attached to us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: The Afghan army and police just got a pay raise. In U.S. dollars, they'll now be making about $165 a month. It doesn't sound like a lot to us, but in a country where people are living on about a dollar a day, it might make a difference in terms of not only recruiting more, but retaining more of the police officers they've already got -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now we're getting word that 30,000 additional troops are going to head to Afghanistan within the next six months. So, can the Pentagon get new troops to Afghanistan that quickly? And will these new troops be involved in all the training that you've been talking about?

LAWRENCE: That's a great question, because just before Thanksgiving, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that we don't have the same sort of transportation access in Afghanistan that we did in Iraq, where, during that surge, you saw five brigades be deployed in five months. He cast doubt that that was possible to do that kind of quick surge there in Afghanistan because so much of the equipment has to come through the air.

One thing that it is going to be mean, a lot of the troops are going to be spending a bit more time in war and less time at home. We're already starting to see that a little bit.

There was the 101st Airborne Brigade. They just got back to Fort Campbell in June, were supposed to have about 18 months at home, re- deploy next to Afghanistan next December. Instead, that's been moved up to the summertime. So, they'll get about 12 months at home instead of the 18 months.

PHILLIPS: Well, and, you know, you just got back from spending a lot of time with the troops. You were embedded there in Afghanistan. What struck you as some of the major challenges that these men and women are going through right now?

LAWRENCE: Well, I think in terms of the big goal, you know, standing up these Afghan police officers and Afghan army in order to take over, it is a goal, it is no guarantee. We did see some of the police officers that seemed to be engaged in the training, but at one checkpoint, you know, they had taken their metal plates out of their body armor and they were using it to grill. And these soldiers had to patiently explain that, no, superheating bloody meat on top of your body armor is not a good way to take care of it.

In another area, we saw one police officer high as a kite. In the others, some of them were sleeping.

So, they've got some real problems with the Afghan police, but these troops were very, very disciplined, they kept going from check point to checkpoint, patiently explaining the procedures and what to do. But even they admit -- they're 82nd Airborne, they're combat paratroopers, and they admitted they're not exactly experts in police work, evidence collection. Of this 30,000, it will be interesting to see how many well-trained law enforcement people there are in that mix to really help accelerate some of the training of the Afghan police.

PHILLIPS: Chris Lawrence, thanks so much.

Now let's go ahead and turn to Ed Henry.

And Ed, tell us why the president picked the U.S. Military Academy for this speech tonight.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, officials say that, basically, being a military academy for the Army, that the Army has borne the brunt of much of the sacrifice in Afghanistan. And the president is going to be calling on them to sacrifice yet again.

I mean, if you take the long view of this and add a little perspective, by the end of his first year in office, when you look at what the president did back in March, sending 21,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, you're going to have a Democratic president who, by the end of his first year in office, will be ordering 51,000 more U.S. troops to war, dramatically expanding the footprint in Afghanistan at a time when the American public is very wary of this mission.

PHILLIPS: Are they worried about the backlash because of this?

HENRY: Well, I don't think they're worried about the backlash. I know that in the past for presidents, and in either party, sometimes they're accused of using the military as a prop or using a military base or an academy as a prop. But in this case, they feel -- and then we heard similar from the Bush administration, when former President Bush spoke here about the war on terror -- that this is an appropriate venue because these are the people who are sacrificing.

And, in fact, here at West Point, this is where they study the counterinsurgency manual that the president was studying so much and reviewing as he decided what he thinks is the best strategy moving forward in Afghanistan. So these are the very cadets and the very officers who will be dealing with that counterinsurgency strategy.

PHILLIPS: Our live coverage starts tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Ed Henry, thanks so much.

Well, straight ahead, as we continue to push forward on Afghanistan, we've talked about how many troops and how long they might be in Afghanistan. In just a little bit, we're looking at another number, the one with dollar signs and lots of zeros -- the cost of war, and should you and I pay a special tax to cover that?

And just a few more hours to go. It's official, the road in Afghanistan. Coverage of the president's speech starting tonight at 7:00 p.m. on CNN.

A sense of security returns to Seattle. The man wanted in the ambush-style executions of four police officers finds himself on the other side of the gun. And caught up in all this, a former presidential candidate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Seattle PD got their man. Thirty-seven-year-old accused cop killer Maurice Clemmons shot dead this morning. The suspect taken down by a lone officer after a massive two-day manhunt by multiple police agencies.

Dan Simon is our guy on the ground with the latest.

So, Dan, did we hear there could be more arrests coming?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point, police have arrested four people who they suspect were helping Maurice Clemmons evade law enforcement over the past couple of days, and they say there could actually be more arrests.

We are in south Seattle, where this all unfolded just before 3:00 this morning. Pretty wild how this all unfolded, Kyra.

After all, you had scores of police officers over the past 48 or so hours looking for Maurice Clemmons. Then you have a single police officer who was on routine patrol, spotted what he thought was a stolen car, called it in.

The car was running; nobody was inside. Confirmed, in fact, it was stolen. Then, moments later, he saw a man he believed was Maurice Clemmons.

He told Clemmons to put up his hands. Clemmons refused and then went for something in his waist, according to police. That's when the officer pulled his own handgun and fired several shots. It turns out that Maurice Clemmons was armed with a weapon he stole from one of the police officers he killed at that coffee shop.

Let's listen now to what police had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A gun was recovered from the suspect. A preliminary investigation shows that it's an identical serial number to one taken from the homicide scene in Lakewood. And that's about all we know right now.

The officer is not wounded. He's safe. He's being interviewed now and the investigation continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: Well, the suspect might be dead but, indeed, the investigation continues. As we said earlier, Kyra, four people in custody for allegedly helping Clemmons evade law enforcement for a couple days, and more arrests are said to be forthcoming -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And as you know, there's been a lot of backlash with regard to the former governor, Mike Huckabee, on the clemency of this guy.

What type of reaction have you been able to gain from where you are?

SIMON: Well, I can tell you, you know, when you talk to people in this community, people are coming down pretty hard. Not only on Mike Huckabee, but all the people who were involved in the incarceration of Maurice Clemmons over the past several years.

Here was a guy who was given a 60-year prison sentence and only served 10 or 11 years. And it is just -- maybe it's just bewilderment, the fact that he was out on the streets. People just can't believe it. And not surprisingly, a lot of outrage.

PHILLIPS: A lot of outrage indeed.

Dan Simon, thanks so much.

And that outrage is probably what sparked Mike Huckabee to come forward on his Web site and say that he takes full responsibility for commuting Clemmons' prison sentence now. But the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate says that he acted on the best information that he had at the time.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FMR. ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: If I could have known nine years ago, looked into the future, would I have acted favorably upon the parole board's recommendations? Of course not.

(END AUDIO CLIP) PHILLIPS: And then he issued this statement that I just mentioned, saying, "I wish his file would never have crossed my desk, but it did. The decision I made is one that I now wish were different, but I could only look backwards at this case, not forward."

"None of this is any comfort to the families of these police officers, nor should it be. Their loss is senseless. No words or deeds by anyone will bring them back to their loved ones."

"Our system is not perfect and neither are those responsible for administering it. The system and those of us who are supposed to make sure it works sometimes fail. In this case, we clearly did."

A follow-up now on a real house of horrors.

Today, prosecutors in Cleveland indicted Anthony Sowell on 11 counts of aggravated murder. He's also facing a dozen other counts for abusing bodies, attempted murder, assault and rape.

Sowell, you may recall, is a convicted sex offender. Police found the remains of 11 bodies buried in and around his Cleveland home. They say Sowell allegedly strangled the women and lived with their rotting bodies. Prosecutor Bill Mason says they'll seek the death penalty.

Six suspects in the horrific gang rape of a California teen are expected to enter pleas today. The attack which drew national outrage happened in a parking lot outside the Richmond High School homecoming dance in October.

Three of the suspects are juveniles, but they've all been charged as adults. Police say as many as two dozen people watched that attack and didn't even attempt to help the 15-year-old victim.

Hours after a lower court blocked what was to be Argentina's first same-sex marriage, the country's supreme court is now taking up the issue. The gay couple chose today for their nuptials because it's World AIDS Day. Both showed up at a civil registry office wearing bright red ribbons because they're HIV positive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE MARIA DI BELLO, INVOLVED IN GAY MARRIAGE BATTLE IN ARGENTINA: It's very important, this day, because Alex and I have HIV and we think it's a symbol for the people. We have a life project (ph), yes. And it's possible to have a life project (ph) when you have HIV.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Civil unions are illegal in Argentina, but Monday, an Argentine judge blocked the wedding by overturning an earlier appeal. Now the ceremony is on hold pending the supreme court's decision.

An 8-year-old war about to intensify. Thirty thousand more troops headed to Afghanistan. Do you think it's a worthwhile investment of our men and our women and our money? You're telling us.

And she wasn't the first to keep her seat and face the consequences, but she was the face the civil rights movement had been waiting for. On this day in 1955, an African-American seamstress named Rosa Parks rode into U.S. history, refusing to move aside for a white passenger on an Alabama bus, refusing to pay a fine, and setting off the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

This famous UPI photo was taken a year later, the day the city's public transportation was legally integrated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Top stories.

The couple accused of crashing the White House State Dinner last week are giving their side of the story. They tell NBC's "Today Show" that they weren't invited. The White House says that they crashed that party. As for a report that they also crashed a Congressional Black Caucus dinner last month, well, they're denying that as well.

Baltimore's mayor convicted today of taking gift cards intended for the poor. Sheila Dixon was cleared of three other charges, but the single conviction could force her from office. Prosecutors say Dixon used the cards to buy electronics, clothes and knickknacks.

A small piece of space debris is zooming closer to the International Space Station, but NASA says there's no danger to the outpost and its two crewmembers. NASA says that the debris will pass a little less than a mile from the station.

Talk about a ghost from the past. A World War II fighter plane found on the bottom of Lake Michigan. The Hellcat crashed and sank 65 years ago, and soon it will be restored.

Pretty fascinating story.

Chad Myers and I both were digging on all the information and the video.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We were digging on it yesterday. They were pulling this thing out of the water.

PHILLIPS: The whole team was, yes.

MYERS: Yes.

We have pictures of it, and it doesn't look anything like it did when it fell off a carrier January 5, 1945. It snagged a wire with its tail.

Now, this is a carrier-based plane, about 42 feet for a wingspan, so it looks small there, but it's actually a pretty big plane. The F6F Hellcat, about 42 feet across, ,but it was in 250 feet of water. They pulled it out. There's still about 12,000 of these planes around, but this is one that fell off a carrier January 5th. Lieutenant Alcott was at the controls.

Could you imagine how cold it was when he plunged into the water?

As the plane was going down, he got out of the cockpit, back to the surface, and was plucked from another boat -- with another boat there.

PHILLIPS: We've come a long way from the Hellcat. You don't see a lot of F-18s falling off a carrier.

MYERS: No, but this was an amazing plane in its time -- 2,000 horsepower. Really, the kill ratio on the Pacific on this plane was at times 13-1. So this plane really had a lot of power. It could climb, it could dive, it could do all the right things.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Escalation Afghanistan. More troops, more money. Are the potential gains worth the potential losses?

CNN's Brooke Baldwin has been following what you've been saying.

So, what do they say, Brooke?

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we like to hear from our viewers. Don't we, Kyra?

It's so nice to hear no matter what their side of the story, no matter their view. We want to hear it all, and we have definitely been hearing the viewers and iReporters weighing in here on the Web site. Very simple. And we'll hear from them in just a moment.

But first, if you'll allow me, check this out. I want to walk you through this Web site.

Really easy. Just go to ireport.com, CNNiReport.com. You click on that, then you want to go to "assignments," because it's assignment Afghanistan; right?

So, you click on -- if this will cooperate with me -- there we go -- "Assignment Desk." And we're asking all the time for different assignments, this one being Afghanistan.

And the question we're posing down here is, do you think, basically, this troop surge, this 30,000 troop surge, in what we're now hearing are the next six months, do you think it's a good idea? Yes, no, and why not?

We're hearing from a lot of you on this very subject, and here's just an example of where you can click on all the different iReports.

We want to set up three different sound bites for you. Basically, all of these people, especially the first person, saying, you know what, Mr. Obama? We think sending in more troops is just plain nonsense.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS, IREPORTER: I don't think we should send any more. I think we should bring our boys home.

We have wasted our time enough over there. There's nothing to be accomplished, there's nothing you can do for those people.

If they don't want to help themselves out of this, I don't see sending any more troops being any help. The only thing it will do is put more of our troops in harm's way.

We need to bring our guys home and start protecting our own country, our own borders. Put those guys to work on checking bags at airports for bombs instead of putting their lives in harm's way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA FAZLI, IREPORTER: I think that Barack Obama feels like he's being pressured by General McChrystal and the other generals out there to send in these troops. And instead of thinking about how these voters voted for him in order to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, there's no exit strategy yet for Afghanistan. Haven't heard of one.

All we hear now is that he wants to send in 30,000 more troops. I believe, yes, if you want to rotate the troops, as far as people who have been there for so long, and have the fresh troops come in, but I believe that Afghanistan is a black hole and that we are spending way too much money there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAO LI , IREPORTER: We can beat the Taliban in Afghanistan militarily. That's no problem. We have the best weapons in the world, we have the best technology. You know, and we have a lot of people there.

But, you know, obviously, winning the military aspect of the war is not enough in Afghanistan or in Iraq. We have to win the political aspect of the war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Once again, all you have to do, go to CNNiReport.com, and it walks you through this thing, Kyra.

If I can do this, anyone can do this.

Back over to you.

PHILLIPS: Thank you, Brooke.

Well, on the front lines fighting and dying for their country, women warriors among the thousands of reinforcements President Obama is sending to the war zone.

You're going to meet them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Thirty thousand. We now know that's how many additional troops that President Obama's ordering to Afghanistan. The one thing you can be sure of, a lot of them will be women. And you can bet they'll be involved in combat as well. That's nothing new for women serving in today's U.S. military.

Of the two million Americans who have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, more than 220,000 of them, 11 percent, have been women. Even though Pentagon policy technically bars women from combat ops, many of these women have been wounded and have died on the battlefield.

Three outstanding examples of today's female vets, Marine Captain Vernice Armour, the first African-American female combat pilot. She served two tours in Iraq; former Army Sergeant Kayla Williams, a member of the 101st Airborne Division who went on combat patrols in Baghdad; and former Navy clinical psychologist Heidi Craft.

Here's what they told our Anderson Cooper about their experiences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Kayla, you say the biggest misconception about women in the military right now is they're not in combat?

SGT. KAYLA WILLIAMS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Yes, absolutely. When I got back from Iraq, I had some people ask me if I was even allowed to carry a gun because I'm just a girl. And other people asked me if I was in the infantry. So it became really clear that so many civilians really don't understand what roles women are playing in today's military.

And I was shocked to learn that even VA employees sometimes don't understand what women are going through. One of my friends was told by a VA doctor that she couldn't possibly have post-traumatic stress disorder because women aren't in combat, which, as you pointed out, simply is not true.

COOPER: Vernice, how was it different being a woman combat pilot?

CAPT. VERNICE ARMOUR, U.S. MARINES: Well, some of the situations on where you sleep. Say if there's a female tent and it's separated and it's across the compound and the alarm goes off and you all have to go cause you're the alert crew and you're separated from where the guys are, that could be a problem sometimes.

But I was actually pretty lucky, I made sure I slept in the tent with the guys. You know, I just would go and change somewhere else or the guys would go out and I would change. And you know, you're a team, so you make it work. But the number one deal I think out there is cohesiveness and getting the word and being ready when the alarm sounds.

COOPER: Dr. Kraft, as a mom serving in a war zone, how was that a different experience than for other people? I mean, it's dual roles you're trying to balance.

DR. HEIDI KRAFT, U.S. NAVY (RET.): In my own case, I think it was difficult for me to balance the role of mother and also of doctor and officer and team member during a pretty tough time in Iraq. So for me, it ended up being a moment of compartmentalization. I basically had to put my children's pictures away and be able to go forward and do my job.

COOPER: Kayla, for you being on the front lines, what about your experiences as a woman in a war zone do you think would be difficult for maybe a male peer to understand?

WILLIAMS: One thing that I think is difficult for my male peers to understand is the way in which I often felt, especially towards the end, that I represented all other women. And that kind of added burden of knowing that whatever I did reflected not only on my own character, but if it were bad, could reflect negatively on other women.

COOPER: Vernice, did you feel that as well?

ARMOUR: Absolutely. There was a certain point where I failed a tactics test, and I was absolutely devastated. Now, I think 11 other guys failed the test, but that wasn't the point. I felt like I had let so people down, like women down, black folks down, the Marine Corps down because you're carrying the standard and I knew that other women would be judged off of my performance.

COOPER: Kayla, you say that women veterans are treated differently?

WILLIAMS: Yes, when I first got back from Iraq, a lot of the guys that I served with would go out to the bars together. Not necessarily the best thing to do, when you're first home you have no tolerance. But we would go into the bar and the bouncer would check all our IDs and call back to the bartender hey, buy these guys a round.

By the time we made it back to the bar, it became apparent, that the bartender interpreted that very literally, "buy these 'guys' a round," the guys with the short hair and the good posture, and assumed that we women accompanying them must be wives or girlfriends or just miscellaneous hangers-on. We were so rarely recognized as veterans. I don't think when somebody thinks of soldier that they get a picture that looks like me in their head and because of that, not only did I miss out on a lot of free beer, but I think there was just a lot -- I felt invisible so often as a veteran. And even now as I'm active and do more things with veterans groups and on behalf of veterans, I'm so often, as I was when I was still in the military, the only woman there or one of very few women there and it can sometimes feel isolating.

COOPER: We're going to leave it there. Kayla Williams, Heidi Kraft, Vernice Armour, appreciate you talking about your service. Thank you.

WILLIAMS: Very welcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And our next story is about a young Air Force recruit who at least for now is grounded all because of a tattoo, a very long tattoo on his right arm. Nineteen-year-old George Sanchez Jr. was all set to head out for boot camp when he got word of a new Air Force policy on tattoos. Turns out, his is way too long. So the Air Force delivered a kind of ultimatum, remove the tattoo or kiss your dreams of being in the Air Force goodbye. Sanchez was quick with a decision. He's going to have that tattoo removed.

Iraq, Afghanistan -- two American wars, two very different countries and two very different foes. CNN's Michael Holmes looks at what lessons from Iraq can be applied to Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A war without front lines or traditional battles, an enemy without uniforms, a complex insurgency, meddling by neighbors states. Soldiers shooting one day and handing out candy the next. Iraq or Afghanistan? Both, of course.

But what lessons learned in Iraq can be applied to Afghanistan? The invasion of Iraq was textbook. What happened after a laundry list of what not to do. The looting that wasn't stopped, the absence of any rule of law. The consensus now is that one of the biggest mistakes was essentially demobilizing the Iraqi Army and sending them home with guns, no paycheck and a whole lot of resentment.

There are lessons from Iraq that can be applied to at least some degree in Afghanistan, but there's never going to be a perfect fit. These are different countries with different geography, climate and rivalries. Bearing that in mind, lesson one, build, don't break down. Live with, eat with, get to know the local soldiers, the ones you want to train to take over the fight.

Lesson two, learn the local culture. In Iraq, in the early days, even at the highest levels of the coalition, there was a lack of cultural sensitivity. At street level, troops understandably wary of sneak attacks alienated innocent locals in many ways from yelling at them in English to invading mosques.

Tactics did change and are now being apply in Afghanistan. Shoot a little les, talk a lot more. Move troops outside their bases and inside communities. Protect the populous rather than fight through their villages. Be more selective with targeting, though as civilian casualties in some recent air strikes have shown, mistakes still get made.

Engage local leaders, give them reasons and the confidence to trust you and not your enemy. Spend money in their communities on schools, water projects, clinics.

Lesson three, try to persuade at least some of those fighting you to change sides. In Iraq, it was convincing Sunni insurgents to turn on al Qaeda. In Afghanistan, the aim is to get moderate Taliban to do the same thing.

The top military man in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, calls all of this "deep partnering." Iraqi veterans may call it lessons learned the hard way.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Pushing forward now, President Obama's decision to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, we have just received reaction from Republican Senator John McCain. For the most part, he's supportive except for one key point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I have been concerned about initial reports that there will be a date for a withdrawal. I think those dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions. The way that you win wars is to break the enemy's will, not to announce dates that you are leaving.

I am pleased that we are sending an additional 30,000 troops. Apparently -- and there is a strategy that for the military action that I think will succeed, modeled on the surge in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Be sure to tune in tonight for our special live coverage of President Obama's address to the nation on Afghanistan. All you need to know starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

War is hell and costs a hell of a lot of money. Deploying 30,000 more troops, we're talking $30 billion. Would a war tax help out with that price tag or hurt too much on the war front?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're just getting word that the Florida Highway Patrol is going to hold a news conference at 3:00 p.m. Eastern to update us on the Tiger Woods car accident. New developments happening within the story. Stay with us, we'll bring that to you live.

Top stories now, the hunt for an alleged cop killer is over in Washington state. Maurice Clemmons was shot and killed. He refused to follow police orders when he was cornered, so a lone officer took him down. Police say Clemmons ambushed four of their own at a Tacoma area coffee shop on Sunday.

Bad intentions or just bad navigating? Iran is threatening tough action against five young British yachtsman if they intentionally strayed into its waters in the Persian Gulf. London accuses Iran of using the incident for political gain. The British sailors were reportedly going to enter a race off Dubai when they were intercepted by Iranian forces Wednesday.

Thirty thousand, as in 30,000 more troops for Afghanistan. That seems to be the golden number right now. President Obama outlines his new strategy for winning the war against the Taliban tonight. We're also hearing that he wants to wrap up that war in three years.

Over the past eight years, nearly $1 trillion has been spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that price tag will balloon even more. And this time U.S. taxpayers could directly shoulder more of the financial burden.

CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): America is $12 trillion in debt. Bank bailouts and stimulus spending have put taxpayers in the hole, and a troop surge in Afghanistan could mean more red ink.

President Obama is expected to announce tonight that he is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. According to White House estimates, the price tag for that could be as much as $30 billion a year.

But a handful of Democrats want President Obama to impose a surtax to pay for it.

REP. JOHN LARSON (D), CONNECTICUT: Overall, over the last eight years, and then also you take a look at the cost of the wars, these are -- these are steep bills that we're asking future generations to pay. Don't you think we ought to pay for it as we go? And therefore, I think, involve the American public more directly in the actual cost of the war.

HARLOW: The surtax would add 1 percent to the tax bill of families earning $100,000 a year or less; in other words, about $100. It would increase for wealthier Americans up to 5 percent of their tax bill.

Congressman Larson and several fellow democrats argue, quote, "If the president and the nation decide that the war is important enough to fight, then it ought to be important enough to pay for."

But there is vehement opposition from other lawmakers.

REP. TOM PRICE (R), GEORGIA: I think that's as cynical as it is irresponsible. Now the fact of the matter is, the protection of the American people is the number one challenge, the number one task for the United States Congress. It ought to be a priority in our budgeting possess. There's all sorts of money that had been ill spent to date.

HARLOW: The government's former top accountant, David Walker, who is one of the country's best-known deficit hawks, supports a war tax.

DAVID WALKER, CEO, PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION: There's absolutely no question that this country is going to spend several trillion dollars with regard to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both as it relates to the cost of operations, as well as the cost after the war is over. That's significant, but it is insignificant as compared to the tens of trillions in unfunded promises that this country has.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Poppy Harlow joining us now live from New York.

So, Poppy, a war surtax. It's a tough time to be asking Americans to pay more in taxes. And if you add it all up, especially if you're in a certain income bracket, you're really going to suffer.

HARLOW: Right. And that's exactly right. I mean, Kyra, we're looking at starting a 1 percent tax on your tax liability, so it might look small but it really goes up from there. Really hard for American families right now in the middle of a recession.

Question is, will this get through? Will it be passed? If it is, what is going to be the average cost for the American family? We showed you a rough estimate of that in the piece, but when you actually look through the proposed legislation, Kyra, as we did -- it's just six pages, you read through it -- the math is a little fuzzy. A lot of that tax increase is determined on what the president decides. So that's something we should note.

And we should also note, when you look at the 2010 Defense Department budget, $65 billion already been projected for Afghanistan. War costs so some of that increase is not accounted for, but always important to keep an eye on where that money might be coming from, especially if it's going to be from American families' pockets.

More on this, of course, right in this story, "Pay For It or Charge It?" talking about the war on Afghanistan on CNNMoney ahead of the president's speech tonight -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Poppy.

And they thought it couldn't get any worse, parents of an American student who's on trial for a notorious murder in Italy, They now find themselves on the wrong end of multiple lawsuits.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the University of Leeds in England. One of the UK's red bricks. Academics, research, professors in tweed jackets, and, of course, an intellectual curiosity about strippers. Leeds needs someone to research, quote, "the rise and regulation of lap dancing."

Hmm, translation? Talk to naked ladies, Don't forget, let them work your lap a little bit, take notes, get paid some pounds. Don't forget, bring plenty of small bills. Oh, and experience researching the female sex industry is essential. No amateurs.

Ever seen a job ad like that? Think about how academically gratifying this work is. You've got sociology, physics, phys ed, economics, some mixology and, of course, lots of biology and anatomy. I've got to think what King Edward VII envisioned when he granted Leeds its own charter back in 1904.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: What is that? I've never heard of that. Lap dancing? What is that?

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Why are you -- I can't -- you know, I never thought you would blush. But here you are, turning all kinds of colors. That's pretty amazing.

PHILLIPS: Awkward moment. Awkward moment.

SANCHEZ: I really don't. My innocence astounds you.

PHILLIPS: Oh, I know you're so innocent, Rick Sanchez.

SANCHEZ: Hey, let me tell you someone who is wanting to be innocent right now. His name is Tiger Woods. Breaking news, are you ready for this?

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. Ooh, and we jumped from lap dancing to Tiger Woods.

SANCHEZ: Well, it is what it is, as they say, right?

Here's the information, folks. We are moments away from getting a news conference coming from FHP, the Florida Highway Patrol. They will be announcing some kind of -- I suppose I just should say determination on the Tiger Woods saga. We don't know if he is going to get at this point some kind of prosecution or a certification of some sort or a warning of some sort.

You all know the story by now, you probably read the tabs as well and you know the story behind the story. But the bottom line is that 2:30 in the morning accident apparently will cause, perhaps, more problems for tiger woods because police are about to announce at this news conference -- you see them setting up that podium, they're going to be coming out and talking about it in just a little bit. There's also new information now. The woman in question who apparently was having some kind of dalliance, according to reports with Tiger Woods, not confirmed by any credible media source, has done an interview with "The New York Post," on the record, explaining her position and explaining what she thinks has been outlandish lies and rumors about her. And we are going to share in a moment some of the information that she has given to "The New York Post" in her defense.

PHILLIPS: The story is sad on so many levels. So many levels.

SANCHEZ: And on one large level, you can't deny that he's probably one of the biggest celebrities in the entire world.

PHILLIPS: Yes. And, you know, he's a tremendous role model and hopefully...

SANCHEZ: We'll see what happens.

PHILLIPS: Yes. All right. We'll track it.

SANCHEZ: Call it for what it is, as they say.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Rick.

Two years after the crime and her arrest, an update on a story we have been following. An American student on trial in Italy could learn her fate this week. Defense lawyers for 22-year-old Amanda Knox are summing up their case, and a verdict is expected anytime. Knox is accused in taking part in murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007. Meantime, Knox's parents could find themselves in court even beyond her trial. They just found out they are being sued by Italian police for slander and by Kercher's parents for civil damages.

One question came to mind when I looked at the next piece of video: why is there a giant condom on the beach?

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A lighthouse and a condom. What's the connection? Protection. Great video from CNN iReporter in South Africa of an event marking World AIDS Day. A charity group came up with this eye- catching display. Their message, "Know your HIV status." In other words, get tested. An important message for sure in South Africa, which is believed to have more people with AIDS/HIV cases than any place else in the world. And good advice, no matter where you live.

That's because no matter where you live, AIDS is there. Case and point, Afghanistan, where some people who have the disease haven't even heard of it. CNN's Sarah Sidner takes a look at some efforts to educate and enlighten Afghans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hidden under a burqa, this Afghan woman tells us she is HIV positive. Only her doctor and family know she's sick.

(on camera): How do people treat you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My family is not treating me well, she says. They're telling me, "Go anywhere else you want, but get out of here. You're HIV positive, don't sit near us, just go away."

SIDNER (voice-over): After the way she's been treated by family, she won't even tell us her name for fear others will find out and shun her.

(on camera): You must feel very alone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I am very alone. I only have my two young daughters, she says.

In Afghan society, the virus and how it's contracted is not really an acceptable issue to discuss. But it is being discussed openly here. Through characters these actors play on a BBC radio show called "New Home, New Life." In this episode, Liala Hotak plays a pregnant woman infected with HIV who has learned to take the life extending medicine.

The dramas which are broadcast provide information for women, she says. HIV is a shameful matter in Afghanistan because people think they can get HIV because of their immoral behavior.

The show has been riveting the nation for more than ten years now. The last survey in 2002 showed 48 percent of the population listens to the show. It's Afghanistan's first ever radio soap opera, based on the trials and tribulations of village life. The management says even members of the Taliban listen to the show.

SHAFIG HAKIMI, DIRECTOR, BBC-AEP: In the beginning, it was really kind of a panic issue for our writers...

SIDNER (on camera): They were scared?

HAKIMI: Yes, they were scared to even mention such things.

SIDNER (voice-over): The issues are varied and the information being broadcast could potentially save lives. But this woman has never heard the show. She doesn't own a radio. Her family didn't even know what HIV was before she and her husband contracted it. He died of AIDS.

(on camera): What does your daughter say to you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via translator): My daughter is saying my father is dead, but you will not die. You will be healthy. But she admits she is sick and rarely leaves her bed. She spends her days with her children as she gets treatment hoping they are right.

Sarah Sidner, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: That does it for us. See you back here tomorrow. Rick Sanchez picks it up from here.