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U.S. Airliner Targeted; Same Flight, Second Scare; A Happy Holiday for Retailers; Protests Turn Deadly in Iran; Get a Better Credit Card; Flying with a Disability

Aired December 28, 2009 - 08:59   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Randi, sure do appreciate that. Want to give you a look at what we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM now for today.

Terror aboard Flight 253. Who is the suspect and why did he allegedly tried to kill 300 people on Christmas day? Today we have new details and new reasons for concern.

Also, in Iran, the government cracks down against protests. The death toll grows, hundreds are taken into custody.

And a new year's resolution on your credit cards. Before those big bills start rolling in, it might be a better time to shop for a better deal.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins, today is Monday, December 28th. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

This hour we're going to break down the very latest on what has really been the talk of the town, if you will. The alleged terror attack, homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve who you see there, is going to be giving us the very latest on that investigation.

And then also our Allan Chernoff is going to be talking about some of the new scares aboard the other flight that you've heard about, I'm sure. Sort of the same details and the same flight number, of course. So we'll get to that. What happened and why from there, Detroit, as you see.

And also our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is going to be looking at the suspect's possible links to al Qaeda. Do Americans have new reason to worry?

But first, let's set the scene with the latest details on the man accused of targeting a U.S. airliner on Christmas day. This afternoon prosecutors in Detroit will ask a judge for DNA samples from the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Their goal, conclusively tie the 23-year-old Nigerian to the evidence found on the Northwest Airlines flight. Investigators say below his waste he tucked away a small bag of liquid and powder explosives.

A source tells CNN the package would have been powerful enough to blow a hole in the side of the plane and possibly bring it down.

CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has been working her sources to dig up the very latest information. She's joining us now from Washington this morning.

Jeanne, good morning to you. We are learning the amount of explosive on the plane was enough to possibly take it down.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we don't have the weight yet, but a source familiar with the investigation tells CNN the device carried by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was powerful enough to have blown a hole in the aircraft and taken it down. But the device did not work properly. And passengers and crew reacted quickly.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has taken some heat for saying on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" Sunday that the system worked. On "AMERICAN MORNING," she clarified her remarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: But what I said is moving forward, I -- meaning once the incident happened we were able to immediately notify the 128 flights in the air, as well as airports on the ground, domestically, internationally. Our law enforcement partners, our other allies, instituted immediate safety procedures to make sure that this could not happen on other flights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Napolitano went on to say the system for keeping dangerous people and materials off airplanes clearly did not work. President Obama has ordered a sweeping review of airport screening procedures and watchlist protocols. Napolitano said this morning she, too, wanted to know why Abdulmutallab's visa wasn't revoked after his father raised concerns about his son's radicalization.

Under current protocols the information wasn't specific or credible enough for him to be placed on the no-fly list or flag for additional screening.

There is a court hearing today, by the way, Heidi. The government is seeking authority to get a DNA sample. The suspect is not expected to be present.

Back to you.

COLLINS: Yes. And now, Jeanne, when we talk about this chemical, this PETN, there are technologies, are there not, that could have detected it? I guess the question would be why they aren't more widely deployed?

MESERVE: Well, there are a couple of different technologies that might have worked. So-called puffer machines that pick up traces of explosives, but they've been hard to maintain in dirty airport environments and they are, in fact, being used less and less. There are explosive detection swabs that could pick PETN but because they take time to do, they're only done on passengers designated for secondary screening. The suspect was not. And then there are those body imaging machines...

COLLINS: Yes.

MESERVE: ... that could have shown he had something on his person. There are about 40 of those deployed around the U.S. Another 150 are on order. But you know, they've been called an electronic strip search because they show so much detail and there's been a lot of pushback about deploying them more widely. I'm sure that debate is going to be revisited after the Christmas day event.

COLLINS: Yes, we could see some changes there. All right, our Homeland Security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. Jeanne, thanks for that.

And we have this guidance coming into us now from Hawaii, where President Obama is on vacation with his family. He's expected to make some comments a little bit later on today and when he does we, of course, will bring those comments to you just as soon as they're available.

Want to give you a closer look now at terror suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. In November he was placed in a U.S. database that people suspected of having ties to terrorism. The reason, his father, as you just heard from Jeanne, was worried about his son's deepening religious extremism and shared those concerns with embassy officials in Nigeria.

We also learned the 23-year-old was placed on a British watch list after he was refused a student visa. The U.S. should have been notified of the concerns from the British.

Abdulmutallab comes from a wealthy family and is well educated. He received a degree in engineering and business finance from university college in London.

Now this morning airline passengers are facing tough new rules and probably higher stress levels. In fact, signs of strained nerves became also apparent. On the same route yesterday, a sick passenger brought things to a virtual standstill at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus.

CNN's Allan Chernoff is there now to explain a little bit more about that.

Allan, good morning to you. So how are passengers in Detroit responding now to the events over the past few days?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, they are arriving very, very early for their flights. The passengers are still coming, but the lines here have been massive, just streaming through the entire terminal. I mean it's just packed here and it has been for hours. People arriving three hours, at least, in advance in some cases for domestic flights. Now, they're doing that partly, of course, because it's post holiday, partly because of this weather, but also because of anticipating extra security.

And many passengers say they are more than willing to submit to that extra security. And that includes some behavioral detection officers that are strategically placed in the airport right now.

Now we should talk about yesterday's incident. That false alarm. That indicates just how alert security is right now, how much on edge not only law enforcement is but also airline crews.

It was the same flight number, Northwest 253 from Amsterdam into Detroit. The same passenger description. A Nigerian man in his 20s. He was in the bathroom for much of the flight would not come out when flight attendants asked him to return to his seat. The pilot contacted his dispatcher. Law enforcement met the flight when it arrived here at Detroit. And it was certainly very anxiety provoking for passengers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About an hour and a half before we came in, they said everybody has got to sit down, stay in your seats. Nobody goes to the bathroom or anything like that, no standing up.

So after all of that, we just said OK. And we've got another thing. I figured it just came from December 25th, the thing that happened. And they said they got somebody -- they're going to take somebody off. That was a little panicky. And we're all, that's just great. And then when I saw the police outside the window, I said huh- uh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. Just a sick passenger, food poisoning. Nonetheless, the entire plane was screened. The baggage was re-screened. Passengers were kept waiting for hours. But that reflects the anxiety here at the airport and overall because of the incident on Christmas day. Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes, no doubt about it. All right, Allan Chernoff, in a very, very cold-looking Michigan this morning. Thank you, Allan.

Here's a look now at some of the rules you'll notice when you're flying. Airlines are implementing slight variations on domestic and international flights, but generally the new security rules require this. More physical pat-downs at the gate. More frequent checks of carry-on bags.

And during the last hour of flight, you must stay seated. You cannot have blankets or personal items on your lap. You cannot touch your carry-on baggage, and you can't use the restroom unless escorted by a crew member. Deadly clashes between police and protesters in Iran. Why one of the holiest days on the Shiite calendar became a free for all in the streets there.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, and we've got some fairly heavy lake effect snowfall in parts of Michigan and upstate New York. We're going to tackle that coming up in a few moments. We'll let you know how it may affect your weekday travel. That's coming up in a few moments. See you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The nasty weather in the Midwest is making it a nightmare commute for drivers heading back after the holidays. Now in Indianapolis, people trying to make it home are dealing with slippery roads and very low visibility, as you see there.

Storm, in fact, dumped about three inches of snow across central Indiana. Authorities dispatched about 75 trucks to help clean up the roads for this morning's rush hour.

Here's how things look in Iowa. They got slammed with about 20 inches there. People got snowed in for days. Some of them spending it in the dark because the deep freeze took out some power lines and people have started getting their electricity back now.

But boy oh boy, not pretty and certainly doesn't look very warm. Reynolds Wolf is with us this morning to talk a little bit more about it.

Hey there, Reynolds.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WOLF: That is a wrap, Heidi. We'll have more coming up soon. Let's toss it back to you.

COLLINS: Wow, that was an excellent segue. All right, Reynolds, thank you.

WOLF: You bet.

COLLINS: By now all the wrapping paper is balled up in the trash, at least for some people. So how did retailers actually make out this holiday season?

For that, let's go over to Stephanie Elam. She's standing by live in New York.

Good morning to you, Stephanie. I understand retailers did a little bit better than they thought they were going to do.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think, Heidi, that many retailers out there are going to feel like they can toast the New Year with a little bit more calmness this year than last year because as you remember last year people were really freaked out. They were really not sure what was going on.

Things are a little bit more stable now, even though employment is still at 10 percent. And that has actually helped retailers. So if you take a look at the period from November 1st through December 24th, the key holiday shopping period, sales were up 3.6 percent down -- compared to last year when they were down 3.4 percent.

Now here's the difference, though. I've got to point out one thing. There was one more day this year during that period between thanksgiving and Christmas than there was last year, so because of that, they're saying if you were to factor out just that one day, sales were probably up just about 1 percent.

COLLINS: OK.

ELAM: So it shows you. But also remember that huge storm we had?

COLLINS: I was just going to say -- yes.

ELAM: The weekend before Christmas, the last weekend before Christmas here on the east coast for a lot of people who were stuck at home, that really did affect what they could do as well. So retailers were afraid but it looks like things are OK.

COLLINS: OK. Well, what areas did they see the most gains in, I wonder.

ELAM: Well, you know, one thing. Since people can't go out and shop in the Midwest and the east coast...

COLLINS: They did it online.

ELAM: Online shopping, so you saw online sales jumping 15.5 percent during that period. Now keep in mind, though, online sales still just account for 10 percent of the overall holiday shopping retail numbers. So that shows you that still it's all about getting people into stores.

Electronics better by almost 6 percent, jewelry at 5.6 percent, but interesting to note that last year jewelry sales were down about 30 percent so that just gives you an idea of just how bad things were last year. The comparison just looking a lot better and of course retailers hoping that that continues in January. Although gift card sales did look a little weak and they're not counted until they're redeemed.

Not when they're sold but when they're redeemed, so retailers are hoping that that stars to look better in the New Year. But overall, there's a little bit of cheer for the retailers this year.

COLLINS: Well, good. Yes. I guess the jewelry, everybody is trying to buy gold still, you think?

ELAM: Yes. Yes. They're going after those high, really high expensive metals. Exactly. COLLINS: Right. Hoping that it continues to go up, I guess. All right.

ELAM: Exactly.

COLLINS: Stephanie Elam, sure do appreciate it. We'll check back later on.

ELAM: All right, thanks, Heidi.

COLLINS: And by the way when all those people gather in New York Times Square to begin the New Year's Eve countdown they'll be doing it with a brand-new crystal ball. Organizers are giving the famous New York ball a makeover. They began installing about 300 new crystal triangles on the ball yesterday. It's supposed to be ribbon pattern woven into a cultic knot. It highlights the new theme for 2010, "Let there be courage."

He was known as a political power broker and a key figure in Harlem. Remembering civil rights attorney, Percy Sutton, and the legacy he leaves behind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Checking on some of our top stories now.

A fire chief in Massachusetts says two people are dead after a series of fires in a small college town. The D.A. calls the fires suspicious. At least nine fires, some in buildings, some in cars broke out in a neighborhood in Northampton earlier this morning. Federal, state and local fire and police officials are investigating but they believe they were set intentionally.

Pioneering civil rights attorney, Percy Sutton, has died. He represented Malcolm X and his wife before launching a career as an influential New York politician and radio mogul. The cause of Sutton's death has not been released. Sutton was credited for leading the revitalization of Harlem including the restoration of the famous Apollo Theater. He also mentored Jessie Jackson during two presidential races. Percy Sutton was 89 years old.

Prosecutors will try to get DNA samples from the man accused of plotting to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas day. The FBI says 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was carrying a small bag of liquid and powder explosives.

Prosecutors hope to tie him to the evidence found on the plane. A hearing in the case happens this afternoon in Detroit. Abdulmutallab is not expected to be there.

In fact, that got us to thinking about airline security. And I'm sure you're thinking about it, too. We're asking you a question about it this morning on the blog. I just want to know how safe you feel when you are flying these days. Things have changed tenfold from 2001, of course, September 11th, and then 2006 with the alleged shoe bomber. So how do you feel now of course after this most recent event? Just go to CNN.com/heidi. You'll see a little bit more about the actual story that we're talking about. We will read of those comments a little bit later right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Anti-government protest turning deadly in Iran. The country's state-run media says at least eight people are dead, hundreds in custody and more arrests could be on the way.

Reza Sayah is monitoring all of this for us this morning at our Iran desk.

Reza, good morning to you. What's the latest now?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. What a weekend in Iran. This was by far the most violent weekend we've seen in Iran since the disputed elections on June 12th based on the witness accounts, based on the amazing amateur video we've been seeing.

Security forces in the streets of Tehran were out in force, out on a mission to deliver a harsh and violent crackdown. And there you see the aftermath. Graphic video showing protesters. Many of them were head injuries.

Witnesses were saying security forces were smashing protesters in their heads with their batons, that's probably why in some of these amateur videos we're seeing a lot of head injuries.

Several deaths as well taking place during the Sunday protest. In fact, Sunday was one of the deadliest days in Iran since the disputed elections on June 12th. Among the dead, this man. Here's his picture. This is Mir Hossein Mousavi. This is his nephew.

According to Iran's state-run news agency and opposition Web sites, Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leaders' nephew was killed on Saturday. And I believe we have amateur video showing what's reported to be Mir Hossein Mousavi's nephew shortly after he was killed in Revolution Square on Sunday.

Now new information into CNN, an opposition Web site is reporting that Mir Hossein Mousavi's body is missing. Look for that to add fuel to the fire of the opposition movement.

Now Iran's state-run agency has an entirely different take on what's happening. They are reporting that all of the deaths were not inflicted by state-run -- by state security forces. They are also saying all the deaths were staged in an effort to take advantage of public sentiments.

But, Heidi, based on witness accounts and what we're seeing on these graphic videos, they tell a different story.

COLLINS: Yes. No question. It leaves you believing or thinking, anyway, because of that, and what we're watching, the opposition movement getting more aggressive.

SAYAH: No doubt about it. And the video that we've been seeing really illustrates that. I want to go to a piece of video that's one of the most compelling pieces of video that we've been seeing.

Protesters, according to what we have seen, actually going after security forces. There you see uniform riot police surrounded by angry protesters who are demanding these security forces to apologize. Demanding them to condemn Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran's supreme leader.

And these protests lasted throughout the weekend. What's remarkable, Heidi, is the diversity of protesters. Men, women, old and young, the protesters also taking place in cities outside of Tehran, Tabriz, Esfahan, Mashhad and Iraq.

According to police in Iran, 300 people were arrested. More arrests taking place overnight on Sunday into Monday. And opposition figures also under arrest. So a lot of turmoil. Some of the most intense protests we've seen since the elections in June -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely, with everything that we've been watching certainly alongside you. Glad you're there this morning.

Reza Sayah, we'll check back in with you a little bit later on in the show. Thanks.

Pakistan also dealing with violence during Ashura. At least 25 people are dead in a suicide blast in Karachi. It happened on a road where a long Ashura procession was moving. This comes after another suicide attack at a mosque in Pakistan yesterday. Seven people died in that blast.

The suspect on Flight 253 says he got his device in Yemen. So will this force the U.S. to get involved in that country? You might be surprised to learn it already is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: On Wall Street, can the holiday cheer from last week actually carry over to this week? That's what everybody is hoping, of course.

With a preview of today's market action, we head now to Alison Kosik in New York just as the opening bell rings with cheer leaders and all.

Hi, there, Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. A very festive way to start the day.

Hi, Heidi.

Stocks are set for a flat to slightly higher start as we come off the long holiday weekend. We'd had a bit of a winning streak. All three of the major averages have managed to finish higher for five sessions in a row. We are expecting very light volume this week, though, as many traders have already closed their books on '09. And we want to focus on protecting the year's gains.

The Dow and S&P are up 20 and 30 percent respectively. And the tech sector has been a real standout, though, with the NASDAQ gaining almost 50 percent over the past 12 months.

The focus today remains on the retail sector. Data from MasterCard's spending polls shows shoppers opened up their wallets a little more this year with holiday spending increasing by more than 3.5 percent from last year. But that's compared to a very weak 2008 when holiday sales fell by 2.3 percent.

Looks like people were going for electronics and jewelry, while apparel sales struggles. Meantime, we will be keeping a close watch on airline stocks after those two weekend security incidents in Detroit. Some analyst say despite the jitters travelers may have, investors will look past the incident and focus more on the bigger picture of improving demand and prices. Others worry that business passengers who produce the most profit for the airlines could hurt the carriers and drag on stock prices just as the industry was beginning to recover.

Let's go ahead and check on the early numbers right now. The Dow Industrials up about 12 points. The NASDAQ higher by three. We're also watching oil prices. They are up more than one percent. They've climbed 12 percent in the past two weeks on a weak dollar and falling supplies. We will see how that translates to the gas pump -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Sounds very good.

And just to let everybody know, who we were looking out there. Did you see? The New York Jets cheerleaders and dancers, and all of that.

KOSIK: Exactly.

COLLINS: I think they are pretty happy today.

KOSIK: A little entertainment for the morning.

COLLINS: Yes. Taking down The Colts, formally undefeated. Big, big, big game yesterday.

All right, Alison, we'll check back in later. We'll keep our eye on those numbers for everybody this morning.

Back to our top story now for you. The failed terror attacks onboard a Detroit-bound Northwest flight on Christmas Day. The suspect made it past security in two countries before boarding the plane to Detroit. So those lapses happened outside the U.S., but our Homeland Security secretary is facing increasing criticism now for this comment she made defending security measures at our airports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: One thing I would like to point out is that the system worked. Everybody played an important role here. The passengers and crew of the flight took appropriate action, within literally an hour to 90 minutes of the incident occurring, all 128 flights in the air had been notified to take some special measures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Here now is how she clarified that comment when she was asked about it earlier on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have said that throughout this that the system worked smoothly. What exactly worked in your opinion?

NAPOLITANO: Yes, that's a phrase taken out of context. What I said is moving forward, meaning once the incident happened, we were able to immediately notify the 128 flights in the air as well as airports on the ground domestically, internationally. Our law enforcement partners and other allies instituted immediate safety procedures to make sure that this could not happen on other flights, and that people were watching out for it on other flights even as we focused on what went wrong prior to this one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: All right. So what actually worked, and what didn't? That's what we are trying to talk about this Monday morning. And we want to do that with a former White House security homeland security advisor and CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend this morning.

So, Fran, I guess that would be the question for you. We looked back at what we know now. And, of course, moving forward as well.

What worked? What didn't?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR (via telephone): Well, Heidi, we should be real clear. And I'm sorry that the secretary hasn't been clearer. The system put in place, the one we spent billions of dollars on to prevent the terror attack failed. It did not work, because this guy gets on with PETN, a high explosive, and the capability to initiate this explosive device. So the system failed.

What she is saying, which is correct, is that once this guy failed in his attempt to blow up that Northwest Airlines flight coming in from Amsterdam to Detroit, the system kicked in to notify others beyond the look at to increase security measures. That is true.

But the whole idea and approach to 9/11 world was to build a system to prevent such a thing from occurring. We've had the capability to respond, and our capability to respond, we saw it brilliantly in the firefighters and law enforcement on 9/11.

COLLINS: Yes.

TOWNSEND: We had a capability to respond. The idea is to have a system that prevents these things.

COLLINS: Yes. But it seems like so much of that depends on the actual passengers on the planes?

TOWNSEND: That's right. In the end, the real heroes here are the passengers and crew who took it into their own hands to subdue Abdulmutallab from doing damage to the plane. But while we want that to happen, you don't want a system that absolutely relies on that to happen.

COLLINS: All right. So what's next in all of this? Obviously, there's been a review that's been ordered by the president. A review of airport security, and airline security. What does all that mean? Because as you already mentioned, it seems like stepping back, many steps in fact to this overall database, a global efficient user friendly type of security system that would find the potential terrorists before they get on airplane?

TOWNSEND: You know, Heidi, I've often said that the American people understood after 9/11 that we had adequately shared information. And what the American people expected of us was to build a system that prevented us from not sharing. That enabled our sharing, frankly, in a post-9/11 world.

And what we're seeing is that's a work in progress. The system didn't work as you would want it to. What happens is when you get information about threats around the world at our embassies, they get flooded with walk-in, people who are trying to distract us.

And so being able to shift through that information for what's important and knowing what to act on and what to share with other agencies is very difficult. And I suspect that will end up to be the focus of the president's review and an area for improvement.

COLLINS: Yes. Still, all this time later, eight years now, certainly a work in progress still. It's amazing to a lot of people I think out there.

Fran Townsend, we sure do appreciate your time this morning. We'll continue to follow this story obviously closely. Abdulmutallab reportedly claims he got his explosive device in Yemen, which is rapidly becoming the new battleground against al Qaeda.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Yemen, eulogies for those killed in a recent air strike on al Qaeda hideout. U.S. officials privately acknowledged they've provided secret intelligence on several al Qaeda targets to Yemen's government, but won't say if U.S. fighter jets or armed drones were involved.

All of this happened before the suspect in the attack against Northwest Airlines Flight 253 claimed he traveled to Yemen and was given bomb-making materials there -- a claim that has the U.S. worried. Al Qaeda in Yemen has already been the focus of secret U.S. military and intelligence operations for months.

General David Petraeus sounded a warning about Yemen earlier this year.

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: That's where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has established its headquarters. This is a concern.

STARR: And with tribal rebel movements on the rise in Yemen, the central government can't fully control the country, al Qaeda has found a new safe haven.

JON ALTERMAN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: There is a very real sense that the central government is losing control over most of the country, that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is setting up bases hosted among tribes.

STARR: Look at the map and you see the potential for disaster. Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen are within striking distance of Saudi oil facilities. Hundreds of cargo ships pass the coastline each year. They come through the Suez Canal in one direction and the Indian Ocean in another, ripe targets for attacks.

The bottom line, experts say, al Qaeda in Yemen may now be able to attack the United States.

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The important thing here, is if indeed this does lead back to the -- to the Yemen's cell, most of the attacks that we've seen in the past have been in Yemen or in Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni affiliate there has not been able to do out of area operations, like al Qaeda central on the Afghan-Pakistan border, and this would represent an out of area operation and a significant one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And Barbara Starr is joining us now live from the Pentagon with more on this.

So, Barbara, what are the Yemenis actually saying about all of this?

STARR: Well, we have spoken to Yemeni officials who say they do need U.S. help, they U.S. Intelligence and U.S. military assistance. They are making the point they know they have a problem in their country. They know they haven't always really addressed that problem, but they say it's going to cost a lot of money to go after al Qaeda right now, but it's going to be a lot cheaper and a lot easier than if you wait until the country collapses.

Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes. And it's not exactly new in Yemen. I mean, reading some things this morning to remind me that, yes, al Qaeda started there, but then sort of was moved to Afghanistan to grow more, if you will. So now it seems like they are coming back there and there is this new generation of those who are moving more towards Jihadists?

STARR: Well, you know, think of this as the post 9/11 al Qaeda. You know, certainly still very active in that border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. But Al Qaeda tends to move where there is the least resistance, the least opposition from any military force or any government.

They tend to operate where they feel safest. And in Yemen, because the central government does not control the whole country, there are places that they can pretty much have free reign. The whole idea of this now secret war of air strikes and intelligence gathering is to go after them in those locations in Yemen and try to shut them down.

Heidi?

COLLINS: All right. We'll be following that closely. Appreciate it. Barbara Starr, a Pentagon correspondent this morning.

Thanks, Barbara.

We want to check on some of our top stories now. And get more on the violence happening in Iran.

Let me get back over to Iran desk, in fact where Reza Sayah is standing by.

Reza, good morning, again. What's the latest now?

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Based on what we saw these were some of the most intense protests in Iran since the disputed election on June 12th. And despite a harsh government crackdown, they simply weren't able to stop the opposition movement.

Take a look at this new video coming into CNN, and listen as well.

What you are looking at is night-time video overnight Sunday of protesters chanting god is great throughout the night on Sunday into Monday morning. This is a chant that we've heard every since the disputed elections on June 12th based on witness accounts and videos. They were especially loud overnight.

And this is what Tehran looked the morning after. Parts of Tehran looking like a war zone. There you see what looks like a police vehicle. A number of police vehicles attacked by protesters after security forces came out yesterday on a mission to deliver a harsh crackdown on protestors. We saw a lot of graphic video of protesters with head injuries. There you see still pictures of some of the protests yesterday. Heidi, keep your eye out on the developments involving Mir Hossein Mousavi's nephew. He was killed according to Iran's state-run news agencies and opposition Web sites during the protest. And according to opposition Web sites, his body is missing. Look for that to be a flash point with the opposition movement going up against this regime in the days to come.

COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.

All right, thank you, Reza. Appreciate it.

It's New Year's resolution time, and getting better credit cards could be at the top of your list. And we're going to tell you how to do it in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Skyrocketing fees, shrinking credit limits. People are fed up with their credit cards. But for 2010 you can resolve to get a better deal maybe. Personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here now to tell us exactly how to make that happen. Hey, there Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi there, Heidi.

COLLINS: So how do you know if it's time to make a change with a credit card?

WILLIS: Well, I want to give you some numbers first on what's happened in this credit market. It's astonishing. We've seen these rates go to the sky, right. Average credit card interest rate in this country now 15 percent. If you have a card, you probably paid $110 this past year ending in December just in interest alone on your credit card. Americans altogether paid $10 billion in credit card interests; that's a B on that.

Just dramatic numbers here, and of course the worse defenders are the biggest banks: Capital One, and Citi, and Discover. Cardholders were socked with a 32 percent rate hike on those cards since January.

Fortunately the end of arbitrary rate hike is coming, the House voted to enforce tougher credit card rules with the Card Act by February 22nd, 2010. So now the big question is how can you get a card that will really work for you?

Well, first off, you might want to try a different bank. Local community banks as opposed to the big national banks typically have lower rates; one percent to two percent lower on average than bank cards. So that's a great place to start -- Heidi.

COLLINS: So if you decide to switch credit cards, then what should you ask for?

WILLIS: All right, so these are the things you should be looking for, if you have a good credit score, you should get an interest rate below 10 percent. You should look for fees that are capped and you should be sure that you have a 25-day grace period to make that payment each and every month -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, what cards are at the top of the list then of all the experts, anyway? Which ones will give you all of that stuff you just said we should be asking for?

WILL: Well, you know, we went to CardRatings.com, it's a great place to shop for a card and they ranked best cards for us starting with Pentagon Federal Law Rate Visa Gold. That has the 12.49 percent APR and a low balance transfer fee. And in case you ever decide to leave that card, Simmons First Visa Platinum, 7.25 percent APR; there is no balance transfer fee. And IberiaBank Visa Classic, 25-day grace period here, low balance transfer fee.

So there are some great ideas if you're shopping for a card.

One important thing to keep in mind here, Heidi, don't just pick the card offer that comes into your mail box. You've to do more shopping around than that. Go on the web, do some research. Roll up your shirt sleeves and get something that makes sense for you -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Gerri Willis good information. Thank you.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

COLLINS: It's tough enough to relearn every day activities after a major injury, so the challenges of something like getting on a plane and flying can be pretty overwhelming. But these passengers are getting help to find their comfort zones.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A lot to get you up to speed on this morning. Our crews are in place to bring it all to you. We want to check with some of our correspondents now.

First off: Cheryl Jackson at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport -- hi, Cheryl.

CHERYL JACKSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're live here at the Detroit Airport and we will have the latest on the terror investigation and the changes at the airport coming up next hour.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey and Old Man Winter has painted a big snowy bull's eye across parts of the Great Lakes. Coming up I'll let you know how much snow they're going to get and how long it's going to last and where that system is headed next. Just moments away.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Stephanie Elam in New York where the markets are poised for double-digit gains for the year but as for the decade, the comparisons aren't nearly as cheery. I'll have that story at the top of the hour.

COLLINS: All right, guys thanks so much.

Also ahead, a look at al Qaeda's new foothold and what that could mean in the group's campaign to kill Americans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Take all of the stress of flying this time of year and imagine you're doing it in a wheelchair for the first time ever. Our Reynolds Wolf looks at a program that's helping passengers travel after they have suffered major injuries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. So you want me turned around?

WOLF (voice-over): Constance Kay is getting on a plane for the first time since her paralyzing injury.

(on camera): Are you nervous about the first trip?

CONSTANCE KAY, SHEPHERD CENTER PATIENT: Oh yes. Absolutely. I never thought I could do it at all so, oh yes, beyond a doubt.

WOLF (voice-over): She's taking part in a program between Delta Airlines and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a rehabilitation hospital for people with spinal cord and brain injuries.

KEN HYLANDER, DELTA AIRLINES: We want them to be very comfortable when they fly with us. We want our employees to be comfortable in interacting with passengers with disabilities. And we want to make sure that the passengers with disabilities know it's ok to be an advocate for their own needs.

CECILIA RIDER, SHEPHERD CENTER: You really want to be familiar with the bullet points of the Air Carriers' Access Act before you travel.

WOLF: It all begins with a class at the Shepherd Center where recently disabled passengers learn how to navigate an airport.

RIDER: For travel specifically, we are looking at what are the accessibility concerns that you're going to have at the airport? What are your rights in terms of when you travel?

HYLANDER: Make sure that you check in properly.

WOLF: It's a daunting process in a wheelchair; checking in, going through security, getting the gate. But what scares these guys the most is being transferred from their wheelchairs to a thinner, less bulky version that fits down a plane aisle and then to their seat on the aircraft.

KAY: One, two, three. Go. And I am in. So they have to two- man lift you? So you fly through the air like Peter Pan or Tinkerbell? That's the anxiety producing part. WOLF (on camera): I'm sure there's some people who see this and they see this as being a kind of -- just getting on a plane but this is really part of the healing process.

KAY: Oh, it is. It's a major facet of the healing process. It gives you the courage and strength to keep going on and to know you can conquer life; that you're still you. That underneath this body that doesn't work like it used to is me and it's so easy to lose track of that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Well, Reynolds it's great story. It's something that I really haven't thought about before I guess just because I haven't seen it personally while sitting on an airplane. But I imagine they must be most worried about the people who are transferring them from their wheelchair as you said, you know, into a smaller one and then eventually into a seat.

What's the training like for the people who end up having to do that and maneuver, if you will?

WOLF: Well, it's funny. I mean, when you look at it as an outsider and you see this, it seems like a simplistic thing. You know what I mean? Simply getting on an airplane; this thing that so many of us -- millions of Americans (INAUDIBLE) take it for granted. But again, as I mentioned in that piece, it is the small little details that become even more daunting when you're going through something like that, going through security, going through the gates and handing out your ID.

I mean, all that it just becomes more difficult. And you know there is a compulsion for a lot of people when you go through a debilitating condition like this just to shut yourself away from the world. But I mean this is really truly part of the healing process to become whole once again.

Constance Kay, the lady who we built the piece around, she was always a traveler before this and this is part of regaining some of that freedom, kind of restoring her -- it's good for her soul.

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF: It really is part of rebuilding who she once was. But she's doing very well.

COLLINS: Letting go of some of that trust to be transported like that has got to be difficult.

WOLF: It's a deeply personal thing. Come on, some of us don't like to -- you know you don't like to have someone handling some of your stuff. Well, guess what? During this time of the year you have a lot of sicknesses and that kind of thing, people might be a little paranoid about it. They can't stop but for them you have to make that transfer getting from their chair on to that thinner version to actually get on the plane itself. So it is kind of an intimidating thing to say the very least.

A lot of adjustments they have make in their lives to get back to who they used to be.

COLLINS: Mobility and independence, though, great, great goal.

WOLF: No question.

COLLINS: All right. Reynolds Wolf, sure do appreciate the story. Thank you.

WOLF: You bet.