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CIA Vows to Avenge Deaths; Airline Targets Ethnicity and Behavior; 'No Snitching' Mentality
Aired January 01, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's do this -- let's get started.
The American intelligence community beginning a new year in mourning. The CIA is vowing to retaliate for the deaths of seven of its workers in Afghanistan. Reports today suggest the suicide bomber infiltrated the very nerve center for the CIA in Afghanistan. The attack happened at this desolate U.S. base in Khost province, not far from the border with Pakistan.
CNN's Atia Abawi is live from Kabul now.
And Atia, look, I've got to ask the basic question here. How did someone walk into this U.S. facility and blow himself up?
ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the big question right now, and that's a question that's not being answered by American officials here in Afghanistan at the moment.
What we are hearing is from the Taliban. It comes from a statement. They are saying that they actually infiltrated the Afghan National Army, that it was actually an Afghan soldier who was able to make it on that American base, able to make it into the gymnasium, where he detonated his suicide vest, killing the seven employees of the CIA.
But when I spoke to the Ministry of Defense, a spokesperson in Afghanistan today, he says that that's not true, that it can't be an Afghan soldier, because the Afghan soldiers go through a thorough check before they enter any American military base. But the Taliban claiming that they will be infiltrating the Afghan National Army, an army that's trying to grow its numbers right now, an army -- an ANA recruitment that we went out with just two weeks ago.
And I have to tell you, Tony, they are desperate for numbers right now. So it seems to be more about quantity than quality, giving the Taliban a prime chance to infiltrate -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Atia, you mentioned that Afghan Taliban has claimed responsibility for this attack. And now we're hearing the Taliban in Pakistan is also claiming it was behind the attack.
Isn't this something of an irony for the United States?
ABAWI: Well, you know, there is the Pakistani Taliban. There is an Afghan Taliban. But at times, they are one in the same, especially in this area, in Khost province.
If you put the map up, if the control room can put that up, if you see where the base was in Khost, it borders Pakistan. This is an area run by a group called an Haqqani network, Haqqani network run by Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
But what's interesting here, though, Tony, is that Jaluluddin Haqqani was the mujahideen fighter against the Soviets in the 1980s, and it's said, too, that he was funded by the CIA through the Pakistani intelligence, the ISI. So, that's something to think about right now, 20 years after the fact...
HARRIS: Yes, it is.
ABAWI: ... that Jaluluddin Haqqani was once seen as an ally, and obviously now he is targeting the CIA.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
All right. Atia Abawi for us in Kabul, Afghanistan.
And checking the wire now, the Justice Department is considering an appeal in the case of five former Blackwater contractors. The men were charged in the deaths of 17 Iraqis in 2007, but a federal judge has tossed the indictments. He says prosecutors built their case with statements the defendants made under a promise of immunity. Baghdad says the judge's action shows disregard for Iraqi blood.
A sign today of the progress that has been made in Iraq. The top U.S. commander says there were no combat deaths reported last month. One factor is that U.S. troops have reduced their operations. But General Ray Ordierno says it is still a major development.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCES, IRAQ: December was the first month since the war started that the U.S. had zero battle casualties in the month. We had three non-battle deaths, but we had zero deaths due to combat operations inside of Iraq. And that's a fairly significant milestone for us as we continue to move forward. I think it also speaks to the level of violence and how it's decreased over time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for an international meeting to address the growth of Islamic radicals in Yemen. The meeting is set for January 28th. The head of the U.S. operations in the region says Yemeni leaders and other countries are working to confront the threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. CENTCOM COMMANDER: Most important of all, a threat that the Yemeni president and Yemeni leaders, their parliament, and their military and security force leaders take very seriously. And that is of enormous significance.
It's a country that has a lot of challenges -- the Hutis in the north, some southern secessionists in the south, a reduction in oil production, although gas is going up, thankfully, but a youth bulge, many of the challenges of countries that are in the process of development. Rugged terrain in tribal areas and so forth.
So very important, indeed, that Yemen has taken the actions that it has. And indeed, that not just the United States, but countries in the region, its neighbors and so forth, have provided. They in particular have provided significant assistance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The Department of Homeland Security is extending the certification for pilots to carry firearms. The decision comes in the wake of a bombing attempt against the U.S. airliner.
The extension affects hundreds of pilots known as federal flight deck officers. They volunteer to undergo training so they can carry weapons to protect their aircraft. Their certification was set to expire at midnight last night.
Air travelers are having to deal with confusing and frustrating new rules, all in an effort to keep them safe in the air.
Our Paula Hancocks tells us one of the world's safest airlines in Israel is relying on its people and profiling to keep the skies safe without worrying about being politically correct.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's considered one of the safest airports in the world. Israel's Ben Gurion has much of the latest technology and sophisticated machinery. American security officials came to visit a few years ago to watch and learn.
But in Israel, there is also a human element. Almost every passenger is questioned, sometimes by more than one security officer, some are strip searched. And no matter how distasteful it may be to civil liberties groups, Israel actively profiles passengers and makes no apology for it.
NERI YARKONI, AVIATION EXPERT: Good profiling is distinction. It's not discrimination. And I think that you should profile. If you don't profile, you waste -- you waste time, you waste money and you might miss what you're looking for because you're (INAUDIBLE) it on the wrong people.
HANCOCKS: Yarkoni says profiling needs to be based not simply on ethnicity, but also on behavior, intelligence gathering and statistics.
YARKONI: The concept, as I see, is that you should impose 90 percent of the efforts toward, let's say, 10 percent of the public. HANCOCKS: But what if you find yourself on the wrong side of profiling?
Palestinian human rights lawyer Muhammad Dalleh deals with many cases of what he calls discrimination of Arabs at the airport, saying he himself has been a victim.
MUHAMMAD DALLEH, PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: We are talking about 1.2 million Palestinians who are citizens of the State of Israel. They cannot be treated as a security threat. The whole community -- more than one million citizens up front to be treated as suspects.
HANCOCKS (on camera): Israel knows it has many enemies that it has to protect itself from, so inconveniencing passengers comes with the territory. Up until today, no airplane that has left this airport has ever been hijacked. And Israel's national carrier, El Al, is probably one of the safest, if not the safest, in the world.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Ben Gurion Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Two members of the CIA team killed in Afghanistan were private contractors. Just how big a role do contractors play for the CIA in Afghanistan?
First though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. IN Hawaii, trying to get their own moment in the sun. It is our "Random Moment of the Day."
Some folks on Waikiki beach doing what they can to get on TV behind Ed Henry's live report. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, clearly. Well, it's a pretty -- it's going to be a quiet New Year's Eve for the president and first lady. We're told they're going to celebrate with friends on Kailua, the other side of Oahu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Dude, look at that belly. Wrap that thing or put it on a spit, one or the other.
Ed Henry is on location covering the president. Tough assignment. Our "Random Moment of the Day."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Michael Bloomberg begins his third term as mayor of New York City today. He delivers his inauguration speech this hour. In an advance copy of the speech, Bloomberg calls his third term a special opportunity. He was initially barred from running again but got the law changed. Bloomberg promises to listen and lead over the next four years.
Two violent crimes in 2009 against young teens made Americans question the mentality of no snitching. I asked some kids in Atlanta to explain it to me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the reason nobody called it this is the same reason that a whole class sees someone cheating on the test and no one tells, because you don't want to risk being excluded from that group or being included in the bad situation.
HARRIS: You'd rather be a part of the group than to do the right thing because the right thing can isolate you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Coming up next, my revealing conversation with some sharp high schoolers about this code of silence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The CIA says it will avenge the deaths of seven of its workers who were killed in Afghanistan. The suicide attack happened at a remote U.S. outpost near the border with Pakistan.
Reports today suggest the bomber may have been posing as an informant. If true, former intelligence officers say he probably wasn't searched to build the trust.
And CNN has learned two of the CIA employees who lost their lives once worked for the security firm Blackwater, now known as Z.
CNN Executive Producer Suzanne Simons wrote "Master of War," a book about Blackwater.
Suzanne, good to see you again.
We talked about this a little bit last hour. Two of the officers killed were private contractors.
SUZANNE SIMONS, CNN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Right.
HARRIS: And they're playing a very important role with the CIA. Explain that culture for us.
SIMONS: Well, they pretty much embed themselves with these very small units that go out. So, you can imagine, Tony, the bonds that you form with someone who has got your back in an area where a lot of people would rather see you dead than alive. And you're going out into dangerous places every day, taking great risk, and there's a very small band of people. So, even though they're contractors, I think they're kind of seen within the community as giving the same sacrifice and, you know, making the same commitment.
HARRIS: The man who was at the center of your book, Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater International, he's in a bit of a brouhaha with the CIA right now.
What is all of that about?
SIMONS: He got himself into some trouble. You know, it perfectly highlights the problems that arise when you try to privatize what has largely been a government function.
So, he wanted to go out on the record about some things that had been irritating him and frustrating him, so he went to "Vanity Fair" last month, and they did a huge article on him, and it really irked some feathers with people in the government who feel like, hey, we're paying you not only to keep your mouth shut when you do a lot of this work, but to do it like we do, quiet professionals. And they didn't feel like, you know, that's necessarily what they were getting with that article.
And so what happened is Director Panetta ordered a review with every contract that Erik Prince had ever touched. And there are contracts right now, as we speak -- even though the loss of these two contractors' lives is deeply hitting people on a personal level -- thee contracts are under review.
HARRIS: Yes. And it's interesting, because while it's clear that Z and the CIA are working closely together, some of those relationships with what is Z, formerly Blackwater, specifically with the State Department, some of those contracts have been canceled.
Is that correct?
SIMONS: Yes, the CIA actually canceled one of the contracts that Blackwater was working on. And then, of course, the biggest contract that they lost that got the most attention was after the shooting in Nisour Square, which you were just talking about a little earlier, where the charges have been dropped.
That shooting prompted the Iraqi government to say the company could no longer operate in Iraq. They lost that contract, which was definitely the biggest breadwinner in terms of bringing in money. And, you know, they still work for the Department of Defense. They still work for the CIA. They still work for the Department of the State.
HARRIS: So they're still huge.
SIMONS: But, yes, they've been knocked down a peg or two.
HARRIS: All right, Suzanne. Appreciate it. Very important. And great stuff. Great book, by the way.
SIMONS: Thank you.
HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM, the gang rape of a teenager in Richmond, California, really shocked Americans, not because it happened right outside the school, but because there were so many witnesses and none called police. Some say it was because of the code of silence of no snitching among peers.
As part of my "Class in Session" series, I spoke with high school students in Atlanta about this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something horrible and atrocious happened on our campus.
HARRIS: Richmond High School, Richmond, California, a 16-year- old girl gang raped. Ninety minutes to two hours, as many as 20 people are either witnessing this event or are involved.
Tell me why so many people failed to call that in. Tell me why so many people didn't stop that from taking place.
CHEYN SHAH, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Part of it is that you think someone else will do it. You think that someone else will call 911, that someone else will be responsible for this, that there were so many people there, that you are not alone. It's kind of a mob mentality, where you begin to think that you weren't responsible for what you do.
SILA PHILLIPS, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: What if they implicated you in that case somehow? Even if you were just a bystander, they could easily twist that into something completely different.
SHAH: Just being there and seeing that is kind of -- makes you feel shameful, almost.
AZIZA SHEPPARD, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: And the fact that you feel shameful after it, you should feel shameful as you stand there and watch it, which should make you call it in, regardless. So, I couldn't explain why they wouldn't call that in.
ALEXANDRA MCCOLL, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I think the reason nobody called it this is the same reason that a whole class sees someone cheating on the test and no one tells, because you don't want to risk being excluded from that group or being included in the bad situation.
HARRIS: You'd rather be a part of the group than to do the right thing because the right thing can isolate you?
MCCOLL: Yes.
OPERATOR: 911, where's your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. It's in Richmond High School. OPERATOR: Is it on the school property?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. She's, like, in the back though. She's, like, by the dumpster.
I feel like if it weren't for me, she would have been dead.
NGOC VU, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Personally, if that situation happened to me, I don't know exactly what I would do. If I was alone and I saw a gang rape happen, I would be scared and I would not, exactly at that moment, stop and try to stop that from happening or call the police. I would run straight home and...
HARRIS: And then do what?
VU: Maybe call the police. I'd be really scared.
HARRIS: Be honest with me for a second here. If you witness something bad happening, don't you have an obligation to try to provide the information that brings about some justice?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel reluctant because I know that they're going to ask me for my address and all my information. And that almost -- it should make me feel safe, but sometimes it doesn't, because what if I did something bad and I don't want anything to -- anybody to know about it, you know? There's lots of movies and stuff like that where it's a plot twist.
HARRIS: Stay out of trouble, man!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just saying.
VU: You're morally obligated to help someone, but in an instance where you look at the situation, I mean, I'm not going to help a person if I know that I'm going to be at risk to do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. I mean, it's not even your own, like, selfishness, it's the animal instinct that's been happening since, like, the beginning of everything.
HARRIS: You are the highest-thinking species ever created. You're not the lion. You're not the wildebeest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Hear the rest of my conversation with these young people coming up after the break. I asked them more about why they don't trust police to protect them.
Right now, let's get you caught up on our top stories.
A suicide bomber killed 40 people at a volleyball game in Pakistan today. Seventy others were wounded.
The attack happened in the northwest territories where al Qaeda and the Taliban have a foothold. And the police chief says militants were flushed out in the fall, but have been making threats against the community.
A New Year's message of peace from North Korea. Pyongyang is calling for an end to hostile relations with the United States and says it is committed to achieving a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through negotiation. The message came in an editorial in the country's three major newspapers.
At least 19 people have died from flooding in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state. Nine people were injured and many people were left homeless by the heavy rains and mudslides.
We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You see someone commit a crime. Why not tell police? Some say it is a no-snitching code of silence.
In part two of my "Class in Session" series, I spoke with some high school students in Atlanta about the beating death of honors student Derrion Albert in Chicago. A warning now -- the video you're about to see is a bit tough to take.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Derrion Albert, honor student, Chicago. He's jumped. He's beaten to death.
You saw the video, didn't you? You saw the people around him. There were people recording it, but they didn't call.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
HARRIS: They were recording it to put it up on...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: YouTube and...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And laugh about it.
HARRIS: But they didn't call to say, oh, my God, I'm watching a kid get beaten to death.
BRYCE DUGGER, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Where I live at, in the society that I grew up in, you just can't snitch. Like, it's a -- it's just out of the question. You just can't do it or you'll get in trouble. You know, what I'm saying?
And most of the people who are doing these bad things, you know them. They're basically your clique, you're cool with them.
And when I saw that video, it made a big impact in my life, and I was thinking this is ridiculous. You know, we need -- something needs to happen. Those kids could have been at least trying to help him, trying to call for help, trying to do something. It's crazy. SHEPPARD: And there were enough people to stop the fight. That's what gets to me. Twenty people and only four people are jumping, in or whatever the ratio was? It could have been stopped.
MARAGH GIRVAN, GRADY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: My mother made my younger brother watch it, and she was, like, "This is why you tell. This is why when you see something that is starting, you need to go and just tell someone immediately."
HARRIS: Where do you get this messaging from, don't snitch, kill the rats?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since we're little we're kind of told that. They're like, mind your own business, keep your hands to yourself.
HARRIS: Who told you that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, teachers and parents.
HARRIS: Your teachers?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're taught that.
HARRIS: I think I may have said that to my kids a couple of times.
You begin to apply that lesson to more and more serious events?
DUGGER: It's three main sources that I see this mostly -- the community, music videos and music. Because in the videos, like, if it's somebody that's snitching or somebody that looks like they're, like, informants or something, then they show somewhere, something happens to that person who talked.
HARRIS: So, you see depictions in videos of people who are snitches being hurt?
VU: I think it's in the movies. Like, you see those Mafia movies or, like, "Law & Order," where the people who snitched are attacked or, like, shot down by the Mafia.
HARRIS: How many of you trust the police to do the right thing with that information and protect you? A show of hands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From what I've seen, I'm, like, a skateboarder, I go skateboarding. And sometimes the police show up at places, and they just deal with it the complete wrong way, I think.
They've pull guns out on us. They've, like, come up, like, cussing, not even treating me like a person. They're treating me like some sort of just complete vandal, animal.
HARRIS: How many of you trust the school officials to do the right thing with information you provide about something bad that happens in your school?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It depends on who it is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the majority, yes. I guess.
SHAH: At least with teachers, I kind of know who they are and know what they've done and things like that. And, like, I can assess their personality and what they would do in a situation. With the police, it's just this big, anonymous force that you don't know what they're going to do, whether they're corrupt or just not all that interested.
HARRIS: Can I get just a little support for police officers who put their lives on the line, who have to deal with the knuckleheads who did beat Derrion Albert to death?
You can help them by fostering a better relationship with them. They can certainly do their part by working on their relationship with you young people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Let me take a moment here and just thank Grady High School in Atlanta for pulling together this great group of young people. That school, so diverse, so smart, has been a great resource for us.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: A volleyball game turns into a bloody scene of death. We will get a live report.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Terrorists struck a volleyball match today, killing 40 people. It happened at a village south of the Pakistani city of Peshawar. CNN's Arwa Damon joining me live now from the capital of Islamabad.
And, Arwa, why was this, clearly a soft target, but such an attractive target?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, it's for a number of reasons. First and foremost, when you get a huge crowd of people, it does provide an easy target of opportunity for any militant group that would be inclined to carry out this type of an attack, especially when it comes to something like a volleyball match where there wasn't tight security.
And it's quite tragic. These people had gathered to enjoy this game. We hear that volleyball is very popular in this specific area. And there were around 200 of them watching the game, not to mention the people that lived in the homes surrounding the volleyball court.
This happened in a residential neighborhood. And a suicide car bomber drove into the middle of the crowd and detonated, killing at least 40 people, wounding over 70. And what we're hearing from police officials is that they really fear that this death toll is only going to rise because it happened in the evening, it's getting dark now and they're finding it very difficult to recover all of the bodies.
Another thing to point out that's very relevant as to why perhaps this area was targeted, is that what we're hearing from local leaders. They're saying that when the Pakistani military launched its offensive into south Waziristan back in October, they also cleared out this area that they say was a militant stronghold. And many of the residents in the area supported these actions by the Pakistani military and they're saying that following the operations, they began to receive threats from these militant groups. And so they firmly believe that this attack was the militant groups making good on those threats.
Tony.
HARRIS: Arwa, one more quick one for you. What is -- maybe you can bottom line this for us what is the current state of stability in Pakistan? Is this an isolated incident or perhaps part of a pattern?
DAMON: Tony, the bottom line is that Pakistan's very future hangs in the balance here and there are all sorts of dynamics at play. We've been seeing a significant increase in intensity and number of attacks over the last few months. What we've seen is that the Pakistani military is trying to go after some militant strongholds. And in retaliation, the militants are striking back at the Pakistani security forces, government buildings, institutions, but also at the Pakistani people.
And we're really seeing the civilians bearing the brunt here. You speak to Pakistanis about the current state of their country and they're quite simply in shock. They're afraid and their future is entirely uncertain. And they don't know if the security forces and the government can actually protect them, can actually bring this monster that has been unleashed here, back under control.
HARRIS: How do you function in that environment from day to day?
CNN's Arwa Damon for us in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Arwa, good to see you.
Americans who are still texting on the road or like their French fries extra crunchy or light up in the public restaurants may be breaking the law starting today. Here's CNN's Kara Finnstrom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Oregon and Illinois, bringing the total number of states outlawing the practice to 19. Gloria Wilhelm fought for the Illinois law. Her son was riding a bicycle when he was struck and killed by a person downloading ring tones.
GLORIA WILHELM: These are incredibly selfish, dangerous behaviors.
FINNSTROM: In North Carolina, a ban on smoking in most bars and restaurants some might find noteworthy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I find it rather annoying that they're going to turn me into the police.
FINNSTROM: The tar heels state of the country's largest tobacco producer, with an economy deeply rooted in the leafy plant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have allergies and cigarette and tobacco -- any kind of tobacco smoke are a real problem for me.
FINNSTROM: In California, lawmakers want to clean up your diet. It's becoming the first state to partially ban the use of artificial trans fats in restaurants. Several fast food chains and cities have already taken trans fats off their menus.
Also in California, there's debate over whether medical marijuana is dangerous or unhealthy, but starting January 1st, Oakland will become the nation's first city to slap a sin tax on it.
REBECCA KAPLAN, OAKLAND CITY COUNCILWOMAN: While you're working on different budget strategies, here's one, you know, why not create a tax rate for the cannabis dispensaries.
FINNSTROM: Ironically, the ranks of the taxes supporters include many medical marijuana advocates who feel the tax legitimizes it. Laws regulating America's vices are nothing new, but as we enter 2010, with cash-strapped governments looking for additional revenue streams, you can expect more of the debate Kentucky saw in 2009 when part of its economic lifeblood, whiskey, got taxed. 2010 brings a whole slew of potential new so-called sin taxes. One under consideration right now, the tax on the fake tan.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Nice. OK.
It is a new year, so elections are on the calendar, right? Run as fast as you can, you just can't get away from the partisan, blah, blah, blah.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories now.
An American intelligence official says the U.S. will avenge the death of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan. Flags at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, are flying at half-staff in honor of the seven. They were killed when a suicide bomber attacked their base on Wednesday.
Remember that big party in Times Square last night? Yes, you're still feeling the effects of it? Sure you are. Well, it left behind a New York-sized mess to clean up. Any idea how much confetti was dropped? If you guessed more than a ton, winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Security is tight for today's Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. Ooh, live pictures. Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And help people live a cut above the rest. It's called Harvesting Good Health and it comes to us from the City of Duarte/City of Hope. And we congratulate them because they won the Past Presidents Award, most innovative use of . . .
HARRIS: Did I drop in on an ad?
Oh, boy. Everyone along the parade route -- it's a lovely float, isn't it asked by police to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Meanwhile, volunteers worked really hard getting those beautiful floats ready to roll. That's a nice one. Nice one. This year's grand marshal, miracle on the Hudson pilot Sully Sullenberger.
Living the green life in paradise. We're going to take you to Hawaii to explore some new ways to live life a little more efficiently.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a good time to say thank you, again, as we do every year. I don't know if it happens every year. We want to thank the firefighters and the police who protect us this year.
HARRIS: That's good. OK. We just wanted to take you back, just for a moment, to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, to show you the Green Band of Japan. Good stuff.
You know, over the last year, our John King visited all 50 states. While in Hawaii, he came across some creative ways to use energy more efficiently.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A light breakfast has long been part of Susan Chandler's morning routine, but the trip to the shed began just two months ago and still makes her a tad giddy.
SUSAN CHANDLER, HONOLULU HOMEOWNER: But, then, this is the one I like.
KING (on camera): C02 saved.
CHANDLER: Right.
KING: 891.7 pounds.
CHANDLER: Pounds, right.
KING (voice-over): The box is linked to these roof-top solar panels. The hilltop location overlooking downtown Honolulu provides ample access to one of Hawaii's richest sources of alternative energy, the sun.
CHANDLER: The first thing I did was change all my own light bulbs and then I started tracking my energy bill. So, I put up the panels. We've got terrific tax credits in the state, as well as the federal government, so it's not that expensive. And I'm into just saving energy.
KING (on camera): And into saving money. Roughly the same period last year you were at 104.
KING (voice-over): Hawaii's electricity rates are the highest in the nation. You compare Chandler's costs from a year ago to now is to see a dramatic cut.
KING (on camera): Down to just under $45.
KING (voice-over): The big financial plus on top of the satisfaction she gets from learning daily the environmental benefits of generating clean power.
CHANDLER: They have these cute little things about how I've saved as if I was planting four trees or not driving 415 miles. And so you get to see each day what your energy production is. Why everybody doesn't do this, I don't quite understand.
KING: As the climate change debate ripples in Washington and around the world, Hawaii is in the early stages of a dramatic energy evolution. At the moment, imported oil accounts for 90 percent of the state's energy needs. One reason power costs are so high. The state's ambitious goal is to generate 70 percent of its power from clean sources within 20 years. And it is looking everywhere, including at the breathtaking ocean that brings so many tourists to Hawaii's beaches.
TOM WILKOLAK, COO, HONOLULU SEAWATER AIR CONDITIONING: We take cold seawater from about -- we go out about 20,000 feet, about four miles, and that allows us to get to a depth of 1,750 feet.
KING: Tom Wilkolak is chief operating officer of Honolulu Seawater Air conditioning. A $200 million project slated to be online in two years and to use a loop of cold seawater to cool roughly 40 of the downtown's largest buildings.
KING (on camera): How many barrels of oil that (INAUDIBLE)?
WILKOLAK: About 178,000 barrels a year.
KING (voice-over): Wind is another ample resource. So many islanders bristle at the thought of blocking their majestic views, but objections to this 20-turbine wind farm in Maui diminished when oil was in the $150 a barrel range a few years back.
NOE KALIPI, FIRST WIND: That was very helpful to everyone's understanding of how important clean energy is. KING: These turbines use sensors to turn automatically into the shifting winds. And First Winds' Noe Kalipi says the 20 on this site power about 11,000 homes on Maui, roughly 10 percent of the island's needs.
KALIPI: I think they're a very important piece of the future. They're valid, tangible proof that we can harness robust, renewable resources to be able to generate electricity for our use.
KING: A new energy source, but only a modest economic boost. About 200 jobs were created for construction, but this site has only seven full-time workers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can stop it and start it.
KING: A computer system in the base keeps track of the energy output, and the ladder takes you nearly 200 feet up to the turbine itself.
KING (on camera): How much electricity can this generate?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 1.5 megawatts.
KING (voice-over): Just a few more steps and it is out the hatch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of pretty, actually. You look around. You've got the water over here.
KING: For a birds-eye view of the wind at work, of Hawaii's energy evolution and of its breathtaking landscape.
John King, CNN, Maui.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: John, hang on, doctor, we need you, 7P (ph).
Many of you have been through airports across the country since Christmas Day. We wanted to know what the experience has been like for you. Are you experiencing long delays, security searches? Here are a few of your comments from our blog.
Sara says, "my mom left the country to Amsterdam with KLM from LAX. They didn't even put her baggage under those scanner machines! What kind of security check is that?"
And in response to Roger's comment yesterday regarding scanners, Loren says, "I love being naked and honestly have no problem with others seeing me. But I don't want to see most other people nude."
Of course, we want to hear from you, clothed or not? Give us your comments on my blog at cnn.com/tony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Great graphic. You know, a volunteer in Washington is serving up food and companionship to others living with life- challenging diseases. His dedication and the entire Food and Friends program are the subject of today's "Giving in Focus." The story from photojournalist David Ruff (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Food and Friends provides a service that's unique in the area. We provide home-delivered meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other illnesses.
DAVID PEIFFER, FOOD AND FRIENDS VOLUNTEER: How you doing, darling?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. Hi.
PEIFFER: Good to see you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do this without charge.
PEIFFER: You feeling good?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
PEIFFER: Good.
PEIFFER: I'm David Peiffer. I live in Washington, D.C.? I've been delivering for Food and Friends for eight years. That would be five meals for two days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Washington, D.C., has the highest rate per capita of AIDS in the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can use this vegetable ragout.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have very specific nutritional needs. And our 13,000 volunteers and 50 staff meet those needs.
PEIFFER: Next up is Amy. Amy Barrons (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David is a remarkable individual.
PEIFFER: Hello, sunshine, how are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He makes relationships with those clients.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good to see you.
PEIFFER: Good to see you too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My best friend. Come on in.
PEIFFER: How are you feeling? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
PEIFFER: When I first met Amy about five years ago, there was an immediate spark between the two of us.
BARRONS: It's hard to be alone all day and we know each other. He's someone to talk to. He's interesting. He cares. David is more than just some guy that comes to deliver food.
PEIFFER: Oh, it's so great to see you, Renaldo (ph).
It was 1990 when I got tested for HIV. And, unfortunately, it came back positive. Since I received the news, I wanted to give back a little bit before I was -- before I was gone. What you put out there comes back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To have David standing at the door as a compassionate person, as a person who really understands their circumstances.
PEIFFER: See you next week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you next week.
PEIFFER: Bye-bye now.
I know probably in my future there will be a time when I need Food and Friends.
Another Thursday down.
In the beginning, you kind of do it to help somebody else out. And then all of a sudden, these blessings keep coming back, showering you . . .
God bless you. Bye.
BARRONS: Thank you. God bless.
PEIFFER: More and more. The more you give, the more you get back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy, that's terrific. For more on the stories and the people, we are showcasing in our "Giving in Focus" series, just go to cnn.com/giving.
You know, this year you will be hearing a lot about midterm elections. Despite President Obama's victories in the west, Democrats are seeing support soften.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: This new year is an election year. After a bruising 2009 in Washington, many Democrats are a little nervous going into campaign season. National political correspondent Jessica Yellin takes a look at the political scene in Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The west, with its strong independent streak and growing population, is open terrain in politics. President Obama gave Democrats here new hope by sweeping several western states.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Colorado, the time for change has come.
YELLIN: But has that change come and gone?
WILLIAM CHALOUPKA, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY: It's not as though people are lining up at the Republican Party headquarters, it's just that the bloom is off.
YELLIN: According to CNN polling, the west now gives President Obama his lowest approval rating, and it's the only region the Democratic Party scores below 50 percent.
YELLIN (on camera): In the west, the game is all about independents. Here in Colorado, there are more unaffiliated voters than there are Democrats or Republicans. And many of those independents have been put off by the president's deficit spending, and by the political brawling in Washington.
YELLIN (voice-over): At a Democratic gathering in Colorado, they're anticipating fierce midterm fights.
SEN. MARK UDALL (D), COLORADO: The west is an independent-minded place. It was never going to be easy. Colorado's, I believe, always been a purple state.
YELLIN: Newly appointed Senator Michael Bennet faces a primary challenge from the left and a brutal contest if he makes it to the general.
YELLIN (on camera): Is it your sense that the president helps or hurts out here right now?
SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D), COLORADO: I think that people are still very willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt. What we have to do is be able to prove that we're taking a pragmatic, independent, you know, relatively nonpartisan approach to the work that we're trying to deal with in Washington.
YELLIN (voice-over): A sentiment echoed by this small business owner at a campaign house party.
HOLLY BIGGERS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: I think the majority of us are kind of middle-of-road people and we decide what's best for us at the time and then we vote that way.
YELLIN: Which means the fight to win the west is on. CHALOUPKA: The Republicans are mobilized, too. They've been stunned and so they -- they -- they want to get -- they want this -- this blue period to be as short as possible.
YELLIN (on camera): Democrats here concede they'll likely lose some seats in next year's midterm elections, but insist they're looking ahead to the big game in 2012. They say success there largely hinges on something out of their control, whether Republicans feel the candidate who appeals to the west's independent streak.
Jessica Yellin, CNN, Denver, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: It is go time. Time to pick it up a couple of notches. We are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Richard Lui.
