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American Morning

Flight 253 Lessons; Closing Terrorism Loopholes

Aired January 01, 2010 - 07:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Happy New Year, it is Friday, January 1st, 2010. John and Kiran are off today. I'm Randi Kaye.

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Joe Johns. Here are the top stories we will be telling you about in the next 15 minutes, there are indications that the so-called Christmas bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had direct contact with a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen, that same cleric's name has come up in connection with the deadly shootings at Ft. Hood in Texas. More on this just ahead.

KAYE: The CIA vowing revenge for one of the worst attacks in its history, there are reports this morning that the suicide bomber that killed seven CIA officers in Southeast Afghanistan was invited on to the base, and that he was not searched. A live report from Kabul ahead.

JOHNS: Happy 2010. New Year's Eve in Times Square went off without incident. New York City police say it was one of the most heavily guarded places in the country with hundreds of officers and snipers on hand. About half a million people were there to celebrate. Handwritten messages to troops overseas were mixed among 3,000 pounds of confetti dropped onto Broadway.

KAYE: We begin with the latest on the investigation on the Christmas bomb attempt on Northwest flight 253. It appears the alleged the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had direct contact with a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen. Right now it's unclear when and how often the two communicated. Officials are trying to figure out if that cleric Anwar al Awlaki played a role in the failed bombing of the jet liner.

Awlaki and Major Nidal Hasan the American soldier accused of killing 13 people at Ft. Hood are believed to have exchanged e-mails. The cleric says Hasan asked him for advice on how to kill U.S. troops. And the 9/11 Commission report says the cleric also had contact with two of the September 11th hijackers.

A major change in the way embassies around the world send alerts back home. According to the State Department embassies will now include information on whether a person has a U.S. visa when it sends so-called visa viper cables; those are special alerts to Washington about potentially suspicious people.

The Transportation Securities Administration has extended once again the extra security measures put in place at airports and on planes, after last Friday's attempted terror attack, the TSA says they extended the measures out of abundance of caution during its busy holiday weekend.

JOHNS: President Obama still on vacation in Hawaii, has summoned the heads of the nation's various intelligence agencies to the White House next Tuesday to talk about the failed bombing of flight 253, a topic likely in the discussion, all the missed signs, including those communications the accused bomber had with that radical Muslim cleric in Yemen. CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve now with more on that.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Randi and Joe, a U.S. terrorism official says there are indication there's was direct contact between the alleged Detroit bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and the radical Yemen-based Imam, Anwar al Awlaki. But officials are still evaluating if Awlaki had a direct role in the Detroit plot. The officials could not comment on the nature of the communications or contacts between the men, how frequent they were, or when they occurred.

Al Awlaki exchanged e-mails with the accused Ft. Hood shooter, Major Nidal Hasan. Even before that attack, the Imam was the focus of intelligence gathering as his suspected role with al Qaeda evolved from inspirational to operational. A former counter terrorism official says the connection to al Awlaki makes it more surprising that the intelligence community didn't put the pieces of the Detroit plot together sooner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: It should have been done as part of the investigation into the Ft. Hood shootings, to assure themselves that they understood exactly what conversations al Awlaki had with Hasan, the Ft. Hood shooter. In the course of that I would have given increased scrutiny to al Awlaki's communications and any indication in his communications of a threat to the U.S. for terrorism given his background.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Since the attempt to bomb Northwest flight 253, the intelligence community has learned that Abdulmutallab expressed some interest in joining al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula at least several months ago. The official says he doesn't know what role he wanted to play, but the events of Christmas Day would appear to speak for themselves.

Randi and Joe, back to you.

KAYE: U.S. Intelligence officials are vowing to retaliate after the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack in Afghanistan that left seven CIA officers dead. Wednesday's target was a crucial CIA post, described as a, quote, hub of activity. This morning we're tapping into the global resources of CNN our Atia Abawi is live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Atia what is the latest from there? ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, right now what we know is that seven Americans are dead, as you mentioned, all employees of the CIA, six others also injured. This happened Wednesday night when a suicide attacker entered forward operating base Chapman in Post Province, that's in eastern Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. Right now the question is just how this man was able to get on base, able to get into the gymnasium where he then detonated his suicide vest, killing the Americans.

But right now the Taliban are claiming that it was actually an Afghan soldier, an Afghan soldier that they were able to make him switch allegiances to their side, and the Taliban also claim that they have many more Taliban players infiltrating the Afghan security forces and they warn the U.S. and coalition forces here in Afghanistan to expect more attacks like this. A day before that attack, an Afghan soldier actually shot and killed a U.S. soldier in western Afghanistan. We're still waiting on more details when it comes to American officials, whether it be here in Kabul or in Washington. Right now the majority of the information we're getting from the Taliban and the Taliban aren't necessarily always honest when it comes to their information. Randi.

KAYE: So Atia how much stock can we really put into the claims by the Taliban that the bomber was actually allowed on to the base? Any idea when we might learn more about that?

ABAWI: Well, right now we're trying to hear from American officials just to see what their investigation shows. The Taliban make many claims when it comes to certain attacks. Obviously they were able to infiltrate this base. They were able to have a heavy blow when it comes to the security in American bases here in Afghanistan, but they also exaggerate. In this claim they also mention that 20 Americans were killed and 50 were injured.

So you can't base too much reliability on their claims. But at the same time, it wouldn't be hard for the Taliban to infiltrate the Afghan security forces right now. Because right now they're trying to build up their forces, so it seems to be more about quantity rather than quality. I went out with the Afghan national army recruiters, and I have to tell you, they really needed anyone that they can take. And the Taliban have promised in that claim that they will continue to infiltrate and I will tell you right now it won't be that hard for them to do.

KAYE: Our Atia Abawi live for us in Afghanistan. Thank you.

JOHNS: Also new this morning, the Justice Department says it's disappointed in a federal judge's decision to dismiss all charges against five Blackwater security guards. The private contractors are accused of killing 17 unarmed citizens in Baghdad in 2007. The case sparked outrage in Iraq and was a public relations nightmare for the U.S.-led effort there. The judge throughout the case not on merit but on the way federal prosecutors handled defendants' statements.

KAYE: Iran's opposition leader says he's willing to sacrifice his own life for his supporters, Mousavi also called for the end on the brutal crackdown on protesters who gathered over the past few days. At least eight people have died in what has been some of the worst violence since the protest that followed this summer's disputed election.

JOHNS: And with the New Year a bunch of new laws, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Hampshire. About 15 couples braved the cold weather to exchange vows outside the statehouse in Concorde, New Hampshire. New Hampshire joins Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa as states that all allow same-sex marriage.

KAYE: Taking a look at the time for you right now, it is about 7:08. Reynolds Wolf is in the Extreme Weather Center keeping an eye on everything for us. Good morning again.

WOLF: Good morning, guys. The most extreme thing we have with our weather today is it is going to be the cold air. People will be waking up on this first day of 2010 and it is just going to be brutal in many parts of the nation. Let's go right to the maps, if you look right in the middle of the U.S. and then look up towards the top of the screen, you see a big blue "h" and on top of that you see a purple word that says frigid. Well it is going to be brutal there, take a look at the temperature we have currently, Fargo, 12 degrees below zero, Bismarck at 10 below, Sioux Falls at 2, if you take a look at the day time highs Minneapolis not getting much warmer for you in the twin cities with a high of 6 degrees, 17 in Chicago, 40 degrees in Memphis, 57 in Las Vegas, and 41 in New York.

I know a lot of people are going to be heading home, heading to the airports. Coming up, we're going to give you an idea of what you might be facing in terms of your travel and if the weather will or will not cooperate. Let's kick it back to you in New York.

KAYE: All right. Thank you Reynolds. Coming up, we're going to take you to Yemen where we are going to speak with someone from "The Washington Post" a foreign correspondent from the "Washington Post" is going to speak to us a little bit more about the possible connections between the radical cleric there in Yemen and the accused Christmas day bomber. Stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Welcome back, its 11 minutes after the hour. Two boys missing for 11 years have been found safe with their mother. Now she's facing felony charges for taking off with them. Pennsylvania police say Jill Haugen contacted them saying she didn't want to take care of her kids any longer, so their father won custody in a divorce in 1998. The two boys now, 15 and 16 years old, are currently in foster care.

KAYE: After decades of declines, more people are calling Washington, D.C., home. The Census Bureau estimates the capital's population grew by almost 10,000 residents in 2009 that is the largest gain since World War II.

JOHNS: And it is New Years Day and that means a couple things, football and flower power in Pasadena. Thousands are lined up right now for today's Rose Parade, pretty early out there, too. This year's grand marshal is none other than Captain Chesley Sullenberger (ph).

And coming up in our next hour Jack Hanna, is going to be live from the Rainburg (ph) float, that of course he will have an opportunity to show some animals to us. Looking forward to that.

KAYE: Investigators now focusing on the role of a radical Yemeni American cleric who may have helped guide the suspected flight 253 bomber to a life of terror. Anwar al Awlaki has also been linked to the Ft. Hood shootings. Sudarsan Raghavan is in Yemen for the "Washington Post" and joins us this morning to talk a little bit more about this, Sudarsan, first let me ask you in your article for the "Washington Post," we know that the probe continues but you do write about this face to face encounter between the suspected bomber of flight 253 and this radical cleric. Do we know when that took place or what might have been said between the two?

SUDARSAN RAGHAVAN, "Washington Post:" Well, it's unclear yet whether they had a face to face encounter. Certainly U.S. officials and Yemeni officials are looking into this. What we do know is that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab likely went to a house that was used by al Awlaki, and in that house he apparently met with al Qaeda operatives. That's what the Yemeni investigators are focusing on right now.

KAYE: So this is just more evidence, possibly at least, that he may indeed have had a connection to al Qaeda. Let me ask you about also in some of the reporting now that Abdulmutallab, the suspected bomber of flight 253, was using school there in Yemen, really as a cover for something much more. That he really knew Arabic, which he was supposedly learning at this school, before he even got there.

RAGHAVAN: That's right. Yemeni investigators now believe that the school indeed was a cover. He had actually attended the same Arabic language school in 2005, and so it was very easy for him to return there and to get a student visa to come back to Yemen. But at the school, I spoke -- when I spoke with his former classmates and teachers, you know, they told me not only did he have a great command of Arabic but he also missed quite a bit of classes and he also frequenting at least three different mosques in the area. Investigators are now focusing on these mosques to see if he actually met, made contacts with al Qaeda operatives there, who would have vetted him and provided contacts for him to move on to the next step.

KAYE: Let's talk about this cleric. Does he seem to be playing a larger role in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula? We know that he traded e-mails with the Ft. Hood shooting suspect. What more can you tell us about him?

RAGHAVAN: Yes. There's - there's growing suspicions that - that he is - he does have close ties to the al Qaeda. Both US officials and Yemeni believe that he's some sort of a spiritual adviser to - to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, here.

His family, of course, denies he has any links. He comes from a very prominent family in - in Yemen. His father was once a former Minister of Agriculture, and they believe that - that he's - although - despite his - his radical views, he does not have ties to al Qaeda. But, increasingly, both US and Yemeni investigators feel that he is probably playing (ph) more of an inspirational role rather than an operational role within - within al Qaeda.

KAYE: And just quickly, before we let you go, how is the communication between US officials and Yemeni officials? We know that - that people there in Yemeni are - in Yemen are certainly pointing fingers at the US for not warning them while Abdulmutallab was in that country, not warning them that his father had warned the US government that he may have become radicalized, and also that - that al Qaeda was planning to set in motion a - a Nigerian bomber.

RAGHAVAN: That's absolutely correct. The Yemeni government here is - is essentially frustrated. It believes that, you know, it believes that had it been - had the US warned the - the government of the - the telephone intercepts as well as the - as well as the - the fact that Abdulmutallab's father himself had come - had gone to the US and told - US authorities and told them that his son was being radicalized in Yemen. Yemen certainly feels that they could have done something to prevent the attack.

KAYE: All right. Sudarsan Raghavan, foreign correspondent for the "Washington Post" with us this morning from Yemen. Thank you so much for your insight.

JOHNS: Coming up, we're going to take a look at financial resolutions for the New Year, what you should be doing, what you should not be doing. Stephanie Elam is going to have some tips in just a couple of minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Don't get tired of that shot, that's for sure. Happy New Year, Moscow! Fireworks lighting up the night sky over Red Square in St. Basil's Cathedral there. Isn't that something?

JOHNS: Yes. That picture, the quality, the camera - boy, it really takes you there, doesn't it?

KAYE: It sure does.

It is 7:20, checking the time for you, and it is time for a check on this morning's business headlines.

JOHNS: Millions of football fans will not be gameless today. FOX's parent company, News Corp has decided not to pull the plug on its programming despite an ongoing fallout with Time Warner Cable. Their contract expired at midnight last night.

News Corp is demanding the cable operator pay more for its programming. Time Warner Cable, by the way, is not part of our parent company, having been spun off just last year.

KAYE: New fallout for Tiger Woods over his marital infidelity. AT&T is cutting ties with the golfer. No word on just how much money that's worth. AT&T is the second major sponsor to drop him. Accenture dropped Woods last month. JOHNS: Many people say they're going to get in shape in the New Year, but this year the most popular New Year's resolution may very well be fiscal fitness. Stephanie Elam is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A happy New Year, everybody.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 2010 - a clean slate. That means it's time to start living up to those New Year's resolutions, and, for many, it's all about the money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I plan to not spend so much money on all the shoes that I usually spend money on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would just continue just to make smart decisions financially.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try to put a little more money away, absolutely.

ELAM: Making resolutions is nothing new, but the ones related to money seem to work out the best in this economy.

According to a TD Ameritrade survey, 75 percent of Americans will make at least one New Year's resolution focused on finances this year. That's up from 60 percent in 2009.

GREG MCBRIDE, SR. FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: Statistics do show that women tend to be better in terms of - specifically with investments.

ELAM: In fact, 66 percent of women and 59 percent of men plan to save more money this year.

Minorities also have finances in focus. Thirty-eight percent of Hispanics and 43 percent of blacks say they plan to improve their investment activity.

For many Americans, making financial resolutions may be more of a necessity than a desire, especially with unemployment at 10 percent.

MCBRIDE: That right there is motivation enough to get your financial house in order.

ELAM: But the trick is getting those resolutions to stick.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was trying to, like, save a certain amount of money for the year, and it didn't work out. I would just put the money in the bank and then sooner or later I'd just go back - back in and take it out.

ELAM (on camera): You've got your resolutions here - they start around here, and then by about here, I think people tended to have forgotten about them. So what is the - what are the qualities of - of resolution that actually sticks and last longer than just midway through January?

MCBRIDE: The best way to do it is put some of these resolutions on autopilot. Have money directly deposited from your paycheck or your checking account into a dedicated savings account. You can increase or even initiate 401(k) contributions, or even set up automatic monthly contributions from your checking account into an IRA.

ELAM (voice-over): For some, the resolution is obvious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have any money at all, so get more money?

ELAM: Everybody's got to start somewhere.

Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Well, when we come back, Jason Carroll's going to be returning to pick up the story of 18-year-old Will McLain. He has headed off to the army, and we're going to see just what that's going to bring for him, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. It's 7:25. Top stories are only five minute away.

But first, an "AM Original," something you'll only see on AMERICAN MORNING. And all this year we'll be bringing you "A Soldier's Story."

KAYE: Our Jason Carroll is following army recruits from their final days as civilians to their first days on the front lines. Good morning again, Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you.

Now, Will McLain got quite an introduction to the army, as you are about to see. Once registration is done and the oath has been taken, within hours new soldiers head off to military facilities where they will be trained. In Will McLain's case, that happens to be in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Tearful goodbyes, as Will McLain's parents see their 18-year-old son leave home in Rosamond, California for the first time.

BILL MCLAIN, WILL'S FATHER: She wasn't looking forward to this moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody understand that (ph)? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

CARROLL: As McLain takes his first steps toward joining the army, questions about his future begin to weigh on him.

WILL MCLAIN, US ARMY RECRUIT: The major one (ph) I guess is I want to know where I'm going to end up stationed at, you know? You know you've got a four-year contract but it's like, you know, these - are these four years going to be, you know, fun and enjoyable, or am I going to be like, I hate my job?

CARROLL: For now, those answers will have to wait.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good luck.

W. MCLAIN: Thank you.

CARROLL: First, there's registration...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any tattoos?

CARROLL: ... at a nearby army processing station in Los Angeles.

W. MCLAIN: I'm anxious, but, you know, I'm kind of glad it's starting, finally. Like, you know, one of those days you don't think would come, and then, bam! It's here.

CARROLL: This is where Will McLain finally becomes Private McLain.

W. MCLAIN: I will obey the orders of the president of the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help me, God.

W. MCLAIN: So help me, God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I tell you to, you're going to exit the bus quickly but safely. Is that understood?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, drill sergeant!

CARROLL: Twelve hours later, McLain is now more than 1600 miles from home...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pick up your bag!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, drill sergeant!

CARROLL: At an army base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Row by row. Let's go. Let's go.

CARROLL: For several days of orientation.

CARROLL (on camera): You look a little different. You shaved the goatee. How does it feel?

W. MCLAIN: It feels weird. It's the first time in a while. You know, I expected they're going to come yelling on the bus. They - they did. You know? I mean - the only thing - I'm surprised I haven't had to do pushups or anything yet, so that's always a plus. So...

CARROLL: Well, it's coming. I'm sure it's coming.

W. MCLAIN: Oh, I know it is. I'm sure it is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you do not have an electronic device, do not take an envelope.

CARROLL (voice-over): After turning in personal items for safekeeping, Will and the other privates are issued gear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step in front of me. Open up your bag.

CARROLL: Will finds his bunk and turns in for a short night. Four hours later...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up, get up. Get up!

CARROLL: His morning begins on unfamiliar territory.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing? What is going on?

CARROLL (on camera): I'm thinking of all these movies that I've seen with the drill sergeant, and you pretty much fit that - that role.

SGT. JOSHUA SMITH, US ARMY: I guess you would just have to say that it's a type A personality.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurry up. Hurry up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get over there! Get your food and get up. Hurry up.

CARROLL (voice-over): Will couldn't eat much in the three minutes it took him to finish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurry up.

CARROLL: Not a problem for sergeants eying his weight, he's 5'9", 228 pounds.

CARROLL (on camera): You look at him and you - your assessment is he's got a little weight to lose?

SGT. CRYSTAL SCOTT, US ARMY: Yes, sir.

CARROLL: You think you can get that off him?

SCOTT: Oh yes, sir. There's plenty of ways to get that off of him.

CARROLL (voice-over): There are just a few more tests...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice, tight fist.

CARROLL: ... and then the regulation cut.

CARROLL (on camera): What did you think (ph)?

W. MCLAIN: It's (INAUDIBLE), and I'm light (ph).

CARROLL (voice-over): But he still sees the same Will.

CARROLL (on camera): Do you feel like a soldier yet?

W. MCLAIN: Not yet. I haven't been through boot. I wouldn't even pretend (ph) being a soldier until I'm done with that.

CARROLL (voice-over): And that basic training comes next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: And the basic training lasts for just about nine weeks, with a few weeks of specialized training right after that. And here are some numbers for you, 200 others got off the bus and joined Will on that particular day. About 30,000 new recruits go through basic training just at Fort Leonard Wood, and that's every single year.

I can't wait for you guys to see what's coming up in the next hour. That's when he goes through the meat and potatoes of basic training. It is really tough. You see he has some obstacles to overcome there. He's a little heavy. You're going to see how they got that weight off him.

JOHNS: That was pretty dramatic. I mean, he went from all that hair to shorn. They took his cell phone. How do you live without your cell phone?

CARROLL: Yes, that - I know you're used to not having the hair, but he - he was used to having it, right?

He's used to having it, used to having his cell phone. It's just one of the many things that, you know, as a new soldier, this is what you've got to go through. I didn't realize I was following him through that you're not allowed to keep your cell phone. You are not. It is not Army issued and they say you won't need it for what you're going to have to do while you're there.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: You're a bit busy to be talking on the phone.

CARROLL: You won't be calling home for mom.

JOHNS: Cut off from contact, that's tough.

CARROLL: Right. You'll see it in the next hour. KAYE: All right. Thanks, Jason. We'll see you then.

It is 7:30. Time for a look at this morning's top stories.

There are indications this morning that the so-called Christmas bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had direct contact with a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen. That same cleric's name has come up in connection with the deadly shootings at Ft. Hood in Texas.

JOHNS: In a last-minute move, federal authorities extended permission for hundreds of pilots to pack firearms on commercial airliners. At midnight last night, the pilots who had not undergone the required training program would have lost their certifications, but the Transportation Security Administration says certifications were extended for six months, in light of recent events.

KAYE: Pakistani officials say a U.S. missile strike killed four people in a car in the Afghan border early this morning. One other person was injured. It was not immediately clear if the people in the car were militants. Another U.S. drone attack killed three people yesterday.

JOHNS: In an "A.M." breakdown now, a look at the lessons learned by the attempted Christmas day terror attack. Mark Thompson is "Time" magazine's deputy bureau chief in Washington. He wrote the cover story this week "Fear of Flying", the four lessons of Flight 253. Mark is in Washington this morning, happy new year, and thanks for coming in.

MARK THOMPSON, DEPUTY BUREAU CHIEF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Same to you, Joe.

JOHNS: All right. Let's go through these lessons. First, you say our methods for tracking terrorists still aren't working. It comes back to that same issue we've been talking about since 9/11, connecting the dots. What do you think needs to be done to make collection, analysis and sharing of intelligence a little bit more efficient?

THOMPSON: Well, I think the basic elements are in place following 9/11. Think of it as an army boot, to go back to your prior story. We've got the laces, they just need to be tightened up. There's a lot of sloppiness that goes on.

When you've got the father of this potential hijacker going to the CIA in Nigeria and complaining that his son is becoming radicalized and that basically ends up in an intelligence cul-de-sac where other people within the intelligence community don't learn about it. That's a really bad sign. The question is, to get that usable information out to folks, and that plainly is not yet happening.

JOHNS: So we've pretty much pumped billions of dollars into Homeland Security since 9/11, put in all kinds of new screening procedures, and the terrorists just seemed to keep finding ways to get around this stuff. The search and scan system at the airports, for example. What does the United States need to do to be more proactive, if you will, in trying to prevent the next attack, instead of responding to the last attack?

THOMPSON: Well, frankly, I think we've got to be a little less naive. The notion that bad guys are going to hide bombs or whatever, easy to view, easy to see on their person, just isn't happening. They're going to put it in their private places, and we've got to be smart enough to say, that's where they're going to put it, we've got to look there. So far we're not doing that.

Consequently, a lot of those billions of dollars in effort are effectively not being used very well, because they're going after the obvious targets and bad guys are no longer playing with us, in terms of putting stuff in obvious targets. They're putting it where it's tough to find, They're using unique, new and different ways, and we do have to stay a step ahead of them.

In some ways it's working. I mean, the size of the bombs are shrinking. They're no longer bringing guns on board, ever since the '70s when we put the metal detectors in. So we're making progress. We haven't gone 100 percent of the way. We're moving in the right direction.

JOHNS: Now this latest situation in the sky over Detroit is also raising questions about the kind of technology we use to screen people in airports. A lot of people calling for wider use of body scanners saying they can detect explosives that the equipment really can't see.

Do you think the scanners could have caught this guy and the related question really is are we making the best use of the technology we already have?

THOMPSON: Well, we're not making the best use of the technology we already have because these sort of scanners are not widely deployed. But I do also think, Joe, that it takes - it's going to sort of take a change in the way we think. Because once you're relying on the scanner, that sort of means, you know, we've lost.

If we can't keep these people away from the boarding gates we're now relying on the last line of defense, and obviously a smarter utilization of our resources are trying to intercept these folks earlier on in the chain. Be it, you know, when they try to get a ticket, when they try to get a visa, and not wait until it's that do or die decision, by one security agent at boarding gate number 17.

JOHNS: Another question really is about focus. You say that Al Qaeda is bigger than Osama Bin Laden, the network extends beyond him, past Afghanistan, past Pakistan. Do you think we're too focused on Osama Bin Laden and the war in Afghanistan as well?

THOMPSON: Well, the war's a different question. Certainly we've been too focused too long on Osama Bin Laden. The notion that if we took him out, this would go away. I think in recent years, we've seen that, you know, he doesn't really right now have a hold of the strings. He's not yanking these strings that make, you know, his agents or other Al Qaeda members do stuff. He's an inspiration but basically Al Qaeda is now a franchise unit. They've got these elements that are set up. You know, Yemen is the latest venue, and they're sort of, you know, indigenous, self operating, independent, autonomous units.

So by getting Osama Bin Laden, you're not going to shut that thing down. Beyond that, we are spending a lot of money on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but actually I don't think the notion of terrorism is a function of money. You can't solve this problem by throwing money at it. It's much more important to spend a dime smartly than a dollar stupidly.

JOHNS: You also say that downplaying the threat doesn't help. The administration is taking a lot of heat, of course, for the response to this latest incident. The president waiting days to address the nation about it, Homeland Security secretary saying the system worked. Do you think that criticism is justified?

THOMPSON: Well, I certainly think when Secretary Napolitano came out and said the system worked, it was like Roger Maris' 61 home run season, there was a big asterisk there. But people didn't really pay attention for the asterisk. They just remember she said it worked.

The American people, they have a good dose of common sense and they know when things don't track with the way they feel things are going, and that just struck such a strange chord among Americans. She was forced to come out within 24 hours and basically back up.

I don't know that you can say that about the president. There's something to be said for sitting back and amassing data and only coming forward when you've got something worth saying.

JOHNS: Mark Thompson of "Time" magazine. Thanks for that.

KAYE: When it comes to security, should the U.S. maybe be looking at other countries for some answers? Are there lessons to be learned from airport security practice say in Israel? Profiling of passengers is a big part of it. But do the Israelis go too far and would Americans ever stand for it?

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KAYE: Happy new year, and welcome back to the most news in the morning. The biggest question after last week's attempted airline bombing on Christmas day, why, after eight years, can terrorists still fly?

Now the feds are closing another major gap in security that let the suspect slip by. Jill Dougherty has details from Washington.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Randi, Joe, it's been almost a week since the attempted bombing, and today we learned of the first major step the State Department is taking after analyzing how it handled its part in all of this. Shutting down a major loophole that, if it had been closed before, might have grounded the suspect. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY (voice-over): One key fact about the Christmas day bombing suspect is that he had a U.S. visa, allowing him to board a plane to America at any time. But that crucial detail was never included in a cable about him sent to the national counter terrorism center in Washington.

Now CNN has learned the State Department is ordering American embassies around the world to change their procedures. Any time embassies send so-called visas viper cables with information about suspicious individuals, they must answer the question, does that person have a U.S. visa? Starting now, that will be required.

Information that the bombing suspect did have a visa was available in government databases. But someone would have to be worried enough about him to search for it.

In another attempt to shut down loopholes, the State Department is considering automatic notification of airlines when someone's U.S. visa has been revoked. Right now, department staff may or may not notify an airline of that fact. Congress, too, is clamoring for quicker trigger to deny more visas and put more people on watch lists.

Current standards require reasonable suspicion based on facts that someone is or is suspected to be engaged in terrorism-related conduct. Mere guesses or hunches are not enough. Senator Dianne Feinstein says "That is too restrictive and should be changed." She wants to include "anyone who is reasonably believed to be affiliated with, part of, or acting on behalf of a terrorist organization."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY: So under rules proposed by Senator Feinstein, could the suspect have been put on a no-fly list? In theory, yes, because he was allegedly affiliated with extremist organizations. But that in itself raises issues of how to balance privacy with the need for security. And we'll be hearing a lot more about that when the Senate begins hearings on this attempted terror attack, beginning January 21st. Randi, Joe.

JOHNS: Jill Dougherty in Washington.

Right now millions of air travelers on the move must deal with the confusion of new and frustrating rules. But as our Paula Hancock tells us, one of the world's safest airlines is relying on its people and profiling to keep the skies safe. And it's not worried about being PC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN 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 a 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 searching 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 - the efforts towards 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 collective, more than 1 million citizens, upfront to be treated as a suspect.

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)

JOHNS: It is 46 minutes after the hour. Reynolds Wolf will have this morning's travel forecast right after the break.

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KAYE: And welcome back to our show this morning.

JOHNS: It wasn't too bad this morning, walking in at 3:00 AM.

KAYE: I thought you were going to say waking up.

JOHNS: Waking up was a bit different.

KAYE: Or did you say that (ph)?

JOHNS: No. And I went to the gym. The thing was, the weather was fine, but there were all these people sort of stumbling around, and I guess that's New York in New Year's day.

KAYE: Yes. I saw some of that too. Stumbling around at the Extreme Weather Center, I believe, is our Reynolds Wolf. Are you stumbling around then (ph)?

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KAYE: This morning's top stories just minutes away, including how a family that wiped out $123,000 in debt coped with Christmas. Did they stick to their budget?

JOHNS: A glimpse into the future with a bionic eye. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell us how it's helping the blind see the world again.

KAYE: Plus, we're live in Pasadena with the legend Jack Hanna and an exclusive look at the Parade of Roses.

Those stories and much more at the top of the hour.

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KAYE: Listening to one of our favorite songs with (ph) "The Killers" there this morning.

Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

It is Day 1 for New Year's resolutions. A new survey says the top resolutions for Americans in 2010 are to improve their financial situation, lose weight and get healthy. Now, the trouble is those resolutions, as we all know, are very hard to keep.

JOHNS: Experts say about three out of four people who make New Year's resolutions will eventually break them. You mean, one-fourth actually keeps them?

KAYE: Amazing!

JOHNS: I know. A third wouldn't even make it to the end of January.

Let's bring in Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. So, Elizabeth, why are these resolutions so hard to keep?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, because people are doing it the wrong way. If only one out of four people can keep their resolutions, it means they're - they're doing something wrong here. What they're doing wrong is they're just saying I'm going to lose weight and don't think about how to go about doing that.

So let's take a look at how you can do resolutions that will actually last. The first thing that you need to do is you need to set a reasonable goal. I'm going to lose 50 pounds - it's probably a little much. Maybe you'll lose 10 pounds. That might be the - a more reasonable goal. Also, write it down. When you write something down, I think that's going to help you remember that you need to do it.

Also, spread the word. Tell people, hey, my resolution this year is to lose weight. For example, if you tell your neighbor that, maybe she'll agree to take a walk with you every evening.

So all of these things should help you keep your resolutions.

KAYE: So Elizabeth, you say that to be successful you have to set smaller goals and - and write it down, but how specific in terms of writing it down in these goals should people get?

COHEN: Oh, you should be really specific. And you know what, Randi? I'm going to show you an example of what you should be writing down and what you should be doing.

Get a piece of paper and try this. Let's say my resolution is to lose 10 pounds by March 1st. Here's what you - here's what you want to do. You want to say, all right, here's my strategy. I'm not going to eat out on weeknights. That's going to help me lose some weight. And the second thing I'm going to do is I'm going to pack a lunch for work rather than running out and getting fast food.

Thirdly, I'm going to walk the dog four times a week. And also, I'm going to eat whole grain bread and I'm going to drink a glass of water before every meal, and then you sign it. If your name's not John Doe, don't sign that. Sign your real name there.

So what you've done here is you've thought of some really specific tactics. Don't just make a resolution, think about the tactics, write it down and then paste it up on your refrigerator or someplace where you'll have to face it every day.

KAYE: And if you don't have a dog, grab your neighbor's dog or something like that, right?

COHEN: Exactly.

JOHNS: What if your name is John Doe?

COHEN: Well, then you should sign John Doe. Yes.

KAYE: All right, Elizabeth. Hey, have a happy New Year.

COHEN: Happy New Year to you, too.

KAYE: And be sure to tune in to "HOUSE CALL" this weekend - Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 AM. Elizabeth and a great lineup of experts will show you how to develop a game plan to successfully reach your 2010 goals.

JOHNS: Top stories are coming your way in just 90 seconds. It's 57 minutes after the hour.

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