Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Last U.S. Combat Brigade Pulls out of Iraq; Debate Continues over Proposed Islamic Center near Ground Zero; What's Next in Iraq?; GM Shares to Trade Again; Soldier's Story: Soldier Prepping for 3rd Afghan Tour; Dr. Laura Signing Off; Nationwide Egg Recall

Aired August 19, 2010 - 07:00   ET

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


KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and happy Thursday. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. It's August 19th. I'm Kiran Chetry.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes sitting in today for John Roberts.

We have been waiting seven years to say this, the last U.S. combat brigade has pulled out of Iraq. This happened in the past 24 hours. 4,000 troops have crossed over into Kuwait and starting a long journey back home. Thousands more, however, are staying behind to execute the next phase of this war, operation new dawn.

CHETRY: The debate goes on about an Islamic center and mosque close to ground zero. Muslims are praying every day at the direct target of the 9/11 attacks. Not a matter of blocks but a matter of feet from where a plane hit the Pentagon. Chris Lawrence will take you inside.

HOLMES: Also, we'll have a CNN exclusive for you this morning. The Denver woman who placed that call to Dr. Laura only to find herself on the wrong end of a hurtful rant. She is breaking her silence this morning to us only here on CNN. Her name is Nita Hanson. She will join us live in our next half hour. Stay here for that.

CHETRY: And it started seven years ago as operation shock and awe. More than 4,000 American lives lost since. And overnight, the last combat convoy left Iraq. The 4th Stryker Brigade 2nd Infantry Division crossed the border into Kuwait in the last 24 hours. Now, by mid-September, they'll be back in America.

HOLMES: Plenty more U.S. troops have already made it home. So what's the plan in Iraq now moving forward? Our Suzanne Malveaux is joining us from White House. She's there. Good morning to you, Suzanne. We're talk to her in just a moment.

Also we want to begin, though, with Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us. Barbara, we still have tens of thousands of U.S. troops still in Iraq. So what is their mission now?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've seen this iconic picture overnight T.J., the U.S. troops moving out of Iraq in the cover of darkness, back into Kuwait. I think many of us remember standing into Kuwait, watching envoys move in. But as they move out, about 56,000 troops left behind.

The plan now is to make it come down to 50,000 troops through the end of next year. Their main job will be to mentor, help, and train Iraqi forces, but plenty of challenges left in Iraq. Just consider this -- five months after the parliamentary elections, Iraq still doesn't have a new government. It Is a very fragile security situation there.

So Iraq is by no means over. U.S. troops moving out of a primary combat role, moving into a support mission, But still, a very fragile situation on the ground, T.J.

HOLMES: You say a support mission. Yes, that's the role now. But we have to remind ourselves, they could be brought back into combat at any moment depending on what happens on the ground there. And there will be a U.S. presence there still there for some time.

STARR: Oh, absolutely -- 50,000 through the end of next year. The Iraqi government can always ask the U.S. to stay behind and keep more troops. That hasn't happened yet. There have been hints. So people will be watching that very carefully.

But for a U.S. soldier, marine, service member holding a weapon, operating in Iraq, they may not technically be in combat, but combat can be thrust upon them at anytime.

HOLMES: Barbara Starr for us from the Pentagon. Thank you as always.

CHETRY: Thanks. And as Barbara just pointed out, 50,000 troops are staying behind, lending their support, could be called into combat again, though. But the administration is branding the winding-down phase of the war "operation new dawn."

Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House this morning with more on what now when it comes to our role and presence in Iraq. Hi, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kiran and T.J. One of the things that the White House is cautious about is how to present all of this. They're not presenting a lot of fanfare, or even yesterday. President Barack Obama saying he's fulfilling a campaign promise, a pledge to bring the combat mission to an end, the war in Iraq to an end.

But this is something that could change. This could devolve, the situation in Iraq, with a lot of violence. So they do not want to put this out as celebrating prematurely. They want to talk very specifically about removing the combat troops and specifically and narrowly about the mission.

We saw the president yesterday in Columbus, Ohio. The White House released this letter explaining what was taking place in actually withdrawing those troops. But at the same time there was not this premature celebration, the president very careful yesterday on how he put it. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are keeping the promise I made when I began my campaign for the presidency. By the end of this month, we will have removed 100,000 troops from Iraq and our combat mission will be over in Iraq.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And you want to take note, he said the combat mission over in Iraq, very specific about the goal here. In covering President Bush for seven years, that goal was one that often changed, talked about bringing democracy in Iraq. Then it changed to stability, and then to reasonable peace.

This is something that this White House, this administration does not want to get caught up in, in terms of how to define success and define the success of this mission. And they are talking about the combat mission over in Iraq and, of course, eyes and focus on Afghanistan.

CHETRY: All right, Suzanne, a lot of Americans are happy to see that the war in Iraq is closer to ending. And of course, it shifts the focus as well to Afghanistan and what our long-term role is there as well. Poll after poll has shown that people have grown weary about the fighting in both of those nations.

MALVEAUX: And one of the things that the president has is he does have the backing of most Americans when it comes to pulling out troops in eye Iraq. I want to you take a look CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll -- 55 percent favor pulling out most of the troops by September, only 35 percent oppose.

But what's interesting, Kiran and T.J., is the fact that most Americans don't believe that we've actually achieved the goal in Iraq and accomplished the mission -- 29 percent yes, the U.S. achieved its goals, but 69 percent say no.

There is clearly a sense of war fatigue, people are weary, and they don't necessarily care that the mission has been achieved. And as I mentioned before, it say mission and a goal that has been changing and evolving over the last seven years or so.

CHETRY: Yes. It sure has. Suzanne Malveaux for us this morning. Thanks so much.

Also in a few minutes we're going to be joined by retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. We're going ask him for the take on Iraq's future and also how the end of this conflict could impact the war in Afghanistan.

HOLMES: Five minutes past the hour.

(WEATHER BREAK) CHETRY: Well also this morning, they're trying to seek a compromise, New York's governor now reaching out to the developers of the proposed Islamic center and mosque just blocks from ground zero. David Paterson saying it would be, quote, "noble gesture," if they agreed to build it somewhere else.

And it is not a mosque, but Muslims as well as people from other religions have been praying daily for years less than 80 feet from where a hijacked jet liner hit the Pentagon. Later, Chris Lawrence will take you inside the chapel that literally rose from the ashes.

HOLMES: Also, he is not Muslim. But a new poll from the Pew forum on religion and public life shows that nearly one in five Americans still thinks President Obama is in fact a Muslim. That is up from the numbers we saw last year, not just Republicans who think that. More and more independents now believe president Obama is a Muslim. In fact, he is a Christian.

CHETRY: And according to the poll, they said last year 10 percent of independents thought he was a Muslim. Now, it's jumped to 18 percent this year.

Well, the last U.S. combat brigade has left Iraq, as we've been talking about this morning, but our military mission, while coming to a close, is certainly not over in that nation. Up next, retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt the will be talking about the impact that this war will have in Afghanistan. It's eight minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Now to the last U.S. combat brigade has left Iraq, only 50,000 support troops will be left in the country by the end of this month. So what does that mean for our role in Iraq moving forward?

Joining me now is retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. He's the former secretary of state for political-military affairs, and he joins us from Washington. Thanks for being with us, general.

BRIGADIER GEN. MARK KIMMITT (RET), FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS: Good morning, Kiran.

CHETRY: As you know, it's a landmark day for our troops in the war. No one is calling it "mission accomplished," though. What does this signal for the mission in Iraq now that our combat forces are headed home?

KIMMITT: Well, first, many people think that the U.S. forces have been engaged in tough combat over the last couple of years. In fact, the Iraqi forces have been in the lead. It has been a gradual process of just handing complete combat responsibility over to the Iraqis.

While that's been going on, there has been an advisory and an assistance mission which the 50,000 troops that are remaining will go continue to form. They'll work inside of the Iraqi units, providing assistance, military mentoring, and that will continue for another year and a half.

CHETRY: Is there any concern in your mind that they're at perhaps at greater risk or more vulnerable because the large support force's of other combat troops will be gone, so technically we'll have just a smaller group of U.S. troops and forces in Iraq?

KIMMITT: Well I'm pretty comfortable on the combat capability of the Iraqi security forces. They have demonstrated over the past couple of years, increasing levels of competence. And I believe the military commanders on the ground judge them to be ready to take over that responsibility in its entirety.

So our remaining troops who are in fact combat capable but in a support role, I think they're in pretty good shape. And the situation's in pretty good shape for the moment.

CHETRY: There are still vulnerabilities. Of course, the most recent one we saw this week is that suicide attack, somebody who is pretending, to I guess, potential Iraqi recruit ended up blowing up the recruiting station there, one of the bloodiest attacks that they've seen in months -- 60 people killed.

How vulnerable do you think we're leaving Iraq when we hear about these fresh cycles of violence that seem to crop up?

KIMMITT: Again, the question is not whether there will be a total elimination of security incidents or not. The fundamental question is can the Iraqi security forces manage the process without needing American assistance?

Yes, there will be low levels of violence even with a fully competent Iraqi security force. But even with 170,000 American forces there were low levels of violence there as well. The Iraqis are saying we can handle it now without American assistance, and I believe that to be the case.

CHETRY: When you look at the big picture, though, we're looking at seven years of combat, $600 billion plus spent on the war. And we talk about the cost of human lives, more than 4,400 troops killed. We take the pulse of the American people, less than a third think we've even achieved our goals in Iraq. Where has all of this sacrifice left us?

KIMMITT: Well, we'll never be able to simply tell the American people that the loss of any life is worthwhile. But what I would say, let's take a look at where Iraq is today. It's a democratic state, a friend to its neighbors, no longer a threat to the United States.

Those soldiers who have sacrificed for the last seven and a half years, some who have given their lives, I think they can look back and realize that they left Iraq in a much better position over the last seven and a half years by their presence than had they not been there.

CHETRY: In your view, were there missed opportunities? Were there times when Iraq wasn't going as well? The military mission there, as we saw, that uptick in sectarian violence back in 2007, were there things that could have been bun differently that would have left us with the same overall impact in Iraq but with less cost and less time?

KIMMITT: Look, I think as you look at any military campaign over history, looking back, yes, there are places and opportunities that were missed. Battle of the bulge, significant intelligence miscalculations in the Korean war. Sure, we'd like to do it over again, we'd like to do it over better. But I think that that's just the nature of warfare. And you're going find that in any historical example, not just Iraq.

CHETRY: How about Afghanistan? I mean, now that we're, you know, winding down in Iraq, a lot of people have said that Afghanistan was sort of left and that there were opportunities missed there as well.

Now, we're seeing a ramping up, a surge, if you will in Afghanistan, where does that leave us as we see all the problems that still continue in that nation?

KIMMITT: Well, that's still going to be a tough fight. But what reducing the force levels in Iraq does, is number one, it provides more dwell time for soldiers back with their families. We've been looking at setting up a program, where one year in combat, two years at home. By having less of a burden inside of Iraq, that may be achieved. Second, it also freeze up critical assets that have been used in Iraq that now can add to those that are already in Afghanistan. So I think overall the net effect will be a positive one for Afghanistan and for our mission there.

CHETRY: Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, thanks for your input this morning. We appreciate it.

KIMMITT: Thank you.

HOLMES: Coming up, it's been a year now since you bailed out GM. Well, are you about to get your money back? The automaker making a big move to pay off its debt to the taxpayers. We've got the details.

It's 16 minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi is in the house.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: You know, it's 19 past the hour. There's supposed to be some long intro into all this and that about --

CHETRY: It's supposed to be "guess who's back, back again."

HOLMES: OK. Let's go ahead and do the grand unveiling.

CHETRY: Ta da.

HOLMES: He's an Atlanta guy now.

CHETRY: Hi, Ali. HOLMES: But Ali --

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good to be back. Good to see you two. This is a good adjustment back in New York to have T.J. here.

CHETRY: Right. He's from Atlanta as well.

VELSHI: Good to see you, two of my favorite people. What did you do with the other guy?

HOLMES: Where's the other guy?

CHETRY: "AC 360."

HOLMES: Oh, yes.

CHETRY: There you go.

HOLMES: Perfect.

CHETRY: "Minding Your Business" this morning. Let's talk about GM because, of course, we love to beat up on GM.

VELSHI: Sure.

CHETRY: And talk about how much money, bailout, failure, blah, blah, blah.

VELSHI: Yes.

CHETRY: Around in the corner.

VELSHI: Yes. Well, look, for GM, as much as -- before we liked to beat up on it, it was the biggest company in America. It was the biggest company in the world. It was really the back bone of the manufacturing industry in America. It was -- they sold the most cars of anybody in the world until recently. And then things started to go wrong, like they did across the auto sector. Some carmakers were better equipped than others. General Motors, in the end, a year ago, decided it needed to go into bankruptcy. After that, the government took some control over of the company. And why is that? We'll take a look at who owns GM right now. We can show that to you on the wall.

The U.S. government, the treasury, owns almost 61 percent of the company. The Canadian government because the province in Ontario makes more cars than any other jurisdiction on the continent owns 17.5 percent. And a union fund to pay for health care and retirement matters owns 17.5 percent. So that is GM. GM is a company controlled by everyone else.

What's the news? General Motors is now going to go public again. They're going to list their shares on the stock exchange which means those three entities which own shares in GM can finally sell them and taxpayers can get some money out of this whole thing. That is the plan and that's what's been announced. It was expected, but now it's official. They filed the papers, 500 pages that they are going to be a public company again.

CHETRY: I have one quick question.

VELSHI: Yes.

CHETRY: And obviously, that's good news. The flip side is what was the stock trading for if you owned shares of GM when they went belly up?

VELSHI: Well, it all depends on where you bought it because by the end, it was worth nothing. You know as they go close to bankruptcy they just become nothing at all.

Take a look at what they'll have to be worth in order to make this worthwhile. So the U.S. government has given $50 billion to General Motors. General Motors has paid back $7 billion. Now when you add what it owes to the U.S. government, plus the Canadian government plus that fund, it's going to have to be $67 billion worth of stock when it starts trading. The estimates are that it will be $64 billion to about $90 billion. But as you know, this is the stock market, anything can happen. I think they're going to take their time to make sure the market is right because it would be useless if they went through all of this and couldn't be worth enough to actually pay everybody back.

So I think you're not going to see this listing really soon. My guess, October or November. People who are owed money, bondholders will get a piece of the action. Former stockholders, nothing. So if you were a shareholder, a very long way to get your answer, but you were a shareholder of GM before it went bankrupt, you're out of luck. And that goes for any company, by the way. Be very careful. People like to gamble on companies as they get close to zero. If that gets close to zero, as a shareholder, you don't get any money back.

HOLMES: Some bad news for a lot of people. A lot of people got burned. But I think a lot of people are happy to see this company make a turn.

VELSHI: Sure.

HOLMES: Great American company.

VELSHI: This is a great story that at least out of a bad story, there's a Phoenix rising from the ashes here. We should only be happy that it's happening and taxpayers will get some money back.

HOLMES: Good to see you.

VELSHI: It is so great to see you.

CHETRY: And you're the bearer of good news. Great to see you, Ali.

VELSHI: Which is a rare occurrence. Can I come back?

CHETRY: Of course. Stick in in an hour.

VELSHI: All right.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Ali.

CHETRY: Thanks, Ali.

Well, still ahead, Muslims praying at the Pentagon, the chapel just feet from the site of the attack. It's an area of prayer for not only Muslims but people of all religions. We're going to check in and take a look. Coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Twenty-six minutes past the hour right now. Our top story is just four minutes away. First though, "A.M. Original," something you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING.

For all of us, balancing life at work, life at home can be a huge challenge.

HOLMES: Yes, you think you got it tough? Try this when you're an army sergeant, you have a wife and kid and also, you're about to start your third combat tour in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan. Jason Carroll here again with the ongoing series. I haven't said it to you lately, I'll say it again -- really have enjoyed these.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, thanks.

HOLMES: Again, the soldier story, but another soldier here, and another story that most of us just can't begin to comprehend.

CARROLL: Yes. It's a real challenge. And it's really going to be a challenge for this first class sergeant that we're following as he heads to one of the most dangerous regions in Afghanistan.

You know, as we look at the situation, the clock is ticking to stabilize Afghanistan so U.S. troops can meet the president's goal of withdrawing next July. The success of units like the one Sergeant First Class Randy Shorter belongs to is key. They are part of the final surge and they are ready to go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): These are moments Randy Shorter cherishes.

SHERYLL SHORTER, SGT. SHORTER'S WIFE: Go get her.

CARROLL: Relaxing at home with his wife Sheryll, daughters Maylanie (ph) and Ariana (ph) and Diego.

SGT. IST CLASS RANDY SHORTER, VETERAN SOLDIER: At 5:00, I am Randy. I come home. I just have to get in that mind-set that, now I'm a family man.

CARROLL: A family man who married his high school sweetheart soon after graduation around the same time he joined the Army. Filipino- American, Shorter came to the United States when he was just 5, growing up in Long Beach, California. His commitment to family and country inspiring him to join the Army.

R. SHORTER: Here we go. I'm almost done.

CARROLL: Fourteen years later, Sergeant First Class Shorter is days away from his third combat tour in Afghanistan.

(on camera): This is your third time going. It does beg the question, do you -- both of you ever wonder are we --

S. SHORTER: Are we pushing it? Yes.

R. SHORTER: Yes. I feel it -- I feel it every day. Sometimes I feel like, you know, I push it too much but this is the life I chose.

S. SHORTER: I don't want to be that spouse that has that knock at the door. Nobody ever wants that. But I know his skills as a soldier, you know pushes me every day.

CARROLL (voice-over): Skills put to the test two years ago when a vehicle in his convoy hit a roadside bomb. Insurgents opened fire. Shorter rescued the wounded while returning fire, receiving the Silver Star for bravery.

(on camera): What would you say is the most important lesson that you learned based on these previous tours of deployment?

R. SHORTER: Well, for me, don't take what I experienced and seen in war and combat home with me.

CARROLL: But how do you not do that?

R. SHORTER: Well, I always live with it. But I will not -- how I look at it is what happened in combat, happened in combat. It's happened, it's done and over with. I'll have to live and relive it every day.

S. SHORTER: I've learned forcing what he's done.

R. SHORTER: Force me to talk.

S. SHORTER: Forcing to talk.

R. SHORTER: That's one important thing to talk. I used to be ashamed.

CARROLL: See, you're saying -- see, that's interesting because you're saying I've learned not to bring it back.

R. SHORTER: I've learned not to bring it back.

CARROLL: And you're saying but I've learned he's got to talk about it in some ways.

S. SHORTER: I mean, the first deployment, I never heard nothing about what he did. The second deployment, I heard way too much. You know, and this time around, it's going to be equal.

CARROLL (voice-over): Shorter's heading to a region nicknamed "hell on earth" by those who have served there had. Paktika province in southeast Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, men, rotate and select the switch from safe to semi. Fire when ready.

CARROLL: His unit of the 101st Airborne deployed there two years ago. The mission now, go back to finish the job, fighting insurgents while helping the Afghan people police and govern themselves.

That mission starts here at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Shorter's home base, where on this day they're saying goodbye with a symbolic ceremony.

(on camera): Does a ceremony like this make it even more real for you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it does. Because it actually - it brings reality back.

CARROLL (voice-over): The reality of another dangerous year-long deployment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good job.

CARROLL: And having to explain that to his children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the pain in their eyes. I still don't want you to go. But, you know -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They always ask, why can't somebody else do it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: That's one of the toughest parts for the Shorter family. Again, Sergeant Shorter and the other soldiers in his unit will be leaving within the next 48 hours. We'll be there for the good-byes, the journey over. And we'll be there on the ground in Afghanistan to get a firsthand look of what life is like for them.

And in addition to that we'll be following Sergeant Shorter through this process as well as we've been doing with the series so people get a real sense of what the soldiers are dealing with when they're there on the ground.

CHETRY: You're going to a forward operating base. I mean, one of the most dangerous areas in Afghanistan. This is not a huge military base where you can sort of retreat to relative safety.

CARROLL: Right. And they're aware of that. And it's something clearly I've been thinking about but you take some comfort as the soldiers do in their training in knowing they know what to do and when to do it. And so it will be an interesting experience to say the least. I'm anxious to bring it to the CNN audience. So I hope you guys check it out.

CHETRY: Well, of course, we'll be watching. I know that a couple days of downtime where you guys actually get there and get up and running. Good luck and be safe to all of you.

CARROLL: All right.

CHETRY: Thanks, Jason.

HOLMES: Thanks.

CARROLL: All right.

CHETRY: Still ahead. It is time for a look at our top stories. The beginning of the end of the war in Iraq. The last U.S. military convoy has left the country. 4,000 troops from the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division crossed the border into Kuwait within the last 24 hours. Now, by mid-September, they'll be back in America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. TERRY WETZEL, U.S. ARMY: Moments I'll never forget, you know, when one of the first firefights I've ever been. The first time you get shot at. I mean, it wakes you up to think that before you come here, you know, you're an adult, you're a grown man, but this place will change you.

I've seen some friends die. And I've been right there and had to carry the bodies. So a lot in this place will change you.

SPC. DON LANPHER, U.S. ARMY: I mean, we put our blood, sweat and tears since we've been here for 12 months. And you know, we know we did our job. And we know it's not going to be in vain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's such a hard decision.

LANPHER: Right. There's a lot of excitement, right now, of course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, "Operation New Dawn" begins in Iraq. 50,000 U.S. troops will remain behind in Iraq to train Iraqi troops and also to assist the government.

HOLMES: There is a new time line now for plugging BP's ruptured oil well permanently. Earlier on this AMERICAN MORNING, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the president's point man in the gulf told us about the new plan for killing the well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. THAD ALLEN, U.S. NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER : Well, in the last 48 hours we've agreed tie sequence of actions that I'm going to direct BP to take, starting with flushing out the current blowout preventer. Actually, looking for the material that causes the problem and actually move to put a new blowout preventer on and do the bottom kill. This will ensure that we can withstand the pressures that maybe generated. If all that winds up, we should be looking at a week after Labor Day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Admiral Allen rejecting reports saying that nearly 80 percent of the spilled oil is still in the golf. He stands by the government estimates that 26 percent of the oil is still there.

CHETRY: There's a new push for a compromise this morning on building an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. Last night on "Larry King Live," New York Governor David Paterson said that he's reached out to the imam backing the project, as well as its developers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. DAVID PATERSON (D), NEW YORK: People put their heads together. Maybe we can find a site that's away from the site now that still serves the catchment area. That would be a noble gesture to those who live in the area who suffered after the attack on this country and at the same time will probably in many ways change a lot of people's minds about Islam, which is really a peaceful religion practiced by peace-loving people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Paterson said that a meeting had been planned for Monday but the imam is traveling in the Middle East.

HOLMES: Of course, while the bitter debate goes on about that proposed Islamic center and mosque that is near Ground Zero, Muslims have been praying for years right at the site of one of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon.

CHETRY: Yes, it's a place literally borne out of the ashes of the attacks. A memorial to the victims where all religions are invited. Chris Lawrence takes us inside the chapel at the Pentagon.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran and T.J., there was no chapel here before September 11th. It was because of that destruction, when they had to rebuild an entire side of the Pentagon that they built this chapel for all faiths to use.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): Once a day, Muslim civilians and soldiers who work in the Pentagon come here to pray. Less than 100 feet from the terrible impact nine years ago where terrorists crashed a plane into the Pentagon and killed 125 people.

GEORGE WRIGHT, ARMY PUBLIC AFFAIRS: We're very tolerant here of one another and our faith.

LAWRENCE: Cameras aren't allowed in any of the actual services. But a chaplain tells me Muslim worshippers come at 2:00 every afternoon. Lay out their prayer mats and pray. WRIGHT: We don't keep track of who comes in here. We don't count numbers. We have estimates, of course, 300, 400 a week. But people are free to worship here as they see fit.

LAWRENCE (on camera): Unlike the controversy in New York where they're debating city blocks, here in the Pentagon, it's literally a matter of inches. That's the distance from the September 11th memorial to the front door of the chapel where Muslims worship.

(voice-over): It's not a mosque. All faiths get a chance to use the chapel. Take Wednesdays, for example, there's a Catholic mass at 11:30 followed by Protestant Bible Study, an Episcopal service and then the Muslim prayers.

On other days, Hindus and Mormons get their time slots, too. On Fridays, there's a Jewish service followed immediately by a Muslim one where a local imam actually comes in to lead prayers.

(on camera): Is it the same imam every week or pulled from a rotating group?

WRIGHT: I think it's pulled from a rotating group.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): There are nearly 3,700 Muslims in the U.S. military, but that's less than one percent of all service members. Some are deployed to the war zones. An Army Corporal Corinne Kahn was awarded a Purple Heart posthumously after he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Now, the center proposed for lower Manhattan is a very different structure but the issue of Muslims worshipping at the site of the attack hasn't come up here.

WRIGHT: I've never heard of any complaints or issues or questions about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: But no one here is minimizing the concerns some people have in New York. And several told us they think folks in Manhattan have some genuine concerns. Now, for its part, the Pentagon uses an outside Islamic organization to recommend and clear local imams for Friday prayers, same as they do for priests or rabbis.

Kiran, T.J..

CHETRY: Chris Lawrence for us this morning, at the Pentagon. Thanks.

HOLMES: All right. 37 minutes past the hour.

stay here, you want to stick around to hear from the woman who called into Dr. Laura. Yes, you know the story by now, Dr. Laura after the "n" word rant on the show. Well, the caller who actually called in and was the subject of that rant. Well, she is here with us.

Nita Hanson is her name. She's live with us right after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 40 minutes past the hour now, to a CNN exclusive.

When Nita Hanson called Dr. Laura's radio show last week, she was looking for guidance, a little advice to deal with a sensitive and very personal racial issue. Instead, she found herself on the receiving end of a stinging five-minute rant that was laced with the "n" word.

Nita now speaking out publicly for the first time this morning. She's going to be joining us live in just a moment. But first, the tirade that may have toppled the most powerful woman in radio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How about the "n" word? The "n" word has been thrown around -

DR. LAURA SCHLESSINGER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic and all you hear is (bleep) - I didn't spew out the (bleep).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They heard it. I hope everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: Right. I said that's what you hear -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: Yes, they did -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: I did and I'll say it again (bleep) is what you hear on - Why don't you let me finish a sentence? Don't take things out of context. Don't NAACP me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, we have heard plenty since then from Dr. Laura. We're going to hear now from Nita Hanson, the woman who in fact did call into Dr. Laura.

Miss Hanson, thank you for being with us here this morning. You're starting to speak out now for the first time. We appreciate you doing it right here with us. I understand you've been quite upset since all this happened. And you've even had crying sprees. Tell me why crying sprees? What part of this whole episode has upset you so?

NITA HANSON, CALLER WHO IGNITED THE "DR. LAURA N-WORD CONTROVERSY": Well, after speaking with Dr. Laura, I was so confused. I was hurt, because I was just calling her to get some advice about what I can do about this situation and how to talk to my husband. I just was calling her to get some help. I did not expect to hear the things that she said to me. I didn't want to turn this into a racial thing. I just wanted some advice on my relationship. HOLMES: And you thought even after all of this went down and the way she reacted, that you went back and questioned yourself and thought maybe you had done something wrong?

HANSON: I did. I did. And that's why it was very important for me to listen to the tape. Because I thought I honestly said something wrong. Did I do something wrong. Did I say something wrong? And I just want to go back and hear the tapes just to make sure that what I said was OK, you know, it was just huge. It was there's no way to explain the feelings you get. Or how you can react when something like this happens.

HOLMES: Miss Hanson, have you reached out to Dr. Laura or has she reached out to you? Have you two spoke since?

HANSON: No, I haven't spoken to Dr. Laura but she did, on Wednesday when she apologized she wanted me to call in and she wanted to give me the advice she should have gave me the day that I called but I have not talked to Dr. Laura, at all.

HOLMES: You sound like you didn't take her up on that offer to call in. Would you like to talk to her?

HANSON: No, sir. At this point, there's nothing she can do for me. You know, I called for help, and there's nothing she can say to me at this point.

HOLMES: An apology, it sounds like is not good enough at this point?

HANSON: No. It's not. If she would apologize, I think she apologized because she got caught, to be honest with you. The tape disappeared and I had to try to find the tape. She's only apologizing because she got caught.

HOLMES: Well, let me put up for our viewers if she hasn't talked to you directly or reached out. She at least gave us a statement. Let me put it up for our viewers. I'm quoting here. This might be the first time you're hearing this, Miss Hanson but she says, quote, "I'd like to tell Jade," I'm sorry, that's the name you used when you called in, Jade.

"I'd like to tell Jade I'm sorry. She called me to ask for my advice. In giving my answer, I not only didn't help her but I used words that offended her and others and I'd like to say again, I'm sorry."

How do those words ring to you this morning?

HANSON: It's more than just the "n" word. I mean, that whole conversation, she said I shouldn't marry outside my race. Dr. Laura acted as if I tried to set her up. And that's not what happened. I called for advice. I didn't try to set this woman up. You know, at the end of the tape, she's like "nice try, Jade."

Like, what is that supposed to mean? So I don't think she's sincere in her apology. She thinks it's OK to use the "N" word and it's not sincere. HOLMES: Well, to wrap up here, last few things, let's go to the issue you actually called about. How long you have been married, first of all?

HANSON: I have been married for three wonderful years.

HOLMES: Three wonderful years. Now, what kind of things were you trying -

HANSON: Yes.

HOLMES: -- to get across to Dr. Laura? What kind of things does your husband do, do friends do, and does your husband even use this "N" word around you?

HANSON: No. my husband never used - he has never used the word. It was friends, just in conversation, where they would make comments about black people, I think just being out of curiosity. And, you know, after a while of hearing that over and over and over again, you start to wonder, OK, is - you know, I - I started to question why it was the same comments kept coming up over and over again, and there were a lot of stereotypes.

HOLMES: In your opinion, is it ever OK, no matter what context - of course, Dr. Laura didn't directly call you the "N" word, but she used it. Do you ever think it's OK, in any context, for Dr. Laura or anybody else, to use it in, no matter what context?

HANSON: It is never OK to use that word or any other derogatory word that - that a whole race - it's just a very hateful word. Dr. Laura - I have a problem with Dr. Laura because she's old enough to know better. She knows where that word came from. She knows why it was used. She knows the whole civil rights movement and how, you know, black Americans had to fight to get to where we're at today -

HOLMES: Again, we - I think -

HANSON: -- for her to use that word and continue -

HOLMES: You know - you know, I think nobody accused her of being an unintelligent woman. So with her knowing and understanding it, why do you think she decided to use it, not once, not twice, but several times? Why do you think, if she's smart enough to know better, why would she do it?

HANSON: That's how she honestly feels. That's how she honestly feels.

HOLMES: What, ma'am -

HANSON: And she just got caught saying it.

HOLMES: Did you think - she accused you several times of being sensitive and black people in general, even saying that black people could be too sensitive to this word. Do you think there's any truth to that? HANSON: And, you know, that's the thing I've been fighting with. That's the thing - because I don't think someone should tell you how - what you're feeling is right or wrong. I just know that there are words out there. We know the meaning of those words, and they should not be said.

HOLMES: We always - it seems like we've had in several past months racial situations to come up and people always liked to refer to them as some kind of a teachable moment. What do you think - for yourself personally, but also for all of us, and, really, the nation as a whole. I know you didn't ask for this role, but what can we all get out of this and learn from this incident?

HANSON: I think we all have to step up to the plate. I mean, it's a - it's a conscious decision to say this word and other words that are derogatory and demeaning to people. We all have to take a responsibility ourselves not to say these words.

Kind of like Dr. - not Dr. Laura, but Oprah Winfrey, how she's done the - the texts and the calling and don't do that. I think we should do the same as far as using this word and other words that hurt people.

HOLMES: All right.

Well, very last thing, any chance you will forgive and would like to possibly meet up or talk to Dr. Laura again?

HANSON: Not anytime soon. It's still very hurtful. You know, I - I was a - I listened to her all the time. But it's still very hurtful, you know? In some ways, you could say I kind of maybe trusted her, or at least trusted her advice, and it - it's very hurtful.

HOLMES: Well, Miss Hanson - again, Nita Hanson speaking out for the first time -

HANSON: It's going to be a while.

HOLMES: -- this morning. It might be a while, but certainly a lot of wounds in this country certainly need to be healed. Looks like yours might last a while.

Well, Miss Hanson, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Congratulations on the three wonderful years, as you say, of marriage, and we'll certainly keep up with you and talk to maybe down the road. Thanks for coming in.

HANSON: Thank you.

CHETRY: All right. Well, very interesting conversation about rights (ph).

HOLMES: And we're hearing from her for the first time now, the other voice on the other end of that phone. But, wow, it didn't sound like she's ready to forgive anytime soon.

CHETRY: No.

All right, well, still ahead, we're talking about the flood threat in the south. There's some storms as well in the Midwest. And we're also watching a disturbance in the tropics. Our Rob Marciano, keeping an eye on extreme weather.

We'll be right back. Fifty minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning again. I'm Rob Marciano at CNN's Severe Weather Center.

We have some thunderstorms rolling across parts of the mid south and the Tennessee Valley that created quite a bit of flooding overnight last night. Check out some of these numbers. Wayne County, Tennessee, 10 inches. These are Doppler estimates, but severe flooding in the way of some swift water rescues that had to be made during the middle of the night.

You see it both - just northeast of Nashville and southwest of Nashville, both of those areas getting a tremendous amount of rainfall, the bulk of which has shifted towards - so to the east, towards Knoxville, Asheville, and heading in towards the low country of the Carolinas. Some of these rain will be heavy at times, and we do have flood watches that are posted for the remainder of today, one to four inches of more rainfall anticipated with the system.

Not a whole lot of rain, but a whole lot of heat again across parts of Texas. Dallas, it looks, seems as though over a month now that it hit 100-plus. You couple the humidity and we've got dangerous heat indices expected today. Parts of Arkansas has also been dry and they'll be hot again today.

If you're traveling in D.C. metros, Atlanta and Charlotte are going to be the areas, and San Francisco, that may see some delays. It will be 93 in St. Louis and 87 degrees in New York.

That's a quick check on weather. AMERICAN MORNING is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: (INAUDIBLE) Hawaiian t-shirt Thursday here on AMERICAN MORNING.

HOLMES: Somebody didn't let me know that I have to dress up appropriately.

CHETRY: Because you would have put one on immediately.

HOLMES: Of course, I would have. I love the crew. These guys, I do what they tell me to do.

Welcome back everybody to the Most News in the Morning. Fifty-six minutes past the hour. Time for a "House Call", stories about your health here.

You might want to back away from the eggs right now, or handle with care at least, and you need to check to see if the eggs you have right now are part of an expanded nationwide recall.

CHETRY: That's right. Three hundred and eighty million eggs now being recalled because of a possible link to Salmonella. Tainted eggs blamed for making hundreds of people sick in several states.

Senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins us with details. First of all, do we know exactly how many people have been sickened and under what circumstance?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what, we don't have a really good number. It's in the hundreds, so we don't have a firm number for how many people have been sick.

What we do know is that usually they are around 50 cases of salmonella a week reported to the CDC in this country. But since May it's been four times that, about 200 a week, and they think that shelled eggs are the culprit for many of these. And so there's been a recall now and that recall has affected people in 17 states, Kiran, T.J.

HOLMES: And how many brands are we talking about here?

COHEN: We're talking about quite a number of brands. I'm going to show you a list right now of the brands that are involved in this most recent recall. However, this has been going on now for a number of months, so there are even more brands than what you see here. You have to go to cnn.com to get the full list.

CHETRY: And another quick question about salmonella. When it comes to eggs, isn't it usually the salmonella is on the outside of the egg? I mean, usually if you cook it or it's baked into products, are you in the clear or is that not the case?

COHEN: Salmonella can be on the outside or the inside of the egg and certainly cooking eggs thoroughly is really your best bet for avoiding salmonella. So all those runny egg yolks, that kind of thing, don't do that if you want to avoid salmonella.

CHETRY: All right. Sounds good. Elizabeth Cohen for us with some good advice this morning. Thanks.

COHEN: Thanks.

CHETRY: Two minutes to the top of the hour. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)