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CENTCOM Commander Admiral William Fallon Appears Before Senate Armed Services Committee; U.S., Iraq Differ on Role of Slain Insurgent Leader; Stabilizing Iraq

Aired May 03, 2007 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Thursday morning, the 3rd day of May.

Here's what's on the rundown.

The wild weather in Texas just won't stop. Strong spring storms bring heavy rain, flooding and power outages. And there is more on the way.

HARRIS: Israel's leader in a free fall. Thousands expected on the streets of Tel Aviv. They want Ehud Olmert to resign over the war in Lebanon.

COLLINS: He says CBS paid him to be irreverent and controversial. Now radio talk show Don Imus trying to get the last word.

Lawsuit in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And at the top this hour, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East under fire. Admiral William Fallon taking pointed questions about troop plans for Iraq.

To the Pentagon now and Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, good morning to you. What did you learn?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this Senate Armed Services Committee hearing is in brief recess now. It recessed to the call of a lone protester shouting about the war in Iraq. It's now reconvening.

In the hot seat is Admiral William Fallon, the U.S. central commander. And he told senators today that at this point he still doesn't have a plan, a backup plan for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, because the entire focus is on making on what he called the surge a success.

Here's an exchange he had with Senator Jack Reed just earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: Are you developing plans for redeploying forces out of Iraq, as it continues, at least?

ADM. WILLIAM FALLON, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: I do not have plans right now to do that, but it's certainly something that we're going to think about and take under advisement, as we should.

REED: Don't you think that's one of your -- a key responsibility you have as the CENTCOM commander, to have contingency plans in place at all times?

FALLON: Senator, we've got dozens of contingency plans in the region. Yes, sir, we will do that. But right now we are focused on trying to do everything we can to make this surge successful and to support General Petraeus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Obviously the senator is anxious to know when U.S. troops might actually be coming home. But again, at this point, more U.S. troops are just now arriving in Baghdad.

William Fallon said it was a mixed picture. Said there were some neighborhoods where violence was down, others he had to look at every day. And he said that the -- to some extent, this was still a work in progress. The number one question, though, he said was the political resolve of the Iraqi government, which is critical to bringing about the reconciliation that everybody believes is necessary for the violence to eventually end there.

Back to you.

HARRIS: OK. Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, for us.

Jamie, thank you.

COLLINS: In Iraq the fog of war shrouds the face of death. Who is this man said to have been killed by coalition forces? Well, there's a bit of confusion between U.S. and Iraqi officials, but they do agree on one thing, he was a top leader of the insurgency.

Here to sort it out, CNN's Arwa Damon. She's joining us now from Baghdad.

So, Arwa, start with this: Who do the Iraqis think the man is?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, let me actually first start by saying that both parties, the Americans and the Iraqis, have identified him as a man named Muharib al-Jubouri. Now, the Iraqis believe that al-Jubouri is, in fact, Omar al-Baghdali.

Al-Baghdadi is the head of the Islamic State in Iraq, an umbrella group that was largely formed by Al Qaeda in Iraq has been responsible for a number of attacks against the Iraqi population, the Iraqi security forces, and the U.S. military. The Americans, however, believe that al-Jubouri is, in fact, a senior minister within the ministry of information of the Islamic State in Iraq. He was killed in a raid that took place two days ago north of Baghdad, and he's also believed to be responsible for a number of high-profile kidnappings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: Based on multiple detainee debriefings, we know that he was responsible for the transportation and movement of Jill Carroll from her various hiding places. Again, from multiple detainee debriefings, we know he was responsible for the propaganda and ransom videos from the Jill Carroll kidnapping. Muharib was also the last one known to have had personal custody of Tom Fox before his death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAMON: Now, how did he end up in the hands of the Iraqis? Well, after the U.S. military finished conducting their DNA testing, they handed over al-Jubouri's body to members of his tribe. As they were transporting the body through Baghdad, they stopped at a checkpoint run by the Iraqi security forces who recognized that the body was one of a high-value target. That is how he ended up in their custody.

But again, two conflicting reports as to specifically who this man was. But no doubt he was in fact a senior ranking member within Al Qaeda in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: OK, Arwa. I know there's a number of intensifying operations on Al Qaeda in Iraq right now. What kind of impact is that having on its abilities?

DAMON: Well, Heidi, you know, Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State in Iraq, has proven itself really to be an organization that has this really phenomenal ability to just regenerate itself. We receive information on a daily basis that figures associated with al Qaeda have been killed or detained in a number of operations.

Now, U.S. forces and Iraqi forces here have been intensifying their efforts and trying to target al Qaeda. For example, last month alone they detained over 400 members believed to be associated with al Qaeda, but we're still seeing these attacks continuing -- Heidi.

COLLINS: OK. The very latest coming to us from Baghdad today.

CNN's Arwa Damon.

Arwa, thanks.

HARRIS: Stabilizing Iraq -- and a diplomatic milestone this morning. A short time ago, the U.S. and Syria met in their first high-level talks in years.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

Aneesh, the secretary of state met with the Syrian foreign minister on the sidelines of the Iraq conference. All right. What did they talk about?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, we know very little. No cameras were allowed inside those bilateral discussions. We're told by State Department officials they discussed not just the situation in Iraq, but as well the situation in Lebanon.

But the fact that they met is itself, as you mentioned, a historic, if you will, meeting. The relations between the U.S. and Syria frozen essentially since 2005, early 2005, when the U.S. recalled its ambassador to Damascus after the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister.

After that and even before, the U.S. said that Syria was allowing foreign fighters into Iraq, was helping to destabilize not just Iraq, but Lebanon through its support with Hezbollah. A lot of pressure was put on the Syrian government to change.

You'll recall when Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, went to Damascus, the White House criticized that trip in part because they felt that it gave the Syrian president a sense that he was in the mainstream. Well, today Secretary Rice meeting with her Syrian counterpart. Again, we know only that they talked about Iraq and Lebanon.

And the timing is interesting because just a short time before they met, out of Baghdad came military official comments that the Syrian boarder is actually tightening and that there's some progress being made, it would seem, with the Syrian government. So, it is a historic meeting. What happens next is unclear. But in short, it does represent a change in the Bush administration policy towards Syria -- Tony.

HARRIS: So, Aneesh, what are you hearing about a possible meeting between the secretary of state and Iran's foreign minister?

RAMAN: Yes, Iran is a completely different scenario. Thirty years of silence have existed between Tehran and Washington. There's been suggestions from both sides, the U.S. and Iranian officials, that they would be open to talks at this summit.

It's sort of like a dance where no one is sure who will ask who first. Both are saying we are open to talks, neither saying we will be the one to make it happen.

We understand a short time ago, at a lunch that took place in the building behind me, Secretary Rice was at the same table as the Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki. Some people were in between them. We understand they exchanged pleasantries, said hello to each other, but they didn't discuss anything of substance.

It is still everyone's guessing game out here as to whether or not they will meet in any official capacity, or whether or not they will exchange further courtesies at dinner tonight, perhaps tomorrow. But there's a sense, especially from Iraq pushing this forward, that the U.S. and Iran need to talk and need to talk about Iraq to change the situation on the ground -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Aneesh Raman for us in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

Aneesh, thank you.

COLLINS: A big day of bad storms. Now a big job ahead in the Lone Star State.

Crews are cleaning up damage and working to restore electricity to thousands of Texans this morning following a day of punishing wind, rain and hail. Day turned to night in downtown Ft. Worth, in fact. This I-Report video capturing the dramatic scene from the 18th floor of a high-rise.

Trees toppled and 85-mile-an-hour winds, and roads filled with flood water. Two people, in fact, struck by lightning in Texas over the past two days. Another woman died when her car became submerged in all of that water.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Fired due to complaints. Now Don Imus is doing the complaining. Will a key clause in his contract back him up?

That story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Israel's prime minister under fire at home. What does it mean for U.S.-Israeli relations? We'll talk with a former ambassador to Israel ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Beautiful and majestic. Can you believe someone actually shot a bald eagle?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Considering he was shot, he is a lucky bird, still. But of course he shouldn't have been shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: I have to believe it was a mistake. You want to believe it was a mistake. A national symbol getting ready to soar again in the NEWSROOM.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brianna Keilar at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, where decades after the end of the Vietnam War three new names added this week to the wall.

That story ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Three more names are being added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial this week. One of those being engraved this morning in the black granite. We showed you a live picture of this just moments ago.

Our Brianna Keilar is at the wall in Washington this morning.

Brianna, I understand this is actually the second name to go into the wall. Another one was done earlier yesterday.

KEILAR: That's right. One was done yesterday, a man who died during the Vietnam War and whose name was accidentally omitted. This has been a long time coming for the families of these three soldiers.

Now, the other two, including the one that was engraved today, Richard Pruett, actually died from complications with wounds they suffered in Vietnam in 2005. So obviously a very long and difficult journey for them and their families.

I spoke with Ann Pruett,, the wife of Rick Pruett, whose name was put up there on the wall today. A really emotional experience for her to see that.

She says she lost her husband too soon at 59, but he really fought. He actually -- she said he really, really fought to survive for as long as he did.

He had adhesions, which is in his intestines, which eventually is what he succumbed to a couple of years ago. But in addition, he contracted Hepatis C because of a blood transfusion in Vietnam. So, a very difficult journey. And she went through the process starting about two months after Rick died, going through the verification process to prove that he got his wounds from the war, and she said this has been difficult but definitely worth it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So what does it mean to be up there with all of these -- with all of these other people?

ANN PRUETT, WIDOW OF SGT. RICHARD PRUETT: He's at home. I think he's really at home there. He's with the men who fought the same cause he did. And he's at home. His physical body is in Sherman, Texas, but there's a big piece of Rick right there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And Ann told me that Rick had come to the wall a couple of times with his sisters, but he always wanted to bring her here and that never happened. They never were able to make that trip.

But he would talk about how when went to the wall his sisters might go off shopping in Washington, and he would sit in front of it and he would cry. He would weep, and he would remember some of the horrific things from the Vietnam War. And that was something he really wanted to share with her, and she said in the end he did end upbringing her to the wall -- Heidi. COLLINS: Yes. You know, it's such an honor, and I don't think you ever go to that wall, Brianna, without seeing someone who is crying or emotionally really upset by it. So it's a wonderful place there.

Brianna Keilar reporting for us from the Vietnam Memorial today.

Thanks, Brianna.

HARRIS: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faces a chorus of calls for his resignation. A massive rally is set to start soon in Tel Aviv. Israelis accuse him of failures in last summer's war against Hezbollah.

What does all of this mean for U.S.-Israeli relations, and relations with the Middle East as a whole?

For answers we turn to former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, now with the Brookings Institution.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks for your time this morning.

MARTIN INDYK, FMR. U.S. AMB. TO ISRAEL: Thank you.

HARRIS: Hey, what are your thoughts on the prime minister today?

Well, he's pretty much a dead man walking. He went into this current crisis with about a 3 percent approval rating. And he's been so thoroughly condemned, at least his leadership has, by this commission of inquiry into last summer's war in Lebanon, a commission that he himself set up, that it's difficult to see how he can survive.

HARRIS: So that's the next question I have for you. He says he's not resigning. I don't know how much pressure he will feel after today's marches and rallies in Tel Aviv, but how might he survive? Dead man walking is pretty strong.

INDYK: Yes. Well, he's still walking, and that's the point. The demonstration today could bring hundreds of thousands of Israelis out into the street. If that is a sustained effort, then I think it's going to be very difficult for him.

His tactic at this point is to show that he's implementing the recommendations of the commission of inquiry. But the commission will have a second and final report in September, and it's hinted in its first report that it will call for his resignation then. So, he may be able to survive until September, but it's hard to see how he will do so afterwards.

One of the things he has in his favor is that nobody in his government or in the Knesset, the parliament of Israel, wants to go to elections now because they've only been one year in office. But by next May, once we're past the two-year mark, the coalitions in Israelis tend to start to fall apart at that point. So, it's really a question of sooner or later, but it's very hard to see how he's going to hold on. HARRIS: Martin, is it fair to hold the prime minister responsible for the war last summer?

INDYK: Well, he's not the only one whose been held responsible.

HARRIS: The defense minister as well, yes.

INDYK: The defense minister also. And the chief of staff, who has already resigned. But it's such a sweeping condemnation of their inexperience, lack of leadership, lack of preparation, that -- and this was an independent inquiry that was actually handpicked by the prime minister.

HARRIS: Yes.

INDYK: So I think that we have to take those judgments very seriously.

HARRIS: Well, that's interesting. I understand that those are the conclusions in the findings of the commission report, but I'm asking you as someone who knows the apparatus and the structure in that country very well, do you believe that he should go?

INDYK: Well, that's my personal opinion. I'm not an Israeli, so I don't have a vote here. But in my opinion, yes, he should go, because Israel is a country whose margins of security are very narrow. And it needs a leadership that has the confidence of the people, because there are critical war and peace decisions that have to be made. They can't wait.

This government has been paralyzed already for some six months, and a prospect of continued paralysis and lack of trust from the people is not good for the future of Israel or for what the United States is trying to do with Israel in the region.

HARRIS: Which gets me to the next couple of questions. What are the implications of this political storm for the U.S.-Israeli relations? And what's on that agenda?

INDYK: Well, the United States has to respect Israel's democracy. It's up to the Israelis to decide on this. But the secretary of state has built a fairly ambitious diplomatic strategy for the region which she has embarked upon already.

She is in Egypt to deal with the Iranians over Iraq, also the Syrians. She has an ambitious peace process agenda. And that particular agenda, the peace process agenda, depends heavily on an Israeli government and a Palestinian government prepared to move forward.

On the Palestinian side, we have the major problem of Hamas being in the government, which doesn't recognize Israel. But on the Israeli side, if we have a government that is paralyzed and incapable of taking risks to move the process forward, then it's going to be very difficult for her to get this process moving.

HARRIS: Martin Indyk, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, with us this morning.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks for your time.

INDYK: Thanks for having me.

HARRIS: And we will take you live to Tel Aviv and set the stage for this afternoon's rallies a little later this hour right here in the NEWSROOM.

Expanding the recall, that's coming up next. Are more dogs and cats at risk from contaminated pet food?

That story straight ahead for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Pet owners, listen up. Menu Foods is expanding its pet food recall now.

The company says products not thought to include melamine, tainted wheat gluten, may have been cross-contaminated. Those foods manufactured at the same plants as some of the tainted foods recalled earlier.

Since mid-March, more than 5,300 pet food products have been pulled off store shelves. You can get a look at those recalled Menu Foods brands on the Web at menufoods.com/recall.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, you can also log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address is CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: The power of words. The promise of diplomacy. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meeting on Iraq, but the headlines focus on the person she met with.

We'll explain, sort it out for you in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Public fury over war sparks a growing campaign to force Israel's prime minister out of office. That storying coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: You first.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Hi, there, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Bottom of the hour, welcome back everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. We are going to turn our attention to Iraq now, developments on many fronts this morning. That might be a bit of an understatement. Conflicting reports on this man, said to have been killed by coalition forces. The U.S. says he is an al Qaeda militant linked to the kidnapping of two Americans. Journalist Jill Carroll was eventually released. Christian activist Tom Fox was killed. Iraq says he was also the leader of an insurgent umbrella group. Regardless, today's announcement is seen as a blow to militants in Iraq and that death comes just days after tribal leaders reported killing this man, Abu Ayub (ph) al Masri. He's the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi authorities have not confirmed al Masri's death.

Stabilizing Iraq today, that is the goal of a diplomatic gathering in Egypt. CNN has confirmed that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already met with her counterpart from Syria. That marks the first high level meeting between the two countries in years.

COLLINS: Fall-out from a war. Israelis step up their call for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign. They are taking to the streets of Tel Aviv shortly. CNN's Atika Shubert joins us live now on the scene. Atika, tell us a little bit about the significance of this demonstration, if you could.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, as you can see the crowds here are only just starting to come in. It's got a very festival concert like atmosphere. Organizers say they are expecting more than 100,000 people to come. The message is very clear from the banners that erupt. They say, failures go home. People here want the prime minister to resign immediately. More than 65 percent, according to newspaper polls, want him to go. But the prime minister's aides say that this might be a good opportunity for people to vent their frustrations but it doesn't mean he's going to quit. We're definitely going to have to keep a watch on this and see just how many people show up here tonight. Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Atika Shubert in a very loud crowd there in Tel Aviv. We will continue to follow the story along side her. Thanks Atika.

HARRIS: President Bush this morning marking the national day of prayer. The event held in the White House east room. Among those attending the mayor of Blacksburg, Virginia and the head of the cadet corps at Virginia Tech. The president cited the Virginia Tech massacre and the ongoing service of Americans in the war zones when he proclaimed this prayer day.

COLLINS: As you know Don Imus is out of a job. But he may be in the money. A key clause in his contract could be worth millions to him. Some viewers may be offended by the language in Randi Kaye's report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You didn't really expect this guy to keep his mouth shut, did you? Don Imus apparently has something he would like to say about the $40 million remaining on his CBS contract, left on the table when he was shown the door.

DON IMUS: That' some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos. KAYE: That was Imus April 4, 6:14 in the morning, the beginning of the end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some hard core hos--

IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that.

KAYE: Hours later the racially fused comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team appeared online. By the next afternoon, top brass at CBS and MSNBC which simulcasts his radio show were logging complaints. Now it is Imus who is complaining and according to a source is planning to sue. He's hired attorney Martin Garvis (ph) who successfully represented comedian Lenny Bruce against obscenity charges and has been called legendary, one of the best trial lawyers in the country by "Time" magazine. Will he be able to put $40 million back in Imus' pocket? CNN's legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin was shown part of the contract.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: What stands out in the contract is that Imus is supposed to be controversial and irreverent. That's what his statement about the Rutgers basketball team was. How is CBS going to argue that what he said was so controversial and so offensive that it isn't what they asked for in the contract?

KAYE: The contract reads quote, services to be rendered are of a unique, extraordinary, irreverent, intellectual, topical, controversial and personal character. These components are desired by and are consistent with company rules and policies. CBS would have to prove Imus' statements were outside the realm of what his contract allows.

TOOBIN: This is a very simple case. It's not about the first amendment. It's not about the constitution. It's all about his contract. Did Imus breach his contract by saying what he did about the Rutgers basketball team.

KAYE: The contract is a five-year deal that began in 2006 and pays $8 million a year. The deal stipulates the radio host must be given a warning before being fired for making off-colored jokes. A source tells CNN Imus was never warned in this case. CBS would not comment. Calls to Imus and his attorney were not returned.

IMUS: I'm not a bad person. I'm a good person. But I said a bad thing.

KAYE: A bad thing that's already cost him a job. But maybe not the millions of dollars that came along with it. Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Switched at birth, a family buries the wrong body. The grave mistake ahead in the NEWSROOM. COLLINS: Sneaking around on a spouse. It leads to a break-up but the secret was not about sex.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very often I had that feeling of God, I hope today is not the day she finds out you know how much in the hole we really are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Till debt do us part, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The front runners hoping to avoid a misstep. Those just behind them looking for separation from the rest of the pack, early stages of the Republican presidential campaign. Tonight 10 hopefuls take part in the party's first debate. It may turn out to be more like a joint news conference, though. The candidates won't be able to question each other. The event is being held at the Reagan presidential library in California and former First Lady Nancy Reagan is expected to attend. The setting is symbolic. The GOP candidates have aligned themselves with Ronald Reagan's legacy.

HARRIS: He is talk show royalty for 50 years. Larry King has reigned over the air waves from the suspenders to the glasses, the gravelly voice. Larry is a true television icon. Tonight a CNN prime time event. Anderson Cooper takes us through 50 years of pop culture. Check out this clip of one of Larry's biggest guests. A guest who actually surprised Larry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the '90s Larry was the place for star sightings. In '94 he landed a "Streetcar Named Desire" actor Marlon Brando. Over the years the film legend had become something of a recluse.

WENDY WALKER, EXEC. PRODUCER, LARRY KING LIVE: One day we get out of the blue we get a call. He's decided to write his own book. They are making him do one interview and he's chosen Larry King.

LARRY KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The phone rings and I pick it up, a little nervous. Hello, and this voice, Larry King, yeah, it's Marlon. I said Marlon who, I swear to God. And he goes Marlon Brando. I'm going to send a car for you. It will be downstairs in about 20 minutes. I go downstairs but who pulls up but Brando in the car driving like a white Chevy, like a Chevy Nova. We get in the car and we start to drive doing songs. He would do the first line and I had to do the second.

COOPER: The duo took their show on the road, well at least to the bright lights of Larry's set Before the show was over, the songbirds were in a lip lock. The kiss became a King classic.

BRANDON: Good-bye.

KING: Good bye.

KING: I kissed my brother on the cheek and I had friends hug me but he's the only man that ever kissed me on the lip and I can't stop thinking about him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Oh, Larry.

HARRIS: I remember that. Anderson Cooper hosts a special two- hour edition of "Larry King Live." That is tonight, looking at the top pop culture moments of the past 50 years. It begins at 9:00 Eastern right here only on CNN.

This news to report to you. Wally Schirra is dead. He is Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronaut. He passed away in California this morning. The Kennedy space center is confirming this for us here at CNN. He was one of the original Mercury VII astronauts. Once again, Wally Schirra is now dead. We're learning from the NASA Kennedy space center, their confirmation here at CNN. Look at those pictures of him back when he was a test pilot there. He's 84 years old.

HARRIS: Hackensack's own. "Your World Today" coming up at the top of the hour right here on CNN. Jim Clancy standing by with a preview. Jim, good morning.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Tony and to Heidi there. I've got a really special treat for you guys today. We're going to take you live to Germany to the last glacier that there is in all of Germany. Correspondent Fredrik Pleitgen is out there. He's going to be going live, telling us about efforts to save that glacier from global warming. It's drip, drip, dripping away. A lot of people say that all of those efforts are doomed to failure. We'll tell you why.

Also take you to Afghanistan for a look at civilian casualties there that are being caused by coalition air strikes, a lot of concern about this as the coalition obviously trying to win the hearts and the minds of the Afghan people. These casualties are standing out yet the soldiers say how are we supposed to take the fight to the Taliban that hides behind the civilians and be aggressive and avoid these risks.

Also we're going to take a look back at the musings of the great communicator. That's right, Ronald Reagan's diary is held up to the light and how can you argue with a man who argues that mental illness is hereditary. You get it from your children. I don't remember him as being that brilliant. Some of that stuff really stands out, you guys. A little bit on that, as well. Coming up on "Your World Today" at the top of the hour.

COLLINS: All right, Jim, very good. Thank you.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, i'll tell you about some proposals that could help homeowners facing foreclosure. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Some sad news to report here. We are looking at a picture of Wally Schirra. We are understanding that he is now dead. We are learning this from the NASA space center. He was the only American to fly on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. John Zarrella is standing by now for us in Miami. John, some people dream of getting up in one space flight. This man did it three times, one of the originals in fact of Mercury VII.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Wall Schirra was certainly one of the true American heroes of his time and of our time. And NASA has confirmed for us that Wally Schirra, one of the original Mercury VII astronauts passed away this morning in California. He had been ill for several weeks. And as you mentioned, Heidi, he flew on Mercury, his capsule was Sigma VII. It was a six orbit flight, October 1962. Then he was back up command pilot on the Gemini flight and he was the Apollo VII commander. Now Apollo VII as many people remember was the first Apollo flight following the Apollo I fire that killed astronauts Grissom, Chaffee and White. So it was a momentous very difficult time when they got that mission off the ground, Apollo VII again the first after that horrendous fire on the launch pad of Apollo I.

And it is interesting, you know, Schirra we interviewed him many, many times. I had an opportunity to talk to him. I'll read you one of the quotes from him. Now that we're talking in this country about eventually going back to the moon and on to Mars and he says, we want man in space. We've got to make the commitment to continue not just stop and start again. As far as going to the moon again or Mars, I can wait for that a long time, probably past my lifetime. And certainly it will be past his lifetime when we do return there. Interestingly enough tomorrow night is an induction at the Kennedy space center into the astronaut memorial foundation up at Kennedy space center into the hall of fame there of three shuttle astronauts and they do this every year. Schirra of course already inducted many years ago. It's going to be a bit of a somber night tomorrow night but also a time to celebrate the great accomplishments certainly of Schirra and the other Mercury VII astronauts and all of the astronauts who have paved the way in the space program. Heidi?

COLLINS: He was certainly one of them wasn't he? Looking at all of these career highlights here and all of the test piloting he did which a lot of astronauts do but the list of the different aircraft he flew and the exchange programs and so forth is just extensive. What do you think, John, he would say about the space program today?

ZARRELLA: Well, I mean, I think he would say very clearly that, as many of the old timers did, that they were never very thrilled with the space shuttle program to begin with because it never really went anywhere. It went up and it went around and so they were very blunt about it. Any of them that you talked to and asked about the current space program. And they all had said from the very onset they wanted to stay on the moon and they wanted to move on to Mars. But you know Schirra also commented many times how the attention span of the American public was so short sighted in that by the time they got around to Apollo XVII, the last of the Apollo missions -- he was trying to get - he was doing commentary with Walter Cronkite for that mission that Schirra was trying to ask mission control if there were any funny jokes or things they could tell to fill time because there wasn't much of any interest on the part of the American public. They were trying to gin up some interest. They had always said that all of those original ones they wished the program had kept building on the successes of going to the moon and that we had already been well -- would have already been well on our way to Mars. That was their sentiment. As Schirra said, we're not going to be going there in his lifetime.

COLLINS: Understandably so. There are still so many of us, John, that look at those shuttles when they go into orbit and take off from the space center and we pause and we look and still think it is incredibly amazing.

ZARRELLA: Tremendous vehicle, the most complicated vehicle ever built by human beings. No doubt about that. It has a tremendous legacy. Certainly does.

COLLINS: No question. Part of that due to Wally Schirra. John Zarrella, thanks so much for that.

HARRIS: The Dow industrials hit a record high yesterday. For a look at where stocks are today, let's go to Susan Lisovicz for a market check there at the New York Stock Exchange. Good morning.

LISOVICZ: Hello, Tony and the Dow is going higher again. It was kind of a rocky start, Tony but this would make 22 out of the last 25 sessions that the blue chip index of 30 stocks has risen. Holding the Dow back right now is M. It reported its quarterly earnings. They were down 90 percent not because of its auto division. We actually saw improvement there, but because of its division, its financing arm, GMAC, which took a hit last quarter because of all the weakness in the mortgage market. That really came as a surprise. So GM holding the blue chips back but if you take a look at the big board, they are still moving higher. The Dow right now up 14 points. The Nasdaq is up 8 points or a third of a percent. The rally continues. Heidi and Tony, back to you.

HARRIS: All right Susan. Thank you.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Starting this week and continuing through the rest of the year, CNN is shining the spotlight on some very special people. Each one has a remarkable story and each is an example of how a single person can turn their personal vision for a better world into action. We call them CNN heroes.

James Burgett was once homeless and a drug addict. Today he is helping others on the road to recovery. What is remarkable is how he's doing it, by helping to save the environment. He is today's CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES BURGETT: This is tape two.

The corporate motto is obsolescence is a lack of imagination. If we don't reuse our waste now it's all that future generations will have.

My name is James Burgett. I have been collecting electronic waste and giving away computers for the last 13 years. I hire people that are outside of the normal employment stream. I teach them how to build the computers. I have been pretty much on my own since the age of 14. I slept on people's floors. I slept in various places. I started pulling computers out of dumpsters, refurbishing them and trying to sell them. The objective was to fund my drug habit. Any time I made any money I immediately stuck it up my nose or in my arm. I quit doing drugs because I found that giving away computers gave me a self-image that made it so I didn't need to do so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's very adamant to giving away for free. This is one of the things that he wants to do, he can do and he will do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not going to ruin it. This is your computer. If you ruin it we'll give you another one.

BURGETT: We hire convicts. We hire people with psychiatric histories. We hire people with drug histories. All you really need to do is give them something they can say, I'm not a parasite today. These are the best feelings we've had since we did drugs.

Just checking in Aaron. Got anything I need to know?

It's all gravy. OK. We take things that are considered broken and we then repurpose, refurbish. This applies to me. This applies to my staff. This applies to every computer we give away. Every single thing you see here, somebody, somewhere, decided it no longer had value and they were wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: He was equally dedicated to defending the planet. We encourage you to nominate them for a CNN hero award. You'll find all the details on our website at cnn.com/heroes.

CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: "Your World Today" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great day, everybody.

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