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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown
Memorial for Victims of Rhode Island Club Tragedy; White House Campaign to Explain How Post-War Iraq Will Be
Aired February 24, 2003 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, HOST: Good evening again, everyone. The program is a bit in motion tonight, so we'll dispense with the usual opening. We expect fairly soon, in fact, a news conference out of Rhode Island on the nightclub tragedy of last week. When it starts, we'll take it and stay with it as long as there seems to be news in it.
In the meantime, we'll get to "The Whip" and start the program. And when we have to interrupt, we will. And "The Whip" begins in Rhode Island, and the latest on the investigation and today's memorials. Bob Franken has been working the story. So, Bob, a headline from you tonight.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, you can see the informal memorial that has been established behind me at the site of the big fire. And there were more formal ones today, as the state of Rhode Island seeks solace and investigators seek answers. We'll have more in a moment.
BROWN: Bob, we will. Thank you.
On to Iraq and the draft of a new U.N. resolution back in the United States -- backed, rather, by the United States and its two allies. Richard Roth still at the U.N. tonight. So, Richard, a headline.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Aaron. Three countries submit a new resolution on Iraq, which opens the way to go from diplomacy to war. Yet another final opportunity for Iraq and other Security Council members to join the U.S. in disarming Iraq by force -- Aaron.
BROWN: Richard, thank you. So what now for the White House in terms of strategy? John King is covering that. John, the headline from you tonight.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, the National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice promises an all-out diplomatic effort to try to get the votes on the Security Council to pass that new resolution. The White House today says this might not be a surprise that the president has very little hope now that diplomacy will work. The White House wants a vote two weeks from today.
BROWN: John, thank you. And the key question would come after a war with Iraq. What would Iraq look like, how would it function? Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon has been looking into that. So, Jamie, a headline from you.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, the Bush administration says it has a plan in hand to deliver humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people after a U.S. military victory, but it relies heavily on civilian relief agencies. And many of those agencies say they were left out of the planning and have yet to see the money -- Aaron.
BROWN: Jamie, thank you. Back to all of you shortly.
Also coming up tonight, more on Iraq. Robert Kagan, who seems to be the thinker of the moment in terms of what is dividing the United States and Europe. Also tonight, just how promising is a certain vaccine for HIV? Don't feel bad if you were confused by today's headlines that seemed to say two different things. All of us were confused as well. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sorts it out for us.
We will also take a look at medical malpractice after this tragedy at Duke University. We'll talk with the incoming president of the American Medical Association on that and their proposals to change the way malpractice insurance is done.
"Segment 7" tonight, a man born in Egypt with roots in Yemen who is all America, an Arab-American Marine. Quite a sport to be in, as the United States considers war with Iraq.
So that's the plan. We'll see how it goes.
We begin with the sense of the familiar in West Warwick, Rhode Island tonight. Maybe it was the instant memorials, the pictures of smiling young people outside the ruins of the nightclub, or the man hoping beyond hope that his friend had somehow only had amnesia and was now wandering the streets, not dead in some morgue. Or that everyone there seems to know someone.
This isn't, of course, New York and 9/11. It is not a national tragedy. It does not have global impact. But one comparison does hold true. An entire community was changed forever by a single, horrible event. Today, the community of West Warwick continued honoring its dead and kept asking again and again and again why. We begin tonight with CNN's Bob Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REV. JOHN HOLT: I think it would be appropriate right now for those of you in the families who brought a picture of your loved one with you, that if you have it with you, if you could just raise it up and show it and turn it around to the congregation that is here so they can see the faces.
FRANKEN (voice-over): Family and friends of last week's tragic nightclub fire gathered for memorial services to remember the dead. HOLT: Just as I walked amongst you over the last few days and as I listened to your stories and you showed me the picture of those who have been lost, I was profoundly and deeply moved.
FRANKEN: But as mourners wondered why so many lives were cut short, Rhode Island's attorney general wanted to know why the station's owners had responded to questions about the fire to the press, but not them.
PATRICK LYNCH, ATTORNEY GENERAL, RHODE ISLAND: I remain hopeful that they will cooperate, both Jeffrey and Michael, with the law enforcement agencies as much as they've cooperated with the press.
ED MCPHERSON, GREAT WHITE ATTORNEY: We are going to cooperate. We want to cooperate fully. And, again, we -- you know, just want to make sure this doesn't happen again.
FRANKEN: Officials also declined to comment on reports by neighbors that police searched the home of one of the club's owners. Jeff Derderian, who owns the club with his brother Michael, has maintained that management was unaware that the band Great White would use pyrotechnics. The band's attorney, however, says station management new of the pyrotechnic display.
MCPHERSON: The club has come out and made it very clear that their position is that we never asked them, we never told them, they knew nothing about this, and they just -- they're wrong.
FRANKEN: Great White guitarist Ty Longley was one of those killed in the Thursday night blaze, one of the worst nightclub disasters in U.S. history. To help pay for the massive cleanup effort, Rhode Island Governor Done Carcieri is asking for federal help.
GOV. DON CARCIERI (R), RHODE ISLAND: We have filed a letter asking him for a declaration of disaster, and that has been received. We just got confirmation that was received.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: And as you pointed out a moment ago, Aaron, the governor is going to be holding a news conference in a few moments. Normally, when he does, he announces that some welcome news in this context, that they've been able to identify more of the numbers of those who died. It's good news in that context, but, of course, it's good news about really horrible news -- Aaron.
BROWN: And just as best we know, Bob, how many have yet to be identified?
FRANKEN: Well, at last count, which was around the noon hour today, 42 were left of the 97 that had been found. Of course the math then, 55 had been identified. We would expect we're going to hear about more when the governor holds his news conference in a moment.
BROWN: Bob, thank you very much. And we're going to sort of plow on here for a while. But, again, when the governor and whoever else in Rhode Island steps up to the microphones, we'll cut to that and pick up the program as we can on this Monday night.
Up next, the Security Council and a draft resolution introduced today by the United States, Britain and France. If adopted, this would be the second one in the last four months. The 18th in the last 12 years, and almost certainly the last one before a war. Unlike the other 17, this one says time is up, putting it squarely at odds with the rest of the Security Council or at least many members of the Security Council, as well as another proposal making the rounds from Germany, Russia and France.
The stage could not be any more set. Here, again, CNN's Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): They marched in together, ambassadors from the U.S., Britain and Spain. The three diplomats carrying what is essentially the final resolution before potential military action against Baghdad. The key point in the draft resolution: Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity to is disarm.
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We now believe that it is abundantly clear that Iraq has refused to disarm and has no intention to do so.
ROTH: The resolution, quickly scooped up by diplomats in the media, does not mention the word "war." But the legal language, if adopted, would give the green light for a military attack unless Iraq voluntarily disarms.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The United Kingdom wants that peaceful answer. But, no, there is not much time left for us to wait for Iraq to take that step.
ROTH: But other Security Council members want to give Iraq more time. France, backed by Germany and Russia, floated a memorandum which would beef up weapons inspections while extending their timeline by about four months.
JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We are saying that Iraq is -- while Iraq is not yet fully cooperating, Iraq is making some progress. At the same time, the inspections are giving some results.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Council has agreed we need to take strong measures for more active inspections. That's the majority's view.
ROTH: The resolution sponsors scoffed at more time for inspections.
GREENSTOCK: And inspections, however reinforced, without full cooperation, are like a ship without fuel. It's being tossed around on the waves and it's not getting to port. ROTH: The Security Council itself is listing (ph), buffeted by deep divisions over the resolution. The U.S. and Britain said they introduced it to clarify the situation and to prompt a decision. A vote won't occur for at least two weeks, until chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix gives a key update on how much cooperation he is getting from Iraq. Blix, who met with his disarmament experts panel, wants Iraq to start by this Saturday dismantling missiles that were test fired beyond an allowed range of 93 miles.
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We have set the date for the commencement of the destruction of these missiles and we expect that to be respected.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: Caught in the middle of all of this at the Security Council, nations without veto power, and not indicating a commitment really either way at this time. Diplomats say countries such as Angola, Guinea, Cameroon and Mexico did not tip their hand at today's session. The real debate begins at the Council on Thursday -- Aaron.
BROWN: Well that debate should be -- I'm trying to think about how to frame this exactly. Should the Iraqis decide they're not going to destroy those missiles, then where do the French, the Germans, the Chinese, the Russians, where do they go?
ROTH: Well countries such as France have said that's still not enough for them to bend and support this U.S. resolution. They think that there is enough cooperation in other areas by Iraq, and they just want to give the inspectors more time. Of course, they could revisit that view if there is a real stand of defiance on those missiles.
BROWN: Richard, thank you. It will be busy again this week for you.
On to the White House next. Safe to say that this is the position the administration had long hoped to avoid. Some of the president's more hawkish advisors warned against going to the United Nation in the first place for fear that Iraq would cooperate just enough to string things out indefinitely.
But for a number of reasons, including polls showing then and still now that Americans prefer the United Nations be on board, a decision was made to attempt diplomacy. Now that hand, the diplomatic hand, is being played out. Here, again, our senior White House correspondent, John King.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KING (voice-over): The president says the new resolution prevents the Security Council with a defining challenge.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDETN OF THE UNITED STATES: ... to determine whether or not it is going to be relevant as the world confronts the threats to the 21st century. Is it going to be a body that means what it says? We certainly hope it does. KING: But Mr. Bush also told the nation's governors he will disarm Saddam Hussein with or without Security Council backing, even if that means going against the tide of public opinion at home and around the world.
BUSH: The country expects leaders to lead. And that's exactly what we all are going to do. For the good of mankind, for the good of the American people.
KING: The chief weapons inspectors brief the Security Council on Friday, March 7, and the administration then wants action on its new resolution. Monday, March 10 is a tentative target for the decisive vote. By then, the White House predicts Iraq will defy the inspectors and refuse to destroy its al-Samud II missiles. But even if Iraq complies, the White House says it's far from enough.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: If a criminal holds a gun to your head and takes one bullet out of the chamber, you still have to worry about all of the rest of the bullets in the chamber because they can kill you, too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: In an interview with CBS today, the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, suggested he would not destroy those missiles. If that holds out, the White House believes that would strengthen its case at the United Nations. Saddam also challenged President Bush to a live international televised debate.
The White House says it does not take that proposal seriously, saying there is no debate about what the Iraqi leader must do. And one more significant development today, after weeks of haggling, Turkey's cabinet approved letting U.S. troops come ashore and station themselves on Turkish military bases. Two more weeks now, Aaron, before that vote at the U.N. Intense diplomacy ahead.
BROWN: And just for those of us who have been following the Turkish haggling, what was the price tag?
KING: The price tag stays the same, $6 billion in direct aid, about $20 billion in grants. After that, the key to evolving this was putting $1 billion up front right away immediately. With that $1 billion up front, Turkey can get a $10 billion loan.
So you sweeten the pot by letting Turkey get more money in the end. The U.S. says it's giving the same amount; just speeding up some of the payments.
BROWN: John, thank you. Senior White House correspondent John King with us this evening.
Want to turn now to what happens after a war. Because, as premature as it sounds, the vision of a post-war Iraq is both a vital part of the planning and the selling of the war itself. Columnist Tom Friedman of "The New York Times" put it best: "You break it, you bought it. And wars break nearly everything." This week, the administration has a well coordinated campaign in place to explain the post-war Iraq from how it will be governed to how people will eat. Again, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): The U.S. says, along with the military supplies it's shipping to the Persian Gulf, it's also propositioning blankets, water containers, shelter supplies, medicines, and other humanitarian relief supplies enough to provide for one million Iraqi civilians. But while the plan calls for heavy reliance on civilian relief agencies, many of those agencies complain they've been left out of the advanced planning.
KEN BACON, PRESIDENT REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL: Weeks have gone by with no coordination whatsoever, which has made it very difficult for the humanitarian relief organizations to get organized and to figure out exactly what they should be doing to maximum humanitarian advantage.
MCINTYRE: In a best case scenario, the U.S. would win a quick victory, and the U.S. military would then be able to provide food and other assistance to the Iraqi people. But with as much as 60 percent of the Iraqi population relying on food programs, dropping rations from the sky, as was done in Afghanistan, is unlikely to be enough.
In the 1991 Gulf War, about 3,500 Iraqi civilians were killed, according to an estimate from one human rights group. But many more have died since from malnutrition and lack of medicine. That could be a big problem this time if, for instance, Iraq's water supply is contaminated.
BACON: That's why having a well-organized humanitarian response ready at the earliest possible minute to go in is important, because you can stop the post conflict deaths or suffering that frequently dwarf what happens during the conflict itself.
MCINTYRE: In a worst case scenario, the U.S. could find itself having to deal with as many as 600,000 displaced Iraqis who might flee for safety in neighboring Iran or Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: The Pentagon insists it's on top of it. In fact, it's already created an office of reconstruction and humanitarian assistance headed by a retired three star general. Over the weekend, some 100 U.S. government officials met in private meetings to discuss everything from how to administer a post-war Iraq to distributing food to rebuilding the infrastructure and reorganizing the government institutions.
And, Aaron, tonight, also a reminder of how training can be as then dangerous and deadly as combat. In Kuwait, a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter, Army helicopter from the Army's fifth corps crashed, killing all soldiers on board. The Black Hawk, like this one seen in these pictures we took from over in Kuwait, was on a routine training mission. It crashed; it was about 1:00 in the morning local time.
The four crewmembers were the only personnel on board the aircraft. No indication of any hostile fire. It looks like it was a deadly accident -- Aaron.
BROWN: Jamie, thank you. Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon tonight.
And a quick program note here, too. Tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING," Kyra Phillips has an exclusive behind the scenes look at a special ops urban combat training, something American troops may face in any invasion of Iraq. That's on "AMERICAN MORNING" at 8:00 tomorrow and at various points throughout the day as well.
Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, we'll keep an eye on Rhode Island to see what's breaking there. Robert Kagan joins us to talk more about the standoff between the United States, France, Germany, old Europe, if you prefer, and what to do about Iraq.
And later, the Duke transplant story and the question of what the right compensation is for someone harmed by a medical mistake. A long way to go on this Monday. This is NEWSNIGHT on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: In his latest column, historian Robert Kagan conjures up two images. France spinning the globe on a tip of a finger and Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. So what to make of a country that sees glory in both, and what does it tell us about the drama unfolding over Iraq.
Mr. Kagan with us again tonight. Columnist, historian, big thinker. I've never said that about anyone on television before. Most recently, he's written "Of Paradise and Power: America Versus Europe in the New World Order." If the title had been any longer, there would be no time for the interview.
Nice to see you again, my friend. All playing out according to script in an odd way?
ROBERT KAGAN, AUTHOR, "OF PARADISE AND POWER": Yes, I guess so. France is leading the great mission for Europe. Speaking for, I would say, the vast majority of the European public and standing up to the United States.
BROWN: Does the piece in "The Washington Post' today that talked about the -- I don't know if it's correct to call it anti-Americanism or anti-Bushism that is pervading not just Europe but lots of places in the globe. What's your take on that?
KAGAN: Well, there is some of it that's just unavoidable, I think. The United States is so powerful and so much more powerful than other countries. A lot of countries are both dependent on the United States and, therefore, resentful of the United States.
And there is a certain anxiety. I feel it in Europe, where I live right now, that the United States is so powerful that there is no means of controlling it. So there's an element of that.
But there is also, I must say, even before Bush was elected in Europe, there was a certain anti-Bush feeling in Europe that he was from Texas and he's a cowboy. Europeans like Democratic presidents better than they like Republican presidents, in general.
BROWN: Is it -- I mean how -- I guess the question -- I mean, if they dislike him, they dislike him. In that sense, who cares? We care when it starts to affect policy. And is the feeling of Europeans -- to the extent you want to speak for Europeans -- strongly influenced by their distrust of a person, or is it the power or whatever of the United States? Or both?
KAGAN: Well, it's all blurred together. And it's a little easier for them to dislike Bush personally. They think that he may be the big problem. And I spend a great deal of my time explaining to Europeans that, you know, if you have a problem, it's America. It's not necessarily President Bush.
But I do think that mostly, there -- on this Iraq question, this sort of determination with which Bush is moving forward, which I think a lot of Americans may admire. I think Europeans just find a little bit awe inspiring.
BROWN: Awe inspiring?
KAGAN: Awe inspiring in a bad -- you can be in awe of things that you're not happy about, yes.
BROWN: It's been 15 years since you lectured me like that. Is there a difference in the way that Tony Blair, who essentially has taken the same position, Tony Blair navigates these waters than President Bush navigates these waters?
KAGAN: Well, Tony Blair has an entirely different public that he has to deal with, a public which is mostly opposed. A public which, like the most of the rest of Europe, thinks that all authority for war must rest with the U.N. Security Council. And so Tony Blair has to be a lot more careful than George Bush has. And he's also taking much greater risks.
He's taking tremendous risks in his own country, his own political risks. His own country is largely against him, his part is largely against him. It's a very gutsy play on the part of Tony Blair.
BROWN: Back to the U.N. These two -- well, there is a proposal and a resolution that plays out. What are the French hoping for at this point? Because they must know that vote or no vote, the United States is going to war unless something surprising happens.
KAGAN: I think the French think they're standing on an important principle, which is that you can't go to war without the Security Council authorization, A. B, that war is wrong in this case. They just don't think it's warranted, and they're going to stand up to the United States. Now they do think they're probably going to lose. They also think -- and I've heard French officials say this and they're absolutely convinced -- that the war is going to go badly. The aftermath of the war is going to go badly, bad things are going to happen. The United States is going to look bad, and they're going to be vindicated in the eyes of the European public.
And that's also what France is playing for. They're playing for a strong position within Europe on the Iraq issue, but then to translate into other issues as well.
BROWN: And in 15 seconds, so that whenever this all shakes out, they are the center of European power?
KAGAN: Exactly. And the way Chirac gave a little spanking to the eastern European countries, telling them they should shut up, is for the future. It's to tell them in the future, you watch out what you say and you don't cross France. This is about the leadership of Europe.
BROWN: It's to me, at least, fascinating. It must be to you, you're writing about it. It's nice to see you. Thank you.
KAGAN: Nice to see you, too.
BROWN: Bob Kagan here with us.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, a man straddling two worlds, an Arab-American Marine. That is in "Segment 7." Stay with us for that. This is NEWSNIGHT around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: As we continue to wait for the news conference in Rhode Island to begin, we'll catch you up on a couple of other things that made news around the world and around the country today, beginning in Kuwait. More troops landed there today, about 6,000 Marines, chopper to shore. Members of the first Marine division out of Camp Pendleton, California.
They've been at sea for more than a month. They join a lot more troops, of course, who are already in Kuwait. One of them said it's like adding a third knuckle to the fist. The Marines have landed.
Meantime, Kuwaiti foreign ministry says three Kuwaitis have been arrested for allegedly plotting attacks on American troops. All three described as Muslim fundamentalists.
North Korea today fired off a missile. The White House called it a short range land to sea missile. Not a threat, in the words of a White House official. Just North Korea being mischievous.
Secretary of State Powell is in the area for the inauguration of South Korea's new president. That inauguration took place just a short time ago. Roh Moo-hyun sworn in , in his inaugural address. He walked a fine line on his neighbors to the North, saying military tensions ought to be ratcheted down, but North Korea faces a choice between nuclear weapons and the security of its regime.
Israel's prime minister today formed a new coalition government, a shaky one. That happens often in Israeli politics. Ariel Sharon managed to put together 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. New coalition includes members of secular middle of the road party, a number of more conservative factions. But not the once powerful Labor Party -- a number of stories from around the world.
And here are a few from around the country, beginning with the case of a man convicted last week of spying. A federal jury today decided that retired Air Force Sergeant Brian Regan should not face the death penalty for offering to sell intelligence secrets to China and Iraq. The judge in the case will sentence Regan in May. He could get life in prison.
Security at the airport is being extended now to the parking lot. Tomorrow will begin random searches of cars as they enter airport grounds. The government decided on the searches as part of an increase in the threat level from yellow to orange. Didn't that take place a couple of weeks ago?
And in North Carolina, two people were lifted by helicopter off a rock in the middle of the Catawba River. Did I say that right? I hope so. They were stranded for hours after a nearby dam overflowed. The two were starting to show signs of hypothermia and were taken to a local hospital. Pictures.
Still to come on NEWSNIGHT for a Monday: the question of the Duke transplant patient and just how much a family deserves when an extraordinary medical mistake is made -- that and more as we continue on NEWSNIGHT from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT" will return in 90 seconds.
BROWN: Not on this channel, it will not.
Coming up on NEWSNIGHT -- I know the program -- medical mistakes and the question of what a family deserves in compensation.
Listen carefully. From New York, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Well, we approach this with some caution. A young girl's tragedy and her family's anguish ought not end up as a debating point in the tussle between doctors and insurance companies over the high price of medical malpractice insurance.
Jesica Santillan's death over the weekend after a botched transplant in North Carolina stands alone. It is unique to her, her family, her friends, to the doctors, and anyone else who were involved in the mistake. And we're going to get to that.
And I knew as soon as I started this, this was going to happen. The officials in Rhode Island are beginning a news conference. We'll take that and we'll get back to the malpractice story before the night is out, we hope.
(INTERRUPTED FOR BREAKING NEWS)
BROWN: The governor of Rhode Island going through tonight some small pieces of news, but not unimportant. They now have 19 people whose remains still need to be identified, as that terrible work in Rhode Island goes on after the fire.
We were about to begin talking with Dr. Donald Palmisano, who is the incoming head of the AMA, about medical malpractice.
Doctor, we're in a bad time situation. Rather than start this and end it abruptly, I'd rather invite you back this week, so we can justice to the complexity of the issue. If that works for you, we'll get in touch. And our apologies for that, OK?
DR. DONALD PALMISANO, INCOMING HEAD OF AMA: Thank you, sir.
BROWN: Thank you very much.
And, again, it's just one of those things that happens sometimes, but it always happens at the wrong time. It's as sure as anything. So, he'll come back with us this week and we'll get to that.
We'll check the morning papers from around the country and around the world after a break. And also coming up in segment seven: an American Marine born in Cairo, torn between two worlds? No, not a chance.
A short break -- right back. This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And next on NEWSNIGHT, we check the morning papers after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Morning papers from around the country and around the world really fast tonight.
"USA Today": pretty straightforward: "Allies Gambling on U.N. Vote." But down at the bottom -- I don't know if you can see this very clearly -- but this is one of those "USA Today" things in full color on how people get to work, whether they take the bus or the car. Anyway, if you're traveling, that's what you'll see tomorrow.
"Chicago Sun-Times" -- we need the "Chicago Tribune," Jim Warren. Let's go. Down at the bottom of the page, OK, guys? "Family of Electrocuted Thief Gets $75,000 From the Jury" -- this is why the legal system makes people crazy. The guy got electrocuted while he was burglarizing a place and his family sued and they got some dough out of the deal.
Did you see today how different papers headlined the AIDS vaccine trial, the HIV vaccine trial? This is "The Guardian" out of Manchester and London: "AIDS Vaccine Fails Clinical Tests." The "USA Today" headline was actually a little more positive, that some cases, it works, some cases, it doesn't. Anyway, that's another story we didn't get to today. I wish we had.
How we doing on time there? OK, plenty of time.
"The Moscow Times," I love this story. It's actually a story I wish we had done. Down at the bottom: "In New York, Yelena Bonner Toasts 80 Years." Why do I like this story? Because it is the wife of Andrei Sakharov, the dissident who has died. Anyway, she lives in New York and she's doing just fine. I wish we had done that story.
The big story in "The Australian" today is not the U.N., though it is on the front page. It's a cricket story, OK? The big-deal cricket guy -- is that's what they're called -- is banned for drug abuse. And it's pretty upsetting.
And the final one, "The Examiner" of San Francisco, this is actually today's paper, OK? It's free. They're down literally to a staff of four. So they're just giving the paper away.
That's the morning papers -- segment seven after this break.
This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Finally from us tonight: an American story through and through. It's about a man who came to this country from thousands of miles away. Maybe his family's world was different, but his values made him right at home in the U.S.: a love of democracy and freedom, their values important enough that he's willing to fight, perhaps die, if his adopted country asks him to, even if that means fighting in the land of his ancestors.
There are those in his family who do not understand that. But to Gunnery Sergeant Jamal Baadani, it seems obvious. After all, he's an American.
Here's CNN's Brian Cabell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUNNERY SERGEANT JAMAL BAADANI, U.S. MARINES (singing): Stand up, buckle up and shuffle to the...
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gunnery Sergeant Jamal S. Baadani is a man with a mission.
BAADANI (singing): Jump right out and shout Marine Corps!
CABELL: His parents are Yemeni. He was born in Cairo, Egypt. But he is an American Marine.
BAADANI: I will demonstrate...
CABELL: He was active duty for 10 years, then left in 1992 for the corporate world. But last March, in the wake of 9/11 and what he felt was lingering anti-Arab sentiment in the U.S., he returned other active duty.
BAADANI: I wanted to prove that Arab-Americans aren't the ones that did this atrocity. It was foreign nationals that came and attacked our homeland. And this is my home.
CABELL: Now, as he trains his platoon, he, along with an estimated 3,500 Arab-Americans in the military, faces the prospect of attacking Iraq, an Arab nation. No problem, he insists. He's a Marine.
(on camera): Baadani says, in the Marines, he's never felt the sting of discrimination, not even since 9/11. He's never seen any suspicious stares. He's never heard any muttered insults. In the Marines, he says, his ethnic background simply hasn't mattered.
(voice-over): Back home in Dearborn, Michigan, where there is a heavy concentration of Arab-Americans, his family has faced an occasional insult. His uncle Khalid (ph), for example, says he got the silent treatment from some fellow employees after 9/11.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't want to work with me.
CABELL: Because you were Arab?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CABELL: His solution? He hung a photo of his nephew, Gunnery Sergeant Baadani, in full uniform in his office. The silent treatment ended.
Baadani cherishes his time at home, the adoring family, the distinctive food, the good-natured talk, the sweet tea. But even in Dearborn, he remains, above all, a Marine, taking time to promote the corps to skeptical Arab-American boys. They question the idea of fighting fellow Arabs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just imagine if you're fighting your own family.
CABELL: They criticize American policy in the Middle East.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's shown itself that America does basically support -- has too much support for the state of Israel.
CABELL: But Baadani reminds them that the United States allowed them and their families to come here and live. And he asks them, what do you like about this country? They respond with: freedom, jobs, education. Exactly, says Baadani.
BAADANI: I'm fighting so you all can have everything that you told me about America, to keep it that way.
CABELL: Jamal Baadani is a man straddling two worlds. And he's doing it gracefully, not hiding from his Arab heritage, but reveling in it. But he's a Marine now, ready to fight and die against Arabs, if necessary.
BAADANI: I'm not going to be buried in Yemen. I'm not going to be buried in my birth land, which is Cairo. If something happens to me, the highest honor for me would be to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
CABELL: Gunnery Sergeant Baadani awaits his orders to ship out.
From Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Brian Cabell, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: A quick program note before we go.
A reminder: Tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING," Kyra Phillips has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a special-ops urban combat training program. This is the worst kind of war, something American troops may possibly face should there be a war with Iraq. That is tomorrow morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" and at other points throughout the day, 8:00 Eastern time tomorrow for that.
We'll see you tomorrow night, 10:00 Eastern time. Until then, good night for all of us -- and I'm sure I'm going to get this right -- at NEWSNIGHT.
Good night.
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House Campaign to Explain How Post-War Iraq Will Be>
Aired February 24, 2003 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, HOST: Good evening again, everyone. The program is a bit in motion tonight, so we'll dispense with the usual opening. We expect fairly soon, in fact, a news conference out of Rhode Island on the nightclub tragedy of last week. When it starts, we'll take it and stay with it as long as there seems to be news in it.
In the meantime, we'll get to "The Whip" and start the program. And when we have to interrupt, we will. And "The Whip" begins in Rhode Island, and the latest on the investigation and today's memorials. Bob Franken has been working the story. So, Bob, a headline from you tonight.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, you can see the informal memorial that has been established behind me at the site of the big fire. And there were more formal ones today, as the state of Rhode Island seeks solace and investigators seek answers. We'll have more in a moment.
BROWN: Bob, we will. Thank you.
On to Iraq and the draft of a new U.N. resolution back in the United States -- backed, rather, by the United States and its two allies. Richard Roth still at the U.N. tonight. So, Richard, a headline.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Aaron. Three countries submit a new resolution on Iraq, which opens the way to go from diplomacy to war. Yet another final opportunity for Iraq and other Security Council members to join the U.S. in disarming Iraq by force -- Aaron.
BROWN: Richard, thank you. So what now for the White House in terms of strategy? John King is covering that. John, the headline from you tonight.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, the National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice promises an all-out diplomatic effort to try to get the votes on the Security Council to pass that new resolution. The White House today says this might not be a surprise that the president has very little hope now that diplomacy will work. The White House wants a vote two weeks from today.
BROWN: John, thank you. And the key question would come after a war with Iraq. What would Iraq look like, how would it function? Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon has been looking into that. So, Jamie, a headline from you.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, the Bush administration says it has a plan in hand to deliver humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people after a U.S. military victory, but it relies heavily on civilian relief agencies. And many of those agencies say they were left out of the planning and have yet to see the money -- Aaron.
BROWN: Jamie, thank you. Back to all of you shortly.
Also coming up tonight, more on Iraq. Robert Kagan, who seems to be the thinker of the moment in terms of what is dividing the United States and Europe. Also tonight, just how promising is a certain vaccine for HIV? Don't feel bad if you were confused by today's headlines that seemed to say two different things. All of us were confused as well. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sorts it out for us.
We will also take a look at medical malpractice after this tragedy at Duke University. We'll talk with the incoming president of the American Medical Association on that and their proposals to change the way malpractice insurance is done.
"Segment 7" tonight, a man born in Egypt with roots in Yemen who is all America, an Arab-American Marine. Quite a sport to be in, as the United States considers war with Iraq.
So that's the plan. We'll see how it goes.
We begin with the sense of the familiar in West Warwick, Rhode Island tonight. Maybe it was the instant memorials, the pictures of smiling young people outside the ruins of the nightclub, or the man hoping beyond hope that his friend had somehow only had amnesia and was now wandering the streets, not dead in some morgue. Or that everyone there seems to know someone.
This isn't, of course, New York and 9/11. It is not a national tragedy. It does not have global impact. But one comparison does hold true. An entire community was changed forever by a single, horrible event. Today, the community of West Warwick continued honoring its dead and kept asking again and again and again why. We begin tonight with CNN's Bob Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REV. JOHN HOLT: I think it would be appropriate right now for those of you in the families who brought a picture of your loved one with you, that if you have it with you, if you could just raise it up and show it and turn it around to the congregation that is here so they can see the faces.
FRANKEN (voice-over): Family and friends of last week's tragic nightclub fire gathered for memorial services to remember the dead. HOLT: Just as I walked amongst you over the last few days and as I listened to your stories and you showed me the picture of those who have been lost, I was profoundly and deeply moved.
FRANKEN: But as mourners wondered why so many lives were cut short, Rhode Island's attorney general wanted to know why the station's owners had responded to questions about the fire to the press, but not them.
PATRICK LYNCH, ATTORNEY GENERAL, RHODE ISLAND: I remain hopeful that they will cooperate, both Jeffrey and Michael, with the law enforcement agencies as much as they've cooperated with the press.
ED MCPHERSON, GREAT WHITE ATTORNEY: We are going to cooperate. We want to cooperate fully. And, again, we -- you know, just want to make sure this doesn't happen again.
FRANKEN: Officials also declined to comment on reports by neighbors that police searched the home of one of the club's owners. Jeff Derderian, who owns the club with his brother Michael, has maintained that management was unaware that the band Great White would use pyrotechnics. The band's attorney, however, says station management new of the pyrotechnic display.
MCPHERSON: The club has come out and made it very clear that their position is that we never asked them, we never told them, they knew nothing about this, and they just -- they're wrong.
FRANKEN: Great White guitarist Ty Longley was one of those killed in the Thursday night blaze, one of the worst nightclub disasters in U.S. history. To help pay for the massive cleanup effort, Rhode Island Governor Done Carcieri is asking for federal help.
GOV. DON CARCIERI (R), RHODE ISLAND: We have filed a letter asking him for a declaration of disaster, and that has been received. We just got confirmation that was received.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: And as you pointed out a moment ago, Aaron, the governor is going to be holding a news conference in a few moments. Normally, when he does, he announces that some welcome news in this context, that they've been able to identify more of the numbers of those who died. It's good news in that context, but, of course, it's good news about really horrible news -- Aaron.
BROWN: And just as best we know, Bob, how many have yet to be identified?
FRANKEN: Well, at last count, which was around the noon hour today, 42 were left of the 97 that had been found. Of course the math then, 55 had been identified. We would expect we're going to hear about more when the governor holds his news conference in a moment.
BROWN: Bob, thank you very much. And we're going to sort of plow on here for a while. But, again, when the governor and whoever else in Rhode Island steps up to the microphones, we'll cut to that and pick up the program as we can on this Monday night.
Up next, the Security Council and a draft resolution introduced today by the United States, Britain and France. If adopted, this would be the second one in the last four months. The 18th in the last 12 years, and almost certainly the last one before a war. Unlike the other 17, this one says time is up, putting it squarely at odds with the rest of the Security Council or at least many members of the Security Council, as well as another proposal making the rounds from Germany, Russia and France.
The stage could not be any more set. Here, again, CNN's Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): They marched in together, ambassadors from the U.S., Britain and Spain. The three diplomats carrying what is essentially the final resolution before potential military action against Baghdad. The key point in the draft resolution: Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity to is disarm.
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We now believe that it is abundantly clear that Iraq has refused to disarm and has no intention to do so.
ROTH: The resolution, quickly scooped up by diplomats in the media, does not mention the word "war." But the legal language, if adopted, would give the green light for a military attack unless Iraq voluntarily disarms.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The United Kingdom wants that peaceful answer. But, no, there is not much time left for us to wait for Iraq to take that step.
ROTH: But other Security Council members want to give Iraq more time. France, backed by Germany and Russia, floated a memorandum which would beef up weapons inspections while extending their timeline by about four months.
JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We are saying that Iraq is -- while Iraq is not yet fully cooperating, Iraq is making some progress. At the same time, the inspections are giving some results.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Council has agreed we need to take strong measures for more active inspections. That's the majority's view.
ROTH: The resolution sponsors scoffed at more time for inspections.
GREENSTOCK: And inspections, however reinforced, without full cooperation, are like a ship without fuel. It's being tossed around on the waves and it's not getting to port. ROTH: The Security Council itself is listing (ph), buffeted by deep divisions over the resolution. The U.S. and Britain said they introduced it to clarify the situation and to prompt a decision. A vote won't occur for at least two weeks, until chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix gives a key update on how much cooperation he is getting from Iraq. Blix, who met with his disarmament experts panel, wants Iraq to start by this Saturday dismantling missiles that were test fired beyond an allowed range of 93 miles.
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We have set the date for the commencement of the destruction of these missiles and we expect that to be respected.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: Caught in the middle of all of this at the Security Council, nations without veto power, and not indicating a commitment really either way at this time. Diplomats say countries such as Angola, Guinea, Cameroon and Mexico did not tip their hand at today's session. The real debate begins at the Council on Thursday -- Aaron.
BROWN: Well that debate should be -- I'm trying to think about how to frame this exactly. Should the Iraqis decide they're not going to destroy those missiles, then where do the French, the Germans, the Chinese, the Russians, where do they go?
ROTH: Well countries such as France have said that's still not enough for them to bend and support this U.S. resolution. They think that there is enough cooperation in other areas by Iraq, and they just want to give the inspectors more time. Of course, they could revisit that view if there is a real stand of defiance on those missiles.
BROWN: Richard, thank you. It will be busy again this week for you.
On to the White House next. Safe to say that this is the position the administration had long hoped to avoid. Some of the president's more hawkish advisors warned against going to the United Nation in the first place for fear that Iraq would cooperate just enough to string things out indefinitely.
But for a number of reasons, including polls showing then and still now that Americans prefer the United Nations be on board, a decision was made to attempt diplomacy. Now that hand, the diplomatic hand, is being played out. Here, again, our senior White House correspondent, John King.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KING (voice-over): The president says the new resolution prevents the Security Council with a defining challenge.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDETN OF THE UNITED STATES: ... to determine whether or not it is going to be relevant as the world confronts the threats to the 21st century. Is it going to be a body that means what it says? We certainly hope it does. KING: But Mr. Bush also told the nation's governors he will disarm Saddam Hussein with or without Security Council backing, even if that means going against the tide of public opinion at home and around the world.
BUSH: The country expects leaders to lead. And that's exactly what we all are going to do. For the good of mankind, for the good of the American people.
KING: The chief weapons inspectors brief the Security Council on Friday, March 7, and the administration then wants action on its new resolution. Monday, March 10 is a tentative target for the decisive vote. By then, the White House predicts Iraq will defy the inspectors and refuse to destroy its al-Samud II missiles. But even if Iraq complies, the White House says it's far from enough.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: If a criminal holds a gun to your head and takes one bullet out of the chamber, you still have to worry about all of the rest of the bullets in the chamber because they can kill you, too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: In an interview with CBS today, the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, suggested he would not destroy those missiles. If that holds out, the White House believes that would strengthen its case at the United Nations. Saddam also challenged President Bush to a live international televised debate.
The White House says it does not take that proposal seriously, saying there is no debate about what the Iraqi leader must do. And one more significant development today, after weeks of haggling, Turkey's cabinet approved letting U.S. troops come ashore and station themselves on Turkish military bases. Two more weeks now, Aaron, before that vote at the U.N. Intense diplomacy ahead.
BROWN: And just for those of us who have been following the Turkish haggling, what was the price tag?
KING: The price tag stays the same, $6 billion in direct aid, about $20 billion in grants. After that, the key to evolving this was putting $1 billion up front right away immediately. With that $1 billion up front, Turkey can get a $10 billion loan.
So you sweeten the pot by letting Turkey get more money in the end. The U.S. says it's giving the same amount; just speeding up some of the payments.
BROWN: John, thank you. Senior White House correspondent John King with us this evening.
Want to turn now to what happens after a war. Because, as premature as it sounds, the vision of a post-war Iraq is both a vital part of the planning and the selling of the war itself. Columnist Tom Friedman of "The New York Times" put it best: "You break it, you bought it. And wars break nearly everything." This week, the administration has a well coordinated campaign in place to explain the post-war Iraq from how it will be governed to how people will eat. Again, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): The U.S. says, along with the military supplies it's shipping to the Persian Gulf, it's also propositioning blankets, water containers, shelter supplies, medicines, and other humanitarian relief supplies enough to provide for one million Iraqi civilians. But while the plan calls for heavy reliance on civilian relief agencies, many of those agencies complain they've been left out of the advanced planning.
KEN BACON, PRESIDENT REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL: Weeks have gone by with no coordination whatsoever, which has made it very difficult for the humanitarian relief organizations to get organized and to figure out exactly what they should be doing to maximum humanitarian advantage.
MCINTYRE: In a best case scenario, the U.S. would win a quick victory, and the U.S. military would then be able to provide food and other assistance to the Iraqi people. But with as much as 60 percent of the Iraqi population relying on food programs, dropping rations from the sky, as was done in Afghanistan, is unlikely to be enough.
In the 1991 Gulf War, about 3,500 Iraqi civilians were killed, according to an estimate from one human rights group. But many more have died since from malnutrition and lack of medicine. That could be a big problem this time if, for instance, Iraq's water supply is contaminated.
BACON: That's why having a well-organized humanitarian response ready at the earliest possible minute to go in is important, because you can stop the post conflict deaths or suffering that frequently dwarf what happens during the conflict itself.
MCINTYRE: In a worst case scenario, the U.S. could find itself having to deal with as many as 600,000 displaced Iraqis who might flee for safety in neighboring Iran or Turkey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: The Pentagon insists it's on top of it. In fact, it's already created an office of reconstruction and humanitarian assistance headed by a retired three star general. Over the weekend, some 100 U.S. government officials met in private meetings to discuss everything from how to administer a post-war Iraq to distributing food to rebuilding the infrastructure and reorganizing the government institutions.
And, Aaron, tonight, also a reminder of how training can be as then dangerous and deadly as combat. In Kuwait, a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter, Army helicopter from the Army's fifth corps crashed, killing all soldiers on board. The Black Hawk, like this one seen in these pictures we took from over in Kuwait, was on a routine training mission. It crashed; it was about 1:00 in the morning local time.
The four crewmembers were the only personnel on board the aircraft. No indication of any hostile fire. It looks like it was a deadly accident -- Aaron.
BROWN: Jamie, thank you. Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon tonight.
And a quick program note here, too. Tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING," Kyra Phillips has an exclusive behind the scenes look at a special ops urban combat training, something American troops may face in any invasion of Iraq. That's on "AMERICAN MORNING" at 8:00 tomorrow and at various points throughout the day as well.
Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, we'll keep an eye on Rhode Island to see what's breaking there. Robert Kagan joins us to talk more about the standoff between the United States, France, Germany, old Europe, if you prefer, and what to do about Iraq.
And later, the Duke transplant story and the question of what the right compensation is for someone harmed by a medical mistake. A long way to go on this Monday. This is NEWSNIGHT on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: In his latest column, historian Robert Kagan conjures up two images. France spinning the globe on a tip of a finger and Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. So what to make of a country that sees glory in both, and what does it tell us about the drama unfolding over Iraq.
Mr. Kagan with us again tonight. Columnist, historian, big thinker. I've never said that about anyone on television before. Most recently, he's written "Of Paradise and Power: America Versus Europe in the New World Order." If the title had been any longer, there would be no time for the interview.
Nice to see you again, my friend. All playing out according to script in an odd way?
ROBERT KAGAN, AUTHOR, "OF PARADISE AND POWER": Yes, I guess so. France is leading the great mission for Europe. Speaking for, I would say, the vast majority of the European public and standing up to the United States.
BROWN: Does the piece in "The Washington Post' today that talked about the -- I don't know if it's correct to call it anti-Americanism or anti-Bushism that is pervading not just Europe but lots of places in the globe. What's your take on that?
KAGAN: Well, there is some of it that's just unavoidable, I think. The United States is so powerful and so much more powerful than other countries. A lot of countries are both dependent on the United States and, therefore, resentful of the United States.
And there is a certain anxiety. I feel it in Europe, where I live right now, that the United States is so powerful that there is no means of controlling it. So there's an element of that.
But there is also, I must say, even before Bush was elected in Europe, there was a certain anti-Bush feeling in Europe that he was from Texas and he's a cowboy. Europeans like Democratic presidents better than they like Republican presidents, in general.
BROWN: Is it -- I mean how -- I guess the question -- I mean, if they dislike him, they dislike him. In that sense, who cares? We care when it starts to affect policy. And is the feeling of Europeans -- to the extent you want to speak for Europeans -- strongly influenced by their distrust of a person, or is it the power or whatever of the United States? Or both?
KAGAN: Well, it's all blurred together. And it's a little easier for them to dislike Bush personally. They think that he may be the big problem. And I spend a great deal of my time explaining to Europeans that, you know, if you have a problem, it's America. It's not necessarily President Bush.
But I do think that mostly, there -- on this Iraq question, this sort of determination with which Bush is moving forward, which I think a lot of Americans may admire. I think Europeans just find a little bit awe inspiring.
BROWN: Awe inspiring?
KAGAN: Awe inspiring in a bad -- you can be in awe of things that you're not happy about, yes.
BROWN: It's been 15 years since you lectured me like that. Is there a difference in the way that Tony Blair, who essentially has taken the same position, Tony Blair navigates these waters than President Bush navigates these waters?
KAGAN: Well, Tony Blair has an entirely different public that he has to deal with, a public which is mostly opposed. A public which, like the most of the rest of Europe, thinks that all authority for war must rest with the U.N. Security Council. And so Tony Blair has to be a lot more careful than George Bush has. And he's also taking much greater risks.
He's taking tremendous risks in his own country, his own political risks. His own country is largely against him, his part is largely against him. It's a very gutsy play on the part of Tony Blair.
BROWN: Back to the U.N. These two -- well, there is a proposal and a resolution that plays out. What are the French hoping for at this point? Because they must know that vote or no vote, the United States is going to war unless something surprising happens.
KAGAN: I think the French think they're standing on an important principle, which is that you can't go to war without the Security Council authorization, A. B, that war is wrong in this case. They just don't think it's warranted, and they're going to stand up to the United States. Now they do think they're probably going to lose. They also think -- and I've heard French officials say this and they're absolutely convinced -- that the war is going to go badly. The aftermath of the war is going to go badly, bad things are going to happen. The United States is going to look bad, and they're going to be vindicated in the eyes of the European public.
And that's also what France is playing for. They're playing for a strong position within Europe on the Iraq issue, but then to translate into other issues as well.
BROWN: And in 15 seconds, so that whenever this all shakes out, they are the center of European power?
KAGAN: Exactly. And the way Chirac gave a little spanking to the eastern European countries, telling them they should shut up, is for the future. It's to tell them in the future, you watch out what you say and you don't cross France. This is about the leadership of Europe.
BROWN: It's to me, at least, fascinating. It must be to you, you're writing about it. It's nice to see you. Thank you.
KAGAN: Nice to see you, too.
BROWN: Bob Kagan here with us.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, a man straddling two worlds, an Arab-American Marine. That is in "Segment 7." Stay with us for that. This is NEWSNIGHT around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: As we continue to wait for the news conference in Rhode Island to begin, we'll catch you up on a couple of other things that made news around the world and around the country today, beginning in Kuwait. More troops landed there today, about 6,000 Marines, chopper to shore. Members of the first Marine division out of Camp Pendleton, California.
They've been at sea for more than a month. They join a lot more troops, of course, who are already in Kuwait. One of them said it's like adding a third knuckle to the fist. The Marines have landed.
Meantime, Kuwaiti foreign ministry says three Kuwaitis have been arrested for allegedly plotting attacks on American troops. All three described as Muslim fundamentalists.
North Korea today fired off a missile. The White House called it a short range land to sea missile. Not a threat, in the words of a White House official. Just North Korea being mischievous.
Secretary of State Powell is in the area for the inauguration of South Korea's new president. That inauguration took place just a short time ago. Roh Moo-hyun sworn in , in his inaugural address. He walked a fine line on his neighbors to the North, saying military tensions ought to be ratcheted down, but North Korea faces a choice between nuclear weapons and the security of its regime.
Israel's prime minister today formed a new coalition government, a shaky one. That happens often in Israeli politics. Ariel Sharon managed to put together 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. New coalition includes members of secular middle of the road party, a number of more conservative factions. But not the once powerful Labor Party -- a number of stories from around the world.
And here are a few from around the country, beginning with the case of a man convicted last week of spying. A federal jury today decided that retired Air Force Sergeant Brian Regan should not face the death penalty for offering to sell intelligence secrets to China and Iraq. The judge in the case will sentence Regan in May. He could get life in prison.
Security at the airport is being extended now to the parking lot. Tomorrow will begin random searches of cars as they enter airport grounds. The government decided on the searches as part of an increase in the threat level from yellow to orange. Didn't that take place a couple of weeks ago?
And in North Carolina, two people were lifted by helicopter off a rock in the middle of the Catawba River. Did I say that right? I hope so. They were stranded for hours after a nearby dam overflowed. The two were starting to show signs of hypothermia and were taken to a local hospital. Pictures.
Still to come on NEWSNIGHT for a Monday: the question of the Duke transplant patient and just how much a family deserves when an extraordinary medical mistake is made -- that and more as we continue on NEWSNIGHT from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT" will return in 90 seconds.
BROWN: Not on this channel, it will not.
Coming up on NEWSNIGHT -- I know the program -- medical mistakes and the question of what a family deserves in compensation.
Listen carefully. From New York, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Well, we approach this with some caution. A young girl's tragedy and her family's anguish ought not end up as a debating point in the tussle between doctors and insurance companies over the high price of medical malpractice insurance.
Jesica Santillan's death over the weekend after a botched transplant in North Carolina stands alone. It is unique to her, her family, her friends, to the doctors, and anyone else who were involved in the mistake. And we're going to get to that.
And I knew as soon as I started this, this was going to happen. The officials in Rhode Island are beginning a news conference. We'll take that and we'll get back to the malpractice story before the night is out, we hope.
(INTERRUPTED FOR BREAKING NEWS)
BROWN: The governor of Rhode Island going through tonight some small pieces of news, but not unimportant. They now have 19 people whose remains still need to be identified, as that terrible work in Rhode Island goes on after the fire.
We were about to begin talking with Dr. Donald Palmisano, who is the incoming head of the AMA, about medical malpractice.
Doctor, we're in a bad time situation. Rather than start this and end it abruptly, I'd rather invite you back this week, so we can justice to the complexity of the issue. If that works for you, we'll get in touch. And our apologies for that, OK?
DR. DONALD PALMISANO, INCOMING HEAD OF AMA: Thank you, sir.
BROWN: Thank you very much.
And, again, it's just one of those things that happens sometimes, but it always happens at the wrong time. It's as sure as anything. So, he'll come back with us this week and we'll get to that.
We'll check the morning papers from around the country and around the world after a break. And also coming up in segment seven: an American Marine born in Cairo, torn between two worlds? No, not a chance.
A short break -- right back. This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And next on NEWSNIGHT, we check the morning papers after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Morning papers from around the country and around the world really fast tonight.
"USA Today": pretty straightforward: "Allies Gambling on U.N. Vote." But down at the bottom -- I don't know if you can see this very clearly -- but this is one of those "USA Today" things in full color on how people get to work, whether they take the bus or the car. Anyway, if you're traveling, that's what you'll see tomorrow.
"Chicago Sun-Times" -- we need the "Chicago Tribune," Jim Warren. Let's go. Down at the bottom of the page, OK, guys? "Family of Electrocuted Thief Gets $75,000 From the Jury" -- this is why the legal system makes people crazy. The guy got electrocuted while he was burglarizing a place and his family sued and they got some dough out of the deal.
Did you see today how different papers headlined the AIDS vaccine trial, the HIV vaccine trial? This is "The Guardian" out of Manchester and London: "AIDS Vaccine Fails Clinical Tests." The "USA Today" headline was actually a little more positive, that some cases, it works, some cases, it doesn't. Anyway, that's another story we didn't get to today. I wish we had.
How we doing on time there? OK, plenty of time.
"The Moscow Times," I love this story. It's actually a story I wish we had done. Down at the bottom: "In New York, Yelena Bonner Toasts 80 Years." Why do I like this story? Because it is the wife of Andrei Sakharov, the dissident who has died. Anyway, she lives in New York and she's doing just fine. I wish we had done that story.
The big story in "The Australian" today is not the U.N., though it is on the front page. It's a cricket story, OK? The big-deal cricket guy -- is that's what they're called -- is banned for drug abuse. And it's pretty upsetting.
And the final one, "The Examiner" of San Francisco, this is actually today's paper, OK? It's free. They're down literally to a staff of four. So they're just giving the paper away.
That's the morning papers -- segment seven after this break.
This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Finally from us tonight: an American story through and through. It's about a man who came to this country from thousands of miles away. Maybe his family's world was different, but his values made him right at home in the U.S.: a love of democracy and freedom, their values important enough that he's willing to fight, perhaps die, if his adopted country asks him to, even if that means fighting in the land of his ancestors.
There are those in his family who do not understand that. But to Gunnery Sergeant Jamal Baadani, it seems obvious. After all, he's an American.
Here's CNN's Brian Cabell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUNNERY SERGEANT JAMAL BAADANI, U.S. MARINES (singing): Stand up, buckle up and shuffle to the...
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gunnery Sergeant Jamal S. Baadani is a man with a mission.
BAADANI (singing): Jump right out and shout Marine Corps!
CABELL: His parents are Yemeni. He was born in Cairo, Egypt. But he is an American Marine.
BAADANI: I will demonstrate...
CABELL: He was active duty for 10 years, then left in 1992 for the corporate world. But last March, in the wake of 9/11 and what he felt was lingering anti-Arab sentiment in the U.S., he returned other active duty.
BAADANI: I wanted to prove that Arab-Americans aren't the ones that did this atrocity. It was foreign nationals that came and attacked our homeland. And this is my home.
CABELL: Now, as he trains his platoon, he, along with an estimated 3,500 Arab-Americans in the military, faces the prospect of attacking Iraq, an Arab nation. No problem, he insists. He's a Marine.
(on camera): Baadani says, in the Marines, he's never felt the sting of discrimination, not even since 9/11. He's never seen any suspicious stares. He's never heard any muttered insults. In the Marines, he says, his ethnic background simply hasn't mattered.
(voice-over): Back home in Dearborn, Michigan, where there is a heavy concentration of Arab-Americans, his family has faced an occasional insult. His uncle Khalid (ph), for example, says he got the silent treatment from some fellow employees after 9/11.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't want to work with me.
CABELL: Because you were Arab?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CABELL: His solution? He hung a photo of his nephew, Gunnery Sergeant Baadani, in full uniform in his office. The silent treatment ended.
Baadani cherishes his time at home, the adoring family, the distinctive food, the good-natured talk, the sweet tea. But even in Dearborn, he remains, above all, a Marine, taking time to promote the corps to skeptical Arab-American boys. They question the idea of fighting fellow Arabs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just imagine if you're fighting your own family.
CABELL: They criticize American policy in the Middle East.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's shown itself that America does basically support -- has too much support for the state of Israel.
CABELL: But Baadani reminds them that the United States allowed them and their families to come here and live. And he asks them, what do you like about this country? They respond with: freedom, jobs, education. Exactly, says Baadani.
BAADANI: I'm fighting so you all can have everything that you told me about America, to keep it that way.
CABELL: Jamal Baadani is a man straddling two worlds. And he's doing it gracefully, not hiding from his Arab heritage, but reveling in it. But he's a Marine now, ready to fight and die against Arabs, if necessary.
BAADANI: I'm not going to be buried in Yemen. I'm not going to be buried in my birth land, which is Cairo. If something happens to me, the highest honor for me would be to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
CABELL: Gunnery Sergeant Baadani awaits his orders to ship out.
From Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Brian Cabell, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: A quick program note before we go.
A reminder: Tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING," Kyra Phillips has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a special-ops urban combat training program. This is the worst kind of war, something American troops may possibly face should there be a war with Iraq. That is tomorrow morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" and at other points throughout the day, 8:00 Eastern time tomorrow for that.
We'll see you tomorrow night, 10:00 Eastern time. Until then, good night for all of us -- and I'm sure I'm going to get this right -- at NEWSNIGHT.
Good night.
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