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Obama Visits Troops, Leaders in Iraq; Some Economists See Signs of Hope; Vet Tests Positive for HIV after V.A. Colonoscopy; Obamas Vetting D.C. Churches for Their Worship; Hurricane Experts Lower This Year's Prediction; Aftershocks Hamper Italian Earthquake Recovery

Aired April 07, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks.

President Obama pushes forward his Iraq policy, making his first trip their as commander in chief. He's talking with troops and politicians about the war he campaigned so hard to end.

More survivors, more victims pulled from the rubble in L'Aquila, Italy. The earthquake toll: 207. The grief, beyond calculation.

Hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

He was in the neighborhood, so why not? President Obama made his trip to Afghanistan a higher priority, but today he's all about Iraq. He arrived this morning from Turkey, shaking hands with troops, helping award metals of valor, talking to commanders about the mission and putting a face on the changing policy.

The president says the troops are doing extraordinary work, but there are still unresolved issues in Iraq.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Iraq.

Fred, it seems the president is cramming a lot of business into a very short amount of time. Can he really be that effective?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he certainly seems to think so. One of the things that he said as he was addressing the troops as he was sort of getting off that plane in Baghdad, as he was saying, that perhaps his presence here in the Iraqi capital can help resolve some of the problems that are still within Iraqi politics and between the different Iraqi political groups.

As you said, after meeting the troops there in Baghdad, the president held a meeting with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, reaffirming his commitment to pull U.S. combat troops out of Iraq as fast as possible, but also of course, also in an orderly and responsible way.

Before that, he held a speech in front of some 1,500 U.S. troops there at Camp Victory right outside of Baghdad where he told them it is now time to transition control from U.S. forces over to Iraqi security forces and make sure they are responsible for the security in their country. And as you said, very readily, he did say, yes, it's time to do that, but there are still a lot of issues. That's something, Kyra, that we have been seeing in the last couple of days, a lot of tension here between the different groups here in Iraq. And also in the past couple of days, we have seen some major violence here, especially in the Baghdad area, Kyra. So there is certainly, as the president says, a lot of work still to be done, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much. And like you said, plenty of "hooahs" and handshaking with the U.S. troops. But what about the Iraqi troops, the ones that we're training, the ones who will fight and die long after our service members are gone?

President Barack Obama in their country today, the president many of them wanted. This time last year, long before Obama sealed the deal, I talked to Iraqi soldiers unfiltered and asked them who they wanted to lead the U.S. effort in their country and what changes were needed to make Iraq successful. No one else talked to these guys. So take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Do you have a favorite candidate?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obama.

PHILLIPS: Obama?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He's practical, and he loves to serve his country.

PHILLIPS: If you could sit down with Obama, what would you tell him you need from him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I would ask him to pay attention to the Middle East and the Iranian and American conflict that's happening on Iraqi land. That is affecting Iraq and needs to be addressed.

PHILLIPS: Why are you so concerned about Iran?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They are our neighbors. They affect us directly, and this is important to Iraqis.

PHILLIPS: There's been lots of talk about how Iran is affecting this war, funneling terrorists, weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Of course we believe that. We have proof that the Iranians help the terrorists by giving them money, weapons, and many other things.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, so they got the president they wanted. Now the question is, are they getting the change that they wanted? Let's get straight to the guy at the Pentagon, our guy, Chris Lawrence. Chris, let's talk about how we're turning Iraq back over to these guys that I talked with. How is the draw down plan looking right now?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, when you look at President Obama's trip, you can really see the evolution. You know, when he first came here in 2006, he was Senator Obama, and he was still formulating his stance on what it would be on Iraq.

When he came back last summer, the candidate Obama, his trip was sort of overshadowed by his campaign promise to bring troops home in 16 months.

Now he's going there for the first time as President Obama, and he's turning his plan into official U.S. policy. Here's how we believe it's going to work. This is what you can expect to see.

If you take a look at this map, by the end of June, most American troops will withdraw from the major cities, and they'll pull back to some of the areas you see here: Fallujah, Tikrit, Al Asad, which a little bit west of Baghdad, and Balad Air Base, which is the largest base there in Iraq. And at one time has been the second busiest airport in the world.

Now, you will see two brigades, about two brigades, leave Iraq and come home by the end of the year. But most troops are going to stay through those elections at the end of the year and then next year you'll start to see more troops rotating home with the eventual goal of having most of the combat troops out by the end of the next summer, with the residual force of between 35 to 50,000 troops.

PHILLIPS: And we'll be tracking it all. That's for sure. Chris Lawrence, thank you so much.

Our new poll actually shows nearly two-thirds of Americans now oppose the war in Iraq. A CNN/Opinion Research survey found that 35 percent favor the war. Nearly seven in ten favor the new plan proposed by President Obama. That plan would remove most U.S. troops by August of next year but keep 35 to 50,000 in Iraq past that date. Thirty percent are opposed to that plan.

Now, President Obama's visit to Iraq. That's just one of the things that Vice President Joe Biden talks about when he sits down with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Gloria Borger in "THE SITUATION ROOM." The full interview is coming up at 6 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN..

Using heavy equipment, dogs, even just their hands. Search crews still hoping to find survivors in the rubble. More than 36 hours after an earthquake shook central Italy, the death toll has risen to at least 207 in and around the city of L'Aquila.

Doctors there are treating about 1,500 people who are wounded. But it's been very difficult. Part of L'Aquila's main hospital had to be evacuated due to fears that it might collapse. We're going to have a live report from Fionnuala Sweeney, coming up in just a moment.

Even as aftershocks rattle Italy, another big earthquake has hit in the Pacific. The epicenter of the 6.9 quake, just east of Kuril Islands, which are claimed by both Russia and Japan. Fewer than 20,000 people live there, and they're no strangers to seismic activity. The Kurils are part of the so-called ring of fire, a region that sees about 90 percent of the world's earthquakes.

PHILLIPS: And another hurricane season is less than two months away. Forecasters have done an about-face. We're going to find out from Chad Myers why they are, well, dialing down their predictions.

Also, the Canadian man of stealing a plane and flying it to Missouri with F-16s hot on his trail was trying to kill himself. That word now from the straight trooper who actually arrested him.

Identified as 31-year-old Adam Leon, police say that Leon stole a singe-engine Cessna at a flight school in Ontario. Hat plane entered U.S. air space. In Wisconsin, where F-16s -- the Wisconsin National Guard were scrambled. It continued on towards the state's capital city of Madison. And as it approached the city, authorities were so concerned that they briefly evacuated the state capital building.

That Cessna continued on into Illinois and then Missouri, where Leon was arrested after he set the plane down on a road about 120 miles from St. Louis. Total flight, 783 miles.

That trooper who made the arrest said that Leon told him he was wanted to commit suicide and feared he'd be shot down after taking the plane into the U.S.

Well, we're pushing forward our coverage of President Obama's surprise visit to Iraq. We're getting ready to ask a retired general who knows his stuff how important and how useful this quick stop is and what needs to be happening over there right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Don't you think your boss would buy this excuse for being late to work? "My heat was shut off, so I had to stay home to keep my snake warm." That's one of the outrageous excuses that employers have heard, in a survey by careerbuilder.com.

Here are some others: "My husband thinks it's funny to hide my car keys before I go to work," "I walked into a spider web on the way out the door and couldn't find the spider, so I had to go inside and shower again." How about this one: "I got locked in my trunk by my son."

We've got more excuses coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Search crews still hoping to find survivors in the rubble more than 36 hours after an earthquake shook central Italy. Modern or medieval, few city buildings -- few city buildings, rather, made it through that quake unscathed. It's estimated that ten to 15,000 structures are damaged or destroyed now.

Let's get straight to CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney. She's on the ground there in L'Aquila.

Fionnuala, you're in the tent city that's been set up for survivors right now, correct?

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is indeed. It's one of many tent cities that have been set up in this town, which has really been devastated by this earthquake.

Perhaps, Kyra, you can hear the sound of sirens which go off occasionally around us all the time. And indeed above us, helicopters surveying the damage.

I'm joined now by a doctor, an emergency doctor. Her name is Dr. Emanuela Troiani Sevi, and she is an emergency aid doctor.

What kind of injuries have you been seeing?

DR. EMANUELA TROIANI SEVI, EMERGENCY AID DOCTOR: Most of them had the worst: really, really serious injuries. People, most of them in the ruins, dead, and a lot of dead and serious wounded and major kind of injuries.

SWEENEY: Now, the hospital her was destroyed during the earthquake, or damaged, so you had to set up a hospital just a few hundred yards from where we are now?

SEVI: Yes. We had to fake (ph) an hospital here. And a (INAUDIBLE) hospital. This is the best area of emergency. So we -- here we can only take the patients that are seriously injured (INAUDIBLE) and then regulate them to the nearest hospital. The doctors are not far from (INAUDIBLE) and to help them we (INAUDIBLE).

SWEENEY: Are you surprised that the hospital here was damaged, because it was only ten years old?

SEVI: Yes. I was very surprise, because it this is (INAUDIBLE) area. There's really no -- in Italy (INAUDIBLE) only ten years old.

SWEENEY: Are you -- you're from this area. So how is it for you treating these people, some of them you know?

SEVI: They are -- it's hard to treat these people, because they are my friends and my parents, and it's really hard to...

SWEENEY: To deal with?

SEVI: Yes.

SWEENEY: Well, doctor, thank you very much for taking some time out to talk with us. And we appreciate it. And we'll let you get back to work.

SEVI: Thank you.

SWEENEY: Well, maybe just an insight there into just how difficult it is, because a lot of the doctors obviously not able to work in their own hospital, Kyra, and having to work in a makeshift tent. We can just see about 100 yards from us.

And as the people of this town begin to come to terms with the devastation that really -- for the magnitude of this quake, the number of injuries that could have been expected to be much lower.

PHILLIPS: We'll continue to follow up with you, Fionnuala. We appreciate it very much.

Now, if you've been watching CNN, you know President Obama is in Iraq meeting with U.S. troops and commanders and talking with Iraqi leaders. And it might seem Afghanistan has gotten most of the president's focus lately. Well, this visit might drive home the fact that Iraq is not a forgotten war and there's a lot to do there.

Let's talk about it with retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore. He's the former commander of the 1st Army, obviously spent much time in Iraq.

The fact that he showed up, General, and it's a quick trip, what can he really do to see his policies through and meet with the right people in such a quick trip?

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, we've had much military success. I think he's got to change the game plan in Iraq and put the pressure on the Iraqi government to resource its army, to give it the authority it needs to secure the country.

And he's got to resource his police force, as well as his territorial government, so they can create a safe and secure environment for the people. It's the Iraqis' turn to lead now.

PHILLIPS: And, you know, and you talk about it's time for the Iraqis to lead. And so let's talk about how important that face-to- face meeting with President Maliki is and how much can he really accomplish in such a short period of time there in country?

HONORE: Well, if it's the right conversation, we probably won't hear much about it, because it should have been a very pointed conversation. Because this president has shown that he would not do what we did after Vietnam, which was cut and run. He's drawing the troops down based on conditions. He's listening to his commanders in the field.

But he'd have to have a serious conversation with the Iraqi president and with those around him that it's time for them to step up, because we need to move on and draw the troops down. And they need to stand up and secure their country.

PHILLIPS: It's not just the Iraqi government. It's not just the U.S. troops. And you know, when I was there last year, I sat down uncensored and unprecedented access to the Iraqi troops. I asked them who they wanted for president. The majority of them told me, Barack Obama. And I said, "OK, if you had a chance to sit down with him and tell him what you need," this is what they told me. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The hardest thing for us is what we see. Look at what's happening. Our people are getting hurt. We don't have electricity. Our young people don't have simple things like a job, electricity. We have oil, and we are poor and jobless.

We want new companies to trust Iraq and invest in Iraq. We want jobs for our young people so they don't join these terrorists. That is the hardest part.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: I mean, General, it was amazing what came out of these soldiers. And, you know, we're yet to see the president sit down and actually talk to these guys who are on the front lines dying every single day. Guys that are going to be there way past the time that U.S. troops are going to be there.

I mean, don't they need to get a talking to, and doesn't the president need to hear from them and what they need? It's their country.

HONORE: Well, I think that was a great report and great insight. The thing now is, the answers for Iraq are inside that country. And now they have to build that team between political and the people and the education system and health system to create a safe and secure environment.

And the answers are in Iraq. It's not inside the United States. We've done what we can for them. And we will continue to help them through training and provide logistics. They've got to build a logistics system in their country, which we do not have now. But we've given them an opportunity to do it. They've got to step up.

PHILLIPS: So final thought then, if he were to say one thing, the president of the United States, to President Maliki, to U.S. troops, to his commanders, to everybody that is trying to work on rebuilding that country, bottom line, what would be the priority? From your perspective, what should be the No. 1 priority right now?

HONORE: Trust in government. Reassure the people that the government is going to do its job to secure the country. Resource the police force. Pay the awakening forces that are still there trying to secure the country and step up and make this happen.

And remember, America is your friend.

PHILLIPS: General Russel Honore, great to see you. Appreciate it.

Seventeen months into the recession, experts say that they are seeing signs that give them new hope. Could a recovery be around the corner?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Well, our excuses, excuses, excuses continue. Bosses get a lot of them when it comes to being late for work.

Now, can you believe this one? "My left turn signal was out, so I had to make all right turns to get to work." That's one of the excuses in this survey by CareerBuilder.com.

But wait, there's more: "A gurney fell out of an ambulance and delayed traffic," "I was attacked by a raccoon and had to stop by the hospital to make sure I didn't have rabies." And this classic: "I feel like I'm in everyone's way if I show up on time."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking out the Big Board right now, Dow industrials done -- down 188 points.

And you call it a silver lining in the recession's dark clouds. We're talking about a number of economic experts getting a bit optimistic. Some even say that the recovery is closer than you think, even when we say -- see the Dow Industrials down like that.

Personal finance editor Gerri Willis here.

Gerri, what signs of recovery are the experts seeing?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, part of it is the stock market. And despite the fact that it's given back gains, some gains over the last two days, it's up 22 percent from its 12-year closing low. That was hit way back on March 9.

There's also housing activity, Kyra. Housing activity is picking up here. Existing home sales were up 5.1 percent in February, new home sales up 4.1 percent in February. Of course, it is off massive lows, because it is a change. And job losses here easing off what probably was -- maybe was a peak when the economy lost 741,000 jobs in February or January, that is. February losses were 651,000. March losses, 663,000.

So what you can see here is there are some economists, not all of them, a minority to be sure, but some who are saying these are really positive signals in the economy. We think we may be hitting the bottom here sooner than we thought. And the recovery, they're saying, could come as soon as four months out.

Now, interesting news here: American consumers also agreeing somewhat with these economists. Recent poll shows that 21 percent of people now think the economy is getting better, compared with just 7 percent in mid-January just before President Obama took office.

The percentage of people who said the economy was getting worse, that's declined from 54 percent in January to 34 percent today. Of course, getting worse still leading the pack. But as you can see, people are starting to have a little different attitude about the economy.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, what will it mean once the stimulus money gets in, then?

WILLIS: Well, of course, stimulus is going to give a big punch to the economy. Right? It's going to lift it. So what can happen is you could have some improvement in four months, six months, at the end of the year. And it's really going to, you know, be generating even more growth.

And once this stimulus money gets in, some experts are saying you're going to see more inflation. Interest rates could rise. You know, we're at lows on mortgage rates right now. That could all turn around. People need to take advantage of what's in the economy right now. Low rates and, you know, certainly low prices for many goods.

PHILLIPS: Well, do you think the majority of economists feel this way right now?

WILLIS: Well, no. This is a decided minority of economists who are saying, "Wow, we're seeing the glimmers, and we think the turnaround is at hand."

Most folks are still focused on the fact that we have a lot of job losses. As a percentage of workers, the biggest job losses in 25 years.

We also have home prices down 19 percent year over year. Now, that's the kind of effect that lasts. And the fact that we continue to have layoffs means that more people could be at risk of losing their home to foreclosure.

So, you know, a little apples and oranges here. But at the end of the day, what is interesting is that we're starting to see some economists say, "Hey, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We think we see it coming."

PHILLIPS: Gerri, thanks.

WILLIS: My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: They may not have big-city salaries, but they make up for it in the happiness index. Next hour, we're going to look at where the happiest places are, despite the recession. Is your state on the list?

Also, it could bring a little sunshine to struggling automaker GM. They are teaming with Segway to make an electrically-powered vehicle with only two wheels. Check it out. The companies say the two-seater would change urban mobility. GM hopes to develop it by 2012. It would run on batteries and -- get this -- use wireless technology to avoid getting snarled in traffic pileups.

Well, the weather is warming up in Afghanistan, and that's not good news for American military commanders. We're going to hear what the chairman of the chief has to say about the growing threat from the Taliban.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. We're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

President Obama is already in Turkey, so why not fly on down to Baghdad? It's exactly what he did today, shaking hands with troops, thanking them for their work, and helping award medals of valor.

He also had sit-downs with commanders about the mission and Iraqi leaders about the progress on the -- on their end.

Mr. Obama tells the troops that he hasn't forgotten what they've done and is grateful for what they will do and promised them the support they're going to need.

Now, in Pakistan, talks within that country's leaders and two key players in the Obama administration's war on terror. Joint chiefs chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen and Richard Holbrooke, the special U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with Pakistan's president in Islamabad. It's the first top-level visit by a U.S. delegation since President Obama put Pakistan front and center in the battle against al Qaeda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, U.S. ENVOY TO PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN: We believe that Pakistan's interest and American interests run in parallel and that the United States and Pakistan face a common strategic threat, a common enemy, and a common challenge, and therefore a common task.

And we have had a long and complicated history, our two countries. And we cannot put the past behind us, but we must learn from it and move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, with the Taliban regrouping, the spring thaw could spell big problems for American troops in Afghanistan. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is joining us now from Bahrain -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, we're in Bahrain. We have just come from Helmund province in southern Afghanistan, spending several days there with the Marines and looking at the situation on the ground.

And as you are pointing out, both these wars -- Afghanistan and Pakistan -- now tied together. In fact, while we were in Afghanistan, we ran into Admiral Mullen on his way into Islamabad. We had a short but exclusive interview with him. Here's what he had to say about the threat U.S. troops face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: The insurgency has grown dramatically over the last year, and the weather is starting to get a lot warmer, so we expect the fighting to pick up considerably. (END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Well, you know, the thing also, Kyra, is that what the U.S. has now is significant new intelligence showing that the insurgents in Afghanistan are trying to not just regroup but stage coordinated attacks, both in the east and in the south. They are looking for a number of emerging insurgent leaders that they U.S. intelligence believes are responsible for the growing IED and suicide bomb attacks against U.S. troops. Everyone is predicting a very long, hard fight this spring and summer -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from Bahrain. Barbara, thanks.

And Friday, Iowa became number three. Today, Vermont's the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Lawmakers voting to override the governor's veto of their same-sex marriage bill. Hundreds of people packed into the statehouse, clapped, cheered as the official announcement was read. Iowa, Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only other states where gays and lesbians can wed. But courts implemented their laws. Vermont is the only place where the legislature's done it.

Vets being treated with unclean colonoscopy equipment. Now, one has tested positive for a life-threatening disease. We've got details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a story that we have not forgotten and we continue to update for you. It's about that V.A. investigation into improperly sterilized equipment used in veterans' colonoscopies. One patient exposed to that equipment has now tested positive for HIV. More than 10,000 veterans could be at risk for the same kind of infection, if not others. Medical correspondent Judy Fortin here to update us.

What are you actually hearing today? I mean, that's the biggest thing that we've heard is the HIV.

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And it's the confirmation of that that we've just gotten from the Veterans Administration. So, let's break it down for you.

One vet has tested positive for HIV. Other vets have tested positive for hepatitis. So, here's where we stand right now. Seventeen cases total, 11 connected to a V.A. clinic in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, six others connected to a hospital in Augusta, Georgia. But again, one vet testing positive for HIV, and we asked the V.A., where did that positive test turn up? And they refuse to tell us.

Also, a very important note here. The V.A. says at this point, there is no way to know if these vets were infected due to dirty endoscopy equipment. It's possible that they got hepatitis or HIV from other sources as well, and they have a team of epidemiologists going in to investigate right now.

PHILLIPS: Well, and we also know that that isn't the first hospital to have a problem.

FORTIN: That's right.

PHILLIPS: I mean, we found out about problems in Augusta and then of course at the V.A. Hospital in Miami that we heard about and really -- that's when we wanted to stay on the story and follow. And that's when we found out about all these other problems. Where does the investigation stand with regard to the Miami V.A. hospital?

FORTIN: Well, it's ongoing right now. And we also checked on that information, too. Thousands of people have gone in to be tested. The V.A. told us today that they are waiting to verify the results there. Overall, in all of these three incidents, the V.A. says over 10,000 vets may have been exposed. So, they've sent letters out to make sure that those vets were aware of what's going on and to urge them to get in and to get tested.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, let's talk about how the testing is going and also about the other V.A. facilities. I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of vets wondering, oh my gosh, if I go in for one of these at a hospital in some totally different state, am I going to be OK?

FORTIN: Right. Could it be me? And a lot of people are wondering that. But they've only been able to reach about 3,000 vets so far. They've sent out these letters. And for anyone that they haven't been able to reach, they're sending out investigators to try to find the other vets. Maybe some are homeless out there, and they're dedicated to try to find the people and reach them and let them know what's happening.

And the other thing, too, is that they're not going to charge any of the vets for any of the treatment that they receive down the line. So, that's important for people to know, too.

PHILLIPS: Yes, well, they definitely shouldn't.

FORTIN: So, if they think they're involved, get in touch. But hopefully they'll get one of these letters and find out if they're one of the ones who could be affected by all of this.

PHILLIPS: Well, we're going to talk to somebody that actually got one of those letters, and we're of course going to stay on top of this story. Thank you so much, Judy.

FORTIN: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: You know, it's an uncertainty that's the companion of a number of these veterans in the health scare. Wayne Craig knows that all too well. The Navy vet had a colonoscopy at a V.A. hospital, and has since been tested for hepatitis and HIV. And so far, he's OK. None of those infections have shown up. But he's still concerned.

He joins us by phone now from Fayetteville, Tennessee. Wayne, I thank you so much for talking about this. I know it's not easy. You reached out to us when we solicited e-mails, and I appreciate you coming forward and talking to us. And just put into perspective for folks when you got this letter -- when did you get this letter, and what exactly did it say, and how did you react to it?

WAYNE CRAIG, NAVY VETERAN (via telephone): Well, I just didn't know what to say or what to do. I couldn't believe that that would happen. My understanding that those tubes and stuff were normally to be replaced at the end of each colonoscopy done, according to a veteran's wife that had one done from a private hospital. I just didn't know what -- how to respond.

PHILLIPS: So, you got the letter, and you went immediately in for a test, correct? How did they treat you? Did they apologize to you? Kind of tell me the process that you went through once you got the letter and showed up there to get your test.

CRAIG: Actually, I didn't show up there to get a test. What I did was call to try to get -- find out what was going on, and they told me that they would be willing to test me, but I didn't want to go back to the V.A. Hospital because of what had happened. And so, they offered to give me an authorization to go to a private situation, and I waited on a response from them and didn't get it, so I went to my own private doctor and got tested.

PHILLIPS: Wow. So, you didn't even want to go back to the V.A. OK, so you got tested. So far so good. Tell me why you are still worried and concerned, and every day that you wake up, you're still thinking about it.

CRAIG: Well, it's my understanding that HIV 1 and HIV 2 can show up at any point in time. It's been about five years for me since I had my colonoscopy. According to what my doctor told me, that could still take even up to seven to eight years for it to show up.

PHILLIPS: Wow. So, I'm assuming that you're going to have to go back and get tested, what, every six months or so?

CRAIG: Yes, ma'am, that's what the doctor -- or actually the person that did the blood test recommended that I do.

PHILLIPS: So, Wayne, how difficult has this been for you and your wife and your family? I mean, this has had to have taken a toll on all of you.

CRAIG: Well, I think right now my wife is really concerned about some other problems I'm having physically right now more so than she is the test, because the test did come back negative for me. But those tests that the tests didn't come back negative, that's the ones that need to be put up front and taken care of first.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Final thought, Wayne. I mean, you're a vet. You spend so many times with fellow vets. What do you think about your health care?

CRAIG: Well, I've been up there to the Vets there in Murfreesboro several, several times, and if you go up there and you look around, you can see that it's pretty outdated equipment and outdated facilities. And I think with the president giving money to the banks and to the car companies, that why not to the vets? Why not give somebody something that has served their country.

PHILLIPS: Totally agree, Wayne. And that's why we're on top of this story. We'll continue to stay in touch with the V.A. We are trying to effort (ph) an interview. We have for a number of weeks now, with the secretary of the V.A.. And we would like to ask those questions about money going toward vets like you and your type of care.

Wayne Craig, appreciate it so much. And if you're...

CRAIG: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

If you're a vet, and you think that you may be infected or you just don't know, call the main V.A. hospital number at toll free, 877- 575-7256. That number again, 1-877-575-7256. And we will remain dedicated to this story and update you on hospital care at the various V.A. hospitals.

Well, a nationwide recall of pistachios has widened. Consumers already had been warned to avoid roasted pistachios prostessed -- processed, rather, at the Setton Farms plant in Terra Bella, California. But new concerns from health inspectors have forced the recall to expand to expand to raw nuts now and all roasted nuts produced there last year. Food and Drug Administration says that inspections turned up evidence of salmonella in critical areas of that facility.

Possible new help for smokers looking to kick the habit. Research shows that a combination of a nicotine patch, a nicotine inhaler and an antidepressant increased success rates for smokers trying to quit, especially those with chronic health problems. In a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 35 percent of those who used the combination therapy stopped. That's compared to only 19 percent of smokers who relied on the nicotine patch alone.

Thou shall not steal at all. Thou definitely shall not steal to pay for Botox, especially if you're a priest.

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PHILLIPS: Greed and pride, two of the seven deadly sins. Well, a New York priest might have committed both of them. He's accused of stealing almost $85,000 from his church to pay for Botox and plastic surgery. Oh, and prescription drugs, too. That money was meant for the parish's needy and for church maintenance. But the pastor faces up to 15 years now in jail if convicted. His lawyer says it's all a, quote, "bad mistake."

See you, Chia. A week after it hit store shelves, the Chia Obama has been yanked by Walgreens. The drugstore chain says it's gotten complaints that the presidential pottery is racist. Chia Pets, of course, have been around for years in all different shapes and sizes, everything from animals to Homer Simpson to Mr. T. OK, so, we want to know, do you find the Chia Obama offensive? E-mail us, CNNnewsroom@cnn.com. We'll read some of your comments on the air.

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PHILLIPS: Well, you think it was tough for the president to find a commerce secretary and a health secretary? Well, yes, but the Cabinet isn't getting all the attention. Some of the focus is on faith. Randi Kaye tell us the White House team is still trying to find the first family a church.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ought to pray! You ought to keep praying!

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reverend Derrick Harkins in the pulpit at Washington, D.C.'s Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, where he's been every Sunday for the last 11 years. But these days, it's different. The White House is watching and reporting back to the president, all part of a quiet, calculated effort to find the right church for the first family.

A source inside the administration close to this process tells me White House staff are vetting D.C. churches, interviewing pastors, studying sermons. The source says this has nothing to do with Mr. Obama's former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright...

REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT, FORMER OBAMA PASTOR: God damn America!

KAYE: ... whose controversial remarks threatened to bring down his campaign.

(on camera): Do you know if you've been vetted?

DR. DERRICK HARKINS, PASTOR, NINETEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH: You can use the term "vetting," I suppose. It's probably helpful to have some people who can at least bring to them some awareness of those churches and their histories, their ministries.

KAYE (voice-over): Reverend Harkins met with the administration's head of faith-based initiatives about his church, which is under consideration. The Obamas came here just 48 hours before the inauguration.

(on-camera): It was a full house the day the Obama family attended services here. About 1,300 people showed up for church. Mr. Obama sat right here, then his wife, Michelle. and the girls, and the church deacons right up front.

(voice-over): White House staff prefer a family-oriented church that serves the needy, one where the Obamas won't be a distraction. The church has to be able to handle tight security, maybe even metal detectors.

(on camera): The White House wants a church that's close by. The First Baptist Church is only about six blocks or so from the White House. President Harry Truman used to walk over. Another president, Jimmy Carter, was a member here. In fact, he taught Sunday school.

(voice-over): Church deacon Shirley McBath has fond memories of the Carters and all the excitement they brought.

SHIRLEY MCBATH, DEACON, FIRST ST. BAPTIST CHURCH: Policemen and their rifles prancing around on top of the buildings making sure that the church was secure. And then when you entered the door, sometimes you were met by some of the dogs that had just sniffed out the church.

KAYE: While the White House is busy vetting, some churches have begun lobbying. First Baptist is touting its basketball court. It sent this letter inviting the president to visit. The pastor at Calvary Baptist Church used her blog to invite the first lady, and a bishop for Foundry United Methodist Church sent this welcome letter.

(on camera): In all, 14 presidents worshipped at this church, including President Clinton, who chose the Foundry. But what may really pull President Obama in may be the fact that President Lincoln, who he's especially fond of, helped raise money for this church.

(voice-over): Ultimately, the Obamas will decide. But the White House has been flooded with hundreds of church invitations.

Back at Nineteenth Street Baptist...

(on camera): ... have you or are you actively lobbying the first family to join here, as others have?

HARKINS: Absolutely not. I made the point of saying from the pulpit that we were not going to write any letters, we were not going to make any phone calls and we were not going to strategize for the first family, that we were going to trust God's providential hand.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

FEYERICK (voice-over): If it's God's design that the Obamas should worship here, Reverend Derrick Harkins says that will be a blessing.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Washington.

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PHILLIPS: Is another Katrina likely this year? Forecasters have changed their minds a bit as they look to the new hurricane season that's on the horizon.

But, first, excuses. We all use them when we're late for work. But can you believe this one? My father didn't wake me up. That's one of the excuses bosses have heard, according to a survey by careerbuilder.com. But, wait, there's more. A groundhog bit my bike tire and made it flat. My driveway washed away in the rain last night.

And here's a classic: I had to go to bingo. B-5.

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PHILLIPS: Well, we're pushing forward. The president's surprise visit to Iraq. Mr. Obama's been meeting with U.S. troops and commanders and talking with Iraqi leaders. He says a full briefing is best done face to face. So, he's there getting updates straight from the source. We're going to talk more about that in just a few minutes and talk about what he's hoping to accomplish with the last stop on his overseas trip.

Now, hurricane season less than two months away. Forecasters have changed their prediction on us, as well. Chad Myers here with his predictions as well and what the experts are saying. What do you think?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I try to stay out of it.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: You just report. You tell us what the experts are going to say. But you're an expert.

MYERS: I'm good for five or six days.

PHILLIPS: Come on, you're tracking all your maps and...

MYERS: I'm a meteorologist.

PHILLIPS: OK.

MYERS: These guys are kind of climatologists. They look at more like the climate and what's going on big term. I look at when the cold front's...

PHILLIPS: So, a climatologist is not also a meteorologist.

MYERS: They can be both, but...

PHILLIPS: OK.

MYERS: ... if you looking at what happens in the next six months or what happened five years ago, that's one thing. If you're looking at what's going to happen next week and when the cold front's coming by, that's what I do.

PHILLIPS: All right, meteorologist, help me out.

MYERS: Well, I'm an earth -- I'm a seismologist. I'm a volcanologist. I'm whatever -- it's whatever I need to be that day. You know?

PHILLIPS: But not a Scientologist. That's the only thing.

MYERS: Not yet.

PHILLIPS: OK. All right.

MYERS: Don't have that yet. Let's look at what Dr Gray at Colorado State's looking at right now. Their forecast three months ago was 14, seven and three. Fourteen named storms, seven hurricanes, three big ones. Now, they've reduced that number to 12, six, two, because what was pretty good La Nina event, which was winds blowing in the Pacific Ocean one way, now looks like it's turning neutral. So, those winds aren't pushing the warm water and the cold water against those Pacific islands on the west side and the South Atlantic -- South Pacific, on the east -- on the west side here.

Now, this whole east-west thing is all part of how the forecasts changed last year as well. Let me tell you how these guys did last year. A normal season is about 11, six and two, 11, six and three, somewhere in there. They said overs last year. They said, yes, we'll have 15. Yes, it was definitely over 11.

They said overs on the hurricane. Yes, it was. They were right on the mark. And they said overs on the major hurricanes at four and that was five with the actual season. So, these guys have been doing it 26 years. They know what they're doing. And just because they said a smaller hurricane season, actually, I have a smile on my face now. Means I work a little less hard, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Chad, you are always working hard. You never work less hard. Thank you so much.

MYERS: Well, at least we should worry -- not worry so much about big hurricanes. Let's say if he was saying 20, 10 and five or something like that. That's not their forecast, at least for now.

PHILLIPS: All right. Chad, I didn't get a chance to refresh your computer over there, but apparently the AP is reporting now strong aftershocks in Rome and the Italian city of L'Aquila. You'll remember that L'Aquila was just flattened by that earthquake that's now claimed at least 270 lives. Search crews still combing through the rubble, hoping not to add to that number.

We've got this update now from Juliet Bremner of ITN.

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JULIET BREMNER, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty-four hours after the town of L'Aquila was hit, anxious faces tell of the torturous wait to see if more survivors can be found. This time, they are rewarded. Twenty-one-year-old Valeria Esposito (ph) is pulled out alive and smiling.

It's dangerous work. Under the floodlights, firemen search through the remains of a student dormitory. Another aftershock sends them running away from the unstable structure. With more than a dozen people still officially missing, there's a grim determination to keep searching, even though more often than not, they reach their victims too late.

Reinforcements are being drafted in to help with the rescue operation. In the more remote areas, entire villages have been devastated. The small hamlet of Onu (ph) lost 38 people out of a population of just 300. But, still, the stretcher is left in place, just in case of a miracle.

Even as survivors absorb the terrible details, questions are being asked about why there weren't any adequate warnings. Tens of thousands are now homeless. For one elderly lady, the whole traumatic experience was simply overwhelming. Others, like this man, praised the kindness. We're surrounded by angels, he says. With buildings still too dangerous to enter and repeated aftershocks, it may yet be days before the final extent of this tragedy is revealed.

Juliet Bremner, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)