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Controversial Abortion Doctor Fatally Shot While Attending Church; The Real Power Behind Stun Guns; Sotomayor Ready to Face Senate, Issues at Hand
Aired May 31, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Don Lemon.
New details on our breaking news here on CNN, the fatal shooting of controversial, abortion-provider George Tiller in Kansas in broad daylight. Police have a suspect in custody, but they have not identified him.
At the scene, a church, of all places, investigators are combing the lobby and talking to witnesses for clues. All we have seen of the suspect at this point is a getaway car as police tracked him down on a Kansas interstate some 100 miles away.
That's the car that you see right in the center of your screen.
The man was picked up several hours after the shooting, again, more than 100 miles from that church.
And just minutes ago, President Barack Obama issued a statement. Here's what he said. "I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."
That statement from the president.
Meantime, Wichita police wrapped up a news conference just a short while ago. They aren't offering many details so far equipment they are just coming in, but they do believe that the man in custody is the man who shot the doctor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DETECTIVE TOM STOLTZ, WICHITA, KANSAS POLICE: We investigate this suspect to the nth degree, his history, his family, his associates, and we're just in the beginning stages of that. We never say that we're completely finished with that, so that will go into tonight.
An ancillary thing that we'll be doing is there is a lot of information flowing on the Internet right now between pro-life and pro-choice groups, and, unfortunately, we don't have the luxury as law enforcement to focus only on this case. We have to focus on the bigger picture.
So we have a whole other facet going, and we'll be investigating anything that can come from that. And we're just asking people to let us run our course on this. We think we have the right person arrested. We'll get him charged and, hopefully, handle this case in a professional manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We want on get to where this all happened and the people covering this in Wichita. It is from one of our affiliates. Her name is Cindy Klose of KWCH. She is standing by.
Cindy, you have been working here for almost two decades in Wichita. You have covered this man. I want to ask you, are your reporters bringing you back any information, do you have any new for us at this point?
CINDY KLOSE, KWCH REPORTER: Basically, what police are saying, we're still working on this. You know this happened at 10:00 central time this morning. Dr. George Tiller was working as an usher at the church. This is a church he's attended for a long time.
He was working as an usher when he was confronted by the gunman in the church foyer. One witness told us the doctor was shot in the head, and he was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time.
Although he often has security at his clinic and he lives in a gated community, he has had a bodyguard in the past, but he did not have anyone with him today.
Parishioners told us they had seen this man in the church previously, that he had been in services before today. The suspect, as you said, was arrested in the Kansas City, Kansas area about three hours after the shooting.
Wichita police are bringing him back for questioning tonight, and they expect to file charges tomorrow, murder charges, also aggravated assault for confronting two people, threatening two people who tried to stop him as he left the church.
There is a church right next to Reformation Lutheran Church, the church that Dr. Tiller attended, and people there had witnessed abortion protestors who targeted the services there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICKEY COLUMBIA, REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH MEMBER: Dr. Tiller, there have been all sorts of abortion people going on against abortion. The horrible church, you know -- the horrible trucks have been. And they don't really care, you know.
But the church has stood back behind Dr. Tiller, I think we all have, because he was a Christian, good man. And to have that happen in a place that he loved, a place that he protected, a place that he worshiped in, is just beyond it.
What is our society coming to, you know? It's a sad, sad life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KLOSE: Dr. Tiller didn't talk to the media. Instead he used lawyers and clinic spokespeople to communicate.
But he didn't hide. His family lives in Wichita, his children and grandchildren. And often he would go to events involving his children and grandchildren.
LEMON: And you said that you would see him out in the community with his grandchildren and with his family as well. And you mentioned there, Cindy, that he often wore a bulletproof vest.
But when you would see him out in the community, how did people respond or act towards him?
KLOSE: I didn't see him mix with people much. He would attend things like concerts and plays, and sit in the back of the auditorium. But he was like any other grandparent that was there to see their grandchildren.
LEMON: And as I know, you guys have been reporting on a trial, that he was acquitted of 19 charges there, back in March. What you can share about that?
KLOSE: That was about the Kansas late term abortion law and whether Dr. Tiller had followed the law by getting a second opinion, as required by the law, whether or not he had a financial relationship with the doctor who gave second opinions. And he was acquitted of all those charges.
There also have been a couple of grand jury investigations, because Kansas is one of six states that allows the citizens to call a grand jury if they want something investigated and if they get enough people to sign a petition. But no charges ever came of that.
LEMON: Very good job for us, Cindy Klose of KWCH. They have known this man for years there. She has been there for two decades. We appreciate you joining us with some perspective and some background on it.
Thank you, again.
KLOSE: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: A spokesman for George Tiller's family issued a statement just a short time ago. And today they said "We mourn the loss of our husband, father, and grandfather."
Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients.
This is particularly heart-wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace."
The anti-abortion group Operation Rescue had many confrontations with George Tiller through the years, and today the group issued this statement --
"We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down. Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning."
All right, let's approach the shooting now from a law enforcement and a security perspective. Mike Brooks is our security analyst here. He's also a former D.C. police detective, and he joins me now by telephone.
It's been a very busy weekend for you, sir, as you're trying to enjoy your weekends. We keep calling you back in. You have covered these cases and were, in fact, involved in a case for abortion, whether or not there was some sort of conspiracy.
When you look at this one, Mike, is there anything from what you're hearing about it, the circumstances surrounding, that might tell you what the motive was for this situation?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST (via telephone): You know, Don, what you just heard from that great affiliate reporter who has been working hard on this story, that he did wear a bulletproof vest, and he was shot in the head.
So to me, that says it's someone who probably had been looking at him, knew his actions. This subject has also apparently had been seen there at the church.
So it's probably someone that he knew, had some contact with, or someone who was actually planning this for quite some time.
But you talked about back, and we talked Don back in 19'84. I was on the FBI joint terrorism task force in Washington, D.C. and was involved in an investigation that dealt to see whether or not there was a nationwide conspiracy to kill abortion doctors and to bomb abortion clinics.
LEMON: That was called VAAPCON, right? Violence Against Abortion Providers Conspiracy. It was a grand jury, right, in that case?
BROOKS: That's correct, Don. It was a grand jury that was sitting in the eastern district of Virginia.
The investigation lasted for almost two years, and there were about 13, roughly 13 subjects that we were looking at, to say, OK, are these people involved in a conspiracy?
After the investigation, a little over two years, it was decided that, you know what, there is not a conspiracy. These were all basically lone actors, because it started right after July, 1994, Paul Hill in Pensacola killed Dr. John Britain. And right after that, there had been a bombing of an abortion clinic falls church. And that's when we decided -- the Justice Department decided we have to take a closer look.
LEMON: Paul Hill was the first -- I believe he was the first man, or the first person who got the death penalty for killing an abortion provider. So that's very interesting.
So this tells you -- you're saying this guy acted alone, maybe with some sort of vigilante, and was following this guy, and just had a vendetta and wanted to get him.
BROOKS: Just hearing what I'm hearing right now, Don, that's what it sounds like.
But, again, it's early on in the investigation. We have not heard a name of the subject. A tag number that's tells you how they were able to trace and track this guy down.
But, again, we don't know if he was acting alone, we don't know if there was someone else with him. But I'm sure these facts will come out in the coming days.
LEMON: Mike Brooks is our security analyst. And, Mike, I know you've been checking with your sources. If you get any information, please get back. Thank you, sir.
BROOKS: Absolutely, buddy. We'll talk to you soon.
LEMON: The George Tiller slaying could go have far reaching implications, specifically the nation's high court.
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is set to meet with Senate Judiciary Committee members on Tuesday, and the abortion issue could be front and center in her confirmation process.
I want to bring in CNN's senior political analyst Mr. Bill Schneider. He joins us now from Los Angeles.
We said it could be front and center. Bill, I have a very good idea that it will be front and center here.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, abortion is always a hot issue at any confirmation hearing for a Supreme Court Justice because it's one of the hot button issues that comes periodically before the Supreme Court.
This outrageous act of violence is likely to stir anger and outrage among abortion rights supporters and rally them.
And it is throwing abortion rights opponents on the defensive. And they have had to come out with statements condemning the outrageous act of vigilantism on the part of the murdered here, and explain that they separate themselves from these kinds of activities.
I think the overall effect will to be chill the debate a little bit, to tone it down, because of the obvious high emotionalism around this particular issue.
LEMON: And, Bill, talk to me about the timing of this.
SCHNEIDER: The timing is a big issue, a big problem. I think that there will be some questioning of Judge Sotomayor about her views on abortion. And I also can predict with some confidence she's not going to answer those questions.
Judges in the past who were up for the Supreme Court have refused to answer about their positions on potential court cases. She has no real record on abortion rights one way or the other. A lot of people believe she's an abortion rights supporter, but we don't know that.
And she has made no speeches or statements on the issue, and I don't think she's going to. And I think those who want to question her on the issue will find that she just doesn't answer those questions.
This hearing, this confirmation hearing is going to be a lot more to do with affirmative action, where she does have a record, than it is about abortion.
LEMON: I was wondering if it was going to change, and it might change that.
Bill, in the short time that we have left, talk to me about -- you said both sides will be tamping down and really monitoring themselves. But does this offer and fodder for either side in this issue?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I think it would be unfortunate if people exploit what was possibly, likely an individual act of violence. I don't think you can characterize it as a policy on the part of abortion opponents.
But I think it's simply going to rally and anger abortion rights supporters. And whenever they feel threatened, whenever abortion rights feel threatened and they feel as if their opponents are too extreme, then you find them rallying to the defense of abortion rights. And that's likely to be the case in the nomination of Judge Sotomayor.
LEMON: Bill Schneider is our senior political analyst here at CNN, part of the best political team on the television. Thank you very much, Bill.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
LEMON: Capitol Hill is on high court filibuster watch this week. President Barack Obama wants his Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor confirmed ASAP.
But Republicans leaders say they are not running on the president's clock. CNN's Kate Bolduan has the story for us.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Don, top Senate Democrats and Republicans seem to be playing nice so far. But they are laying the groundwork for a potentially grueling confirmation process for President Obama's high court nominee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN (voice-over): President Obama's pick for Supreme Court Justice is set for round one this week of one-on-one meetings with key lawmakers. Mr. Obama wants Judge Sonia Sotomayor confirmed before Congress goes on a long August recess.
But Sunday, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy, made clear he's working from his own schedule.
QUESTION: As you sit here now, do you meet the president's timetable?
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT)\, CHAIRMAN, SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: I will meet my time table.
QUESTION: And that could be different?
LEAHY: It could be different.
BOLDUAN: Top Senate Republicans are not ruling out a filibuster, a procedural move to slow or block the process. But they are signaling it's unlikely.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: So it can be done. The question is, will it be done? I think it's entirely too early to tell.
BOLDUAN: At the same time, Republicans are taking aim at some of Sotomayor's past comments. One potential flash point, a 2001 speech when she said, quote, "I would hope that a wise Latino woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: It is troubling, and it's inappropriate. And I hope she'll apologize. And if I had said something like that, or someone with my background and profile, we wouldn't be talking about this nomination going forward.
BOLDUAN: Democrats defend Sotomayor and that remark, saying she's been taken out of context.
LEAHY: It would be absolutely wrong to assume that people's individual experience doesn't at least influence their thinking. That doesn't mean they can't follow the law.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: This issue will most certainly come up in the confirmation hearings. However, that schedule hasn't yet been announced. And first things first, Sotomayor is set to meet with Senate leaders and the top members of the Judiciary Committee Tuesday -- Don?
LEMON: Kate, thank you very much. A decision that could send a ripple effect through the U.S. economy straight to you.
And American icon, auto icon, on the brink of bankruptcy. An announcement there, GM is on the road to -- where?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A seismic shift expected within the next 24 hours for the nation's biggest automaker. Sources tell CNN President Obama will address the nation tomorrow morning to discuss a GM bankruptcy.
Now, this weekend, GM's major bondholders agreed to not fight plans for a quick bankruptcy process. But the company will still need to seek court protection from making massive layoffs and other cuts.
In bankruptcy, GM will be in survival mode. And here's what the company is shedding. Pontiac is disappearing. Saturn, Hummer, Saab, and the European Opel, they're all being sold.
So what is left? GM will continue to make Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC trucks.
Fewer cars mean fewer autoworkers. We're hearing GM will announce another 20,000 layoffs under the expected reorganization, a far cry from when it was the nation's largest employer in the private sector. And right now there are roughly 80,000 GM employees. That's roughly half of the company's workforce back in 2001.
As I said, President Obama expected to discuss what's ahead for GM tomorrow morning, 11:30 Eastern -- 11:30 Eastern tomorrow morning you can watch the president live right here on CNN.
Police call it "nonlethal force." This teen's mother, she calls it "murder" -- 50,000 volts fired at an unarmed kid. We'll investigate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have some breaking details on the story that we've been reporting out of Wichita, Kansas. We're getting this, again, from the police department, the Wichita Police Department.
I'm going to read it here. They're saying that a 51-year-old Johnson County man is in custody now in connection with the shooting death of the physician there, George Tiller, who provides abortions.
Tiller is 67 years old. As we've been telling you, he was shot in the foyer and killed, the foyer of the Reformation Lutheran Church this morning. And we're told that there were a few witnesses to this as it was happening.
But again, police are telling us they do have a 51-year-old man in custody here. They're not giving a name. Obviously they know who he is, and they tracked him down because of the license plate on a light blue 1993 Ford Taurus. They're saying that that description directly resulted in the suspect's arrest. And he was arrested on I- 95 near the town of Gardner, Kansas in Johnson County some 10 miles away from the shooting.
But again, a 51-year-old man, and I imagine more details will be coming out about this every single moment.
According to a single source here at CNN -- OK, this is a different story that we're reporting. So we're going to move on. As soon as we get more details on the suspect who is in custody in this shooting of an abortion provider, we'll bring it to you.
Meantime, I'm being told by my producer here, there are new details on a developing story. GM will file for bankruptcy, 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. We're hearing that from a source who had direct knowledge here on the bankruptcy proceedings. Again, CNN confirming tomorrow morning, 10:00 a.m., GM will file for -- excuse me, 8:00 a.m., will file for bankruptcy, and, again from a source who has knowledge on the proceedings. So make sure you stay tuned to CNN.
Again, we have two developing stories here. We are going to update on you both of them throughout the evening here on CNN so you won't miss a thing.
Meantime, we want to talk now about the shooting of that New York City police officer. New York police are investigating the shooting death of one of their own by one of their own. Officer Omar Edwards was off duty and in street clothes when he drew his gun and chased a man he caught breaking into his car. Other officers on patrol last Thursday night ordered him to stop. And a white officer then shot and killed Edwards, who is black. Now civil rights activists are demanding a federal investigation.
Police forces across the country use them, but they're an endless source of controversy and outrage. We're talking about those taser stun guns. Hundreds of people have died in recent after being shot with them. But most recently, a teen in suburban Detroit has been shot and killed with one of them.
CNN special investigations unit correspondent Abbie Boudreau visited his mom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): What happened inside this house has changed Renea Mitchell's life forever.
RENEA MITCHELL, MOTHER: I'm actually still in shock. I'm still in shock just knowing he's not coming home. They do what they done. They killed him. They had no reason to chase him.
BOUDREAU: This is where Robert Mitchell spent the final moments of his short life. The 16-year-old died after police in this Detroit suburb shot him once with a taser gun, giving him a 50,000 volt shock of electricity.
(on camera): Mitchell was chased here as he ran from several policemen after a traffic stop. Renea Mitchell is Robert's mother.
MITCHELL: Why would you want to shoot anybody's kid? Those things shouldn't be used on people's kids.
BOUDREAU (voice-over): Last month, Robert Mitchell was riding in a car here on Detroit's Eight Mile Road, immortalized by rapper Eminem.
The car Mitchell was riding in was driven by his cousin, Chris Davis. But the car they were in had an expired license plate. Police came up behind them, turned on their flashing lights, and began to pull them over.
(on camera): Before the car even stopped, Mitchell jumped out and ran.
MITCHELL: He jumped out and started running. I told him not it to, but he was real scared. He was petrified. He hopped out of the car and started running.
BOUDREAU: Mitchell wasn't wanted for any crimes and had no criminal record. But he did have a learning disability, and his mother believes he ran because he was afraid of police.
Officers ran after Mitchell for nearly two blocks, ending up on this street, where Mitchell ran in to this abandoned house. Police say there, inside, Mitchell resisted arrest.
WILLIAM DWYER, WARREN, MICHIGAN POLICE COMMISSIONER: Once he entered the vacant home, then they had to finally make a decision because of resisting arrest. They used their taser.
BOUDREAU (on camera): The police officers would not have used the taser if he wasn't resisting arrest?
DWYER: Absolutely. I mean, if he would have -- they ordered him several times that he was not resist and he continued to resist.
BOUDREAU: But this kid was a smaller kid, 5'2", 110, 115 pounds. Why couldn't they just overpower him? He was a small, teen-aged boy, no weapon on him.
DWYER: Well, you know, the public sometimes doesn't understand that officers make split second decisions. They don't have time to group up and say, well, here's the strategy we're going it to use in this particular case.
BOUDREAU (voice-over): Police consider tasers a nonlethal use of force, though Amnesty International recently reported that more than 350 people have been killed by tasers since 2001 in the U.S. That now includes Robert Mitchell.
His mother is still trying to make sense out of son's death.
MITCHELL: Shooting a kid with a taser is not an accident, because tasers don't have their own brain. The trigger cannot move unless somebody pulled it.
BOUDREAU (on camera): So what would you call this?
MITCHELL: Murder. It's murder. Why did they use a taser on a kid that hadn't did anything? Why?
BOUDREAU (voice-over): Robert Mitchell was buried a week after his death. The Mitchell family is now suing the Warren police force and also the city of Warren.
An investigation by the police internal affairs department determined the use of the taser was justified, and the officers involved are now back at work.
MITCHELL: My son is in heaven. I'm mad now. There ain't no time to be crying and faking a front. I'm mad. Something needs to be done, and somebody needs to came care of them. They shouldn't be working right now. They done killed somebody's kid. And not anybody's kid, they killed my kid.
BOUDREAU: Abbie Boudreau, CNN, Warren, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: An abortion provider is shot and killed in a church. A suspect is in custody, and everybody from church members to the president is outraged. We're getting new information about this by the minute. We're also hearing from sources who this suspect is.
More details are coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, we have some breaking news now on the future of General Motors.
CNN has learned from a White House source that GM will file for bankruptcy at 8:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning. 8:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning, GM will file for bankruptcy.
And President Barack Obama will address the nation soon after, 11:55 a.m., to discuss the GM bankruptcy.
This weekend, GM's major bondholders agreed to not fight plans for a quick bankruptcy process, but the company will still need to seek court protection for making massive layoffs and other cuts.
Again, this breaking news in to the CNN NEWSROOM. We are learning at 10:00 a.m., getting information from sources on this story here.
There's also another breaking story and we have new information here, as well. We're told that a 51-year-old suspect is in custody this hour in the shooting death of a Kansas doctor, George Tiller. He was one of the few doctors in this country who performed late term abortions. Now, Tiller was gunned down today inside a church in Wichita. That suspect has not been identified. They're only saying that he is a 51-year-old man. And where he's from, one of the counties there. He was picked up several hours after the shooting about 170 miles away from that church.
We're getting new information again on the suspect. We have also just learned that is he there Johnson County, as I said Johnson County, Kansas and that he shot Tiller in the foyer of the church where Tiller was serving as an usher. Witnesses took note of the suspect's auto tag which allowed police to put out a statewide alert for the car that you see there on the back of that flatbed truck.
Again, a 51-year-old suspect in custody. I'm sure his name will come shortly. We're getting information from sources and we'll bring it to you.
Meantime, you guys are weighing in on all of the stories that we're putting on. And one of you says - Jeff50 says, "Though I am against abortion, I am against murder of any kind, also against murder of any kind. God loves this doctor as much as he loves anyone else."
Wagathegreat says, "How can anyone claiming to be pro-life murder another human being? This is hypocritical and an act of terrorism."
And the truth says or thetrutz says, "Anyone rejoicing in the doctor's death is anti-choice, not pro-life. Label should change. Tiller murder equals domestic terrorism."
JayBreezy says, "What in the world is going on? Wasn't a pastor gunned down in his church a couple of weeks ago?"
Thank you for your responses. We appreciate it. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com, that's how you can get on the air.
Let's turn now to news overseas. We're talking about Pakistan; it is claiming another victory in its war with the Taliban.
Officials say, they've arrested three suspects with links to what they call a terrorist network and yesterday, there were two separate clashes in a northwest tribal region where 25 militants and seven security forces were reportedly killed.
Now, the military claims it's the biggest victory so far in the Swat Valley, in the city of Mingora. Pakistani security forces have reportedly expelled the militants after weeks of brutal street fighting. Well, today pictures from the Mingora show just how violent the battles were and the toll it's apparently taking on civilians.
There are still sporadic reports of fighting on the city's outskirts. And if anyone knows about this, if anyone is acquainted with the ins and the outs of what is going on in Pakistan, it is our very own Nic Robertson. He is our senior international correspondent.
Thank you very much for joining us. So, Nic, this is really not far from over here.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a long way from being over, because although the Pakistani military and government have cracked down in the Swat Valley, if you sort of draw a line which is just north of the capital, Islamabad, swing it across to the Afghan border, drive it south down the Afghan border inside Pakistan, well you have region after region after region that is controlled by the Taliban.
And we've just seen, in the last couple of days, that the army seems to be getting ready for an offensive in south Waziristan to crack down on the Taliban there. So there are huge swaths of territory, that really, the Taliban still holds way.
LEMON: Yes, and when you look at that. What is it? What do they call it, Wacomo, you know, they're in one region and then they move to the next region, I would imagine. So tell us about this, Pakistan's Swat Valley and the offensive that is going on. More details about the offensive that's going on there?
ROBERTSON: Well, in many ways there is the offensive that the Pakistani government had a few months ago in a neighboring agency, right next to the border near Afghanistan. So what happens is the Army goes in with its big guns and attack helicopters. It's not made up and ready to fight an insurgency like the Taliban, so there's a lot of destruction and a lot of human suffering and we see a massive tide of flood of people coming out, as many as 2.4 million people.
They're now on the safe side of the guns, but when do they go back? Compare this to the offensive a few months ago, half a million still haven't gone back. So although the Pakistani government sort of controls the territories but people don't believe its strong enough yet to go back about. You're missing the problem.
LEMON: You mentioned those millions of people. Tell us the humanitarian aid going on over there. Have you seen it? Have you witnessed it up close?
ROBERTSON: The Pakistani government said, before this operation, that they would have to be ready for a massive exodus of people and they put up a lot of tents in a lot of places, but there really isn't the infrastructure to keep people cooled, to keep people fed, to keep them watered out in the open fields. So you're seeing perhaps 90 percent of that almost 2.5 million people that have fled that have not arrived in refugee camps that the are probably staying with relatives and that's about the best that they can hope for because the people in the camps are really not getting the support that they're going to need.
LEMON: All right. In Afghanistan, who has the upper hand there, is it the U.S., is it the Taliban? Who's got the upper hand?
ROBERTSON: It's such a mix picture. It depends where you look. I mean, if you look at the sort of the far south and east of the country, then it looks like the Taliban have the upper hand. This is the area the marines and sort of 17,000 additional troops are going in the summer.
If you look at Kabul, then yes, the United States, the Afghan government, NATO, they have the upper hand. In north of the country, it's a good picture too. But I was talking to somebody recently who knows a lot about the Taliban and he showed me this map and he said you know what I'm going to upset a lot of people because I'm going to shape this area, this other province right next to Kabul, I'm going to shade it red, Taliban controlled. So they're still able to expand their area of influence, but it's patchy. It's not black and white there.
LEMON: And I wanted to ask you, it's a pleasure to get you here on the desk because we don't get you in house much, you're always out reporting. Since you've been covering this region and you've seen the war and terror, have you noticed anything different about this? Is there anyone gaining an upper hand or is there anything different about this fight to get terrorism under control in the region?
ROBERTSON: Look, I think Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and his group, they see the leadership as it was back in 2001 decimated. They're still trying to come back. They're still trying to get out this message of an international global jihad, but what you're seeing in Pakistan and Afghanistan is this sort of Taliban which is fighting its own national jihad, if you will. So Al Qaeda since 2001 does seem to be sort of sinking from the foreground. They're still a force to be reckoned with, they still make money. They still funnel fighters into both Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iraq.
So they're not gone. But there are really big changes that we've seen in Afghanistan and now Pakistan is that these groups like the Taliban that were pushed down and eradicated, they've come back up. They've got a foot hold and they're now going to challenge us in a different type of fight than this war in 2001 and they're going to challenge us in this fight for years to come.
LEMON: Nic Robertson, our senior international correspondent, what a pleasure to have you here.
ROBERTSON: Pleasure.
LEMON: Thank you very much. We really appreciate it, sir.
We're going to move on now and talk about the highlight of President Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East now. It will be a long awaited speech in Egypt. He'll deliver and address on reaching out to the Muslim world. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs calls it relationship building. The president will also go to Saudi Arabia and meet with King Abdullah.
She was part of the first African-American female battalion, World War II. Check this out.
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ALICE DIXON, WAAC: I was among the first women that joined in 1943. And we were called WAAC then, W-A-A-C. The Army took us in 1944 and we became WAAC. And so now that we're part of the Army and a part of the whole world. Let's go forward and do what we can do and don't stand back and don't let anybody tell you you can't do it because you can.
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LEMON: You heard that. Now 101 years old, Alice Dixon is the oldest living survivor of that unit. The challenges she faced and more on her words of wisdom next.
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LEMON: All right. So, at 101-years-old Alice Dixon certainly has many stories to tell. She was part of the first - really, the only African-American female battalion to serve in World War II and she is the oldest living survivor of that unit. Remember they were called WAAC. I remember a kid they were women who went away to Army, called WAC.
There she is. Dixon and others from the 688. Well, the Central Post Battalion.
They were honored for their service in February. Long overdue, since they received no parade or no welcome home when they returned from war.
I sat down with Alice Dixon and as part of our special series "Up from the Past: African-American Firsts."
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: September 11th being your birthday and being part of the Armed Forces...
DIXON: Yes.
LEMON: ... and seeing that happen to the country, what did that mean for you?
DIXON: Oh, my goodness, I just thank God they let me stay here to see it.
But it's terrible, because I like peace and New York was one of my favorite cities. I lived there 19 years. So I was so horrified when I saw that plane going crashing that building.
LEMON: All right. Let's talk about you. So people used to think you were white.
DIXON: I thought I was Jewish. All my friends are Jewish. I had Jewish friends when we lived in that neighborhood and I went to synagogue and everything. I mean, we didn't talk about color or anything then. I didn't know.
LEMON: When did it - did somebody tell you something, did it suddenly dawn on you? DIXON: When I came to Washington, I discovered that it was different. And when they told me that I couldn't go downtown to the stores and eat at the restaurants and then I realized what the prejudice had been and how awful it was. And then I really got mad. But I tried to calm myself and I said I'm going to school and learn something and try to do something.
I was among the first women that joined in 1943. And we were called WAAC then, W-A-A-C. The Army took us in 1944 and we became WAAC. And so now that we're part of the Army and a part of the whole world. Let's go forward and do what we can do and don't stand back and don't let anybody tell you you can't do it because you can.
LEMON: You joined because you said you wanted some good advice for doctors. I see that - is it vitiligo...
DIXON: I had vitiligo. It's brown and white spots, color white folks turn brown and I that had on my neck and I said the Army doctors know everything. That was my idea. I said let me find out if they know what to do. And I said now all the men are going, why can't we go and do something, too. So I said I've got a double reason for going. I want to follow the men and take care of the vitiligo, so I joined.
LEMON: And then people started to think you were white.
DIXON: Yes.
LEMON: What was that like? I mean someone have changed colors...
DIXON: Well, haven't you seen it? Don't you see Negroes with it?
LEMON: Of course I've seen vitiligo, but I mean to live it.
DIXON: Isn't that wonderful? I was white all over. If I did a strip tease, you'd see. Isn't that terrible?
LEMON: No, it's who you are. But did you ever think, why couldn't I just be brown like everyone else?
DIXON: Yes.
LEMON: Or did you want to be one way or the other?
DIXON: Well, I wanted to be brown, but I said this is what god planned. I had nothing to do with it.
LEMON: A lot of people didn't want blacks in the Army.
DIXON: I know.
LEMON: What were the conditions like overseas? The warehouses and the mail. What was that like? DIXON: We went into a building that was built for that post office, the 688. There were 90 billion pieces of mail stacked up to the ceiling and there were 980 of us in there, negroes, to take care of that mail. And the general said, all that mail, it will take them six months to do it. We finished it in three months. We all worked eight hours a day and got that mail out.
And a lot of the mail was sent to us, the parents wrote U.S. Army, we had to find them. We knew that they were a soldier, they had a number, so we had to do some searching. We found all of them. And the wives and the sweethearts used to write every day. And we had stacks like that we'd have to send back with deceased on it. And that was the saddest thing.
And the folks from down south said chicken, fried chicken you're biscuits, cookies, cakes, we had to fight the rats, the mice at first, too. Because it was full of it. And you know how the girls out there down there jumping on them chairs and boxes, but we fought all of that and made and finish it.
LEMON: I would imagine writing deceased on a letter...
DIXON: Oh, that was so sad. And it was piled up like that. We used to see that name (inaudible) about it.
LEMON: A lot of people who came home from overseas...
DIXON: Yes.
LEMON: From war, they got parades, the ticker tapes, and big welcomes.
DIXON: We didn't get nothing. When we came home, we didn't have a thing. There was a lady there with us, that's the first thing she said, we came home, we didn't have balloons, or parade or anything. They just gave us our piece of paper and sent us home.
LEMON: Did you feel cast aside?
DIXON: It didn't matter. I guess I wasn't smart enough to realize it was terrible. It didn't bother me. I was glad to be home.
LEMON: Not insulted.
DIXON: They can't insult me. I don't appreciate, I don't what they say or do, I don't pay attention to them because I think they don't know any better.
LEMON: Would do you do it all over again?
DIXON: Now that I know better, I'd do it a little differently, but I would.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Wow. Alice Dixon, thank you for what did you for our country. We really appreciate them.
By the way, our weekly series "Up from a Past, African-American firsts," continues next week. I'll introduce to you Kathy Hughes, she runs the largest African-American radio broadcasting company in the country.
A match-up between Kobe Bryant and Lebron James in the NBA finals would have been a network executive's dream. But James' team didn't make it. Still, it begs the question, who is the most popular player in pro basketball? I'll have the answer for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Want to tell you about breaking news on the future of General Motors, it's in to CNN.
And we have learned here, it is from a White House source, that GM will file for bankruptcy at 8:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning. And President Barack Obama is going to address the nation at 11:55 a.m. to discuss this bankruptcy.
Our chief business correspondent, Ali Velshi, joins me now. He's on the phone from Toronto. Ali, what are you hearing, sir?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Well, Don. You know, we were all expecting that this bankruptcy announcement would come. But what this does is it confirms that all of General Motors' attempt now, their last ditch attempts to try and come to other deals with their bondholders, with the auto workers, nothing more is going to help them to stay out of bankruptcy. They will be filing for bankruptcy protection tomorrow morning.
And what this means is that - it enters the next stage. This is the effort for this company now try and present to a court what it can't pay, what it can't do, and how it can restructure to try and be a profitable company, try and get back on to its feet. But the bottom line, Don, is it is going to mean more plant closures, it's going to mean more losses of jobs. It's going to mean more dealership closures. It will mean the end of Saturn and Hummer, and -- and Pontiac.
We knew those things were coming but now this is a reality. What was once the world's biggest company, what was certainly the world's largest automaker for 77 years is now going to enter chapter 11. That's bankruptcy protection from its creditors and it will emerge a very, very different company than it is today.
LEMON: Here's the question for you, Ali, that the person sitting at home is saying, hey how much is this going to cost me? And me as a taxpayer? Am I ever going to get my investment back that I put into GM?
VELSHI: These are actually perfect questions. I will tell you it has already cost you more than $19 billion as a tax payer. The government believes that it will probably end up putting in another $30 billion. So we are going to be in for a $50 billion or more billion dollars to General Motors and we'll be shareholders. The government will own almost three-fourths of General Motors. The union will own about 17 percent. The Bondholders, the people who have loaned General Motors money will own about 10 percent.
So, yes, the American, citizen is going to be an owner of GM. It doesn't mean you are entitled to an employee discount on the cars however. But it's going to be more than that, Don, because the auto industry has been such a big part of our economy. It's going to mean dealerships shutting down. More jobs lost, more jobs lost in communities, advertising dollars that are not put out by those dealerships, sponsorships of teams, you know, little league teams. But the much, much bigger deal than just your tax investment. You're going to be an owner of GM but you're going to feel the loss of a lot of these GM workers and plants around you.
LEMON: This is exactly what we mean when we say a ripple effect here. Ali Velshi, our senior business correspondent. Ali, thank you very much. Ali is going to join us tonight at 10:00 to help us break down all of this.
Getting more information now, breaking news into CNN that GM will file for bankruptcy 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. The president will speak after that. Also, more information on breaking news concerning an abortion provider.
CNN continues after the break.
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LEMON: All right. So earlier, we asked you who is the most popular NBA player? The L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant or the Cleveland Cavs Lebron James. According to recent poll by ESPN, the answer is Kobe Bryant, but not by much. In fact, Kobe and Lebron are the two most popular players in the game today.
That said, let's talk about that popularity. Rick Horrow is our sports and business analyst here.
OK, so you know, the match up that everyone wanted to see. I know you got the Lakers playoff there. The Lakers and the Cavs, Kobe and Lebron, that is not going to happen.
HORROW: No. That is not going to happen. But Dwight Howard of the Magic may make up for this. And the bottom line is the NBA, $4 billion in revenue. About 500 percent increase in the last 20 years. Kobe Bryant is number one to be sure. But Dwight Howard is in the top 20 and the Magic beat the Lakers, the endorsements may flip-flop a bit.
LEMON: Then why does the public love these two so much?
HORROW: Well, it's a superstar kind of thing. The NBA is a superstar league. Look at television numbers for example, the highest rated cable show ever for basketball, last Tuesday night. They're astronomical numbers. They're Don Lemon numbers, they're off the charts. (LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Not even close, buddy. So, listen, does that, we saw some of the endorsements there, how does that popularity really translate into endorsements. I am sure there is a direct translation?
HORROW: Direct translation. You know, Kobe and the Lakers, by the way, about $15 million, $16 million, Vitamin Water and Nike pay that big freight. Dwight Howard right behind it, $15 million. He's got a Vitamin water deal as well. But also Adidas, and Adidas, by the way, also happens to be the main sponsor of the NBA.
LEMON: Hey, Rick...
HORROW: So it's a big deal.
LEMON: All right. Hey, Rick, listen, we have more topics. I want to say, did you walk your daughter down the aisle this weekend? We've got like five seconds?
HORROW: Yes, I walked my daughter down the aisle. They're in Greece now, in honeymoon. Hey, guys where are you?
LEMON: There they are, right there. Hey, congratulations. We really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
HORROW: Oh, my -- thank you.
LEMON: I wanted to cover other stuff but we won't be able to. Thank you, Rick Horrow.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
