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Military Coup in Honduras Sends Shockwaves Through West Coast; Media Arrested in Iran; Investigation Into Michael Jackson's Death Ongoing

Aired June 28, 2009 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Unfolding this hour, a military coup in Honduras is sending shockwaves up and down the western hemisphere. Soldiers arrested Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya at his residence this morning and flew him to Costa Rica. Zelaya calls it a brutal kidnapping and insists that he is still the legal president.

The organization of American states held an emergency meeting. President Obama says he is deeply concern and secretary of state Hillary Clinton says the coup should be condemned. Today's coup occurred just hours before a controversial referendum that could have helped Zelaya gain the right to run for another term. The Honduras Supreme Court has ruled that the referendum was illegal but Zelaya's government was going ahead with the vote anyway.

Honduras was under military control for 25 years before a civilian government came to power back in 1982. CNN's Elaine Quijano takes a look at the Obama administration's reaction to today's coup.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the wake of the coup in Honduras, President Obama called on all sides to respect the rule of law. In a written statement, the president said, "I am deeply concerned by reports coming out of Honduras regarding the detention and expulsion of president Mel Zalaya. Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue, free from any outside interference."

The White House says the president and senior aides are being briefed this weekend by officials from various agencies.

Dan Restrepo was with the National Security Council.

DAN RESTREPO, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: It has been a fluid situation, obviously. We have been privately and publicly supporting the rule of law, constitutional order. We will remain sending that message as clearly as we possibly can.

QUIJANO: Privately, a senior state department official calls the coup unacceptable and a terrible move and told CNN the U.S. sees this as a violation of the Honduran constitution. In Washington, outside an emergency meeting of the organization of American states, the Honduran representative made clear the obvious tension over the military's action.

CARLOS SOSA, HONDURAN REP. TO OAS: We are a nonviolent people. We believe strongly in nonviolent means of political struggle and we are going to regain our democracy with peaceful proceedings with no - any use of force and definitely not asking for military assistance.

QUIJANO: Still, the growing tensions mean a potentially awkward situation for 550 U.S. troops at a military base in Honduras, where officials say they mainly carry out counternarcotics operations.

RESTREPO: That mission is a contained mission and the troops have been and remain on the base and will remain on the base. This has nothing to do with the U.S. military presence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano with us now. So Elaine, explain this one. Somehow the U.S. is already getting a little bit of blame if not a lot of blame for this coup, in what way?

QUIJANO: That's right. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who we should note is a leftist ally of Zelaya's is blaming or saying that the U.S. is somehow involved in this coup. U.S. officials, Frederika, as you might expect adamantly are denying that. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Elaine Quijano, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

Meantime, CNN's Karl Penhaul has just interviewed the ousted Honduran president and he says that has not resigned, talking about the president now, even though a new leader has already been sworn in. Karl Penhaul will be joining us in a few moments to give us a little bit more about this conversation and what exactly is taking place in Honduras right now.

All right. Let's talk about Iran now. Today, the first legal protest in days. About 5,000 dissidents were allowed to march in Tehran. CNN's Reza Sayah has the latest now from our Iran desk. So now why are the permits being - why are there permits now available for these protesters?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the supporters of Mir Houssein Mousavi took advantage of a gathering that was actually authorized by the government. Remember, we hadn't seen supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi for a long time in big numbers but they did show up today to take advantage of this gathering. This gathering was originally officially scheduled to honor the passing of a cleric who was assassinated in 1981. The government had sanctioned this gathering.

So basically, the supporters of the presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi said we are going to show up, too. And they came and according to our sources, an estimated 5,000 people marched from northern Tehran to southern Tehran and showed up in front of the mosque. Among the crowd, opposition candidate Mehdi Karroubi who walked through with hands raised, drawing cheers from the crowd. Riot police were also on hand and the "Associated Press" is reporting some clashes between police and protesters.

Also coming into the Iran desk, some new video from Kermanshah, this was a rally in the city that's in western Iran, right along the Iran-Iraq border dated yesterday. It was a lot of buzz that there was a rally going to be taking place in Kermanshah on Saturday and now, some new video being posted on Facebook. And there you see hundreds if not thousands of people protesting in Kermanshah.

In the meantime, tensions escalating between the Iran and the U.K. state run television reporting that eight local employees of the British embassy arrested by the Iranian authorities. The intelligence minister going on state-run TV today saying the people arrested played a significant role in the demonstrations. British foreign minister David Miliband condemning those arrests, calling them harassment and intimidation. The idea that British embassy is behind the demonstration, said Miliband is without foundation, he said.

Also today, a face we haven't seen in a while, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani. This is the former president, a very influential cleric, the political nemesis of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, some call him a difference maker, if he chooses to form a coalition against members of the establishment. He came out and spoke today, didn't really criticize the government, basically made a general call for calm. Ayatollah Rafsanjani saying actions must not renew hate and differences between people. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Meantime, Reza, there is an interesting message, or a couple of messages being sent from some U.S. entertainers to people in Iran.

SAYAH: Yes, Fred, this could be music history. Jon Bon Jovi singing in Farsi came out in support of the protesters and he posted a song in Farsi on YouTube. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAYAH: Rough translation, Jon Bon Jovi signing in Farsi hand in hand, all in one voice, countrymen, your pain is my pain.

Also getting into the act, folk singer Joan Baez, also posting a song on her website in Farsi. Take a listen now to Joan Baez.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAYAH: A lot of people outside of Iran touched and moved by the protestors throughout the country. This is their way, Joan Baez and Jon Bon Jovi showing their support.

WHITFIELD: All right. Reza Sayah, thanks so much from the Iran desk.

Meantime, a number of Iranian-Americans are expressing themselves, taking to the streets once again in Los Angeles and a calling for human rights in Iran. That is where we find our Kara Finnstrom. How is this protest this weekend or demonstration this weekend different from what we've seen out in Los Angeles in the past couple of weeks?

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all it has turned out to be a large protest, Fredericka. About 1,000 people here, police estimate so far up to 5,000 expected, with some bus loads of people coming in today for a large march, expected to take place an hour from now. You can see the flags. You can also see a stage up here, this is what's different today. You mentioned Jon Bon Jovi's song. Well, a little bit later, we are told, some well-known Iranian musicians will come to record an original song that talks about support here for Iranians protesting in Iran. And we are told that they will actually try to transmit that via cell phones back to their family and friends.

But I want to bring you in and speak with a gentleman here who does not want to be identified because he has family and friends still in Iran. But you were saying that while a lot of the protests in Iran have been quelled, you feel it is even more important for the protesting to continue here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. We need to show our support to the Iranian people that they are not alone. And we are here. Ask President Obama to stop negotiating with murderers. He needs to increase the pressure, political pressure and economic sanction on the regime. That is the only way -- the same treatment that they are -- that South Africa regime got, that needs to be applied on this regime. That is the only way.

FINNSTROM: We thank you for sharing some of your opinions. A lot of strong emotions out here today, Fredericka. Folks who have been very concerned with what they have seen the last week and say they want to come out to show their support.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kara Finnstrom, thanks so much. Just to correct those -- what that one demonstrator, there hasn't been any negotiations as far as we know between the U.S. and Iran. Just for that little clarity on that one.

All right. Well, remembering Michael Jackson as a music video pioneer from "Billie Jean" to "Black and White," he changed the way we look at music.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Funeral services for Michael Jackson are still pending this afternoon. Here though is the latest in the investigation on his death and remembrances. The cardiologist who was with Jackson in his final moments talked with investigators for three hours, we understand this weekend. And President Obama has sent a letter to Jackson family, expressing his condolences. And Jackson will be honored in a special edition of the annual BET Awards that airs tonight. A lot of fans are expressing condolences in so many different ways for the king of pop. And in fact, many have actually collected outside the Jackson family home in Encino, California, and that is where we find our Susan Roesgen. Susan, tell us a little bit more about some of the people who have been coming, actually visiting with the Jackson family there in Encino?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Fred, we are waiting for the Reverend Al Sharpton, who is going to be here at about 4:00 local time, coming to apparently talk to the family here in their home behind me, about the Jackson family legacy and how best to preserve it, how to preserve Michael Jackson's musical legacy. But in the meantime, you see all these people who have come out, a number of flowers and candles and balloons and hands-on posters has really grown on the sidewalk in front of the house. You know, this is the house that Berry Gordy bought for the Jackson Five and their family when they just hit it big in the early '70s. This is where the family has always gathered in good times and now in bad times.

And today so many strangers have come, they just want to reach out in some way. We talked to three young girls, actually, Fred who drove here more than an hour just to add to the huge pile of flowers on the ground. They just wanted to put flowers on the sidewalk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We chose daisies and sunflowers because they are bright and they represent like happiness and it's good to know that he was alive and he brings a lot of joy out of all of us.

ROESGEN (on camera): What would you say to one of his family members if they were to come out today, where with all these flowers and everything, what would you want to tell them?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really sorry for their loss and they had an amazing -- well, if it was his mom or dad, he had an amazing son and he inspired a lot of people. And, like, my dad told me it is really amazing how one person touched so many lives. And he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: And you know, Fred, I think that's a really good point. This is an entertainer, a singer, an actor, a dancer with so much talent that he really re-invented himself, almost every decade. The last girl that spoke there, she is only 16. The middle girl was 15 and the oldest girl was 25. So when I asked them, what's the period that you remember with Michael Jackson? What do you think of when you think of Michael Jackson, and they said "Thriller." They didn't say in any of the big hits from the Jackson 5, that I know, you and I remember going back and they didn't talk about some of the intervening years.

They talked about "Thriller." But then you heard the girl say my own father, well he's got his thoughts about Michael Jackson. So many people remember him from so many different age groups and different styles of song. WHITFIELD: Certainly, he has certainly impacted so many people of so many different walks of life in lots of different ways. So, Susan, can you give me an idea just where you are? Are you, like, right at the entrance of the Jackson home? Because we see the barricades there and we see people lined up on both sides and the tributes, can you kind of give us a wider view of what we are seeing there behind you?

ROESGEN: Yes. The police officers have come and they have put up these barricades, and also because these houses are right next to each other, and they want to give the neighbors a break. A fire department truck came through earlier just to make sure that the satellite trucks were not blocking the fire hydrants along the road here in this neighborhood. So basically what you are looking at right behind me then is a group of people and all - again, the flowers, the personal mementos. And then there is a driveway right here. This is one driveway on one side and then a driveway on the other side and that is where we have been waiting to see possibly the Reverend Al Sharpton come in and possibly some family members go out today.

Maybe even, Frederica, we might get some sort of public statement from the family, certainly if they do come out, we will get right back to you.

WHITFIELD: OK. Susan Roesgen, thanks so much.

And a little bit more about the family's statement there is such a thing in a written form coming from the Jackson family it reads like this "in one of the darkest moments of our lives, we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter. Our beloved son, brother and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly in such a tragic way and much too soon. It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times." The statement goes on to say that "in addition, Joseph Jackson wishes to personally convey my grandchildren are deeply moved by all the love and support that you have shown for them and their father, Michael Jackson." That written statement coming from the Jackson family.

All right. Well it is considered ground zero for the gay rights movement. A look at the national landmark where it all began four decades a ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As popular as Michael Jackson was in the '80s, it's hard to believe that MTV actually considered not running his "Billie Jean" video. That video and others from the "Thriller" album changed the way we see music videos. Janelle Snowden is the host of VH-1 news and she is joining us from Los Angeles. Good to see you.

JANELLE SNOWDEN, VH-1 NEWS HOST: Good see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Janelle, everyone remembers "Thriller," everyone remembers where they were when they first saw the unveiling of that video. Did it not completely change the landscape of what an artist needs to do and how they need to sell their music?

SNOWDEN: That video totally revolutionized music videos. To this day, there has not been a video that has been even able to compare to "Thriller" not just through the video but also to the album. Of course, we know that the album is the top-selling album of all time and will remain that because people don't even buy albums anymore. People buy singles off of iTunes as we know. So between the album and the video, Michael Jackson will be and was and will always be untouchable.

WHITFIELD: So not only did his video, you know, clearly get people's attention and listen to the music a little differently, it also meant that suddenly other artists, right, who never thought about putting a music video together suddenly thought, wait, I got to get creative and I got to do this, too, because this is what is going to help sell my music?

SNOWDEN: He set the bar. I mean, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is the reason why artists strive to make their videos the way that they do now. Before Michael Jackson's video, there was no million dollar videos. There were no, you know, extreme sets with costume changes and things like that. I mean, people were pretty much just doing performance videos with, you know, minimal makeup. We even got the band here, we might even shoot it in the garage. Michael Jackson totally just revolutionized that. Of course, we all remember where we were. We probably have all done the moves in the mirror, I know I have, I know I tried to get the leather jacket. I had the glove, I had the whole thing. I didn't come anywhere close to what he did but when you look at artists like Chris Brown, you look at Usher, Justin Timberlake, even. Michael Jackson has touched every genre of music, not just with his music but with his videos, obviously. There is nothing that can compare.

WHITFIELD: As you mentioned, he even came out with statements talking about how he impacted their careers, but really even made a lot of singers place value on being an overall performer, being able to dance. Madonna, too, you know, is one who has been known in the past to say the Jacksons, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, inspired her to be that dancer as well as a performer.

SNOWDEN: There is not one artist alive who can say that he or she has not about touched by Michael Jackson, if they do they are lying. Michael Jackson, I mean, completely -- Michael Jackson just put his footprint on the way not only music videos should be created but the way music should be heard and of course the way that songs should be performed.

WHITFIELD: Should he also be getting credit then when it comes to VH-1, when it comes to the viability of MTV? If not for the popularity of his videos would there even be an MTV as a force the way it is or VH-1?

SNOWDEN: Well, as we know, MTV didn't even want to play Michael Jackson's video in the very beginning. So I think it is safe to say that there would have been an MTV but certainly not to the degree that it became. You know, the music video powerhouse that it is now. I think that you are right, Michael Jackson sort of just sets the standard for how videos should be shot and before him, I don't think that there was as much emphasis on, you know, the music video to help sell the single or help sell the record. I think that, you know, like you spoke to earlier, he pretty much sort of just laid the groundwork for, you know, artists who were able to sell themselves, sell an image, sell a fantasy and, you know, like I said, it was very successful because "Thriller" is still the top-selling album of all time.

WHITFIELD: And you're with VH-1. We did invite MTV to share their thoughts but they declined. So I got to ask you about your thoughts, why is it that MTV said that we don't want to play "Billie Jean"?

SNOWDEN: Well, you know, at the time, MTV was a rock music video startup and I guess Michael Jackson's music didn't exactly classify as rock. However, thankfully, somebody had good sense and said, you know what I think this guy might be onto something. If we don't air this video, we're going to have egg on our faces. Can you imagine the person who might have made that call and said, yeah, I think we will pass on Michael Jackson? He or she would probably never be able to work in entertainment again.

WHITFIELD: Wow, it sounds like Michael Jackson clearly making a big imprint but also helping to launch a lot of other careers -

SNOWDEN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: In music videos and that world, too. All right, Janelle Snowden of VH-1. Appreciate it.

SNOWDEN: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: We'll be continuing to monitor developments in the Jackson investigation and bring you the latest information as we learn it and this evening, the BET award ceremonies in Los Angeles is taking a bit of a turn. There will be a pretty significant tribute to Michael Jackson taking place. So CNN will be live from the red carpet. Our Don Lemon will be there and we'll bring that to you at 6:00 Eastern time, right here on CNN, 3:00 p.m. Pacific.

All right. And then later on tonight, Don Lemon has an 8:00 p.m. special, an in-depth look at Michael Jackson's life and legacy, his childhood, his music, his finances and influence. Don't miss the CNN present special "Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror" tonight, 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

All right. Gay pride parades are going on across the country this weekend. San Francisco held a massive one today. It's part of the 39th annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender pride festival and then in New York, our Susan Candiotti is at the granddaddy of them all, rooted in the start too of the gay rights movement. She is joining us live. Susan what is the turnout like? SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. A huge turnout. And you know, organizer says it used to be the politicians would stay way clear of this event. That changed a long time ago. And in fact, even now, New York's governor, David Paterson, is a grand marshal of this event. The roots of this parade go back 40 years to the Stonewall riots, something that happened at a gay bar located just over my shoulder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): For the gay civil rights movement, the Stonewall Inn is a landmark. Tourists from as far away as Ireland and Italy stopped to remember. 40 years ago Sunday, a 1969 police raid at the bar sparked nearly a week of riots and a gay civil rights revolution.

ELLEN SHUMSKY, PHOTOGRAPHER: It was unusual. It was extraordinary. Something new had happened. Second from the left, that's me.

CANDIOTTI: Before the riot, Ellen Shumsky says she lived life in the closet, keeping her homosexuality from her family and co-workers. After witnessing the riots, Shumsky began using her camera to document a newly energized gay rights movement.

SHUMSKY: I was hungry for something that could heal my fracture of my split life. And this put my life back together.

CANDIOTTI: Nowadays, the bar is classy. 40 years ago, it was run by the mob, which in turn ripped off its customers. Police raids of gay bars were common. Patrons like Freddy, now 70 and working at Stonewall, put up with it.

TREE, BARTENDER: Go to court the next morning, there judges who would say to the police you're wasting to my time, case dismissed and there were judges that called us perverts, deviants, you should all be killed.

CANDIOTTI: Then came a hot summer night that changed everything. Cops came, customers had enough.

DAVID CARTER, AUTHOR "STONEWALL": They were using bottles, cobblestones, bricks, pebbles, coins, anything and everything they could lay their hands on.

CANDIOTTI: It lasted six nights. Jerry Hoose can't forget one image.

JERRY HOOSE, WITNESSED STONEWALL RIOTS: The drag queens I know were, like, on a Rockette kick line, you know, doing this business. Right. Singing a song that went something like we are the Stonewall girls, we wear our hair in curls.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): And where were the police?

HOOSE: The tactical police force, the riot squad, was facing them off maybe 20, 30 feet, facing them down. They are there screeching and singing. And you know, other than the fact - I don't think they knew what to do.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): A year later, Hoose, that's him in red, and others were part of the first gay civil rights march down New York's Fifth Avenue. It's morphed over the years into an annual gay pride parade.

CARTER: Those organizations were able to take the militancy, the energy from the Stonewall riots and by the way, not only to maintain that energy but to multiply it and spread it throughout America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: As organizers will tell you, the fight for gay civil rights is far from over, but for now, this day this is mainly about a huge celebration with about a million people here. It will be going on, Fredericka, for hours to come. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Candiotti in New York. Thanks so much. Appreciate that.

All right. A deadline looms in Iraq. U.S. troops get ready to leave Iraqi cities amid an uptick in violence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Back to breaking news now, in today's coup in Honduras. Soldiers arrested Honduras President Jose Manuel Zelaya at his residence this morning. They flew him to Costa Rica, where he called the action a brutal kidnapping. He denied claims that he submitted a resignation and insists that he is still the legal president of Honduras.

The president of the U.N. General Assembly has condemned the action as well as President Obama, who issued a statement expressing very deep concern. Karl Penhaul just spoke with the ousted Honduran president and he joins us now, not the president, but Karl what did he have to say?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was very clear, saying that this was most definitely a coup. Now, saying that because in the last few minutes, a new president has been sworn in Honduras, and he happens to be the head of Congress, this is a clear indication that this is a civilian military coup, it was a much wider plot, not just a small group of military elite but also members of the economic and political elite but still saying it is illegal and he is also rejecting Congress' claims that he somehow handed in his resignation. Saying, no I was dragged from my bedroom in my pajamas this morning, put on a plane at gunpoint. There was no resignation at any stage.

WHITFIELD: So because this is a military, civilian coup, the new sworn-in president was a member of Congress, someone who was elected by the people is the presumption from those who carried out the coup? The general public will be much more accepting of this because these are familiar faces? PENHAUL: I think more than anything else, this is a measure for international public opinion and for international diplomacy that they are using the constitution as a veneer to give a veneer of legality to this military coup, but the fact remains that guys with guns went into the presidential palace this morning and dragged the president off. We will call a spade a spade here it is a military coup but they are now using the constitution to give this air of legality but already around the region, both from the United States, from Venezuela, a key player in the region, Cuba, and Nicaragua, there has been a rejection of this. They say there is no way that they will recognize the Honduran government as it stands now.

WHITFIELD: What kind of leverage might those countries have, if any?

PENHAUL: Difficult to same Venezuela is a big player in terms of the Honduran economy, supplies a lot of oil to Honduras at cheap rates; they could simply cut off the taps. But also what President Hugo Chavez is threatening is outright military action against Honduras. He says that he will pull that trigger if the Honduran military continue to rough up in his words, the Venezuelan's ambassador to Honduras that happened this morning.

The Venezuelan ambassador was roughed up, along with the Cuban ambassador. He says that could be the trigger for some kind of military intervention there unclear whether he would follow through on those kinds of words.

WHITFIELD: And while the president then is in Costa Rica, what about his family, you think presidential palace, you think the entire family is there. Was his family in the palace?

PENHAUL: President Zeleye (ph), when I talked to him and also when he earlier to our colleagues at CNN Espanola, he was saying no that his family wasn't present with him at the time, that he was alone there at the presidential palace planning for today's referendum which was aimed extending his four-year mandate.

WHITFIELD: I wonder if he then suspected something strange might happen.

PENHAUL: Difficult. There has been a lot of rumblings as you know over the last week but really nothing that suggested a military coup was in the offering but Providence may be that his wife and family were staying somewhere else and he says now they are in safe houses.

WHITFIELD: I guess that was convenient, wasn't it? All right, Karl Penhaul thanks so much, pretty fascinating. And pretty earth shattering, too, for what's taking place in Honduras. Thanks so much on that.

All right. Well, it is a day that many Iraqis have actually been waiting for. Tuesday is the deadline for most American troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities. CNN's Michael Ware is in Baghdad. So Michael what does this mean exactly? MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well this is the great question, isn't it? Certainly today, just firstly on current events, we had two more car bombings in the capital. Fortunately, there was no deaths reported so far but 13 Iraqis were wounded, some police and some civilians. Now, what is this handover going to mean? I mean, it's historic, the U.S. led war in Iraq is about to come to an end. The American commander here on the ground, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the man who is true architect of the American surge here in the capital of Baghdad, went to some lengths to explain that there may be an upside to America now taking it's supporting role. Let's hear what General Odierno said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER, MULTI NATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: I think sometimes it is about strategic advantage over tactical things. I think again it is important for us to be in line with the security agreement that we signed in December. I think from a military and security standpoint it is time for us to move out of the cities. We will still be there providing training, advising, enablers for the Iraqi security forces.

I believe they are capable of doing this. We will still be conducting significant operations outside of the cities, in the belts around the major cities and I still believe that this will enable us to maintain the current security and stability situation here in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARE: Now, what General Odierno has outlined there is of course entirely correct, however one thing that he said in the sense that the Iraqi security forces, now number near hundreds of thousands can do the job. Yes, indeed, that is true but only if 130,000 American combat troops are here as an insurance policy. Only if American air support is there to give them cover. Only if they can call upon heavy American fire power and only if American advisers continue to work with them.

The other thing is that whilst the Americans may be operating in the deserts and the green zone that surrounds the capital itself, the main center of gravity for this insurgency has been in the urban areas and there, the Americans cannot operate, except at the behest of the Iraqi government, to conduct an operation, indeed to arrest the suspected enemy combatant General Odierno and his commanders will now have to go the Iraqi government and ask their permission.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow that is going to be a fascinating and dynamic relationship that emerges from this. Michael Ware thanks so much from Baghdad.

So of course, the world will be watching what is transpiring in Iraq and as well as in Iran and other parts of the Middle East. The U.S. troop redeployment in Iraq comes amid continuing turmoil right next door in Iran. Borzou Daragahi is the Middle East correspondent for the "Los Angeles Times" he is joining us now from Dubai. Good to see you.

Well, let's tackle -- OK. Good -- can you a hear me? Good. Let's tackle Iraq first, because while Michael just did a great job explaining the U.S. role and how it is evolving and changing, the U.S. could very well, the troops be roped into, upon request of the Iraqi government, to go beyond or get involved once again in any kind of military or combat capacity if requested by the government is that troublesome or is that a worry?

BORZOU DARAGAHI, "LOS ANGELES TIMES:" You know, there's several different types of violence in Iraq, and the one that the U.S. was back there quelling was the kind of sectarian violence that plagued the country in 2006 and 2007. What you see now is mostly suicide bombings, car bombings, sporadic outbreaks of violence and I think -- and I would defer to Michael Ware who is a friend and knows a lot more about this stuff than I do at this time, but I think that the U.S. military people that I've spoken to are convinced that information, infiltration and intelligence operations are the way to combat that type of violence, those kinds of one-off suicide bombings rather than having divisions of heavy armor inside a city.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, while we talk about these affairs and what could or is expected to take place beginning Tuesday in Iraq, Iraq has not said very much, has it, about its neighbor of Iran, the disputed election, all that's transpiring. Why is that?

DARAGAHI: Well, I think to some extent, they are watching what's happening, they are very worried because events in Iran could very well spill over in Iraq. Both countries have majority Shiite populations. Not only that, there is a serious connection between the senior clergy in the cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq and the Ayatollahs in Iran. And so anything someone says could adversely affect the relationship between the two countries and the -- and also between the two clerical establishments.

WHITFIELD: Borzou Daragahi, thank you so much, the Middle East correspondent for the "Los Angeles Times" joining us from Dubai today. I appreciate your time.

And we have been reporting to you all that has been transpiring in Honduras, there has been a military coup. The president of that country awakened in the middle of the night, taken out of the presidential palace and then transported to Costa Rica, however, he says that he continues to be the legal president, even though a new president, a member of Congress has been sworn in so it is a military civilian coup. He is set that up to let you know that in Miami there are demonstrations, here is one, a rather small one, we understand that there are demonstrations involving people who are trying to express their sentiment about all that's transpiring in Honduras.

You see the sign, Chavez, only because of the Venezuelan president has said that he is likely to or possibly going to get his military involved if there is not some restoration of peace in Honduras, if the president doesn't find his way or is expected to find his way back into office. So, these people right here are protesting on both sides I understand what has transpired in this military civilian coup in Honduras. When we get more information on what is being said and how people are expressing their views, we will bring that to you.

All right. Well with, some called him the man with the booming sales voice and an infomercial king is how he is described. Now, Florida police are trying to determine how TV pitchman Billy Mays died.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. Billy Mays, the burly, bearded TV pitchman has died. You probably best recall had him like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY MAYS, TV PITCHMAN: You know the best way to get your stains out in the wash? Well, America's leading washer brand, Maytag and Whirlpool, recommend Oxi Clean. And now --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mays' body was found at his Tampa home this morning. Police are investigating but they say there were no signs of foul play. The autopsy of Mays is expected to be finished by tomorrow afternoon. A local Tampa TV station is reporting that Mays was hit in the head by a piece of luggage yesterday during a rough landing of a U.S. Airways flight that blew its front tire. Mays was fine when he left the airport. Still unclear whether there is any connection between his death and this flight.

Private funeral services are scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles for Farrah Fawcett. She died Thursday after a long battle with cancer. Faucet was best known for her role in the 1970s television series "Charlie's Angels." She soon became an international sex symbol. Recently, she chronicled her battle with cancer in a documentary filmed called "Farrah's Story." Farrah Fawcett was 62.

Over the decades there have been a number of memorable images of Michael Jackson. We have seen him on stage, on video and of course on television, but do you know what many call his most unusual appearance? Here's a hint. It involves the south lawn.

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WHITFIELD: It's seen as one of the most unusual White House photo ops since Nixon met Elvis 25 years ago, Michael Jackson won praise from Ronald Reagan, for helping with the national campaign against drug abuse, the meeting made for an insightful entry into the president's diary. CNN's Bill Schneider explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On May 14th, 1984, Michael Jackson met with none other than the president of the United States.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To Michael Jackson, with appreciation for the outstanding example you have set for the youth of America, and the world.

SCHNEIDER: President Reagan wrote in his diary that day, a ceremony on the south lawn to honor young Michael Jackson, who is the sensation of the pop music world, believed to have earned $120 million last year. He is giving proceeds from one of his biggest-selling records to the campaign against drunk driving. He is totally opposed to drugs and alcohol, and is using his popularity to influence young people against them. Reagan added, "I was surprised at how shy he is."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL JACKSON: I'm very, very honored. Thank you, very much, Mr. President and Mrs. Reagan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: Pop stars want legitimacy. Politicians want to reach young people, particularly Republican politicians. President Richard Nixon, for instance, had welcomed Elvis Presley to the White House in 1970. Nixon saw Elvis as an ally in the campaign against drug abuse. In the memorandum summarizing the meeting, Nixon's aide Crowe wrote that Presley indicated to the president in a very emotional manner that he was, quote, on your side. Crowe noted that three times during the meeting, President Nixon told Elvis how important it was for him to retain his credibility, a point President Reagan also alluded to with Michael Jackson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAGAN: Michael Jackson is proof of what a person can accomplish through a lifestyle free of alcohol or drug abuse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: And now we are aware of what an intense personal struggle Michael Jackson, like Elvis Presley, went through.

WHITFIELD: Bill Schneider thanks so much in Washington. Appreciate that. And more tributes to Michael Jackson after this.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Michael Jackson's death has triggered huge music sales as people snatch up his albums, and has also created something of a selling frenzy online for all things related to the king of pop. No surprise there. Our Josh Levs is here to tally it all up for us.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I guess it's not shocking, Fred, is it?

WHITFIELD: No. LEVS: You have to see some of these amounts of money people are trying to charge, especially for websites that they went and registered in the wake of death. I want you to see this, because what's going on eBay is crazy. Look at this. $21 million they're asking for MJ's memorial.com. No, it's crazy. But this is sort of a sudden new vintage industry. Check this one out, $5 million, Michaeljackson.com.

WHITFIELD: OK. But you can offer this. But would there be any takers for a domain?

LEVS: Do you know what? The chances that anyone is going to pay millions of dollars for a domain in this situation is really slim, because you can just create a different one. People will pay for a website business associated with a domain. But paying millions and millions of dollars because someone grabbed a domain very unlikely.

But there are thousands of people trying to do it, godaddy.com, was just one place that registers these domain names they tell me they got 3,700 names for Michael Jackson registered in 24 hours after his death, and just wrote me, 6,600 since his death, 6,600 domain names. But here is one that is less than sane that may actually sell. This makes more sense. Take a look at this. Rare Michael Jackson. This is actual platinum "Thriller," and you can see they have a bid at $50,000. That is a collector's item. That makes sense.

WHITFIELD: If you have $50,000.

LEVS: If you've got it, yeah, if you're a collector. And this is Michael Jackson's top hat; they are asking $4,500, more realistic. And this is "Life" Magazine, they're asking for a signed copy, $1,400, we'll see. And this one right here, a little jacket that's supposed to be like his beaded jacket, they're just asking $26 bucks, so there is lighter stuff, too. A new vintage industry. We'll see how it actually sells. Keep an eye for you.

WHITFIELD: And is that Al Yankovic...

LEVS: Eat it!

WHITFIELD: That's all I remember. Thanks, Josh Levs, so much for being with us. I'm Fredricka Whitfield thanks for staying with us.