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CIA Terror Tactics; Cash for Clunkers Ends; Massive Fires Burning Across Greece; Joint Chiefs of Staff Says Situation in Afghanistan is 'Deteriorating; Rumors of Widespread Election Fraud in Afghanistan Coming Out; MacAskill Defends His Decision in Emergency Meeting of Scottish Parliament; Massive Terrorist Crackdown in Pakistan; New Pictures Show Fidel Castro Looking Healthier; Public Health Care Option Debate; Alleged Secret of the CIA

Aired August 24, 2009 - 09:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: New developments in the brutal killing of a swimsuit model. The man wanted for her murder is found dead in a motel room.

The Taliban now into one-third of Afghanistan. More U.S. troops expected to deploy there. Details on how it will work from the Pentagon.

And we are watching Wall Street at the bottom of the hour. Signs show a rally going forward.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. It is Monday, August 24th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

This morning, a gun, an electric drill and a government report on how one terror suspect was treated by the CIA. CNN's Elaine Quijano is looking at the new details here and the possibility of a criminal investigation into all of it.

And also, running on empty. Christine Romans is looking at the final days, the final hours of the Cash for Clunkers Program. We'll get to that in a moment. But meanwhile, terrorism and you. Today new questions about how far our government should go in order to keep us safe from terrorists.

A new government report says CIA interrogators used an electric drill and a gun to scare an al Qaeda prisoner into talking. Sources familiar with the report tell us the interrogations took place in the CIA's secret prisons before they were closed in 2006.

"The New York Times" reports the Justice Department is calling for nearly a dozen abuse cases to be investigated. That move would reverse the policy of the Bush administration and could lead to criminal charges against CIA employees and contractors.

The revelations to be made public some time today raise significant questions about how far the Bush administration was willing to go in its war on terrorism and how far the Obama administration is willing to go in investigating alleged abuses.

CNN's Elaine Quijano is joining us now from Washington with a closer look at all of this.

So Elaine, what exactly do we know about this report and how definitive it is?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you noted, the CIA report is expected to be released today, be new details, Heidi, are already emerging.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): In separate incidents CIA interrogators threatened Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the man suspected of plotting the deadly bombing of the USS Cole, according to knowledgeable sources familiar with the 2004 CIA report.

Sources confirm one interrogation session involved a gun, another an electric drill. Both meant to scare the al Qaeda prisoner into giving up information. And "Newsweek" reports mock executions were staged, including one where a gun is fired in a room next to a detainee to make him believe another prisoner had been killed.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to get the CIA report released, called the tactics under the Bush administration, quote, "not only reprehensible, but illegal," and said the American public has a right to know the full truth about the torture that was committed in its name.

Although the government had authorized such controversial techniques as waterboarding, the use of a gun and drill fell outside approved tactics. A CIA spokesman said, quote, "The CIA in no way endorsed behavior no matter how infrequent that went beyond formal guidance," and added that Justice Department officials reviewed any cases of alleged misconduct.

But the report could renew questions about whether the Bush administration went too far in the name of national security. Former vice president, Dick Cheney, has maintained the interrogation program as a whole was needed to keep the country safe.

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The intelligence officers who questioned the terrorists can be proud of their work, proud of the results, because they prevented the violent death of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people.

QUIJANO: For the Obama administration, the report's released means a delicate balance.

ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We will not be doing anything that would endanger the American people or in some ways lessen our national security.

QUIJANO: But some fear the release will have a chilling effect on intelligence officers trying to do their job.

GEN. MICHAEL HAYDEN (RET.), FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: We will teach timidity to a workforce that we need to be vigorous and active. (END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to announce soon whether he'll appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's interrogation policies. Heidi?

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Elaine Quijano coming to us from Washington this morning. We know you'll stay on top of that one just as soon as more details come out. Thank you.

Meanwhile, here's a closer look at the CIA now. It was created in 1947 to carry on secretive intelligence work of the World War II agency OSS. In the mid-1970s, congressional investigations uncovered a history of assassinations and bribery. That led to new limits on its power and a new level of oversight.

Its powers expanded once again under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and faced new embarrassments in the 1990s. The agency has seen a new urgency, new importance since the 9/11 attacks but has also faced serious questions over its case for the Iraq war and its subsequent handling of terror suspects.

Nobody's looking to make any news. The words of a White House spokesman about the Obama's weeklong vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The first family arrived on Cape Cod yesterday before heading to the island.

There is no formal schedule for the president this week, though he will receive daily briefings, of course.

The Obamas are staying at a secluded 28-acre private estate. The president is expected to play golf, swim, and perhaps take the family out for ice cream.

It's the end of the road for Cash for Clunkers. The deadline for dealers to get paperwork into the government is 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

CNN's Christine Romans is joining us now live from New York with a look at how the program did.

All right, this is it, huh, Christine?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is it. This is the end of the road, as you say, Heidi. And if you've got that clunker still waiting to get it out of your driveway, today is your last chance to do that and get the $3,000 to $4,500 rebate from the federal government. 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. on the west coast.

Now some of the dealers have been asking for more time, more time to complete their paperwork because...

COLLINS: Yes.

ROMANS: Some of them are still waiting for money, quite frankly, about 30 percent of the deals have been reviewed, about $140 million paid out, still a lot of money waiting, many of the dealers say they're still waiting for their money and still waiting in line, but the government has put on 1,100 workers to do this and this will be the end of the line today. Any paperwork not submitted by the end of today will not be considered.

So here, what do we know going forward? Auto Nation, the nation's largest dealer chain already stopped doing this on Friday night. They weren't accepting anymore. Some dealers have dropped out by the middle of last week saying they simply just -- were trying to focus on getting paid for the deals that they'd already done. So this is really the last gaff for you, Heidi, if anybody out there still has a car they're trying to trade in.

COLLINS: Yes, no kidding. The paperwork issue is a really big deal, too. Lots of it to feel, clearly. But somebody who didn't have a clunker to trade in, are there deals for them still? I mean you've got the "Romans' Numeral" for today, right?

ROMANS: I do. And that number is $600. And yes, there are still deals out there. We maybe forgot about it. It was overshadowed by the big Cash for Clunkers program.

COLLINS: Yes.

ROMANS: But this is in the stimulus, a tax rebate, a tax break for new car buyers. You can write off the state local and excise taxes for a car purchase anywhere from February 16th to the end of this year. So if you didn't have a clunker and you didn't have a chance to get out there and the dealerships were all clogged, there is still this incentive for people who might have missed this big push with Cash for Clunkers.

The question, though, is, Heidi, you know, can they keep the momentum from this? And this is always expected, Cash for Clunkers, to be a temporary deal.

COLLINS: Right.

ROMANS: So now that that's done, what kind of impact will it have on the economy? If you're going to look for a car, we know that some of the dealer lots are pretty slim.

COLLINS: Yes.

ROMANS: We know that GM and Ford have upped their production, which takes 30 to 45 days for those new cars to get on the lot. And we know they even the used car lots have kind of tight inventory. Because think of all those used cars that didn't make it back into the system, right?

COLLINS: That's right.

ROMANS: Because they were junk.

COLLINS: Yes.

ROMANS: So it'll be interesting to see how the auto sector bounces right after this.

COLLINS: Absolutely. All right, well, we will watch that closely with you, Christine Romans. Thank you.

ROMANS: OK.

COLLINS: And shifting our focus now for a moment. The suspect in the gruesome killing of his swimsuit model wife has been found dead in a motel room. An international manhunt had been on for Ryan Jenkins, the prime suspect in the death of Jasmine Fiore.

Investigators say Jenkins was found hanged in a British Columbia motel room yesterday. CTV reporter Norma Reid joining us now live from the town of Hope.

Norma, what do we know at this point?

NORMA REID, CTV-TV CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, it all began here on Thursday night where a mystery woman and Jenkins showed up here in this sleepy, tiny motel in Hope, British Columbia, Canada. And it was the woman who walked in alone inside to the hotel manager or rather the motel manager and paid for the room in cash.

Jenkins stayed in the car and then he went inside the room by himself where he remained for the entire rest of the stay. He was very quiet. That woman took off and left. Now, he was supposed to check out of his room yesterday morning and that's when the motel manager and his nephew went knocking on the door because he was supposed to check out.

It was at noon, he didn't answer the door when they knocked, they opened the door, that's where they found Ryan Jenkins hanging from a belt.

COLLINS: Wow. Is there any indication at this point, Norma, of who this mystery woman who brought him there is?

REID: Well, we do have a description for you from the motel manager. He said she is a very attractive young woman between the ages of 20 and 25 years old. She stands about 5'10". She is driving a silver PT Cruiser with Alberta license plates. And we do know that Ryan Jenkins is from Alberta.

COLLINS: All right, Norma Reid, live for us from Hope, British Columbia. Thank you, Norma.

Hurricane Bill, now downgraded to a tropical storm, is being linked to a 7-year-old girl's death. The girl was among thousands of tourists watching waves kicked up by Bill at Acadia National Park in Maine.

Authorities say the 7-year-old, her father, and another girl were knocked by a large wave into the water into the Atlantic. The other two were rescued. Rough waves from Bill ripped up the Atlantic coast all weekend, also leading to the death of a swimmer in Florida. Meanwhile, a state of emergency in Greece. Firefighters going up against this. Scrambling to get a handle on several major fires there. We take you live to the fire lines in a moment.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And winds will continue to blow out there. Also in California, fires are trying to get quelled a little bit. And we have Bill that's going bye-bye. It is heading to another land mass, we'll tell you where when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Massive wildfires are burning right now in Greece. Strong winds expected later today could hamper firefighters' efforts, too. 20,000 people have been evacuated from a suburb of Athens. Look at that. A state of emergency also been declared.

In fact, CNN's Phil Black is joining us live with the very latest. Phil, good morning to you.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, hello, yes. Under control, but still very dangerous. That is the official word from Greek firefighters here today. So -- but firstly, I want to show you just one example of the damage that these very severe fires have caused in and around Athens.

I am standing in what was a home in one of Athens' northern suburbs. This is just one home. There are many through here just like it that were destroyed when the fire was at its worst, when the fire came charging through into the city of Athens itself.

Today, conditions have being a little bit more favorable for fighting fires. The winds have been softer. That's the key for it. Strong but not gusting to the same strength we've seen in recent days. It's created very uncontrollable, unexpected situations that have allowed the fire to spread very quickly and have left firefighters scrambling to keep up.

So firefighters have made the special effort today, doing their best to crack down on what is left of these fires in these more favorable conditions because they know that if the conditions swing back again, similar things to those we've seen in recent days could be repeated, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, no question about that. I think I actually hear aircraft overhead, not sure about that, Phil, but hopefully those winds are containable to the point where they'll be able to fight from the skies, as well.

Phil, how are people reacting to all of this?

BLACK: Well, there is a lot of anger. This has created a lot of emotion here. Fires are pretty common in Greece, particularly in the summer time. Two years ago, there was a very severe one that left 70 people dead, destroyed vast tracks of land, and now there is a lot of anger among the communities that have been hit hardest but in Athens, generally too, that this was allowed to happen again. That lessons from the past were seemingly not learned.

Well that is the accusation that has been by residents within these local communities. They feel that initial fire fighting response was disorganized, was inadequate and is essentially responsible for the destruction that has been felt here in recent days. The government says the firefighters, firefighters, they've done the very best they can. The super human effort it says and extraordinary circumstances. Heidi?

COLLINS: Wow, just incredible video here that we're looking at. All right, Phil Black for us live this morning from Greece. Thanks so much, Phil, we'll keep in touch with you.

Meanwhile, back here in the United States, officials say most of the wildfires that's scorched parts of California from weeks are now fully contained. Thousands of people who had to leave as the fire spread were allowed back home this weekend.

More than 100,000 acres burned since the fires began. And wildfires in Santa Cruz county and Santa Barbara burned about 98,000 acres combined. Firefighters say they've surrounded the last blaze in ubicon that damaged 4,000 acres and two homes.

Tropical storm Bill. So where is he headed now? Rob Marciano joining us from the severe weather center with the latest on this.

Hey there, Rob.

MARCIANO: Hey, Heidi, good to see you, welcome back.

COLLINS: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Yes, I was happy that we were able to escape Bill down in St. Bart's. We've been hearing about of the stiff It was coming to the north. But it was to the north so...

MARCIANO: Yes, you know...

CNN CORRESPONDENT:

MARCIANO: You always take a chance when you go to the Caribbean this time of year. Nice work but you the cheaper fare so nice work.

COLLINS: That's right. My friends Estilette (ph) and Mark, very, very happy that it didn't come their way.

MARCIANO: Thanks for being her back in one piece.

(LAUGHTER)

COLLINS: All right, Rob, we'll check in later on.

MARCIANO: Yes. OK.

COLLINS: Thanks so very much.

Here's a look at some of the stories making headlines right now. A new report out today will reveal abuse in inside secret CIA prisons. Sources telling CNN the report show officials threatened an al Qaeda prisoner with a gun and a drill to make him give up information. The interrogation took place before 20006.

Another sobering evaluation of the war in Afghanistan from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Here's what Admiral Mike Mullen said on "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: Well, it is serious and it is deteriorating and I've said that over the last couple of years that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better and more sophisticated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: So does the U.S. need to send in additional troops? We have a full report on the situation coming from the Pentagon in just a few minutes.

A reality TV contestant accused of killing his wife is found dead. Investigators say it appears Ryan Jenkins killed himself. Jenkins was wanted in California for the murder of his wife, a former swimsuit model, Jasmine Fiore.

Jenkins was found hanged yesterday in a motel room in Canada. Police say a woman dropped him off there on Friday but they have not yet been able to find her.

The health care debate now, Republicans versus Democrats. An independent issues a warning. We will tell you why both parties are leaning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: I want to let you know what we're talking about on our blog today. Always want to hear from you, of course, and what you're thinking, especially today regarding this new report that is due out a little bit later on.

It's going to detail abuse inside those secret CIA prisons. In fact, here's our question today. Just go over to the Heidi Mac and take a look. Could public knowledge of abuse in CIA's secret prisons lead to increased danger for U.S. troops in war zones?

Sometimes that's a question we ask or not when information is made public like this. So we'd love to know what you think on it. Go ahead and post your comments on our blog at CNN.com/heidi. We'll get to some later.

Now to health care reform. It's a make or break month as lawmakers get an earful from constituents back home. But one senator has some words of warning for the Obama administration. Don't try to do too much too quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: I think it's a real mistake to try to jam through the total health insurance reform, health care reform plan that the public is either opposed to or are very, very passionate mixed minds about.

It's just not good for the system. Frankly, it won't be good for the Obama presidency. I think we -- because he's got other fights to fight. He's got climate change, next domestically, he's got financial regulatory reform, he's got the war in Afghanistan.

You know, people on the Finance Committee, which I think remains our great hope now, these six people, three Democrats, three Republicans, working together. That's the hope to get things done.

They've said to me that they agree on about three quarters of what needs to be done. Let's do the three quarters and save the other quarter for a day when the economy is growing and maybe we've done something to turn down the deficit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Senator Lieberman's words carry a special weight among Democrats. His vote could be essential in passing a health care package.

Two health care town halls to tell you about today. The first in Buckingham County, Virginia. It's been hosted by Representative Tom Perriello. The other is in Inman, South Carolina. Its host, Congressman Bob Inglis.

An improving Taliban making more deadly for U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. Is it time for another surge? Or do we make it work with the troops we already have there? We're going to get the very latest coming up from the Pentagon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.

COLLINS: On Wall Street, last week's rally took stocks to levels we haven't seen since last fall. And today, we are expecting more green. At least at the open.

Stephanie Elam is at the New York stock exchange with a preview of the trading day. And there's the opening bell now.

Hi, Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi, yes, we may have some green on green, we've got orange on the podium. Home Depot opening the day of trading. But on Friday, Heidi, the Dow closed above 9500 for the first time since early November. And today Asian markets rallied in response to Friday's comments from Ben Bernanke.

The Fed chief said the economy could return to growth this year, people like to hear that, and we way see some signs of recovery this week. Tomorrow, we get readings on home prices and consumer confidence. And on Wednesday, we'll bring a report in -- on a new home sales.

However, there are still likely to be plenty of bumps along the road to recovery. A prominent banking analyst is warning that 150 to 200 more banks will fail before the banking crisis ends. That's already on top of the 81 failures we've seen so far this year.

And as expected, we do get news that "Reader's Digest" is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The publisher warned earlier this month that a bankruptcy filing was coming. "Reader's Digest" has been hit by a sharp drop in circulation and rising debt.

And finally the world's most famous stock market index could be up for sale. News report say Dow Jones and company is looking to sell its stock market index business, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average. At this point, Dow Jones is not commenting.

Checking the early numbers to see where we are, and we were right, Heidi. We're in the green. The Dow is up 30 points at 9537. It's small, but we'll take it. Nasdaq better .25 percent. And the S&P 500 up about 0.33 percent. Let's see if we can keep it going for the day, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, no kidding. Very good.

All right. Stephanie, we'll check back a little later on.

Thank you.

A discouraging assessment of the war in Afghanistan. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says Taliban attacks are getting deadlier, which means the president may soon have to make some pretty tough choices.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joining us now from Washington with more on this.

Barbara, good morning to you.

Some pretty grim language, actually, being used by top military officials here.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Heidi. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke over the weekend to "STATE OF THE UNION's" John King here on CNN. Listen right away to what he had to say about Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I think it is serious, and it is deteriorating. And I've said that over the last couple of years that Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated, their tactics just in my recent visits out there in talking with our troops certainly indicate that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: How bad is it? Well, CNN has learned that the latest U.S. military assessment, Heidi, is that the Taliban now exert considerable influence, if not outright control over one-third of Afghanistan. That's one-third of the land mass there, where they can run shadow government, shadow courts, their intimidation. We're just a couple of weeks away from the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks planned in that country, and that's where we are. One-third of the country.

How bad is it right now? Well, Heidi, the month is not over and already this is now the second worst month for fatalities in the war. Sixty-two coalition troops have already lost their lives this month.

Heidi?

COLLINS: Boy, oh boy, eight years, can you believe that?

All right, Barbara, we'll check back with you a little bit later on.

Thank you.

STARR: Thanks.

COLLINS: And after initial praise from international observers, rumors of widespread election fraud in Afghanistan are starting to come out now. More than 200 complaints about irregularities during last week's presidential election had been registered. Many of them include stuffing ballot boxes and intimidating voters.

Abdullah Abdullah, the leading rival of incumbent President Hamid Karzai says members of his campaign have evidence of widespread poll manipulation by Karzai supporters. Authorities expect to begin announcing preliminary results starting tomorrow.

A massive terrorist crackdown in Pakistan. Police say at least 24 suspects are in custody, including three seen carrying suicide jackets and explosives inside a bus station.

CNN's Cal Perry is joining us now live from Islamabad on this.

So, Cal, Pakistan seems to have made some major progress in the fight against some of these hidden terror cells, is that right?

CAL PERRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it would appear so. And for weeks, as you know, we've been reporting on these air strikes in northwest Pakistan targeting the leadership. But really what we're seeing in the past 24 to 48 hours is actually the kicking down of doors by the security forces in and around Pakistan. Two major cells, they say, have been captured, disrupted and arrested. The first in the Punjab Province, which is pretty much all of eastern Pakistan. The police district commander telling CNN that at about 2:00 a.m. this morning, three men were walking through a bus station. As you mentioned they were carrying explosive vests with them. They said they interrogated those men for two hours and then they were led to three other men that were part of that cell. They believe that they were planning to carry out attacks on high religious symbols like mosques, as well as police targets.

The second ring that was broken up yesterday was down in the port city of Karachi. Six people arrested found once again with explosives and narcotics. Narcotics are used by these groups, of course, to fund these terror attacks. No word yet from police on what they believe the target was going to be for that terror cell.

Now all of this comes really at a time when we've been peppering the government about how they're getting at these terrorist cells. And we found out yesterday from the interior minister that they uncovered a plot four weeks ago. Taliban plot to destroy the parliament building, as well as the ISI, which is the top security office here in Islamabad.

The Interior Ministry actually showing us these explosive vests, and when you look at the explosive vest, you can really see the sort of terror that they bring.

We're talking about complex explosives, but in a very crude fashion. They've just placed these ball bearings on the outside of it. We heard from a source on the ground that said, if you're within 100 meters of this vest, you would have been killed, Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow, all right.

You have to wonder, does all of this mean something good for Pakistan's government? I mean, are we seeing some good signs here?

PERRY: Well, on face value, it certainly looks good, but when we were standing there yesterday looking at these vests, you couldn't help thinking is the glass half full, or is the glass half empty? If it's half full, then they are getting these guys, they're stopping these nets. The half empty part, of course, is you have these three suicide vests, how many more are out there?

There are intelligence reports out there that say the Taliban is going to strike back. It was interesting to hear Barbara Starr speak to you. It's not even the end of the month in Afghanistan. Well, it's just the beginning of Ramadan here in Pakistan, and traditionally, the Taliban has hit hard during the month of Ramadan. So, yes, we are seeing these suicide vests on the table. We are seeing these networks being broken up. But the big question is how many networks are still left out there, Heidi?

COLLINS: Of course. That's always the question.

All right. Cal Perry, sure do appreciate that from Islamabad, Pakistan. Thank you. I want to get this news out to you just as fast as we can here. You are looking at Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. Here's what's his importance. Remember last week, of course, this gentleman, the Scottish minister, allowed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi to go back to Libya in the face of strong criticism from the United States. And, of course, the relatives of those who died on the Lockerbie bombing.

He's defending his decision right here now. This is an emergency session of Scotland's parliament that has been called. We just wanted to let you know what was going on here as we look at these live pictures coming our way out of Scotland.

Once again, pictures of Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who made the decision to allow the Lockerbie bomber out of prison and back to Libya.

We will have more on that story coming up in our 10:00 a.m. hour, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The military investigation into the death of U.S. soldier in Basra, Iraq, is going forward now. 19-year-old Keiffer P. Wilhelm killed himself ten days into his deployment. The investigation into his death has turned up allegations of hazing against four superiors. The military says there is no direct evidence the alleged misconduct caused Wilhelm's death, but Wilhelm's father thinks differently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANE WILHELM, SOLDIER'S FATHER: This is bad to say, but I hope all four of those kids, they just -- I hope they feel the hell that's going on in my head every day because of what they've caused. It's unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The four sergeants facing charges are also accused of hazing three other soldiers.

The search for a reality TV contestant accused of murdering his wife is over. And it did not end the way police had hoped.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A reality TV contestant accused of killing his wife is found dead. Investigators say it appears Ryan Jenkins killed himself. Jenkins was wanted in California for the murder of his wife former swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore.

You see her down the left side of the screen.

Investigator say a woman dropped Jenkins off at a motel on Friday. Yesterday, he was found hanged in his room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LT. STEVE HOLLIDAY, BUENA PARK, CALIFORNIA POLICE: The Buena Park police department wanted to confirm that the body of Ryan Alexander Jenkins was, in fact, found in a motel in Hope, British Columbia, Canada. The cause of death appears to be suicide. The sadness of this all is that Mr. Jenkins will not stand before an Orange County jury for his crime. Although, the investigation is still ongoing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And a new government report today will likely reignite debate over how terror suspects should be questioned. The Justice Department plans to release a report that says CIA investigators used a gun and an electric drill to try and scare an al Qaeda suspect into talking. That's one of several cases that could be reopened and face possible criminal prosecution.

Last chance for cash for clunkers. The government-funded rebate program ends today. Lots of people spent the weekend trading in their old cars to take advantage of the credit to buy a more fuel-efficient one. Some dealers say they are participating to the very end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARC RILEY, GENERAL MANAGER, RICK CASE ACURA: Everybody's on deck. I mean, all hands on deck, and really hoping that, you know, we can just put a cap on this weekend and be done with it.

DOMINICK DELPOZZO, CUSTOMER: I rushed over here. Look how I'm dressed today. In my work clothes, I just ran right over here to get the last-minute deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Dealers have until 8:00 tonight to file claims for any deals.

It's a lot of paperwork, too.

We'll talk more about that later.

Meanwhile, massive fires burning right now in Greece. 20,000 people have been evacuated from a suburb of Athens since the fires started on Friday. Firefighters are battling the flames from the ground and air today. Strong winds expected later today, though, could hamper those efforts. At least 90 fires have burned hundreds of homes and thousands of acres.

The first hurricane of the year was supposed to scare people away from the beach, not invite them. Your iReports streaming in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Been talking about it for a few days. Tropical storm Bill now, used to be hurricane Bill.

Rob Marciano is looking for it on all of his maps.

People are wondering where this thing is headed, right?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Yes. No kidding.

I was actually out of the country when it happened. Sweden, when Katrina hit.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We got you back here in a hurry, didn't we?

COLLINS: No. It was -- it was all sort of happening, and we watched all of the international news from over there. It was unbelievable even being that far away, how massive everything was. So obviously we'll be doing a lot more here on CNN to commemorate the four-year anniversary.

All right, Rob Marciano, sure do appreciate that. We'll check back a little bit later on.

Meanwhile, I want to show you this. IReports coming in to us from hurricane Bill, formally known as hurricane Bill, that is.

Body borders hitting the rough surf while most beachgoers watch from the sand. Video sent to us by Mike Black in New Jersey. If you have incredible video or pictures to share, remember you can always upload it at iReport.com.

So, thanks for those pics.

Remember all those pictures of an ailing Fidel Castro? Well, look again. Just how did the former dictator become a picture of perfect health?

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COLLINS: Fidel Castro, a new symbol of a healthy lifestyle? New pictures show the former president looking fit and rejuvenated.

CNN's Shasta Darlington joins us now from Havana with more on a healthier looking Fidel.

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Heidi. What we're seeing is this healthy-looking Fidel, and it's clearly an attempt by the government to show that he's there, he's alive and well.

And I think what compares him positively to other videos we've had, even though it's been over a year, because we cannot only see him, but we can hear him. And on previous videos his voice was often weaker, or even covered over by music. But here we see him chatting with these visitors from Venezuela, these visiting students, and he looks animated. Now, the Cubans that we talked to have this to say about the video. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It made me very emotional because it had been a long time since we've seen him on TV. To see him in the form that he was in, it was very emotional.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): His face was full. It wasn't the image that people have that he was finished. No, we're going to have our commandante for a while.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARLINGTON: Now, even though there haven't been any rumors lately about Fidel Castro's health, this video will certainly help head off any in the future. Now for those people who might say that this means that Fidel Castro is coming back to power, I think that's definitely going too far. But we can say he's alive and well.

Heidi?

COLLINS: All right. Wow. It is pretty stunning to see those pictures, though.

We sure do appreciate that. Shasta Darlington from Havana this morning.

Thank you, Shasta.

Meanwhile, Miss Venezuela has a new crown and a new claim to fame this morning. Last night, 18-year-old Stefania Fernandez was named Miss Universe 2009. The first time with one country has held on to the crown for a second straight year. You see Miss Universe 2008 was also from Venezuela.

There's a lot of news this morning to tell you all about. Our CNN correspondents are here to tell you what they're working on. Let's begin in Washington with Elaine Quijano.

Hi, there, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Heidi.

Well, here in Washington, officials are set to release a report that could shed some new light on CIA interrogations under the Bush administration. I'll have that for you at the top of the hour.

ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Atia Abawi in Kabul, where one presidential candidate is accusing the other of mass fraud, and all the ballots haven't even been counted yet. Heidi, I'll have more for you at the top of the hour.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: And I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. You know, more than one million American will run out of their unemployment benefits by the end of this year. What's it like when the clock is ticking and there's just no job in sight. We spent the day with two people facing that reality. We'll have more on that at the top of the hour.

Heidi?

COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thanks so much guys. Appreciate it.

Also, at home with the Lockerbie bomber. We'll talk to the reporter who tracked down the newly freed terrorist. Details of that exclusive interview with us in just a moment.

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COLLINS: Just one week left in this make or break month for health care reform. And lawmakers on both sides are still bitterly divided, especially on the issue of a public option, where the government would compete with insurance companies.

Here's more now from CNN's Jim Acosta.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With the president hitting the beach on Martha's Vineyard, the tide may be turning against the idea of a government-run insurance program or public option in health care reform.

REP. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: I'm afraid we've got to think about putting a lot of that off until the economy is out of recession. There's no reason we have to do it all now.

ACOSTA: Add Connecticut's independent Joe Lieberman to the list of Republicans who doubt the president will get everything he wants.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I believe that one of the fundamentals for any agreement would be that the president abandon the government option.

ACOSTA: The president is also feeling the heat from liberals in the House, threatening to vote no on reform unless it has the options.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) say no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I vote no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: At her own boisterous town hall, California Congresswoman Maxine Water urged the president to start twisting arms in the Senate.

REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: We're going to do everything that we can to organize, to put pressure on those senators (INAUDIBLE).

Here's what we say to the president, we want you to use every weapon in your basket. ACOSTA: In his weekly address, the president was more interested in what he sees as twists of the truth.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we've all heard the charge that reform will somehow bring about a government take over of health care. I know that sounds scary to many folks. It sounds scary to me, too. But here's the thing. It's not true.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The beach is nice this time of year.

ACOSTA: But before the president could say kawabunga, and ad from one reform opponent accuse the White House of a government takeover.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because his public option health plan could lead to government-run health care.

DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: We need message discipline on the Democratic side. I can't speak for Republicans, but I can tell you, without message discipline, this has been a very difficult uphill battle for the president.

ACOSTA (on camera): This week, the president's grassroots volunteer network known as Organizing for America is urging its members to show up at town halls, and rally near local congressional offices. The move is right out of the playbook of reform opponents who have raised their voices at town halls for weeks.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)