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Possible Targets for Terror Attack; Workplace Violence, Street Protests in Iran; Health Reform's New Bullseye; More Time for Jobless Americans; Stocks Set to Rally
Aired September 18, 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: Worried about health care reform? Turns out some Democrats are concerned about their own colleagues' health care plan. New sound from inside the halls of Congress.
Jobless Americans in some states could get a break. We'll tell you about a push to extend unemployment benefits.
And could a condemned home hold clues to cold cases? Dogs on a kidnapping suspect's property pick up a scent.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. It is Friday, September 18th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Of course, we have a lot going on this morning. Want to make sure we get straight to it today.
Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has some new details to tell you about from this week's U.S. terror raids. Her sources are saying the threat was all too real and we will tell you why.
Also, Reza Sayah is following the street protests in Iran. Want to tell you all about those as well. Large crowds, big tensions in that country right now, still divided by that contested election.
And also, our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is going to be talking about the war in Afghanistan. Another American is killed and the debate ramps up. Should more troops be sent there?
There is new information now on possible targets for a suspected terror attack. Federal agents in New York and Colorado raided several buildings this week, as we told you here, as part of their investigation.
CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is joining us now live from Denver this morning with the very latest.
So, Jeanne, sources are telling you more details now of these plans?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but first, let me say, Heidi, that this is very much an ongoing investigation that authorities are still trying to get their arms around exactly what they are dealing with here. We have had sources tell us that during the searches on the residences in New York, they did find multiple backpacks. Now backpacks were used in the Madrid train bombings back in 2004 and sources say this has led some members of law enforcement to theorize that this alleged plot might have been involved some sort of hit on a transportation hub, a train station, or a subway station. Some place where there would be a lot of people and minimal screening of bags.
In addition, two sources tell CNN that authorities have turned up instructions for bomb-making. One law enforcement official says that this information was found on a computer that was taken to New York by Najibullah Zazi.
Zazi is the 24-year-old Afghan national who's at the center of this probe. His lawyer says this information about bomb making instructions on his computer is simply not correct.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARTHUR FOLSOM, NAJIBULLAH ZAZI'S ATTORNEY: I have no information confirming anything like that. And all I can possibly say...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, sorry.
FOLSOM: ... is that my client has no comment at this time. If you have question, you can direct them to me. All I can say is that if they had found bomb making materials in his car, on his computer, or one wild report I saw yesterday that there were sort of enough explosives in the apartment to blow up two buildings.
Do you really think the FBI would have allowed us to walk out of here last night?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Now, Zazi is reportedly meeting today for a third day with the FBI. Meanwhile, authorities are saying they believe this is the real deal. Additional resources have been put into New York and to Denver, they say. But, as yet, no arrests in this case.
COLLINS: Understood.
MESERVE: Back to you, Heidi.
COLLINS: As we've all been saying, certainly investigation ongoing in this. What more do you know about Mr. Zazi?
MESERVE: Well, we don't have a full picture of this gentleman, but we do know that he was born in Afghanistan, emigrated to the United States, came to Denver not too long ago. And for the last six months or so, he's been working for an airport limousine company.
I spoke yesterday with an individual who answered the phone there who described Zazi as a very hard worker, diligent, good kid. He did describe him very definitely as a kid. And he said when he heard that he was being questioned in connection with an alleged terrorism plot, he laughed out loud. Back to you.
COLLINS: Jeanne Meserve, our Homeland Security correspondent -- Jeanne, thank you, coming to us from Denver, Colorado this morning.
And now we are learning more about the suspect in the killing of a Yale University graduate student, her name, Annie Le. Raymond Clark was charged with murder yesterday, one day after undergoing DNA testing.
The president of Yale said the lab technician's employment record showed no signs of trouble, but police are describing the case as workplace violence. And the Associated Press reports Yale workers told police Clark was a control freak even with sciences and doctoral students.
But friends of the suspect painted a different picture of him on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Bobby, you're a friend since childhood, grew up next door to him. What do you make of this?
BOBBY HELSIN, CLARK'S BEST FRIEND: Ray is my absolute best friend. I mean he's someone I considered a dear friend of mine, ever since growing up, since we've been 5 years old, up until -- you know, thus far. And it's just -- Ray to me is -- I'm speaking on behalf of my friendship with him and for the rest of, you know, the town of Brantford, Ray has -- absolutely complete shock.
Cannot understand the position that Ray's in right now, why he's in this position. I mean, obviously, we do know, you know, what is going on, but it's like, it's a complete shock, because this is a dear friend of ours, and a dear friend of mine who I've grown my whole entire life to know and it's -- the whole country and everybody else in Brantford are wondering.
We want questions -- I mean, we want answers to all of our questions. Everybody has questions. He's being portrayed right now as, you know, being a murder suspect. And that's not the Raymond Clark who I've known my whole, entire life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Le's work involved experiments on mice and it was part of research that could have implications for cancer treatment. Clark's technician job involved cleaning floors and mouse cages.
We turn now to street protests in Iran and new anger directed at a president accused of rigging his own re-election.
What you hear is chants of "death to the dictator." This is amateur video now posted on YouTube and believed to have been shot today in Tehran. The Tuesday rallies are an annual event, but this year, as you can see, there was new cause for tension.
CNN's Reza Sayah is in Islamabad, Pakistan now with the very latest.
Reza, good morning to you.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. It has been a while since we've seen the green-clad opposition movements take to the street en masse, but that changed today in Tehran. In another emotionally charged and dramatic day tens of thousands of opposition supporters hitting the streets according to our sources on the ground and coming face to face with large crowds of pro-government groups.
Usually that's been a recipe for violent clashes, but we didn't see widespread clashes today. There were some, but not many.
Today in Iran was Quds Day. This is an annual rally to show solidarity for the Palestinian cause, but as they've done in the past, Iran's opposition movement took advantage of this government-approved event to take to the streets and protest the June 12th elections and the often vicious government crackdown that followed.
The protests and the rallies started in the morning. Tens of thousands of people heading towards Tehran University. There, President Ahmadinejad made another searing speech targeting Israel and Washington. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRAN (through translator): Today the most important issue in the world is the issue of Palestine. If there is conflict going on in Iraq, we believe that the conflict has been instigated by the Zionists. If there's a conflict in Afghanistan, the war has been provoked by the Zionists. If the people of Sudan are being suppressed, that is due to Zionists' temptations. In fact, we consider all these schemes as being just drawn up by the Zionists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAYAH: Now, inside Tehran University, President Ahmadinejad getting plenty of cheers, but a different story outside Tehran University, where opposition supporters stood by. They were chanting, "liar, liar," as the president was speaking, also the chant, "death to the dictator," and also a new chant we hadn't heard before today, "no to Gaza, no to Lebanon, I give my life to Iran."
It's the new position of many of this opposition supporter that Iranians themselves after the elections have been oppressed and they're facing economic woes and the government should pay attention to them before paying attention to the Palestinian cause, but President Ahmadinejad making it clear that paying attention to the Palestinian cause is a national duty. Heidi?
COLLINS: All right, understood. And appreciate the update, Reza Sayah for us this morning in Islamabad, Pakistan.
So what exactly is Quds Day? It's an annual rally to support the Palestinian people and protest Israel's presence in Jerusalem. It's actually held in many Arab and Muslim countries and their communities around the world.
Even though it's held each year on the last Friday of Ramadan, it's considered a political, not religious event. The parade originated in Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Coming into this week, moderate Democrat Max Baucus hoped that his plan for health care reform would bring both parties together. Well, a few days after we got the details on the proposal. It has indeed found some common ground. Both Democrats and Republicans are finding reasons to hate it.
So where does the debate go from here? Can one plan build bridges in both directions? CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forget about Republicans. Even Democrat Jeff Bingaman, who spent months negotiating with Max Baucus, isn't ready to support his health care proposal.
SEN. JEFF BINGAMAN (D), NEW MEXICO: I have favored having a public option available and voted for one in the health and education help committee bill. So I hope we can do that.
BASH: In fact, outside a closed meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, almost all the Democratic senators we talked to said they wanted to change what their Democratic chairman Max Baucus calls a consensus plan. One huge issue?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affordability.
BINGAMAN: Affordability.
SEN. DEBBIE STABENOW (D), MICHIGAN: Affordability for middle class families.
BASH: Concern that Americans would not get enough financial help buying the health insurance they would be required to have.
STABENOW: This has to work for families. And I understand all of the trade-offs. But the trade-off can't be that a middle class family can't afford the insurance in this bill.
BASH (on camera): Are you prepared to vote against this?
SEN. MARIA CANTWELL (D), WASHINGTON: Yes, I can't support a plan that doesn't have the affordability of health care and doesn't have the affordability for my constituents in it.
BASH (voice-over): And many Democrats don't like one way Baucus helps pay for his health care overhaul, taxing insurance companies for high-cost plans. It was John Kerry's idea.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Yes, it was my idea, originally.
BASH: But even he now opposes it, saying the way Baucus structured the tax, it could penalize the middle class, including union members.
KERRY: We need to make it fairer to working people so that working folks don't get dragged into this at a level where they just don't have the incomes that support it.
BASH: Meanwhile, Olympia Snowe is still the one Republican Democrats think they can still persuade.
SEN. OLYMPIA SNOW (R), MAINE: It has to be practical, achievable, and doable.
BASH: In fact, Baucus stood listening carefully as Snowe spoke to reporters and then told us:
SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D), FINANCE CHAIRMAN: Whatever Senator Snowe wants to do, I'm for her.
(LAUGHTER)
BASH (on camera): Whatever she wants?
BAUCUS: Whatever she wants.
BASH: In all seriousness, Senator Baucus told us, he is willing to make changes to address concerns about affordability and potentially taxing the middle class. He knows he has no choice in order to get votes from fellow Democrats and pass this proposal in his critically important committee.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: And make sure you watch CNN on Sunday morning when President Obama sits down with CNN chief national correspondent John King. That's on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," Sunday morning at 9:00, 6:00 Pacific.
Congress sharpens its budget knife as it takes a harder look at the controversial organization ACORN.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. Starting to feel like a broken record as far as the south is concerned. Another day of flood watches and it's expanding.
The CNN NEWSROOM is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Millions of unemployed Americans are looking for work, and counting the days until their jobless benefits run out. Well, for some, health and hope may be on the way.
Christine Romans is part of the CNN Money Team and is joining us now.
So, Christine, who, exactly, may be getting some help here?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: In 26 different states, if this goes through, the House is considering and will be voting on next week a bill to extend unemployment benefits by another 13 weeks. This would pertain to anybody in states with higher than 8.5 percent unemployment rates. That's about 26 states with a lot of folks.
We know that usually unemployment benefits last about 26 weeks. We've extended them already, but in some cases, these lawmakers are saying there simply aren't jobs. If these unemployment benefits run out, you're going to have families who will have no income. The only thing worse than trying to raise a family on an unemployment check is trying to raise a family once it runs out and there are no jobs.
COLLINS: Of course.
ROMANS: There are six people looking for every job opening, six qualified applicants for every job opening.
COLLINS: Really?
ROMANS: And that is a very tough situation to be in. It looks like this could pass the House, the Democratic-controlled House. It's uncertain when and if it would land in the Senate, but at least pressure and momentum building on the hill to extend these benefits.
Heidi, for more than 500,000 people, their jobless benefits run out by the end of September. By the end of the year, it's well over a million people will lose their jobless benefits. So what happens when those benefits run out? A lot of people think it could be real tough luck on the economy. Will not have those people spending money...
COLLINS: Sure.
ROMANS: ... you'll have those people still in dire straits.
COLLINS: Yes. All right. Well, hopefully there'll be a lot of people that will be helped by this.
Christine Romans, sure do appreciate that. Thank you.
Looking for leads in two cold cases. Investigators turned to the property of a kidnapping suspect. Now two search dogs have picked up a scent.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Let's take a quick check of our "Top Stories" now. Authorities plan to dig in an area of Phillip Garrido's property where search dogs have shown some interest. County building inspectors have condemned Garrido's home as unsafe to occupy and released these pictures of it.
Garrido is charged with kidnapping Jaycee Dugard and his property is now being investigated in connection with the 1980s disappearances of two other girls.
Russia's leaders are praising President Obama's decision on missile defense. The president announced the U.S. would abandon controversial plans for sites in Eastern Europe. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called it a right and brave move.
Meanwhile, media reports in Russia say the military has decided to scrap its own plans to deploy short-range missiles in The Baltics.
Military vets are being warned to watch out for an ongoing phone scam. Callers say they are with the VA and need credit card information to update prescription medication records, but the VA says it doesn't ask for personal information over the phone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Congress is cracking down on ACORN. The House approved an amendment yesterday to pull federal funding from the community organizing group. The Senate passed a similar provision earlier this week.
The votes are in response to several undercover videos like this, shot by conservative activists who posed as a pimp and a prostitute. On the tape, ACORN employees appear to give the couple illegal financial advice.
ACORN's CEO says she's deeply disturbed by the videos, but she says the employees who appear on the tapes are bad apples who have been fired. One of the workers says his words were taken out of context.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never in my life do something wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually people that are not -- that are involved in criminal activity are not contacting law enforcement to let them know about the criminal activity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: ACORN has ordered an independent review of the tapes. We'll have a full report coming up on this story from CNN's Special Investigations Unit. You can see that at the top of the hour.
More rain expected again today for an already soggy southeast. A torrential downpour -- look at that -- across parts of Tennessee yesterday, flooded streets, closed schools and businesses and sent residents scrambling for higher ground, apparently cattle, too. Emergency crews used boats to rescue dozens of people stranded in their homes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANE COOPER, FLOOD VICTIM: It hasn't never been nowhere near this deep before. There's 3 foot back here some place.
RANDY WHITE, RUTHERFORD CO. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: We've checked over 40 homes and we've evacuated more than 17 or 18 families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: All right. Rob Marciano joining us now to talk a little bit more about this. Boy, they are just getting hammered there.
MARCIANO: And it's been days.
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: And yesterday was kind of...
COLLINS: (INAUDIBLE), too, obviously.
MARCIANO: The straw that broke it. Didn't see a tremendous amount yesterday, but it's been a couple of days coming. As a matter of fact, this video a couple of nights ago out of Chattanooga. IReporters sending this thing in. And, you know, a familiar scene across the southeast with just streets flooding in major metropolitan areas. And with that sort of action, you know, it gets a little bit wet at times.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Yes. Yes. We got more of it last night, too, didn't we?
MARCIANO: Well, you know, I'd like to say we need it, but we probably don't need it anymore. I think we're done.
COLLINS: Yes. Seriously, can't you control that?
MARCIANO: No. I'll work on it.
COLLINS: All right, Rob, we'll talk with you later. Thank you.
MARCIANO: You bet.
COLLINS: The best-selling author of "The Kite Runner," author Khaled Hosseini, makes a trip home to Afghanistan. His firsthand account of the situation there now and his work to help refugees returning home rebuild their lives.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: On Wall Street, stocks snapped a three-day winning streak yesterday after soaring to their highest levels in nearly a year earlier in the day.
For a look at what's in store on this final trading day of the week, let's go to Susan Lisovicz now at the New York Stock Exchange.
Hi there, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Happy Friday to you. That rally could resume today...
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ... even though we expect some caution at the open. I knew you'd like that. At the top of the hour, we'll get a look at state-by-state unemployment numbers for August, the July report showed the unemployment rate rose in 26 days.
As Christine mentioned earlier, this comes just days before Congress is set to vote on a measure to extend unemployment benefits again in states with high jobless rates. An extension may be in store for separate government program to help out the housing market.
The IRS says just under 1.5 million first-time home buyers use the government's $8,000 tax credit this year. That's helped to boost home sales and the economy. As of now, that credit set to expire at the end of November.
In corporate news, Palm reporting its ninth straight quarterly loss. Palm has been struggling due to competition from the iPhone and BlackBerry. Sales of Palm's smart phones more than doubled because of popularity of its Pre device. Not enough, though, to boost overall revenue, which tumbled more than 80 percent in the last three months.
And we're not seeing stocks tumble. We're seeing gains across the board. Three major averages even in the first minute of trading. You know we're less than 200 points from Dow 10,000.
You know, Heidi, yesterday, I put on this hat, this Dow 10,000 hat.
COLLINS: Yes. I love that hat.
LISOVICZ: I know you do. And I'm working on getting you one of them.
COLLINS: Oh, good.
LISOVICZ: It's a 10-year-old hat, so it may be on eBay, but I'll find one for you. But I am told, Heidi, that there was a collective gasp in the makeup room when I put it on. So from now on...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Oh, that's never good.
LISOVICZ: No good. You want to be friends with those people at all times, for the work, the Herculean task that they perform every day.
COLLINS: Oh, they love you. You're in and out in 30 seconds. I love that.
All right. Susan Lisovicz, we'll check back later on to see what these numbers do today.
Thank you.
A partnership for missile defense. NATO secretary general says the U.S., Russia, and NATO should combine efforts on a military defense system to protect against threats from Asia and the Middle East. This comes one day after President Obama announced plans to end a Bush administration plan for missile sites in Eastern Europe. That decision drew some criticism.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The consequences of this decision may be, albeit, unintentionally, encourage further belligerence on the part of the Russians and a distinct lack and loss of confidence on the part of our friends and allies in the word of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: President Obama says the U.S. is not abandoning missile defense. The plans are for newer and faster systems. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called it a responsible decision. The two president are expected discuss security in the region when they meet in New York next week.
A U.S. service member and another member of the NATO fighting force are the latest troop deaths in Afghanistan. Both died in roadside bomb attacks. August was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Now 21 people have died there this month.
And those numbers are stoking the debate over future troop increases.
CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon now this morning to talk a little bit more about this.
So, Barbara, we've been expecting General Stanley McChrystal to request more troops. We've also heard from Admiral Mike Mullen. When are we actually going to hear what these commanders want?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, that's really the big question right now, because this public silence is fairly deafening. You know, it was earlier this week that President Obama said he wanted to take his time and have some patience on deciding about whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. Vice President Biden told our Chris Lawrence, traveling with him in Iraq, that there was no immediate decision on the table to send more troops.
This against the backdrop of the military's side of the house, Admiral Mullen and others saying that securities deteriorating and that things, you know, need to be fix there. And, of course, U.S. troop deaths now at record levels. So it was very interesting yesterday when Defense Secretary Gates had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There's been a lot of talk this week in the last two or three weeks about Afghanistan. And frankly, from my standpoint, everybody ought to take a deep breath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: Seeming, once again, to be at odds with the military side. No great urgency in any of this. But here's what we know behind the scenes. Now, General McChrystal has actually made a decision on how many more troops he needs. It's somewhere in the 30,000 to 40,000 range. That's a very big number for the White House to deal with, and General McChrystal has been told, don't send that request to Washington just yet. We'll call you when we're ready to hear about it.
Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. And that is what is just so fascinating to me. I mean, it really begs the question, you know, who's running things right now? Is it the military commanders or the politicians?
STARR: Well, there is civilian control of the military in this country, but here's the thing --
COLLINS: Of course. So what's Congress been saying?
STARR: Yes. You know, they're noticing all of this and saying, hey, we want to hear what's really going on. General McChrystal went to Afghanistan to command the war there with the orders, tell us what you need, we'll get it for you. Now he's ready to say what he needs, but Washington's not ready to hear it.
Heidi?
Well, of course, we will follow this very, very closely as the days go on here. Appreciate it very much.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. Thanks so much.
Acclaimed author Khaled Hosseini just wrapped up a five-day visit to his native Afghanistan. He is an American citizen, but was born in Kabul, and Afghanistan has always remained near and dear to his heart.
He's written about it in his best-selling novels "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Sons." Hosseini has been working to provide Mediterranean assistance to Afghanistan through his foundation, and is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.
Khaled Hosseini is joining us now this morning from Washington.
Always nice to see you. Thanks for being here. KHALED HOSSEINI, AUTHOR, "THE KITE RUNNER": Sure, thank you.
COLLINS: Really interested to know how Afghanistan looked to you today. You actually left just on Tuesday.
HOSSEINI: Yes. I think the current trend, especially from the standpoint of security is not an encouraging one. When I spoke to Afghans, they are concerned about their future and have some reservations and disappointments about the present.
But the sense that I got was that things are not hopeless, and that sustained stability in Afghanistan is an achievable goal. But in order to meet that goal, we do have to be patient. This will take time, and we need the sustained commitment on the part of the international community.
And also, we can't meet this goal through military intervention alone. The military is part of the answer, but it has to be linked to political, social, and economic convention as well. So there has to be a strong, civilian component to strengthen the Afghan state institutions. And to give those people in Afghanistan the modest levels of improvement in life that they're asking for, which would earn us, I think, great goodwill and contribute so much to stabilizing the country.
COLLINS: Yes. And I think that's been going on for many years. We've been talking about how this could never just be, you know, one platform. It's got to be military, and of course, diplomacy and involving the citizens of Afghanistan.
You say that hope is not lost, though security is a definite situation. So, therefore, when we talk about more troops, potentially going into Afghanistan, and a significant number that we're hearing from our commanders, 30,000 to 40,000, potentially, what do the people of Afghanistan think about that?
HOSSEINI: Well, I think that, undoubtedly, there is a shade of public opinion in Afghanistan that is beginning to see the security forces there as an occupying force compared to a few years ago, I would say there are more people who view the security forces negatively.
COLLINS: So they feel equipped in what you are hearing, to be able to defend their own country, at this point?
HOSSEINI: No, you know that's the point. That on balance, when you speak to Afghans, they feel that if the security forces were to leave Afghanistan, things would be a whole lot worse. Because the Afghan state institutions, the Afghan security forces are not strong enough to ensure the country and its people of a normal state of existence, of protection. And so do they want to have foreign troops on their land? No. But did they see it as a necessary thing. I think most Afghans would concede that point.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. Let's talk about the refugee situation. I know that you were a refugee yourself. How big of a problem is this now in Afghanistan? I mean, what are the numbers that we're talking about?
HOSSEINI: Well, it's a continuing problem. You know, since 2002, 5 million refugees have come back to Afghanistan. That's a 20 percent increase in the country's population. That's an enormous figure for even a developed country.
COLLINS: Sure.
HOSSEINI: But you take a poor country like Afghanistan, brutalize it through 30 years of consecutive civil conflict and then ask it to absorb a 20 percent increase in its population, that's a Herculean task. And so what I saw when I went back to Afghanistan on this trip is that refugees are struggling, daily struggle with basic services like land, shelter, water, access to health and educational facilities, and they remain, you know, really, their survival depends on continued donor support and on the continued engagement of the Afghan government and the international community.
COLLINS: What about the U.N.? I mean, obviously, you're a goodwill ambassador now for the United Nations.
What about their efforts?
Are they having an effect?
HOSSEINI: Well, absolutely. I mean, I think UNHCR has been the lifeline of these refugees, providing them with emergency help, with shelter, with legal, with physical and material protection. But UNHCR can't do everything. It has to rely on developmental partners to bring about those socioeconomic conditions that are conducive to successful reintegration.
COLLINS: Certainly. Some real chances.
Very, very quickly, we have to ask you, the author of "The Kite Runner" about this kite festival that you took part in on Monday in Kabul.
HOSSEINI: It was beautiful. It was just a fantastic scene. We were on this hill with all these children flying kites and it was a beautiful scene. You know, and it was a day to keep the peace agenda alive, to remind people that Afghans are a peaceful people who want peace for their country and who want to be able to restart their lives and rebuild their country, and bring to an end and to a closure this very dark chapter in their country's history.
COLLINS: Well, I'm a personal very big fan of both of the books. I have them both, and I appreciate your work to keep the spotlight on Afghanistan, your native country. Thanks so much.
HOSSEINI: Thank you very much.
COLLINS: Khaled Hosseini, thanks.
We want to get straight now to our top stories of the day. The investigation into the case of a suspected serial killer has turned up a huge gap in Wisconsin's DNA database. Officials say DNA samples from some 12,000 convicted felons were never taken or recorded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ED FLYNN, MILWAUKEE POLICE: We can't afford to have that many felon's DNA unaccounted for.
JOHN CHISHOLM, MILWAUKEE CO. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It's essential that we recover that information.
SHERIFF DAVID CLARKE, MILWAUKEE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: I have to admit, I'm shocked that it could have happened to this magnitude, and I've been around a long time but the numbers that we're talking about to me are staggering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Well, authorities say most of the DNA samples could be taken from people already in prison. Processing them will be a burden on a crime lab that's already backed up with other cases. And without DNA on file, investigators would be unable to tie suspects in custody to other criminal probes.
A former high school football coach has been acquitted in the death of a player. A Kentucky jury found David Stinson not guilty of reckless homicide in the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin. Gilpin collapsed during a practice in hot weather last August. His body temperature reaching 107 degrees. He died three days later. The defense argued that other factors may have led to Gilpin's heatstroke.
Pakistani police say they're ready to arrest a leading cleric for helping a group believed to be behind the deadly attacks in Mumbai, India, last year. The cleric is accused of raising money for the banned group. He says it's charity. 166 people died in the attacks in Mumbai.
Health care in America. Passions run high, divisions run deep. With seemingly everyone shouting, is anyone still listening?
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COLLINS: With Phillip Garrido already charged in the Jaycee Dugard case, investigators are searching his property for possible links to other kidnappings. Garrido's home has been condemned, and county inspectors have released new photos.
Reporter David Bienick from affiliate KCRA has the story.
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DAVID BIENICK, KCRA REPORTER (voice-over): A pink child sneaker lies in the sand. Pots and dishes are stacked in the kitchen sink, and a box of crayons sits next to a filthy black fish tank. These are some of the 102 pictures taken by building inspectors nearly three weeks ago before they condemned the Garrido home is unsafe to occupy.
Many pictures show piles of boxes, mattresses, and debris in the backyard, where authorities say Jaycee Dugard and her two daughters were held captive for several years. There is a wooden shed with metal bars on the windows and door and makeshift electrical wiring. Also visible in the piles are two Barbie-style dolls and a stuffed panda. A child's bicycle and a car safety seat are among the items lying against the crushed side of an aboveground swimming pool. There is a white plastic toilet, which inspectors say was not connected to any sewer or septic system.
Inside the house, pots and dishes fill the kitchen sink and cover the counter and stoves. A can of pinto beans, a jar of peanut butter, and a box of Ritz crackers sit on a microwave often stand. Pieces of furniture are piled on top of each other, papers are strewn on the floor, and what appears to be plastic flowers sit on top of the dining room table.
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COLLINS: Authorities are now planning to dig on Garrido's property as part of the investigation into the disappearance of two other girls in the 1980s.
CNN's Rob Marciano standing by in the severe weather center.
I feel like we've been talking about all this rain in the southeast and now flooding for, I don't know, like three or four days, right?
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COLLINS: All right, great.
Thank you, Rob.
Health care in America. Passions run high, divisions run deep. And with seemingly everybody screaming at everybody else, does anybody still listening?
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COLLINS: The debate over health care in Washington. The anger heats up. The actual debate bogs down with both sides so entrenched and so angry, is anyone even listening anymore?
We'll get a closer look from CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.
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NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Good morning.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The speaker of the House says some of the things she's hearing in the health care debate border on dangerous.
PELOSI: I saw this myself in the late '70s in San Francisco. This kind of rhetoric is -- was very frightening. And it gave -- it created a climate in which we -- violence took place.
CROWLEY: To review, the pro-reform side, including the president, has been called socialist, Marxist and un-American. Those against the president's plans have been called wing nuts, fringe groups, and racists.
Republicans accuse Democrats of stoking a false racism charge to diminish honest opposition. Democrats say, for political reasons, Republicans won't condemn the clearly racist signs and words at some protests.
Oh, how the White House wants to put a lid on this one. They have been trying since Sunday.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I don't think the president believes that people are upset because of the color of his skin.
The president does not believe that -- that the criticism comes based on the color of his skin.
CROWLEY: And, today, the vice president chimed in from Iraq.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As you approach the resolution of an incredibly controversial issue, ideologically, politically and every other way, usually, you find excesses grow from that. But the president does not believe, nor do I believe it's racially based.
CROWLEY: It's no that the president is above a good partisan fight. He was out there today proving that.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have heard a lot of Republicans say they want to kill Obama-care. Some may even raise money off it. But when you ask these folks what exactly my plan does, they have got it all wrong.
CROWLEY: Here's the problem. Beyond the four walls of that rally, who's listening? The sideshow, the debate about the debaters, drowns out the president at a critical point in his bid for health care reform.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: All of the background noise, the -- the conversation behind the conversation, is hurting his ability to get his policy agenda implemented.
CROWLEY: And a bitter sideshow on one of the most politically toxic topics turns off moderate, less partisan voters, and makes the opposition more opposed.
ED GILLESPIE, FORMER REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: All of a sudden, to be accused of being racist for expressing those concerns, it -- you know, it further polarizes an already polarized debate.
CROWLEY: There is bipartisan agreement on this. Politicos on both sides say the health care debate is the nastiest in decades -- only one thing missing.
AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: This is not about black and white. This is about insuring America.
CROWLEY: Oh, yeah, health care.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
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COLLINS: Make sure you continue watching CNN especially on Sunday morning when President Obama sits down with our chief national correspondent John King. Now that's on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," Sunday morning 9:00, 6:00 Pacific.
There's a lot going on this morning and CNN crews are in place now to bring it all to you.
Let's go ahead and check out our correspondents and their stories today. Let's begin with Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.
Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Heidi. Well, Michelle Obama is weighing into the health care debate now. And she's not just talking about the need to eat your vegetables. She is going to be talking about why reform is necessary for all America's families. I'll have much more of those details at the top of the hour.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: I'm Gerri Willis. Worried about missing out on the $8000 homebuyer tax credit? You could be in luck. It could be extended. I'll have more at the top of the hour.
LISOVICZ: And I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where the market is rallying for the 9th out of 11 sessions. The trend we've seen for months now and a fed report says that's one reason we're all $2 trillion wealthier.
Heidi, more on that in the next hour.
COLLINS: All right. Look forward to it.
Thanks so much.
Also, we're going to be digging deeper into a story that may start some important conversations. The study about suicide. You might be shocked by how many people give it serious thought.
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ANNOUNCER: Live breaking news, unfolding developments, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
