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Pres. Obama's Oil Disaster Strategy; Search for Arkansas Flood Victims; Ethnic Fighting in Kyrgyzstan

Aired June 14, 2010 - 09:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everybody. I'm Kara Phillips. Here's what we're working on for you right now.

Clean it up and do it faster. The White House is telling BP it's crunch time to fix the mess in the Gulf. Nearly two months in, we could soon find out how much oil is really spilling.

Arkansas turned upside down by vicious the floods. Nineteen people dead, more missing. Rescuers are still not giving up.

Plus $50 billion please. President Obama asking Congress for a new spending package. Taxpayers, you want to listen up to this one.

But first, day 56 of the oil disaster in the Gulf. And today marks the beginning of another busy week. BP presenting a plan that it says could capture 50 barrels of oil each day. According to the letter obtained by CNN, the plan could be in place by the end of the month.

At any moment, President Obama begins making his way to the region. His two-day trip will take him to Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Tomorrow he'll return to the White House for an address to the nation. He'll discuss the growing crisis as the environmental damage spreads and the economic impact worsens.

Then on Wednesday the president will hold his first meeting with BP executives. He's ordering the oil giant to set aside millions of dollars for the people and businesses suffering right now through financial hardships.

Meantime, the company has installed new sensors on the underwater geyser with hopes of better assessing just how much oil is really gushing into the sea. It could take several days before those sensors can even provide some useful information.

Let's begin with President Obama's return to the Gulf Coast. It's his fourth visit since the disaster began nearly two months ago.

CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian joining us now from Alabama.

So, Dan, walk us through the president's next 24 hours.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra. As you know, the president has been criticized now for weeks that he hasn't been as engaged as he should be. Well, the administration really wanted to show that the president, by coming here, is on top of the situation, getting a firsthand assessment of this operation to contain the oil spill, but also the president will hear and have some tough words for BP, trying to hold BP accountable.

Now we'll see some firsts from this particular trip while the president is making his fourth trip to the Gulf. When the president comes here, it will be the first time that he's been to Florida, Alabama and Mississippi since the oil spill back in April.

In addition to that, the president will also go out on the water for the first time. He'll hop on to a ferry not far from here, a chance for him to get an up-close view of the situation out in the water.

And then the third first is that the president will actually be spending the night on the ground in Pensacola, Florida. In the past three visits that the president made to the Gulf, he jetted in and out. Some have said that the president needed to spend more time on the ground, perhaps even overnight, so he will be doing that in Pensacola.

People here anxious, ready to hear what the president has to say, what the administration plans to do. But one man we spoke to said that he wants the administration to do less talking and do more action. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM HALL, GULF COAST RESIDENT: Looking at the overall picture, I wish he would take more assertive power in what's going on as far as protection of our environment.

My property values have probably dropped 30 or 40 percent in the last 50 days. And I know all about the claims, and I know all about the payment back, but I just wish the government would become a little bit more active in taking care of we the voters.

These visits are somewhat of a photo-op, and I don't see any real action taken as a result of the visit.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: So when the president arrives in Mississippi later this morning, he will be briefed by Admiral Thad Allen, who obviously is the government's point-person for this major disaster.

And then he'll sit down for a roundtable with some local business leaders, some officials, and also residents. A chance for the president to hear firsthand some of their concerns -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Do we have any idea what the president will say in his address tomorrow night, Dan? As you pointed out there with the gentleman that you talked to, that there's a lot of criticism that these are just photo-ops.

LOTHIAN: That's right. Well, the president, first of all, the reason they wanted to do the address so soon after the president's visit is because he's able to go back with sort of some evidence of what he just saw.

It's a, listen, this is what I saw, this is the progress that's being made, but this is where we still have to go. And a senior administration official pointing out that those are some of the themes that you'll from the president. Certainly he will address the overall crisis. He'll also talk about some changes that have to be -- regulatory changes that have to be made going forward so another crisis like this won't happen again -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Dan Lothian, live for us there from the region.

CNN will have live coverage of President Obama's address to the nation. That's scheduled for Tuesday night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. Pacific.

Tune in to CNN for that speech and of course analysis from the best political team on television.

Now the search is still on for at least one person following deadly flash floods in Arkansas, but Governor Mike Beebe says on -- or actually said on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING"" that there could still be others.

That death toll now stands at 19. Searchers found the body of another victim yesterday nearly a mile downstream from the campsite. The search and rescue continues today.

Catherine Callaway has more now from the campsite near the Little Missouri River.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEE WILLIAMS, ARKANSAS FORESTRY COMMISSION: It's going to be dangerous, take your time. (INAUDIBLE) anything, beat us around the pile at one time.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lee Williams of the State Forestry Commission prepares his team of volunteers for the difficult work ahead. Driving as far as the terrain allows, searchers aided by two canine units, hike in 90-degree weather to some of the largest debris piles along the Little Missouri River looking for victims.

(On camera): It's quite a hike from where they were able to get their vehicle. The river is about 40 feet from us. We've still got quite a hike ahead of us.

(Voice-over): It's a struggle to make your way through the rugged forest, and often lying quietly in the path, deadly snakes. The magnitude of the debris is overwhelming, but the crew must find a way to thoroughly search the piles in dense vegetation for any sign of the missing.

WILLIAMS: We are going to let the search dogs go in, sniff around. When they get through, we'll go in with the saws, same thing as before. Everybody be careful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bear, this way. Come on.

CALLAWAY: It's risky work, even for the dogs that jump right in undaunted when they pick up on something. Once the canines finish searching, volunteers begin cutting away debris, and that's not without risk.

WILLIAMS: Any time you have trees leaped over, they have a lot of pressure against them, you have to know what you're doing with a saw.

CALLAWAY: This kind of work can take an emotional toll on the volunteers. But they feel a strong motivation to keep going.

NICK ELROD, TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS POLICE: The biggest concern is keeping everybody safe while searching. And then, you know, hopefully been able to find the one miracle like you said, but if not, you know, to help bring some closure to some families.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Catherine is now joining us live from the rescue command center there near Langley.

Catherine, how is the day looking right now and when can we expect an update on the search?

CALLAWAY: Well, they have just had their briefing this morning behind me in the Langley Volunteer Fire Department office there. About 100 volunteers have gathered. They have been given their assignment for the day.

There are usually, Kyra, only out about two hours at a time because of the conditions here -- the heat and just the work itself. And we're hoping to get an update about 11:00 local time, noon Eastern Time, and find out exactly where they are and what the plan is for the future in this search.

PHILLIPS: All right, we'll check in with you then. Catherine, thanks so much.

Nearly all of the 19 victims so far have been identified. Their ages ranges from a 2-year-old toddler to a 69-year-old senior citizen. Funerals for two of the victims are set for tomorrow. Fifty-three- year-old grandmother Julie Freeman and her 7-year-old granddaughter Kylee Sullivan, Kylee's great grandmother still in a state of shock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA SULLIVAN, GREAT GRANDMOTHER OF KYLEE SULLIVAN: How can I ever move these things because I was sitting here with her when she put them here? And she would, you know, say, Barbara, will you come and play with me? That's -- she always called me Barbara. That's all she's ever called me.

And I -- this is just where she loved to be when she was here, and I loved it for her to be here.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: More rain is on the way as well. Heat advisories in place for much of the south today.

Let's check in with meteorologist Jacqui Jeras to see how that weather could impact that search in Arkansas.

No doubt it will, right, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it will. I mean certainly it's going to be extremely uncomfortable with heat indices well into the 90s, probably in the upper 90s across parts of Arkansas.

Northern parts of the state are what's dealing with showers and thunderstorms. And you know it was a complex of thunderstorms, not all that different from this is what caused that flooding there. And we've been waking up to the series of complexes bringing all this heavy rain.

The ground is very saturated. We've got flashflood watches and warnings in effect across much of the plain states, so it's very widespread. In the last week we've seen as much as four to eight inches of rainfall. And we're looking at one to three on top of that.

Today we've got new video just coming from Kansas City, Missouri. And I want to show you those pictures now where heavy rainfall, about five inches in less than 12 hours, have fell.

Mostly the south side of town and the west side of town have been hit the hardest, including Overland Park. We've seen many small rivers and creeks come out of their banks in widespread flooding, and a lot of roads have been closed and a lot of cars have gotten stuck in some of these flooding.

Now flooding is one of the top weather-related killers. In the last couple of years, we've seen those numbers continue to go up. Heat is number one, and we're dealing with that heat today as well.

We'll get all the advisories that we have across the southeast where it's going to be feeling like 100 to 110 degrees at times.

And last but not least, Kyra, I want to mention the tropics because we have an area of disturbed weather in the middle of the Atlantic. This is a very unusual thing to see something develop this time of the year in the middle of the water. And you can see the models bring it towards the Caribbean. It could develop into TD1 later on today, but unfavorable wind conditions down the line, hopefully would tear that back apart -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jacqui, thanks.

Chaos on the border of Central Asian nation. Thousands of men, women and children running for their lives. It's a refugee crisis that's now affecting our troops in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It's creating a huge refugee crisis, and now a problem for our troops fighting in Afghanistan. We're talking about the ethnic violence that's rocking the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan.

At least 114 people have been killed, hundreds more have been hurt, and an estimated 80,000 Uzbeks have fled that area. Now the International Red Cross is calling this a humanitarian catastrophe.

The U.S. military has a vital base which resupplies troops fighting in Afghanistan. And we'll have more on that in just a minute.

But first let's talk with Anna Nelson. She's with the International Red Cross out of Geneva. She joins us on the phone.

Ms. Nelson, let's start by how this ethnic violence got to be so extreme.

ANNA NELSON, INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS (via telephone): Good morning. Yes, we saw already ethnic clashes and violence erupt in April in the capital of Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, and tensions have been running high ever since then. There were due to be elections coming up on the 27th of June. It's traditionally an area that is a tinderbox for ethnic tensions to begin with, so it didn't take very much to provoke the situation.

PHILLIPS: And there's a battle for natural resources as well, right?

NELSON: At this stage, I think what we are really focusing on is the humanitarian situation that's unfolding. As you stated earlier, one of my colleagues described it to me as a humanitarian catastrophe, and that's not just in Kyrgyzstan, that's also on the border with Uzbekistan. So I think regardless of the reasons behind this, what's led up to it, what we are dealing with right now is an extremely critical situation.

PHILLIPS: So what have you sent in so far? What have you been able to get into the area, and what's the greatest need right now?

NELSON: Well, the needs are basic. It is food. It is water. It is fuel. The International Committee of the Red Cross was able to get one flight of surgical and medical supplies into Osh, the city where the main clashes have been happening since Thursday. We were able to do that yesterday.

We have 12 more shipments of surgical equipment as well as buckets, jerry cans, tarps that are due to arrive in the coming days. We have managed to really ramp up our presence in terms of the number of staff who are there helping. We now have two doctors and a surgeon on the ground, but we are also particularly concerned about the situation and the number of refugees that have fled to Uzbekistan. We are working with the authorities to determine the extent of needs there and to figure out how to help the tens of thousands of people that in the camps.

PHILLIPS: Anna Nelson, we'll stay in touch with you. We want to keep following this story of course. And just a quick geography history lesson here. Kyrgyzstan is the mountainous country bordered by China on the southeast.

Uzbekistan in the west and Tajikistan on the southwest. More than half the country is engaged in agriculture and herding. The country's name is believed to have originally meant 40 tribes. Legend has it that the nation's epic hero, Manas, unified 40 nomadic tribes of that region. Kyrgyzstan's flag has a sun on it with 40 rays of light coming from it.

Now for how all the violence is impacting our U.S. troops that are fighting the war in Afghanistan, CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jill Daugherty is joining us from Washington.

Jill, you've actually been to the base that is crucial to troops there many times. Tell us about that and how it is affecting the supplies getting to our troops.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Kyra, actually I have not been on the base, but I have been in Kyrgyzstan itself many times. It is a beautiful country. It is very, very poor, but the reason that it is important it it's geo-politically very strategically located. As you pointed out, the U.S. has a base, the Manas Air Base. The Russians have a base as well.

And if you remember that name, Manas Air Base, you may remember a bit of a while ago when there was a big debate and going back and forth between the United States about how much they were going to pay for the base. They ended up paying, basically, three times what the U.S. was expecting and that's because it is important.

It ferries troops and supplies into Afghanistan, air refueling planes, etcetera. It is very, very important. And what -- remember, just in April, a couple months ago, they had the government overthrown, so there's grave worry about the stability of that interim government. And as you just heard, there are elections coming up.

So right now it appears that this is ethnic violence, but what if it completely destabilizes the government and we are back to the same situation? What could happen to the control of that air base? It raises all sorts of problems, and that's why the United States is very interested in this.

PHILLIPS: It could be forced to shut down if indeed that happens, right? Then our troops won't be able to get the necessary supplies that it depends on coming through that base.

DOUGHERTY: Yes, that would be the worst case scenario, because you know, it doesn't belong to the United States, the U.S. rents it, in effect, so the government, if there were a government, might not want to continue. That's all the question.

And it gets more complicated, Kyra, because, you know, the Russians - as I said, have a base, and they have sent some of their troops down there just to secure the base, but Kyrgyzstan has been asking Russia, remembering the old days when it was part of the Soviet Union, to come in and bring them some stability in this very tense regional. So you've got that added element. The Russians are saying at this point we are studying it, we are not going in, but it is really complex. And it is quite important for the United States.

PHILLIPS: Well, appreciate the perspective. Jill Dougherty, thanks so much. Tickets in hand, plans in limbo. We're going to tell you about Spirit Airlines and why it grounded all its flights.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So a New Jersey mom says that her son is a not a terrorist, he's just a quote, stupid man with a big mouth. Muhammad Alessa is one of two New Jersey men arrested earlier this month for allegedly planning to wage violent Jihad and kill American troops. Here's what his mom told CNN producer Kiran Khalid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NADIA ALESSA (voice-over): My son is a very good child, but the only problem -- he has a mental problem and people, they have to understands that.

KIRAN KHALID, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nadya Alessa doesn't want to show her face to the world, but she has a lot to say about her son, Muhammad Mamood Alessa. He and his good friend, Carlos Al Monte were arrested preparing to board flights from New York to Egypt. The FBI says they were headed to Somalia to join al Shabab, a militant group connected to al Qaeda. His mother says that's ridiculous.

ALESSA: To be honest, he's not religious. He's only having big mouth, talking too much. But he's a chicken.

KHALID: Alessa says her son was a troubled man who saw at least 16 psychiatrists over the years. This is his room after it was searched by authorities. Among the strewn clothes and shoes, a bag full of Beanie Babies, collectibles he told his mother worth a fortune one day. He was planning ahead.

SIHAM: We net online almost a year ago. And, yes, we started talking and decided that we wanted to get married.

KHALID: 19-year-old Siham shocked Alessa's parents when she came to their home Friday night and told them she was exchanging e-mails and texts with their son. She showed us those texts and a passport proving she traveled from Egypt to New York after learning of his arrest.

SIHAM: So I didn't know what to do. Words can't explain what I felt. I was in shock and I couldn't stop crying. So I decided to come to America because I couldn't take it. Even though it might not help anything that I come here, I just wanted to see his face.

KHALID: The two were supposed to meet in Cairo for the first time. Instead, it was in a courtroom.

SIHAM: When I saw him, it felt like it wasn't how I wanted to see him the first time.

KHALID: Siham says her boyfriend was angry, but that's not a crime.

That doesn't make him a terrorist. That only shows how much he disliked what the people are doing to the Muslims.

KHALID: Kiran Khalid for CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Taxpayers, take note. The White House wants billions of more dollars for another round of stimulus help. We'll take a look at the arguments for and against.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we finally got a win on Wall Street. The Dow rose nearly 3 percent last week. That's the first weekly gain a month. Alison Kosik in New York at the New York Stock Exchange. Alison, what are investors focused on today?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Kyra. Wall Street is nervous about the debt problems in Europe and what their effect is on the global economy. But they may put those worries aside, at least for a few hours today. Today they focus on the upbeat report on industrial production in Europe. That will give Wall Street an early boost.

We've got the opening bell ringing now. And once again, we're seeing another swing in BP's stock price, now down more than four percent. The BP board is going to be meeting to discuss its dividend today. Officials in the U.S. have called on the company to suspend its dividend at least until it's finished paying for the oil cleanup.

We're not expecting a decision right away because BP execs are scheduled to meet with President Obama on Wednesday. All right. In first minute or so trading, take a look at the numbers. The Dow industrial is up 29 and the Nasdaq composite up 21. We're going to keep an eye on all the numbers for you. Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: OK. Alison, thanks.

Travelers holding tickets for Spirit Airlines are finding their plans on hold at least for today and tomorrow. The company's pilots walked off the job over the weekend forcing the cancellation of all its flights. Nearly four years, the pilots have been haggling with the discount airline over pay, benefit, and scheduling. Spirit Airlines is offering full refunds to its ticketholders, but many travelers say, we're having to pay much more for last-minute flights on other carriers.

President Obama wants taxpayers to shell out another $50 billion for a new economic stimulus plan. He says the cash will help stay local governments avoid lay-offs and cuts in service. Now, the president's first challenge is selling the idea to lawmakers. CNN's Christine Romans is breaking down the numbers. She joins us now live from New York -- Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And Kyra, you will not hear the president call it an economic stimulus plan. Stimulus is a word that they don't like to use it. It becomes so loaded, but the president in a Saturday night letter to top Congressional leaders saying that it's incredibly important that we keep up the spending in the economy, strategic spending in the economy so that we don't slip backward. He said we cannot afford to slide backward. We must take these emergency measures. He says the economy is at a critical juncture.

It is recovering, but it is a critical juncture. What is that critical juncture? It's clear. We have 9.7 percent unemployment still in this country. Every one of those people out of work and the millions more who are underemployed are not living up to their economic potential. We have retail sales down 1.2 percent in the most recent month. So, you know that people are pulling in. They're still nervous about joblessness. Even with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of 4.81 percent. Folks, this is very, very low. 4.81 percent for a 30- year fixed rate mortgage. You still have concerns from housing experts that until the job situation gets better, the housing market will be stagnant at best.

Now, what the president is saying is that he wants money put to keep teachers on the job, David Axelrod, his top adviser, is saying that if you don't do something, you're going to lose 300,000 teachers this year. He wants emergency funding to keep first responders online and also to help people pay for their health care premiums, so some health care cost money to states. So, this is something that, of course, went over like a thud for people who are concerned about where to get the money to pay for this and even some Democrats are concerned because, look, midterm elections are coming up. They do not want to be caught in the situation where anything that they sign on to now can be called a stimulus in a TV ad for a political campaign -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Christine Romans, thanks.

Accused killer, Joran Van Der Sloot told police that he elbowed the victim in the face and then strangled her. We got the transcripts and more details about his confession.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories. It's day 56 of the oil disaster in the Gulf. BP is presenting a plan it says could capture more oil from that underwater well head. This comes as President Obama begins a two-day trip to the coast. Tomorrow, he goes on television for a nighttime address to the nation.

Searchers in Arkansas are looking for at least one more person following deadly weekend flash flooding at a federal campsite. Governor Mike Beebe says where he told CNN's American Morning there could still be others. Nineteen bodies have been found, six of them children.

Michael Jackson's doctor fighting for his career. A Los Angeles judge will hear arguments today about pulling Dr. Conrad Murray's medical license in California. The doctor was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.

Now, the transcripts are out. Joran Van Der Sloot says he elbowed his victim in the face and then strangled her. Police in Peru just released those transcripts of Van Der Sloot's confession. He's accused of killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores. "In Session" correspondent, Jean Casarez has been going over those transcripts. She joins us on the phone from Lima, Peru. Jean, what more can you tell us about what exists in these transcripts?

VOICE OF JEAN CASAREZ, IN SESSION CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. You know, we have so many more details, and police are saying that this is the transcript of what Joran Van Der Sloot told them a week ago, Sunday. Now, he does admit that he stole $850 Sol (ph) which is the monetary denomination down here, two credit cards, and also her identification, even a card, he said he took. But it appears as though from his mouth, the motive for this murder, witness elimination because he said that after he hit her with that right elbow, there was blood everywhere, and he didn't know what to do.

So, he thought she might go to the police. So, he figured he might better keep going with all of this. He talked about that when they were at the casino that she wanted to go play online poker on the computer. So, they debated whether to go where she lived or to his hotel room. They ended up at his hotel room. He said his computer was on. Now, remember, this is five years to the day that Natalee Holloway died. He said he got an e-mail that said, you should be killed mongoloid. So, he started talking to her about the Natalee Holloway situation.

She confronted him. He said she hit him. He said he gave his right elbow, hit her in the nose. There was blood everywhere. He said she was on the bed. He got on top of her and began to strangle her with both of his hand. She fell on the floor, but he said she was still breathing. He said he took his shirt, the white one that we see him wearing, and he asphyxiated her, and that was how she died.

PHILLIPS: Jean Casarez, pretty heart wrenching details from the transcripts. We'll talk more from Lima. Thanks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): That was in the better times for our Jimmy Dean. Sad news out of Virginia to report now, though. The country music legend has died of natural causes. The Texas native may be best known for Kruning (ph) Big Bad John, a huge crossover hit that went number one in both the pop and country charts back in 1961. The under folks may recognize him as the sausage guy, though, but he also did a little bit of TV in between. You can't forget his variety show back in 1964. Our country legend Jimmy Dean was 81 years old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Afghanistan, a new military offensive awaits in the heart of Taliban country, the Kandahar province. Yesterday, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal joined the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, in a meeting with tribal leaders there and garnering support for a major future military offensive against the Taliban. A far cry from a few weeks back when a similar proposal was flatly rejected by the tribal leaders.

It appears that the Taliban have another target in their cross hairs. Afghan schoolgirls. We're getting word of a third suspected poisoning in recent days with more than 100 female students sickened. CNN's Atia Abawi live in Kabul with the latest -- Atia.

ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the number is up to 135 different schoolgirls from different parts of the country suspected to be poisoned according to Afghan government officials. These are girls that just want an education. If you remember, from 1996 to 2001, during the Taliban regime, they were denied an education.

And since 2001, since the fall of their regime, they have been targeting various schools and various schoolgirls, particularly in the south where we see some grow test (ph) attacks throwing acid in their faces, trying to kill them, trying to kill their teachers, and burn their schools down. And lately, now, we're seeing it up in the north. It's considered the safe part of Afghanistan for so long, but obviously, no longer safe especially for these schoolgirls -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Atia Abawi, pretty heart wrenching. You know, we talked about this as it's a new phenomenon, but it's not. We've watched, not only how they poisoned the girls, but also we've seen the attacks with regard to arson as well.

ABAWI: Absolutely. And what really frightens women in Afghanistan and girls in Afghanistan is in 2001, they were used as the cause to continue to war, to start the war here in Afghanistan. And as the years progressed, they feel like they're being forgotten now. Now that the Taliban seems to be gaining ground, it seems that the international community no longer cares about them. At least, that's what I hear from province to province, from both women and the schoolgirls, and they're afraid right now. That if the Taliban do have some sort to say in the future of Afghanistan that they will be the victims again.

PHILLIPS: Yes. It's just heart wrenching to hear these reports. Atia, thanks.

According today's "New York Times," there are reports now of potential new found wealth for Afghanistan, a previously unknown yet massive amount of mineral deposits. According to "The Times," the mother load of iron, copper, cobalt, and gold could top out at nearly a trillion dollars. That discovery reportedly made by a U.S. geological team could financially transform the impoverished country, but with little mining industry or infrastructure in place, Afghanistan's mineral wealth could take years to pan out.

A Michigan woman in pain and desperate for a doctor, but she doesn't have insurance. So, she devised her own health care plan involving a bullet, a bag, and some ice. But it's a story you just have to see to believe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)





(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, time and time again we've brought you stories of the uninsured or underinsured taking health care into their own hands, whether its mom taking out her kid's stitches to someone pulling out their own teeth, it's sad.

And while these cases maybe extreme, the CDC estimates that there are more than $43 million Americans under the age of 65 without health insurance. So if you didn't have coverage but needed treatment, how far would you go to get it?

Take a look at this and then we'll talk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY MYERS, UNINSURED: This pain is unbearable. You know, it's just maddening.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kathy Myers says the pain is so bad she thought putting a bullet in her shoulder would help.

MYERS: It went in there and come out there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It all began last month while she was playing with her dogs in the backyards.

MYERS: I grabbed him with my right hand, and he pulled it backwards like that. And I felt that it pop in three places in my collarbone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pain came on quickly and only got worse, but Kathy says because she's out of work and can't afford health insurance, it's been impossible to get a little more than a shot for the pain and a band-aid.

MYERS: Well, they'll see you and treat you and make sure you are stable, but beyond that they are not going to do anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So weeks later and apparently feeling she had no other option, Myers did what some would think unbelievable.

MYERS: I had put an ice pack on the back of my shoulder and ice pack on the front of my shoulder, I tied it all and put a pillow behind me, a pillow in front of me and one beside my face, I put the gun there to the top of my shoulder and pulled the trigger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minutes later she was in an ambulance headed for the hospital.

MYERS: They said that it had to be life-threatening and eminent danger for them to do anything, so I was making it be eminent danger that something had to be done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It turns out the wound wasn't serious and didn't hit anything major. And in less than 24 hours, she was home.

MYERS: Nothing got accomplished.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From neighbors --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the fact -- you know, a lot of people don't have health care, and so you push to the extreme.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But from police --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would hope that most people would understand that this is the extreme and -- that they would not attempt something like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A risk that for Kathy Myers didn't help, and authorities say could have killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: when a bullet enters your body, there's no telling where it's going to go.

MYERS: I just want to take the pain away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: A bullet and a trip to the ER and still not a lot of help for that woman. So it begs the question, how far have you gone to get health care? Send us your story on our blog, CNN.com/Kyra.

It's a busy hour ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's begin with Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence; he's live in New Orleans -- Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. BP says it's got a brand new plan that's going to triple the amount of oil that it can capture. How, why and where this plan came from coming up at the top of the hour.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Catherine Callaway in Langley, Arkansas, where the search continues following a deadly flash flood. We will show you some of the difficulties these searches are facing.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen in Atlanta, cancer patients not getting the care they need. I'll have more on that at the top of the hour.

PHILLIPS: Thanks guys.

Also ahead, you've got "top kill", "top hat" and "junk shots". So what about oil skimming boats? Could the Gulf use more? A Texas businessman says yes. We're going to take a closer look at his idea, coming up in the next hour and let you decide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, if have you been watching the World Cup soccer matches, then perhaps you have been bothered by the constant blaring noise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather be in a metro train in Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILIPS: You can complain all you want, but it's not going to stop. The AP says the president of the International Soccer Federation is defending South African fans. He says blowing horns is just part of the soccer tradition in South Africa.

So, how big is soccer in South Africa? Well, it's so huge that even the inmates get to join in. CNN's Robyn Curnow is there as convicts go up against some of England's biggest fans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Match day at Zona Varta (ph) prison. Even South Africa's criminals get to experience the World Cup. Fitted out with new football outfits and a typically South African team spirit.

They're up against the finest of England's football fans in a one of a kind match. England supporter David Hancocks is a travel agent from Essex.

How evenly matched do you think you are to these guys?

DAVID HANCOCKS, ENGLAND FAN: When I looked at the squad ages, our average age is probably just pushing 40. Looking at the guys, looking around, I'd say their average age is 25, 26. I think the fact is 40-somethings are in for a bit of hiding.

CURNOW: And also, I think, you were drinking quite a lot of beer last night as well.

HANCOCKS: Yes, we had a fair few beers, yes, during the day and in the sun. So I think that's going to play the factor as well, come the hot midday sun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was dreaming about this for a very long, long, long time.

CURNOW: Captaining the inmates is Thobi Qekisi, sentenced to death for murder and robbery in 1985, a sentence since reduced to life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hit the ball. Hit the ball again. Hit the ball.

CURNOW: On the prison rugby field, the inmates limber up for the match. The referees and linesmen psyche themselves. And both teams sing their national anthems with gusto.

And like gentlemen players anywhere in the world, they shake hands with the opposite team and have a few pre-match thoughts.

How are you feeling? Strong.

THOBI QEKISI, PRISONER: I'm feeling so strong. And I think we're going to kill England.

CURNOW: Hopefully not literally. You're in for murder, sir. You can't say that.

QEKISI: I'll never tell. You will see.

CURNOW: Thankfully, there was no bloodshed on the field, just good old-fashioned hard play, and, of course, the spectators were just as noisy as though in the World Cup stadiums.

All of these men have been convicted of violent crimes but the South African Prison Services believe that sports can play a big role in their rehabilitation.

According to the authorities, playing sport reinforces team work, teaches these men to control their aggression and forces them to stick to the rules, invaluable lessons for life after parole. Although enjoying the game, 2-2 with a motley group of sun-burned hung-over Englishmen might just be a little hard to take.

Robyn Curnow, Zona Varta prison, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)