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Thousands of G-20 Summit Protests in Canada; Tropical Storm Poses Threat to Gulf Clean Up; U.S. Knocked Out of World Cup; Jackson's Father Filed a Lawsuit against Dr. Murray; Tyrone Benton Discusses Deepwater Horizon Leak; Team USA Loses to Ghana in World Cup; Oliver Stone Movie Causes Controversy

Aired June 26, 2010 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The catastrophe in the gulf could get a lot worse. Tropical storm Alex churning toward the Gulf of Mexico. What happens after that could disrupt efforts to halt the oil leak and make it even harder for everyone to protect the coast.

It's down to the wire for the u.s. soccer team right now battling Ghana the final minutes of this knock out stage of the world cup. The U.S. is down one goal, final minute, the winner advances, the losers go home. U.S. fans on the edge of their sits waiting for the outcome. And crowds of protesters are joining world leaders in Canada. The noisy demonstrations at the G-20 summit now are turning violent. We'll going to have the latest from Toronto.

Hello. I'm Drew Griffin, Don Lemon on assignment today. And it's the global economic recovery and how to keep it going, that's the big issue. President Obama and other leaders of the world's most powerful nations gathered this weekend in Canada for the g-8 and then the G-20 summits. But as the G-20 now gets under way in Toronto, the leaders are getting an earful from the noisy protests that always seem to shadow these global gatherings. Protests have been heating up now, all afternoon, we've seen lots of pushing, shoving, broken windows, even two police cars set on fire.

In the middle of it all is our Jeanne Meserve. She joins me from the streets of Toronto. Live there watching the demonstrations and actually in some of them. Jeanne, what's the latest?

JEANNE MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Drew, I am near the police line. The crowd here has been fairly...(inaudible)

(chanting)

MESERVE: ...Ebbing and flowing, all along here. The police are trying to protect the G-20. That fence is surrounding the site of the summit. They are determined to keep the protesters away.

GRIFFIN: OK.

MESERVE: ...able to walk there. (INAUDIBLE) GRIFFIN: Jeanne? We are having trouble hearing you. Let's move on. Let's contact Jeanne. Let's see if we can get a better signal and get back to her. As you can hear the noisy demonstration is making it difficult for our mobile unit to weed out all that information.

The other big storm is tropical storm, it's Alex and it's heading towards Mexico right now. It could mean bad things for the oil cleanup in the gulf. This is where Alex is, it's not expected to hit this area directly. But it could still churn up lots of wind and waves in the area. Now, if Alex does change course, slams into the area of the leak, crews would have to clear out and the cleanup would grind to a halt. The government's point man in this crisis Admiral Thad Allen says, it would take two weeks to get going. During that time, the well cap could be off and as much as 2.5 million gallons of oil could flow into the waters.

Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider tracking out, Bonnie, what's the latest down this?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Drew, we do have a new update. I told you earlier about a reconnaissance plane that was flying into the center of Alex and it was sending in its war text messages which are instant messages straight from the plane. And it indicated that Alex was strengthening. That's exactly what's happening right now. Let's take a look at the satellite perspective. And look at that burst of convection as the storm bears down on Belize at this hour. We are seeing the storm intensifying terms of wind and it's really going to bring heavy rain across the Yucatan.

Look at that. You can see that bright purple circle there that indicates the highest cloud tops. We were getting the most convection at this hour. I want to show you the track because we have an update. And it is better news for those affected by the oil spill. More towards the eastern Gulf of Mexico. First of, look at this, winds now 65 miles per hour. That's up from 45 from the last report. So, Alex is getting closer to becoming a hurricane. It won't have time to do that before it bears down on Belize because it's pretty much doing that now. But remember, once the winds get over 74, then, we have a hurricane.

Right now, the gusts are at hurricane-force strength because they are at 75. Here's the track. Notice the curvature more to the west, even more pronounced than it was earlier. So, now, landfall happening pretty much this afternoon and this evening across Belize and then sweeping across the Yucatan bringing four to eight inches of rain to that region. Mudslides are possible, emerging once again Monday into Tuesday through the bay of Campicci (ph) only briefly but still becoming back up to a hurricane with 75 miles per wind gusts of 90. And then, likely making a landfall less likely in the United States. More likely towards Mexico. But don't be sure this is going to stick around. Because once that storm comes back over of water, that track could shift again. So, we are monitoring it very carefully here. One thing to notice, Alex has gotten stronger. It is now a tropical storm with 65 miles per hour winds -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: And Bonnie, will we have a better track later this evening when it crosses the Yucatan? As you've mentioned that's going to be a big plane when this goes?

SCHNEIDER: Yes, I think, it's actually going to take more towards Monday and Tuesday before the center of circulation is back over the bay at Campicci (ph). So, for tonight into tomorrow, it will be affecting the Yucatan the most.

GRIFFIN: OK. Bonnie Schneider, thanks, we'll continue to follow that.

Meanwhile, heartbreak, heartbreak ladies and gentlemen for the u.s.A team at the World Cup. This time their best wasn't good enough as Ghana scored in overtime, knocking the Americans out of this tournament. It ended 2-1. A blow to soccer fans. But we want to show you where they are celebrating. This is in Ghana. Obviously, this was the last African country, I believe, that is still in the cup. And let's listen in as only cnn can bring you these pictures from around the world.

(CHANTING)

GRIFFIN: So, let's bring in our Soccer Guru Richard Roth who has been watching this game with hard-core fans at a party in Brooklyn, New York. Richard, must be not so much of a party anymore.

richard roth, cnn socCER guru: That's right. Very disappointing for the Americans here and others who gathered to root either for the United States or Ghana. There were definitely Ghana and supporters here. We are watching underneath a bridge, the famed 100-year-old Manhattan Bridge. Some people may want to jump off this bridge after this result. But there were better times when Landon Donovan scored, the only U.S. goal. Let's look at the crowd reaction after that penalty kick goal.

(chanting)

ROTH: All right. I'm not, we have with us some disappointed American fans with us. Roxanne, we talked to you at the beginning...

(INAUDIBLE)

ROXANNE, AMERICAN FAN: I'm happy for Ghana. I think that they deserve it.

ROTH: With me also is David. What do you think?

DAVID, AMERICAN FAN: They played a great game. Dempsey was phenomenal as usual. The whole team showed a lot of heart. Just ran out of steam.

ROTH: But you've got to be a little disappointed in how far the u.s. went this year and in 2002 they went further.

DAVID: Yes and no. It's not always how far you got. I think, the u.s. really sent a message to the world that we have turned the corner in soccer and we're going to keep going.

ROTH: I heard that message in 2002.

DAVID: I think, we'll stronger now.

ROTH: All right. Louis, your reaction?

LOUIS, AMERICAN FAN: They're physically, emotionally drained, you know. They came back once, they came back twice. Three times, you know. We'll be back in four years though.

ROTH: Did you think that you were hoping it would go to penalty kicks, Roxanne, (INAUDIBLE)

ROXANNE: Yes. I mean, I was ready to go. And I thought that we were going to do it in the last couple of minutes but (INAUDIBLE).

ROTH: All right. Roxanne, Dave, Louis, they are all packing up here under the Manhattan Bridge. Thank you very much. I guess we'll see you in four years. Drew, you know the agony of defeat. Back to you.

GRIFFIN: All right. Sure. But we'll going to show a little bit more of that celebration coming to you from Ghana as we get live pictures from our CNN cameras that are in Ghana watching this celebration. And I think, Richard, this is kind of the beauty of the world cup that a small country like Ghana takes on the usa. We are not very highly rated in soccer. But any team can beat any other country at any time. And I think, that's part of the beauty and the celebration of this.

ROTH: That's right. I mean, in the United States we can appreciate the win of Ghana. But I frankly think it's a big disappointment still. They scored in the last few minutes to win and get into this elimination round. But as I said or told the fans here, in 2002 they beat Mexico at this stage to advance. So, you know, it's a big country, but the u.s. still has trouble producing soccer stars who can dominate on talent. The sum is much bigger than all of the parts unlike some of the other teams like Italy that have faded out.

GRIFFIN: All right. Richard, let's -- we're going to dip in, Christian Purefoy is our cnn International Correspondent who is bringing us live report from Ghana. Let's try to listen what he has to say.

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I can't hear you. But this really is a proud moment for Ghana. I can't say how important it actually is. They are the only team, the only African team left in the South African World Cup. It's not just about Ghana anymore. It's about the continent. They really have the entire continent. They already have -- across the entire continent. Back to you.

GRIFFIN: OK. Straining in to a very noisy afternoon as you can tell from Toronto and now from Ghana. Christian Purefoy reiterating that this is the only African team left. And most likely, Richard, there are celebrations all over Africa. They are certainly would like to keep an African team in the South African World Cup as long as possible. Richard Roth, thank you from Brooklyn, New York. Christian Purefoy is in Ghana. And the u.s. now out of the World Cup. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We pulled out to the pod and saw that there was an angular fitting that had a leak on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: That man there says, he was the first to spot a leak on the bp oil well in the gulf. He warned his bosses but they didn't do much about it. The rig exploded. A cnn exclusive that will make you mad, it's coming your way.

And it's been a year since Michael Jackson died. Now his father is filing a lawsuit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: This time last year the nation was shocked over the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Now his family is still trying to hold somebody responsible for it. A year from the day Jackson died, his father, Joe Jackson, has now filed a wrongful death suit against the pop star's doctor, Conrad Murray.

CNN's Alan Duke joins us live from Los Angeles. Allan, we are going to get to what the lawsuit says in a second. But, first as we were talking earlier this afternoon, Joe Jackson not particularly close to his son, he's not a beneficiary to the will. Where does he get standing for actually filing this lawsuit?

ALLAN DUKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a barrier that he ran into when he contested the will last year in Probate Court and the Los Angeles County Supreme Court judge there said, you don't have standing. You can't be part of this action. That's a decision his lawyer is appealing. But now, it's a different venue. It's in Federal Court and this wrongful death suit, he's claiming as the father that he does have a reason to sue. But he's also naming Michael's kids as nominal plaintiffs, perhaps intending to shore up the standing. But we'll find out what a federal judge would say about that.

GRIFFIN: What does the lawsuit say? What are they alleging took place that gives them reason to believe there should be some kind of punishment on this doctor?

DUKE: The bottom line is they are saying that Dr. Conrad Murray delivered a substandard level of health care for Michael Jackson in the two months that he was his personal physician, as Michael was preparing in Los Angeles for his comeback concerts in London. A substandard level of medical care? Well, first of all he didn't have a crash cart, that kind of thing for resuscitation if something went wrong. He was giving him drugs that should have been only in a surgical setting according to the lawsuit. But also, the day that Michael died that he was delayed in calling 9-11. And ambulance got there about seven minutes after the 9-11 call was initiated, but according to the two different scenarios the timeline could have been anywhere from a half hour to an hour and a half after Michael was initially found not breathing. Also when he got to the hospital, they are saying Dr. Murray didn't tell the emergency room physicians that Michael was addicted to drugs or what drugs he had actually been given that morning. Substandard of care, they say, is part of the wrongful death suit.

GRIFFIN: Alan, does the rest of the family support this law suit? I understand you're going to see the family later today. Are they behind the father's lawsuit here?

DUKE: I believe at least some of them are. Because we have heard Jermaine, we've heard LaToya and we've heard others talk about what they thought was a conspiracy that led to their brother's death. And yes, I will be with them tonight. In Beverly Hills, there is a tribute to Michael Jackson that is being sanctioned by the family. And we understand that a number of the Jackson family, including Joe and Katherine Jackson will be there tonight. Perhaps, we'll have a chance to talk with them. But yes, I think that they do, but Katherine is not a part of this, not directly a part of this lawsuit. It's just Joe Jackson.

GRIFFIN: All right. Alan Duke live from Los Angeles. Thanks Alan. And also tonight, Cnn is delving into the events leading up to Michael Jackson's tragic death. Some of those closest to the pop star share their unanswered questions and give their insight into the pop star's state of mind. It's Don Lemon, he's reporting a special report tonight, "Michael Jackson: The Final Days," that is tonight at 7:00 right here on cnn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAN BREWER, ARIZONA: We all know that the majority of the people that are coming to Arizona and trespassing are now becoming drug mules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: She first sparked debate by signing a controversial immigration bill. Now, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer in the hot seat again for those controversy or comments. Is there any truth behind her statements?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY BROOKS FAULKNER, OSAMA BIN LADEN'S HUNTER: You could say I'm a religious freak, you could say, I'm a Rambo or a samurai or whatever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Well, one of the most interesting guys, you're going to hear from that is the Rambo, Gary Faulkner, the rogue Bin Laden hunter caught with in Pakistan with a sword and pistol, night vision goggles. He's back into the U.S. and talking to cnn, that's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Taking a look at some of our top stories now. Former Vice President Dick Cheney spending his second day in a hospital in Washington. Cheney has a history of heart problems. Five heart attacks in the last 30 years. He complained of not feeling well yesterday. Doctors recommended he be admitted to a hospital for tests. Cheney who is 69 is expected to be in the hospital through this weekend. The top American military officer in Pakistan reassuring u.s. allies there after the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal. Admiral Michael Mullen, that earlier today with Afghanistan's president. President Hamid Karzai endorses McChrystal's replacement, General David Petraeus as a, quote, "expert commander" but Karzai also described, "McChrystal is excellent." Mullen said, the "Rolling Stone" article which sparked the controversy leading to this change in command stunned him.

The leader of a Border Patrol Union says, Arizona's governor is wrong about her take on illegal immigrants and the drug trade. Governor Jan Brewer told reporters Friday that the majority of immigrants entering her state are carrying drugs. The president of the National Border Patrol Council said also says, well, some illegal aliens do transport drugs, most do not. The Brewer's comments quote, just don't do not comport with reality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BREWER: We all know that the majority of the people that are coming to Arizona and trespassing are now become drug mules. They're coming across our borders in huge numbers. The drug cartels have taken control of the immigration, illegal trespassing that we are seeing in the state of Arizona and that is coming through and going to all of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Governor Jan Brewer. The fbi will pay $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Osama Bin Laden. But for a Colorado man, it wasn't the pay-off that prompted him to travel to Pakistan and hunt for the Al Qaeda leader on his own. He says, he was just trying to be a patriot. Gary Faulkner gave an exclusive one-on- one interview with cnn after he arrived back in the u.s., Wednesday. On June 13th, Pakistani police stopped him near the border of Afghanistan, he was carrying a pistol, a sword and night vision equipment. Faulkner says, he was trying to assassinate the fbi's most wanted man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN ALL PLATFORM JOURNALISTS: How does one try to find Osama Bin Laden?

FAULKNER: You don't. You let the spirit guide you. And unless you have the spirit of God -- not as the mother Mary or some Mohammed or something like that. God almighty has to put his hand upon you. I have been protected. I'm here right now. I was protected this time, every time.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GRIFFIN: Our all platform journalists Jim Spellman was the one who got that exclusive with Faulkner. Jim, what's he talking about when he says this time, every time?

SPELLMAN: Well, Drew, he tells us that this is the 7th time he's gone to Pakistan to hunt for Osama Bin Laden, capture or kill him. And he says, every time he's gone, he's made more progress, met more locals, worked a little more on his language skills and built these contacts. What he would do is every year basically he would work all year, he works as a contractor, save up some money and just about every year go for two, three weeks over there and try to work on his hunt -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: It's like a working vacation. I'm going to play one clip where you ask how close he got. Listen to some of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPELLMAN: Do you think you ever got close?

FAULKNER: Yes.

SPELLMAN: How close?

FAULKNER: Well, let me put it to you this way. If I had a rifle, I could shoot him.

SPELLMAN: Have you seen -- I mean, have you seen him?

FAULKNER: I haven't seen him personally, but he's very close. I will just put it to you that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Jim, I got to ask you this. Does this guy have help over there? Do you believe him when he says he's getting close?

SPELLMAN: You know, I don't know what to make of that. I mean, I think it's pretty impossible to really know. But he tells us that through the contacts he's met, what they have heard, that he's been as close as perhaps in the same valley as Osama Bin Laden. And he told me about seeing caves guarded by men with rifles and walkie-talkies, and, you know, why guard a cave? So, that's the basis. I don't think there's really, anyway to really know for sure. And I don't think he would have say he really knows hundred percent for sure that that's the case -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Yes. A lot of people have doubts about what he's doing, whether he's telling the truth. This reporter personally has doubts about it. But you asked him directly. Let's hear what he has to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAULKNER: There's people out there talking smack -- oh, he's crazy or this or that. You know what, those are the people sitting on their (bleep) talking (bleep). (END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: I mean, he's certainly got the spirit behind him. Does he feel like he is a true patriot? He's actually serving this country, trying to go out on his own and Rambo-style, kill Osama Bin Laden?

SPELLMAN: Yes. I mean, he does. And listen here, the question in a lot of people's minds is, you know, is this guy crazy? I rode on the plane back with him in Los Angeles today and I really do not think he's crazy. I think, he's certainly an unusual guy. He would be the first to admit that. He's got a real larger than life personality but more than anything, he reminds me of a guy from another time, he almost like out of a novel or something, they would go on this big adventure. Listen, he also said people climb mountains, they jump out of airplanes, they sail around the world just to say they have done it. He says what he's doing is for God and country and there is even, you know, a big reward. So, you know, he doesn't think that what he's doing is as crazy as what some other people do just for kicks. And I honestly don't think he's crazy -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right. Thanks, Jim Spellman live from Denver. Thanks Jim, exclusive interview with the Osama Bin Laden hunter. Thanks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Panic, screaming, people jumping overboard. It was completely chaos.

GRIFFIN: Eleven of his friends died in that oil rig explosion. He says, what he saw and reported may have prevented their deaths. But nobody did anything about it. Wait until you hear his exclusive story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN GUEST NEWS ANCHOR: According to our tracking now, the disaster in the gulf has spilled just under 100 million gallons of oil into the gulf.

Tonight, you're going to hear from the man who may have seen the first signs of this catastrophe. His name is Tyrone Benton. His job on the Deepwater Horizon was critical. He sent down cameras to check the well, the rig and the blowout preventers. He was checking for anything unusual. And weeks before the explosion, he found it, a cloud in the water. It was a leak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Tyrone Benton may well have seen the first sign something was very, very wrong on the Deepwater Horizon.

(on camera): Did you ever get close enough to the leak to see what exactly was leaking?

TYRONE BENTON, ROV TECHNICAN ON DEEPWATER HORIZON: Yes. We flew down to the pod and saw that there was an angular fitting that had a leak on it. What was connected to the angular fitting, wasn't able to see, but there was an angular fitting that did have a leak.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): It was a fluid leak on one of the two pods. Those are the mechanisms that control the blowout preventer. If they don't work the blowout preventer doesn't work. A leak, even if only a trickle, is a warning.

BENTON: Yes. It was abnormal.

GRIFFIN: Abnormal enough that you reported it to your company, to Transocean, to BP?

BENTON: That's correct.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): One pod is always working. The other, says university of Texas petroleum engineer, Tad Patzek, is designed as its immediate backup.

TAD PATZEK, PROFESSOR OF PETROLEUM & GEOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING: I don't think there is a discussion of that basic fact. And the basic fact is that you have to do whatever it takes to fix fully the blowout preventer as soon as you can.

GRIFFIN: Patzek says the solution is to immediately close off the well, raise the blowout preventer, find out what's wrong and fix it.

PATZEK: Anything less than that, you know, might have led or probably led to a major failure of the well, and the results are well known.

GRIFFIN: Back on board the Deepwater Horizon, several weeks before the explosion, Tyrone Benton knew he was looking at a potentially dangerous leak, that the BOP, the blowout preventer, was at possible risk for failure.

(on camera): And it was taken care of?

BENTON: It wasn't taken care of. In order to take care of it, you have to pull the whole BOP, which will shut down production. Like I said, from my understanding, they just shut down one pod and worked off the other.

GRIFFIN: Tyrone, 11 people dead?

BENTON: Yes.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): For the better part of a day the leak was studied, observed, measured. The most prudent course to fix it, says Benton, was ruled out.

(on camera): And so instead --

BENTON: They went ahead and shut down that particular pod and started working off the other pod.

GRIFFIN: You liken that to shutting down one engine of a twin-engine plane?

BENTON: That's correct.

GRIFFIN: You can do it.

BENTON: Yes.

GRIFFIN: But it's not ideal?

BENTON: If you have to, then you can though.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Day after day, says Benton, the fluid leak continued, and day after day, BP and Transocean were notified.

(on camera): You're the first person that's come forward that I know of that said, "We had this problem, it was a leak. Instead of properly fixing the leak, officials from BP and Transocean decided to bypass that leak."

It's hard to determine, as you said, whether or not that leak had anything to do with this. But certainly the prudent thing, the most safe thing to do would have been to pull up that blowout preventer, fix it, and put it back down. Is that not correct?

BENTON: Yes, you could look at it that way, yes.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): No one listened, and a few weeks later, Tyrone Benton was lying on his bunk on the Deepwater Horizon when the first explosion knocked him out of bed. The second covered him in debris as he scrambled to find his flashlight. It was pitch black.

(on camera): Panic on board? Screaming?

BENTON: Panic, screaming, people jumping overboard. It was completely chaos. And I could hear my supervisor telling everybody, "Let's go, let's go, let's get in the lifeboats. We've got to go. We've got to go." And he kept his head. He kept his cool. Most of us were just panicking. We wanted to go, like, right then. But we had to wait for everybody. So we sat on that rig as long as we possibly could for everyone to be accounted for.

GRIFFIN: Not everybody was accounted for?

BENTON: There was a point where you have to say, we have to go. We made it to that point.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Of the 11 who never made it to the lifeboats, Benton said many were close friends. He's now suing BP and Transocean for emotional and physical injury.

A BP spokesman wouldn't comment on reports of a leak, but did say BP is determined to get to the bottom of what caused the explosion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And while BP wouldn't comment about Benton's allegations of a leak in the blowout preventer, Transocean, which was operating the rig, is challenging Benton's account. According to the company, the blowout preventer was tested in the days and weeks before the accident. The company says no problems were found. With that said, Transocean is also saying it continues to conduct its own investigation and is participating in several others, trying to determine what did happen.

(SHOUTING)

GRIFFIN: A whole lot of mayhem as the G-20 draws its largest protest yet. We have the latest from Canada. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Our top story at this hour, the G-8 is over, the G-20 is under way. There are lots of protests going on. In fact, we are just getting word now from Toronto that four hospitals in the University Health Network there are on lockdown in the general area of these protests that you're seeing here on CNN. The hospitals are saying there is no violence yet reaching the hospital, nor is anybody in danger. They are doing this out of an abundance of caution.

President Obama there, meeting with other world leaders, discussing the world finances and what to do about deficits and spending across the globe.

Soccer fans mourning Team USA's defeat today, just a few minutes ago, at the World Cup. The U.S. lost 2-1 to Ghana.

Here to offer some insight is Yahoo! Sports soccer analyst, Eric Wynalda. He played in three World Cups and is one of our country's most accomplished soccer players.

And probably one of the saddest today, too, Eric.

ERIC WYNALDA, YAHOO! SPORTS SOCCER ANALYST: Can you tell by my face? Is it that obvious?

GRIFFIN: Yes, it is pretty obvious. I would like to say, "What went wrong"? I thought we were going to win it. Is that an honest assessment of this? Even though the U.S. is ranked 14th, Ghana's 32nd. It seems any team can win anything in this thing.

WYNALDA: That is very true. Today was a huge opportunity lost for the United States. There is no way around it. It's kind of sad that, for this team, which we started to finally have the expectations and the belief that they could pull through. But the bottom line is today they underperformed when the whole world was watching. They had every opportunity to win this game and they didn't pull it off. As an ex- player, I feel for them because I can understand how these things can happen but I'm saddened by the perception of reality as opposed to the reality of the situation.

GRIFFIN: What's the perception of reality? Explain that. I don't quite understand.

WYNALDA: The perception of reality will be that we are not there yet, that we are not good enough, and that we got knocked out of the sweet 16, if you are talking about an American mentality of the World Cup. That's a little unfair for this group of guys. I think they were a better team than what they showed today. And they will walk away from this the perception is going to be that we are not good enough. Although, I can't argue with that. And I've got to make the excuses that most soccer people do at this point. But I think it's sad because this team had a good chance to go far in the tournament and it just didn't happen today.

GRIFFIN: Eric, stand by for a second. We're going to bring in Christian Purefoy. He's in Ghana, where the celebration, most likely, is still going on.

Christian, they have to be so happy to have this win under their belt.

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, they're incredibly happy. I don't want to rub salt in the wounds for the American audience, but what has happened here today for Ghana is just momentous, really.

It's quiet behind me right now, but that doesn't mean that the party is over, Drew. It has just started. The drums, the vuvuzelas, they have all gone to the streets. The city has come alive and everyone is headed down to the city center.

This is the last African team in the World Cup. They got through to the quarter finals. This is the first African World Cup on the continent, Drew. They are the third African team ever to have got through to the quarter finals. This really is an achievement. It means so much for everyone here because football really here, in Africa, is just a passion, Drew.

GRIFFIN: Christian, you don't want to rub salt in the wounds, but you wear that silly hat and that shirt on our air. I can't believe it.

(LAUGHTER)

Anyway, thank you very much for reporting from Ghana.

Eric, let's get back to you.

There have been strides being made. And certainly, I have never seen so many people following the World Cup in this country as they have in this one. But right now, it's pretty much now done in the U.S. in terms of watching this. It's only the real diehards who will watch from now on.

WYNALDA: We are a diverse nation. I'm sure that somebody will pick a favorite and -- well, they will pick their favorite country. I'm sure the Mexican-Americans will have their hopes up for their encounter with Argentina.

First, I must say, as an American, congratulations to the country of Ghana and their accomplishment. As much as it pains me to say that, I have to take a page out of the Jack Nicklaus book, take my hat off and congratulate them. Because it is a fabulous accomplishment for them and their country, where the hopes of the continent of Africa were with them today. So congratulations to them. Still, for us, in this country, I think some of us will pay attention, but not to the magnitude that we were. That's what my biggest disappointment is, is that, when the world is watching, we failed to deliver.

GRIFFIN: I think that sums it up.

Eric Wynalda, thanks for joining us on what turned out to be a dire day for the USA World Cup hopes.

Well, a young man who turns personal tragedies into prom dreams. Meet our "CNN Hero" when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: This month has been prom season for millions of American teens, but some young people fighting life-threatening illnesses are unable to join in the fun. Well, this week's "CNN Hero" is giving seriously ill teens their night to remember.

(CNN HERO)

GRIFFIN: Fred Scarf's work has made prom dreams come true for more than 400 teens. To nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to CNNheroes.com.

Director Oliver Stone wants you to forget everything you think you know about South American politics and listen to what he says. He sits down to talk with us about this new movie that is sure to rile viewers here in the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Did you know heart disease is America's number-one killer for both men and women? If you're ready for a heart-healthy diet, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is breaking down the top-ten foods you should be eating.

(FIT NATION)

GRIFFIN: Oliver Stone wants you to like Hugo Chavez. We'll have that right after this break.

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GRIFFIN: This ought to be fun. Director Oliver Stone, he's got a new film out, hitting some theaters this weekend. Unlike his critiques of American politics in "JFK," "Nixon," and "W," this one takes on the South American political world. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGO CHAVEZ, VENEZUELA PRESIDENT: The coup against Chavez had one motive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oil. CHAVEZ: Bush made a plan. First, Chavez, oil.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Second?

CHAVEZ: Saddam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hussein, Iraq.

The cause?

CHAVEZ: The reason behind the coup in Venezuela and the invasion of Iraq is the same.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The coup in Venezuela, the Iraq invasion.

CHAVEZ: Oil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Stone's new documentary is "South of the Border." It focuses on seven different Latin American leaders. But much of the running time, spent on what some called a sympathetic portrait of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a man many believe is a dangerous dictator.

Our Graham Flanagan saw the film, sat down with Oliver Stone to talk about it.

Hi, Graham.

GRAHAM FLANAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

GRIFFIN: You know, Stone is often accused of leaning left. Is it true he makes Hugo Chavez out to be the good guy?

FLANAGAN: Absolutely. He makes him out to be the man of the people. You mentioned that there's a perception all over the world that Chavez is a dangerous dictator. It's pretty obvious, when I sat down with Oliver Stone, when I sat down to talk about this movie, that his main objective with this movie is trying to change that perception.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLANAGAN: American congressmen and Senators say that -- that he's a dictator.

OLIVER STONE, DIRECTOR: They don't know what they're talking about. This guy has been elected three times to the presidency with the biggest turnout ever in the history of Venezuela. In the last election, 75 percent turnout, OK? And they have -- not only -- by the way, not only do they have an electronic -- a sophisticated electronic system, they have paper ballots on top of it. So they're a better system than we have in America.

(CROSSTALK)

FLANAGAN: Why do they call him a dictator?

STONE: The State Department doesn't like the guy. His style is offensive. But more importantly, he's the biggest -- he's the regional power with Brazil. He has $500 billion barrels of oil in the ground there. It's a big deal.

FLANAGAN: Is that a threat? Do they feel threatened because of this? Oh.

STONE: I don't know why. He's been kind to America. He's been a good seller. He's provided us with one million barrels a day. He's also given free oil, discounted oil to poor families in America. Almost 200,000 families have received oil for five years for a discount. No American oil company has done that.

Our media has disgraced itself once again, like they did in Iraq and like they're doing in Iran and like they did in Vietnam and like they did in Panama. They don't give us both sides of the story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Graham, an interesting conversation.

This is certainly going to be controversial as Oliver Stone often tries to be.

Thanks for joining us from New York.

Well, tonight, CNN delves into the events leading up to Michael Jackson's tragic death. Watch "Michael Jackson, The Final Days." That's tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern.

Then, at 8:00 eastern, a gay couple struggles to become a family in the CNN special, "Gary and Tony Have a Baby." We've gotten huge feedback on this, nearly 7500 comments on-line. You can join the conversation at CNN.com/gayinAmerica.

I'm Drew Griffin at the CNN center in Atlanta. "The Situation Room" begins right now.