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Al Qaeda Confirms Death of Osama bin Laden; Mississippi & Ohio Rivers Flood; Gabrielle Giffords Fights Back; Using Canines in Combat; SEALs: Unknown at Home; Woman Wakes Up With Accent; Presidential Hopefuls Gather at First GOP Debate; Hero Gives Back to Those Struck by Devastation
Aired May 06, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
We have a lot going over the next two hours, including more from my exclusive interview with former President Jimmy Carter.
More on that coming up, but first, I want to get you up to speed for this Friday, May 6th.
Al Qaeda today confirmed the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, and promised new attacks on the United States. A statement posted on jihadist Web sites says bin Laden's blood "will not be wasted." It goes on to say bin Laden's death will become a curse on America.
(CHANTING)
MALVEAUX: Anti-American furor in Pakistan today. An influential Islamist party demanding the United States end military raids in Pakistan. Protesters say the bin Laden raid violated Pakistan's sovereignty.
CNN international correspondent Nic Robertson, he was right in the middle of that demonstration that we just showed you. He joins us now live from Pakistan.
And Nic, first of all, we're going to talk about those protests. We'll get to it in just a bit.
But first, what can you tell us more about this statement from al Qaeda confirming bin Laden's death?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's taken them five days, but now they finally accept the leader, Osama bin Laden, is dead, and they're using this to galvanize their supporters towards revenge, saying that his blood is too precious to be lost in vain, that they will chase the United States, America, and its allies in their countries and outside their countries, as well.
They say that this will not change their objective. They will continue planning attacks without tiredness, they say. And they've also called on the people of Pakistan to rise up and wash out the stain of bin Laden's death. They say it is traitors in Pakistan that caused Osama bin Laden's death, and they're calling on people here to rise up, clean the country of these traitors, and throw out the United States from Pakistan.
So what al Qaeda is trying to do here is really use bin Laden's death to maximum advantage. Interestingly, though, now, they have accepted that he is dead and vowing to continue and even take revenge here -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Nic, tell us about those protests that you were in the middle of. How big was the demonstration? Are they likely to have an impact on what's going on, on the ground?
ROBERTSON: You know, what's really interesting, on the one hand, you have al Qaeda here calling for Pakistanis to rise up and wash this stain off their land. Well, this was a very small demonstration, it was a very tame demonstration. It was a very small number of people. It was after Friday prayers.
It was called by Jamaat-e-Islami, the biggest and most influential Islamist party here in the country. But the protesters here were quite peaceful.
There were a couple of signs written in English. One of them even seemed to be recycled from a previous protest calling the United States terrorists.
The rally here is from an opposition party, so they're trying to get political advantage out of the situation here, as well. But it didn't seem to be about to turn into violence. It didn't turn into violence. So it seemed to me to be very low key and not symptomatic that this anger is suddenly going to grow and swell here right now -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Nic.
Nic Robertson, in the middle of all of that, the hotbed of Pakistan.
Well, electronics and other evidence seized at bin Laden's compound prompting a nationwide terror alert today. Officials say al Qaeda wanted to sabotage trains around the country on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, FMR. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's a heads up, it's a warning. I don't think it's necessarily actionable. But I think it's appropriate that they just sent this information out to those responsible for that infrastructure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Pakistan's military says that Osama bin Laden's youngest wife told them she didn't leave the walled compound for five years. In fact, she told interrogators that bin Laden stayed in two rooms on the third floor the entire time. She was limited to one room.
Well, CNN has obtained a copy of bin Laden's final gas bill. Neighbors identified the name on the bill as Mohammed Ashir (ph), as one of the two brothers who owned that compound. The bill shows the gas meters were installed in April of 2007.
The president will held to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, later today to personally meet with the Special Ops involved in the raid on bin Laden's compound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time we've ever been through this, and everybody is on edge. We've never experienced anything like this. We're stuck. We can't get in and we can't get out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The Mississippi River flood surge rolled into Memphis today, spilling water into the downtown and airport areas. In Arkansas, 1,000 people have had to leave their homes. Floodwaters also shut a 20-mile stretch of westbound I-40. The crest at Memphis early next week may be the highest since 1937.
The jobs recovery picked up speed in April. Good news. The Labor Department says the economy added 244,000 jobs last month. That is 59,000 more than experts actually predicted. Still, the unemployment rate edged up to 9 percent, as discouraged workers jumped back into the job market.
Well, it's only a tenth of a penny? But we're all pretty excited about this, American drivers. We're going to take it.
AAA says the national average for regular gas has dipped to $3.98 a gallon. Now, that is the first decrease after 44 straight days of increases.
Former President Jimmy Carter says the Obama administration is putting politics ahead of dire human suffering by refusing to send food to North Korea. He says it's a violation of basic human rights.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're trying to punish Kim Jong-il. We are actually punishing the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Groups says a harsh winter killed North Korean crops. Some people already now eating grass, leaves, tree bark. Now, the Obama administration says it wants clear evidence of an urgent need before it's going to offer its help.
More of my exclusive conversation with President Jimmy Carter over the next two hours of CNN NEWSROOM.
Here is your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The administration says that Osama bin Laden's killing was an act of national self-defense. And the question today: Does it even matter if bin Laden's killing was legal?
Our Carol Costello, asking the very provocative questions.
As always, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know.
MALVEAUX: Wow.
COSTELLO: Not only me, but Michael Moore. OK, so it's Michael Moore. And we know how he can get under your skin, at least some of you.
He is extremely left wing, considered an ideologue. But what he said on CNN's "PIERS MORGAN" about the killing of Osama bin Laden is getting a lot of attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: We're at a point now where we don't -- yes. What do we need a trial for? Just get rid of him.
Well, the second you say that, you're saying that you hate being American. You hate what we stand for. You hate what our Constitution stands for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Bear with me. Moore thinks we should have put bin Laden on trial like we did with the top Nazis after World War II. But before you blow him off, consider this -- we also have a conservative, the guy who defended enhanced interrogation like waterboarding during the Bush administration, who kind of agrees with Michael Moore.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN YOO, FMR. DEPT. ASST. ATTORNEY GENERAL: If they were going in with no options other than to kill him, then I do think that's a problem. They really don't want to capture al Qaeda leaders.
I mean, I think the record seems pretty clear on that. They've done everything they could to try in the past to transfer this over into a law enforcement operation. And so they don't want to face those kinds of legal questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress the military operation was lawful, an act of national self-defense. CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says the U.S. has banned political assassinations since the 1970s. So it's not entirely clear whether the killing was legal.
Now the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights wants to know whether the U.S. even planned to capture, not just kill, Osama bin Laden.
So the "Talk Back" question today, does it matter if bin Laden's killing was legal?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I'll read some of your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: Very provocative, Carol.
COSTELLO: I know.
MALVEAUX: You're going to get a lot.
COSTELLO: I know. I've already gotten some.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: I can't wait to hear the responses. Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Here is the rundown on some of the stories we're covering in the next two hours.
Watching the river rise. Folks on the mighty Mississippi are bracing for epic -- we're talking epic -- flooding.
Also, Gabrielle Giffords battling back. An update on her remarkable recovery from a traumatic brain injury.
Plus, dogs in the military, the important role that they play in combat. And we'll find out how these dogs of war help soldiers recover off the battlefield.
Finally, more of my exclusive conversation with former President Jimmy Carter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: What would you like to be remembered in terms of your legacy for your presidency?
CARTER: Well, we always told the truth. We kept our country at peace. We've brought peace to other people around the world. And we promoted human rights and never deviated from that commitment. Those are some of the things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Cities and towns along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers are bracing now for what could be the worst flooding since the 1930s. The swollen rivers have driven hundreds of people from their houses, and the high water is now moving downstream.
New evacuations today in Arkansas. Across the Mississippi River, in Memphis, hundreds of homes and business are being threatened.
Our CNN's David Mattingly is there.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, just over a day ago, I would have been standing here on dry land, but look at this now. This is on the riverfront, on Mud Island here in Memphis.
This lake behind me is actually a parking lot. If there were cars in it right now, water would be up to the windows and possibly over the tops of some. What we're looking at right now in Memphis is a very large city trying to hold back a very big flood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (voice-over): City parks already flooded, and water creeping closer to houses by the day. People of Memphis watch the rising Mississippi River and wonder.
LEE STREATER, MEMPHIS RESIDENT: How high will the water get, you know? Who is most at risk? Which land sits lower?
MATTINGLY: The Mississippi River floods of 2011 are expected to break records to the north of Memphis this weekend, and then continue setting high watermarks as far south as Baton Rouge. The river is expected to crest in Memphis at 48 feet above flood stage, the highest it's been in generations.
(on camera): Memphis hasn't seen that much water since the disastrous floods of 1937. Back then, city officials tell me the river rose all the way to here, where I'm standing, which is four blocks away from the river banks.
(voice-over): But there have been big changes since to keep the river back. A system of flood walls, gates and levees developed since the 1950s should keep the city dry. But it's a system that's never been hit with this much water.
BOB NATIONS, SHELBY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: They have never been tested. All of the subject matter experts are telling us, we can have a high confidence level.
MATTINGLY: Army Corps of Engineers blowing levees to divert floodwaters into Missouri farmland slowed the water's arrival down river. Officials around Memphis are using the time to prepare. A call has gone out to volunteers to fill sandbags for government buildings and hospitals. The hope is they won't be needed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: The greatest concern here in Memphis isn't actually for property right along the riverfront. It's for properties along the rivers, the tributaries around Memphis that empty into the Mississippi. As this river comes up, it pushes water back up along those rivers and threatens those homes and properties up there.
Officials today will be going around, identifying which areas could be in danger. And they're going to be telling those property owners, now is the time to pack up and make plans to leave. Don't wait until this river is sitting in your front yard to decide to leave -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thank you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Earlier this week, I sat down with President Jimmy Carter at his office in Plains, Georgia. In my exclusive interview, we talked about everything, from women's rights to same-sex marriage to North Korea. He is stirring some controversy over his accusations that the U.S. policy of withholding food aid to punish North Korea's leader is a human rights violation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: I'm just trying to convince the administration, including the State Department to USAID, to give food aid to the people who are starving in North Korea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: More of my interview with Jimmy Carter, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: In January, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at pointblank range. Well, last week, she was seen walking, the bit of effort up the stairs of a plane.
Our CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more now on Giffords' remarkable recovery.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, in many ways, it is remarkable if you simply consider this fact -- only about five percent to 10 percent of people who have gunshot wounds to the head survive at all.
So what is it that allowed Gabby Giffords to survive? We've got more of an idea how things unfolded in her favor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): Congresswoman Giffords was one of 10 patients being triaged at University Medical Center. The trauma teams here moved quickly, especially with brain trauma.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Carotid pulse is all right.
GUPTA: It's a practice U.S. doctors have adopted from military doctors triaging injured troops in war zones. And the general of this team is retired Navy surgeon Dr. Peter Rhee.
DR. PETER RHEE, CHIEF OF TRAUMA, UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, TUCSON: But nowadays, now that we've gotten other experience about penetrating trauma from the recent Iraq experience, we're -- including us -- we're very aggressive about getting to the operating room.
Randy (ph) made that decision, needs to go. The neurosurgeons haven't seen films or anything like that. They trust us and they know that somebody that needs to have an operation, who is in the OR, prepped and draped. Anesthesia has already got done -- stuff done.
I told Randy (ph), when he called me, I said, "Make sure she's lined up. We can't line her up in the OR or it will take more time. So, when we get to the operating room, she's already got the in-lines, central lines, everything is done, shaved, ready to go.
GUPTA: The bullet was fired from a Glock 19 .9 millimeter semiautomatic handgun. It entered from the front left side of the congresswoman's forehead, traveled the entire length of her brain, and exited the back. It was a focused wound, meaning the damage was concentrated to one area of the brain.
RHEE: And she was just exceedingly lucky, right? When I saw that trajectory of where one hole was and where the other hole was, I was like, "Oh, my gosh." You know? However --
GUPTA (on camera): Because it was so far apart?
RHEE: Yes. I mean, it wasn't a little skiving thing. It went through a lot.
GUPTA: Yes, because it wasn't a glancing shot. It was --
RHEE: Yes, it wasn't a glancing shot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: So, Suzanne, the bullet, as you heard there, was through and through. That's important, because, you know, you have a finite amount of energy from one of these bullets. You want that energy to be sort of dissipated into space, as opposed to within the skull here. Important.
Also, there was a relatively small exit wound, meaning the bullet likely did not tumble, did not explode. Very important points, as well.
And perhaps most importantly, the bullet stayed on one side of the brain, the left side in this case. There's very good data that shows that if a bullet crosses over the midline, that's associated with a much poorer outcome. So all those things likely worked in her favor.
One of the things, Suzanne, people keep asking, will she return to Congress? Will Gabby Giffords become a congresswoman again or return to Congress? It's tough to say. I don't think anyone can say for sure, but she is starting to get a lot of function back on the right side of her body that was weak as a result of this left-sided brain injury.
You saw her climbing steps, for example, starting to learn to write with her left hand. She also is getting spontaneous speech back. Speech is often affected as a result of left-sided brain injuries. She's start to go speak again in declarative sentences, albeit short sentences. But that's starting to return, as well.
It's going to be measured in months, her recovery, not days and weeks. That's a little bit of insight, Suzanne, into how things have happened over the last couple of months.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Sanjay.
Sunday, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, Dr. Sanjay Gupta meets the paramedics and doctors credited with saving the life of Gabrielle Giffords. They're revealing exclusive minute-by-minute details on CNN Sunday night at 7:00 Eastern.
And you can join Sanjay on Twitter during "Saving Gabby Giffords" for a live chat. Sanjay's Twitter alias is @SanjayGuptaCNN.
Well, this week I had a chance to sit down with Mr. Jimmy Carter for an exclusive interview. The 86-year-old former president just got back from North Korea, where for years, he's tried to broker agreements between the North and the South. Well, in a controversial statement, he told me the current U.S. policy of withholding food aid to pressure North Korea's leader amounts to a human rights violation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARTER: And so the United States imposes on them an absence of food aid because we are trying to punish Kim Jong-il. We're actually punishing the people.
MALVEAUX: Those are very serious allegations though. To say that the Obama administration is using this as a political tool, to not provide food aid --
CARTER: Well, I think that's accurate. You know, we're obviously and publicly officially not providing any food aid to North Korea right now because we disagree with the policies of Kim Jong-il --
MALVEAUX: But the State Department says --
CARTER: -- and the people are suffering.
MALVEAUX: Surely. The State Department says you know better because they know that Kim Jong-il is the one who is in charge of distributing the food and denying the food.
CARTER: Well, so what? So we just stop giving the people food?
MALVEAUX: Who should be held responsible? Should it be President Obama?
CARTER: I'm not trying to hold anybody responsible. I'm just trying to convince the administration, including the State Department to USAID, to give food aid to the people who are starving in North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Carter is also very passionate about fighting for equal rights for women. And we were surprised, quite frankly, who he went after in our raw and uncut downtime with the former president. That's up next.
Navy SEALs reportedly got some help from a four-legged fighter in taking out bin Laden. We're going to talk about the role of canines in combat with a former Special Forces member.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here is a rundown of some of the stories we are working on.
A four-legged American fighter, a dog, reportedly was a vital part of the mission to take down bin Laden. We're going to talk about that with a former U.S. Army captain who is an expert on dogs in the military.
Plus, we're going to take you to the hometown of the Navy SEALs unit that killed bin Laden.
And later, if Jimmy Carter could run for president again, who would he like to run against? He tells me in my exclusive interview with the former president.
The Navy SEAL team that took out Osama bin Laden got some help from a four-legged fighter. Several reports say that a military dog was attached to one of the SEALs who entered bin Laden's compound from a helicopter.
Here to talk about canines in combat is Tim Crockett. He is a former member of the British Special Forces.
Tim, thank you so much for joining us.
TIM CROCKETT, FMR. BRITISH SPECIAL FORCES: You're welcome.
MALVEAUX: What can you tell us about this report that there was a dog involved in that raid?
CROCKETT: Well, the use of dogs in military operations is nothing new. It dates back many, many years. There is an increasing use of dogs in today's operations because they can do things that simply we as humans or soldiers, in fact, can do.
MALVEAUX: Like what? CROCKETT: Well, it's sheer athleticism. They can run faster, they can jump higher. They can often go into spaces that we could not get into.
Their sense of smell, their senses are obviously a lot more heightened then our own. So they can obviously help a patrol, a group of individuals find things such as booby traps, explosive devices. So it prevents those sort of things happening to the group of soldiers.
MALVEAUX: Is it controversial?
CROCKETT: Of course. There are going to be some groups that feel that the use of dogs in combat is unethical or wrong in some way. But there has been strong --
MALVEAUX: Why so?
CROCKETT: Well, the risk of serious injury or death of a dog is a real possibility. However, units have seen that the use of dogs has saved lives. So they're not, as in some groups suggest, disposable, like a piece of ammunition.
They are a part of the team, they are loved by their handlers. And they are, like I said, when a dog is injured or killed and taken out of a team, it's a big, emotional blow for the guys.
MALVEAUX: What kind of dogs are typically used in combat?
CROCKETT: Historically, we've seen German Shepards used, but I think one of the favorite breeds now is the Belgian Malinois because they have fewer sort of health issues -- hips, legs -- and again, they're very athletic.
MALVEAUX: And these kinds of dogs that go into a combat situation we think for humans posttraumatic distress disorder, all types of mental problems, do dogs suffer these kinds of things after combat?
CROCKETT: To some extent, yes. They're going to feel the effect that any human will do or any other animal. But their health, both physical and mental, is monitored. And when they feel that they get to a point where, OK, this dog is suffering a little bit of stress, they may be rested or they may be retired. And many dogs go on to become pets or even therapy dogs.
MALVEAUX: How common is it to actually have dogs involved in these combat operations?
CROCKETT: The mission, the specific task will dictate what tools you're going to use, what weapons you're going to use, how you're going to get there, the actual team makeup. So that goes into account as well as the use of dogs.
MALVEAUX: Do we know what kind of -- what the dog was doing in this operation to take down bin Laden? CROCKETT: I would imagine it would have been used to perhaps detect explosive devices. We've seen in the past, certainly throughout Iraq and in Afghanistan, that the fighters have rigged booby traps to try and kill or injury those assaulting troops. So they would have gone in perhaps to detect those.
They may have even been used, perhaps, if they felt that Osama was hiding somewhere to try and find him.
MALVEAUX: All right, Tim, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
CROCKETT: You're very welcome.
MALVEAUX: Thanks for your time.
The president is headed to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky to privately thank members of the 160th SOAR. That is the helicopter group involved in the assault on Osama bin Laden's compound.
Meanwhile, the Navy SEAL team that killed bin Laden is back now on American soil, but you would never know it, and that is by design.
CNN's Brian Todd explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a town where the buzzing of fighter jets is constant, where joyful reunions are a staple, America's most fearsome fighting unit goes unnoticed.
Unofficially called SEAL Team Six, they're the Navy commandos widely believed to have killed Osama bin Laden.
SEAL training takes years. At least 75 percent of those who try out wash out.
Despite their elite lead status, many of SEAL Team Six's neighbors here at Mary's Restaurant in Virginia Beach wouldn't know one of those warriors if they fell over him.
(on camera): When the SEALs come into a place like this, are they noticeable?
HEATHER SKROBACKI, VIRGINIA BEACH RESIDENT: Personally, for me, I don't think they're noticeable beyond any other person in the military.
TODD (voice-over): John McGuire, a SEAL for 10 years, was once stationed near Virginia Beach.
(on camera): If I'm in a bar with a bunch of SEALs, am I going to know it?
JOHN MCGUIRE, FORMER NAVY SEAL: Well, hopefully you won't. You know, we're just Americans, and you can't really put us in a box or a category. We're just tall, short, large, not so large. We try to just blend in and be Americans.
TODD: SEAL Team Six is widely reported to operate out of this facility near Virginia Beach. We couldn't get on base. The unit is covered with such a degree of secrecy, the military doesn't acknowledge that it's here or that it even exists, and that code goes beyond operational security at the base.
When city officials here in Virginia beach asked if they could honor the SEALs with some simple recognition at a town festival this summer, the Navy declined.
(voice-over): City Councilman Bill Desteph isn't surprised. He's a former naval intelligence officer.
BILL DESTEPH, VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCILMAN: There's no city, no matter where these individuals are from, that will be able to confirm or deny or throw a ticker tape parade or anything else.
TODD (on camera): What will the ceremony be like? I mean, is just kind of just handing you something and saying thanks, but don't ever talk about this?
MCGUIRE: Well, I might be speculating, it might be -- it might not even be that.
TODD: Really?
MCGUIRE: I might have been -- it might be a beer and a hoo-yah.
TODD (voice-over): Then the SEALs will simply blend in, going to stores, stores, coaching Little League, until that next call comes. Then, according to Navy support group head Mary Ellen Baldwin, their wives or girlfriends won't even know much.
MARYELLEN BALDWIN, NAVY LEAGUE OF HAMPTON ROADS: Well, it's tough times, that's for sure. Because at any given time, the families really don't know when they're going the be deployed with it. It can happen in the middle of the night, it can happen on a holiday, it really doesn't matter.
TODD: A dedication that might compel these folks to wrap their arms around the SEALs, if they knew who they were.
LEILA BATMAN, GENERAL MANAGER, MARY'S RESTAURANT: We have the creme de la creme in this area, and thank god we have them.
TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Officials call it a treasure trove of intelligence. So how do they wade through all the information recovered from the bin Laden raid? Well, next hour, former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes will walk us through that process.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: We've all heard about people losing their memory sometimes after, you know, a bump on the head or something like that. Well, Jeanne Moos found a woman who woke up from anesthesia knowing who she was, but sounding completely like someone else.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before Karen Butler went to the dentist, her regular old American accent sounded like this.
RECORDING BEING PLAYED: Hi, this is Karen. Sorry I can't come to the phone at the moment.
MOOS: But after being sedated to have her teeth pulled -- and we're not pulling your leg -- she sounded like this.
KAREN BUTLER, ACQUIRED FOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROME: And you talk to young girls, they think it's a very, very pretty sound. They say oh, I want an accent like this. I say, oh, just go see my dentist, he only charges seven grand.
MOOS: Some say she sounds Irish or English or eastern European.
BUTLER: Now you open your mouth and everybody wants to know where you're from.
MOOS: She's from Toledo, Oregon, and she's never been to any of those foreign places.
(on camera): There's nothing fake about this. It's a medical condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome, very rare, fewer than 100 known cases.
(voice-over): For instance, a Florida woman named Judy Roberts who had a stroke and went from sounding like this --
RECORDING BEING PLAYED: We've got fabulous things.
MOOS: -- to this.
JUDY ROBERTS, ACQUIRED FOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROME: I felt like I was going bloody crazy.
MOOS: Doctors believe Foreign Accent Syndrome is usually caused by some sort of brain injury or stroke. But it didn't affect Karen's sense of humor, even when it first happened a year and a half ago.
BUTLER: I sounded more like I was from Transylvania.
MOOS (on camera): So her daughter insisted mom record a special ring tone saying the words, I want to suck your blood.
BUTLER: So it will ring out, I want to suck your blood. Oh, it's my mom calling.
MOOS (voice-over): After 27 years of marriage --
(on camera): Was it exotic, like you have a new wife?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
MOOS: You never miss her old American self-?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She still is her old American self, just her voice is changed.
MOOS (voice-over): Except it doesn't sound unusual to Karen. She doesn't hear her new accent until you play it back.
BUTLER: I sound German.
MOOS (on camera): Things can get really weird when someone calls who knew Karen before her accent changed, cause now they don't believe it's her answering the phone.
(voice-over): She's a tax consultant and her voice over the phone shocked one of her clients.
BUTLER: She called her mother right away quick and says, somebody is impersonating Karen.
MOOS: One thing about acquiring a new accent overnight, sometimes your own husband doesn't understand you.
BUTLER: I definitely want to buy some postcards.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to buy a push cart?
BUTLER: Not push cart, a postcard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, postcards, OK.
MOOS: Jeanne Moo, CNN --
BUTLER: Pushcart.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: All right, this story got us thinking. Why not talk to the person with our favorite accent, our resident Aussie, Michael Holmes.
This is like a totally crazy story to me.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: It is. I never heard of that before.
MALVEAUX: Did you get a bump on the head or do you really -- ?
HOLMES: No, I grew up this way. I don't have an accent, you do. MALVEAUX: No, no, no. Can you tell you have the accent?
HOLMES: I don't have an accent. Yes, of course.
No, accents are fascinating. I remember when I was living in England reporting out of England for a few years, and the regional nature of the accents there, Liverpool, Manchester, completely different accents 30 miles away.
MALVEAUX: Why do you suppose Americans go gaga over guys like you?
HOLMES: Well, they don't.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I don't know, accent are interesting. There's always an exotic nature to it, I suppose. And it's not just Americans being enamored with accents. I mean, you go to Australia and the guys will be falling all over themselves.
MALVEAUX: Now I hear you get more dates that way. Is that true?
HOLMES: It's completely, completely and utterly untrue. I've heard this myself, but it's never applied to me. I must be going to the wrong places.
MALVEAUX: Should we put out an match.com ad or something?
HOLMES: Yes, I need help somehow, clearly, I do.
No, I've had people say that to me before, oh, people must love it. I've never noticed it. I've never noticed interest from that particular fairer sex because of the accent. Or they never say anything, anyway.
MALVEAUX: Keep your accent. We like it.
HOLMES: I don't plan on -- I've been here 16 years, I haven't lost it yet.
MALVEAUX: No, you haven't it. Now it's going to start to wear out on me, I'm going to start speaking that way.
HOLMES: I'll turn you around.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: Good to see you.
MALVEAUX: Well, if Jimmy Carter was on the ballot, who would he like to run against? Well, he tosses out a name. It's part of my exclusive conversation with the former president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: The bold and deadly U.S. assault on Obama bin Laden was one of the topics as Republican presidential hopefuls faced off. Our CNN deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, live from Greenville, South Carolina. That is where the first GOP debate of the 2012 presidential race was held.
Paul, you're on the cutting edge here. Right at the beginning of all this. What are the candidates saying about Obama's decisiveness in the killing of Osama bin Laden?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Most of them praised him for that, but they took issue with the president deciding not to release a photo of the body of bin Laden. In fact, four of the five said if they were president, they would do it.
And they also criticized the president for how is how he's handling other international hot spots. Take a listen, Suzanne.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM PAWLENTY (R), FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: I do congratulate President Obama for the fine job he did in taking some tough decisions and being decisive as it related to finding and killing Osama bin Laden. He did a good job and I tip my hat to him in that moment.
But that moment is not the sum total of America's foreign policy. He's made a number of other decisions relating to our security here and around the world that I don't agree with.
RICK SANTORUM, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: The decision he made with Osama bin Laden was a tactical decision. It wasn't a strategic decision. The strategic decision was made already by President Bush to go after him.
What President Obama has done on his watch, the issues that have come up while he's been president, he's gotten it wrong strategically every single time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Only five candidates on the stage. You know, usually one of the headlines of a debate is what was said or who came under attack, but one of the headlines for this debate last night was where was everybody else. A lot of the big names like Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, maybe even Donald Trump, not at this debate.
And I guess it's another sign that the field is really not set yet. We're -- I think in the next month or two, we'll have a clearer picture of the GOP presidential field -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And, Paul, one of the people who is watching that field, former President Jimmy Carter. I had a chance to talk with him earlier in the week about all things political, as well.
Who do you think he likes for the race for 2012? STEINHAUSER: Well, I'm guessing he's going to back Barack Obama. Of course, he's a Democrat and so is the current president. But you have a surprise for me, I'm sure.
MALVEAUX: Yes, that's a pretty safe answer, pretty safe bet. But check out the shout-out that he gave.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Looking ahead to 2012, when you look at the candidates, anybody -- when you look at the Republicans, anybody say, hey, I'd like to run against him or her?
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No. You know, I was in China and it was the last days of John Huntsman, who has been the ambassador there now for the last couple of years. He's one of the people, I think, that has been very attractive to me, personally.
Of course, my intention is to vote for the Democratic candidate --
MALVEAUX: You wouldn't go over to the other side?
CARTER: -- who I'm sure will be President Obama. He's my choice.
MALVEAUX: All right. Would you campaign for him?
CARTER: If he asks me to.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
CARTER: Yes, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Interesting, huh, Paul? Carter's nemesis, the late Ted Kennedy, campaigned for Obama last round. It would be interesting to see if Carter would go on the campaign road, yes?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, Carter and the current president really don't see eye-to-eye on some issues. But I think that would away surprise if Carter was out there campaigning for Obama next year.
But Huntsman is also, Suzanne, interesting because the former ambassador to China, he's back here now. In fact, tomorrow he is going to be right here in South Carolina giving a speech, commencement speech at the University of South Carolina. He is making the moves and may make an announcement to run for the presidential nomination -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Paul, thank you. Appreciate it, thanks. Former President Carter, he's 86 years old and we were quite surprised at really how active he is. He still plants peanuts, he paints oil portraits, he goes fly fishing.
So here's the question: Which activity do you think he did before we sat down for the interview? A, write a politically charged op-ed; B, call word leaders; C, write Sunday school lessons; or D, bag a turkey.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Before my interview with former President Carter, he told me what he had done during the day. So was it, A, write a politically charged op-ed; B, call world leaders; C, write Sunday school lessons; or D, bag a turkey?
The answer, can you believe it? E, all of the above.
And by the way, bagging a turkey, for you city slickers, it means hunting and killing a turkey. Yes, not just going to the grocery store and putting it in the bag. And we understand that the former first lady, Roselyn, cooked it that dinner.
COSTELLO: Did she pluck it, too?
MALVEAUX: She did it all. They had it for dinner. He still hunts turkeys, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, I hope she didn't have to pluck it, though. I wouldn't want to be hunting turkeys if I had to pluck it.
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: He says he goes every so often. I was a little impressed. I was very impressed, actually.
COSTELLO: I am, too. I bet it was good.
MALVEAUX: This was before like 2:00 in the afternoon, before the interview.
COSTELLO: It's hard to get a turkey, too.
MALVEAUX: All right, Carol, tell us about the "Talk Back" question.
COSTELLO: "Talk Back" question of the day: Does it matter if bin Laden's killing was legal?
A lot of talk about that today.
This from Lucas, "Who cares if it was legal. Do you think bin Laden thought about 9/11 being legal? No."
And Adam says, "Really a tough catch 22. However, as we have learned over the past few decades, there is no reasoning with these people. I wish it was simpler and our methods made people play nicely, but they don't and it's unfortunate that this is the world we live in."
This from Kyle, "America is 'supposed' to be built on the premise of liberty and justice. How is there justice without a trial? This was political assassination and nothing more. It does matter if it's legal. It also would have saved face in the international community and prevented a lot of people from getting pissed off."
This from James, "Would anyone be having this conversation if Osama bin Laden had been killed by a cruise missile rather than a bullet? Come on, Moore, you have bigger fish to fry"
And this from Steven, "No, it doesn't matter, and neither does Michael Moore."
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN -- please continue the conversation and I'll be back in a couple of minutes to tell you what Michael Moore has to do with all of this.
MALVEAUX: Nobody is shy, Carol. Everybody that talks to you has a strong opinion about everything.
COSTELLO: I know, I like my friends, they're feisty.
MALVEAUX: Like you.
COSTELLO: Thanks.
MALVEAUX: One man on a mission of mercy to aid victims of last week's devastating tornadoes. We're going to show you how he is providing help and healing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: People in 14 states are struggling now to recover from the largest tornado outbreak in our history. This tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa. Take a look at it, Alabama was the hardest-hit state.
It was not alone. Three people died in a small northwest Georgia town of Ringgold. Half the business were damaged, many homes simply vanished. Ringgold population 2,800 had limited emergency resources. That is why 2008 hero Tad Agoglia and his first response team headed there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED AGOGLIA, CNN HERO: When a disaster strikes, you don't really know what you are going to need. That's why we've packaged up four tractor trailers loaded with just about every type of tool and gear and piece of equipment.
We got the generator running. We're going to power up this church.
We roll those rigs all across this country.
We decided to come to Ringgold, Georgia because it is a small community and most likely they didn't have the resources that they would need.
All these homes were completely destroyed.
My team has been to about 38 mega-storms at this point, but we've never seen anything like this before.
It's all gone. Almost like the whole city went through a blender.
When we first got here, we started powering up the shelter, clearing the roads and we wanted to just help stabilize the situation.
We will have him come straight in and grab these trees right off of these two stones right here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They went over and cleared the cemetery. That's why I am able to bury my father today.
AGOGLIA: We're going to keep working until this is done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He then came over and offered his services again.
AGOGLIA: We just joined with the family members on our hands and knees looking for things.
There's some more photos in here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We found a wedding picture of my dad and mom. These guys are angels.
Thank you so much for you and your team.
AGOGLIA: When we see people suffering and struggling, it is our responsibility to come and to help. This is part of being human, to see a need and to do something about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: All this year's CNN Heroes are chosen from people you tell us about on the CNN Heroes website. To nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to CNNHeroes.com.
