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Seventeen Days Until A Tax Hike; Thirty-Five Hours Until Shutdown ; T. Boone Pickens Interview; War In Iraq Officially Ends; Arpaio Under Fire; Knox Judge Explains Murder Acquittal; Corzine Returns To Hot Seat; Chirac Found Guilty On Corruption Charges; New Statistic: One in Five Women Sexually Assaulted; Woman Donates Kidney To Stranger; Did Iran Hack U.S. Drone?
Aired December 15, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Don Lemon. Randi is off today. It's time to get you caught up on the news.
Here we go again. Congress racing yet another deadline, risking yet another completely avoidable problem all because of yet another stalemate. Within the past hour, we heard yet another plea from president Barack Obama for lawmakers to pass an extension of a payroll tax break that benefits everybody who draws a paycheck. But people who don't draw paychecks wish they did face the cut-off of federal unemployment aid if Congress doesn't act before the holidays.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Congress should not and cannot go on vacation before they have made sure that working families aren't seeing their taxes go up by a $1,000 and those out there looking for work don't see their unemployment insurance expire. There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to extend these items. The payroll tax cut you want before the holidays.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Party leaders in the Senate now say they're trying to come up to terms -- come to terms with something and that may be more likely now that Democrats have given up trying to pass a new tax on millionaires. But wait, there is more. In less than 36 hours, much of the federal government will run out of money. The latest as seven budgetary stop gaps runs out at midnight tomorrow, and while lawmakers have scrambled to hammer out $1 trillion plan to get us through the end of the fiscal year, nobody's voted on anything. We'll certainly keep you posted.
In the meantime, in Baghdad today, the end became real. U.S. forces lowered the flag of command, closing the book on a controversial war that claimed almost 4,500 American lives and cost more than $800 billion. Defense secretary Leon Panetta was there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: To all of the men and women in uniform today, your nation is deeply indebted to you. You have done everything your nation asked you to do and more. Your dedication, your commitment to this mission, has been the driving force behind the remarkable progress that we've seen here in Baghdad and across this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: More than a million U.S. troops have served in Iraq since March of 2003. All will be gone by the end of this year.
We have to tell about a scathing report against the Justice Department just came out against Arizona's most outspoken sheriff. The government says Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, and his office are systematically discriminating against and racially profiling Latinos. Arpaio was famous for his tough stance on illegal immigration, but the assistant attorney general says Arpaio and his deputies have repeatedly broken federal laws. The justice department found a wide range of civil rights violations including unlawful stops, detentions and arrests. The report is a result of a three-year investigation.
The judge in the Amanda Knox murder trial is shedding new life on the acquittal. In newly published legal papers, he says that the prosecutors did not prove in any way the guilt of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the crime of killing British student, Meredith Kercher. The two were acquitted of murder in October after appealing an earlier convection.
The search continues this hour for more than a billion dollars missing from a bankrupt brokerage. In his third Congressional grilling, Jon Corzine, former M.F. Global CEO, will be questioned on what happened to his client's money. According to a trustee overseeing the brokerage liquidation, the $5.4 in customer funds, more than $1.2 billion is still missing. Corzine, a former senator and governor of New Jersey has claimed he doesn't know where the money is and says he never ordered transfers for customers -- from customers' accounts.
Former French president, Jacques Chirac, has been found guilty of corruption. According to the Paris court's press office, the 79-year- old has give a two-year -- was given a two-year suspended sentence for breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds and illegal use of influence during his time as mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995. He apparently used public money to pay people to work for his political party and paid others to perform jobs which did not really exist. It is uncertain whether he will appeal the verdict.
Nearly half of all U.S. public schools failed to meet federal achievement standards this year. According to a new study by the Center on Education policy, in the 2010, 2011 school year, an estimated 48 percent of schools did not make adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act. It marks an increase from 39 percent of schools in 2010 and the highest percentage since No Child Left Behind took effect in 2002.
Nearly one in five women say they have been sexually assaulted, and that's only the reported cases. Startling details in the story straight ahead. The numbers for you, next.
But first, on a more positive note, Selena (Hodge) needed a kidney and turned to a place that you might not think of for such a request. Craigslist, enter Stephanie Grant. One of the 800 people who responded to Selena's plea and lives just a few miles away. She offered one of her kidneys and after months of waiting, doctors gave the green light and the surgery was performed. Both women are recovering in a Florida hospital, and for her act of selfishness -- or selfless act, well, you are today's "Rock Star."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Our next story could be a dirty little secret finally revealed. Except it is not all that little, it is huge, bigger than we ever knew. First, let me give you some context. Over the course of a lifetime, one American woman in eight will develop breast cancer. One in three will get heart disease. You've heard those numbers before, but you haven't heard these. Almost one American woman in five says she's been a victim of rape or attempted rape at some point in her life. One in four says that she's been beating by an intimate partner. One in three says she's been rape, beaten or stalked or some combination thereof.
This is all according to a ground breaking survey of more than 16,000 people by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC. The director of that office is Linda Degutis, she joins us now. Doctor, these are breathtaking figures. Were you surprised by the prevalence of sexual violence in society?
DR. LINDA DEGUTIS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL: Well, we're very concerned when we saw these numbers and saw how large the problem is and how much of an impact it has long term on people's lives.
LEMON: Yes. Impact long term, you talked about the health issues that go along with these -- with this problem.
DEGUTIS: Yes. There are many health issues that we're seeing in women who have been victims of rape or intimate partner violence. Chronic disease issues such as diabetes and asthma, post traumatic stress disorder, issues with substance abuse. So many things that continue to impact them long after the events have occurred.
LEMON: Let's talk to you about men as well. We'll continue to talk about this, but I want to bring in men because it may be surprising. There are men as well are affected by this. One in seven men were beaten by an intimate partner. And then there's also one in 71 raped by someone. So, men are a part of this study and that affects society as well.
DEGUTIS: Yes, it does. And one of the findings about men I think that is really important to highlight is that 28 percent of the men who experienced rapes were raped before the age of 10.
LEMON: Doctor Degutis, what is the solution to this? First the solution for the problem -- I would imagine it is -- it is similar for both men and women, let's start with women first. What's the solution or at least part of it?
DEGUTIS: Well, the solution is really starting at an early age to prevent these events from occurring. And that is to really help people develop safe and stable relationships, relationships in which they can feel as though they are not threatened.
LEMON: Now, what about men? Is it the same exact advice for men? Because lots of times men don't want to even admit it so to say that 1 in 71 were raped, and then 1 in 17 at least were affected by this. The numbers are probably higher. Is it -- is it -- do you have the same advice, the same solution for men?
DEGUTIS: The solution is the same for both sexes. It really is to develop relationships that are strong, that are stable, and to not allow violence to be a part of relationships or resolving conflict in relationships.
LEMON: I have one final question for you -- for you. You were disturbed by these findings. Do you think people, in general, in society know about this and if not, how does that awareness help them?
DEGUTIS: Well, I do think people were really -- are really aware of the extent of this problem in society. And I think this was helped by both bringing the problem to light, allowing people to feel more comfortable about reporting these incidents when they occur, and then developing ways of creating relationships that are stable and relationships that are healthy.
LEMON: Dr. Linda Degutis, thank you very much from the CDC. We appreciate your time.
DEGUTIS: Thank you.
LEMON: Gasoline is the new big U.S. export. Wait -- I thought we were short on gas? Isn't that why the price of gas skyrocketed? The truth about how much gas the U.S. really has access to, T. Boone Pickens will join us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Trust me, you want to watch this, because I've been talking to him in a break and is he also feisty. Could it be an "Undercovered" story about gas prices? It's supply and demand, right? Prices spike when supplies get squeezed.
Well, here's the undercovered part. Gasoline prices aren't squeezed, just the opposite. In late 2008 when prices were higher than they are now, the U.S. began selling gas to the world. Well, this year, we're a net exporter of gas and other things petroleum. That hasn't happened since 1949. I want you to look at this. In September, we exported 430,000 more barrels of gasoline than we exported.
So, energy problem solved, right? Well, if only. Prices are still over $3 a gallon. And I want you to remember this -- and we're still importing huge amounts of crude and well over half of what we use. So, why all the excess gas and stubbornly high prices? Why is it still here and where is the solution here? T. Boone Pickens has some thoughts on all of this and he is an old-school oilman who now has an invest -- is an investment manager and a champion of clean energy technologies. Thank you so much for joining us. So listen, it is a good thing to be swimming in oil, isn't it?
T. BOONE PICKENS, FOUNDER & CHMN., BP CAPITAL: Well, you know why you're swimming in oil?
LEMON: Why?
PICKENS: Global oil demand is down and the price of oil in a global market is $105. In the United States, it's $95. So we have the cheapest energy in the world in the United States.
LEMON: Yes.
PICKENS: Natural gas is $4. Natural gas in the Mid East is $18. And $13 in Europe. So now you can build your country back on the back of cheap oil and cheap natural gas. We have the cheapest.
LEMON: So, listen, is it natural gas -- are we talking about -- let's get our -- keep our viewers on track here. We're talking about gas that we -- oil that we use to fuel our homes and we're talking about gasoline as well. Are we talking about both here?
PICKENS: Well, natural gas to fuel your home is $4. Gasoline today is about, I think, $3.27. But you see, we're bringing oil into the United States at $105 and we are exporting the products out of the country. So we have -- yes, we have the cheapest gasoline in the world now.
LEMON: So tell us about this so-called, what is it, the T. Boone Plan or the Pickens Plan that you have.
PICKENS: Well, I just want to get on our own resources in America. We have plenty of resources here. We have renewables -- wind, solar -- we've got natural gas, more natural gas in the United States than any other place in the world. And so -- an I gave you the comparative, $4 natural gas here, $13 in Europe. So we have the cheapest natural gas. You are going to see, within the next six months, where we are exporting not only gasoline, but we will be exporting natural gas also.
LEMON: Yes. Are we on the right track here do you think?
PICKENS: Well, not totally. You want to get on your own resources and we still import about 12 million barrels a day of oil and about 4.6 million barrels a day from OPEC. Now, we are down from where we used to import 6 million barrels from OPEC. We're down to 4.6. But we're down on a percentage basis. We're down from 44 percent of our imports came from OPEC. They are now 43 percent, because our demand has gone down.
LEMON: But if we continue on this track --
PICKENS: So it's fairly important --
LEMON: Go ahead, finish your thought and I'm going to ask you -- I'll ask you after. Go ahead.
PICKENS: Well, your -- don't have the idea that we're cutting out OPEC. We are cutting down on OPEC because the demand is down. That's the only reason.
LEMON: I think for the person at home and the person who, you know, drives to work every day and sees these high prices in gas, what they want to know is, when will we get to a point, if we continue on this track, where gas prices will be lowered significantly?
PICKENS: Well, you're talking about gasoline prices, is that correct?
LEMON: Yes. Yes. Yes.
PICKENS: Yes, you can't get natural gas any lower. It's the cheapest you could ever expect. OK, gasoline prices lower. Remember, oil prices are set in a national -- in a global market and they're set by OPEC because they have the swing oil production. They have 30 million barrels of oil a day and the world uses about 90 million. The 30 million they have will set the price for the other 60 million because it's concentrated in one spot and it stays together and they tell you what the price is going to be. So when are you going to get that down? You're not going to get it down much from where it is right now because the Saudis have told us they have to have $94 oil to meet their social commitments.
LEMON: Yes.
PICKENS: So don't have the idea that this thing's going to drop way low. That isn't going to happen.
LEMON: Yes, listen, before the break --
PICKENS: To keep --
LEMON: Before the break we were talking and you said, listen, I could talk about this for 30 minutes or more. You think that this is one of the most important issues facing the American people.
PICKENS: Well, absolutely do. When you look at the Milken Institute report, which was released two weeks ago, in the last -- from 1978 -- I know it's a long time ago -- to 2010, we have spent $7 trillion on OPEC oil. OK. Now, take the last 10 years. We have spent $1 trillion in the last 10 years. Now, going forward 10 years, you had $100 oil, we will spend $2.5 trillion for OPEC oil. We have resources in this country we can use and not have to do that at all.
Why do we do it? It's because our leadership does not take us in the direction of our own resources. With resources, you've got jobs. Hundreds of thousands of jobs. Look at the states right now. Pennsylvania is having a boom. North Dakota is -- has 3 percent unemployment. Texas has great activity in oil and gas. Oklahoma, 4 percent unemployment. And it's around over the country we should capitalize on it.
LEMON: Yes. Hey, T. Boone, real quick, I got to run, but give me -- what is the Web site for the Pickens Plan?
PICKENS: Pickensplan.com. I got 1,700,000 people signed up with me.
LEMON: Pickensplan.com. And you're also on Twitter @boonepickens. @boonepickens on Twitter.
Thank you, T. Boone, we appreciate it. Good information.
PICKENS: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: All right.
In other news now, an alleged victim of hazing at FAMU says she wasn't alone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIA HUNTER, FORMER FAMU STUDENT: The first day like everybody will -- not everybody, but some -- a good few people got hit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The story in her own words in the growing investigation into hazing allegations against FAMU's marching band. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It is time for today's "Crime & Consequences." And we're getting a disturbing look at the alleged hazing at Florida A&M University. Details that come straight from a band member from the school's iconic marching band, the Marching 100. Just 24 hours ago we learned Bria Hunter was giving Florida A&M, giving up a full ride after what police described as a brutal hazing ritual. Her attorney (ph) told us on our show yesterday she may sue the university for what happened. Well, police say the freshman band member was beaten so savagely, she suffered a cracked femur, deep bone bruising and blood clots. Hunter was a good friend of fellow band mate Robert Champion, who mysteriously died. His death was just a couple of weeks after Hunter was allegedly hazed and hospitalized. Hunter talked to affiliate WXIA. And I want you to keep in mind, this was done before Hunter withdrew from school. Hunter's face is blurred because her family was concerned about her safety. She and her mom, who was there during the interview, were clearly on edge. Hunter says weeks before Champion's death, she was beaten by the Red Dog Order, a group of band members from Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIA HUNTER, FORMER FAMU STUDENT: The first day like everybody will -- not everybody, but some -- a good few people got hit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You needs to stop.
HUNTER: OK. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not comfortable.
HUNTER: They went around a room and they asked people, did you want to be a part of this organization?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an organization within the band?
HUNTER: Well, it's not affiliated with the band, but it's in the band.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you mean?
HUNTER: Like, it's not legal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Hunter says Champion was a mentor and warned her about the hazing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER: He didn't like it. He told me not to let anyone touch me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: These three FAMU band members were charged -- are charged with hazing, which is a crime under Florida law. Two of them are also charged with felony battery. Now in the meantime, state investigators looking into Champion's unexplained death say they've uncovered possible fraud at the school. But, they say, the suspected fraud is not directly related to his death. FAMU's board of trustees could not comment, but say they are cooperating with investigators.
In political news, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are leading the pack, but which one can win over female voters? And could their wives be the secret weapons? That's next if our "Fair Game" segment.
But first, our political junkie question of the day. You ready for it? The term "first lady" was first used in reference to which presidential wife? The answer is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, just before the break, here was the question. Who was the first presidential wife to be called "first lady"? The answer -- drum roll, there you go, Dolly Madison. Legend has it the term was first used at Madison's state funeral. It was back in 1849. So now you know.
You know, the ad that you are watching, you see that ad right now, it is called "Leader." It highlights Mitt Romney's faith and family. Something that Ann Romney also talked about on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN ROMNEY, MITT ROMNEY'S WIFE: (INAUDIBLE)) have the character and the integrity to make us proud and to trust him and to know that he is a really, really good person. And that he has strong family values and that's what matters to him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, not just right-out saying it, but the question is, is this a transparent attempt by the Romney camp to court women and evangelical voters with the rise of Newt Gingrich? That's "Fair Game" for my guest today. Maria Cardona is a Democratic strategist, Crystal Wright is the editor of Conservativeblackchick.com. I like that, conservativeblackchick.com. we're going to start with Maria.
Welcome to you. Welcome to both of you.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks, Don. Good to be here.
LEMON: Maria, we'll start with you. Does this mean we are about to see even more of Ann Romney? And probably other candidates' wives as well?
MARIA CARDONA: Possibly so, Don. I think what you are seeing from the Romney campaign is a last-ditch effort before the process really gets started in terms of the caucuses and primaries. We all see that Gingrich is now the frontrunner. He's been really rising in the polls and this is Mitt Romney's attempt to really get at him and to really get, I think, at the heart of what is very important to a lot of conservative voters, and especially conservative women, which is the trust issue. And the trust issue, when it comes to Gingrich, is a very serious one. The three marriages he's had, the hypocrisy, the affairs that he's had, I think all of those are issues all conservative women have a problem with. I think Mitt Romney, with Ann at his side, is going to do what he can to take advantage of that.
LEMON: But, Crystal, is this a win-win situation? Just women talking about marriage? Is this always going to help him? Can it actually hurt Romney with some female voters?
CRYSTAL WRIGHT, EDITOR, CONSERVATIVEBLACKCHICK.COM: I think it can hurt Romney with female voters because it's becoming really -- every time Romney gets on the debate stage, he says, I've been married to Ann for 40-some years. I'm such a Mr. Clean guy. I'm the prom king really. Well, the prom king is nice to have around. But I don't think that Republican women voters are really going to go in for this character assassination Romney is attempting. And frankly, being married 40 years is not a qualifier for being president of the United States.
And Mr. Gingrich, while he has been married three times, and people might not like that, I think that's a thing of the past. and many women and men are supporting Gingrich. Let's face it, the polls this week, Gingrich is 40 percent in the lead, ahead of Romney at 22 percent among likely Republican voters. I think this could be a liability for Romney. People want to see passion from Romney, not Mr. Clean, I'm the prom king.
LEMON: They want to see actually a personality.
WRIGHT: Right. LEMON: And that is not just a robot or someone --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: -- a hair-sprayed guy.
WRIGHT: Yes. And I think it is nice that Romney wants to be the Ken doll in this competition, but this is a race for the presidency of the United States. And there's a lot at stake. and people want to see Romney's passion. That has not come through.
LEMON: OK.
Let's talk about Iowa here.
Because, Maria, Reagan didn't win Iowa. McCain didn't win it last time. Does Iowa really matter?
CARDONA: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
Well, I would say it matters if you're a viable candidate, Don. I think what we have seen, and you just mentioned it, is that Iowa tends to give the win to some candidates who are not viable. So if those candidates aren't viable, they're not going to make it through the whole process. But if are you a viable candidate, clearly winning the very first contest is going to be great for you. But then the challenge is, are you going to be able to get through.
I think both Romney and Gingrich hold some very, very tough challenges ahead. And you heard it from Crystal. A lot of conservatives just do not like Romney. They might not trust Gingrich on personal issues, but they do not trust Romney to really take the banner of conservatism and be real with it, because he's been such a tremendous flip-flopper during his whole political career. He's done a 180 on some of the most major issues that are facing this country. And it is an issue of trust for both of them.
LEMON: Maria and Crystal, unfortunately, that has to be the last word.
That's "Fair Game" today.
Thank you both. We appreciate you joining us.
CARDONA: Thanks, Don.
WRIGHT: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Iran hijacked the U.S. drone -- that's the incredible story one Iranian engineer told Journalist Scott Peterson. Real cloak-and-dagger claims that we'll talk about with Scott -- there he is live -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: This has been so much in the news lately and of importance to the United States. U.S. stealth drone, R.Q.-170, the sophisticated multi-million dollar technically advanced spy vehicle, that went down in Iran this month. U.S. military officials tell CNN the sentinel drone that went down in Iran last week was on a surveillance mission of suspected nuclear sites in the country.
But just how did Iran get control of the apparently almost-fully intact drone? First U.S. and NATO officials had said the drone was on a mission to patrol the Afghan-Iran border and had veered off course. Then word came out that Iran may have shot it down.
Now here's what we are hearing. In what could be the most complicated twists yet in the escalating spy war with Iran, a report in the "Christian Science Monitor" says Iran hijacked that drone. It claims, "Iranian specialists reconfigured the drone's GPS coordinates to make it land in Iran at what the drone thought was its actual home base in Afghanistan."
Scott Peterson, a staff writer for the "Christian Science Monitor," joins me now from Istanbul, Turkey. It is his report.
Thank you so much for joining us.
First, I want to say to you, how do we know -- how -- this is an Iranian engineer that you're getting this information from. Why is this source credible?
SCOTT PETERSON, STAFF WRITER, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Well, this source is credible. The Iranian colleague, who I worked with on this story, I've known for many, many years. And the actual source himself, the Iranian engineer, is also someone he's known for several, several years. So the actual chain of trust is very, very short in this case.
LEMON: OK. So listen, if it works with this GPS, it flies at 50,000 feet, it's designed to invade sophisticated air defenses, then how did they do it?
PETERSON: Well, our understanding, both from the Iranian engineer himself but also from a lot of other information coming out from experts on this kind of electronic warfare, is that this stealth drone is not actually a stealthy as it might appear. There are sensors on it, other items, and it is almost always in constant communications sending data streams back and forth to its control base, as well as communications with the GPS satellites, which take it where it is meant to go. The fact that it is communicating like that makes it vulnerable to jamming and to other kinds of electronic interference.
LEMON: Scott, it is really easy. Anyone -- if you know anything -- a little bit about technology -- GPS is really easy to hack into. Apparently, this isn't something new when it comes to hacking into GPS and hacking into intelligence for these types of drones and these types of devices. So the U.S. knew about the possibility. So is the U.S. underestimating or did the U.S. underestimate Iran's ability to hack into this drone GPS system?
PETERSON: I think that's precisely what's happened. What we hear from this Iranian engineer is that they've been observing, for the last two years at least, the overflights coming from Afghanistan of some of these stealth drones. They've been aware. They've also captured themselves and shot down a number of other less-sophisticated non-stealth drones.
But those drones are still using the same GPS navigational characteristics. Surprisingly enough, we've had -- we heard last September, we had Revolutionary Guard commanders basically claiming that they had this capability, that they had a way of reprogramming, stepping in and reprogramming a GPS set of coordinates so that it could move, it could basically spook the drone into thinking that it was landing where it was supposed to be but, in fact, landing where the hackers, the spoofers, wanted it to land.
LEMON: Hey, Scott, if you can bear with me, I want to read the response. We've heard that the secretary of defense, Leon Panetta, did not rule out the possibility, when asked, that it could have been hijacked and that it could have been jammed through a cyber attack.
Also, the House Intelligence Committee chairman says, Mike Rogers said -- this is what he said, categorically, Iran had nothing to do with the fate of the drone. He says, "I will say, without hesitation, that this is not something that anyone had anything to do with coming down with other than a technical problem. I will tell you there was a technical problem that was our problem. Nobody else's problem and I think there is a lot of P.R. going on."
We asked the Pentagon for their reaction. They referred to us U.S. President Obama's statement he gave on December 12th, a couple of days ago. He said, "With respect to the drone inside Iran, I'm not going to comment on the intelligence matters." Then he asked for the drone back. You may have seen or heard his statement because he said it in front of cameras.
What do you make of the president's statement of asking for that drone back?
PETERSON: Well, I don't think anyone seriously ever thought that -- and probably the president himself didn't expect that the drone was ever going to be handed back by the Iranians. I mean the United States, Israel and some European countries have been engaged in a covert war against Iran over its nuclear -- and with Iran over its nuclear program for several years. It's been especially gaining pace over the last year.
But going back to the statements from those senior American officials, stating that really it was just a malfunction, what we haven't heard from American officials is a description of the kind of malfunction that took place. The reason is because they don't know themselves what kind of malfunction took place. As far as we understand, the drones disappeared from the ability to communicate with the ground base. That's what happened to the drone. So they aren't actually aware of precisely what took place inside Iran. What I understand from experts on this electronics warfare, and not just from the Iranian engineer, but that this has been a known vulnerability, one that's been written about for several years, and that really, unless you take a specific set of measures to stop it, which it doesn't seem to have happened in this case, there's nothing much you can do.
LEMON: Scott, it is called spoofing. It is nothing new. What they do is they get the latitudinal and longitudinal data and they use it to make the drone think it is landing where it is actually supposed to land.
And here's what -- what happens here, when they get the information, it is called reverse engineering. So they go backwards and they figure out the intelligence behind this particular drone, as they have done in the past, and that's how they get the information to the United States.
Here's the question. This was a sophisticated drone or was it -- someone said -- I've read that it was a dumbed-down drone. And I've read that it was a sophisticated drone. Which one is it?
PETERSON: This is a very, very sophisticated drone. Its purpose in life was to go deeply behind enemy-held territory, basically, in this case, Iran. Certainly, when it was used in overflights over Osama bin Laden's compound before he was killed in Pakistan.
That this is not second or third-tier technology that's being used. Now when people talk about a dumbed-down drone, what they are talking about is the fact that this stealth technology isn't the greatest. It is not the very best that the United States has. And that may also be true for some of the central material. But relative to everything else and everyone else's capabilities around the world, this is absolutely the best you can find.
LEMON: Scott, we're quickly running out of time here. How much U.S. intelligence was compromised here? According to officials, if it was a dumbed-down drone, not much intelligence compromised. But if it is a sophisticated drone, that may not be true.
PETERSON: Well, I think that in terms of actual information, it is not clear yet how much damage the drone actually sustained because we didn't see when the Iranians showed it what happened to the undercarriage, which is, of course, where most of the instruments, the sensors, the things that, for example, the Chinese and Russians, never mind the Iranians, might be especially interested in.
We're not sure how well those survived, in fact. And I don't have a read on that from the Iranian engineer who is working on it. But in terms of the vulnerability for these kinds of drones, it seems that if this happened one time and if Iranians were involved as they say and this Iranian engineer says, there's no reason why it can't happen again.
LEMON: We didn't see the underbelly because it was damaged because they were a little bit off on their calculations of the underbelly was damaged, so they didn't show it in the video being released from Iran.
Scott Peterson, thank you so much, from the "Christian Science Monitor." Good reporting.
Many U.S. troops are returning home from Iraq. Well, they walked straight into the arms of their families. I witnessed it yesterday in the airport. But what happens after that first embrace? How military families prepare for their returning loved ones, coming up. A military wife joins us to explain.
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LEMON: The Iraq war is over. A war that started with "Shock and Awe" and embroiled that country in sectarian violence has led to the fall of Saddam Hussein. The leader put on trial for crimes committed against his own people, found guilty, and eventually executed by his own countrymen. Today, U.S. forces lowered the flag in Baghdad, marking the end of the nearly nine-year Iraq war. The remaining soldiers will be out by New Year's, and eventually head home.
But some never got to go home. 4,487 U.S. troops have been killed since the conflict began. One of those, Private First Class Andrew Nelson, killed in action, Christmas of 2006, in Iraq. His father is Alan Nelson, and he joins me today via Skype. And there's also Angelina Sanford. Her husband recently returned from Afghanistan. Two tours there, three in Iraq.
Thank you both for joining us.
I'll say, straight off, thank you for your service to this country, because you serve as well, even though your family members are serving.
First, Alan, Can I go to you? Your feelings, as you see the finality of this war? This war, I should say, coming to an end?
ALAN NELSON, FATHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: I'm really happy that our guys and gals are going to be able to return safely and that their parents are never going to get that knock on the door that we did on Christmas day five years ago. I'm extremely happy for those guys and gals and their families. I have mixed feelings as to whether this is the right time to pull out or not. I have some concerns as whether or it's really -- (AUDIO PROBLEM) -- making this decision or is this President Obama -- (AUDIO PROBLEM)
LEMON: Alan, you're cutting -- your sound is cutting out a little bit. As we get that fixed, I'm going to go to Angelina.
Angelina, you heard him talk about the concerns there. What do you make -- are you concerned that maybe we're pulling out of Iraq to soon?
ANGELINA SANFORD, WIFE OF FALLEN SOLDIER: My opinion is just I'm curious as to how the country is going to function without the military presence there. It's been so strong and such a long time, too. My husband was there right from the start. But the relief of having your loved your loved ones home is immensely appreciated. It is just very nice to have them home and know that is a chapter in our life and our military career that we can hopefully close and move forward from.
LEMON: Yes. I saw it. I was in the airport yesterday and I saw some servicemembers coming home from Afghanistan. They had been there 10 months. When you see them with their wives and children and family, and they first see each other and they're home for the holidays, you can't help but tear up. Your husband served three tours in Iraq. Are you worried that he will have to go to Afghanistan?
SANFORD: You know, we have new orders, so I know we're not going to be having any deployments any time soon. Whatever -- however the president decides to take our military forces is yet to be seen. So we'll come across that in the next couple of years. But I hope not, but we'll see.
LEMON: Hey, Alan, Military Families United, you are involved in that. That's how you honor your son. How important are organizations like that?
NELSON: Very important. We really have gotten a lot of support through military families united. We get together with other Gold Star families. And it is great because they all, we nu all know what each other is going through and it's another avenue of support besides our friends and family and our communities. We've become good friends with a lot of other Gold Stars through Military Families United. And we always take every opportunity we can to get together with them. Because, I like I said, we all understand what each other is going through and kind of a shoulder to lean on.
LEMON: I have to ask you this question. It's a tough one, I know. As we look at pictures of your son, I'm sure not a day goes by that he doesn't cross your mind. What do you say to him and what do you say to at least the higher power that you serve about your son and about the other men and women in uniform?
NELSON: Well, I just thank them all. I thank Andrew. I thank all the guys and gals that have made the ultimate sacrifice. I think the guys and gals continuing to serve right now, our way of life would sure be a lot different if we didn't have people like them that were willing to do this.
The fact that Andrew was killed on Christmas day makes Christmas time a little harder for us. But being a Christian myself, I understand that the birth of Jesus is much more important than Andrew's death. And we'll always continue to celebrate Christmas and be happy about that.
LEMON: Alan Nelson and Angelina Sanford, thank you both for your service. And Merry Christmas to you.
SANFORD: Thank you.
NELSON: Thank you, Don. LEMON: Could it be the end of web sites like YouTube, Flickr and eBay? How a battle between Tinseltown and Silicon Valley could end the Internet as we know it.
Plus, GOP candidates are battling it out in Iowa. John King is there, live, to tell us what's happening in the race for the Hawkeye State. There he is.
But first, before we get to John, here is an L.A. production company's pitch to the networks: Be the first to interview Casey Anthony. So what's the price tag to interview a mom acquitted of murdering her young daughter, Caylee? Reports say anywhere between $500 and $750,000. Who is buying? Who is going to shell out the big cash first? So far -- you might like this answer -- nobody. It seems like the cable networks have moved on. And it seems like we can only hope, Casey Anthony, your 15 minutes are up.
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LEMON: Congress could soon limit what you see on the Internet. A House committee is set to vote on a bill supporters say will fight online piracy of music and movies. If passed, Internet providers and search engines would block you from reaching web sites the Justice Department deems linked to piracy. Opponents, like Google and Facebook and other web companies, say the Hollywood-backed measure allows the government to censor the Internet like China and Iran do. An alternative bill allows the International Trade Commission to deal with the piracy web sites instead of the Justice Department.
To Alabama now, home of what could be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. A bankruptcy judge in Birmingham is starting a two-day hearing on whether Jefferson County meets the legal requirements to file for Chapter 9. It is $4.2 billion in debt, mostly over a sewer project, but it is not insolvent. Back in September, the county made a deal with its creditors. A deal it wants to scrap and creditors want to protect.
We're now less than three weeks away, just three weeks away from the Iowa caucuses. Tonight, the last debate before those caucuses takes place in Sioux City, Iowa.
That's where we find, of course, John King, the host of "John King, USA," J.K. USA.
John, good to see you. What can we expect tonight? Lift the curtain for us?
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JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Last debate before the caucuses, Don. Speaker Gingrich is leading in the polls. He gets the "kick-me" sign. We've seen some evidence, both here in Iowa and New Hampshire, that what they like to call Newt-mentum in the Gingrich campaign, is beginning to stall or at least has plateaued. He is down a few points in Iowa, down a few points in New Hampshire. What does that coincide with? It coincides with very sharp attacks from Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, and the others on Speaker Gingrich. There is no reason to believe it will be any different tonight. Speaker Gingrich's at the Iowa caucuses work tonight, all the activists I've spoken out here, say he would win. But it is not tonight. It is 18 days from now. So look for Speaker Gingrich to have a lot of incoming -- Don?
LEMON: We see a lot of numbers on television and polls and we talk about the horse race a lot. I think what people are interested in, especially when you're on the ground like you are John -- you've been there a while traveling around. Take us there. What are you hearing and seeing?
KING: It's a very interesting campaign. Because remember, the Republican Party has not had a national leader. John McCain was the national leader in the last cycle but he lost the election. George W. Bush was the last Republican president. He's been gone a few years.
The Republican Party is trying to figure out who do we want to be our standard bearer? Do we want an establishment figure, like a Mitt Romney or like a Newt Gingrich, or somebody closer to the Tea Party, which came out of nowhere and shocked the system in 2010? That is the debate we're having. Forget the names of the candidates and certainly what kind of a Republican. That's the debate you're seeing at the grassroots.
Here's one other thing I want to add to the conversation. Gingrich is leading here right now. Romney has a strong organization here right now. There a chance he will make a much bigger play for Iowa over the next two weeks. But do not forget Ron Paul. Can he win the Iowa caucuses? Most people are skeptical, Don, but don't count him out. He has a strong organization here. And without a doubt, Ron Paul, who most Republicans see as outside the party's main stream, he will be an impact player in Iowa. That is something you pick up, without a doubt, at the grassroots level.
LEMON: Some pretty fancy digs you're seated at right now, with the chandeliers. Are you and Wolf Blitzer in Sioux City's living room? What's going on?
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KING: This is the historic Orpheum Theater. It was built in the 1920s. It fell into disrepair. It was renovated in the 1990s. It is a beautiful place. I remember being here back in my first campaign I covered back in 1988, coming here for an event way back in the day. It is a beautiful historic sight in Sioux City. They've been nice enough to let us use it. You have your fancy studio in Atlanta. That was built in recent years.
LEMON: Yes.
KING: This is a bit more of an antique. But a great studio for "John King, USA" tonight, my friend. LEMON: We will be watching because John McCain will be on J.K. USA, "John King, USA."
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LEMON: We will be watching.
Thank you, John King. Appreciate it.
I've got to get out of here. I'm Don Lemon. It's time now for Ms. Brooke Baldwin. She's going to catch you up on all the news you need to know.
Hey, Brooke.
