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U.S. Pullout From Iraq Complete; Baghdad: After The Pullout; Getting Out Of Iraq; Woman Protester Beaten In Cairo; Ten People Killed In Cairo; Vaclav Havel Dies at 75; Wikileaks Suspect Back In Court; Woman Set On Fire In Elevator; Florida Hazing Scandal Update; Des Moines Register Backs Romney; Southwest Snowstorm Brewing; Preventing Suicide Among Vets; Philippines Death Toll Rises; Russian Oil Rig Capsizes; Prisoners To Be Freed In Israel; Michael Jackson's Furniture Sold; Choose Your In-Flight Seatmate; Change of Heart; Americans Not Marrying

Aired December 18, 2011 - 14:30   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

A look at our top stories, a nearly nine-year war in Iraq is officially over. Just after dawn today, 110 armored vehicles and supply trucks crossed a line in the sand from Iraq to Kuwait.

There, they were the last remaining combat units in Iraq. CNN's Martin Savidge is at Camp Virginia in Kuwait.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, Camp Virginia here has been one of the primary staging areas for troops that have been coming out of Iraq. Here is where they drop their equipment. It's where they board the planes and head back to the United States.

In between they get a little R and R. Right now on the stage, you've got the cheerleaders for the Washington Redskins. Two days ago, it was the cheerleaders from the Philadelphia Eagles. They've had rock bands.

It's really a chance for those soldiers coming out of Iraq to sort of decompress a bit before they go home. There also isn't a lot to do while they wait for their flights. They have been able to speed up the process.

A couple weeks ago, this place was slammed and you might wait five to eight days if you were a soldier hoping to fly back to the states. The crew that I came in on the convoy last night with, said they expect it to be stateside at least within the next two days.

As they told me, they plan to be the biggest holiday gift their family has ever had. That's probably true. A lot of happy homecomings are now being planned. The soldiers themselves are looking forward to going home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came here to do a job, we did it, and now we're going home. It's a good feeling to be going home.

SAVIDGE: Is it time?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's time. It's definitely time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: As for the numbers of soldiers that are probably here now, it actually got quiet a couple days ago, but it's now quickly picked up. Several thousand here, most home for the holidays -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Martin.

It's just after 10:30 p.m. in Baghdad that's where Arwa Damon is right now. So Arwa, what is it like in Baghdad right now without U.S. troops?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Fredricka, there's been surprisingly little fanfare covering the U.S. troop withdraw. Iraqi media really only picked it up a few hours after they crossed. That was just as tickers, only in the last couple hours, has state television begun running with it as one of their top stories.

That being said, the Iraqis are so conflicted and torn over this war, there's very little gratitude expressed towards the U.S. military and that is irrespective as to whether someone wanted to see Saddam Hussein stay in power or not.

That is quite simply because so many Iraqis welcomed the fall of Saddam Hussein. They thought that the U.S.-led invasion would bring them prosperity. That it would bring them a thriving and stable democracy, and what they have gone through over the last few years has been anything but.

There have been more than 165,000 Iraqis killed in this war. You would be hard pressed to find a family that hasn't lost a loved one. And the Iraq that they are now left to deal with, it's so incredibly complex.

It faces so many challenges. The government is fractured. When we talk about security, well, yes, the numbers are lower, the numbers being killed every day are lower, but Iraqis still carry that anxiety and fear with them on a day-to-day basis -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And we're also hearing that the Iraqi government is not displaying a lot of stability right now. What is at the root of the problem?

DAMON: Well, there is a political crisis that is unfolding right now, despite the fact that we were hearing from President Obama when he was introducing Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki last week during that trip to D.C. saying that he was leading a stable democracy and a power sharing all-inclusive government.

What we are seeing taking place right now is that the Iraqiya bloc that is viewed as being cross sectarian, secular, has suspended its membership from parliament. This is the main opposing block to Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's state of law coalition.

This bloc accuses Al-Maliki of consolidating power, of trying to keep them out of major decisions. Al-Malaki still controls a security portfolio that is the Ministries of Defense and Interior. The deputy prime minister is a Sunni part of that Iraqiya bloc last week told us that he quite simply thought that Al-Maliki was the worst dictator the country has ever seen.

Add to all of this unfolding a drama is the fact that yesterday, an adviser to the prime minister told CNN that they had evidence implicating one of the Sunni vice presidents in bombings.

Now since that allegation took place, there have been a series of high-level talks trying to dial back what could potentially be a very significant crisis with senior politicians warning that if this continues to move in the same trajectory we're seeing it going in right now, it could potentially lead to chaos and possibly more violence -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon, thanks so much in Baghdad.

Meantime, unrest again in Cairo. A warning, you're about to see some very graphic violent video recorded this weekend in central Cairo.

Armed riot police clashing with anti-government protesters for a third straight day and during the fight, a uniformed police brutally beat and partially tear the clothes office a woman demonstrator, all caught on videotape.

They beat her with batons, stomping on her exposed stomach. Journalist, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy saw the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED FADEL FAHMY, JOURNALIST (via telephone): Well, yesterday, I was in that area and we were -- a CNN crew was running away from the military when they stormed in and they were beating people very aggressively. Elderly women were beaten in front of me.

CNN acquired exclusive video from the man who shot this video from a balcony overlooking the square and he was telling me that as he watched it happening, he was shot, some of the people watching were crying and actually, it has been the talk of the town here.

It's been in the front page of several newspapers and people are trying to find who this woman is on Twitter, on Facebook, people trying to see what her status is right now. I have no information about her whereabouts or what her name is.

But it has definitely charged a lot of people who are angry this happened and the Islamic culture, removing somebody's clothing in public is just, you know, not acceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Also in Cairo this weekend, a historic library was set on fire there. Officials say maps, documents and artifacts dating back hundreds of years were destroyed. This new wave of violence in Cairo began Friday. Ten people have reportedly been killed since then.

And one of the leading anti-communism dissidents of the 1970s and 80s has died. Vaclav Havel was a playwright turned political activist. He was a leader of the Velvet Revolution, which ended Soviet control of Czechoslovakia and he would go on to be the country's president. Vaclav Havel was 75.

And well before a U.S. army private was suspected of leaking classified U.S. intelligence documents to the Wikileaks website, a military supervisor testified that she recommended Bradley Manning be removed from a secure computer room.

A military hearing is under way. Manning is accused of leaking war and State Department documents to the anti-secrecy on-line group Wikileaks.

And a woman was set on fire and killed in an elevator in Brooklyn, New York. Police just released these surveillance photos of the suspect. Investigators are questioning a person of interest in connection with this horrible crime.

Police say the attacker who was dressed as an exterminator, sprayed his victim with a liquid before he set her on fire. Witnesses say they heard screams and saw the smoke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I smell smoke, like electrical fire I go back outside and see smoke pouring out of the elevator. Go back in my apartment and call 911. Myself and someone from the sixth floor were knocking on everyone's door telling people to get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: An alumni of a Florida A&M university will hold a news conference later on today and they are expected to announce their support for the school's embattled president.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has called for the president's suspension in light of a hazing scandal involving the marching band. Police say drum major Robert Champion died as a result of hazing.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney keeps racking up the endorsements with the Iowa caucuses over two weeks away, today's edition of the "Des Moines Register" called Romney the most qualified candidate.

Romney also scored the endorsement of former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole. Earlier this week, Romney won the backing of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as well.

All right, just as Americans get ready for the holiday travel, lot of bad weather in the forecast. Jacqui Jeras joins us now in the CNN Weather Center. Did this not happen last year? It happened like after Christmas, but bad weather swept through really snarling travel plans.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, this is kind of a concentrated storm, but it's going to be major with multi impacts for a whole lot of people and we're talking about major snowfall accumulations, but the winds are going to be incredibly strong with this thing as well.

So blizzard watches have been posted in this bright green area. So the greatest area of concern for travelers tomorrow, here's I-70, I-25 and here's I-40. So it's really within this square if you live in here, travel is going to be nearly impossible at times with whiteout conditions and over a foot of snow can be expected.

So this, you know, I'm -- on satellite and radar right now, doesn't look like a heck of a lot, does it? Just kind of your average run-of- the-mill storm, but as it heads eastward, it's going to pick up intensity and it's going to picking up a lot more moisture.

So in the meantime today, we're looking at beneficial rains across parts of Southern California. We have rain into the Phoenix area, on and off, and of course, a little bit of snow as you head into the higher elevations of Northern Arizona.

But take a look at this track then as we head into tomorrow and into your Tuesday. We're going to get a lot of moisture and a lot more warm weather beginning to pull in ahead of this, so thunderstorms could be severe primarily into south eastern parts of Texas.

That will be the area we're watching. Look at that snow beginning to accumulate. Albuquerque getting several inches. There you can see that big bull's eye of where we expect the heaviest of snow accumulations.

Those of you in the east coast, by the way, say this isn't going to affect me. Well, this is heading your way likely more of a rainmaker than anything else, but just a head's up for your Wednesday.

WHITFIELD: All right. Have those slickers ready and umbrellas. All right, thanks so much, Jacqui.

All right, thousands of military veterans back home, but not out of harm's way, intensifying help to prevent post-war tragedies.

And fewer marriages taking place in the United States. Coming up, details on why couples are saying I don't.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The last of the U.S. combat troops left Iraq today and crossed into Kuwait, but for some war veterans, transitioning is the hardest part.

And that's why in large part, veterans account for 20 percent of all U.S. suicides. At the Veterans Crisis Line, they're trying to help.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for calling Vet Crisis hotline, this is Scott. How can I help you? OK, well, Eric, first off, I can say thanks for serving. What do you mean by crisis? Are you suicidal?

DR. JANET KEMP, NATIONAL DIRECTOR, VETERANS CRISIS LINE: We've done close to 20,000 rescues since the crisis line has started.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First thing I say to a caller when they do have the object that they plan on killing themselves whether it's a loaded gun on their lap or rope already strung or whatever, I say to them, can you agree to not shoot yourself, take your pills, get up on the ladder, while we're on the phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you put that knife away for a little bit just while we talk?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Suicidal, he stated he had like a big knife on his lap. Said he was going to use it to kill himself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He kept saying that he took all of his medicine. I informed dispatch there was a possible overdose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I send somebody to help you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that's what I'm going to do, OK, because I think you want help, you called the hot line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two police officers are on scene.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember I said I was sending somebody to help you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was probably as close as I've come to a completion over the phone.

KEMP: The CDC estimates approximately 20 percent of all suicides are completed by veterans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What sort of weapons do you have?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every rescue there is a hint of anxiety. There is always a chance that something is not going to go right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need to know what we can do to help you be safe today.

ROB GRIFFO, HEALTH TECH, VETERANS CRISIS LINE: He was an amputee who had his leg blown off in an IED and he just couldn't feel that he wanted to be a burden to his family anymore. With the sheriffs on the way, he shot himself.

We never ever give up on a rescue. Whenever a vet needs help, we will do whatever it takes to find him if he can't tell us where he is, we will do whatever it takes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said as soon as we get off the phone you plan on taking some pills, is that all you plan on doing? He lost his wife. He had been married 20 years.

He lost her a couple months ago and he called simply to give me a message to give to his family about funeral arrangements and he wanted to be buried with a photograph of her.

What do you think she would say? How would she feel if she knew you were going through this and you were planning on trying to kill yourself?

So when I tried to talk him about his wife, he became so emotional. I couldn't understand anything he was saying so I tried to flip it around.

If you were the one that had died and your wife was thinking about this, you know, would you want her to do this and he said no.

It's OK to cry. Just let it out, OK. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay on the phone with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a weakness to reach out for help and get help.

GRIFFO: When they ask you to walk a mile with them, you say no, I'll walk two.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And if you are a veteran or you know of a veteran who is depressed, the Veterans Crisis Line number is 1-800-273-8255.

All right, checking headlines overseas now, the death toll rises in the Philippines. More than 650 people are now confirmed dead, hundreds still missing. A tropical storm and flash flood hammered towns in the southern islands this weekend. Ten straight hours of rainfall sent rivers out of their banks.

In far eastern Russia, an offshore oil rig has capsized. There were 67 people on the platform and so far at least 14 have been rescued. Crews in boats and he helicopters are still searching.

About 550 Palestinians are to be released from prison in Israel today. It is the second of a two-phased prisoner swap agreed upon in October when Israeli Soldier Gilad Shallit was freed from Hamas custody.

The new modern family, more Americans saying I don't to marriage so why the change of heart?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A Michael Jackson auction with a twist. More than 500 items from the home where the pop star died were sold for thousands of dollars this weekend. Among the costly items on the auction block, the mirror with MJ's writing and words of inspiration. It went for $18,000.

And here's a pretty interesting way of dealing with people who maybe don't want to sit next to a crying baby or a loud talker on the plane.

A Dutch airline KLM has created a social seating policy. It allows passengers to choose their seat mates based on their social networking profiles. The new seating policy could take effect as early as next year.

And 20 percent of more Americans are saying no to marriage. That's according to a new study from the U.S. Census Bureau. During the 1960s, 72 percent of Americans were married.

But as of 2010, only 51 percent of adult Americans were married. Clinical psychologist Jeffrey Gardere joins us. A big drop in marriage, what's going on? Why is it fallen favor with people?

JEFFREY GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, Fredricka, we think there are a couple things going on, first and foremost, the economy. A lot of people are saying that they just can't afford to either get married or that they have to cohabitate even if they want to divorce. So the economy is certainly a factor.

The second factor is, we're seeing that young people, 18 and over, really do want to pursue their education and want to pursue a career first before getting married and finally, we know that a lot of these kids are scared to death of these 50 percent divorce rates.

So they're saying wait a minute, maybe we need to slow down just a little bit, take care of our careers first as I said, and then look at getting married instead of jumping in as they were doing in the '60s.

WHITFIELD: So do you think this is temporary? You know, because things seem to kind of come in waves. Right now, maybe marriage isn't popular, but maybe there will be a swing towards its popularity in the near future. Do you see that?

GARDERE: It's hard to say, but the Pew Research Center who did this study, this survey, is saying that they think that the rates -- marriage rates are going to drop even further in the next couple years.

And we can see something around the 49 percent rate of people 18 and over who are married in America. I think part of what's also happening with this is this nation as well as post-industrial nations, now see cohabitation without marriage as something that's much more acceptable, more than it has ever been.

WHITFIELD: So this really does say something or quite a bit in your view about just American society, how Americans view marriage, in terms of what's acceptable today versus what may or may not have been acceptable just a couple decades ago?

GARDERE: Well, that's why I say that people really shouldn't be upset, especially if you believe in the institution of marriage. Really, our views are evolving. We're looking at now people partnering and dedicating themselves to a relationship. They don't necessarily have to have the paper or walk down the aisles of a church, for example.

WHITFIELD: Is this something that -- a trend you're seeing mostly about around young people or are you seeing that this is just kind of regardless of age bracket?

GARDERE: Well, no. What we are seeing is college educated people, actually will wait a little longer, but 61 percent of those people who have never been married, say that they do want to get married.

Where we're seeing it affect more people, Fredricka, is in the middle class, perhaps people who don't have college educations, and really can't afford to get married at the particular time and so they are being affected more than anyone else.

WHITFIELD: OK. Jeff Gardere, thanks so much. All right, married or otherwise as long as you're happy, right?

GARDERE: That's the bottom line.

WHITFIELD: All right, personal happiness. Jeff Gardere, thanks so much and happy holidays.

GARDERE: Thank you. Same to you and great to see you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

All right, they are preparing for the worst in the southwest today. I'm talking about weather. It's nothing to do with relationships out there.

A snowstorm will blanket much of the region, but perhaps keeping people apart, that does impact your relationship and it could happen as early as tomorrow. That story is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, taking one more look at the top stories.

No more U.S. troops in Iraq. This morning, the remaining American units deployed to Iraq, drove across the border into Kuwait in a convoy that ended the largest U.S. military withdrawal since Vietnam.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney keeps scoring more endorsements. Sunday's edition of "The Des Moines Register" called Romney the most qualified candidate.

Romney also got the endorsement of former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole. Earlier this week, Romney won the backing of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

And the southwest is bracing for a major snowstorm tomorrow. Dangerous holiday travel conditions are expected across much of region. The forecast calls for up to 18 inches of snow. We're keeping an eye on it in the CNN Weather Center and we'll update you throughout the day.

I'll be back one hour from now with all things politics. Just two weeks away until the Iowa caucus and Mitt Romney picks up two endorsements in the last 24 hours. Can the Evangelical conservatives find a way to back him as the Republican nominee?

Lenny McAlister and Danielle Bellton are my guests. Hope you can join us at 4:00 Eastern hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Stay with us. "YOUR MONEY" starts right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)