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CNN Live Saturday
FDA Bans Over The Counter Sell Of Morning After Pill; Explosion In East Jerusalem Rocks Palestinian Shop
Aired May 08, 2004 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: His testimony is over, but the political fallout is just beginning. The prison abuse scandal and its impact on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the president and the mission in Iraq. Is it pure science or pure politics?
An unusual decision by the FDA on a morning after contraceptive pill.
Hello and welcome to CNN live Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Also ahead, on this Mother's Day weekend, getting more money for women in the workplace. That's our topic on "Dollar Signs" coming up in 30 minutes. Send your e-mails to dollarsigns@.com or call us at 1- 800-807-2620.
Right now CNN is getting reports of an explosion at a bus stop in East Jerusalem. At least three people are seriously wounded. We have our Matthew Chance on the scene and he joins us on the telephone with the latest -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, thank you. As details emerge of this explosion, we're getting a bit more clarity from those first, initial reports. It seems that the explosion took place inside a Palestinian shop in the Palestinian part of East Jerusalem.
And I can tell you that, because I'm standing outside of that shop right now where there is a great deal of activity on the part of the Israeli security forces. They're sealing off the area.
The explosion occurred in just a few minutes back, less than half an hour ago, in fact. So, they're still in the process of clearing the area and sealing off so they can conduct a proper inspection.
I've been trying to take whatever soundings I can from the ambulance crews that have arrived here in significant numbers to check if there are any casualties. At the moment, we're not having anything confirmed to us in terms of casualties.
But a lot of chaos, at least, on the street. And a good deal of devastation in what kind of a food vending store a restaurant with Palestinian Arabic language signs outside in a largely, if not exclusively Palestinian area of East Jerusalem, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Matthew Chance for that report. Thank you very much in East Jerusalem where an explosion has been reported in what he describes as a Palestinian shop there in East Jerusalem.
Now on to Iraq and the new man in charge of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in that country, Major General Geoffrey Miller says the U.S. military will continue to operate the facility despite calls to shut it down. But he insists it's already a changed place.
Meanwhile, a seventh soldier has been charged in the widening prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from the Pentagon -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Well first, Major General Geoffrey Miller has experience overseeing detention facilities. He was in charge at the one at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Now, he says in Iraq he has brought on some 31 corrections specialists to give new training to the military police that are under his command. He also says, in light the calls by lawmakers to shut down the prison there, the Abu Ghraib Prison, the site of the alleged prisoner abuses, that he for this moment, anyway, still plans to keep it open.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. GEOFFREY MILLER, U.S. ARMY: Currently, we will continue to operate the abu ghraib facility. As many of you know, we've made a decision to reduce the size, the number of detainees who are at that facility to between 1,500 and 2,000. And so we will continue to reduce the size of the detainee population.
We will continue to conduct the interrogation mission at the Abu Ghraib facility. If there are decisions about moving us from that facility, then we will in fact move probably to our facility at Buka to continue that mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: So for now the prison to remain open. In the meantime, the military's own investigation has led to more charges regarding the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. 21-year-old Private First Class Lynndie England is the latest soldier, now the seventh soldier, to be charged in connection with this scandal. She is facing several charges including committing an indecent act, assaulting Iraqi detainees on multiple occasions and conspiring with another soldier to maltreat Iraqi detainees.
Now, her face apercent in those now infamous photos. The latest one published just this week showing her holding a leash attached to a prisoner's neck, some disturbing pictures that provoked outrage and prompted outrage, especially in the Arab world.
But England's family and friends in West Virginia insist that the pictures do not tell the entire story. They say this is not typical behavior, does not necessarily portray her fairly, they say. They also believe that she did not act on her own. And they say that she was following orders on unname -- from unnamed superiors. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESTINY GOIN, FRIEND OF PFC. ENGLAND: I do believe they're posed. I don't believe that -- I don't believe Lynndie would actually be doing any of the actions that you see in the photos. It's not like her to be like that. She's a caring person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, if England's case is referred to a court-martial and she's convicted, she could face a variety of penalties. And those penalties include an official reprimand, forfeiture of pay or confinement. We understand Lynndie England is now a soldier at fort bragg in North Carolina -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano at the Pentagon. Thanks very much.
A military officer charged with abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib is speaking out. In an interview conducted via email, Specialist Sabrina Harman tells the "Washington Post" her job was to break down prisoners.
She says, quote, "they would bring in 1 to several prisoners at a time already hooded and cuffed. The job of the MP was to keep them awake, make it hell so they would talk. The person who brought them in would set the standards of whether or not to be nice." All that being quoted by Harman.
Harman tells the "Washington Post" her unit took direction from Army Intelligence officers, CIA operatives and civilian contractors who conducted interrogations.
Shameful and stained are just two of the words President Bush is using to express his outrage over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. He devoted much of his weekly radio address today to the scandal. CNN White House correspondent Dana bash is covering that angle of the story -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Fredricka, well, the president is at Camp David this weekend, but he did participate in a secure videoconference with some of his top officials back here at the White House. That included the Vice President Dick Cheney, who was here earlier today.
And as you mentioned, the president is continuing the White House effort at damage control. And he did use his weekly radio address, the entire thing to try to repeat earlier claims from this week that the acts performed by what he called just a few U.S. military men and women in Iraq were shameful and a stain on America.
But he also tried to address what White House aides say is the key here. They say what America needs to know and wants to know is what the United States, what the president is going to do about it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Shortly after the reports of abuse became known to our military, an investigation was launched. Today, several formal investigations led by senior military officials are under way. Some soldiers have already been charged with crimes. We will learn all the facts and determine the full extent of these abuses. Those involved will be identified, they will answer for their actions. All prison operations in Iraq will be thoroughly reviewed to make certain that similar disgraceful incidents are never repeated.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: Now, with no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq, the president has been broadening his defense and reasons for staying in Iraq to be talking about the issue of morality, about the fact that Saddam Hussein's torture chambers, as he calls them, no longer exits. And even some Republicans saying it will be a lot harder for the president to do that on the campaign trail now that this happen, although the president did use that line all throughout the week when he was traveling around.
And Democrats, for their part, they say the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal is a part of much bigger problem of presidential mismanagement and they say it goes to the heart of the problem with the mission in Iraq.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEN. WESELEY CLARK, FRM. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We came to free, not to imprison. With our character, we don't torture or maim or coerce. And if the mission was endangered by the prospects of our use of heavy force against insurgents in Fallujah and Najaf, and it was so endangered, it is no less endangered by the loss of credibility caused by the misconduct of a few American soldiers. This is a mission in trouble.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did say yesterday that he expects that this issue could even get worse because there are other pictures out there and perhaps even a videotape that he had not seen. And worries that they could also get out and make this public relations problem much, much worse. That's something they're bracing for here at the White House -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Inside and outside the beltway, the words firing and resigning are being linked to Rumsfeld's name. What is the White House saying about those things at this hour?
BASH: Well, you know, the president called Secretary Rumsfeld yesterday -- last night actually, after the secretary testified, to say that he had heard that he did a good job. We're told that the president didn't actually watch the testimony because he was out on the campaign trail. But he was briefed throughout the day.
And although Secretary Rumsfeld did give sort of a pause when one Senator asked if it's possible that he would resign in order to save the U.S. credibility, the secretary did pause and say it's possible, here at the White House even today, a senior administration official said that there is not a chance at this point that Secretary Rumsfeld is going to resign or will be asked for his resignation.
WHITFIELD: Dana Bash at the White House. Thanks very much.
Well, with the election less than six months away, what's the political fallout from the infamous pictures from Iraq. We'll discuss it with "TIME" magazine's Washington correspondent a little later in this show. Stay tuned for that here on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
Iraq is not the only place American service members are facing dangers every day. Overnight, one U.S. Marine was killed and another wounded in a gun battle in Afghanistan. Military sources say it happened in the Afghan province of Uruzgan, north of Kandahar. The marines say they were attacked by enemy combatants while on patrol in the area. They say two of the attackers were killed in the fighting.
Relatives of Brandon Mayfield say the Oregon man has never even been to Spain. But U.S. authorities have arrested the former Army Lieutenant and Islamic convert in connection with a deadly train station bombings in Madrid.
Law enforcement officials in Spain say his fingerprints have been found on bags containing detonators like those used in the March 11 attacks. Mayfield's mother says she's worried about her son and his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AVNELL MAYFIELD, BRANDON MAYFIELD'S MOTHER: They're terrified. It's not easy to have people come into your home, people from your own country, representing your government, come into your home and ransack and tear and destroy and take away a loved one. So it's been a very scary experience for all of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The U.S. government is holding Mayfield as a material witness, meaning he can be detained without being formally charged.
A long journey is over for Thomas Hamill, the truck driver taken hostage in Iraq last month. He returned to his hometown of Macon, Mississippi, early this morning, six days after he was able to get to U.S. soldiers after he escaped his captors. As he stepped off a private jet, he was greeted by a dozen friends and neighbors. Hamill's family is asking that elaborate homecoming celebrations be put on hold for now.
The government takes a rare step in rejecting a contraceptive pill for over the counter use. Some critics say it's a matter of abortion politics trumping public health. That story still to come.
Up next, making divorce a legal possibility. Find out which south American country is just now giving its citizens that option. And coming up in less than a half hour, our financial focus on the nation's working mothers. Are you looking to fatten your paycheck? We've got a couple of experts who will tell you just how to do that. E-mail your questions to dollarsigns@CNN.com or call us at 1-800-807-2620.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The infamous pictures of prisoners in Iraq come at a crucial time in the presidential campaign. With the national election less than six months away, what's the political fallout? Let's ask Timothy Burger, "TIME" magazine's Washington correspondent. Good to see you Timothy.
TIMOTHY BURGER, "TIME": Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: Well, this issue is not going away. In fact, Donald Rumsfeld warned that more pictures are likely to be uncovered or at least there are more pictures that the public has not seen and he's hoping that those pictures do not become public. Given the fact that Rumsfeld and Myers testified yesterday that they informed President Bush of this ongoing investigation back in January, how equally culpable will the president be held?
BURGER: That depends how the political debate shapes up. John Kerry, his opponent, was criticizing the president yesterday over this and saying the accountability goes straight to the top. It will depend what some of the investigative details are. Exactly what was the president informed of before? What happens to Rumsfeld? Is Rumsfeld able to ride out the storm and make it appear to America and the world that he's fixing it and those responsible will be held accountable?
So it really depends on how -- basically, how the government functions on this issue going forward and how Democrats handle it. They could overplay their hand if they criticize Rumsfeld and the president too shrilly. That go sort of rebound against them and the rest of America outside the beltway.
WHITFIELD: And the rest of secretary Rumsfeld said in that warning I mentioned he doesn't want the video or more pictures to become public because it might endanger the troops that are abroad. How hard will DOD be working to try to keep those images under wraps?
BURGER: Well, they'll work pretty hard. But I don't think they have really much ability to do that if any of these pictures are outside the DOD custody already.
WHITFIELD: Do you think their motivation will be the fact that they want to make sure that the troops are safe abroad or really is it political given that just over five months away from election day?
BURGER: It's clearly both. I mean, in the White House, they -- obviously everyone is concerned about the safety of the troops. But everyone is also concerned about the safety of President Bush's reelection. I mean, both of these are going to be important.
And, really, Rumsfeld's job probably rides more on the next round of pictures than the president's. That's the near term danger that's happening.
WHITFIELD: In fact, it seems that the images, any new images that may be publicized or even Rumsfeld stepping down or being fired, both of those things could cause irrepairable harm to the bush Bush- Cheney reelection campaign, couldn't they?
BURGER: Absolutely. I mean, part of the problem here is this goes beyond American public opinion. This goes to the Arab world, which was already a little bit cynical about why the United States invaded Iraq. And this kind of thing will play into the hands of extremists, who want to portray us as occupiers and anti-Arab, which is wrong.
But that image will be portrayed. And much of the Arab world has a government controlled press that won't necessarily allow the other side of the story to get in about how most American soldiers are good people who are trying to do their best.
WHITFIELD: Timothy Burger of "TIME" magazine. Thanks very much for joining us.
BURGER: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: A Mother's Day wish from the cold reality of Iraq, to the warm smiles back home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so sorry that I can't be there with you right now. But I will be home soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: When a war stands in your way promises are hard to keep. The emotional story of one military family's long separation when we come back.
Plus, coming up at 4:30 Eastern, 1:30 Pacific, figuring out how to earn more at the office when you're a woman. E-mail your questions to dollarsigns@cnn.com or you can call us, 1-800-807-2620. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The Food and Drug Administration is taking flak for rejecting over the counter sales of morning after birth control pills. The FDA says it has health concerns, but critics call the decision a Bush administration election year cave-in to social conservatives. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These little pills are available over the counter in 33 countries, but not in the United States. The reason: some say it's pure politics.
DR. ALASTAIR WOOD, FDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE: It's really a public health tragedy for women that they're not going to be able to get this drug over the counter.
COHEN: In an unusual move the Food and Drug Administration went against the advice of its own scientific advisory committee and ruled that the drug, called Plan B, should continue to be given by prescription only. It's one of only two FDA approved morning after pills.
It's a hot issue, because anti-abortion groups are against the drug, saying it amounts to abortion. A spokesman for the FDA said lobbying from political groups played no part in the decision and that the wide availability of safe and effective contraceptives is important to public health.
The pill must be taken up to 72 hours after sex. The FDA's concern wasn't over the side effects per se, which don't amount to much more than fatigue or headache. Dr. Alastair Wood was on the FDA Advisory Committee.
WOOD: There really aren't any substantial risks. Plan B is actually just a larger dose of a regular contraception pill.
COHEN: The FDA said the problem is the drug was tested on only a small number girls under the age of 16. Some say this shouldn't matter since the side effects would likely be no different in teens than older women and the FDA often approves over the counter status for drugs that haven't had much testing in teens. The company that makes Plan B says they'll reapply for over the counter status. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Some news around the world now. In Western Sudan, disaster: that's how the United Nations is describing the nation. But a human watch rights group report went even further. It said Sudan's government is responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. Sudanese officials deny the charges, they accuse western donors of worsening the crisis by withholding much needed development aid.
In Egypt, 22 Arab league ministers are meeting in extreme secrecy, they're trying to resurrect their summit and find common ground on the Palestinian-Israeli stalemate and the conflict in Iraq.
It comes as President Bush casts doubt of possibility of a Palestinian state next year as stipulated by the international road map for peace. Mr. Bush called it unrealistic, disappointing Palestinians.
And in Chile, no longer tied to death, couples will finally be able to divorce despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church. The president signed the new bill making it legal, but it doesn't go into effect for another six months.
A Georgia woman who thought she'd be in Disney World with her children next week is instead spending her second Mother's Day deployed in Iraq. Not only that, her husband is serving, too. CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman tells of one family's bittersweet holiday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN (voice-over): Sergeant Sedal Taylor has been deployed in Iraq for one year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is mine.
TUCHMAN: And for the second Mother's Day in a row, she will be without this young man and this young lady.
What would you like to say to your mother for mother's day?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you. Be careful. And happy mother's day.
TUCHMAN: 11-year-old Tashara and the 3-year-old Chris's father is also serving in Iraq. The children now live with their mother's 15 sister and an older cousin in Brunswick, Georgia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did the power of attorney and if anything happens, she wants me to raise the kids. Tell them she loves them and they know that she was over there for a good cause.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you know where your mommy is right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Where is your mommy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq.
TUCHMAN: Iraq. And how far away Iraq, is it far or is it close?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Far?
Do you miss her?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: A lot?
(voice-over): Their mother was scheduled to come home next week. Sergeant Taylor told her daughter they were going to Disney World. But then, the word her deployment had been extended at least another 4 months. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She took it like a champ. She just said, that's all right, we'll go next summer. But I know she was hurt.
TUCHMAN (on camera): What's the first thing you want to do when your mom and your dad come home?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't really want to do anything. I just want to know that they're there and they're all right.
TUCHMAN: Her mother dreams of that moment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so sorry that I can't be there with you right now. But I will be home soon. I promise. And I love you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I lay me down to sleep.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Brunswick, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 8, 2004 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: His testimony is over, but the political fallout is just beginning. The prison abuse scandal and its impact on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the president and the mission in Iraq. Is it pure science or pure politics?
An unusual decision by the FDA on a morning after contraceptive pill.
Hello and welcome to CNN live Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Also ahead, on this Mother's Day weekend, getting more money for women in the workplace. That's our topic on "Dollar Signs" coming up in 30 minutes. Send your e-mails to dollarsigns@.com or call us at 1- 800-807-2620.
Right now CNN is getting reports of an explosion at a bus stop in East Jerusalem. At least three people are seriously wounded. We have our Matthew Chance on the scene and he joins us on the telephone with the latest -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, thank you. As details emerge of this explosion, we're getting a bit more clarity from those first, initial reports. It seems that the explosion took place inside a Palestinian shop in the Palestinian part of East Jerusalem.
And I can tell you that, because I'm standing outside of that shop right now where there is a great deal of activity on the part of the Israeli security forces. They're sealing off the area.
The explosion occurred in just a few minutes back, less than half an hour ago, in fact. So, they're still in the process of clearing the area and sealing off so they can conduct a proper inspection.
I've been trying to take whatever soundings I can from the ambulance crews that have arrived here in significant numbers to check if there are any casualties. At the moment, we're not having anything confirmed to us in terms of casualties.
But a lot of chaos, at least, on the street. And a good deal of devastation in what kind of a food vending store a restaurant with Palestinian Arabic language signs outside in a largely, if not exclusively Palestinian area of East Jerusalem, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Matthew Chance for that report. Thank you very much in East Jerusalem where an explosion has been reported in what he describes as a Palestinian shop there in East Jerusalem.
Now on to Iraq and the new man in charge of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in that country, Major General Geoffrey Miller says the U.S. military will continue to operate the facility despite calls to shut it down. But he insists it's already a changed place.
Meanwhile, a seventh soldier has been charged in the widening prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from the Pentagon -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Well first, Major General Geoffrey Miller has experience overseeing detention facilities. He was in charge at the one at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Now, he says in Iraq he has brought on some 31 corrections specialists to give new training to the military police that are under his command. He also says, in light the calls by lawmakers to shut down the prison there, the Abu Ghraib Prison, the site of the alleged prisoner abuses, that he for this moment, anyway, still plans to keep it open.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. GEOFFREY MILLER, U.S. ARMY: Currently, we will continue to operate the abu ghraib facility. As many of you know, we've made a decision to reduce the size, the number of detainees who are at that facility to between 1,500 and 2,000. And so we will continue to reduce the size of the detainee population.
We will continue to conduct the interrogation mission at the Abu Ghraib facility. If there are decisions about moving us from that facility, then we will in fact move probably to our facility at Buka to continue that mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: So for now the prison to remain open. In the meantime, the military's own investigation has led to more charges regarding the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. 21-year-old Private First Class Lynndie England is the latest soldier, now the seventh soldier, to be charged in connection with this scandal. She is facing several charges including committing an indecent act, assaulting Iraqi detainees on multiple occasions and conspiring with another soldier to maltreat Iraqi detainees.
Now, her face apercent in those now infamous photos. The latest one published just this week showing her holding a leash attached to a prisoner's neck, some disturbing pictures that provoked outrage and prompted outrage, especially in the Arab world.
But England's family and friends in West Virginia insist that the pictures do not tell the entire story. They say this is not typical behavior, does not necessarily portray her fairly, they say. They also believe that she did not act on her own. And they say that she was following orders on unname -- from unnamed superiors. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESTINY GOIN, FRIEND OF PFC. ENGLAND: I do believe they're posed. I don't believe that -- I don't believe Lynndie would actually be doing any of the actions that you see in the photos. It's not like her to be like that. She's a caring person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, if England's case is referred to a court-martial and she's convicted, she could face a variety of penalties. And those penalties include an official reprimand, forfeiture of pay or confinement. We understand Lynndie England is now a soldier at fort bragg in North Carolina -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano at the Pentagon. Thanks very much.
A military officer charged with abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib is speaking out. In an interview conducted via email, Specialist Sabrina Harman tells the "Washington Post" her job was to break down prisoners.
She says, quote, "they would bring in 1 to several prisoners at a time already hooded and cuffed. The job of the MP was to keep them awake, make it hell so they would talk. The person who brought them in would set the standards of whether or not to be nice." All that being quoted by Harman.
Harman tells the "Washington Post" her unit took direction from Army Intelligence officers, CIA operatives and civilian contractors who conducted interrogations.
Shameful and stained are just two of the words President Bush is using to express his outrage over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. He devoted much of his weekly radio address today to the scandal. CNN White House correspondent Dana bash is covering that angle of the story -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Fredricka, well, the president is at Camp David this weekend, but he did participate in a secure videoconference with some of his top officials back here at the White House. That included the Vice President Dick Cheney, who was here earlier today.
And as you mentioned, the president is continuing the White House effort at damage control. And he did use his weekly radio address, the entire thing to try to repeat earlier claims from this week that the acts performed by what he called just a few U.S. military men and women in Iraq were shameful and a stain on America.
But he also tried to address what White House aides say is the key here. They say what America needs to know and wants to know is what the United States, what the president is going to do about it.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Shortly after the reports of abuse became known to our military, an investigation was launched. Today, several formal investigations led by senior military officials are under way. Some soldiers have already been charged with crimes. We will learn all the facts and determine the full extent of these abuses. Those involved will be identified, they will answer for their actions. All prison operations in Iraq will be thoroughly reviewed to make certain that similar disgraceful incidents are never repeated.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: Now, with no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq, the president has been broadening his defense and reasons for staying in Iraq to be talking about the issue of morality, about the fact that Saddam Hussein's torture chambers, as he calls them, no longer exits. And even some Republicans saying it will be a lot harder for the president to do that on the campaign trail now that this happen, although the president did use that line all throughout the week when he was traveling around.
And Democrats, for their part, they say the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal is a part of much bigger problem of presidential mismanagement and they say it goes to the heart of the problem with the mission in Iraq.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEN. WESELEY CLARK, FRM. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We came to free, not to imprison. With our character, we don't torture or maim or coerce. And if the mission was endangered by the prospects of our use of heavy force against insurgents in Fallujah and Najaf, and it was so endangered, it is no less endangered by the loss of credibility caused by the misconduct of a few American soldiers. This is a mission in trouble.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did say yesterday that he expects that this issue could even get worse because there are other pictures out there and perhaps even a videotape that he had not seen. And worries that they could also get out and make this public relations problem much, much worse. That's something they're bracing for here at the White House -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Inside and outside the beltway, the words firing and resigning are being linked to Rumsfeld's name. What is the White House saying about those things at this hour?
BASH: Well, you know, the president called Secretary Rumsfeld yesterday -- last night actually, after the secretary testified, to say that he had heard that he did a good job. We're told that the president didn't actually watch the testimony because he was out on the campaign trail. But he was briefed throughout the day.
And although Secretary Rumsfeld did give sort of a pause when one Senator asked if it's possible that he would resign in order to save the U.S. credibility, the secretary did pause and say it's possible, here at the White House even today, a senior administration official said that there is not a chance at this point that Secretary Rumsfeld is going to resign or will be asked for his resignation.
WHITFIELD: Dana Bash at the White House. Thanks very much.
Well, with the election less than six months away, what's the political fallout from the infamous pictures from Iraq. We'll discuss it with "TIME" magazine's Washington correspondent a little later in this show. Stay tuned for that here on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
Iraq is not the only place American service members are facing dangers every day. Overnight, one U.S. Marine was killed and another wounded in a gun battle in Afghanistan. Military sources say it happened in the Afghan province of Uruzgan, north of Kandahar. The marines say they were attacked by enemy combatants while on patrol in the area. They say two of the attackers were killed in the fighting.
Relatives of Brandon Mayfield say the Oregon man has never even been to Spain. But U.S. authorities have arrested the former Army Lieutenant and Islamic convert in connection with a deadly train station bombings in Madrid.
Law enforcement officials in Spain say his fingerprints have been found on bags containing detonators like those used in the March 11 attacks. Mayfield's mother says she's worried about her son and his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AVNELL MAYFIELD, BRANDON MAYFIELD'S MOTHER: They're terrified. It's not easy to have people come into your home, people from your own country, representing your government, come into your home and ransack and tear and destroy and take away a loved one. So it's been a very scary experience for all of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The U.S. government is holding Mayfield as a material witness, meaning he can be detained without being formally charged.
A long journey is over for Thomas Hamill, the truck driver taken hostage in Iraq last month. He returned to his hometown of Macon, Mississippi, early this morning, six days after he was able to get to U.S. soldiers after he escaped his captors. As he stepped off a private jet, he was greeted by a dozen friends and neighbors. Hamill's family is asking that elaborate homecoming celebrations be put on hold for now.
The government takes a rare step in rejecting a contraceptive pill for over the counter use. Some critics say it's a matter of abortion politics trumping public health. That story still to come.
Up next, making divorce a legal possibility. Find out which south American country is just now giving its citizens that option. And coming up in less than a half hour, our financial focus on the nation's working mothers. Are you looking to fatten your paycheck? We've got a couple of experts who will tell you just how to do that. E-mail your questions to dollarsigns@CNN.com or call us at 1-800-807-2620.
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WHITFIELD: The infamous pictures of prisoners in Iraq come at a crucial time in the presidential campaign. With the national election less than six months away, what's the political fallout? Let's ask Timothy Burger, "TIME" magazine's Washington correspondent. Good to see you Timothy.
TIMOTHY BURGER, "TIME": Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: Well, this issue is not going away. In fact, Donald Rumsfeld warned that more pictures are likely to be uncovered or at least there are more pictures that the public has not seen and he's hoping that those pictures do not become public. Given the fact that Rumsfeld and Myers testified yesterday that they informed President Bush of this ongoing investigation back in January, how equally culpable will the president be held?
BURGER: That depends how the political debate shapes up. John Kerry, his opponent, was criticizing the president yesterday over this and saying the accountability goes straight to the top. It will depend what some of the investigative details are. Exactly what was the president informed of before? What happens to Rumsfeld? Is Rumsfeld able to ride out the storm and make it appear to America and the world that he's fixing it and those responsible will be held accountable?
So it really depends on how -- basically, how the government functions on this issue going forward and how Democrats handle it. They could overplay their hand if they criticize Rumsfeld and the president too shrilly. That go sort of rebound against them and the rest of America outside the beltway.
WHITFIELD: And the rest of secretary Rumsfeld said in that warning I mentioned he doesn't want the video or more pictures to become public because it might endanger the troops that are abroad. How hard will DOD be working to try to keep those images under wraps?
BURGER: Well, they'll work pretty hard. But I don't think they have really much ability to do that if any of these pictures are outside the DOD custody already.
WHITFIELD: Do you think their motivation will be the fact that they want to make sure that the troops are safe abroad or really is it political given that just over five months away from election day?
BURGER: It's clearly both. I mean, in the White House, they -- obviously everyone is concerned about the safety of the troops. But everyone is also concerned about the safety of President Bush's reelection. I mean, both of these are going to be important.
And, really, Rumsfeld's job probably rides more on the next round of pictures than the president's. That's the near term danger that's happening.
WHITFIELD: In fact, it seems that the images, any new images that may be publicized or even Rumsfeld stepping down or being fired, both of those things could cause irrepairable harm to the bush Bush- Cheney reelection campaign, couldn't they?
BURGER: Absolutely. I mean, part of the problem here is this goes beyond American public opinion. This goes to the Arab world, which was already a little bit cynical about why the United States invaded Iraq. And this kind of thing will play into the hands of extremists, who want to portray us as occupiers and anti-Arab, which is wrong.
But that image will be portrayed. And much of the Arab world has a government controlled press that won't necessarily allow the other side of the story to get in about how most American soldiers are good people who are trying to do their best.
WHITFIELD: Timothy Burger of "TIME" magazine. Thanks very much for joining us.
BURGER: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: A Mother's Day wish from the cold reality of Iraq, to the warm smiles back home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so sorry that I can't be there with you right now. But I will be home soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: When a war stands in your way promises are hard to keep. The emotional story of one military family's long separation when we come back.
Plus, coming up at 4:30 Eastern, 1:30 Pacific, figuring out how to earn more at the office when you're a woman. E-mail your questions to dollarsigns@cnn.com or you can call us, 1-800-807-2620. We'll be right back.
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WHITFIELD: The Food and Drug Administration is taking flak for rejecting over the counter sales of morning after birth control pills. The FDA says it has health concerns, but critics call the decision a Bush administration election year cave-in to social conservatives. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These little pills are available over the counter in 33 countries, but not in the United States. The reason: some say it's pure politics.
DR. ALASTAIR WOOD, FDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE: It's really a public health tragedy for women that they're not going to be able to get this drug over the counter.
COHEN: In an unusual move the Food and Drug Administration went against the advice of its own scientific advisory committee and ruled that the drug, called Plan B, should continue to be given by prescription only. It's one of only two FDA approved morning after pills.
It's a hot issue, because anti-abortion groups are against the drug, saying it amounts to abortion. A spokesman for the FDA said lobbying from political groups played no part in the decision and that the wide availability of safe and effective contraceptives is important to public health.
The pill must be taken up to 72 hours after sex. The FDA's concern wasn't over the side effects per se, which don't amount to much more than fatigue or headache. Dr. Alastair Wood was on the FDA Advisory Committee.
WOOD: There really aren't any substantial risks. Plan B is actually just a larger dose of a regular contraception pill.
COHEN: The FDA said the problem is the drug was tested on only a small number girls under the age of 16. Some say this shouldn't matter since the side effects would likely be no different in teens than older women and the FDA often approves over the counter status for drugs that haven't had much testing in teens. The company that makes Plan B says they'll reapply for over the counter status. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
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WHITFIELD: Some news around the world now. In Western Sudan, disaster: that's how the United Nations is describing the nation. But a human watch rights group report went even further. It said Sudan's government is responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. Sudanese officials deny the charges, they accuse western donors of worsening the crisis by withholding much needed development aid.
In Egypt, 22 Arab league ministers are meeting in extreme secrecy, they're trying to resurrect their summit and find common ground on the Palestinian-Israeli stalemate and the conflict in Iraq.
It comes as President Bush casts doubt of possibility of a Palestinian state next year as stipulated by the international road map for peace. Mr. Bush called it unrealistic, disappointing Palestinians.
And in Chile, no longer tied to death, couples will finally be able to divorce despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church. The president signed the new bill making it legal, but it doesn't go into effect for another six months.
A Georgia woman who thought she'd be in Disney World with her children next week is instead spending her second Mother's Day deployed in Iraq. Not only that, her husband is serving, too. CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman tells of one family's bittersweet holiday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN (voice-over): Sergeant Sedal Taylor has been deployed in Iraq for one year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is mine.
TUCHMAN: And for the second Mother's Day in a row, she will be without this young man and this young lady.
What would you like to say to your mother for mother's day?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you. Be careful. And happy mother's day.
TUCHMAN: 11-year-old Tashara and the 3-year-old Chris's father is also serving in Iraq. The children now live with their mother's 15 sister and an older cousin in Brunswick, Georgia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did the power of attorney and if anything happens, she wants me to raise the kids. Tell them she loves them and they know that she was over there for a good cause.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you know where your mommy is right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Where is your mommy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq.
TUCHMAN: Iraq. And how far away Iraq, is it far or is it close?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Far?
Do you miss her?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: A lot?
(voice-over): Their mother was scheduled to come home next week. Sergeant Taylor told her daughter they were going to Disney World. But then, the word her deployment had been extended at least another 4 months. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She took it like a champ. She just said, that's all right, we'll go next summer. But I know she was hurt.
TUCHMAN (on camera): What's the first thing you want to do when your mom and your dad come home?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't really want to do anything. I just want to know that they're there and they're all right.
TUCHMAN: Her mother dreams of that moment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so sorry that I can't be there with you right now. But I will be home soon. I promise. And I love you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I lay me down to sleep.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Brunswick, Georgia.
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