Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Pentagon's Plan to Close Military Facilities; Child Pornography Victim Identified; Wendy's Recovering From Finger Fraud; Insurgent Attacks at All-Time High; Accusations of Religious Intolerance at Air Force Academy; Weekend Getaway: Diving

Aired May 14, 2005 - 12:00   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: It is Noon at the Groton Submarine Base in Connecticut; 10:00 a.m. at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's Global Headquarters.
Ahead this hour, a drone aircraft like this one gets the credit for killing a key al-Qaeda figure near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Dozens of military bases and thousands of jobs could fall victim to Pentagon cuts. What are communities doing to prepare for or head off potential economic losses.

And the little girl who was the target of an intense international child pornography search is found safe and alive. Find out how it has led to an arrest. First, here are the top stories now in the news.

Violence in Uzbekistan has sent thousands of refugees fleeing for the border. Human rights monitors say hundreds of people were killed by government soldiers in the wake of yesterday's anti-government protest in the eastern city of Adijan. The U.S. embassy is urging American citizens in the city to stay off the streets.

Insurgents in Iraq are keeping up their deadly attacks this weekend. In the latest incident, an Iraqi policeman was killed and two others were wounded when insurgents took aim at a police convoy. Earlier, two separate bombings in the Iraqi capital killed eight people. And near the Syrian border, four more American Marines have been killed in the U.S.-led offensive against insurgents.

President Bush will hold talks later this month with Palestinian authority, President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington. Abbas was elected earlier this year replacing the late Yasser Arafat, who President Bush shunned as an obstacle to peace.

We begin with our CNN "Security Watch" and a major development in the war on terror. A key al-Qaeda operative has been killed by a missile fired from a CIA operated Predator drone. That word from knowledgeable sources. CNN's Kathleen Koch is keeping track of the story from the Pentagon -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the strike took place in Pakistan earlier this week somewhere along its long border with Afghanistan. Those knowledgeable sources tell CNN that the person who was targeted was Haitham al-Yemeni, he is reportedly a bombmaker for al-Qaeda. And he was struck and killed by a hellfire missile fired by this Predator drone or unmanned aerial vehicle. Al- Yemeni had been tracked for some time by U.S. authorities in hopes he would lead them to Osama bin Laden or to other top terrorist leaders. It was thought that al-Yemeni might actually even be in line to replace al-Qaeda's No. 3 man, Abu Fraj al-Libbi who was captured by Pakistani authorities last week along the border with Afghanistan. This same border, though we don't know if it was in exactly the same region. But Pakistani officials, today, deny that the attack actually took place on their soil. So, here we have a comment from their information minister.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RASHID AHMAD, PAKISTANI INFORMATION MINISTER: As far as Pakistan is concerned we have contradicted that there is nothing happened in Pakistan territory. If something happened in Afghanistan, in Afghanistan near the border of that, we don't know. And officially we have contradicted this story, but nothing else happened in Islamabad.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KOCH: It's important to point out that this was a CIA operation, not a U.S. military operation. Though the U.S. military does have some drones in the skies over both Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, it's important to note there is some debate over just how valuable a target al-Yemeni was. He was not even listed on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list. So, there is some degree of speculation that this strike may have occurred, that he may have been killed in order to flush out other higher level al-Qaeda leaders.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen Koch, thanks so much from the Pentagon.

Well, this is not the first time a Predator drone has fired a missile at an al-Qaeda target. It's the fourth time, actually. In November of 2002, a Predator fired missile killed an al-Qaeda official in Yemen. The two other attacks were failed attempts to kill Osama bin Laden.

Coming up at the half hour, CNN military intelligence analyst Ken Robinson joins us to discuss how the drone attack may have been planned and how, in Iraq, the battle against the insurgency is evolving. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Now to the battle over bases. Many politicians and locals alike are up in arms over the Pentagon's plan to close 33 major military facilities. This map shows some of the potential base closures from coast to coast. The Pentagon estimates it could save $48 billion over a 20-year period, but also means thousands of jobs could be lost. Here's a look at how CNN affiliate stations are covering that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This news is really hitting hard here in Groton, a community that for more than a century has considered itself the submarine capital of the world. On this base behind me are more than 7,000 active duty military members. In addition to those folks, there are about 1,00 civilian workers who come to work here every day and impossible to estimate number of pizza parlors grocery stores, gas stations, barber shops and other businesses that will certainly take a big hit if this base does in fact close. And, of course, all the people who work on this base live on base or in the surrounding towns. So, that is another big economic impact. It is estimated that if the base does leave, the economic impact will stretch into the billions of dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Supporters of the base got the bad news by phone earlier this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's on the list to close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Supporters say Willow Grove has 7,800 workers, 1,400 are civilians working for the government or contractors. A shutdown, they claim, would leave a nearly $400 million hole in the suburban economy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a lot of people that work here that frequent the businesses here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The local chamber of commerce is already spearheading an effort to reverse the recommended closing. Willow Grove survived a similar order a decade ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It shocks me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Victoria Leslie never expected Cannon Air Force Base to make the defense secretary's list of recommendations for military base closures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got new businesses opening, too. And I don't know how we're going to support all them, 4,500 people is a lot of people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And people at Clovis Creek Restaurant in the downtown Clovis are still reeling from the announcement.

MICHAEL GALVAN, CLOVIS RESIDENT: Well, some of our clients actually work out there that depend on that job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Managers at the restaurant tell us almost 50 percent of their business comes from base employees. But, Michael Galvan says a closure would hurt the entire economy.

GALVAN: There's a lot of people who depend on the base for employment, you know, it's bringing in a lot of people. They had -- the hotels been doing real good with them, you know, when they bring in for training. And it's going to hurt them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Our guest has experienced how base closures impact communities. Steve Dimeo is president of Mohawk Valley Edge, an economic development growth enterprises corporation. He joins us from Syracuse, New York.

Good to see you.

STEVE DIMEO, MOHAWK VALLEY EDGE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, many of these cities, states, are preparing for the worst, however; it still has to meet congressional approval. What, if anything, can a lot of these communities do to ban together to try to put up their duke, so to speak, before Congress.

DIMEO: Well, the base closure process is one that will take place over the next several months and each community will present the facts and work with their congressional delegation and state governments to try to present facts that may counter some of the arguments by the services and the Department of Defense.

WHITFIELD: Talk to me about what you believe the folks near the Griffis Air Force Base experienced during its realignment back in 1993. How did town's people there anticipate for the worst? What did they do?

DIMEO: Well, in '93, the community did fight to try to overturn the Department of Defense recommendation. But the same time, also, quietly the community began to look at potential for reuse in case they were unsuccessful in overturning the Department of Defense recommendation. So early on, the community banded together and looked at reuse opportunities to try to stay ahead of the curve, and try to accelerate the ability to try to transition Griffis from an active duty air force installation to a realigned institution.

WHITFIELD: And what ultimately happened?

DIMEO: Well, what has happened is over the past 10 years and we also have been involved in BRAC (PH) fights not only in '93, but also in '95, and we are also part of a realigned scenario for this particular BRAC round. But what we have done is successfully transitioned Griffis from an air force base into a business and technology park. There are some retained military functions that will remain at Griffis as a result of the secretary's latest recommendations. But we have a business and technology park with 4,000 people. There's been $182 million of public and private investments since 1995. There's another $70 million planned for this year. And we have a good mix of businesses, whether they be technology, aviation, manufacturing, commercial and community use, all located at Griffis. And Griffis has become, really, the nexus for trying to build not only a stronger economy in the city of Rome, but really as part of a regional strategy to build a stronger economy in upstate New York.

WHITFIELD: So reuse really made the difference between Rome and other cities where military installations have closed down or have shrunk to some degree resulting in ghost towns so often. How is it that it's re-use is really what saved Rome? DIMEO: Well, I think this really comes down to the fact that when they close an installation and you feel the economic blows, there's really only one thing to do and that's really to try to pull yourself up from the boot straps. Build strong partnerships, get a united effort, get your state governments, your community, your elected officials in Washington to work together and really come up with some strategies that best position the re-use of former military assets, to fit other needs within your local community.

WHITFIELD: So quickly, is that your recommendation to a lot of these towns who are hearing about the military bases in their communities that are on the list that now they need to start thinking about re-use? Instead of waiting at the last minute for, you know, final approval from Congress?

DIMEO: My recommendation would be fight the fight, but have a parallel track and plan for re-use.

WHITFIELD: All right, Steve Dimeo, president of Mohawk Valley Economic Growth Enterprises. Thanks so much for joining us from Syracuse, New York.

DIMEO: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And for a complete list of bases on the hit list log on to cnn.com. You'll also find video and related stories.

Identifying children exploited in pornography seems almost impossible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. MATT IRWIN, ORANGE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT: We have located the victim in our case and the witness in our case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A new technique puts a face with the name, and even the suspected perpetrator is located.

Also, insurgent attacks increase at an alarming rate in Iraq. We ask our expert what's fueling this trend?

And later, allegations of religious intolerance, at all places, the U.S. Air Force Academy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well now to an update on a CNN investigation we've been following for months. The search for a young girl who appeared in hundreds of sexually explicit internet pictures is over. CNN's David Mattingly explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than two years, countless man-hours, and unknown thousands of dollars in the making, but desperate international hunt for a single child pornography victim ends in a way investigators never predicted.

LT. MATT IRWIN, ORANGE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT: We have located the victim in our case.

MATTINGLY: Orlando's Orange County investigators, after asking for the public's help in finding the blonde haired girl just two weeks ago, now confirm she has been identified by the FBI and is believed to now be 11-years-old and in a Pennsylvania foster home.

IRWIN: When I say we have identified her, I don't know where she's at. We are working on getting that information, and I understand that there may be ongoing charges in Pennsylvania, which is the state that the victim is from.

MATTINGLY: The girl will remain unidentified to the public. According to the FBI, and immigrations and customs enforcement, the man responsible for putting photos of the girl on the internet is in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, serving a 15-year sentence for production, possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty in September of 2003. He is identified by Orlando investigators as the girl's adoptive father. The Florida authorities will now pursue molestation charges of their own.

IRWIN: In Florida, based on what we have, he would probably be facing life charges.

MATTINGLY: The international search for the girl began two years ago when Toronto authorities used commuters to remove the girl from her pictures so clues could be pulled from the background. Investigators at that time said tiny pieces of evidence gave them hope they could find her.

SGT. Paul GILLESPIE, TORONTO POLICE: You can often tell when children appear to be abused or when they are abused, whether or not it's the first time or not. It's worse to see children who have just lost their spirit and they don't really react to abuse because you know this is the cost of doing business in their own personal life and that says something.

MATTINGLY: This case immediately stood out from the 50,000 other estimated child porn victims on the internet because someone from the public was able to identify the bedspread in this photo as one used in a resort in Orlando. The victim quickly became known as the "Hotel Girl." As authorities pushed the envelope and publicizing previously withheld information in hopes of a break. They even publicized a photo of a dark haired girl they believed was a friend of hers, someone who was not molested. But the extraordinary effort ultimately was not a factor and Orlando authorities say they have been told that the girl may have been rescued by federal authorities more than a year before their own investigation began. Why they were not alerted until late Thursday, they say, is not as big a concern as the well-being of the victim.

David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can contact the center for missing and exploited children. Their hotline is 1-800-the-lost, that's 1-800- 843-5678.

Iraq police targeted. Ahead, the latest on the increasing number of attacks and why security in the region is proving so difficult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These young people will be in harm's way very, very soon. And we can't provide them an example in which they can live and learn and worship? That's very sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Allegations of religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy. One chaplain says she's being sent to Iraq. Is the move a retaliation for speaking out?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: California police believe they have the answer to a pointed issue. The origin of a finger allegedly found in a bowl of fast food chili. Anderson Cooper has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After nearly two months of investigating San Jose California police say they've gotten to the bottom of the fingertip in the chili bowl conundrum.

CHIEF ROB DAVIS, SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA POLICE: The jig is up. The puzzle pieces are beginning to fall into place, and the truth is beginning to be exposed.

COOPER: The bizarre mystery began in late March when a Las Vegas woman, Anna Ayala, claimed she had found a human finger in a bowl of chili she bought at a San Jose Wendy's. The alleged discovery sent Wendy's into a tailspin. As sales dropped, all efforts were directed to discovering just exactly where the finger came from. Workers at the restaurant were checked to make sure they had all their fingers. Lie detector tests were given and a tip line was set up and $100,000 reward offered. Within a month, investigators had determined that the finger in the chili was a hoax. Ayala was arrested.

DENNY LYNCH, WENDY'S SENIOR V.P.: We feel that we have been victimized, and we are hoping that our customers will recognize that, will understand that we are vindicated and they will come back to our restaurants.

COOPER: But the mystery remained. Just who could have lost part of a finger and not missed it? Finally detective work and the tip line paid off. DAVIS: On Wednesday, May 4, San Jose Police Department detectives received a lead from the Wendy's reward hotline concerning a Nevada resident who may have been the person whose fingertip was allegedly found in a bowl of chili in San Jose on March 22. San Jose P.D. detectives were already in Nevada following up on other leads on May 4 and they contacted the individual in question. It was determined that he lost a portion of his finger in an industrial accident in December of last year and that he is an associate of James Placentia, the husband of Anna Ayala, the woman being the person who claimed to have found the fingertip in the bowl of chili. On May 11 and 12, scientific testing positively confirmed that this subject was, in fact, the source of the fingertip.

COOPER: Ayala, who was arrested April 21, after it was determined she lied about the incident was extradited last Friday from Nevada to San Jose to face a charge of grand theft relating to the hoax.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, the police in San Jose say the man missing the finger is cooperating with them and that report from Anderson Cooper. You can see Anderson every Monday through Friday night at 7:00 Eastern on "Anderson Cooper 360" only on CNN.

Well, coming up, diving into plans for a summer vacation, somewhere exotic in the deep. Later on CNN live Saturday, get your fins and mask ready.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Weather Center. Time for your allergy forecast, look at the pollen counts, very high down across the South. Most of the trees done pollenating, now the grasses are kicking in. Also grass and ragweed across the parts of the four corners kicking in. Northern latitudes now the hardwoods, the birch, the oaks, the mulberry trees starting to kick in with pollen as well, do be aware of that. There is some rain heading toward the East coast that should help knock things down just a little bit.

Hope you're feeling well today, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour, "Now in the News," a CIA Predator drone hunts down and kills a key al-Qaeda operative, that's according to CNN sources. It reportedly happened near the Afghan/Pakistani border. Sources say the missile from a Predator drone, like this one that you're about to see, killed Haitham al-Yemeni earlier in the week.

The deadly violence in Uzbekistan intensifies. Reports say protesters have taken over government buildings in a village bordering Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, human rights monitors say government soldiers have killed hundreds of people. The deaths come during violent protesting at ousting Uzbekistan's president. A cardinal at the Vatican is cautioning that making Pope John Paul II a saint could still take some time. Pope Benedict XVI waived the usual five year waiting period, yesterday, for his predecessor, however, the cardinal who leads the Vatican's saint-making office reportedly says that doesn't loosen other requirements for sainthood.

And here's an update on the situation in Iraq. The transitional prime minister extended the country's state of emergency for another 30 days because of continuing recent violence. Five Iraqis, two of them police officers, were killed today when a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad. Police say the blast apparently targeted a police patrol. And another police officer was killed when his police convoy was attacked in western Baghdad. Intense fighting continues in "Operation Matador," that's the U.S. operation to wipe out militants and their supporters in Western Anbar province. Four more Marines were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine.

And according to reports, U.S. troops are gathering near the town of Ubaydi in advance of a possible offensive. The village near the Euphrates River has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the early part of the campaign.

Well, despite a recent string of arrests of leading terror suspects in Iraq, the number of deadly insurgent attacks is at an all- time high. Why? CNN military intelligence analyst, Ken Robinson has some ides from Washington.

Ken, what is the explanation?

KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY INTEL. ANALYST: Well, the military in Iraq, both the government of Iraq and the United States military, are achieving some synergy. Right now there's about 140,000 members of the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defense and there's an equal number of United States personnel on the ground, and what they are saying is, there's a huge tipping point occurring. They are able to conduct more operations right now because they are getting more cooperation from people on the street. This has caused an enormous friction because the focus of their next attacks is going to be the area of Ramadi and al Anbar and the insurgents are fighting back. It's a last-ditch effort.

WHITFIELD: And is part of the problem that the insurgents are taking advantage of the fact that the government is not quite solidified yet?

ROBINSON: Well, you know, the government is just now trying to get on its feet. The United States military has worked very hard to try to raise up the army to about 28 battalions and to get the police forces on track. But what these insurgents have done is, they very carefully targeted those police recruiting locations and army recruiting locations, trying to inhibit that. But it has not succeeded. Iraqis are still stepping forward to fight and so they are cautiously optimistic.

But even though there's a spike right now in the numbers of bombings -- that -- they feel that there's a tipping point, achieving, in Iraq now that the soldiers and the police are continuing to work closely with the military and the population is starting to point out where these insurgents are.

WHITFIELD: Is there any proof that perhaps the recruiting numbers have even increased or that more insurgents, foreign fighters, are crossing the borders and making their way in, thereby, increasing the insurgency attacks?

ROBINSON: Well, that is one of the -- that's one of the areas of concern, Fredericka. They did an operation in March and April where they circled Ramadi. They established checkpoints and they put a really tight hold on the city of who could come in and who could come out, and what that caused was -- that caused an influx, then, because there was an anticipation on the insurgent's part that Ramadi was in for the exact same siege that Falluja received. It didn't happen. That doesn't mean that it won't happen, but what that caused was what looks like an influx.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about the war on terror on the Pakistan/Afghan border with this drone missile attack and the killing of Haitham al Yemeni, believed to be possibly a high-ranking al Qaeda official.

At what point is a decision made to kill this individual or to continue following him with the use of this drone?

ROBINSON: Well, you know, the real purpose in following these individuals is trying to get them to lead them to someone who is high on the capture or kill list, Bin Laden, Zawahiri and his subordinates. There is some dispute on weather al Yemeni was a very senior person, but he was a known associate. The decision to decide at this point to kill him, I can only guess as to why they did that, but I'm looking at the arrest of al Libbi over a week ago, a financier, and look -- that the Pakistanis have and who is rumored to be talking and then this individual decision to kill this individual.

WHITFIELD: And reportedly then, this al Yemeni was going to be the succeeding individual of al Libbi since al Libbi is in custody. So, it seems as though he really may have had some important potential contact with high-ranking al Qaeda officials. Wouldn't it seem more beneficial to keep him alive and to follow him?

ROBINSON: If that's -- if that's the truth. If that's the fact. There is an interesting dynamic happening right now in the tribal areas. The Uzbeks and the Chechens in this area and the Afghans are not cooperating very well with the Arabs who are in that area. There is a lot of dissension going on and there;s a lot of question on whether al Yemeni exerted the type of control some have asserted he had.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right, Ken Robinson, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon.

ROBINSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Animals in danger, at the zoo of all places. That tops our news across America. Activists are calling for a criminal investigation of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Three monkeys died this week following a series of other recent animal deaths at the zoo. Meanwhile, experts have quarantined another endangered monkey to try to determine what might have happened.

In Los Angeles, an apology from authorities in this violent shooting. Ten sheriff's deputies apologized to residents for firing 120 rounds on an unarmed driver. Some residents in the Compton neighborhood say their homes were hit. An investigation into the shooting is under way.

And in Arizona, flight attendants stripped. Five retired United Airlines flight attendants posed for those rather risque shots. It's to protest the loss of their pensions. The retirees calendar was released as the bankruptcy court approved United's plan to terminate nearly $10 billion in employee pensions.

Allegations of religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force academy. Do officials condone an unwritten policy of converting people to Christianity? The story straight ahead.

And, taking in all the sights of the sea; the best places to strap on your scuba gear, later, on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Allegations of a serious problem inside the U.S. Air Force academy. Students and instructors claim a group is using their religious beliefs to spread fear inside the institution. Sean Callebs has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cadets march in step, governed by their honor code: "I will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate anyone among us who does." But this issue lies outside the honor code, long-standing allegations of religious intolerance have surfaced, yet many are still afraid to talk about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're just terrified to come forward. They're afraid that their careers will be ruined. They have spouses, they have children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The one individual said to me you can't say who I am. My job is at stake.

CALLEBS: One who is speaking out, Captain Melinda Morton. After serving as a missile launch officer, she became a chaplain late in her career.

MORTON: I had no less than three of my fellow chaplains come to me and ask me how in the world I thought I could -- I would consider myself to be a Christian if I didn't believe that we ought be hoping and praying that everyone at the Air Force Academy would be Christian.

CALLEBS: After 2 1/2 years at the academy, Morton, a Protestant chaplain, is making her concerns public.

(on camera): One of your colleagues told us evangelicals can't check their religion at the door. Should the academy force them to check their religion at the door to separate church and state?

MORTON: To associate your power and position with a religious agenda in the military is inappropriate. And it is against regulations.

CALLEBS: But it happens at Air Force academy.

MORTON: Yes, it does.

CALLEBS (voice-over): And she says that her tour at the academy has been cut short, that the Air Force is sending her to Iraq. And that it is retaliation for speaking out.

The academy says that's not the case, that Morton's deployment is a normal rotation. Since the summer of 2001, the academy has so far received 55 complaints about religious intolerance.

(on camera): Has anybody been punished at the academy for religious intolerance?

MORTON: It depends how you define punished. I know of some people who have been counseled for various things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My hope is that the academy will come to the realization...

CALLEBS (voice-over): Mikey Weinstein, himself a member of a prominent academy family, became involved in this last summer. Curtis Weinstein, then a first year cadet, made a sobering confession to his father.

MIKEY WEINSTEIN, AIR FORCE ACADEMY GRADUATE: Curtis told me that he was going to be getting into trouble. And I said what are you talking about, son? And he said the next person that calls me a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Jew or accuses me of killing Jesus, I'm going to beat the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of them.

And if I get court-martialed or whatever happens, you have to know that's what's going to happen.

CURTIS WEINSTEIN, AIR FORCE ACADEMY CADET: I didn't even really know the cadet. And he's like, aren't you Jewish? I'm like, yes, I am. He's like in the middle of a game or something. And he's like, how do you feel you killed Jesus?

M. WEINSTEIN: And I asked him how many times this had happened? It had happened on a large number of occasions in diverse locations at the academy with diverse number of cadets. And at that point he started to clam up. He wouldn't tell me anymore. Because he knew what I was -- he didn't want to turn me into a thermonuclear warhead.

Conference call in the morning, and then we can do the meeting... CALLEBS: But Mikey Weinstein did explode. This from a man who himself went through the rigors of the academy.

M. WEINSTEIN: Well, this was my JAG badge when I was a JAG in the Air Force.

CALLEBS: Who served in the military's judicial system and comes from a family of military leaders. He took his concerns directly to senior officers.

M. WEINSTEIN: If this was happening to Curtis, God knows what was happening to everybody else going on. Because of course, the academy...

CALLEBS: Weinstein eventually went to the media.

The academy was still recovering from a sexual assault scandal that had been exposed a few years earlier. And the Air Force had brought in new leaders, including Lieutenant General John Rosa as superintendent, and Colonel Deborah Gray to change the atmosphere.

Then, last July, about the same time that Curtis Weinstein was speaking to his father, Colonel Gray invited members of the Yale Divinity School to help the chaplains improve their work with cadets on the issues connected with sexual assault, nothing about religious tolerance. Professor Kristen Wesley led the group. They attended the basic cadet training.

This is where the molding of young cadets begins. Where they're broken down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out now, move.

CALLEBS: And built back to become officers.

KRISTEN LESLIE, YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL: If someone comes up to them with more authority, even an older cadet and says to them, we want you to be a Christian, get out of my face is not one of the appropriate responses.

CALLEBS: While observing that indoctrination process, the Yale team officially reported that it saw an academy chaplain deliver what they described as a fire and brimstone sermon to a group of more than 600 cadets.

LESLIE: The chaplain who was there in the midst of the sermon extorted his cadets that they needed to go back to their bunks and bear witness, to proselytize, to bring their bunk mates to become Christians. And if they didn't, and in fact, they would be consequences for them.

I was struck at how -- how bold the evangelical conservative message was in that environment.

CALLEBS: The Yale Divinity Group reported, that openly urging cadets to try to convert their peers was not good pastoral care and created a place of hostility for the cadets.

COL. DEBRA GRAY, A.F. ACADEMY VICE COMMANDANT: I was around basic training an awful lot, and I never saw such a sermon as this. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Obviously they observed something. I would say that that is -- each religion has a different format and different structure to what they do. And if that's the type of service it was, and it was voluntary that people participate in that, then, you know, that's what they do.

CALLEBS: The critics and the academy agree that there have been a significant number of problems involving religious intolerance, the question is, are these system wide?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To me when I hear systemic, I hear leadership condoned.

CALLEBS (on camera): Not system wide.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. And so what I try to say is, one, we don't condone it. And we're doing everything we can to educate and train and hold people accountable, which is kind of a circle that leaders go through. But then when we talk systemic, does had it happen a little everywhere -- maybe. I mean, we're a big organization.

CALLEBS (voice-over): Academy chaplains say more than 9 out of 10 cadets here describe themselves as Christian. And about a third of those are evangelical. So, they represent a sizable portion of the cadet corps. Chaplain Phil Guyn knows many of the evangicals on campus and says they understand the mission of the academy.

PHIL GUYN, AIR FORCE ACADEMY CHAPLAIN: The institution of the United States air force academy is not about faith sharing. This institution is dedicated to equipping young men and women to be officers and leaders of character in the United States of America and in our nation's military.

CALLEBS: Even lunch at the academy is a military exercise involving 4,000 cadets. Melinda Morton says put yourself in their shoes. Imagine how hard it is to resist religious pressure when it comes from senior leaders.

MORTON: If the message is, you know, they got where they got because of their evangelical faith, and they have a lot of brothers, brothers in the air force going to help them out because of their evangelical faith. Boy, that's something you might think about. If you're investing all your investing here to get through the air force academy, maybe that's something you ought to think about too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can chaplains proselytize?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CALLEBS: Last month a response to complaints...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually chaplains may not proselytize. Chaplains may not proselytize.

CALLEBS: The academy launched a system wide program to teach cadets and staff about respect, the first of what they say will be many steps to deal with problems. Melinda Morton helped draft the program, and it will be one of her last responsibilities before her new deployment to Iraq.

MORTON: I am extremely sad for my Air Force. I am extremely sad for the academy. I am -- I am beyond disheartened. It is a tragedy. These young people will be in harm's way very, very soon. And we can't provide them an example in which they can live and learn and worship. That's very sad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that was Sean Callebs reporting.

More when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, if going for a dip is your way of a great vacation, why not really take the plunge and go diving? Let's take a look at some of the best scuba diving spots. Joining us is Paul Kvinta. He's a contributing editor to "National Geographic Adventure" magazine and "Scuba Diving" magazine. You've got a great gig.

PAUL KVINTA, NAT'L GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE: It's a good gig.

WHITFIELD: All right, Paul, what's the criteria for a great diving spot in your view?

KVINTA: The most important thing is good visibility. You want to be able to see 30, 40, 50 feet out in front of you, at least. You could be at a place with amazing coral reefs or phenomenal ship wrecks, but if you can't see three feet in front of you, it doesn't do you any good.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's go down the list to some of your best, you know, places, picks. Cosos -- or, Cocos Island, that's off Costa Rica.

KVINTA: That's right.

WHITFIELD: What makes that such a unique, great place?

KVINTA: Cocos Island probably has the best big animal diving on the planet, a lot of sharks, rays, whales, whale sharks, this sort of thing. So, when you go to Cocos, you drop down 60 or 70 feet, kind of hide behind a rock and these hammerhead sharks will just sort of come out, dozens of them at a time. Manta rays.

WHITFIELD: So, when you choose a dive location like that, you need to choose a group, you know, which -- to dive with. So, how do you do that when you go to a foreign land? You are unfamiliar with the folks. How do you ensure your safety? People hear sharks and they think, oh, my god, are you kidding me? So, what's the best advice?

KVINTA: Well, you want to make sure you are diving with a legitimate outfitter, dive outfitter, some guys who know what they are doing. So, do a little research on the front end. And, yes, but most outfitters at dive resorts, they know what they are doing. They are experienced people.

WHITFIELD: OK, and then there's Papua New Guinea, not a location that most people associate with dive.

KVINTA: Right, but Papua New Guinea probably has the best coral in the world. The last ice age, as I understand it, didn't really impact that part of the world -- Papua New Guinea, Indonesia -- and thus they have hundreds of species of coral unlike, say, the Caribbean. Just, you know, magnificent shapes and colors and just the reef is really alive and pristine there.

WHITFIELD: OK, and then for the diver and the land-lovers, Bonaire might be a good place to choose, as well as Belize. Let's talk about Bonaire first.

KVINTA: The great thing about Bonaire is, the conditions are so easy and gentle. They don't have strong currents that you have to fight against. The visibility is great. The water is 80 degrees year-round. And also, the entire coast of Bonaire is a marine park, so the coral's in very healthy conditions. It's very beautiful.

WHITFIELD: And those calm locations, that explains why a lot of novice divers go, or people go there and do their open water tests and get certified.

KVINTA: Exactly. Bonaire is great for beginners.

WHITFIELD: Belize.

KVINTA: Belize. Belize is good too. Belize has the world's second largest barrier reef after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It has a lot of what we call spur and groove formations. They have deep gullies and trenches to explore.

WHITFIELD: So, maybe for the more experienced diver?

KVINTA: A little more, but even a place like Belize you could get certified and do your open water there. I mean, as long as you are with a good dive instructor and the conditions are fairly calm, you can do that.

WHITFIELD: So, I'm also intrigued by these live-aboard dive boats, but you've to be die-hard, don't you?

KVINTA: That's right. A live-aboard dive boat -- for instance, Cocos Island, the only way to dive there is on a live-aboard dive boat. So, you're going to be on a boat like that for 10 days, two weeks -- you know, you never know who you are going to get.

WHITFIELD: So much for the fine dining. KVINTA: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: But that's a real adventurous kind of trip, you know, to really mix up the dive experience. Sometimes it can be rather predictable. Certainly on a dive boat like that, you're going to have a lot of surprises, right?

KVINTA: Exactly, yes.

WHITFIELD: You got any favorites?

KVINTA: Well, Cocos is probably my favorite for the big animal diving and I love New Guinea for the coral. Yeah, and Bonaire has beautiful sponge life, as does Belize.

WHITFIELD: Hey, and we just saw a picture of you. Let's see that again. There you are.

KVINTA: That's me.

WHITFIELD: About where are you there?

KVINTA: I believe I am in, of all places, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which has amazing diving. I know there's a lot of other things going on there now.

WHITFIELD: Not everyone gets to go diving there.

KVINTA: That's right.

WHITFIELD: Usually military folks, but you had the honors of getting a chance to dive with a few of them.

KVINTA: Right. I was there a few week ago and dove with some of the fellows down there.

WHITFIELD: Nice. All right, well, we've taken copious notes. We know that Bonaire, Belize and Cocos Island are accessible -- maybe not Guantanamo, but we've got a great springboard to start with.

All right, thanks a lot. Paul Kvinta, and -- contributing editor of "National Geographic Adventure" and "Scuba Diving" magazine as well. All right, good to see you.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Still ahead on CNN Saturday, in a few moments, "IN THE MONEY." At 2:00 Eastern, "CNN LIVE SATURDAY," in-depth on the lead-up to the Republican National Convention, from protests to what's at stake for the president. And at 3:00 Eastern, "CNN PRESENTS," the top 25 most fascinating people. But first, Jack Cafferty with a preview of "IN THE MONEY."

JACK CAFFERTY, HOST "IN THE MONEY": Thanks. Coming up on "IN THE MONEY," let's go to plan B. With United Airlines unloading its pensions, find out how safe your retirement strategy looks these days. Also ahead, quit torturing your child with Mozart. We'll see if playing your baby the classics, and other smart-kid strategies really make Junior any more ready to go to school.

And, making good or blowing smoke? We'll look at what it takes to get a company to go green. All that and more, right after this quick check of the headlines.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired May 14, 2005 - 12:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is Noon at the Groton Submarine Base in Connecticut; 10:00 a.m. at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's Global Headquarters.
Ahead this hour, a drone aircraft like this one gets the credit for killing a key al-Qaeda figure near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Dozens of military bases and thousands of jobs could fall victim to Pentagon cuts. What are communities doing to prepare for or head off potential economic losses.

And the little girl who was the target of an intense international child pornography search is found safe and alive. Find out how it has led to an arrest. First, here are the top stories now in the news.

Violence in Uzbekistan has sent thousands of refugees fleeing for the border. Human rights monitors say hundreds of people were killed by government soldiers in the wake of yesterday's anti-government protest in the eastern city of Adijan. The U.S. embassy is urging American citizens in the city to stay off the streets.

Insurgents in Iraq are keeping up their deadly attacks this weekend. In the latest incident, an Iraqi policeman was killed and two others were wounded when insurgents took aim at a police convoy. Earlier, two separate bombings in the Iraqi capital killed eight people. And near the Syrian border, four more American Marines have been killed in the U.S.-led offensive against insurgents.

President Bush will hold talks later this month with Palestinian authority, President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington. Abbas was elected earlier this year replacing the late Yasser Arafat, who President Bush shunned as an obstacle to peace.

We begin with our CNN "Security Watch" and a major development in the war on terror. A key al-Qaeda operative has been killed by a missile fired from a CIA operated Predator drone. That word from knowledgeable sources. CNN's Kathleen Koch is keeping track of the story from the Pentagon -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the strike took place in Pakistan earlier this week somewhere along its long border with Afghanistan. Those knowledgeable sources tell CNN that the person who was targeted was Haitham al-Yemeni, he is reportedly a bombmaker for al-Qaeda. And he was struck and killed by a hellfire missile fired by this Predator drone or unmanned aerial vehicle. Al- Yemeni had been tracked for some time by U.S. authorities in hopes he would lead them to Osama bin Laden or to other top terrorist leaders. It was thought that al-Yemeni might actually even be in line to replace al-Qaeda's No. 3 man, Abu Fraj al-Libbi who was captured by Pakistani authorities last week along the border with Afghanistan. This same border, though we don't know if it was in exactly the same region. But Pakistani officials, today, deny that the attack actually took place on their soil. So, here we have a comment from their information minister.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RASHID AHMAD, PAKISTANI INFORMATION MINISTER: As far as Pakistan is concerned we have contradicted that there is nothing happened in Pakistan territory. If something happened in Afghanistan, in Afghanistan near the border of that, we don't know. And officially we have contradicted this story, but nothing else happened in Islamabad.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KOCH: It's important to point out that this was a CIA operation, not a U.S. military operation. Though the U.S. military does have some drones in the skies over both Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, it's important to note there is some debate over just how valuable a target al-Yemeni was. He was not even listed on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list. So, there is some degree of speculation that this strike may have occurred, that he may have been killed in order to flush out other higher level al-Qaeda leaders.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen Koch, thanks so much from the Pentagon.

Well, this is not the first time a Predator drone has fired a missile at an al-Qaeda target. It's the fourth time, actually. In November of 2002, a Predator fired missile killed an al-Qaeda official in Yemen. The two other attacks were failed attempts to kill Osama bin Laden.

Coming up at the half hour, CNN military intelligence analyst Ken Robinson joins us to discuss how the drone attack may have been planned and how, in Iraq, the battle against the insurgency is evolving. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Now to the battle over bases. Many politicians and locals alike are up in arms over the Pentagon's plan to close 33 major military facilities. This map shows some of the potential base closures from coast to coast. The Pentagon estimates it could save $48 billion over a 20-year period, but also means thousands of jobs could be lost. Here's a look at how CNN affiliate stations are covering that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This news is really hitting hard here in Groton, a community that for more than a century has considered itself the submarine capital of the world. On this base behind me are more than 7,000 active duty military members. In addition to those folks, there are about 1,00 civilian workers who come to work here every day and impossible to estimate number of pizza parlors grocery stores, gas stations, barber shops and other businesses that will certainly take a big hit if this base does in fact close. And, of course, all the people who work on this base live on base or in the surrounding towns. So, that is another big economic impact. It is estimated that if the base does leave, the economic impact will stretch into the billions of dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Supporters of the base got the bad news by phone earlier this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's on the list to close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Supporters say Willow Grove has 7,800 workers, 1,400 are civilians working for the government or contractors. A shutdown, they claim, would leave a nearly $400 million hole in the suburban economy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a lot of people that work here that frequent the businesses here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The local chamber of commerce is already spearheading an effort to reverse the recommended closing. Willow Grove survived a similar order a decade ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It shocks me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Victoria Leslie never expected Cannon Air Force Base to make the defense secretary's list of recommendations for military base closures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got new businesses opening, too. And I don't know how we're going to support all them, 4,500 people is a lot of people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And people at Clovis Creek Restaurant in the downtown Clovis are still reeling from the announcement.

MICHAEL GALVAN, CLOVIS RESIDENT: Well, some of our clients actually work out there that depend on that job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Managers at the restaurant tell us almost 50 percent of their business comes from base employees. But, Michael Galvan says a closure would hurt the entire economy.

GALVAN: There's a lot of people who depend on the base for employment, you know, it's bringing in a lot of people. They had -- the hotels been doing real good with them, you know, when they bring in for training. And it's going to hurt them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Our guest has experienced how base closures impact communities. Steve Dimeo is president of Mohawk Valley Edge, an economic development growth enterprises corporation. He joins us from Syracuse, New York.

Good to see you.

STEVE DIMEO, MOHAWK VALLEY EDGE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, many of these cities, states, are preparing for the worst, however; it still has to meet congressional approval. What, if anything, can a lot of these communities do to ban together to try to put up their duke, so to speak, before Congress.

DIMEO: Well, the base closure process is one that will take place over the next several months and each community will present the facts and work with their congressional delegation and state governments to try to present facts that may counter some of the arguments by the services and the Department of Defense.

WHITFIELD: Talk to me about what you believe the folks near the Griffis Air Force Base experienced during its realignment back in 1993. How did town's people there anticipate for the worst? What did they do?

DIMEO: Well, in '93, the community did fight to try to overturn the Department of Defense recommendation. But the same time, also, quietly the community began to look at potential for reuse in case they were unsuccessful in overturning the Department of Defense recommendation. So early on, the community banded together and looked at reuse opportunities to try to stay ahead of the curve, and try to accelerate the ability to try to transition Griffis from an active duty air force installation to a realigned institution.

WHITFIELD: And what ultimately happened?

DIMEO: Well, what has happened is over the past 10 years and we also have been involved in BRAC (PH) fights not only in '93, but also in '95, and we are also part of a realigned scenario for this particular BRAC round. But what we have done is successfully transitioned Griffis from an air force base into a business and technology park. There are some retained military functions that will remain at Griffis as a result of the secretary's latest recommendations. But we have a business and technology park with 4,000 people. There's been $182 million of public and private investments since 1995. There's another $70 million planned for this year. And we have a good mix of businesses, whether they be technology, aviation, manufacturing, commercial and community use, all located at Griffis. And Griffis has become, really, the nexus for trying to build not only a stronger economy in the city of Rome, but really as part of a regional strategy to build a stronger economy in upstate New York.

WHITFIELD: So reuse really made the difference between Rome and other cities where military installations have closed down or have shrunk to some degree resulting in ghost towns so often. How is it that it's re-use is really what saved Rome? DIMEO: Well, I think this really comes down to the fact that when they close an installation and you feel the economic blows, there's really only one thing to do and that's really to try to pull yourself up from the boot straps. Build strong partnerships, get a united effort, get your state governments, your community, your elected officials in Washington to work together and really come up with some strategies that best position the re-use of former military assets, to fit other needs within your local community.

WHITFIELD: So quickly, is that your recommendation to a lot of these towns who are hearing about the military bases in their communities that are on the list that now they need to start thinking about re-use? Instead of waiting at the last minute for, you know, final approval from Congress?

DIMEO: My recommendation would be fight the fight, but have a parallel track and plan for re-use.

WHITFIELD: All right, Steve Dimeo, president of Mohawk Valley Economic Growth Enterprises. Thanks so much for joining us from Syracuse, New York.

DIMEO: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And for a complete list of bases on the hit list log on to cnn.com. You'll also find video and related stories.

Identifying children exploited in pornography seems almost impossible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. MATT IRWIN, ORANGE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT: We have located the victim in our case and the witness in our case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A new technique puts a face with the name, and even the suspected perpetrator is located.

Also, insurgent attacks increase at an alarming rate in Iraq. We ask our expert what's fueling this trend?

And later, allegations of religious intolerance, at all places, the U.S. Air Force Academy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well now to an update on a CNN investigation we've been following for months. The search for a young girl who appeared in hundreds of sexually explicit internet pictures is over. CNN's David Mattingly explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than two years, countless man-hours, and unknown thousands of dollars in the making, but desperate international hunt for a single child pornography victim ends in a way investigators never predicted.

LT. MATT IRWIN, ORANGE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT: We have located the victim in our case.

MATTINGLY: Orlando's Orange County investigators, after asking for the public's help in finding the blonde haired girl just two weeks ago, now confirm she has been identified by the FBI and is believed to now be 11-years-old and in a Pennsylvania foster home.

IRWIN: When I say we have identified her, I don't know where she's at. We are working on getting that information, and I understand that there may be ongoing charges in Pennsylvania, which is the state that the victim is from.

MATTINGLY: The girl will remain unidentified to the public. According to the FBI, and immigrations and customs enforcement, the man responsible for putting photos of the girl on the internet is in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, serving a 15-year sentence for production, possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty in September of 2003. He is identified by Orlando investigators as the girl's adoptive father. The Florida authorities will now pursue molestation charges of their own.

IRWIN: In Florida, based on what we have, he would probably be facing life charges.

MATTINGLY: The international search for the girl began two years ago when Toronto authorities used commuters to remove the girl from her pictures so clues could be pulled from the background. Investigators at that time said tiny pieces of evidence gave them hope they could find her.

SGT. Paul GILLESPIE, TORONTO POLICE: You can often tell when children appear to be abused or when they are abused, whether or not it's the first time or not. It's worse to see children who have just lost their spirit and they don't really react to abuse because you know this is the cost of doing business in their own personal life and that says something.

MATTINGLY: This case immediately stood out from the 50,000 other estimated child porn victims on the internet because someone from the public was able to identify the bedspread in this photo as one used in a resort in Orlando. The victim quickly became known as the "Hotel Girl." As authorities pushed the envelope and publicizing previously withheld information in hopes of a break. They even publicized a photo of a dark haired girl they believed was a friend of hers, someone who was not molested. But the extraordinary effort ultimately was not a factor and Orlando authorities say they have been told that the girl may have been rescued by federal authorities more than a year before their own investigation began. Why they were not alerted until late Thursday, they say, is not as big a concern as the well-being of the victim.

David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can contact the center for missing and exploited children. Their hotline is 1-800-the-lost, that's 1-800- 843-5678.

Iraq police targeted. Ahead, the latest on the increasing number of attacks and why security in the region is proving so difficult.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These young people will be in harm's way very, very soon. And we can't provide them an example in which they can live and learn and worship? That's very sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Allegations of religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy. One chaplain says she's being sent to Iraq. Is the move a retaliation for speaking out?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: California police believe they have the answer to a pointed issue. The origin of a finger allegedly found in a bowl of fast food chili. Anderson Cooper has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After nearly two months of investigating San Jose California police say they've gotten to the bottom of the fingertip in the chili bowl conundrum.

CHIEF ROB DAVIS, SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA POLICE: The jig is up. The puzzle pieces are beginning to fall into place, and the truth is beginning to be exposed.

COOPER: The bizarre mystery began in late March when a Las Vegas woman, Anna Ayala, claimed she had found a human finger in a bowl of chili she bought at a San Jose Wendy's. The alleged discovery sent Wendy's into a tailspin. As sales dropped, all efforts were directed to discovering just exactly where the finger came from. Workers at the restaurant were checked to make sure they had all their fingers. Lie detector tests were given and a tip line was set up and $100,000 reward offered. Within a month, investigators had determined that the finger in the chili was a hoax. Ayala was arrested.

DENNY LYNCH, WENDY'S SENIOR V.P.: We feel that we have been victimized, and we are hoping that our customers will recognize that, will understand that we are vindicated and they will come back to our restaurants.

COOPER: But the mystery remained. Just who could have lost part of a finger and not missed it? Finally detective work and the tip line paid off. DAVIS: On Wednesday, May 4, San Jose Police Department detectives received a lead from the Wendy's reward hotline concerning a Nevada resident who may have been the person whose fingertip was allegedly found in a bowl of chili in San Jose on March 22. San Jose P.D. detectives were already in Nevada following up on other leads on May 4 and they contacted the individual in question. It was determined that he lost a portion of his finger in an industrial accident in December of last year and that he is an associate of James Placentia, the husband of Anna Ayala, the woman being the person who claimed to have found the fingertip in the bowl of chili. On May 11 and 12, scientific testing positively confirmed that this subject was, in fact, the source of the fingertip.

COOPER: Ayala, who was arrested April 21, after it was determined she lied about the incident was extradited last Friday from Nevada to San Jose to face a charge of grand theft relating to the hoax.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, the police in San Jose say the man missing the finger is cooperating with them and that report from Anderson Cooper. You can see Anderson every Monday through Friday night at 7:00 Eastern on "Anderson Cooper 360" only on CNN.

Well, coming up, diving into plans for a summer vacation, somewhere exotic in the deep. Later on CNN live Saturday, get your fins and mask ready.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Weather Center. Time for your allergy forecast, look at the pollen counts, very high down across the South. Most of the trees done pollenating, now the grasses are kicking in. Also grass and ragweed across the parts of the four corners kicking in. Northern latitudes now the hardwoods, the birch, the oaks, the mulberry trees starting to kick in with pollen as well, do be aware of that. There is some rain heading toward the East coast that should help knock things down just a little bit.

Hope you're feeling well today, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour, "Now in the News," a CIA Predator drone hunts down and kills a key al-Qaeda operative, that's according to CNN sources. It reportedly happened near the Afghan/Pakistani border. Sources say the missile from a Predator drone, like this one that you're about to see, killed Haitham al-Yemeni earlier in the week.

The deadly violence in Uzbekistan intensifies. Reports say protesters have taken over government buildings in a village bordering Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, human rights monitors say government soldiers have killed hundreds of people. The deaths come during violent protesting at ousting Uzbekistan's president. A cardinal at the Vatican is cautioning that making Pope John Paul II a saint could still take some time. Pope Benedict XVI waived the usual five year waiting period, yesterday, for his predecessor, however, the cardinal who leads the Vatican's saint-making office reportedly says that doesn't loosen other requirements for sainthood.

And here's an update on the situation in Iraq. The transitional prime minister extended the country's state of emergency for another 30 days because of continuing recent violence. Five Iraqis, two of them police officers, were killed today when a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad. Police say the blast apparently targeted a police patrol. And another police officer was killed when his police convoy was attacked in western Baghdad. Intense fighting continues in "Operation Matador," that's the U.S. operation to wipe out militants and their supporters in Western Anbar province. Four more Marines were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine.

And according to reports, U.S. troops are gathering near the town of Ubaydi in advance of a possible offensive. The village near the Euphrates River has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the early part of the campaign.

Well, despite a recent string of arrests of leading terror suspects in Iraq, the number of deadly insurgent attacks is at an all- time high. Why? CNN military intelligence analyst, Ken Robinson has some ides from Washington.

Ken, what is the explanation?

KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY INTEL. ANALYST: Well, the military in Iraq, both the government of Iraq and the United States military, are achieving some synergy. Right now there's about 140,000 members of the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defense and there's an equal number of United States personnel on the ground, and what they are saying is, there's a huge tipping point occurring. They are able to conduct more operations right now because they are getting more cooperation from people on the street. This has caused an enormous friction because the focus of their next attacks is going to be the area of Ramadi and al Anbar and the insurgents are fighting back. It's a last-ditch effort.

WHITFIELD: And is part of the problem that the insurgents are taking advantage of the fact that the government is not quite solidified yet?

ROBINSON: Well, you know, the government is just now trying to get on its feet. The United States military has worked very hard to try to raise up the army to about 28 battalions and to get the police forces on track. But what these insurgents have done is, they very carefully targeted those police recruiting locations and army recruiting locations, trying to inhibit that. But it has not succeeded. Iraqis are still stepping forward to fight and so they are cautiously optimistic.

But even though there's a spike right now in the numbers of bombings -- that -- they feel that there's a tipping point, achieving, in Iraq now that the soldiers and the police are continuing to work closely with the military and the population is starting to point out where these insurgents are.

WHITFIELD: Is there any proof that perhaps the recruiting numbers have even increased or that more insurgents, foreign fighters, are crossing the borders and making their way in, thereby, increasing the insurgency attacks?

ROBINSON: Well, that is one of the -- that's one of the areas of concern, Fredericka. They did an operation in March and April where they circled Ramadi. They established checkpoints and they put a really tight hold on the city of who could come in and who could come out, and what that caused was -- that caused an influx, then, because there was an anticipation on the insurgent's part that Ramadi was in for the exact same siege that Falluja received. It didn't happen. That doesn't mean that it won't happen, but what that caused was what looks like an influx.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about the war on terror on the Pakistan/Afghan border with this drone missile attack and the killing of Haitham al Yemeni, believed to be possibly a high-ranking al Qaeda official.

At what point is a decision made to kill this individual or to continue following him with the use of this drone?

ROBINSON: Well, you know, the real purpose in following these individuals is trying to get them to lead them to someone who is high on the capture or kill list, Bin Laden, Zawahiri and his subordinates. There is some dispute on weather al Yemeni was a very senior person, but he was a known associate. The decision to decide at this point to kill him, I can only guess as to why they did that, but I'm looking at the arrest of al Libbi over a week ago, a financier, and look -- that the Pakistanis have and who is rumored to be talking and then this individual decision to kill this individual.

WHITFIELD: And reportedly then, this al Yemeni was going to be the succeeding individual of al Libbi since al Libbi is in custody. So, it seems as though he really may have had some important potential contact with high-ranking al Qaeda officials. Wouldn't it seem more beneficial to keep him alive and to follow him?

ROBINSON: If that's -- if that's the truth. If that's the fact. There is an interesting dynamic happening right now in the tribal areas. The Uzbeks and the Chechens in this area and the Afghans are not cooperating very well with the Arabs who are in that area. There is a lot of dissension going on and there;s a lot of question on whether al Yemeni exerted the type of control some have asserted he had.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right, Ken Robinson, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon.

ROBINSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Animals in danger, at the zoo of all places. That tops our news across America. Activists are calling for a criminal investigation of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Three monkeys died this week following a series of other recent animal deaths at the zoo. Meanwhile, experts have quarantined another endangered monkey to try to determine what might have happened.

In Los Angeles, an apology from authorities in this violent shooting. Ten sheriff's deputies apologized to residents for firing 120 rounds on an unarmed driver. Some residents in the Compton neighborhood say their homes were hit. An investigation into the shooting is under way.

And in Arizona, flight attendants stripped. Five retired United Airlines flight attendants posed for those rather risque shots. It's to protest the loss of their pensions. The retirees calendar was released as the bankruptcy court approved United's plan to terminate nearly $10 billion in employee pensions.

Allegations of religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force academy. Do officials condone an unwritten policy of converting people to Christianity? The story straight ahead.

And, taking in all the sights of the sea; the best places to strap on your scuba gear, later, on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Allegations of a serious problem inside the U.S. Air Force academy. Students and instructors claim a group is using their religious beliefs to spread fear inside the institution. Sean Callebs has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cadets march in step, governed by their honor code: "I will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate anyone among us who does." But this issue lies outside the honor code, long-standing allegations of religious intolerance have surfaced, yet many are still afraid to talk about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're just terrified to come forward. They're afraid that their careers will be ruined. They have spouses, they have children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The one individual said to me you can't say who I am. My job is at stake.

CALLEBS: One who is speaking out, Captain Melinda Morton. After serving as a missile launch officer, she became a chaplain late in her career.

MORTON: I had no less than three of my fellow chaplains come to me and ask me how in the world I thought I could -- I would consider myself to be a Christian if I didn't believe that we ought be hoping and praying that everyone at the Air Force Academy would be Christian.

CALLEBS: After 2 1/2 years at the academy, Morton, a Protestant chaplain, is making her concerns public.

(on camera): One of your colleagues told us evangelicals can't check their religion at the door. Should the academy force them to check their religion at the door to separate church and state?

MORTON: To associate your power and position with a religious agenda in the military is inappropriate. And it is against regulations.

CALLEBS: But it happens at Air Force academy.

MORTON: Yes, it does.

CALLEBS (voice-over): And she says that her tour at the academy has been cut short, that the Air Force is sending her to Iraq. And that it is retaliation for speaking out.

The academy says that's not the case, that Morton's deployment is a normal rotation. Since the summer of 2001, the academy has so far received 55 complaints about religious intolerance.

(on camera): Has anybody been punished at the academy for religious intolerance?

MORTON: It depends how you define punished. I know of some people who have been counseled for various things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My hope is that the academy will come to the realization...

CALLEBS (voice-over): Mikey Weinstein, himself a member of a prominent academy family, became involved in this last summer. Curtis Weinstein, then a first year cadet, made a sobering confession to his father.

MIKEY WEINSTEIN, AIR FORCE ACADEMY GRADUATE: Curtis told me that he was going to be getting into trouble. And I said what are you talking about, son? And he said the next person that calls me a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Jew or accuses me of killing Jesus, I'm going to beat the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of them.

And if I get court-martialed or whatever happens, you have to know that's what's going to happen.

CURTIS WEINSTEIN, AIR FORCE ACADEMY CADET: I didn't even really know the cadet. And he's like, aren't you Jewish? I'm like, yes, I am. He's like in the middle of a game or something. And he's like, how do you feel you killed Jesus?

M. WEINSTEIN: And I asked him how many times this had happened? It had happened on a large number of occasions in diverse locations at the academy with diverse number of cadets. And at that point he started to clam up. He wouldn't tell me anymore. Because he knew what I was -- he didn't want to turn me into a thermonuclear warhead.

Conference call in the morning, and then we can do the meeting... CALLEBS: But Mikey Weinstein did explode. This from a man who himself went through the rigors of the academy.

M. WEINSTEIN: Well, this was my JAG badge when I was a JAG in the Air Force.

CALLEBS: Who served in the military's judicial system and comes from a family of military leaders. He took his concerns directly to senior officers.

M. WEINSTEIN: If this was happening to Curtis, God knows what was happening to everybody else going on. Because of course, the academy...

CALLEBS: Weinstein eventually went to the media.

The academy was still recovering from a sexual assault scandal that had been exposed a few years earlier. And the Air Force had brought in new leaders, including Lieutenant General John Rosa as superintendent, and Colonel Deborah Gray to change the atmosphere.

Then, last July, about the same time that Curtis Weinstein was speaking to his father, Colonel Gray invited members of the Yale Divinity School to help the chaplains improve their work with cadets on the issues connected with sexual assault, nothing about religious tolerance. Professor Kristen Wesley led the group. They attended the basic cadet training.

This is where the molding of young cadets begins. Where they're broken down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out now, move.

CALLEBS: And built back to become officers.

KRISTEN LESLIE, YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL: If someone comes up to them with more authority, even an older cadet and says to them, we want you to be a Christian, get out of my face is not one of the appropriate responses.

CALLEBS: While observing that indoctrination process, the Yale team officially reported that it saw an academy chaplain deliver what they described as a fire and brimstone sermon to a group of more than 600 cadets.

LESLIE: The chaplain who was there in the midst of the sermon extorted his cadets that they needed to go back to their bunks and bear witness, to proselytize, to bring their bunk mates to become Christians. And if they didn't, and in fact, they would be consequences for them.

I was struck at how -- how bold the evangelical conservative message was in that environment.

CALLEBS: The Yale Divinity Group reported, that openly urging cadets to try to convert their peers was not good pastoral care and created a place of hostility for the cadets.

COL. DEBRA GRAY, A.F. ACADEMY VICE COMMANDANT: I was around basic training an awful lot, and I never saw such a sermon as this. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Obviously they observed something. I would say that that is -- each religion has a different format and different structure to what they do. And if that's the type of service it was, and it was voluntary that people participate in that, then, you know, that's what they do.

CALLEBS: The critics and the academy agree that there have been a significant number of problems involving religious intolerance, the question is, are these system wide?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To me when I hear systemic, I hear leadership condoned.

CALLEBS (on camera): Not system wide.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. And so what I try to say is, one, we don't condone it. And we're doing everything we can to educate and train and hold people accountable, which is kind of a circle that leaders go through. But then when we talk systemic, does had it happen a little everywhere -- maybe. I mean, we're a big organization.

CALLEBS (voice-over): Academy chaplains say more than 9 out of 10 cadets here describe themselves as Christian. And about a third of those are evangelical. So, they represent a sizable portion of the cadet corps. Chaplain Phil Guyn knows many of the evangicals on campus and says they understand the mission of the academy.

PHIL GUYN, AIR FORCE ACADEMY CHAPLAIN: The institution of the United States air force academy is not about faith sharing. This institution is dedicated to equipping young men and women to be officers and leaders of character in the United States of America and in our nation's military.

CALLEBS: Even lunch at the academy is a military exercise involving 4,000 cadets. Melinda Morton says put yourself in their shoes. Imagine how hard it is to resist religious pressure when it comes from senior leaders.

MORTON: If the message is, you know, they got where they got because of their evangelical faith, and they have a lot of brothers, brothers in the air force going to help them out because of their evangelical faith. Boy, that's something you might think about. If you're investing all your investing here to get through the air force academy, maybe that's something you ought to think about too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can chaplains proselytize?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CALLEBS: Last month a response to complaints...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually chaplains may not proselytize. Chaplains may not proselytize.

CALLEBS: The academy launched a system wide program to teach cadets and staff about respect, the first of what they say will be many steps to deal with problems. Melinda Morton helped draft the program, and it will be one of her last responsibilities before her new deployment to Iraq.

MORTON: I am extremely sad for my Air Force. I am extremely sad for the academy. I am -- I am beyond disheartened. It is a tragedy. These young people will be in harm's way very, very soon. And we can't provide them an example in which they can live and learn and worship. That's very sad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that was Sean Callebs reporting.

More when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, if going for a dip is your way of a great vacation, why not really take the plunge and go diving? Let's take a look at some of the best scuba diving spots. Joining us is Paul Kvinta. He's a contributing editor to "National Geographic Adventure" magazine and "Scuba Diving" magazine. You've got a great gig.

PAUL KVINTA, NAT'L GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE: It's a good gig.

WHITFIELD: All right, Paul, what's the criteria for a great diving spot in your view?

KVINTA: The most important thing is good visibility. You want to be able to see 30, 40, 50 feet out in front of you, at least. You could be at a place with amazing coral reefs or phenomenal ship wrecks, but if you can't see three feet in front of you, it doesn't do you any good.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's go down the list to some of your best, you know, places, picks. Cosos -- or, Cocos Island, that's off Costa Rica.

KVINTA: That's right.

WHITFIELD: What makes that such a unique, great place?

KVINTA: Cocos Island probably has the best big animal diving on the planet, a lot of sharks, rays, whales, whale sharks, this sort of thing. So, when you go to Cocos, you drop down 60 or 70 feet, kind of hide behind a rock and these hammerhead sharks will just sort of come out, dozens of them at a time. Manta rays.

WHITFIELD: So, when you choose a dive location like that, you need to choose a group, you know, which -- to dive with. So, how do you do that when you go to a foreign land? You are unfamiliar with the folks. How do you ensure your safety? People hear sharks and they think, oh, my god, are you kidding me? So, what's the best advice?

KVINTA: Well, you want to make sure you are diving with a legitimate outfitter, dive outfitter, some guys who know what they are doing. So, do a little research on the front end. And, yes, but most outfitters at dive resorts, they know what they are doing. They are experienced people.

WHITFIELD: OK, and then there's Papua New Guinea, not a location that most people associate with dive.

KVINTA: Right, but Papua New Guinea probably has the best coral in the world. The last ice age, as I understand it, didn't really impact that part of the world -- Papua New Guinea, Indonesia -- and thus they have hundreds of species of coral unlike, say, the Caribbean. Just, you know, magnificent shapes and colors and just the reef is really alive and pristine there.

WHITFIELD: OK, and then for the diver and the land-lovers, Bonaire might be a good place to choose, as well as Belize. Let's talk about Bonaire first.

KVINTA: The great thing about Bonaire is, the conditions are so easy and gentle. They don't have strong currents that you have to fight against. The visibility is great. The water is 80 degrees year-round. And also, the entire coast of Bonaire is a marine park, so the coral's in very healthy conditions. It's very beautiful.

WHITFIELD: And those calm locations, that explains why a lot of novice divers go, or people go there and do their open water tests and get certified.

KVINTA: Exactly. Bonaire is great for beginners.

WHITFIELD: Belize.

KVINTA: Belize. Belize is good too. Belize has the world's second largest barrier reef after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It has a lot of what we call spur and groove formations. They have deep gullies and trenches to explore.

WHITFIELD: So, maybe for the more experienced diver?

KVINTA: A little more, but even a place like Belize you could get certified and do your open water there. I mean, as long as you are with a good dive instructor and the conditions are fairly calm, you can do that.

WHITFIELD: So, I'm also intrigued by these live-aboard dive boats, but you've to be die-hard, don't you?

KVINTA: That's right. A live-aboard dive boat -- for instance, Cocos Island, the only way to dive there is on a live-aboard dive boat. So, you're going to be on a boat like that for 10 days, two weeks -- you know, you never know who you are going to get.

WHITFIELD: So much for the fine dining. KVINTA: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: But that's a real adventurous kind of trip, you know, to really mix up the dive experience. Sometimes it can be rather predictable. Certainly on a dive boat like that, you're going to have a lot of surprises, right?

KVINTA: Exactly, yes.

WHITFIELD: You got any favorites?

KVINTA: Well, Cocos is probably my favorite for the big animal diving and I love New Guinea for the coral. Yeah, and Bonaire has beautiful sponge life, as does Belize.

WHITFIELD: Hey, and we just saw a picture of you. Let's see that again. There you are.

KVINTA: That's me.

WHITFIELD: About where are you there?

KVINTA: I believe I am in, of all places, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which has amazing diving. I know there's a lot of other things going on there now.

WHITFIELD: Not everyone gets to go diving there.

KVINTA: That's right.

WHITFIELD: Usually military folks, but you had the honors of getting a chance to dive with a few of them.

KVINTA: Right. I was there a few week ago and dove with some of the fellows down there.

WHITFIELD: Nice. All right, well, we've taken copious notes. We know that Bonaire, Belize and Cocos Island are accessible -- maybe not Guantanamo, but we've got a great springboard to start with.

All right, thanks a lot. Paul Kvinta, and -- contributing editor of "National Geographic Adventure" and "Scuba Diving" magazine as well. All right, good to see you.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Still ahead on CNN Saturday, in a few moments, "IN THE MONEY." At 2:00 Eastern, "CNN LIVE SATURDAY," in-depth on the lead-up to the Republican National Convention, from protests to what's at stake for the president. And at 3:00 Eastern, "CNN PRESENTS," the top 25 most fascinating people. But first, Jack Cafferty with a preview of "IN THE MONEY."

JACK CAFFERTY, HOST "IN THE MONEY": Thanks. Coming up on "IN THE MONEY," let's go to plan B. With United Airlines unloading its pensions, find out how safe your retirement strategy looks these days. Also ahead, quit torturing your child with Mozart. We'll see if playing your baby the classics, and other smart-kid strategies really make Junior any more ready to go to school.

And, making good or blowing smoke? We'll look at what it takes to get a company to go green. All that and more, right after this quick check of the headlines.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com