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CNN Live Saturday
Strong Storms Hit Waco, Texas; President Bush Names Replacement for Outgoing CIA Director Porter Goss; Violence Erupts Following Crash of British Military Helicopter in Basra; Are Immigrants Taking Jobs Americans Don't Want?; Kentucky Derby Favorite Has Amazing Story of Survival
Aired May 06, 2006 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A look now at our top stories, three workers are dead. One is injured at a construction site in Bal Harbour, Florida just north of Miami. Authorities say the men were working on the 26th floor of a building when a wooden frame they were standing on collapsed.
Britain confirmed a number of British military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash in the Iraqi city of Basra today. At least four Iraqis were killed in clashes with British troops trying to secure the crash site.
In Afghanistan, 10 U.S. soldiers were killed when their transport helicopter crashed during combat operations. The U.S. military says yesterday's crash was not the result of enemy fire. In Australia, rescuers expect to reach two trapped gold miners today. The men have been entombed underground by tons of rocks and rubble for 11 days now.
Congressman Patrick Kennedy is now getting treatment for addiction to prescription pain drugs at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He slammed his car into a security barricade on Capitol Hill two days ago. Yesterday he said he had no memory of the accident and revealed that he has suffered from depression for many years.
Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Changes at the top of the CIA... what's ahead for America's best known spy agency? And having trouble understanding your kids? We'll have some tips on deciphering the computer language your children have created to keep you out of the loop.
But first to our top story. After another round of punishing storms, Texas braces for more bad weather. This was the scene after high winds hammered parts of Waco. Along with those strong winds, hail stones fell in several areas including the town of Seminole. And in the state's capital city, thousands of people were in the dark after high winds knocked down trees and power lines.
Larry Holze is the public information officer for the city of Waco. He's with us now on the phone. And so, Larry, how bad is it?
LARRY HOLZE, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, WACO, TEXAS: Well, before daylight hit several hours ago it really helped a lot. We had sustained damage in our industrial park area where a number of warehouses and specifically a Coca-Cola distributing warehouse was very heavily damaged and will virtually be destroyed, but it's about a (INAUDIBLE) block area that was very strongly devastated by the winds that has not been classified yet as a tornado but we certainly suspect that the weather service will do that.
WHITFIELD: So far you're rather thankful that you're suffering mostly structural damage?
HOLZE: Absolutely. That's the main thing we're thankful for is the fact that there's absolutely been no report of physical or personal injury, certainly no deaths. That's the number one thing. But of course Waco is famous for having tornadoes with the 1953 we had 114 people killed by a tornado here. So we respect the fact that tornados can be very devastating.
WHITFIELD: So what about warnings? Do people feel like they got fair warning that a bad storm like this was on the way?
HOLZE: Yeah, very much. We have three very competitive weather ABC, CBS, NBC, those three network stations and they're all here and they're plotting it and tracking it. And we had a very bad storm from the very beginning and as it escalated, at 2:20 they issued a tornado warning, we did the emergency sirens were off. And a number of people we talked to all said they took the mattresses, did all the duck and cover type, go to the center part of the rooms of the houses and do the proper thing and they did and I think that shows really good for preparation plans.
WHITFIELD: So Larry, what can be done now for people who are without power or others who may be displaced altogether?
HOLZE: Well that is our key issue right now. We have about 22,000 residents in affected areas that do not have power at this time. TXU Utilities who is in charge of the power in our area is sending another 250 crew members in to help re-establish this and we've had some indication it can be several days before some of it's returned. But power is the main thing and of course, keeping traffic out of the way for the people who want to see it and look on. But right now I'm very thankful that we don't have any more further devastation. The Mayor of Waco did declare Waco a disaster area that does provide us some local additional aid from the state.
WHITFIELD: Larry Holze, public information officer for the city of Waco. Thanks so much.
HOLZE: Thank you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: The outgoing spy chief is being secretive about his decision to quit. Porter Goss calls his resignation from the CIA just one of those mysteries. His replacement is no mystery. We are told that President Bush has picked Air Force General Michael Hayden for the job. CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano has all the details beginning with Goss's resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush's hand picked choice to run the CIA quit after just 20 months on the job.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Porter's tenure at the CIA was one of transition. He's helped this agency become integrated into the intelligence community and that was a tough job. He's led ably.
PORTER GOSS, OUTGOING CIA DIRECTOR: I would like to report back to you that I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well.
QUIJANO: But by many accounts, turbulence marked Goss's time in charge of the spy agency. While neither Goss nor the president offered an explanation for the sudden resignation, ignoring questions from reporters, intelligence sources close to the discussions about the CIA's future say Goss's departure was anything, but a surprise. The reason, sharp differences between Goss and the man he reported to, John Negroponte, the director of National Intelligence. A job created after Goss was appointed CIA director.
An intelligence source says Negroponte wanted changes, moving functions from the CIA to Negroponte's umbrella agency, the DNI, but Goss pushed back hard. Arguing those changes would weaken the CIA. In the end, Negroponte took his case to the White House for resolution where top Bush aides sided with him. A senior administration official says Negroponte did raise with Goss the idea that he leave and says the decision was ultimately based on a mutual understanding between Negroponte, Goss and President Bush. John McLaughlin, the man who temporarily held the job before Goss says the resignation is not a sign the CIA is in disarray, but --
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The danger here is that we could go back into an era where we had revolving door directors. With Porter Goss's departure we'll have something like three directors in four years and that's seldom a good thing.
QUIJANO: Today the White House is trying to knock down reports that say President Bush lost confidence in Porter Goss. This morning deputy press secretary Dana Perino called those reports "categorically untrue." As for Goss himself he is not saying much about the reasons behind his decision to leave the CIA. Early this morning, in fact, he told CNN quote, "It's just one of those mysteries." The statement released after the announcement yesterday, Goss said that he will stay on over the next few weeks to help with the transition. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Elaine, about the possible successor or at least President Bush's pick, General Michael Hayden? What more do we know about him besides the official naming tomorrow?
QUIJANO: Well senior administration officials tell CNN that President Bush has settled on Air Force General Michael Hayden as his pick to succeed Porter Goss. Hayden is the deputy director of National Intelligence. He's also the highest ranking military officer in the -- military intelligence officer in the armed forces. Now before becoming deputy DNI, he was actually head of the NSA, the National Security Agency, the big ear of the intelligence community and because of that, he could be facing some difficult questions if it comes to a confirmation process about the warrant-less wiretapping program. But senior officials saying that an announcement is planned for Monday, Fredericka?
WHITFIELD: All right. Elaine Quijano, thank you so much from the White House.
Cashing in on a scandal? Outed CIA operative Valerie Plame is reportedly ready to tell her story. The "Associated Press" reports she's got a seven-figure book deal with Crown Publishing. You'll remember it was Plame's outing that led to the indictment of Vice Presidential Aide Lewis Scooter Libbey. That came after Plame's husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson accused the Bush administration of distorting intelligence to justify going to war in Iraq. Plame's memoir is due out next year.
Congressman Patrick Kennedy is now undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic, two days after slamming his car into a security barricade on Capitol Hill. At first, the Rhode Island democrat blamed the crash on reaction to prescription drugs that he was taking under a doctor's order. And he revealed yesterday that he's also battling depression.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PATRICK KENNEDY, (D) RHODE ISLAND: But in all candor the incident on Wednesday evening concerns me gravely. I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police or being cited for three driving infractions. That's not how I want to live my life and it's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island.
The reoccurrence of an addiction problem can be triggered by things that happen in everyday life. Such as taking the common treatment for a stomach flu. That's not an excuse for what happened Wednesday evening. But it is a reality of fighting a chronic condition for which I'm taking full responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN has obtained a statement from a congressional source. In that statement Capitol Hill police say an initial probe shows police supervisors did not handle the accident investigation correctly. Officers at the scene did not give Kennedy a sobriety test and drove him home soon after the crash. The incident is still under investigation.
In southern Iraq, a dangerous mission turns deadly for British forces. A military helicopter crashed today in Basra. British officials say the crash killed some of the troops onboard the craft, but right now the number of deaths is not known. After the crash, deadly clashes between British forces and Iraqi civilians took place. Here's CNN's Ryan Chilcote.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the immediate aftermath of the crash, dozens of mostly young Iraqi men could be seen celebrating in the streets and then entering into clashes with British troops who were brought in to security the site. Some of the protestors in the streets throwing rocks, some throwing Molotov cocktails, some according to the British military opening fire on British troops. In the ensuing clashes, a source at a hospital in Basra tells us that at least four Iraqis were killed. Dozens more wounded. Now as for the crash itself, the British military is confirming that some of its servicemen were killed in that crash. They're not saying exactly how many at this point.
And Iraqi police are telling us they believe that that helicopter was brought down by a missile. Basra, a Shiite city is known for being relatively quiet in comparison in particular to places like Baghdad and the Sunni triangle where the mostly Sunni insurgency continues. But it was anything but quiet Saturday. Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: A delicate and dangerous mission goes on in Australia. Rescuers still working to free two miners trapped underground in a Tasmanian gold mine for 11 days now. Right now they're working on the final stretch of an escape tunnel. The two miners have spent their time in a tiny cage, that's surrounded by rocks and rubble. Rescuers have passed them food and water through a narrow pipe.
It's hard work, but somebody's got to do it. The question, will Americans? A report coming up.
The Moussaoui terror trial had some of the more bizarre moments ever seen in a U.S. courtroom. I'll talk to our legal experts about how the case finally wrapped up.
And an amazing story of survival leads one man to today's Kentucky Derby in Louisville. The details straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look now at our top stories. Outgoing CIA director Porter Goss says his reason for quitting is one of those mysteries. Administration officials tell CNN the president will replace Goss with Air Force General Michael Hayden.
A curfew in Basra after a British helicopter crashes in a neighborhood today. Britain says there are casualties on the chopper and at least four Iraqis lost their lives in violence after the crash. A crowd surged into the street and tossed bottle bombs.
And in Afghanistan 10 Americans die when their Chinook helicopter goes down. The U.S. military says the chopper was taking part in combat operations, but a spokesman says enemy fire did not bring it down. We're waiting to hear from the outgoing spy chief Porter Goss this hour. He's in Ohio to give the commencement address to graduating seniors at Tiffin University. Reporter Stephanie Stilwell of CNN affiliate WTVG is there right now and joins us live. And so Stephanie, we hear the band playing, but any sign of Porter Goss yet?
STEPHANIE STILWELL, CORRESPONDENT: Nothing's going on yet. We haven't actually seen the former director yet, but it's a quiet, quiet university here and a very small north central Ohio town. Now the big talk today though is the former CIA director Porter Goss is the small university's commencement speaker. Goss resigned yesterday with lots of speculation, but again he has not given any reasons or any theories as to why his resignation. This is his first public appearance though since the announcement and friends, family of the graduates are very excited to hear if any reason he gives why he might have resigned yesterday.
We're all waiting for the graduation to begin. It starts in about 10 to 15 minutes. Reporting live in Tiffin, Stephanie Stilwell.
WHITFIELD: All right thanks so much Stephanie. We'll keep tabs on the commencement address there when Goss is scheduled to speak or when he appears and we believe that will happen in about 15 minute from now. We'll be able to bring you his comments live.
Now shifting gears quite a bit to immigration, that debate. One of the biggest issues people are talking about is this, are the workers who come to America taking jobs that Americans don't want to do? Tom Foreman explored that very question for "Anderson Cooper 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A successful growing season at Angelica Nurseries comes from 2100 acres, 4 million plants and 130 Mexican workers.
BERNIE KOLE, ANGELICA NURSERIES: From my perspective, I don't need cheap labor. I need labor.
FOREMAN: And Bernie Kole says they're all legal participants in the guest worker program and not much would get done if he counted on only Americans.
KOLE: Many of the jobs in agriculture and in this nursery are very tough physically demanding jobs, working in very cold, wet environments to very hot, dry environments and working with very heavy plants. I mean --
FOREMAN: A lot of Americans don't want to do that?
KOLE: No.
FOREMAN: These guest workers come for three to eight months each year to make a federally-mandated wage of $8.95 an hour, above the prevailing wage for low-skilled jobs here. They live in clean dorms rent-free, pay $9 a day for all the food they want, work until 6:00 and to remain in the program must go home by fall.
In Mexico, they tell me, we'd make less in a week than we make here in a day.
KOLE: The guys are pretty well-rounded.
FOREMAN: Won't Americans do this? By law, Bernie must advertise all these openings far and near before he can bring in guest workers. But year in and out he insists virtually no Americans, not even the locals will take the jobs.
Do you think that Americans have grown lazy?
KOLE: I think we have become soft. So we tend to gravitate toward those jobs that are easier on us.
FOREMAN: That talk infuriates immigration critics who say places that rely on immigrant labor undercut wages for Americans, create indentured servants and draw more legal and illegal immigrants. Still, where manual labor is needed it seems American applicants are often hard to find.
Whether Americans like it or not, the simple truth is immigrants have become a cornerstone of the American economy. And changing anything about where they work or how they work or how they get here is going to take time and it's going to be difficult. The critics say we can make a start if people like Bernie paid enough. Young Americans who have moved away to cities might move back, reinvigorating rural America and the working class. He doubts it.
KOLE: Farming is a very tough job and many of them just want out of this type of environment. It's just what the younger generation seems to want to do.
FOREMAN: And many people who hire laborers insist he is right. When they go looking for people who can take on hard, manual jobs with enthusiasm and energy, the only players come from south of the border. Tom Foreman, CNN, Kennedyville, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITIFLED: And join us for a special "Anderson Cooper 360" tonight, 24 hours on the border. That's at 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.
The Kentucky Derby is more than just a horse race. Find out the amazing story of one man who overcame a near-death experience to participate. And our legal experts take up the case of former playmate Anna Nicole Smith. You don't want to miss that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LILY KANTER, CO-CEO, SERENA & LILY: You can sit around a table and people can have a million great ideas, but leaders are the people that do things between the meetings. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan created Serena & Lily, a high-end nursery linens company. Kanter left her executive job at Microsoft to start a children's furniture store. And hour after she met Dugan, Serena & Lily was born. Their linens use simple color schemes and fabric designs. This partnership is a profitable one. With Dugan overseeing the designs and Kanter running the business, 2005 sales were over $1 million. Kanter believes in improving children's lives so 5 percent of the company's profits are donated to kid-related charities. Kanter says success comes down to having an honest approach.
KANTER: When you do something wrong, admit you did it wrong and find out how you can correct your mistake. Sometimes that can cost your business money. Sometimes it can cost you some ego, but it's really important to have integrity in your business dealings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Going global right now. Fire aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Britain. The 700 people on board the Calypso got into lifeboats as a precaution, but the fire was contained in the engine room.
One day after a peace agreement was signed between Sudan and the main rebel group in Darfur, it's not clear if the violence will end. Not all the rebel factions have signed on to the deal. About 200,000 people have been killed and nearly 3 million others left homeless in the conflict.
And this was the scene at the Vatican today. Pope Benedict celebrated a special mass to mark the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Guards.
Well, it is the first Saturday in May, you know what that means. Time for mint juleps, fancy hats and in some states, placing bets. The annual run for the roses gets underway later today on a very crowded track at Churchill Downs. CNN's Will Selva joins us now from Louisville, Kentucky. Hello, Will.
WILL SELVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredericka how are you?
WHITFIELD: I'm doing good... can't wait for the race.
SELVA: I know everybody's waited with breathless anticipation, that's for sure. You know as one of the favorites of today's Kentucky Derby, Barbaro faces enormous pressure to win. His trainer, Michael Matz, sadly knows all about pressure. Matz survived an experience so intense it will never be matched.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELVA: Matz was a passenger on United Airlines flight 232 on July 19, 1989. It was to be a doomed flight, crashing in an Iowa cornfield after mechanical problems and killing 112 of the people onboard. Matz survived but 17 years later his life is still changed.
MIKE MATZ, TRAINER, BARBARO: Sometimes you think everything can always happen to somebody else, but it can happen to you and it does make you wonder, you know, sort of cherish every moment.
SELVA: Matz found himself strapped to his seat, hanging upside down when the plane came to a stop. After getting down, he took the time to lead three children sitting near him and flying without their parents, out of the plane. He then returned to the wreckage to help save an 11-month-old baby.
MATZ: Nobody knows in situations like that how anybody's going to react. And I just did what I felt was right and hopefully if my children were in the same situation, somebody would do it for me.
SELVA: Matz doesn't like to talk about the crash, but he has stayed in touch with the three children he helped out and will each be in attendance at Churchill Downs Saturday. It will be an odd place and time for a reunion, but it will be a reunion that each will simply be happy can occur.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SELVA: You know there are so many elements to this story. We should also tell you that Matz is a three-time Olympian in equestrian riding and he won a silver medal in 1996. He also had the pleasure and the honor of carrying the American flag in the closing ceremonies that year. Fredericka?
WHITFIELD: Wow! What an extraordinary individual. Thank you so much for bringing that to us, Will.
Now making news, severe storms leave a mark on Texas. High winds, possibly a tornado, ripped up this Coca-Cola bottling plant in Waco. Austin residents lost power and elsewhere, flash floods and big hail.
A British helicopter goes down in Iraq, drawing a crowd. Young people clashed with British troops and appeared to celebrate the crash. Britain says there are casualties on board the chopper. At least four Iraqis were also killed in the violence.
A U.S. helicopter crash in Afghanistan kills 10 American G.I.s. The military says the Chinook went down during combat operations but a spokesman says the crash was not the result of enemy action.
President Bush delivered a commencement speech today at Oklahoma State University. He urged graduates to use technology, but not to become enslaved by it.
And outed CIA operative Valerie Plame nails a book deal. It's said to be worth seven figures. The memoir -- "Fair Game" is what it's being called -- is scheduled for the fall of 2007 release. Plame's husband, Iraq war critic Joe Wilson, claims Bush aides exposed his wife's identity to retaliate.
The jury has spoken. Find out what our legal experts have to say about the Moussaoui sentence.
Also Native American tribal leaders want to help solve find a solution to our planet's energy crisis. Not everyone agrees with their plan, however.
And do you speak leet? Chances are your teenager does. Coming up, we'll help decode the new teen slang known as leetspeak, and tell you why you need to know about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A live picture right now out of Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio, where you see a number of the graduates and esteemed faculty walking into the auditorium there.
We're interested in this commencement address ceremony today because the man who was brought in to fix the CIA and then called it quits yesterday is actually the commencement speaker today, Porter Goss. And of course, when he does take to the podium there in Tiffin, Ohio, we'll try to bring that to you live.
Meantime, should Zacarias Moussaoui have been sentenced to death? Not even the families of 9/11 victims agree on that one. The jury decided on life in prison, but as you might expect, he did not go quietly.
Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena was in the courtroom for Moussaoui's final rant.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before Zacarias Moussaoui got a chance to speak, he was forced to listen, as three 9/11 family members confronted him.
Rosemary Dillard's husband was on the hijacked plane that struck the Pentagon.
ROSEMARY DILLARD, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: I told him how he had wrecked my life. He took the most important person from me, and that was my husband, Eddie Dillard.
ARENA: Lisa Dolan's husband, Bob, was inside the Pentagon on 9/11.
LISA DOLAN, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: I also told Mr. Moussaoui that he still has one final judgment day. And I believe in that. And that's where I get my comfort.
ARENA: Moussaoui, who had entered the courtroom all smiles and flashing a victory sign, was clearly shaken up.
EDWARD MACMAHON, MOUSSAOUI DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He did not react as the Muslim superman he tries to pretend to be sometimes. He looked at her, and he was rattled. ARENA: When Moussaoui did speak, he used his last public address to attack the United States, calling the trial a wasted opportunity to understand why people like he and 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta hate America.
"We will come back another day," Moussaoui said. As long as you don't to hear, you will feel, America. God curse America and save Osama bin Laden. You will never get him."
His utter lack of remorse was difficult for family members to take.
ABRAHAM SCOTT, 9/11 FAMILY MEMBER: It was extremely hard for me, sitting in that courtroom listening to him, without jumping across that little -- that little fence and doing bodily harm to him.
ARENA: Judge Leonie Brinkema told Moussaoui: "You came here to be a martyr and to die in a great, big bang of glory. But to paraphrase the poet T.S. Eliot, instead, you will die with a whimper.'
Moussaoui tried to interrupt her, but Brinkema got the last word: "You will never again get a chance to speak, and that is an appropriate and fair ending."
Brinkema sentenced Moussaoui to six life terms, one for each conspiracy count he pled guilty to, with no chance of parole, a harsh sentence, but less than the death penalty prosecutors sought, since the jurors apparently concluded Moussaoui played only a minor role in the 9/11 plot.
GERALD ZERKIN, MOUSSAOUI DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That is always difficult for the government to get a jury to execute somebody when they are tangential to the actual events, when it's not a trigger man, when it's not somebody who is even there. That's a reach.
ARENA (on camera): But some of those who were directly involved, like 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, are still not facing justice and instead are being held by the U.S. overseas. It's not clear when or if they will ever enter a court of law.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that story comes to us from "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Join Paula weeknights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.
The Moussaoui case was long and complicated. Now that it's over, let's ask our legal experts what they thought.
Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you, Avery.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Nice to see you too.
WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman is a criminal defense attorney. Good to see you as well, Richard.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Avery, let me begin with you. You know, why didn't the jurors see this as a death penalty-worthy sentence?
FRIEDMAN: I think the jury was wrong. I think the aggravating factors, Fredricka, in this case, were so powerfully and compellingly overwhelming to even the mitigating factors of the fact that Moussaoui had been a victim of violence and had been a victim of racism and, you know what? I have to give credit to Richard. He nailed it.
He didn't think we would see a death penalty, I did. And actually thinking about it, I think that the death penalty would have been the appropriate resolution of this case.
WHITFIELD: And Richard?
HERMAN: Well, Avery, you are way too kind and that's why you're an absolute gentleman, but I must tell you that three of the jurors -- you needed a unanimous jury to sentence this man to death -- unanimous. At a minimum, three held out on that, saying that this man had a direct role in it. Very difficult burden for the government.
They thought the theatrics and the victims' statements, the victim impact statements, would be enough to do it, but it wasn't and it was clearly shown that this guy was a bit player without actual participation in it.
And he got really -- if you really want to think about it, the sentence he got is going to be absolutely horrendous. I mean, he is going to be in a small, little cell, sleeping on a slab.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, I agree with that.
HERMAN: He is going to be -- the guards, the C.O.s are going to harass this guy daily. He's going to be tortured, really.
WHITFIELD: Right, and what is it? Only one hour out of the day ...
HERMAN: One hour, that's right.
WHITFIELD: ... when you're allowed out of your cell.
HERMAN: That's right. One hour a day.
WHITFIELD: And so, Avery, do you agree that, you know, the prosecutors just really had an uphill battle? It was a huge challenge for them to try to covey to the jurors that Moussaoui was anything more than a wannabe.
FRIEDMAN: Well, you know what? I really thought about this a lot, and I really wonder on reflection, after we look at this trial, whether or not he was a bit player, the fact is if he did, if he would have disclosed to the appropriate federal authorities what he knew we would have been able to have saved 3,000 people and I think Congress is really going have to rethink what we do with terrorists.
WHITFIELD: So, Richard, you see the real legacy out of this is, in your words, this was a public train wreck?
HERMAN: It was a public train wreck, Fred, but I must tell you, all Americans must stand up and put their chests out here. This guy who took joy and glee with 2,000 deaths on 9/11, this man went through the criminal justice system in the United States. He received a fair trial. Where else in the world could this have happened except in the United States? We should take pride in that? We really.
WHITFIELD: Those are your thoughts on Zacarias Moussaoui. I'm very anxious to hear what you think the Anna Nicole Smith developments this week. We'll tell you what the U.S. Supreme Court said about her case earlier in the week and what might be next. Richard and Avery will be weighing in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: And new video just in to CNN. This is from a deadly accident at a high-rise apartment building in Florida. Three workers are dead, one injured at this construction site in Bal Harbour north of Miami. It happened several hours ago.
Authorities say the men were working on the 26th floor of the building when the wooden frame they were standing on collapsed and then they went falling down. Again, three workers dead, one hurt.
Other top stories, Britain confirms an unspecified number of British military personnel were killed today in a helicopter crash in the Iraqi city of Basra. At least four Iraqis were killed in clashes with British troops trying to secure the crash site.
In Afghanistan ten U.S. soldiers were killed when their transport helicopter crashed during combat operation. The U.S. military says yesterday's crash was not the result of enemy fire, however.
One day after Porter Goss' sudden resignation as CIA director, were told President Bush has picked Air Force general Michael Hayden to replace him. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.
Now back to our legal briefs and a big victory for Anna Nicole Smith. Earlier this week the Supreme Court ruled in her favor in her fight for her late husband's estate. The victory doesn't give Smith any money, at least not yet. The former playmate has had a long- running feud with the son of her late husband over the estate which, by the way is worth a cool $1.6 billion.
Any case involving Anna Nicole Smith is bound to attract a lot of attention as well as a few jokes by late-night TV hosts, but it actually involves some pretty serious legal issues, some of which a lot of us can learn from, right?
Avery Friedman and Richard Herman are back to continue our discussion about these legal briefs. All right. So Avery, refresh our memory, how in the world did this case, which usually would end up in probate court, how would it end up in Supreme Court?
FRIEDMAN: Well, the Supreme Court actually explained something it has never explained before. It said that when it comes to trying the underlying substance of a case that could be in probate court, the federal court clearly has jurisdiction. So while it's a highly technical case, the Supreme Court had very little trouble and virtually decided unanimously that federal courts, at least bankruptcy courts, have jurisdiction when it comes to adversary matters.
WHITFIELD: So, Richard, you got to compete, too, with the video on the right hand side of the screen. I know you can't, but how much longer might this play out in and out of court? Are we talking about a matter of months to be resolved or is this yet more years?
HERMAN: Think this is six months to a year and I think it was a very slick move here. You know, the case started in the Texas State court system. She got an adverse ruling there. It then went to federal court in California. Federal district court in California where she won and then up to the United States Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court says the California court had jurisdiction, so, you know, $1.6 billion, I think it's time to try to talk settlement here, because it looks like she may have a recovery.
WHITFIELD: You are seeing cha ching for here. Avery, do you see cha ching?
FRIEDMAN: The bizarre thing here is that during the argument, they were arguing about the Judiciary Act of 1879, she was crying and what was she thinking about, losing the Trim Spa account? What did that have to do with the argument? I actually have to agree with Richard. I think somebody better settle down with both parties and try to resolve it because I think it is going to take much longer than a year and, again, there is a fortune involved here.
WHITFIELD: Big fortune. Thanks so much. Avery, Richard, always good to see you. Have a good weekend.
Destination, Utah. A native American reservation could become the dumping ground for the nation's nuclear waste. Tribal leaders want the cash -- or they want the cash that kind of deal would bring in. Others say no way, it's too risky. Here's Gary Striker with our weekend feature, "Our Planet."
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GARY STRIKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's already a landfill on the Skull Valley Reservation, a spreading mountain of trash from Salt Lake City.
LEON BEAR, TRIBAL LEADER: This is where it's going to be.
STRIKER: But this band of Goshute Indians has a much bigger plan for this desolate land, a project it says is essential for America's future. BEAR: We are going to store 40,000 metric tons of spent fuel from the nation's nuclear power plants.
STRIKER: Ten years ago the Goshutes signed a deal for a $3 billion facility here for temporary storage of depleted uranium fuel rods in above-ground silos on made of concrete and steel. It triggered wide opposition, including Utah's governor and its entire congressional delegation. A reaction the Goshute's partner company says it expected.
BRUCE WHITEHEAD, PRIVATE FUEL STORAGE, LLC.: We knew going in that no politician is going to stand up and say, hey, bring it to my state. It would be political suicide to do that.
STRIKER: Critics say its location is too close to a major population area. Salt Lake City is only 50 miles away, beyond these mountains. But after a history of conflict, isolation and neglect, the tribe says it needs the project for revenue and jobs on this impoverished reservation.
There are 103 operating nuclear power plants in the U.S., many storing their radioactive waste on site. There communities, by and large, want the waste out of their backyard. The leaders of this tribe of about 150 Native Americans say send it here.
For CNN, Gary Striker, Skull Valley, Utah.
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WHITFIELD: Well, just one day after stepping down from the director of the CIA, Porter Goss now speaking live in Tiffin, Ohio, where he is the commencement speaker there at Tiffin University. Later on, we'll tell you exactly what he said, but as far as we understand right now -- oh, well, wait a minute. We're going to give you a chance to listen.
GOSS: We had a wonderful class. I just had the advantage of talking with students. It's especially happy for me to be speaking here in the Gillmor Student Center. It was my pleasure to serve in Congress with Paul Gillmor, whose family has done a lot of good things for Tiffin and for northwestern Ohio.
This center stands as a fitting tribute to the legacy of Paul's father, Dr. Paul M. Gillmor, as I'm sure you all know, and I'm very honored to be here, and I had the pleasure to meet Dianne, Paul's sister today, Dianne Krumsee, who's a board member. Thank you very much, from the Gillmor family who I've had great pleasure of working with.
By university numbers, Tiffin is a relatively small school, but you do punch well above ...
WHITFIELD: All right, a little bit there of Porter Goss, the man who just stepped down as the director of the CIA, speaking at Tiffin University and, of course, later on we'll give you an idea of what more he might be saying during his commencement address there, but so far, as you heard, no mention of his old job.
So when online, you probably recognize LOL to mean laugh out loud, right. Well, do you recognize these acronyms? POS and its variations are how kids signal each other online that a grownup just might be hovering by.
Well, if you see these letters in your child's online communications, you need to take notice. It could signal a lurking danger. This alphabet soup of online lingo is known as leetspeak. Throughout the day here on CNN, we'll tell you which ones are red flags, possible signs of an Internet predator trolling for your child.
Text messaging, instant messaging, e-mails, chat rooms -- kids today are practically born wired. For parents, that reality gives new urgency to the old adage don't talk to strangers.
CNN Boston bureau chief Dan Lothian explains.
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KATIE LECLERC, INTERNET SAVVY: Unbelievable the things that these kids are getting into online.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Katie Leclerc is an Internet-savvy 23-year-old holding the hands of parents as they take an eye-opening excursion through cyberspace.
LECLERC: So you can really know what's going on.
I don't take it lightly. It's not -- I do say I'm not trying to scare you but it's scary out there. So I'm honest.
LOTHIAN: With the explosion of social networking sites like MySpace and growing concerns over online predators, more and more communities in places like Massachusetts and Florida are finding that parents, not just children, need to be educated.
ERIC WALTON, COMPUTER FORENSIC ANALYST: We want them to be as comfortable as they can be in order to be able to help their kids.
LOTHIAN: Walton is part of a team training parents in Florida. Leclerc works for the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.
TOM REILLY, MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL: We had some cases and then we decided, you know, we better start some education here.
LOTHIAN: So Leclerc was hired full-time to crisscross the state, offering more than just tips and talking points. She logs on to live chat rooms, poses as a 14-year-old blond girl with blue eyes and shows these Massachusetts parents how easy it is for chatter to turn dark and potentially dangerous.
LECLERC: See, I just got offered a cyber sex chat.
LOTHIAN: Then comes this offer.
LECLERC: Any sexy, petite blond or brunette females under 21 want to make a sexy 20-year-old male feel better? I'm really stressed out.
LOTHIAN: Leclerc then goes back and forth, instant messaging a 20-year-old male who jokes he doesn't mind that she's 14.
REILLY: And we show them and they realize what their children have access to.
MARYANNE ELLIS, PARENT: It was wild.
LOTHIAN: Maryanne Ellis, a mom, says she now understands the potential online dangers facing her 17-year-old daughter and others like her.
ELLIS: All her friends have her pictures from a prom on the Internet and they can be tapped into in various places and it's out of her control.
LOTHIAN: This effort isn't aimed at pulling the plug on the Internet or MySpace, just a tool to help parents make good decisions and ask their children the right questions.
LECLERC: What are you doing? Who are you're friends? What are you using? Show me how to use it.
LOTHIAN (on camera): All of the sites have safety guidelines, and some have age restrictions. So if your child is too young, then those sites should probably be blocked.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, "CNN PRESENTS: REASONABLE DOUBT." Can crime labs be trusted?
And later at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, what can you do to prepare for a possible flu pandemic? A check of the day's headlines straight ahead, then CNN presents.
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