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Grisly Video Surfaces on Al Qaeda Web Site; Iraq Abuse Scandal Blamed on Lack of Leadership
Aired May 11, 2004 - 15:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: At the top of hour, an Army investigator blames faulty leadership, lack of training and a lack of supervision for the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq. General Antonio Taguba testified today before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He says abuses at Abu Ghraib prison were the work of what he called a few soldiers and civilians.
A possible transfer in Saddam Hussein's near future. The head of the Iraq War Crimes Tribunal says that United States is considering whether to turn Saddam over to Iraqis before June 30. A Pentagon official says the date of Saddam's transfer has not been decided.
Heavy fighting in Gaza kills six Israelis and seven Palestinians. Israelis fired from helicopters, rooftops and tanks after the six Israeli soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing. The Israelis have said that they will not leave ground zero without the remains of their fallen soldiers.
Colorado's attorney general declines to file charges in nine allegations of rape involving members of the University of Colorado's football team. Attorney General Ken Salazar says the investigation continue, but the nine cases in question were hampered by problems involving evidence and the reluctance on the part of alleged victims.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with bloody revenge, so-called redemption for Abu Ghraib.
As we have been reporting, gruesome video on a Web site linked to al Qaeda shows the beheading of a man who says he's an American, Nick Berg of Philadelphia. His killers say they want to redeem the dignity of Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib Prison and they claim they tried to swap their prisoner for some in Abu Ghraib, but the U.S. administration refused.
We get more on all of this from CNN national security correspondent David Ensor in Washington -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, on the Web site, a group claiming to be Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's gang, show the man, who identifies himself on the tape as American Nick Berg of Philadelphia.
A hooded terrorist then reads a statement in which he says that -- quote -- "The dignity of Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib Prison in and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls." The man promises -- quote -- "coffins after coffins slaughtered in this way." He says that the U.S. refused to exchange Berg for prisoners in Abu Ghraib Prison. However, a senior U.S. official tells CNN he does not believe that is true.
The tape then shows Berg being executed, his head being cut off with a large knife. Berg's family say he disappeared April 9 while in Iraq seeking work as a civilian contractor. They were informed Monday that his body was found, the head severed from the body. The Web site where the tape was shown appears to suggest that Berg was killed by Abu Musab Zarqawi himself. Now, Zarqawi has a terrorist group tied to al Qaeda which U.S. intelligence believes responsible for a number of the attacks against Westerners in Iraq, as well as the murderer of an American diplomat in Amman, Jordan. Zarqawi is a Jordanian.
U.S. officials say it is plausible that the Zarqawi group could have kidnapped and killed Berg and they're looking into the case. A statement just issued by the White House spokesman said that thoughts and prayers are with the family and that the killers will be brought to justice -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: David, clear up a few things us, to the best we can at this point. I know this is just kind of unfolding. But what do we know about Nick Berg, why he was in Iraq, how he was taken prisoner?
ENSOR: Our understanding is that he is a communications specialist and he was in Iraq looking for work. He may or may have not gotten some as a civilian contractor, working on the reconstruction of Iraq. He was taken prisoner, we understand, on April 9.
This was after having been taken in by Iraqi officials and kept as a prisoner for a few days. He was then interviewed, we are told, by U.S. officials and he was released and told it was pretty dangerous and he probably ought to leave. His family has said that he communicated with them that he was planning to leave and agreed that it was dangerous and then they lost contact with him.
Now, they say that on Monday they got word that his body had been found -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: David Ensor, thank you very much. Appreciate it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now to Capitol Hill, where the Pentagon's handpicked investigator blamed the prison abuse debacle on a failure or outright absence of leadership training and supervision.
CNN's Sean Callebs has more about that -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the man who drafted that report exposing prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison was among those front and center in front of a Senate committee today.
General Antonio Taguba was asked the question on the minds of so many people around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: In simple words, your own soldiers' language, how did this happen?
MAJ. GEN. ANTONIO TAGUBA, U.S. ARMY: Failure in leadership, sir, from the brigade commander on down, lack of discipline, no training whatsoever and no supervision. Supervisory omission was rampant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: A number of digital photographs chronicling the treatment of detainees at the hands of American troops, some detailing how Iraqis were forced into humiliating poses simulating sex acts.
Some U.S. troops at the prison contend they were told to soften up prisoners for interrogation by depriving detainees of sleep, placing hoods over their hood heads and stripping prisoners naked. Many senators openly wondering if abuse was widespread or limited in size and scope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The photo we see of the detainee on the stool wired up, was that just six or seven people having a good time in a perverted way at that person's expense or was there something deeper going on there, and do you know?
TAGUBA: Sir, based on the evidence, it was six or seven people that created that type of a scenario or situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: This is significant as well. Taguba said he found no evidence written or otherwise that the soldiers involved in the abuse were ordered to do so, but believed there was low-level collaboration among some troops in military intelligence.
There was for disagree between Taguba and the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, Stephen Cambone. Taguba says control of the notorious prison had been turned over to military intelligence. Cambone disputes that, saying military police controlled Abu Ghraib -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Sean Callebs out of Washington, thank you.
More violence today across Iraq. An American civilian convoy was attacked on the main highway from Jordan to Baghdad.
Our Karl Penhaul is in Baghdad with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials have said that 21 trucks, part of a civilian convoy, came under fire from suspected insurgents this morning, as that convoy worked its way from Jordan along the main highway to Baghdad. The U.S. official at the time said that a number of personnel on board that convoy were unaccounted for, though he did specify that no military personnel had been traveling with that. Since then, a spokesperson for Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, has released a statement saying that a subcontractor for Kellogg, Brown & Root were responsible for that convoy and that all drivers have been accounted for now.
The spokesperson, though, didn't specify what damage had occurred to the vehicles in the convoy or whether there had been any casualties among the personnel aboard. Also this morning in the northern city of Kirkuk, the city that's claimed by Kurds, by Turkmen and Arabs, are continuing the spate of violence there. A bomb went off in a crowded marketplace in a Kurdish neighborhood and officials in the city tell us that three civilians were killed and at least 22 others were injured.
So far, there's been no claim of responsibility as to who may have been behind that attack. Now, from north to south, to the holy city of Najaf, which lies south of the capital, Baghdad, a continuing standoff between coalition forces there and the firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his so-called Mahdi Army militia.
In fighting overnight, 13 members of the Mahdi Army were killed in fighting on the outskirts of Najaf; 14 others, we understand, were captured by coalition forces. And then in the course of the day we understand that there was a spontaneous celebration -- a demonstration, rather -- by about 1,000 people, shopkeepers and civilians, who came out calling for Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army to leave the city to spare the city from the possibility of further bloodshed.
Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: News across America now.
Security for the Republican National Convention will carry a heavy price tag. New York's police commissioner says it will cost $76 million to provide security and insurance for the August event. That's almost three times the cost estimated a few months ago.
Will he or won't he? John Ramsey expected to announce he's running for a statehouse seat in Michigan. The father of murdered child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey lives in northern Michigan.
Request denied. A judge has turned down a request from Scott Peterson's attorney to move his trial for a second time. Mark Geragos argued the trial should be moved from Redwood City to Los Angeles because of pretrial publicity.
And a plea could come as early as today from Kobe Bryant, the NBA star expected to plead not guilty to charges of raping a 19-year-old woman last June. His trial is to begin in August.
PHILLIPS: So, did you get your tax refund yet?
O'BRIEN: No. We've established we're losers and filed the extension.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Uncle Sam is handing out checks, except to me and Miles, because we're procrastinators. But the amount may surprise you once you get your check.
O'BRIEN: Uncle Sam is using our money right now.
Then, do you know what your kids are up to at the prom? It's not like the old days. Well, in some ways, it's like the old days. Anyway, we'll get some advice from parents from syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
O'BRIEN: We have got a great segment coming up with Amy Dickinson of "Ask Amy." And while watching that segment just now, she said you look just like Mona Lisa.
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's nice of her.
O'BRIEN: I think she's right. I think she's on to something.
PHILLIPS: Play a little music.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: All right, thanks, Mona. We'll see you later.
SCHAFFLER: See you.
PHILLIPS: We just renamed her.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. She's got that look.
PHILLIPS: She does. She has that beautiful Mona Lisa smile.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: All right, so, did you go to your high school prom?
O'BRIEN: Of course I went. You didn't?
PHILLIPS: Actually, I went. I was lying.
O'BRIEN: You did. You were lying. PHILLIPS: I was lying.
O'BRIEN: As many parents know, it can be quite a big event these days. There's kind of prom creep. The prom just gets bigger. It's like a Polish wedding now, days and days.
PHILLIPS: How about the dresses? The dresses get skimpier.
O'BRIEN: Oh, God. I'm just hoping I can get Connery (ph) in the convent by then.
Anyway, with kids going away for the whole weekend, if this makes you nervous, "The Chicago Tribune" advice columnist, syndicated all over the world, Amy Dickinson, is here to give you some -- sorry to smack you -- here to give you some advice.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Miles just knocked her out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, with apologies to Robert Preston, I say we've got trouble right here in River City. And that begins with T. And that rhymes with P. And that stands for prom. This ain't your grandpa's prom anymore.
Not only do the kids want a limo for the night, big stretch, the prom itself has become a mere springboard for more socializing than moms and dads may be willing to tolerate. What to do. What to do. We decided to ask Amy, Amy Dickinson in the house here in Atlanta visiting our fine city.
Good to have you with us.
AMY DICKINSON, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, you got a lot of letters about this.
DICKINSON: Huge.
O'BRIEN: And this one we have picked is, I guess, as emblematic as any.
O'BRIEN: "Dear Amy, I would like to know when this whole practice of kids going away for the weekend after the prom started. The whole time, they are there in a rental house and the kids drink and have sex. And it's like a frat party with absolutely no adult supervision. Truly upset about this, but since all of my son's friends are going and spending two days in the rental house, I was compelled to have to let my son go." Signed, "Mom."
DICKINSON: Right.
O'BRIEN: One answer would be just say no, but you can't do that, can you? DICKINSON: Well, you know, you can.
O'BRIEN: Or you can.
DICKINSON: And I've always wanted to say this on television but, like, what are you, a man or a mouse?
You what I'm saying? At some point...
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
DICKINSON: At some point, you have to say to your even your son, even if he's almost grown, even if he -- he'll be in college in three months. You say, son, I'm not done with you yet, OK?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
DICKINSON: You have to maintain some semblance of control, even if it's a semblance. And that means check out their plans thoroughly. If there's a rental house involved, you had better find out who is renting it. Call that person. Make sure they know they're renting it. There's lots of shenanigans.
O'BRIEN: Make sure they know they're renting it.
DICKINSON: Make sure they know.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Before we get into the specifics here, you did some firsthand research on this.
DICKINSON: I did.
O'BRIEN: You actually went to a prom.
Tell me about this. What did you see and how is it different from our era?
DICKINSON: Well, I went to a wonderful prom last year, I guess, trying to relive my own high school. I was trying to redress some things that happened in high school, some unfortunate...
O'BRIEN: Did you wear a big corsage or anything?
(CROSSTALK)
DICKINSON: Yes, I did my best.
And you know what? In a way, it's refreshingly like it always was, kids kind of all stiff and scared and nervous.
O'BRIEN: Dancing 20 miles apart.
DICKINSON: Right. And with a top hat. Like, lots of guys dressed like Mr. Peanut, you know?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
DICKINSON: So, in a way, it was really darling.
O'BRIEN: I never did that.
DICKINSON: It was really -- it was refreshing. But, in another way, it was very nerve-racking, because, after the prom -- the prom ends at midnight -- then what? That's when it gets a little nerve- racking.
O'BRIEN: They're just getting started on the fun, in a way, right?
DICKINSON: They're just getting started.
O'BRIEN: They've been dancing and the band reaches a crescendo and off they go into the night.
DICKINSON: Right. They spill into the night. Then what?
One thing I loved about this community that I visited was, the parents and the teachers and the school, really based on very tragic events of car crashes and accidents in previous years, they got together and they hosted an all-night party that kids came to. And this actually was very well attended.
And what they did was so smart. They had a raffle kind of through the night. It started out small and the last thing they raffled at 5:00 in the morning was something like a big screen TV.
O'BRIEN: So there's some incentive.
(CROSSTALK)
DICKINSON: Yes.
O'BRIEN: They were in a lockdown.
(CROSSTALK)
DICKINSON: They were in lockdown.
O'BRIEN: And they couldn't leave, right? Because, if they leave, that's trouble. You know they're out.
DICKINSON: That's right.
So the deal is, they gave them plenty to do. The deal is, if they left, they could not come back in, which is a very, very, very basic, very good rule. You don't want the in and out thing. That's when you get into trouble. So this was a very successful event, very heavily attended. And the junior -- the parents of the juniors chaperoned, which is also great, because you don't want your mom there. O'BRIEN: You don't want your mom and dad there on prom night. And then the sun rises and then they think, send them off. Is it OK?
DICKINSON: Then all the teachers and the parents cook breakfast, which is great.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
DICKINSON: So then they spill out into the daylight, stumble home and sleep. That's ideal.
O'BRIEN: All right. But that's not quite the rental weekend, which takes it to another level.
DICKINSON: No.
O'BRIEN: I'll tell you what. Let's go through some of the tips that you have put together here.
Say -- that was the first option, just say no and set a curfew.
DICKINSON: Right.
O'BRIEN: You run the risk, though, of irreparable harm between you ask your child, soon to be an adult.
DICKINSON: Well, actually, and the curfew you can set can be maybe a 2:00 a.m. curfew or a 3:00 a.m. curfew.
O'BRIEN: 2006, whatever.
DICKINSON: Or you know what? You can say, meet me at the Dunkin' Donuts at 3:00 a.m. and I'll pick you up there. You can build in some leniency here.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: All right. And that speaks to the next one, which is, allow them to go with certain limits, which -- those seem reasonable. I guess having reasonable limits is a key here, right?
DICKINSON: Right. Right.
O'BRIEN: Join other parents and host the lock-in, as you just suggested. And the tip on having not the senior parents I think is a good one to point out. So maybe parents can all kind of band together on that one.
DICKINSON: And teachers. Teachers are often very happy to do this.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Yes, but do you want to see your teacher there after all that, I don't know, is another question.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: All right, do not rent a hotel room. I think that's in the duh category. I'm not going to rent anybody...
DICKINSON: Miles, this prom I went to, kids, 30 kids got tossed out of a hotel before the prom because a parent had in fact rented a hotel room.
O'BRIEN: Oh, boy.
DICKINSON: And the hotel within 10 minutes, they were booting these kids out.
O'BRIEN: Oh, imagine that, yes, yes. I can just see up and down the elevator and whatever, all the noise.
All right, if there's a party at your house -- this is so key, parents. You have got to really listen to this. This is serious stuff, because, these days, the implications and the ramifications are really grave.
DICKINSON: Very, very, very, very serious. That's right.
O'BRIEN: You don't want people drinking at your house driving, because you are held legally responsible.
DICKINSON: Right.
O'BRIEN: And be explicit drinking, drugs, and sex. You have got to say what the rules are.
DICKINSON: Right. And here's the thing. Even if your child has hoodwinked you or persuaded you that they're going to do this, please take this as yet another opportunity to have very, very, very specific, explicit conversations.
O'BRIEN: And finally, limo does not equal safety. I'm not sure who would have had that idea. I guess it's kind of a dodge. Well, they're not driving. It will be OK. Not so, right?
(CROSSTALK)
DICKINSON: Well, some limo drivers -- and this is another thing to do, check out the limo company. Some drivers have very, very specific rules about no backpacks, no purses in the limo. They basically strip these kids down and toss everything in the trunk. And the limo's for a ride.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: OK, limo for a ride only.
Amy Dickinson, good advice. I hope you parents out there were listening. And we'll send you the tips by e-mail if you missed them, but, boy, that was -- that will be good stuff for the parents who are worried this prom season. DICKINSON: Right.
PHILLIPS: You'll chauffeur your kids. That's for sure.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes. They're going to love that.
PHILLIPS: All right, that wraps it up for LIVE FROM.
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 11, 2004 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: At the top of hour, an Army investigator blames faulty leadership, lack of training and a lack of supervision for the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq. General Antonio Taguba testified today before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He says abuses at Abu Ghraib prison were the work of what he called a few soldiers and civilians.
A possible transfer in Saddam Hussein's near future. The head of the Iraq War Crimes Tribunal says that United States is considering whether to turn Saddam over to Iraqis before June 30. A Pentagon official says the date of Saddam's transfer has not been decided.
Heavy fighting in Gaza kills six Israelis and seven Palestinians. Israelis fired from helicopters, rooftops and tanks after the six Israeli soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing. The Israelis have said that they will not leave ground zero without the remains of their fallen soldiers.
Colorado's attorney general declines to file charges in nine allegations of rape involving members of the University of Colorado's football team. Attorney General Ken Salazar says the investigation continue, but the nine cases in question were hampered by problems involving evidence and the reluctance on the part of alleged victims.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with bloody revenge, so-called redemption for Abu Ghraib.
As we have been reporting, gruesome video on a Web site linked to al Qaeda shows the beheading of a man who says he's an American, Nick Berg of Philadelphia. His killers say they want to redeem the dignity of Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib Prison and they claim they tried to swap their prisoner for some in Abu Ghraib, but the U.S. administration refused.
We get more on all of this from CNN national security correspondent David Ensor in Washington -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, on the Web site, a group claiming to be Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's gang, show the man, who identifies himself on the tape as American Nick Berg of Philadelphia.
A hooded terrorist then reads a statement in which he says that -- quote -- "The dignity of Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib Prison in and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls." The man promises -- quote -- "coffins after coffins slaughtered in this way." He says that the U.S. refused to exchange Berg for prisoners in Abu Ghraib Prison. However, a senior U.S. official tells CNN he does not believe that is true.
The tape then shows Berg being executed, his head being cut off with a large knife. Berg's family say he disappeared April 9 while in Iraq seeking work as a civilian contractor. They were informed Monday that his body was found, the head severed from the body. The Web site where the tape was shown appears to suggest that Berg was killed by Abu Musab Zarqawi himself. Now, Zarqawi has a terrorist group tied to al Qaeda which U.S. intelligence believes responsible for a number of the attacks against Westerners in Iraq, as well as the murderer of an American diplomat in Amman, Jordan. Zarqawi is a Jordanian.
U.S. officials say it is plausible that the Zarqawi group could have kidnapped and killed Berg and they're looking into the case. A statement just issued by the White House spokesman said that thoughts and prayers are with the family and that the killers will be brought to justice -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: David, clear up a few things us, to the best we can at this point. I know this is just kind of unfolding. But what do we know about Nick Berg, why he was in Iraq, how he was taken prisoner?
ENSOR: Our understanding is that he is a communications specialist and he was in Iraq looking for work. He may or may have not gotten some as a civilian contractor, working on the reconstruction of Iraq. He was taken prisoner, we understand, on April 9.
This was after having been taken in by Iraqi officials and kept as a prisoner for a few days. He was then interviewed, we are told, by U.S. officials and he was released and told it was pretty dangerous and he probably ought to leave. His family has said that he communicated with them that he was planning to leave and agreed that it was dangerous and then they lost contact with him.
Now, they say that on Monday they got word that his body had been found -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: David Ensor, thank you very much. Appreciate it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now to Capitol Hill, where the Pentagon's handpicked investigator blamed the prison abuse debacle on a failure or outright absence of leadership training and supervision.
CNN's Sean Callebs has more about that -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the man who drafted that report exposing prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison was among those front and center in front of a Senate committee today.
General Antonio Taguba was asked the question on the minds of so many people around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: In simple words, your own soldiers' language, how did this happen?
MAJ. GEN. ANTONIO TAGUBA, U.S. ARMY: Failure in leadership, sir, from the brigade commander on down, lack of discipline, no training whatsoever and no supervision. Supervisory omission was rampant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: A number of digital photographs chronicling the treatment of detainees at the hands of American troops, some detailing how Iraqis were forced into humiliating poses simulating sex acts.
Some U.S. troops at the prison contend they were told to soften up prisoners for interrogation by depriving detainees of sleep, placing hoods over their hood heads and stripping prisoners naked. Many senators openly wondering if abuse was widespread or limited in size and scope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The photo we see of the detainee on the stool wired up, was that just six or seven people having a good time in a perverted way at that person's expense or was there something deeper going on there, and do you know?
TAGUBA: Sir, based on the evidence, it was six or seven people that created that type of a scenario or situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: This is significant as well. Taguba said he found no evidence written or otherwise that the soldiers involved in the abuse were ordered to do so, but believed there was low-level collaboration among some troops in military intelligence.
There was for disagree between Taguba and the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, Stephen Cambone. Taguba says control of the notorious prison had been turned over to military intelligence. Cambone disputes that, saying military police controlled Abu Ghraib -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Sean Callebs out of Washington, thank you.
More violence today across Iraq. An American civilian convoy was attacked on the main highway from Jordan to Baghdad.
Our Karl Penhaul is in Baghdad with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials have said that 21 trucks, part of a civilian convoy, came under fire from suspected insurgents this morning, as that convoy worked its way from Jordan along the main highway to Baghdad. The U.S. official at the time said that a number of personnel on board that convoy were unaccounted for, though he did specify that no military personnel had been traveling with that. Since then, a spokesperson for Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, has released a statement saying that a subcontractor for Kellogg, Brown & Root were responsible for that convoy and that all drivers have been accounted for now.
The spokesperson, though, didn't specify what damage had occurred to the vehicles in the convoy or whether there had been any casualties among the personnel aboard. Also this morning in the northern city of Kirkuk, the city that's claimed by Kurds, by Turkmen and Arabs, are continuing the spate of violence there. A bomb went off in a crowded marketplace in a Kurdish neighborhood and officials in the city tell us that three civilians were killed and at least 22 others were injured.
So far, there's been no claim of responsibility as to who may have been behind that attack. Now, from north to south, to the holy city of Najaf, which lies south of the capital, Baghdad, a continuing standoff between coalition forces there and the firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his so-called Mahdi Army militia.
In fighting overnight, 13 members of the Mahdi Army were killed in fighting on the outskirts of Najaf; 14 others, we understand, were captured by coalition forces. And then in the course of the day we understand that there was a spontaneous celebration -- a demonstration, rather -- by about 1,000 people, shopkeepers and civilians, who came out calling for Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army to leave the city to spare the city from the possibility of further bloodshed.
Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: News across America now.
Security for the Republican National Convention will carry a heavy price tag. New York's police commissioner says it will cost $76 million to provide security and insurance for the August event. That's almost three times the cost estimated a few months ago.
Will he or won't he? John Ramsey expected to announce he's running for a statehouse seat in Michigan. The father of murdered child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey lives in northern Michigan.
Request denied. A judge has turned down a request from Scott Peterson's attorney to move his trial for a second time. Mark Geragos argued the trial should be moved from Redwood City to Los Angeles because of pretrial publicity.
And a plea could come as early as today from Kobe Bryant, the NBA star expected to plead not guilty to charges of raping a 19-year-old woman last June. His trial is to begin in August.
PHILLIPS: So, did you get your tax refund yet?
O'BRIEN: No. We've established we're losers and filed the extension.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Uncle Sam is handing out checks, except to me and Miles, because we're procrastinators. But the amount may surprise you once you get your check.
O'BRIEN: Uncle Sam is using our money right now.
Then, do you know what your kids are up to at the prom? It's not like the old days. Well, in some ways, it's like the old days. Anyway, we'll get some advice from parents from syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
O'BRIEN: We have got a great segment coming up with Amy Dickinson of "Ask Amy." And while watching that segment just now, she said you look just like Mona Lisa.
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's nice of her.
O'BRIEN: I think she's right. I think she's on to something.
PHILLIPS: Play a little music.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: All right, thanks, Mona. We'll see you later.
SCHAFFLER: See you.
PHILLIPS: We just renamed her.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. She's got that look.
PHILLIPS: She does. She has that beautiful Mona Lisa smile.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: All right, so, did you go to your high school prom?
O'BRIEN: Of course I went. You didn't?
PHILLIPS: Actually, I went. I was lying.
O'BRIEN: You did. You were lying. PHILLIPS: I was lying.
O'BRIEN: As many parents know, it can be quite a big event these days. There's kind of prom creep. The prom just gets bigger. It's like a Polish wedding now, days and days.
PHILLIPS: How about the dresses? The dresses get skimpier.
O'BRIEN: Oh, God. I'm just hoping I can get Connery (ph) in the convent by then.
Anyway, with kids going away for the whole weekend, if this makes you nervous, "The Chicago Tribune" advice columnist, syndicated all over the world, Amy Dickinson, is here to give you some -- sorry to smack you -- here to give you some advice.
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PHILLIPS: Miles just knocked her out.
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O'BRIEN: Well, with apologies to Robert Preston, I say we've got trouble right here in River City. And that begins with T. And that rhymes with P. And that stands for prom. This ain't your grandpa's prom anymore.
Not only do the kids want a limo for the night, big stretch, the prom itself has become a mere springboard for more socializing than moms and dads may be willing to tolerate. What to do. What to do. We decided to ask Amy, Amy Dickinson in the house here in Atlanta visiting our fine city.
Good to have you with us.
AMY DICKINSON, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, you got a lot of letters about this.
DICKINSON: Huge.
O'BRIEN: And this one we have picked is, I guess, as emblematic as any.
O'BRIEN: "Dear Amy, I would like to know when this whole practice of kids going away for the weekend after the prom started. The whole time, they are there in a rental house and the kids drink and have sex. And it's like a frat party with absolutely no adult supervision. Truly upset about this, but since all of my son's friends are going and spending two days in the rental house, I was compelled to have to let my son go." Signed, "Mom."
DICKINSON: Right.
O'BRIEN: One answer would be just say no, but you can't do that, can you? DICKINSON: Well, you know, you can.
O'BRIEN: Or you can.
DICKINSON: And I've always wanted to say this on television but, like, what are you, a man or a mouse?
You what I'm saying? At some point...
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(LAUGHTER)
DICKINSON: At some point, you have to say to your even your son, even if he's almost grown, even if he -- he'll be in college in three months. You say, son, I'm not done with you yet, OK?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
DICKINSON: You have to maintain some semblance of control, even if it's a semblance. And that means check out their plans thoroughly. If there's a rental house involved, you had better find out who is renting it. Call that person. Make sure they know they're renting it. There's lots of shenanigans.
O'BRIEN: Make sure they know they're renting it.
DICKINSON: Make sure they know.
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O'BRIEN: Before we get into the specifics here, you did some firsthand research on this.
DICKINSON: I did.
O'BRIEN: You actually went to a prom.
Tell me about this. What did you see and how is it different from our era?
DICKINSON: Well, I went to a wonderful prom last year, I guess, trying to relive my own high school. I was trying to redress some things that happened in high school, some unfortunate...
O'BRIEN: Did you wear a big corsage or anything?
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DICKINSON: Yes, I did my best.
And you know what? In a way, it's refreshingly like it always was, kids kind of all stiff and scared and nervous.
O'BRIEN: Dancing 20 miles apart.
DICKINSON: Right. And with a top hat. Like, lots of guys dressed like Mr. Peanut, you know?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
DICKINSON: So, in a way, it was really darling.
O'BRIEN: I never did that.
DICKINSON: It was really -- it was refreshing. But, in another way, it was very nerve-racking, because, after the prom -- the prom ends at midnight -- then what? That's when it gets a little nerve- racking.
O'BRIEN: They're just getting started on the fun, in a way, right?
DICKINSON: They're just getting started.
O'BRIEN: They've been dancing and the band reaches a crescendo and off they go into the night.
DICKINSON: Right. They spill into the night. Then what?
One thing I loved about this community that I visited was, the parents and the teachers and the school, really based on very tragic events of car crashes and accidents in previous years, they got together and they hosted an all-night party that kids came to. And this actually was very well attended.
And what they did was so smart. They had a raffle kind of through the night. It started out small and the last thing they raffled at 5:00 in the morning was something like a big screen TV.
O'BRIEN: So there's some incentive.
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DICKINSON: Yes.
O'BRIEN: They were in a lockdown.
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DICKINSON: They were in lockdown.
O'BRIEN: And they couldn't leave, right? Because, if they leave, that's trouble. You know they're out.
DICKINSON: That's right.
So the deal is, they gave them plenty to do. The deal is, if they left, they could not come back in, which is a very, very, very basic, very good rule. You don't want the in and out thing. That's when you get into trouble. So this was a very successful event, very heavily attended. And the junior -- the parents of the juniors chaperoned, which is also great, because you don't want your mom there. O'BRIEN: You don't want your mom and dad there on prom night. And then the sun rises and then they think, send them off. Is it OK?
DICKINSON: Then all the teachers and the parents cook breakfast, which is great.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
DICKINSON: So then they spill out into the daylight, stumble home and sleep. That's ideal.
O'BRIEN: All right. But that's not quite the rental weekend, which takes it to another level.
DICKINSON: No.
O'BRIEN: I'll tell you what. Let's go through some of the tips that you have put together here.
Say -- that was the first option, just say no and set a curfew.
DICKINSON: Right.
O'BRIEN: You run the risk, though, of irreparable harm between you ask your child, soon to be an adult.
DICKINSON: Well, actually, and the curfew you can set can be maybe a 2:00 a.m. curfew or a 3:00 a.m. curfew.
O'BRIEN: 2006, whatever.
DICKINSON: Or you know what? You can say, meet me at the Dunkin' Donuts at 3:00 a.m. and I'll pick you up there. You can build in some leniency here.
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O'BRIEN: All right. And that speaks to the next one, which is, allow them to go with certain limits, which -- those seem reasonable. I guess having reasonable limits is a key here, right?
DICKINSON: Right. Right.
O'BRIEN: Join other parents and host the lock-in, as you just suggested. And the tip on having not the senior parents I think is a good one to point out. So maybe parents can all kind of band together on that one.
DICKINSON: And teachers. Teachers are often very happy to do this.
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O'BRIEN: Yes, but do you want to see your teacher there after all that, I don't know, is another question.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: All right, do not rent a hotel room. I think that's in the duh category. I'm not going to rent anybody...
DICKINSON: Miles, this prom I went to, kids, 30 kids got tossed out of a hotel before the prom because a parent had in fact rented a hotel room.
O'BRIEN: Oh, boy.
DICKINSON: And the hotel within 10 minutes, they were booting these kids out.
O'BRIEN: Oh, imagine that, yes, yes. I can just see up and down the elevator and whatever, all the noise.
All right, if there's a party at your house -- this is so key, parents. You have got to really listen to this. This is serious stuff, because, these days, the implications and the ramifications are really grave.
DICKINSON: Very, very, very, very serious. That's right.
O'BRIEN: You don't want people drinking at your house driving, because you are held legally responsible.
DICKINSON: Right.
O'BRIEN: And be explicit drinking, drugs, and sex. You have got to say what the rules are.
DICKINSON: Right. And here's the thing. Even if your child has hoodwinked you or persuaded you that they're going to do this, please take this as yet another opportunity to have very, very, very specific, explicit conversations.
O'BRIEN: And finally, limo does not equal safety. I'm not sure who would have had that idea. I guess it's kind of a dodge. Well, they're not driving. It will be OK. Not so, right?
(CROSSTALK)
DICKINSON: Well, some limo drivers -- and this is another thing to do, check out the limo company. Some drivers have very, very specific rules about no backpacks, no purses in the limo. They basically strip these kids down and toss everything in the trunk. And the limo's for a ride.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: OK, limo for a ride only.
Amy Dickinson, good advice. I hope you parents out there were listening. And we'll send you the tips by e-mail if you missed them, but, boy, that was -- that will be good stuff for the parents who are worried this prom season. DICKINSON: Right.
PHILLIPS: You'll chauffeur your kids. That's for sure.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes. They're going to love that.
PHILLIPS: All right, that wraps it up for LIVE FROM.
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