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Baltimore Policy Have 2 Suspects in Child Slaying; Travel Tips for Holiday Weekend
Aired May 28, 2004 - 13:59 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was an act of someone who obviously has no conscience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A horrific discovery. Three children decapitated. The family and investigators are stunned. And now two suspects are in custody.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush confident about handing over control to Iraq. Will that country be ready in 33 days?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gary Tuchman live at the Atlanta airport, where terrorism warnings and security nightmares are not expected to deter more than 4 million leisure travelers from traveling this Memorial Day weekend. We'll have the story.
O'BRIEN: Remembering heroism, sacrifice, and courage, a dream 60 years in the making finally set to become a reality.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien. Kyra Phillips is off today.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM... begins right now.
O'BRIEN: And we begin with arrests in a horrible case in Baltimore. Police there are hold two men in the horrific killing of three young children, one of whom was totally, the other two partially beheaded. The suspects are cousins to each other and somehow related to the victims, two of who are siblings and cousins to the third. We get the latest on all this from CNN's Kathleen Koch live from the scene -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, again, this city, this neighborhood reeling from the brutality of these horrible murders. This being a very, very quiet neighborhood of Baltimore, in northwestern Baltimore which is not accustomed to brutal crimes like this.
Arrested and right now in custody, as you mentioned, are two cousins, 17-year-old Adan Espinosa Canela, and 22-year-old Policarpio Espinosa. The two men said to be cousins and actually the uncles of the three young children who were so brutally murdered. The three children, their bodies -- the bodies of the children 10-year-old Alexis Quesada, her 9-year-old brother Lucero, and another 9-year-old boy, Ricardo Espinosa, were found in two of the bedrooms of this apartment, found last night around 5:20 by one of the mothers of the children when she returned home from work.
Now, police say that they have the two young men in custody and as yet they've given no motive for these crimes that they're charged with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little bit -- I'm still a little scared to know that that happened. With a 1-year-old son, you have to be, you have to be worried and you have to be cautious. I mean, with any children and we have a lot of wonderful children around here that played with these children and they did not deserve what happened to them. And to think that I will never see those faces again, it hurts. I mean, I get chills down my body when I think about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Well, that was one of the neighbors who shares an apartment building -- an apartment in this apartment complex where these three young children were so brutally murdered.
And at this point, Police say there is no sign of breaking or entering, no sign of robbery. They have collected quite a great deal of evidence from the scene. One piece, very important piece being what they believe is the murder weapon, a butcher knife, the blade 10 to 12 inches long.
Now the police say that they do believe that they have the two suspects who are primarily responsible in custody, but they aren't ruling out other arrests, saying this investigation is continuing -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Kathleen Koch in Baltimore, thank you very much.
Elsewhere across America this hour, we're getting word police in Miami have tracked down the mother of the 3-year-old boy who was abandoned last night along with his birth certificate and medical records at a McDonald's downtown. The child said to be confused but unhurt. His mother charged with neglect.
Tornados blamed for turning houses into kindling last night in Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri. The Kentucky town of Eminence, just east of Louisville, took a direct hit, no deaths or serious injuries reported however.
And in Florida they fear a lot more brushland will go up in smoke over the long, probably dry holiday weekend. About 2000 acres burned yesterday near Jacksonville. So far no buildings in the way.
WHITFIELD: Much talk today about a new leader for Iraq after the June 30 handover. The Iraqi Governing Council has designated one of its members, Iyad Allawi, to serve as interim president in a post- handover government. U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi welcomed the choice, so did coalition head Paul Bremer. But in Washington, the White House says it's not a done deal yet. That's where we find our Frank Buckley.
Still not a done deal, what is the holdup, Frank?
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Bush administration continues to hold the view it is going to await the official putting forward of the list of names from Lakhdar Brahimi that has the entire list of names of people he is officially recommending for the posts in the interim government, and that includes Iyad Allawi.
As Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, put it, this is one idea among many ideas of the names of people who will play a role in the interim government. A senior administration official did say today, however, that the U.S. has worked well with Allawi in the past.
President Bush, meanwhile, appeared in the Rose Garden today with Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen. One question on the table during their meeting, would some 500 Danish troops remain in Iraq during this transition of power? The prime minister saying, yes, they will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, DANISH PRIME MINISTER: From June 30 an international military presence in Iraq will be provided, I request, from this new Iraqi government. Our troops will stay in Iraq as long as the Iraqi government decides.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: President Bush has said that he assured the prime minister that this interim government in Iraq would have full sovereignty, just one step he is taking as he tries to build international support for this transition of power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're working closely in the United Nations to get a new Security Council resolution. And we're making progress on that resolution. I spoke to Vladimir Putin this morning about the resolution and we agreed to work together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: Russian President Putin support absolutely essential to getting a Security Council resolution passed. Russia is one of the permanent members of the Security Council and could theoretically veto a resolution that it didn't like. There is no talk of that right now but very important for the U.S. to gain Russian approval for this Security Council resolution -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, Frank, you mentioned that the Danish will keep their troops in place in Iraq. Will they also make a promise to send more, perhaps?
BUCKLEY: So far, nothing along those lines. And a senior administration official has said that, right now, there is no anticipation that the list of countries will grow in terms of troops being contributed to the effort in Iraq. Right now, the effort is concentrated on keeping the number of troops that are there to keep them on the ground.
WHITFIELD: Frank Buckley at the White House, thanks very much.
Well, 33 days and counting until the handover in Iraq. Let's look at some of the day's other developments there. The military says Iraqi insurgents fired on U.S. forces in Najaf today. The clashes came after one day radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr pledged to withdraw most of his militia from the holy Shiite city.
Two Japanese journalists feared dead after they were attacked by gunmen south of Baghdad. Two severely burned bodies were taken to a hospital some time after that attack. Japanese officials were unable to positively identify the remains.
The U.S. military released more detainees from Abu Ghraib Prison today. There is no word on exactly how many were freed but officials said as many as 600 would be released. U.S. soldiers escorting one prisoner convoy briefly came under fire but no casualties were reported.
The Pentagon says a U.S. soldier believed killed in combat in Iraq was actually captured and murdered by his captors. Sergeant Donald Walters was part of the 507th Maintenance Company which included Private Jessica Lynch. Officials say Walters was taken captive and killed March 23 when their convoy was ambushed in Nasiriyah. Investigators reached this conclusion after studying forensic evidence and taking witness statements. Walters was from Salem, Oregon.
O'BRIEN: Now to the war on terrorism. The FBI reporting an avalanche of tips about seven suspected al Qaeda operatives, the terror suspects named by Attorney General Ashcroft at a news conference this week. The bureau now vetting...
(AUDIO GAP)
O'BRIEN: ... within 24 hours of the announcement. Officials warning of evidence al Qaeda planning to attack the U.S. in the coming months.
All right, put down the sunscreen and the packed bags. What we're about to tell you should save you tons of travel time. Live pictures now from Atlanta's busy airport. It doesn't look so busy right now, but it is. The lines are actually building there. And if you're headed to an airport, pack your patience. And our time-saving travel tips which we will share with you after a break.
And black gold, Texas tea. Why the high gas prices for you mean more jobs for folks drilling for oil. And Republican Senator John McCain gets some late night laughs again. We'll tell you what political idea McCain thought was so funny.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Terror fears are not expected to ground Americans this summer. The Memorial Day weekend is the start of the summer travel season and it's expected to be a strong one for the airlines, some 200 million Americans are expected to fly between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and that's a 12 percent hike over last year.
Here is a breakdown by region of how many travelers are expected to fly this weekend alone: out West, 1.3 million are expected to take to the skies; in the Midwest, 1.1 million will be flying; in the Southeast, 800,000 are predicted to fly; and in the Northeast, 500,000 will fly to their destination.
One place that's sure to see a whole lot of traffic this holiday weekend is Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. It's one of the nation's busiest airports and our Gary Tuchman is there.
How does the crowd look inside compared to outside where it doesn't look so bad right now, Gary?
TUCHMAN: Fredricka, busy inside and getting busier as the hours go on today. Atlanta, Georgia, is only the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States, but in terms of the number of passengers, it's the busiest airport not only in the United States, but in the world, busier than Chicago's O'Hare, busier than LAX in Los Angeles, busier than London's Heathrow.
And that makes it a very interesting journalistic laboratory for us on a holiday weekend. At this airport alone over the next four days they're expecting 1.1 million passengers to fly in or fly out. That's a 14 percent increase from last year.
Now those numbers were estimated before Attorney General John Ashcroft gave his speech about terrorism on Wednesday, but officials here are sticking with their numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Traveling on a holiday weekend, the best time to leave the airport is the middle of the afternoon, that's usually the least crowded time compared to the early mornings or the late afternoon and the night, but this airport is very crowded, not surprisingly, nevertheless.
We come to you from this particular security line because those of us who travel out of Atlanta a lot know this is the shortest line but it is not short on this particular afternoon.
Miss, can I ask you a quick question? Where are you traveling to do today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Denver.
TUCHMAN: Denver, Colorado. The talk that the attorney general had on Wednesday, talking about terrorism, that scare you at all about coming to the airport?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not at all.
TUCHMAN: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I have God on my side. I don't fear.
TUCHMAN: Thank you for talking to us. You have a nice trip to Denver.
The same question to this gentlemen right here. Sir, can you tell me where are you going today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dallas.
TUCHMAN: You're going to Dallas. When Attorney General Ashcroft talked on Wednesday about the terrorism threat, did that make you think twice about flying today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
TUCHMAN: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Business. So I'm traveling for business. It's not really something that I have that much of a choice about.
TUCHMAN: What about if you had your family with you and you were going on vacation?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd still fly. It wouldn't bother me at all, no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Now despite the federalization of our security people at the gates, each airport is quite a bit different, something to keep in mind if you're flying this weekend. For example, here in Atlanta, if you have sneakers or rubber shoes you don't have to take off your shoes when you go through security. However, at other airports, if you don't take off your sneakers, they will give you a more though check.
Another thing to keep in mind, at some airports including this one, you can pull up and they'll give you a few minutes to drop off your luggage, at other airports they treat you like you're superhuman, you get eight bags out in 10 seconds, and they give you a real hard time if you don't get out of there right away. So keep that in mind as you take your nice relaxing vacation on Memorial Day weekend -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: That's right. And at least start off with a great attitude. So we know inside, Gary, security is up. How about outside? Oftentimes police around the holidays want to keep the traffic moving. How does it look out there now?
TUCHMAN: Well, as I said, because we're here a lot we can really give you good comparisons about this particular airport. And I can tell you there is security outside, but no more security than I saw before John Ashcroft's speech on Wednesday.
WHITFIELD: All right. Gary Tuchman, thanks very much, from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Well, if you are planning to fly this summer, remember it is peak season and that means crowds and possibly long lines at the airport. So pack plenty of patience and you might want to jot down a few tips from my next guest. William Maloney is with the American Society Travel Agents.
Well, good to see you.
WILLIAM MALONEY, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TRAVEL AGENTS: Hi, good afternoon.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's try to make traveling a bit easier for everyone because it is quite surprising that still some people don't know how to approach air traveling. There are a lot of things they need to do to keep it moving. Let's start off with your best advice. How do you ensure that you're going to be able to catch your flight on time knowing that you may be in line for as much as 30 minutes or an hour through the security checks?
MALONEY: Well, first of all, travel is about expectations. So if your expectations are in-line with what the reality is at the airport, then things are going to go quite well. First of all, you have a....
WHITFIELD: So you're saying be realistic.
MALONEY: Well, you have a responsibility to find out what the regulations are. Check with your travel agent or TSA to find out exactly what the searches are going to be like and what's allowable on the aircraft. Pack lightly. Get there in plenty of time. Be flexible, and be patient.
WHITFIELD: Know what not to bring, that also means if you're going to be carrying on luggage, know that you're going to have to open it so why even bother locking it, right?
MALONEY: There is no reason to lock it. But above all, make sure that there are no presents that are already gift wrapped because you may have to open those. Make sure that you don't have a lot of pointed objects or sharp objects, objects that are not allowable. And make sure that if you have film, it's in your carry-on bag, not in the luggage you're going to check.
WHITFIELD: Wear easy slip-off shoes. We saw in Gary's report, however, he was mentioning that there are some airports that don't want you to wear sneakers or rubber-soled shoes, and then there are other airports that seem to permit it no problem, walking through without taking them off. How do you prepare yourself for the disparity at various airports?
MALONEY: Well, you have to be flexible. One of the things you have to remember, that the job of the Transportation -- the TSA is really about security first and customer service second. They'll be professional with you if you are professional with them, so just be flexible. If you're asked to take off your shoes or you're asked to wait a minute before walking through the line, be patient with them. And they're only trying to do their job.
WHITFIELD: And we talked about attitude, adjusting your attitude and bringing a lot of patience knowing that you are going to have long lines, there are a lot of people, you're not the only one traveling today.
MALONEY: That's quite correct. And there are lots of sites where you can go and get more information. We have a site called travelsense.org that gives you lots of good tips about traveling in the summertime and especially what to do if you're traveling with children.
WHITFIELD: Now when we say allow plenty of time, what is your best recommendation of how much time you need to give yourself to go through these security checks, check-in, et cetera?
MALONEY: Well, for an international flight, you'd probably want to allow over two hours. And for a flight in the middle of the day, at least two hours. But sometimes at peak periods, early in the morning or early in the evening, when there are big banks of flights and lots of people departing, then there is going to be a peak. You may want to allow a little bit more time. Check with your airline, check with your travel agent and check with the Web site.
WHITFIELD: William Maloney of the American Society of Travel Agents, thanks very much.
MALONEY: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Have a good weekend.
MALONEY: Have a nice summer.
MALONEY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: All right. So what is the secret to true love, we ask? One online matching service claims to have found the recipe. And the company is going to get a patent for it. Will it be kept under wraps like KFC's seven secret herbs and spices or the formula for Coke?
And send out the clowns. It's no laughing matter for clowns trying to make a buck or whatever they have for currency down there in Cuba. That's a little later on LIVE FROM..., we'll bring out the cream pies and the seltzer for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Jarring the tap open a little wider. Will it mean relief at the gas pump? The U.S. energy secretary says OPEC members are promising to follow Saudi Arabia's lead and boost oil production. Spencer Abraham calls this very encouraging. However "The Wall Street Journal" reports OPEC is considering raising its target price range by as much as $8 a barrel. The record high price of gas has put a sting in motorists' wallets, but it's like manna form heaven for the Texas oil industry.
CNN's Ed Lavandera takes us to a place where high gas prices lead to high hopes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Making a little progress.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wildcat gambling spirit is thriving again in the West Texas oil fields. John Bell is trying to bring two oil wells back to life for his boss.
JOHN BELL, OL PRODUCER: I can fix it and I can perforate some new wells, some new zones and if I can start making him another 50 or 100 barrels a day, he'll be happy.
LAVANDERA: These wells haven't pumped oil in more than five years, but high oil prices have inspired oil producers to update equipment and get old pumps running again. Bell has spent $200,000 on these wells in the last three weeks.
BELL: With the low prices, I wouldn't be on this project, we wouldn't be out here, we wouldn't even be talking about this.
LAVANDERA: The true sign of a booming oil industry is how many drilling rigs are running. In West Texas, more than 60 rigs have started spinning into the earth in the last 18 months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We drill these wells in about 15, 16, 17 days.
LAVANDERA: Don Sparks (ph) is drilling two wells a month, spending more than $1 million, but it's getting tougher to get the equipment he needs. He had to buy steel casings from a vendor in Eastern Europe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our casing is supposedly on the ocean right now on its way into the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we've got over 200 rigs running, that means full employment, everybody is working. We don't have people sitting around wondering, am I going to do anything today?
LAVANDERA: But history has a way of tempering today's excitement.
(on camera): Last time oil sold for $40 a barrel was during the oil boom of the early '80s, but what people around here remember most is what happened a few years after. When prices plummeted the oil fields shut down. And as one producer put it, small West Texas oil towns fell off the face of the Earth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you getting out of it?
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Oil producers fear if prices stay high for too long, the backlash will be painful.
BELL: If this price comes up too high, damages to the economy, it puts us back into another recession, and we'll see another dip in oil prices and then we'll shut down and lay off a bunch of people.
LAVANDERA: John Bell brought one oil pump back to life, the hope is a hundred barrels a day will soon rise from this spot. Now it's time to move on. Bell's boss must decide where to look for oil next.
BELL: It's kind of like gambling. He has won a little bit, he lost and now he has won some of it back. Now am I going to roll the dice again?
LAVANDERA: There is an old saying in the West Texas oil patch, that life in the oil business means you're either eating chicken or feathers. Right now, oil producers are finding lots of chicken on their plates.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Odessa, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 28, 2004 - 13:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was an act of someone who obviously has no conscience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A horrific discovery. Three children decapitated. The family and investigators are stunned. And now two suspects are in custody.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush confident about handing over control to Iraq. Will that country be ready in 33 days?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gary Tuchman live at the Atlanta airport, where terrorism warnings and security nightmares are not expected to deter more than 4 million leisure travelers from traveling this Memorial Day weekend. We'll have the story.
O'BRIEN: Remembering heroism, sacrifice, and courage, a dream 60 years in the making finally set to become a reality.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien. Kyra Phillips is off today.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM... begins right now.
O'BRIEN: And we begin with arrests in a horrible case in Baltimore. Police there are hold two men in the horrific killing of three young children, one of whom was totally, the other two partially beheaded. The suspects are cousins to each other and somehow related to the victims, two of who are siblings and cousins to the third. We get the latest on all this from CNN's Kathleen Koch live from the scene -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, again, this city, this neighborhood reeling from the brutality of these horrible murders. This being a very, very quiet neighborhood of Baltimore, in northwestern Baltimore which is not accustomed to brutal crimes like this.
Arrested and right now in custody, as you mentioned, are two cousins, 17-year-old Adan Espinosa Canela, and 22-year-old Policarpio Espinosa. The two men said to be cousins and actually the uncles of the three young children who were so brutally murdered. The three children, their bodies -- the bodies of the children 10-year-old Alexis Quesada, her 9-year-old brother Lucero, and another 9-year-old boy, Ricardo Espinosa, were found in two of the bedrooms of this apartment, found last night around 5:20 by one of the mothers of the children when she returned home from work.
Now, police say that they have the two young men in custody and as yet they've given no motive for these crimes that they're charged with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little bit -- I'm still a little scared to know that that happened. With a 1-year-old son, you have to be, you have to be worried and you have to be cautious. I mean, with any children and we have a lot of wonderful children around here that played with these children and they did not deserve what happened to them. And to think that I will never see those faces again, it hurts. I mean, I get chills down my body when I think about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Well, that was one of the neighbors who shares an apartment building -- an apartment in this apartment complex where these three young children were so brutally murdered.
And at this point, Police say there is no sign of breaking or entering, no sign of robbery. They have collected quite a great deal of evidence from the scene. One piece, very important piece being what they believe is the murder weapon, a butcher knife, the blade 10 to 12 inches long.
Now the police say that they do believe that they have the two suspects who are primarily responsible in custody, but they aren't ruling out other arrests, saying this investigation is continuing -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Kathleen Koch in Baltimore, thank you very much.
Elsewhere across America this hour, we're getting word police in Miami have tracked down the mother of the 3-year-old boy who was abandoned last night along with his birth certificate and medical records at a McDonald's downtown. The child said to be confused but unhurt. His mother charged with neglect.
Tornados blamed for turning houses into kindling last night in Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri. The Kentucky town of Eminence, just east of Louisville, took a direct hit, no deaths or serious injuries reported however.
And in Florida they fear a lot more brushland will go up in smoke over the long, probably dry holiday weekend. About 2000 acres burned yesterday near Jacksonville. So far no buildings in the way.
WHITFIELD: Much talk today about a new leader for Iraq after the June 30 handover. The Iraqi Governing Council has designated one of its members, Iyad Allawi, to serve as interim president in a post- handover government. U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi welcomed the choice, so did coalition head Paul Bremer. But in Washington, the White House says it's not a done deal yet. That's where we find our Frank Buckley.
Still not a done deal, what is the holdup, Frank?
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Bush administration continues to hold the view it is going to await the official putting forward of the list of names from Lakhdar Brahimi that has the entire list of names of people he is officially recommending for the posts in the interim government, and that includes Iyad Allawi.
As Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, put it, this is one idea among many ideas of the names of people who will play a role in the interim government. A senior administration official did say today, however, that the U.S. has worked well with Allawi in the past.
President Bush, meanwhile, appeared in the Rose Garden today with Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen. One question on the table during their meeting, would some 500 Danish troops remain in Iraq during this transition of power? The prime minister saying, yes, they will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, DANISH PRIME MINISTER: From June 30 an international military presence in Iraq will be provided, I request, from this new Iraqi government. Our troops will stay in Iraq as long as the Iraqi government decides.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: President Bush has said that he assured the prime minister that this interim government in Iraq would have full sovereignty, just one step he is taking as he tries to build international support for this transition of power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're working closely in the United Nations to get a new Security Council resolution. And we're making progress on that resolution. I spoke to Vladimir Putin this morning about the resolution and we agreed to work together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: Russian President Putin support absolutely essential to getting a Security Council resolution passed. Russia is one of the permanent members of the Security Council and could theoretically veto a resolution that it didn't like. There is no talk of that right now but very important for the U.S. to gain Russian approval for this Security Council resolution -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, Frank, you mentioned that the Danish will keep their troops in place in Iraq. Will they also make a promise to send more, perhaps?
BUCKLEY: So far, nothing along those lines. And a senior administration official has said that, right now, there is no anticipation that the list of countries will grow in terms of troops being contributed to the effort in Iraq. Right now, the effort is concentrated on keeping the number of troops that are there to keep them on the ground.
WHITFIELD: Frank Buckley at the White House, thanks very much.
Well, 33 days and counting until the handover in Iraq. Let's look at some of the day's other developments there. The military says Iraqi insurgents fired on U.S. forces in Najaf today. The clashes came after one day radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr pledged to withdraw most of his militia from the holy Shiite city.
Two Japanese journalists feared dead after they were attacked by gunmen south of Baghdad. Two severely burned bodies were taken to a hospital some time after that attack. Japanese officials were unable to positively identify the remains.
The U.S. military released more detainees from Abu Ghraib Prison today. There is no word on exactly how many were freed but officials said as many as 600 would be released. U.S. soldiers escorting one prisoner convoy briefly came under fire but no casualties were reported.
The Pentagon says a U.S. soldier believed killed in combat in Iraq was actually captured and murdered by his captors. Sergeant Donald Walters was part of the 507th Maintenance Company which included Private Jessica Lynch. Officials say Walters was taken captive and killed March 23 when their convoy was ambushed in Nasiriyah. Investigators reached this conclusion after studying forensic evidence and taking witness statements. Walters was from Salem, Oregon.
O'BRIEN: Now to the war on terrorism. The FBI reporting an avalanche of tips about seven suspected al Qaeda operatives, the terror suspects named by Attorney General Ashcroft at a news conference this week. The bureau now vetting...
(AUDIO GAP)
O'BRIEN: ... within 24 hours of the announcement. Officials warning of evidence al Qaeda planning to attack the U.S. in the coming months.
All right, put down the sunscreen and the packed bags. What we're about to tell you should save you tons of travel time. Live pictures now from Atlanta's busy airport. It doesn't look so busy right now, but it is. The lines are actually building there. And if you're headed to an airport, pack your patience. And our time-saving travel tips which we will share with you after a break.
And black gold, Texas tea. Why the high gas prices for you mean more jobs for folks drilling for oil. And Republican Senator John McCain gets some late night laughs again. We'll tell you what political idea McCain thought was so funny.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Terror fears are not expected to ground Americans this summer. The Memorial Day weekend is the start of the summer travel season and it's expected to be a strong one for the airlines, some 200 million Americans are expected to fly between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and that's a 12 percent hike over last year.
Here is a breakdown by region of how many travelers are expected to fly this weekend alone: out West, 1.3 million are expected to take to the skies; in the Midwest, 1.1 million will be flying; in the Southeast, 800,000 are predicted to fly; and in the Northeast, 500,000 will fly to their destination.
One place that's sure to see a whole lot of traffic this holiday weekend is Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. It's one of the nation's busiest airports and our Gary Tuchman is there.
How does the crowd look inside compared to outside where it doesn't look so bad right now, Gary?
TUCHMAN: Fredricka, busy inside and getting busier as the hours go on today. Atlanta, Georgia, is only the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States, but in terms of the number of passengers, it's the busiest airport not only in the United States, but in the world, busier than Chicago's O'Hare, busier than LAX in Los Angeles, busier than London's Heathrow.
And that makes it a very interesting journalistic laboratory for us on a holiday weekend. At this airport alone over the next four days they're expecting 1.1 million passengers to fly in or fly out. That's a 14 percent increase from last year.
Now those numbers were estimated before Attorney General John Ashcroft gave his speech about terrorism on Wednesday, but officials here are sticking with their numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Traveling on a holiday weekend, the best time to leave the airport is the middle of the afternoon, that's usually the least crowded time compared to the early mornings or the late afternoon and the night, but this airport is very crowded, not surprisingly, nevertheless.
We come to you from this particular security line because those of us who travel out of Atlanta a lot know this is the shortest line but it is not short on this particular afternoon.
Miss, can I ask you a quick question? Where are you traveling to do today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Denver.
TUCHMAN: Denver, Colorado. The talk that the attorney general had on Wednesday, talking about terrorism, that scare you at all about coming to the airport?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not at all.
TUCHMAN: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I have God on my side. I don't fear.
TUCHMAN: Thank you for talking to us. You have a nice trip to Denver.
The same question to this gentlemen right here. Sir, can you tell me where are you going today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dallas.
TUCHMAN: You're going to Dallas. When Attorney General Ashcroft talked on Wednesday about the terrorism threat, did that make you think twice about flying today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
TUCHMAN: Tell me why.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Business. So I'm traveling for business. It's not really something that I have that much of a choice about.
TUCHMAN: What about if you had your family with you and you were going on vacation?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd still fly. It wouldn't bother me at all, no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN: Now despite the federalization of our security people at the gates, each airport is quite a bit different, something to keep in mind if you're flying this weekend. For example, here in Atlanta, if you have sneakers or rubber shoes you don't have to take off your shoes when you go through security. However, at other airports, if you don't take off your sneakers, they will give you a more though check.
Another thing to keep in mind, at some airports including this one, you can pull up and they'll give you a few minutes to drop off your luggage, at other airports they treat you like you're superhuman, you get eight bags out in 10 seconds, and they give you a real hard time if you don't get out of there right away. So keep that in mind as you take your nice relaxing vacation on Memorial Day weekend -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: That's right. And at least start off with a great attitude. So we know inside, Gary, security is up. How about outside? Oftentimes police around the holidays want to keep the traffic moving. How does it look out there now?
TUCHMAN: Well, as I said, because we're here a lot we can really give you good comparisons about this particular airport. And I can tell you there is security outside, but no more security than I saw before John Ashcroft's speech on Wednesday.
WHITFIELD: All right. Gary Tuchman, thanks very much, from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Well, if you are planning to fly this summer, remember it is peak season and that means crowds and possibly long lines at the airport. So pack plenty of patience and you might want to jot down a few tips from my next guest. William Maloney is with the American Society Travel Agents.
Well, good to see you.
WILLIAM MALONEY, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TRAVEL AGENTS: Hi, good afternoon.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's try to make traveling a bit easier for everyone because it is quite surprising that still some people don't know how to approach air traveling. There are a lot of things they need to do to keep it moving. Let's start off with your best advice. How do you ensure that you're going to be able to catch your flight on time knowing that you may be in line for as much as 30 minutes or an hour through the security checks?
MALONEY: Well, first of all, travel is about expectations. So if your expectations are in-line with what the reality is at the airport, then things are going to go quite well. First of all, you have a....
WHITFIELD: So you're saying be realistic.
MALONEY: Well, you have a responsibility to find out what the regulations are. Check with your travel agent or TSA to find out exactly what the searches are going to be like and what's allowable on the aircraft. Pack lightly. Get there in plenty of time. Be flexible, and be patient.
WHITFIELD: Know what not to bring, that also means if you're going to be carrying on luggage, know that you're going to have to open it so why even bother locking it, right?
MALONEY: There is no reason to lock it. But above all, make sure that there are no presents that are already gift wrapped because you may have to open those. Make sure that you don't have a lot of pointed objects or sharp objects, objects that are not allowable. And make sure that if you have film, it's in your carry-on bag, not in the luggage you're going to check.
WHITFIELD: Wear easy slip-off shoes. We saw in Gary's report, however, he was mentioning that there are some airports that don't want you to wear sneakers or rubber-soled shoes, and then there are other airports that seem to permit it no problem, walking through without taking them off. How do you prepare yourself for the disparity at various airports?
MALONEY: Well, you have to be flexible. One of the things you have to remember, that the job of the Transportation -- the TSA is really about security first and customer service second. They'll be professional with you if you are professional with them, so just be flexible. If you're asked to take off your shoes or you're asked to wait a minute before walking through the line, be patient with them. And they're only trying to do their job.
WHITFIELD: And we talked about attitude, adjusting your attitude and bringing a lot of patience knowing that you are going to have long lines, there are a lot of people, you're not the only one traveling today.
MALONEY: That's quite correct. And there are lots of sites where you can go and get more information. We have a site called travelsense.org that gives you lots of good tips about traveling in the summertime and especially what to do if you're traveling with children.
WHITFIELD: Now when we say allow plenty of time, what is your best recommendation of how much time you need to give yourself to go through these security checks, check-in, et cetera?
MALONEY: Well, for an international flight, you'd probably want to allow over two hours. And for a flight in the middle of the day, at least two hours. But sometimes at peak periods, early in the morning or early in the evening, when there are big banks of flights and lots of people departing, then there is going to be a peak. You may want to allow a little bit more time. Check with your airline, check with your travel agent and check with the Web site.
WHITFIELD: William Maloney of the American Society of Travel Agents, thanks very much.
MALONEY: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Have a good weekend.
MALONEY: Have a nice summer.
MALONEY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: All right. So what is the secret to true love, we ask? One online matching service claims to have found the recipe. And the company is going to get a patent for it. Will it be kept under wraps like KFC's seven secret herbs and spices or the formula for Coke?
And send out the clowns. It's no laughing matter for clowns trying to make a buck or whatever they have for currency down there in Cuba. That's a little later on LIVE FROM..., we'll bring out the cream pies and the seltzer for you.
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O'BRIEN: Jarring the tap open a little wider. Will it mean relief at the gas pump? The U.S. energy secretary says OPEC members are promising to follow Saudi Arabia's lead and boost oil production. Spencer Abraham calls this very encouraging. However "The Wall Street Journal" reports OPEC is considering raising its target price range by as much as $8 a barrel. The record high price of gas has put a sting in motorists' wallets, but it's like manna form heaven for the Texas oil industry.
CNN's Ed Lavandera takes us to a place where high gas prices lead to high hopes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Making a little progress.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wildcat gambling spirit is thriving again in the West Texas oil fields. John Bell is trying to bring two oil wells back to life for his boss.
JOHN BELL, OL PRODUCER: I can fix it and I can perforate some new wells, some new zones and if I can start making him another 50 or 100 barrels a day, he'll be happy.
LAVANDERA: These wells haven't pumped oil in more than five years, but high oil prices have inspired oil producers to update equipment and get old pumps running again. Bell has spent $200,000 on these wells in the last three weeks.
BELL: With the low prices, I wouldn't be on this project, we wouldn't be out here, we wouldn't even be talking about this.
LAVANDERA: The true sign of a booming oil industry is how many drilling rigs are running. In West Texas, more than 60 rigs have started spinning into the earth in the last 18 months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We drill these wells in about 15, 16, 17 days.
LAVANDERA: Don Sparks (ph) is drilling two wells a month, spending more than $1 million, but it's getting tougher to get the equipment he needs. He had to buy steel casings from a vendor in Eastern Europe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our casing is supposedly on the ocean right now on its way into the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we've got over 200 rigs running, that means full employment, everybody is working. We don't have people sitting around wondering, am I going to do anything today?
LAVANDERA: But history has a way of tempering today's excitement.
(on camera): Last time oil sold for $40 a barrel was during the oil boom of the early '80s, but what people around here remember most is what happened a few years after. When prices plummeted the oil fields shut down. And as one producer put it, small West Texas oil towns fell off the face of the Earth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you getting out of it?
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Oil producers fear if prices stay high for too long, the backlash will be painful.
BELL: If this price comes up too high, damages to the economy, it puts us back into another recession, and we'll see another dip in oil prices and then we'll shut down and lay off a bunch of people.
LAVANDERA: John Bell brought one oil pump back to life, the hope is a hundred barrels a day will soon rise from this spot. Now it's time to move on. Bell's boss must decide where to look for oil next.
BELL: It's kind of like gambling. He has won a little bit, he lost and now he has won some of it back. Now am I going to roll the dice again?
LAVANDERA: There is an old saying in the West Texas oil patch, that life in the oil business means you're either eating chicken or feathers. Right now, oil producers are finding lots of chicken on their plates.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Odessa, Texas.
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