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Bush Puts Positive Spin on Disappointing Jobs Report; First Students Graduate from Iraqi Construction Training Program; Female Weight Lifter Hopes for Gold; Wordsmiths Compete in Scrabble Tournament

Aired August 06, 2004 - 14:30   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, ANCHOR: And welcome back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM. I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's what's all new this half hour.
Winning the hearts and mind of Iraqis one nail at a time. We're going to take you inside the program that's literally building good relations in the war-torn country.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A-a-b-a-d-a-e-a-g-a.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: R-a-s-a-t.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: B-a-b-o-b-i-b-e.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: S-h.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: I know it sounds like gibberish, but these letters could spell out a big win in the national Scrabble tournament. We're going to take you there later on LIVE FROM.

But first, what's happening in the news.

Well, there's nothing keeping them apart now. A judge in Seattle has approved the motion lifting the no contact order between Mary Kay Letourneau and her former student. You remember, she was sentenced to seven years in prison for having sex with her sixth grade student. As you can imagine, he's grown up now. He says he's looking forward to getting together with Letourneau, see their two children, and to have a life together.

Fierce fighting for a second straight day in the Iraqi city of Najaf. A joint U.S.-Iraqi force battled militants loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The U.S. military estimates 300 militia fighters have died in that battle, but that has been denied by al-Sadr's Mehdi army.

Day four in a military court hearing for Private Lynndie England. She is one of six guards who could be tried in the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal. The military policeman who blew the whistle on the abuse told the court today he delayed turning over incriminating photos because potentially sending friends to prison was a hard call.

No bail for the suspected British terrorist who allegedly had U.S. Navy battle group plans. A London judge denied bail to Babar Ahmad, who was arrested on a U.S. extradition request. American authorities alleged Ahmad used web sites in connection with acts of terrorism in Chechnya and Afghanistan.

We're keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Today's disappointment -- employment report is taking center stage in the election campaign. The Labor Department says the economy created 32,000 new jobs last month, far fewer than expected and far off the pace predicted by the White House.

CNN's Jill Dougherty is traveling with President Bush, who's just made an appearance in New Hampshire. She joins us live from there -- Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, we're out in the country today, Stratham, New Hampshire, on the Bittersweet Farm. And this is where President Bush is holding a picnic for 3,000 core supporters.

You know, New Hampshire has a lot of independent voters, and this state has always been very tight. Look at the race just four years ago. President Bush won it, but extremely narrowly, just by 1 percent.

Right now the polls stand at 50 percent for Kerry and 43 percent for Bush, showing some gains for Senator Kerry.

Jobs are always a big issue here, and that jobs report today, the July jobs report, is not particularly good news for the president, showing payroll employment, plus 32,000 jobs, but that was far off what they expected. They were really hoping for more than 200,000.

And the unemployment figure is down to 5.5 percent, but that's just a shade off what it was at 5.6 percent.

President Bush said that he is not satisfied with this, but he claims the economy is moving forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our economy has been through a lot. Today's employment report shows our economy is continuing to move forward. And it reminds us that we're in a changing economy, and we've got more to do. I'm not going to be satisfied until everybody who wants to work can find a job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: So, the press secretary to the president, Scott McClellan, told reporters that you have to look at all the indicators, as he put it and there may be some mixed figures.

But, overall, again, the mantra from the campaign and the White House, that the economy is moving forward. And he said that the president will continue with, as he put it, pro-growth policies -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: President Bush attending the Unity Conference; watched it earlier today. A lot of talk with minority journalists and others. How do you think it went?

DOUGHERTY: Well, if you compare it to the way it went with Senator John Kerry yesterday, not particularly well. It was quite notably a warmer reception yesterday for Kerry, a little bit more reserved today. In fact, there was actually one heckler. But they both wanted to make an appearance at that event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

BUSH: I think it's very important for the faith-based initiative to continue on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, you're going to hear from the Kerry campaign and -- Jill Dougherty, sorry about that. Got a little sound from the hecklers there, didn't we?

DOUGHERTY: That was. I think there was one, and he was escorted out of the hall, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jill Dougherty, traveling there with President Bush, thank you so much. We'll catch up with you later.

Well, you can hear from the Kerry campaign now and their take on today's job's numbers, coming up at 3:30 Eastern on "INSIDE POLITICS."

Now, do you remember your graduation, walking down the aisle, wearing your cap and gown? Well, in Fallujah, Ramadi, and al-Sadr (ph), it's a different type of graduation day. These men are receiving a diploma, but they are wearing brand new tool belts and hard hats.

This is the first time these -- these Iraqis, rather, are seeing new tools and new jobs. We told about the Iraqi construction apprentice program, run by the U.S. Navy Seabees. Now we're going to show you the results.

Admiral Chuck Kubik heads the program. Assad Naji Hussein is one of his prize students. REAR ADMIRAL CHARLES KUBIK, U.S. NAVY: Well, Kyra, we actually have the program started in three cities and we're looking to expand it into two more. The first class just graduated this week, and we have some projects that are going on in the area of Ramadi. That's where the first class was.

We're talking to contractors who already have contracts with us to build facilities for the Iraqi community, and they're very excited about hiring these students to go to work on their jobs. And so we'll retain them in the school, working on projects there until they can actually get hired.

PHILLIPS: And Mr. Assad, in addition to these new jobs, you and your people are getting new jobs. Tell me about the tools. You got a brand new set of tools? How did you react? How did the other students react when they saw these?

ASSAD NAJI HUSSEIN, NAVY PROGRAM GRADUATE: Actually, they -- most of the students, all the students when they saw the tools, they are really surprised, you know. They are astonishing by the quality of these tools, because there is -- it is high-quality tools. And everybody do not like to work with them in case they get dirty.

KUBIK: You know, Kyra, one of the -- one of the students actually took his tools home, and he built a display cabinet in his living room. And he has the tools all there for his friends and relatives to see.

And they're very proud of the schools and we're very grateful to Spirit of America, who's a non-profit organization that has donated these -- these tools for the graduates. It's been very, very motivating for them to receive these new tools.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's amazing because when I think about -- I think of what we take for granted. And here the Iraqis are seeing these tools as prized possessions.

Mr. Assad, I've got to ask you, when you got involved with this program and rebuilding Iraq, you were threatened by the insurgents, your family was threatened. Why did you continue to graduate from this program and work with the U.S. military?

HUSSEIN: Actually, when you believe in something, you know, you believe on -- on the principal, you know. You have to go for it -- for it. You don't hesitate, you know, you don't wait.

As long as the American help us, you know. To free Iraq. And maintain -- building a new Iraq, which is quite helpful to Iraqi people. And we see many steps from the Americans toward Iraq, which is positively and very good for the quality -- for the people, you know.

For example, the standard of living is raising. People are now buying things, you know, like fridges, televisions. They can afford their schools for their children. We see many changes happening, actually, in Iraq. These changes, we have to support it. And we have to go with it. If we don't support it, this will be disappointing -- this will be reflected on the people in our community and will be negative people. And the Iraq will be lost. We want Iraq, a free Iraq, free people and well-living people.

PHILLIPS: Admiral Kubik, I'm hearing quite a change in the Iraqi psyche, listening to Mr. Assad and looking at all these projects he's been involved with, building training camps for border patrol, security forces, Iraqi National Guard.

It seems like, while we're hearing so much about the destruction, there's a lot going on mentally and emotionally for people like Mr. Assad.

KUBIK: Well, there is, Kyra. Particularly since the transfer of sovereignty, it's becoming very clear, particularly to the Iraqi leadership, that you -- that they have their destiny in their own hands.

And the Marines are still continuing to train security forces. Seabees are fixing bridges and building facilities for the border patrol, the National Guard, but we're staying behind the scenes and working quietly to support the new Iraqi government and to help them as they begin to stabilize the -- the country.

It's a big job, but with people like Mr. Assad and the students, who are very, very inspiring, I think we've got the right programs underway. It's just a matter of maintaining patience and persistence. And I think we will see progress in the months ahead.

PHILLIPS: Mr. Assad, have you had a favorite project so far?

KUBIK: We're actually working on a clinic, as well.

HUSSEIN: Yes, yes. Yes.

KUBIK: Tell them a little bit about the clinic.

HUSSEIN: Yes. And -- And the people there, actually, are very interesting on this project, because this project support their family. I don't want to go away from the subject.

This, the main thing for this project is to break the ice, what we call it in English, is to communicate with the American so the Iraqi will not be afraid from the American and the American compare its right (ph).

You show the people by many things, you know, like giving them (ph), supplying medicine to the students, supplying gifts, wheat (ph), many things, you know. Supporting these people. These people feel, they feel they are very -- has been taken care of from their instructors and from the Seabees.

PHILLIPS: I can hear the passion and I can hear just the -- he's talking about the communication. Unfortunately, we have to wrap up. We're out of time. But Mr. Assad Naji Hussein, Admiral Charles Kubik, it shows. It shows that what you're doing is working. And thank you so much, both of you, for your time today. We'll continue to follow up on the projects.

KUBIK: Well, thank you, Kyra. There's a lot of change here for the good, and Mr. Assad and many like him are the driving force behind it. Good talking to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thank you, gentlemen.

Well, ahead, countdown to the summer games. Putting some muscle behind those Olympic dreams.

And later on LIVE FROM, who said you need lush greens to go golfing? Oh, yes. That was kind of a shank. Well, we're going to go golfing across Mongolia. You won't want to miss this segment. Trust me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Olympics are just a week away, and as part of our continuing series on America's Olympians, we focus on a woman throwing her weight around in her quest for gold.

Here's our Jason Bellini.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cheryl Haworth is 21 years old. She weighs 296 pounds.

CHERYL HAWORTH, OLYMPIC WEIGHT LIFTER: I'm a super heavyweight lifter and, you know, that bulk and that size helps me move a lot of weight.

BELLINI: Until Haworth took up weightlifting in high school, she was self-conscious about her size.

HAWORTH: Every girl, especially, they always have that one hang up, you know, like, I hate my nose or my teeth are crooked or this and that. Like, that was just my one thing, but it never really bothered me that much, because I was never too unpopular.

BELLINI: Popularity isn't a problem for her now either. During competition, Haworth's fans shout her nickname -- Fun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheryl came in this gym many years ago and she had a t-shirt with the word "fun" across the t-shirt. She wore it every day for, like, six weeks straight.

HAWORTH: That's a high and you know it.

BELLINI: At 17, Haworth was the third strongest woman in the world. She won the bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics. In Athens, she hopes to become the strongest.

(on camera) You don't seem like the bragging type, though.

HAWORTH: No. But it's nice to think about.

BELLINI: And others can brag about you?

HAWORTH: Yes, and I can overhear them brag about me.

BELLINI (voice-over): In 2000, Haworth lifted 319 pounds in the clean and jerk.

HAWORTH: I don't know why it's called the clean. I don't know why it's called jerk.

BELLINI: In the snatch event, she lifted 275 pounds.

(on camera) This time Cheryl's coach plans to start her at 281 pounds and is prepared to take her as high as 297 pounds.

(voice-over) Haworth lifts the rough equivalent of a refrigerator above her head. She knows it's not always pretty.

HAWORTH: Nobody looks good lifting weights. My cheeks blow up. You know, my face gets red. You look straight ahead and look nuts. But if you're a real athlete, you're not going to be concerned with how you look anyway.

BELLINI: But she's sure she'll look pretty good wearing gold.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Savannah, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: So have you ever gotten a strange bill in the mail? A charge on your credit card you can't explain? Ahead, the most common kinds of fraud to look out for.

Then, it's an eight-letter word for a classic American board game. America's best wordsmiths prepare to battle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, not only did today's jobs reports badly miss economists' expectations, but job growth from one month to the next is also slowing. Let's go to Mary Snow once again at the New York Stock Exchange for a look at those numbers once again and the reaction on Wall Street.

Mary, we can't stay off this story, can we?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, on your mark, get set, spell. Do you have what it takes to be a Scrabble champ? My grandpa sure does.

Or if outdoor sports are more your speed, hey, how about a little extreme golfing? No cushy carts here, the 19th hole. Then the search for life in outer space. A fascinating new "CNN PRESENTS" debuts this weekend. Guess who's doing it? Give you one guess. Miles O'Brien. That's the only reason why you need to tune in. We're going to give you a sneak peak.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, video games may be the competition of choice for some people, but we found players who not only love a traditional game; they love Scrabble. That's traditional enough. And they're serious about it.

Beth Nissen explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Initially, it looks like the Scrabble you played as a kid, but look more closely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You may begin.

NISSEN: This is competitor tournament Scrabble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are over 850 Scrabble experts here from 40 states and five or six different countries. The age range here is from 12 years old to, I think, 93 years old. Scrabble is everywhere, and we're thrilled to be in the forefront.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shh!

NISSEN: Well, quietly thrilled. It takes intense concentration to make the highest-scoring words using randomly sets of seven tiles and place those words strategically on the board before time runs out. Concentration and often obsessive preparation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be a top-level tournament Scrabble player one really needs to spend about four or five hours a day on the game, studying word lists, practicing against a computer, doing exercises.

NISSEN: Players memorize lists of words, say all three and four letter words using the letter "Z"; words using the letter "Q" that don't need a "U." And of course, all permissible two-letter words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A-a-b-a-d-a-e-a-g-a.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: R-a-s-a-t.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: B-a-b-o-b-i-b-e.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: S-h.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are 97 two-letter words, which every Scrabble tournament player knows by heart.

NISSEN: And needs to know to make parallel plays, like this one.

H-I-D is a legal word, and so are S-I and, O-D. Parallel plays help rack up the points.

So do bingos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bingo is when you play all seven of your tiles and then you get a 50-point bonus.

NISSEN: To help make bingos, most competitive players arrange their tiles in alphabetical order, into alphagrams. Many spent hours and years memorizing all the words that can be made from those letter combinations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I go down the street and I see a sign that says "Marines," I look at it and I also see "remains," "seminar." Everybody here can pretty much look at a group of letters and tell you what words are in there.

NISSEN: Those words can be obscure. In this game between defending national champion Joel Sherman and three-time national champion Joe Edley, words included "qaid," "firth," "kauri."

What do those words mean? To tournament players, the meanings are meaningless.

JOE EDLEY, THREE-TIME NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMP: It's not cost- effective to spend time keeping them in your memory. It's just enough to know that they're words.

NISSEN: Even players who know all the words -- and there are some who memorized the entire official Scrabble player's dictionary -- have to contend with the luck of the draw, theirs and their opponent's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just can't even get over it.

TREY WRIGHT, TOURNAMENT LEADER: Anything can happen. This is Scrabble. Any of my opponents can beat me if they draw the right tiles.

NISSEN: Players use ritual and talismans so the tile gods will be kind. Not give them a U with no Q, let them draw a blank, tile that is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have their lucky tile bags, their lucky rack, their lucky shirt.

NISSEN: Tournament players aren't in it for the money. Top cash prize at the nationals is $25,000 plus a very nice silver bowl. What draws them is something else, which even amateurs can experience.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you haven't played Scrabble in a while, sit down. It doesn't matter if you play the word "cat" or you play the word "quixotic." You will remember how much fun it is to get a bunch of letters and randomly throw them around and then find a word and score.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four, five, six, 10, 11, 61.

NISSEN: Word up.

Beth Nissen, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 August 6, 2004 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: And welcome back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM. I'm Kyra Phillips. Here's what's all new this half hour.
Winning the hearts and mind of Iraqis one nail at a time. We're going to take you inside the program that's literally building good relations in the war-torn country.

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A-a-b-a-d-a-e-a-g-a.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: R-a-s-a-t.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: B-a-b-o-b-i-b-e.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: S-h.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: I know it sounds like gibberish, but these letters could spell out a big win in the national Scrabble tournament. We're going to take you there later on LIVE FROM.

But first, what's happening in the news.

Well, there's nothing keeping them apart now. A judge in Seattle has approved the motion lifting the no contact order between Mary Kay Letourneau and her former student. You remember, she was sentenced to seven years in prison for having sex with her sixth grade student. As you can imagine, he's grown up now. He says he's looking forward to getting together with Letourneau, see their two children, and to have a life together.

Fierce fighting for a second straight day in the Iraqi city of Najaf. A joint U.S.-Iraqi force battled militants loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The U.S. military estimates 300 militia fighters have died in that battle, but that has been denied by al-Sadr's Mehdi army.

Day four in a military court hearing for Private Lynndie England. She is one of six guards who could be tried in the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal. The military policeman who blew the whistle on the abuse told the court today he delayed turning over incriminating photos because potentially sending friends to prison was a hard call.

No bail for the suspected British terrorist who allegedly had U.S. Navy battle group plans. A London judge denied bail to Babar Ahmad, who was arrested on a U.S. extradition request. American authorities alleged Ahmad used web sites in connection with acts of terrorism in Chechnya and Afghanistan.

We're keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Today's disappointment -- employment report is taking center stage in the election campaign. The Labor Department says the economy created 32,000 new jobs last month, far fewer than expected and far off the pace predicted by the White House.

CNN's Jill Dougherty is traveling with President Bush, who's just made an appearance in New Hampshire. She joins us live from there -- Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, we're out in the country today, Stratham, New Hampshire, on the Bittersweet Farm. And this is where President Bush is holding a picnic for 3,000 core supporters.

You know, New Hampshire has a lot of independent voters, and this state has always been very tight. Look at the race just four years ago. President Bush won it, but extremely narrowly, just by 1 percent.

Right now the polls stand at 50 percent for Kerry and 43 percent for Bush, showing some gains for Senator Kerry.

Jobs are always a big issue here, and that jobs report today, the July jobs report, is not particularly good news for the president, showing payroll employment, plus 32,000 jobs, but that was far off what they expected. They were really hoping for more than 200,000.

And the unemployment figure is down to 5.5 percent, but that's just a shade off what it was at 5.6 percent.

President Bush said that he is not satisfied with this, but he claims the economy is moving forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our economy has been through a lot. Today's employment report shows our economy is continuing to move forward. And it reminds us that we're in a changing economy, and we've got more to do. I'm not going to be satisfied until everybody who wants to work can find a job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: So, the press secretary to the president, Scott McClellan, told reporters that you have to look at all the indicators, as he put it and there may be some mixed figures.

But, overall, again, the mantra from the campaign and the White House, that the economy is moving forward. And he said that the president will continue with, as he put it, pro-growth policies -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: President Bush attending the Unity Conference; watched it earlier today. A lot of talk with minority journalists and others. How do you think it went?

DOUGHERTY: Well, if you compare it to the way it went with Senator John Kerry yesterday, not particularly well. It was quite notably a warmer reception yesterday for Kerry, a little bit more reserved today. In fact, there was actually one heckler. But they both wanted to make an appearance at that event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

BUSH: I think it's very important for the faith-based initiative to continue on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, you're going to hear from the Kerry campaign and -- Jill Dougherty, sorry about that. Got a little sound from the hecklers there, didn't we?

DOUGHERTY: That was. I think there was one, and he was escorted out of the hall, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jill Dougherty, traveling there with President Bush, thank you so much. We'll catch up with you later.

Well, you can hear from the Kerry campaign now and their take on today's job's numbers, coming up at 3:30 Eastern on "INSIDE POLITICS."

Now, do you remember your graduation, walking down the aisle, wearing your cap and gown? Well, in Fallujah, Ramadi, and al-Sadr (ph), it's a different type of graduation day. These men are receiving a diploma, but they are wearing brand new tool belts and hard hats.

This is the first time these -- these Iraqis, rather, are seeing new tools and new jobs. We told about the Iraqi construction apprentice program, run by the U.S. Navy Seabees. Now we're going to show you the results.

Admiral Chuck Kubik heads the program. Assad Naji Hussein is one of his prize students. REAR ADMIRAL CHARLES KUBIK, U.S. NAVY: Well, Kyra, we actually have the program started in three cities and we're looking to expand it into two more. The first class just graduated this week, and we have some projects that are going on in the area of Ramadi. That's where the first class was.

We're talking to contractors who already have contracts with us to build facilities for the Iraqi community, and they're very excited about hiring these students to go to work on their jobs. And so we'll retain them in the school, working on projects there until they can actually get hired.

PHILLIPS: And Mr. Assad, in addition to these new jobs, you and your people are getting new jobs. Tell me about the tools. You got a brand new set of tools? How did you react? How did the other students react when they saw these?

ASSAD NAJI HUSSEIN, NAVY PROGRAM GRADUATE: Actually, they -- most of the students, all the students when they saw the tools, they are really surprised, you know. They are astonishing by the quality of these tools, because there is -- it is high-quality tools. And everybody do not like to work with them in case they get dirty.

KUBIK: You know, Kyra, one of the -- one of the students actually took his tools home, and he built a display cabinet in his living room. And he has the tools all there for his friends and relatives to see.

And they're very proud of the schools and we're very grateful to Spirit of America, who's a non-profit organization that has donated these -- these tools for the graduates. It's been very, very motivating for them to receive these new tools.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's amazing because when I think about -- I think of what we take for granted. And here the Iraqis are seeing these tools as prized possessions.

Mr. Assad, I've got to ask you, when you got involved with this program and rebuilding Iraq, you were threatened by the insurgents, your family was threatened. Why did you continue to graduate from this program and work with the U.S. military?

HUSSEIN: Actually, when you believe in something, you know, you believe on -- on the principal, you know. You have to go for it -- for it. You don't hesitate, you know, you don't wait.

As long as the American help us, you know. To free Iraq. And maintain -- building a new Iraq, which is quite helpful to Iraqi people. And we see many steps from the Americans toward Iraq, which is positively and very good for the quality -- for the people, you know.

For example, the standard of living is raising. People are now buying things, you know, like fridges, televisions. They can afford their schools for their children. We see many changes happening, actually, in Iraq. These changes, we have to support it. And we have to go with it. If we don't support it, this will be disappointing -- this will be reflected on the people in our community and will be negative people. And the Iraq will be lost. We want Iraq, a free Iraq, free people and well-living people.

PHILLIPS: Admiral Kubik, I'm hearing quite a change in the Iraqi psyche, listening to Mr. Assad and looking at all these projects he's been involved with, building training camps for border patrol, security forces, Iraqi National Guard.

It seems like, while we're hearing so much about the destruction, there's a lot going on mentally and emotionally for people like Mr. Assad.

KUBIK: Well, there is, Kyra. Particularly since the transfer of sovereignty, it's becoming very clear, particularly to the Iraqi leadership, that you -- that they have their destiny in their own hands.

And the Marines are still continuing to train security forces. Seabees are fixing bridges and building facilities for the border patrol, the National Guard, but we're staying behind the scenes and working quietly to support the new Iraqi government and to help them as they begin to stabilize the -- the country.

It's a big job, but with people like Mr. Assad and the students, who are very, very inspiring, I think we've got the right programs underway. It's just a matter of maintaining patience and persistence. And I think we will see progress in the months ahead.

PHILLIPS: Mr. Assad, have you had a favorite project so far?

KUBIK: We're actually working on a clinic, as well.

HUSSEIN: Yes, yes. Yes.

KUBIK: Tell them a little bit about the clinic.

HUSSEIN: Yes. And -- And the people there, actually, are very interesting on this project, because this project support their family. I don't want to go away from the subject.

This, the main thing for this project is to break the ice, what we call it in English, is to communicate with the American so the Iraqi will not be afraid from the American and the American compare its right (ph).

You show the people by many things, you know, like giving them (ph), supplying medicine to the students, supplying gifts, wheat (ph), many things, you know. Supporting these people. These people feel, they feel they are very -- has been taken care of from their instructors and from the Seabees.

PHILLIPS: I can hear the passion and I can hear just the -- he's talking about the communication. Unfortunately, we have to wrap up. We're out of time. But Mr. Assad Naji Hussein, Admiral Charles Kubik, it shows. It shows that what you're doing is working. And thank you so much, both of you, for your time today. We'll continue to follow up on the projects.

KUBIK: Well, thank you, Kyra. There's a lot of change here for the good, and Mr. Assad and many like him are the driving force behind it. Good talking to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thank you, gentlemen.

Well, ahead, countdown to the summer games. Putting some muscle behind those Olympic dreams.

And later on LIVE FROM, who said you need lush greens to go golfing? Oh, yes. That was kind of a shank. Well, we're going to go golfing across Mongolia. You won't want to miss this segment. Trust me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Olympics are just a week away, and as part of our continuing series on America's Olympians, we focus on a woman throwing her weight around in her quest for gold.

Here's our Jason Bellini.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cheryl Haworth is 21 years old. She weighs 296 pounds.

CHERYL HAWORTH, OLYMPIC WEIGHT LIFTER: I'm a super heavyweight lifter and, you know, that bulk and that size helps me move a lot of weight.

BELLINI: Until Haworth took up weightlifting in high school, she was self-conscious about her size.

HAWORTH: Every girl, especially, they always have that one hang up, you know, like, I hate my nose or my teeth are crooked or this and that. Like, that was just my one thing, but it never really bothered me that much, because I was never too unpopular.

BELLINI: Popularity isn't a problem for her now either. During competition, Haworth's fans shout her nickname -- Fun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheryl came in this gym many years ago and she had a t-shirt with the word "fun" across the t-shirt. She wore it every day for, like, six weeks straight.

HAWORTH: That's a high and you know it.

BELLINI: At 17, Haworth was the third strongest woman in the world. She won the bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics. In Athens, she hopes to become the strongest.

(on camera) You don't seem like the bragging type, though.

HAWORTH: No. But it's nice to think about.

BELLINI: And others can brag about you?

HAWORTH: Yes, and I can overhear them brag about me.

BELLINI (voice-over): In 2000, Haworth lifted 319 pounds in the clean and jerk.

HAWORTH: I don't know why it's called the clean. I don't know why it's called jerk.

BELLINI: In the snatch event, she lifted 275 pounds.

(on camera) This time Cheryl's coach plans to start her at 281 pounds and is prepared to take her as high as 297 pounds.

(voice-over) Haworth lifts the rough equivalent of a refrigerator above her head. She knows it's not always pretty.

HAWORTH: Nobody looks good lifting weights. My cheeks blow up. You know, my face gets red. You look straight ahead and look nuts. But if you're a real athlete, you're not going to be concerned with how you look anyway.

BELLINI: But she's sure she'll look pretty good wearing gold.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Savannah, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: So have you ever gotten a strange bill in the mail? A charge on your credit card you can't explain? Ahead, the most common kinds of fraud to look out for.

Then, it's an eight-letter word for a classic American board game. America's best wordsmiths prepare to battle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, not only did today's jobs reports badly miss economists' expectations, but job growth from one month to the next is also slowing. Let's go to Mary Snow once again at the New York Stock Exchange for a look at those numbers once again and the reaction on Wall Street.

Mary, we can't stay off this story, can we?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, on your mark, get set, spell. Do you have what it takes to be a Scrabble champ? My grandpa sure does.

Or if outdoor sports are more your speed, hey, how about a little extreme golfing? No cushy carts here, the 19th hole. Then the search for life in outer space. A fascinating new "CNN PRESENTS" debuts this weekend. Guess who's doing it? Give you one guess. Miles O'Brien. That's the only reason why you need to tune in. We're going to give you a sneak peak.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, video games may be the competition of choice for some people, but we found players who not only love a traditional game; they love Scrabble. That's traditional enough. And they're serious about it.

Beth Nissen explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Initially, it looks like the Scrabble you played as a kid, but look more closely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You may begin.

NISSEN: This is competitor tournament Scrabble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are over 850 Scrabble experts here from 40 states and five or six different countries. The age range here is from 12 years old to, I think, 93 years old. Scrabble is everywhere, and we're thrilled to be in the forefront.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shh!

NISSEN: Well, quietly thrilled. It takes intense concentration to make the highest-scoring words using randomly sets of seven tiles and place those words strategically on the board before time runs out. Concentration and often obsessive preparation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be a top-level tournament Scrabble player one really needs to spend about four or five hours a day on the game, studying word lists, practicing against a computer, doing exercises.

NISSEN: Players memorize lists of words, say all three and four letter words using the letter "Z"; words using the letter "Q" that don't need a "U." And of course, all permissible two-letter words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A-a-b-a-d-a-e-a-g-a.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: R-a-s-a-t.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: B-a-b-o-b-i-b-e.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: M-m-h-m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: S-h.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are 97 two-letter words, which every Scrabble tournament player knows by heart.

NISSEN: And needs to know to make parallel plays, like this one.

H-I-D is a legal word, and so are S-I and, O-D. Parallel plays help rack up the points.

So do bingos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bingo is when you play all seven of your tiles and then you get a 50-point bonus.

NISSEN: To help make bingos, most competitive players arrange their tiles in alphabetical order, into alphagrams. Many spent hours and years memorizing all the words that can be made from those letter combinations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I go down the street and I see a sign that says "Marines," I look at it and I also see "remains," "seminar." Everybody here can pretty much look at a group of letters and tell you what words are in there.

NISSEN: Those words can be obscure. In this game between defending national champion Joel Sherman and three-time national champion Joe Edley, words included "qaid," "firth," "kauri."

What do those words mean? To tournament players, the meanings are meaningless.

JOE EDLEY, THREE-TIME NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMP: It's not cost- effective to spend time keeping them in your memory. It's just enough to know that they're words.

NISSEN: Even players who know all the words -- and there are some who memorized the entire official Scrabble player's dictionary -- have to contend with the luck of the draw, theirs and their opponent's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just can't even get over it.

TREY WRIGHT, TOURNAMENT LEADER: Anything can happen. This is Scrabble. Any of my opponents can beat me if they draw the right tiles.

NISSEN: Players use ritual and talismans so the tile gods will be kind. Not give them a U with no Q, let them draw a blank, tile that is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have their lucky tile bags, their lucky rack, their lucky shirt.

NISSEN: Tournament players aren't in it for the money. Top cash prize at the nationals is $25,000 plus a very nice silver bowl. What draws them is something else, which even amateurs can experience.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you haven't played Scrabble in a while, sit down. It doesn't matter if you play the word "cat" or you play the word "quixotic." You will remember how much fun it is to get a bunch of letters and randomly throw them around and then find a word and score.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four, five, six, 10, 11, 61.

NISSEN: Word up.

Beth Nissen, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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