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Live From...
Missing in Aruba; Al Qaeda Video; Iraq Death Probe
Aired June 17, 2005 - 14:00 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: An Arab television network airs what it says is new video of Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, and he reportedly has a message. We're on this developing story.
A CNN exclusive. Inside the Marines' aggressive move on Iraqi insurgents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S MOTHER: I have to have answers, and I have to have them now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Natalee Holloway's mom speaks out. There are new developments in this case. We're following that story in Aruba.
And suspected serial molester arrested. Police say lists made by this man could lead them to hundreds and hundreds of victims. We're going to talk live with the commander of the exploitation unit from the San Jose Police Department.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
The search for Natalee Holloway is still coming up empty 17 days after she vanished. But there's another twist in the investigation into her disappearance. A fourth person is now in custody in Aruba. The police are keeping mostly mum on his identity, but our Karl Penhaul has been able to uncover new details.
He joins us now by phone. Actually, no, he's live from Palm Beach, Aruba, with the development.
Karl, tell us what you know?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, police and prosecutors first told us that a 26-year-old man was arrested in a raid on his home at about 6:25 this morning. That raid was in the town of Santa Cruz. That's the town in the center of the island.
We went around to that house and we spoke to the man's uncle. He told us that they young man arrested is 26-year-old Steve Croes. He told us that he's a deejay on the Tattoo Party Boat. That's a three deck catamaran that sails off the west coast of Aruba, and in the evenings, partygoers will go to get aboard that boat and have a drink and a dance on the boat. We went down to the pier where that boat sails from and talked to Marcus Williams. That's Steve Croes' boss. It was a surprise to him that his deejay had been arrested. He wasn't aware of it at the time.
He said he received no information from the police, nor, in fact, any request to search the catamaran. What he did tell us was that normally that catamaran sails in the evenings, it's back at the pier by midnight. It doesn't sail on a Sunday night. You'll remember Natalee Holloway disappeared on a Sunday night, early Monday morning.
In addition to that, of course, Natalee Holloway's family are growing increasingly frustrated with the false leads and with the pace of investigations. And this morning, Beth Holloway talked to The Associated Press television and had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TWITTY: And I have waited, and I have waited, and I have waited, and I have listened, and I've heard lie after lie after lie unfold. And I have to have some answers, and I better get them soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do you think they're lying to you? I just don't...
TWITTY: They're not lying to me. I don't know why they're lying to the authorities. I don't know why.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: The police commissioner told me this morning that the information leading to Steve Croes' arrest did come from a lead provided by one of the three young boys, or one of the three young men, rather, who have been suspects and been arrested about 10 days ago now. But, of course, we do know that those three suspects have provided false leads in the past. In fact, it was their information that led to the arrest of two security guards who were the first to be arrested but later released -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Karl Penhaul working that story live from Aruba. Thank you so much, Karl.
And I just want to add I'm getting word that Beth Holloway Twitty, of course the mother of Natalee Holloway, will join Anderson cooper, 7:00 p.m. tonight.
Well, video of al Qaeda's number two. Al-Jazeera has just broadcast what it says are new images of Ayman al-Zawarhiri. In the video, Al-Jazeera says that the deputy al Qaeda leader criticizes U.S. reform -- well, plans, rather, for the Middle East.
And for some more insight into what all that means, I'm joined now by CNN Senior Arab Affairs Editor Octavia Nasr.
First of all, let's set up and remind viewers, al-Zawarhiri, of course, physician, best friend to Osama bin Laden. OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: And possibly his personal doctor. And he's also been hiding, some say, with him. It is believed that they are hiding in some remote areas on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Of course there's no way to confirm where this man is, but look at this video. This is a crisp video, compared to older videos from Zawarhiri. The background is a bit different. The man himself looks a little bit better than last time we saw him, which was back in February.
His cheeks are rosy, he looks like he's gained some weight. He looks healthier. But again, you look at him, he's comfortable, he's relaxed. He's speaking directly to the camera. Also, the image of that camera is a little bit better than the images that we've seen before.
One other video-wise note here. In the video that we saw in February, he had like a shawl on. Obviously, it was a little colder wherever he is, and now he feels that -- the dress itself is exactly the same, with that white turban on the head and the sort of Pakistani garb that he's wearing -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So what has he said about al Qaeda, the activities of al Qaeda? What's happening now in the Middle East.
NASR: What he said is not really earth-shattering, no big news out of it. At least what we know, what we think he said, according to Al-Jazeera, Al-Jazeera summarized his speech, basically, and we are awaiting the airing of some sound from Zawahiri coming up in about 30 minutes. And we will bring that to our viewers as soon as we have it available.
But basically, the summary is that he, first of all, criticized the U.S.' proposal for reform in the Middle East, which is nothing new for Zawarhiri. He's done that -- he's done exactly that, as a matter of fact, in February.
He criticized apparently the governments of Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This is something that observers usually pay attention to. The governments that he criticized, him, or bin Laden, in this case, mean that you have to expect some kind of attack against them.
He also told the Palestinians, apparently, that they shouldn't be drawn into this game of elections. And also, he talked about some demonstrations that took place and not long ago in Egypt, where women were assaulted at demonstrations, anti-government demonstrations.
So he's trying, basically, to give us a date on when this was taped. But he definitely, if what Al-Jazeera said is true, that means he left it vague and no specifics, and really no big news.
PHILLIPS: All right. Keep us updated. Octavia Nasr. Thank you so much.
Well, mortars, bombs, gunfire and suicide attacks all responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops since the beginning of the war in Iraq. But the U.S. military says two of those deaths happened at the hands of a fellow soldier. He's now charged in what investigators call a case of fragging, a soldier killing his superiors.
CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now live from Washington -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's a sad story, and military officials aren't yet saying anything about what may have prompted these killings.
Thirty-eight-year-old Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez -- he's a supply specialist from Troy, New York -- is charged with killing both his company commander and operations officer last week in Tikrit at the 492nd Infantry Division's base there in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces. Captain Phillip Esposito and 1st Lieutenant Louis Allen died in an explosion in their office while going over the next day's missions. And initially it was blamed on a mortar round, but the Army looked more closely and launched a criminal investigation after determing that the blast pattern was inconsistent with a mortar attack.
Now, they're not saying what type of weapon they believe was used, but only that it was something larger than a grenade. Martinez's friends in New York were shocked to learn of the charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA PREBOSS, FAMILY FRIEND: It's a sad situation. I'm just in awe. What could ever cause a young man to want to take the lives of two of his comrades? It's -- I hope it isn't so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Martinez joined the New York National Guard back in December of 1990, and he deployed with his unit to Iraq in May of 2004. Now, right now, Kyra, he's being held in a military confinement center in Kuwait.
PHILLIPS: All right. Kathleen Koch. Thanks for the update.
KOCH: You bet.
PHILLIPS: Well, a new offensive in Iraq aimed at taking out insurgents holed up just five miles from the Syrian border, it's said to be a no holds barred mission involving about a thousand troops, U.S. Marines, sailors and Iraqis. The city is Karabila, and it's focus of what's been dubbed "Operation Spear." U.S. Marines tell CNN's Jane Arraf they're using every weapon in their arsenal and count at least 30 insurgents killed so far. They estimate 100 foreign fighters are holed up there.
Well, a check "Across America" now.
California shaken again. Two more earthquakes hit the state yesterday for a total of four this week. One measured 4.9 magnitude in southern California. The other 6.6 in northern California. There were no reports of damages or injuries.
A former Ku Klux Klan leader accused in the three civil rights era killings is back in a Mississippi courtroom today. Eighty-year- old Edgar Ray Killen was hospitalized for high blood pressure yesterday on the opening day of testimony.
In San Jose, California, police say an accused child molester may have victimized hundreds of boys. Sixty-three-year-old Dean Schwartzmiller faces multiple counts of abusing children under 14. Police say they found a handwritten list with more than 36,000 entries in Schwartzmiller's home. They're asking for help in identifying apparent victims.
Well, the child molestation case is being called horrendous by authorities. They say Dean Schwartzmiller may have even been operating a Web site to lure victims.
For more on the case, we're joined by Lieutenant Scott Cornfield with the San Jose Police Department.
And sir, you're the commander actually of the exploitation unit there at San Jose Police Department. Is that right?
LT. SCOTT CORNFIELD, SAN JOSE POLICE: That's correct.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's a pleasure to have you with us. Not a pleasure to talk about this story. But I know that you want victims to come forward and help you with this case, but put into perspective how big of a case this is.
When I was talking to some of your investigators -- I mean, I remember Jeffrey Dahmer and that case rocking the nation. This could possibly be the worst yet.
CORNFIELD: Yes, it's quite possible that if, as I've said before, even a small fraction of the names listed in his volumes are an accurate representation of the children he's molested, then he could be one of, if not the most, prolific sexual predators that we have ever seen.
PHILLIPS: Now, tell me what the most disturbing part of this investigation. Tell me about these notebooks and what were in these notebooks.
CORNFIELD: Yes, that's clearly the most disturbing part of this whole thing, is the sheer volume. We had seven binders, seven spiral note books, 140, 150 pages. Both sides written, handwritten names from top to bottom.
Some of the pages had titles on them like "Boys under 12," "Boys under 14," "Boys I Performed Specific Sex Acts With." Lots of name. Unfortunately, not last names with most of them.
Some were nicknames, some locations. And we don't know if that's a location of where a crime took place or where the child was from. But when you add it all up, you come up with approximately 36,000 entries. And we realize some of these names have been duplicated a number of times, but, again, even a small percentage of that would be astronomical.
PHILLIPS: Thirty-six thousand entries. Now, how many young children do you believe truly were molested within that number of 36,000?
CORNFIELD: Really, really difficult to know at this point. But we know we're looking at a lot of names over a long period of time.
Based on some of his own writings, it looks like we're going back perhaps more than 30 years, 35 years or more. So we could be looking at hundreds, if not thousands. I don't think it would be out of the question.
PHILLIPS: Now, Commander, here is the thing that literally blows me away, that this man was convicted 30 years ago of molestation, correct?
CORNFIELD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: How does somebody -- I'm sorry, go ahead.
CORNFIELD: You're right, 19 -- I think 1975 he had a conviction. So it goes way back.
PHILLIPS: Sure. So here we ask -- herein lies the confusion. This man was convicted 30 years ago. All of these years he's been moving from neighborhood to neighborhood, allegedly molesting hundreds, possibly thousands of children. You just have to ask, how can somebody like this be on the loose?
CORNFIELD: Well, I think there are a lot of reasons for it. I think one of the best things that we can look to now is that we are treating these kinds of cases far differently today than we did 30 years ago.
You know, sentencing laws are much better today, and I think police departments around the country are much better equipped to deal with these kinds of offenders. I have in my particular unit, you know, we have a unit dedicated just to monitoring these sex offenders.
And in California, we have a pretty good reputation of being one of the top units that just does that. I have five officers, and that's all they do is monitor these sex offenders.
We didn't have units like that 30 years ago. So I think that's a big step in the right direction. But I think some of the same behavior you see today you saw then, and that includes things like neighbors making comments like, "Well, it seems a little strange," but no one said anything or did anything. That's the kind of thing that allows it to happen.
PHILLIPS: Sure. And in addition to the efforts that you are making -- and exploitation unit is a prime example of how things have changed and how important a unit like that is -- also, registration and Megan's Law. We can't forget that. But, for someone like this, he's not going to register.
CORNFIELD: Well, perhaps not. But those are the people that we arrest very quickly in California. If they come out of prison and they don't register, we get a list instantly when they're released and we go find them.
And most of these folks are pretty easy to find because they know when they come out they're on parole. And they know that if they don't report, they go right back to prison.
So most of the folks who come out, we know who they are. And we get them registered right away.
Now, if they don't maintain those registration requirements and we find out about it, they go to jail. But that doesn't happen in all cases.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's fantastic that this man is behind bars. But I want to plug real quickly, because I know you want to hear from victims, two phone numbers to the San Jose Police Department's child exploitation division. We've got that number, and also, if you want to remain anonymous, you can also call the crime stopper number.
Just real quickly, sir, as we wrap up, you really want to hear from these victims.
CORNFIELD: Yes. It's critically important that we hear from the victims, not only to make the best case we can against Mr. Schwartzmiller, but also it's a great part of the healing process for the victims themselves to actually acknowledge to someone that this happened to them and to come to us for help, or wherever they may be.
Critically important that they get hope and they are able to move on and recover from something like. And many people are waiting to hear that other people are coming forward. We know that that happens, too.
And fortunately, thanks to this kind of coverage, we're getting those phone calls. We've received calls already from Oregon, Alaska, I think Idaho. We're getting calls from a number of states from former victims. And that's critically important to us, and again, it helps the victims recover as well.
So, please, we ask people to take a good picture -- take a good look at the picture.
PHILLIPS: Absolutely. We'll take that picture one more time. Lieutenant Scott Cornfield, San Jose Police Department. I can promise you it's a story that we will stay on top of.
We salute you for the arrest. Thank you so much for your time today.
CORNFIELD: Well, thank you. We appreciate it.
PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, intense moments in the midst of war. The sights and sounds of an actual tank battle in Iraq. We're going to talk with the captain who was in the middle of the action straight ahead.
And braver in the line of duty. A National Guard soldier from Kentucky becomes the first woman to get a Silver Star since World War II. She shares her story straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right, I have to admit, I love this story. A female Air Force captain is breaking the glass ceiling and definitely flying high. The Air Force has named its first female pilot to the prestigious Thunderbirds demonstrations squad. Captain Nicole Malachowski we'll fly with the squad that performs precision and formation routines.
I sure a number of you have seen the Thunderbirds perform. Her public debut is set for next March. Nicole, we'll be watching.
And another military female has something to be awfully proud of, a Silver Star. Twenty-three-year-old Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the Silver Star for valor in Baghdad yesterday. Hester is the first female soldier since World War II to receive that medal. She spoke about her honor on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. LEIGH ANN HESTER, SILVER STAR RECIPIENT: It's a great honor to have received it, but I'm just another soldier here. We're all equal in the United States Army, men and women. But I know me being a woman, if I saw another woman receive this award, I would look up to them. And this, you know -- like I said, you know, we're all soldiers and we're all equal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, Hester received the medal for gallantry during an ambush in Iraq in which she killed at least three insurgents and saved many lives of her fellow soldiers.
Well, another soldier's story chronicles the battle to Baghdad from inside some heavy metal.
Well, this is a dangerous view from inside the tanks of Charlie Company. A tank-mounted camera caught this action. The armored taskforce was one of the first to fight its way inside Baghdad, and now the soldiers' stories are told in "Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad."
Joining me are the co-authors, Captain Jason Conroy, who commanded Charlie Company, and also "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" writer Ron Martz. He was embedded with the company. They both wrote this book together. Great to have you both.
CAPT. JASON CONROY, "HEAVY METAL": Thank you.
RON MARTZ, "HEAVY METAL": Thank you.
PHILLIPS: And Ron, you just mentioned, of course, Jason is a Silver Star medal winner.
MARTZ: That's correct.
PHILLIPS: What did you get it for?
CONROY: It was for gallantry in action during the thunder (ph) runs into Baghdad.
PHILLIPS: Well, let me tell you what, seeing these pictures, reading this book, seeing that videotape, I can understand why you got that Silver Star.
And Ron, you witnessed the action of this company and gentlemen like the captain here. Tell me why you wanted to write the book. I mean, it's definitely a way to humanize the soldiers.
MARTZ: Yes. One of the things that we haven't seen a lot of out of this war is the human story, the soldier's story.
I mean, there have been a number of books written, I think, that have a lot of nuts and bolts about how the war was designed and what went on. But one of the things we wanted to do was present the soldier's story.
PHILLIPS: And we're going to talk more specifically about some pictures and look at the videotape. But Jason, I want to can ask you just about the lack of intelligence and not knowing what you were going up against. I mean, just looking at this videotape from your helmet cam, which I thought was incredible, you were coming across things you never expected.
CONROY: Oh, absolutely. I mean, our mission to go in there was to carve out a piece of Baghdad and to find out what the Iraqis were doing.
We were on a reconnaissance to go into downtown Baghdad and find out how they were going to fight, who was down there, and what kind of forces they were. When we were first given the mission, I had no idea what to expect or what we were going to run into. And that's why, you know, all my soldiers and the soldiers in the taskforce, very courageous, going into downtown Baghdad with 723 guys.
PHILLIPS: And just looking at this videotape that you recorded, I mean, you see cars blowing up, you see individuals coming by in cars and shooting at you. I mean, how did you just keep perspective and know when and -- who was the good guy, who was the bad guy? It just seems crazy, you know, looking at some of the videotape of what you were up against. CONROY: Right. A lot of the video is from, you know, several of the different tanks within the taskforce. But the guys that were out there, you know, they did an excellent job of identifying the bad guys that were out there.
As you know from a lot of the footage that has been collected, they were using terrorist tactics from day one, using children on the battlefield, you know, hiding behind women. And the guys did an exceptional job of finding the bad guys and shooting them, and risking their lives, you know, to save the women and children and even some of the wounded soldiers out there, to go out and help the enemy soldiers and treat them and take care of them. Just courageous acts on the battlefield.
PHILLIPS: Well, and Ron, you captured so many of those moments. Your photographer did for the "AJC" and photographs. This one of one of the young men in your unit, Jason, the bullet hole in the helmet, what do you remember when he came forward, Ron, and called his -- or I guess he called you, Jason, and said, "I've got a bullet in my helmet."
And you said, "Well, you OK? Well, move on, soldier."
CONROY: Yes. He calls me up and says, "Hey, sir, I've been shot in the head." It of course caught me off guard.
I said, "It sounds like you said you were shot in the head." And he goes, "Roger that, sir."
And so I radioed him back and said, "Well, you'll be all right. I'll see you when we get to the airport."
So, of course, when we get up there, I come around the tank and here he is with a pair of pliers, you know, pulling the round out of his helmet. He says, "See, sir, I was shot in the head."
So -- but it's credit to our -- you know, the equipment that we have. I mean, it saved his life that day. And a lot of the -- the equipment that we have took a lot of rounds, took a lot of hits. Our armored-plated vests and Kevlars and just the vehicles themselves.
PHILLIPS: Well, talk about saving lives, Ron, tell me as we look at some pictures here of some innocent civilians that Jason and fellow soldiers were treating all under fire, I want to point out, there you are working on innocent civilians while being shot at. Ron, did that just amaze you as a journalist?
MARTZ: Well, the thing that did surprise me was how quick the corpsmen, the medics from this particular unit, would get out in the middle of a firefight. And since there were no casualties, no American casualties at the time, they would start treating the wounded Iraqi civilians and the wounded Iraqi soldiers at the same time, even while they were under fire.
That particular picture there is Staff Sergeant Mark Strunk (ph), who was the senior medic in the unit. And in several of the battles, he was out there in the middle of the fire treating civilians for very serious injuries.
PHILLIPS: And then treating their own. Ron, tell me about these photos, about this soldier that was shot in the head. This is trying to get him out and get him on a helo. And there's an even more powerful picture of just working on him and trying to remain calm.
Tell us about this moment.
MARTZ: Well, that particular soldier, that's Chris Shipley (ph). Chris was actually standing behind me in an armored personnel carrier when he was shot in the head. And he was shot almost simultaneously as another soldier, Don Schaeffer (ph), who was standing next to me. So essentially, these two guys on either side of me took bullets.
Shipley (ph) ended up losing an eye as a result of that wound. And Schaeffer (ph) was -- he was hit about three times. Both of them survived, though, and they're still alive today.
PHILLIPS: Some compelling pictures. I want you to tell me about this, Jason.
Some insurgents, I guess they -- first of all, the one that you arrested I saw here in the truck. Tell me about this guy. And then we have another picture, too, of some kids that ran a checkpoint.
CONROY: Right. There are several guys that were in this truck here.
What they did is they tried to ram our vehicles. You know, they're in the back of that truck with AKs, and just ran into our vehicles that were coming in, in the intersection, trying to shoot us and run the truck in.
Of course we returned fire. The other two were killed.
He was injured. He was trying to hide a weapon underneath him and pull it up. And again, these two are standing over him. And what you don't see in the background is, this is at Checkpoint Charlie in Najaf, and we're surrounded -- you know, there's about 200 fighters dug in around us.
They commandeered a bus at this intersection, rammed it into one of our vehicles, had women and children on it. So we're treating -- in the midst of our perimeter, we've got enemy inside, women, children, you know, that are casualties that we're trying to treat. And all these guys are out here, and it just speaks credit to the American soldier.
They're out on the battlefield while being shot at. I'm on -- I'm watching, you know, the AK fire skip off the ground, RPGs fly over. These guys are out there treating the guys, returning fire, dragging them to cover. And it was just a remarkable credit to the American soldier that's out there.
PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. And maybe as we wrap this interview, we can take this shot with one of the kids in the square there in Iraq. Some pretty amazing stories of how you bonded also with the Iraqis, Ron. Within the -- you know, the shooting and the death, you also saw some pretty incredible relationships were formed.
MARTZ: It was amazing to see these soldiers. From one minute they go from being soldiers and shooting at the enemy, to taking care of civilians.
And there were a lot of kids and people in Baghdad when they first arrived. They were very happy to see the Americans come in.
That's one of the pictures of one of the soldiers there at a checkpoint shaking hands with one of the kids. And if I may just say real quick, a lot of the pictures you saw here were taken by Brad Sanderlin (ph), who's a photographer with the "AJC." He was right out there in the middle of everything taking photos.
PHILLIPS: I know you were all together, and you braved these conditions. And the book is fantastic. "Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad."
Captain Jason Conroy and Ron Martz with the "AJC," thank you both so much. Appreciate it.
MARTZ: Thank you.
CONROY: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, elections and voices of protest. We're talking about Iran. Ahead on LIVE FROM, an Iranian blogger -- yes, they've got bloggers in Iran -- gives us insights on what today's elections really mean for that country and the United States.
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mark McKay at the U.S. Open. Tough but fair. Phil Mickelson may feel differently after his second round on Pine Hurst Course Number 2. A live report coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 17, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An Arab television network airs what it says is new video of Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, and he reportedly has a message. We're on this developing story.
A CNN exclusive. Inside the Marines' aggressive move on Iraqi insurgents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S MOTHER: I have to have answers, and I have to have them now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Natalee Holloway's mom speaks out. There are new developments in this case. We're following that story in Aruba.
And suspected serial molester arrested. Police say lists made by this man could lead them to hundreds and hundreds of victims. We're going to talk live with the commander of the exploitation unit from the San Jose Police Department.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
The search for Natalee Holloway is still coming up empty 17 days after she vanished. But there's another twist in the investigation into her disappearance. A fourth person is now in custody in Aruba. The police are keeping mostly mum on his identity, but our Karl Penhaul has been able to uncover new details.
He joins us now by phone. Actually, no, he's live from Palm Beach, Aruba, with the development.
Karl, tell us what you know?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, police and prosecutors first told us that a 26-year-old man was arrested in a raid on his home at about 6:25 this morning. That raid was in the town of Santa Cruz. That's the town in the center of the island.
We went around to that house and we spoke to the man's uncle. He told us that they young man arrested is 26-year-old Steve Croes. He told us that he's a deejay on the Tattoo Party Boat. That's a three deck catamaran that sails off the west coast of Aruba, and in the evenings, partygoers will go to get aboard that boat and have a drink and a dance on the boat. We went down to the pier where that boat sails from and talked to Marcus Williams. That's Steve Croes' boss. It was a surprise to him that his deejay had been arrested. He wasn't aware of it at the time.
He said he received no information from the police, nor, in fact, any request to search the catamaran. What he did tell us was that normally that catamaran sails in the evenings, it's back at the pier by midnight. It doesn't sail on a Sunday night. You'll remember Natalee Holloway disappeared on a Sunday night, early Monday morning.
In addition to that, of course, Natalee Holloway's family are growing increasingly frustrated with the false leads and with the pace of investigations. And this morning, Beth Holloway talked to The Associated Press television and had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TWITTY: And I have waited, and I have waited, and I have waited, and I have listened, and I've heard lie after lie after lie unfold. And I have to have some answers, and I better get them soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do you think they're lying to you? I just don't...
TWITTY: They're not lying to me. I don't know why they're lying to the authorities. I don't know why.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: The police commissioner told me this morning that the information leading to Steve Croes' arrest did come from a lead provided by one of the three young boys, or one of the three young men, rather, who have been suspects and been arrested about 10 days ago now. But, of course, we do know that those three suspects have provided false leads in the past. In fact, it was their information that led to the arrest of two security guards who were the first to be arrested but later released -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Karl Penhaul working that story live from Aruba. Thank you so much, Karl.
And I just want to add I'm getting word that Beth Holloway Twitty, of course the mother of Natalee Holloway, will join Anderson cooper, 7:00 p.m. tonight.
Well, video of al Qaeda's number two. Al-Jazeera has just broadcast what it says are new images of Ayman al-Zawarhiri. In the video, Al-Jazeera says that the deputy al Qaeda leader criticizes U.S. reform -- well, plans, rather, for the Middle East.
And for some more insight into what all that means, I'm joined now by CNN Senior Arab Affairs Editor Octavia Nasr.
First of all, let's set up and remind viewers, al-Zawarhiri, of course, physician, best friend to Osama bin Laden. OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: And possibly his personal doctor. And he's also been hiding, some say, with him. It is believed that they are hiding in some remote areas on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Of course there's no way to confirm where this man is, but look at this video. This is a crisp video, compared to older videos from Zawarhiri. The background is a bit different. The man himself looks a little bit better than last time we saw him, which was back in February.
His cheeks are rosy, he looks like he's gained some weight. He looks healthier. But again, you look at him, he's comfortable, he's relaxed. He's speaking directly to the camera. Also, the image of that camera is a little bit better than the images that we've seen before.
One other video-wise note here. In the video that we saw in February, he had like a shawl on. Obviously, it was a little colder wherever he is, and now he feels that -- the dress itself is exactly the same, with that white turban on the head and the sort of Pakistani garb that he's wearing -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So what has he said about al Qaeda, the activities of al Qaeda? What's happening now in the Middle East.
NASR: What he said is not really earth-shattering, no big news out of it. At least what we know, what we think he said, according to Al-Jazeera, Al-Jazeera summarized his speech, basically, and we are awaiting the airing of some sound from Zawahiri coming up in about 30 minutes. And we will bring that to our viewers as soon as we have it available.
But basically, the summary is that he, first of all, criticized the U.S.' proposal for reform in the Middle East, which is nothing new for Zawarhiri. He's done that -- he's done exactly that, as a matter of fact, in February.
He criticized apparently the governments of Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This is something that observers usually pay attention to. The governments that he criticized, him, or bin Laden, in this case, mean that you have to expect some kind of attack against them.
He also told the Palestinians, apparently, that they shouldn't be drawn into this game of elections. And also, he talked about some demonstrations that took place and not long ago in Egypt, where women were assaulted at demonstrations, anti-government demonstrations.
So he's trying, basically, to give us a date on when this was taped. But he definitely, if what Al-Jazeera said is true, that means he left it vague and no specifics, and really no big news.
PHILLIPS: All right. Keep us updated. Octavia Nasr. Thank you so much.
Well, mortars, bombs, gunfire and suicide attacks all responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops since the beginning of the war in Iraq. But the U.S. military says two of those deaths happened at the hands of a fellow soldier. He's now charged in what investigators call a case of fragging, a soldier killing his superiors.
CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now live from Washington -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's a sad story, and military officials aren't yet saying anything about what may have prompted these killings.
Thirty-eight-year-old Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez -- he's a supply specialist from Troy, New York -- is charged with killing both his company commander and operations officer last week in Tikrit at the 492nd Infantry Division's base there in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces. Captain Phillip Esposito and 1st Lieutenant Louis Allen died in an explosion in their office while going over the next day's missions. And initially it was blamed on a mortar round, but the Army looked more closely and launched a criminal investigation after determing that the blast pattern was inconsistent with a mortar attack.
Now, they're not saying what type of weapon they believe was used, but only that it was something larger than a grenade. Martinez's friends in New York were shocked to learn of the charges.
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BARBARA PREBOSS, FAMILY FRIEND: It's a sad situation. I'm just in awe. What could ever cause a young man to want to take the lives of two of his comrades? It's -- I hope it isn't so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Martinez joined the New York National Guard back in December of 1990, and he deployed with his unit to Iraq in May of 2004. Now, right now, Kyra, he's being held in a military confinement center in Kuwait.
PHILLIPS: All right. Kathleen Koch. Thanks for the update.
KOCH: You bet.
PHILLIPS: Well, a new offensive in Iraq aimed at taking out insurgents holed up just five miles from the Syrian border, it's said to be a no holds barred mission involving about a thousand troops, U.S. Marines, sailors and Iraqis. The city is Karabila, and it's focus of what's been dubbed "Operation Spear." U.S. Marines tell CNN's Jane Arraf they're using every weapon in their arsenal and count at least 30 insurgents killed so far. They estimate 100 foreign fighters are holed up there.
Well, a check "Across America" now.
California shaken again. Two more earthquakes hit the state yesterday for a total of four this week. One measured 4.9 magnitude in southern California. The other 6.6 in northern California. There were no reports of damages or injuries.
A former Ku Klux Klan leader accused in the three civil rights era killings is back in a Mississippi courtroom today. Eighty-year- old Edgar Ray Killen was hospitalized for high blood pressure yesterday on the opening day of testimony.
In San Jose, California, police say an accused child molester may have victimized hundreds of boys. Sixty-three-year-old Dean Schwartzmiller faces multiple counts of abusing children under 14. Police say they found a handwritten list with more than 36,000 entries in Schwartzmiller's home. They're asking for help in identifying apparent victims.
Well, the child molestation case is being called horrendous by authorities. They say Dean Schwartzmiller may have even been operating a Web site to lure victims.
For more on the case, we're joined by Lieutenant Scott Cornfield with the San Jose Police Department.
And sir, you're the commander actually of the exploitation unit there at San Jose Police Department. Is that right?
LT. SCOTT CORNFIELD, SAN JOSE POLICE: That's correct.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's a pleasure to have you with us. Not a pleasure to talk about this story. But I know that you want victims to come forward and help you with this case, but put into perspective how big of a case this is.
When I was talking to some of your investigators -- I mean, I remember Jeffrey Dahmer and that case rocking the nation. This could possibly be the worst yet.
CORNFIELD: Yes, it's quite possible that if, as I've said before, even a small fraction of the names listed in his volumes are an accurate representation of the children he's molested, then he could be one of, if not the most, prolific sexual predators that we have ever seen.
PHILLIPS: Now, tell me what the most disturbing part of this investigation. Tell me about these notebooks and what were in these notebooks.
CORNFIELD: Yes, that's clearly the most disturbing part of this whole thing, is the sheer volume. We had seven binders, seven spiral note books, 140, 150 pages. Both sides written, handwritten names from top to bottom.
Some of the pages had titles on them like "Boys under 12," "Boys under 14," "Boys I Performed Specific Sex Acts With." Lots of name. Unfortunately, not last names with most of them.
Some were nicknames, some locations. And we don't know if that's a location of where a crime took place or where the child was from. But when you add it all up, you come up with approximately 36,000 entries. And we realize some of these names have been duplicated a number of times, but, again, even a small percentage of that would be astronomical.
PHILLIPS: Thirty-six thousand entries. Now, how many young children do you believe truly were molested within that number of 36,000?
CORNFIELD: Really, really difficult to know at this point. But we know we're looking at a lot of names over a long period of time.
Based on some of his own writings, it looks like we're going back perhaps more than 30 years, 35 years or more. So we could be looking at hundreds, if not thousands. I don't think it would be out of the question.
PHILLIPS: Now, Commander, here is the thing that literally blows me away, that this man was convicted 30 years ago of molestation, correct?
CORNFIELD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: How does somebody -- I'm sorry, go ahead.
CORNFIELD: You're right, 19 -- I think 1975 he had a conviction. So it goes way back.
PHILLIPS: Sure. So here we ask -- herein lies the confusion. This man was convicted 30 years ago. All of these years he's been moving from neighborhood to neighborhood, allegedly molesting hundreds, possibly thousands of children. You just have to ask, how can somebody like this be on the loose?
CORNFIELD: Well, I think there are a lot of reasons for it. I think one of the best things that we can look to now is that we are treating these kinds of cases far differently today than we did 30 years ago.
You know, sentencing laws are much better today, and I think police departments around the country are much better equipped to deal with these kinds of offenders. I have in my particular unit, you know, we have a unit dedicated just to monitoring these sex offenders.
And in California, we have a pretty good reputation of being one of the top units that just does that. I have five officers, and that's all they do is monitor these sex offenders.
We didn't have units like that 30 years ago. So I think that's a big step in the right direction. But I think some of the same behavior you see today you saw then, and that includes things like neighbors making comments like, "Well, it seems a little strange," but no one said anything or did anything. That's the kind of thing that allows it to happen.
PHILLIPS: Sure. And in addition to the efforts that you are making -- and exploitation unit is a prime example of how things have changed and how important a unit like that is -- also, registration and Megan's Law. We can't forget that. But, for someone like this, he's not going to register.
CORNFIELD: Well, perhaps not. But those are the people that we arrest very quickly in California. If they come out of prison and they don't register, we get a list instantly when they're released and we go find them.
And most of these folks are pretty easy to find because they know when they come out they're on parole. And they know that if they don't report, they go right back to prison.
So most of the folks who come out, we know who they are. And we get them registered right away.
Now, if they don't maintain those registration requirements and we find out about it, they go to jail. But that doesn't happen in all cases.
PHILLIPS: Well, it's fantastic that this man is behind bars. But I want to plug real quickly, because I know you want to hear from victims, two phone numbers to the San Jose Police Department's child exploitation division. We've got that number, and also, if you want to remain anonymous, you can also call the crime stopper number.
Just real quickly, sir, as we wrap up, you really want to hear from these victims.
CORNFIELD: Yes. It's critically important that we hear from the victims, not only to make the best case we can against Mr. Schwartzmiller, but also it's a great part of the healing process for the victims themselves to actually acknowledge to someone that this happened to them and to come to us for help, or wherever they may be.
Critically important that they get hope and they are able to move on and recover from something like. And many people are waiting to hear that other people are coming forward. We know that that happens, too.
And fortunately, thanks to this kind of coverage, we're getting those phone calls. We've received calls already from Oregon, Alaska, I think Idaho. We're getting calls from a number of states from former victims. And that's critically important to us, and again, it helps the victims recover as well.
So, please, we ask people to take a good picture -- take a good look at the picture.
PHILLIPS: Absolutely. We'll take that picture one more time. Lieutenant Scott Cornfield, San Jose Police Department. I can promise you it's a story that we will stay on top of.
We salute you for the arrest. Thank you so much for your time today.
CORNFIELD: Well, thank you. We appreciate it.
PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, intense moments in the midst of war. The sights and sounds of an actual tank battle in Iraq. We're going to talk with the captain who was in the middle of the action straight ahead.
And braver in the line of duty. A National Guard soldier from Kentucky becomes the first woman to get a Silver Star since World War II. She shares her story straight ahead.
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PHILLIPS: All right, I have to admit, I love this story. A female Air Force captain is breaking the glass ceiling and definitely flying high. The Air Force has named its first female pilot to the prestigious Thunderbirds demonstrations squad. Captain Nicole Malachowski we'll fly with the squad that performs precision and formation routines.
I sure a number of you have seen the Thunderbirds perform. Her public debut is set for next March. Nicole, we'll be watching.
And another military female has something to be awfully proud of, a Silver Star. Twenty-three-year-old Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the Silver Star for valor in Baghdad yesterday. Hester is the first female soldier since World War II to receive that medal. She spoke about her honor on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
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SGT. LEIGH ANN HESTER, SILVER STAR RECIPIENT: It's a great honor to have received it, but I'm just another soldier here. We're all equal in the United States Army, men and women. But I know me being a woman, if I saw another woman receive this award, I would look up to them. And this, you know -- like I said, you know, we're all soldiers and we're all equal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, Hester received the medal for gallantry during an ambush in Iraq in which she killed at least three insurgents and saved many lives of her fellow soldiers.
Well, another soldier's story chronicles the battle to Baghdad from inside some heavy metal.
Well, this is a dangerous view from inside the tanks of Charlie Company. A tank-mounted camera caught this action. The armored taskforce was one of the first to fight its way inside Baghdad, and now the soldiers' stories are told in "Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad."
Joining me are the co-authors, Captain Jason Conroy, who commanded Charlie Company, and also "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" writer Ron Martz. He was embedded with the company. They both wrote this book together. Great to have you both.
CAPT. JASON CONROY, "HEAVY METAL": Thank you.
RON MARTZ, "HEAVY METAL": Thank you.
PHILLIPS: And Ron, you just mentioned, of course, Jason is a Silver Star medal winner.
MARTZ: That's correct.
PHILLIPS: What did you get it for?
CONROY: It was for gallantry in action during the thunder (ph) runs into Baghdad.
PHILLIPS: Well, let me tell you what, seeing these pictures, reading this book, seeing that videotape, I can understand why you got that Silver Star.
And Ron, you witnessed the action of this company and gentlemen like the captain here. Tell me why you wanted to write the book. I mean, it's definitely a way to humanize the soldiers.
MARTZ: Yes. One of the things that we haven't seen a lot of out of this war is the human story, the soldier's story.
I mean, there have been a number of books written, I think, that have a lot of nuts and bolts about how the war was designed and what went on. But one of the things we wanted to do was present the soldier's story.
PHILLIPS: And we're going to talk more specifically about some pictures and look at the videotape. But Jason, I want to can ask you just about the lack of intelligence and not knowing what you were going up against. I mean, just looking at this videotape from your helmet cam, which I thought was incredible, you were coming across things you never expected.
CONROY: Oh, absolutely. I mean, our mission to go in there was to carve out a piece of Baghdad and to find out what the Iraqis were doing.
We were on a reconnaissance to go into downtown Baghdad and find out how they were going to fight, who was down there, and what kind of forces they were. When we were first given the mission, I had no idea what to expect or what we were going to run into. And that's why, you know, all my soldiers and the soldiers in the taskforce, very courageous, going into downtown Baghdad with 723 guys.
PHILLIPS: And just looking at this videotape that you recorded, I mean, you see cars blowing up, you see individuals coming by in cars and shooting at you. I mean, how did you just keep perspective and know when and -- who was the good guy, who was the bad guy? It just seems crazy, you know, looking at some of the videotape of what you were up against. CONROY: Right. A lot of the video is from, you know, several of the different tanks within the taskforce. But the guys that were out there, you know, they did an excellent job of identifying the bad guys that were out there.
As you know from a lot of the footage that has been collected, they were using terrorist tactics from day one, using children on the battlefield, you know, hiding behind women. And the guys did an exceptional job of finding the bad guys and shooting them, and risking their lives, you know, to save the women and children and even some of the wounded soldiers out there, to go out and help the enemy soldiers and treat them and take care of them. Just courageous acts on the battlefield.
PHILLIPS: Well, and Ron, you captured so many of those moments. Your photographer did for the "AJC" and photographs. This one of one of the young men in your unit, Jason, the bullet hole in the helmet, what do you remember when he came forward, Ron, and called his -- or I guess he called you, Jason, and said, "I've got a bullet in my helmet."
And you said, "Well, you OK? Well, move on, soldier."
CONROY: Yes. He calls me up and says, "Hey, sir, I've been shot in the head." It of course caught me off guard.
I said, "It sounds like you said you were shot in the head." And he goes, "Roger that, sir."
And so I radioed him back and said, "Well, you'll be all right. I'll see you when we get to the airport."
So, of course, when we get up there, I come around the tank and here he is with a pair of pliers, you know, pulling the round out of his helmet. He says, "See, sir, I was shot in the head."
So -- but it's credit to our -- you know, the equipment that we have. I mean, it saved his life that day. And a lot of the -- the equipment that we have took a lot of rounds, took a lot of hits. Our armored-plated vests and Kevlars and just the vehicles themselves.
PHILLIPS: Well, talk about saving lives, Ron, tell me as we look at some pictures here of some innocent civilians that Jason and fellow soldiers were treating all under fire, I want to point out, there you are working on innocent civilians while being shot at. Ron, did that just amaze you as a journalist?
MARTZ: Well, the thing that did surprise me was how quick the corpsmen, the medics from this particular unit, would get out in the middle of a firefight. And since there were no casualties, no American casualties at the time, they would start treating the wounded Iraqi civilians and the wounded Iraqi soldiers at the same time, even while they were under fire.
That particular picture there is Staff Sergeant Mark Strunk (ph), who was the senior medic in the unit. And in several of the battles, he was out there in the middle of the fire treating civilians for very serious injuries.
PHILLIPS: And then treating their own. Ron, tell me about these photos, about this soldier that was shot in the head. This is trying to get him out and get him on a helo. And there's an even more powerful picture of just working on him and trying to remain calm.
Tell us about this moment.
MARTZ: Well, that particular soldier, that's Chris Shipley (ph). Chris was actually standing behind me in an armored personnel carrier when he was shot in the head. And he was shot almost simultaneously as another soldier, Don Schaeffer (ph), who was standing next to me. So essentially, these two guys on either side of me took bullets.
Shipley (ph) ended up losing an eye as a result of that wound. And Schaeffer (ph) was -- he was hit about three times. Both of them survived, though, and they're still alive today.
PHILLIPS: Some compelling pictures. I want you to tell me about this, Jason.
Some insurgents, I guess they -- first of all, the one that you arrested I saw here in the truck. Tell me about this guy. And then we have another picture, too, of some kids that ran a checkpoint.
CONROY: Right. There are several guys that were in this truck here.
What they did is they tried to ram our vehicles. You know, they're in the back of that truck with AKs, and just ran into our vehicles that were coming in, in the intersection, trying to shoot us and run the truck in.
Of course we returned fire. The other two were killed.
He was injured. He was trying to hide a weapon underneath him and pull it up. And again, these two are standing over him. And what you don't see in the background is, this is at Checkpoint Charlie in Najaf, and we're surrounded -- you know, there's about 200 fighters dug in around us.
They commandeered a bus at this intersection, rammed it into one of our vehicles, had women and children on it. So we're treating -- in the midst of our perimeter, we've got enemy inside, women, children, you know, that are casualties that we're trying to treat. And all these guys are out here, and it just speaks credit to the American soldier.
They're out on the battlefield while being shot at. I'm on -- I'm watching, you know, the AK fire skip off the ground, RPGs fly over. These guys are out there treating the guys, returning fire, dragging them to cover. And it was just a remarkable credit to the American soldier that's out there.
PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. And maybe as we wrap this interview, we can take this shot with one of the kids in the square there in Iraq. Some pretty amazing stories of how you bonded also with the Iraqis, Ron. Within the -- you know, the shooting and the death, you also saw some pretty incredible relationships were formed.
MARTZ: It was amazing to see these soldiers. From one minute they go from being soldiers and shooting at the enemy, to taking care of civilians.
And there were a lot of kids and people in Baghdad when they first arrived. They were very happy to see the Americans come in.
That's one of the pictures of one of the soldiers there at a checkpoint shaking hands with one of the kids. And if I may just say real quick, a lot of the pictures you saw here were taken by Brad Sanderlin (ph), who's a photographer with the "AJC." He was right out there in the middle of everything taking photos.
PHILLIPS: I know you were all together, and you braved these conditions. And the book is fantastic. "Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad."
Captain Jason Conroy and Ron Martz with the "AJC," thank you both so much. Appreciate it.
MARTZ: Thank you.
CONROY: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, elections and voices of protest. We're talking about Iran. Ahead on LIVE FROM, an Iranian blogger -- yes, they've got bloggers in Iran -- gives us insights on what today's elections really mean for that country and the United States.
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mark McKay at the U.S. Open. Tough but fair. Phil Mickelson may feel differently after his second round on Pine Hurst Course Number 2. A live report coming up.
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