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London Terror Update; Heat is On; Video Games Trial

Aired July 25, 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: Terror investigation. A plastic container could hold big clues to catching would-be British bombers. We're live from London.
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kimberly Osias, live in the nation's capital, where a summer sizzler is well under way. Coming up, how this heat could affect you.

PHILLIPS: Taser marketing an aggressive campaign to get to you buy the same stun gun that cops carry.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Philips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Up first this hour, more arrests and more outrage after last week's terror attacks in London. We learned today that the man mistakenly killed by British police was shot several times more than first reported.

Londoners now know the names of two of the four prime suspects in the attempted bombings.

CNN's Jonathan Mann is keeping track of all of the developments in London.

I guess, first of all, John, any good tips, any way, shape or form police getting closer to any of those suspects?

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you could say that they have got a puzzle that they're assembling, and they're trying to share pieces of that puzzle with the public. We'll get to that in a moment.

But I would like to talk about the man that you mentioned, the innocent, who was shot and killed by police in the course of their investigation. In fact, the police are now revealing -- the independent commission into police complaints is now revealing that Jeanne Charles De Menezes, the 27-year-old Brazilian electrician who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, was shot eight times by the police after they saw his behavior as suspicious, tried to get him to follow their commands, and gave up, wrestled him to the ground and shot him, he is one of three men whose faces are drawing attention today. The two others are in fact suspects in the bombings that the police have been investigating.

Two men have now been publicly named and identified for the first time. The first of them is 27-year-old Muktar Said Ibrahim, also known by police as Muktar Mohammed Said. He's the man who they say tried to bomb the bus last Thursday, one of four botched bombings that day. The other man, Yasin Hassan Omar, 24, who tried to set off his bomb in the subway.

Now, those three men are drawing a lot of attention, but also five plastic containers, a really intriguing common thread between the botched bombings and a fifth explosive device that was found and subsequently detonated by police. They say all five of them had in common the kind of plastic container you probably have in your home, a kind of plastic container that's routinely imported into this country from India and is sold in about a hundred different shops.

Those containers were used in the bombings. And police are hoping that they can be helpful in tracking down the bombers, who are still at large.

This is what Peter Clarke, the head of the anti-terrorism unit of the London police, had to say earlier today.

Well, apparently we don't have his remarks. But essentially, it was a plea to the public to come forward if anyone knew of anyone who was trying to buy those containers.

The police are doing more than just asking for the public's help, though. They have carried out raids, more raids in north London.

Over the weekend they were very busy in the south of the city. Now they have been in the north of the city as well. We're told that they have arrested two more men in the north of the city. That brings to five the total number of men being held for questioning.

These men are not believed to be suspects in connection with those four attacks. They are not believed to be the suicide bombers who failed and escaped. But police are hoping they can learn more about them as they pay attention to really the key thing that's troubling this city and that's preoccupying the police at Scotland Yard, that there are four failed suicide bombers who are still out there at large -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John, just real quickly, I want to ask you about the young Brazilian who was shot eight times. Have police said why eight times?

Had they -- had he resisted police? Did he run from police? Had they tackled him, and did they shoot him after they tackled him? Can you explain a little more detail?

MANN: You've touched on some of the important details there. First, it's important to say that it's under investigation, independently, but police have really some details.

They say that they followed Jean Charles De Menezes out of a house that was already under observation. They followed him onto a bus and then into the subway, noting, they said, that he was wearing an unusually and suspiciously heavy jacket for a warm day.

Once he was in the subway, they say they tried to get his attention. He disobeyed their instructions. He jumped over a barrier that caught up with him in a subway car. There they wrestled him to the ground and shot and killed him.

So they say they tried very hard to simply find out why he was acting suspiciously. They had to make some very quick decisions when he didn't respond, they say, to police commands that were clearly issued. And so there are a lot of questions about why a man who is said to have spoken certainly enough English to understand the police would have behaved in the way he did, or what, if anything, the police didn't do that might have ultimately saved his life -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John Mann, live from London. Thank you so much.

Now, back in this country, ice water could be the favorite drink of the day. Dangerous triple-digit temperatures that scorched the West last week are on a road trip in the fast lane heading east. Heat advisories are in effect from Nebraska to D.C.

Our Kimberly Osias trying to keep her cool in Washington.

And Kimberly, I know exactly where you're standing. I was there on Friday and it was 110 degrees. How about today?

OSIAS: It was a scorcher. Oh my gosh. It's hot. It's not quite that bad, Kyra, but I'm kind of double-fisting it, if you would, doing exactly what you're supposed to do, drinking some sports replenishment drinks and some water as well.

You've got to stay hydrated. That is the key here.

Now, you mentioned 110. Not quite that high here in the nation's capital yet. "Yet" being the operative word.

We're actually in the high 80s or low 90s. But it's a little bit deceiving, because you've got those three Hs.

Hazy, as you can tell, behind me. Very, very big sheer film of haze. It is hot, hot, hot, and humid. So the temperatures are expected to hit that three-digit marker later.

Now, interestingly, there was a little bit of a respite on Friday, a bit of a wet storm that came through. Now, actually several thousand people were without power. So the Red Cross and the federal government opened up some relief areas for people that were without their AC.

So that was certainly a good respite for people, a place for people to go to drink some water, get hydrated and get cool. Of course that is key around here.

Now, I want to show you some video that were shot around the Mall earlier. Of course a number of tourists.

This is the busy, busy time for the summer. Clearly you've heard about those fashion do's and don'ts, Kyra. There are heat do's and don'ts as well. Some people out there running. I don't care if you have your shirt on or off. It is still hot. You are not supposed to do that. The experts say that you should avoid exercising until, you know, the early morning hours, 5:00, 6:00, definitely not after 7:00.

You also should wear light colors, loose-fitting clothes.

Some things to look for about, sort of heat stroke, heat symptoms. Some of the area hospitals saying they've already treated a couple of people because of heat-related illnesses.

Some things that you need to watch for: heavy sweating, tiredness, weakness, nausea. What you can do to avoid that is to eat a number of little small meals throughout the day.

I talked to a young school teacher with her schoolroom out here. She said that's what they were doing, they were having sort of cookies and water instead of milk to try and keep the kids well, well hydrated.

Also, look to make sure that you don't have any kind of fast, rapid pulse. Seemingly pretty obvious.

Now, of course the treatment for heat definitely, again, want to remove those layers, wear loose-fitting clothing. And also, again, key, drink, drink, drink. Drink water. Because when you're thirsty, Kyra, it is too late.

PHILLIPS: Great advice. Kimberly Osias, all right. I want to say keep cool, but I know it's absolutely impossible where you are right now. So just keep drinking the water. Thanks.

OSIAS: Tomorrow is rain.

PHILLIPS: Yes, right. Can't wait until your shift is over. Thanks, Kimberly.

OSIAS: Take care.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Well the heat wave is certainly frying records.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, Discovery is set for liftoff despite a pesky problem that grounded it before. We're live from the Kennedy Space Center straight ahead.

Lance Armstrong's seven-championship streak, is it the best ever? Well, we're going to pick your favorite as we compare the cyclist victories of some other longtime sporting champs. Can you name them? Can you think of any? We'll have them later on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Grand Theft Auto under fire in Alabama. Did this video game make a teen more aggressive, inspiring a killing spree? His trial begins today, pitting game makers against those who want to pull the plug.

Our Dan Lothian now with some background.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened early on a Saturday morning, a little more than two years ago in the west Alabama city of Fayette.

TOMMY WILLIAMS, PARAMEDIC: As I was driving to work, I got a call that says, "You've got to get down here now. It's bad."

LOTHIAN: More than a dozen shots riddled police headquarters, killing 55-year-old officer Arnold Strickland, 40-year-old officer James Crump, and 38-year-old dispatcher Leslie "Ace" Mealer.

WILLIAMS: This was just a tragedy, and it was -- I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

LOTHIAN: The suspect, 18-year-old Devin Darnell Thompson, was being booked on a stolen auto charge when he allegedly grabbed one of the victim's guns, opened fire, then led authorities on a high speed chase in a stolen police car. He was later arrested.

(on camera) Charged with capital murder, Thompson, who has now legally changed his last name to Moore, pleaded not guilty by reason of serious mental defect. Then came a twist that attracted national headlines: allegations that a video game, Grand Theft Auto, may have inspired the crime.

(voice-over) Players are rewarded for stealing cars and killing cops. His defense attorney has told prospective jurors to expect testimony about video games.

And in a separate civil case, family members of the victims are suing the companies that made the game, sold it to him, and built the machines to play it. Attorney Jack Thompson filed the $600 million wrongful death lawsuit.

JACK THOMPSON, LAWYER: We know that these cop killing games are leading to these killings, because that's what they are. They're murder simulators.

LOTHIAN: The makers of the game had no comment, but an editor at a publication that reviews video games defended it, saying, "I don't think playing the game will make you a killer."

And another editor at "GamePro" magazine says, "In general, violence shouldn't be blamed on a game of fantasy."

SID SHUMAN, "GAMEPRO" MAGAZINE: They've been described as murder simulators. I think that's bunk. LOTHIAN: Fantasy versus reality in the case of a troubled teen who could face the death penalty if convicted.

Dan Lothian, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, an out of control Greyhound bus overturns. More than a dozen passengers are hurt.

It happened on Interstate 95 on Baltimore, Maryland's, east side early this morning during a driving rainstorm. Emergency teams were seen carrying the injured away on stretchers, and a state transportation spokeswoman says two people had to be freed from the bus.

All aboard were taken to area hospitals for evaluation. One person is said to be in critical condition, four others in serious condition.

Investigators in Pennsylvania still sorting out what happened when a sport utility vehicle crashed into a line of motorcyclists on a charity ride. The collision killed one biker and seriously injured several others.

Police say the SUV crossed the center line before plowing into the wall of police-escorted bikers near Wilkes-Barre. The 25-year-old driver wasn't hurt. An infant in the vehicle was checked out at a hospital as a precaution.

Well, we're just over 20 hours away from the scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Live pictures now as a return to space for NASA. A little bit of a pesky problem may or may not have been fixed. We'll take you there live. Sean Callebs standing by.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Coming up, finally some good news for drivers. Gas prices may be stabilizing. I'll have that story next on LIVE FROM.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Confident and ready despite a perplexing problem with a fuel gauge sensor. Live pictures now. NASA is ready to bend its own rules and allow the Shuttle Discovery to take off in less than 21 hours, but there's another worry today. Will nature rain on its parade?

Keeping up with the countdown, our Sean Callebs at the Kennedy Space Center.

You hear bending the rules and you get a little worried -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, exactly. I think that's one thing that some critics of NASA have really been pointing at over the last 24 hours.

It's no secret, NASA has had teams of engineers from one end of the country to the other trying to figure out the problem with this engine cutoff sensor. Apparently one of four field sensors in the external fuel tank that has been malfunctioning, it is a problem that NASA simply can't put its finger on.

There you're seeing live pictures of Discovery. And at 10:39 Eastern Time tomorrow, they are prepared to launch Discovery and its seven-member crew. They say even if there is a problem with that one sensor, the same problem they had back in April with a different fuel tank, the same problem they had that led to the cancellation of the scheduled launch on July 13, they will, indeed, go ahead with the launch.

Now, it's significant, because if indeed this sensor would malfunction and shut off the engines too soon, then perhaps Discovery couldn't make orbit and would have to make a risky emergency landing, something the shuttle's never done before.

Secondly, if indeed it would burn too long, it could cause the external fuel tank to blow up, and that could lead to a catastrophic problem. However, NASA says after looking at this problem for days and days and days, they believe they understand it a bit better.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE NIKOLENKO, NASA TEST DIRECTOR: I think bottom line is we performed a lot of analysis and understanding, and we're -- I think we're smarter in understanding exactly what we have in our -- on the condition and what we've got with our systems. I think we're -- we've learned a lot in the analysis and troubleshooting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: OK. Are you sold on that? Well, apparently the seven astronauts are.

They arrived back here at Kennedy Space Center on Friday. They say that the engineers have been doing a great deal of work, and they feel confident. Indeed, NASA's own administrator says it may not be the most popular decision, but at some point the launch has to go on -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So are they just going to go with the feeling that the sensors are OK, or will they be testing up to the very last minute?

CALLEBS: Well, they will be doing testing up not necessarily to the last minute, but they're going to obviously begin fueling the external fuel tank, and they're going to do those tests. We heard a great deal about them over the last 10 days.

Basically, they're going to hit various switches and see if indeed the sensors read wet, meaning that there is hydrogen in the fuel tank, then switch them to dry. And that is where they've had the problem. It' has been an intermittent problem, kind of like the old Ford that won't start up that's been in the garage for 20 years. But this is a far more complex piece of machinery and the first launch NASA has tried since the Columbia disaster two-and-a-half years ago. And really, the chief point of this mission is to prove, once again, that NASA can send a space shuttle into space and return its crew safely to Earth -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Sean. Thank you so much. We'll be watching.

Well, first lady Laura Bush is expected to be among the crowd at Kennedy Space Center for that launch, but you don't have to leave the comfort of your own home to see it. CNN will bring you special coverage of the launch beginning at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And a rare bit of good news for drivers. Gas prices could finally be topping out.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Now in the News," two of four bombing suspects identified. London police say they believe this man, Muktar Said Ibrahim, tried and failed to bomb a double-decker bus last Thursday, and that Yasin Hassan Omar tried to detonate a bomb on a train between Oxford Circus and Victoria Station. Searches have led to at least two other arrests.

A London commission reveals a Brazilian man killed by mistake was shot eight times. Jean Charles De Menezes was shot and killed Friday after police followed him into an underground station. They said his clothes and demeanor made him look suspicious. British leaders are now apologizing.

A member of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan is killed in action. Military officials announce that the American and an Afghan soldier were killed in fierce fighting with militants early today. It happened at a small village in south central Afghanistan, an area where supporters of the fallen Taliban regime fled.

An Indiana National Guardsman pleads guilty to negligent homicide in the death of an Iraqi. Twenty-two-year-old Corporal Dustin Berg entered the plea at his court-martial this morning at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Berg originally said the Iraqi police officer had shot him in the stomach before Berg killed him. He later admitted to shooting himself to conceal the truth.

Another U.S. soldier has died in Iraq. The military says the unnamed American was killed today in Samarra by a roadside bomb.

In Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed 12 Iraqis when the bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a hotel checkpoint. Several hours later, a second suicide bomber detonated a blast at an Iraqi police checkpoint, killing two Iraqi commandos. At least 27 people were wounded in the two attacks combined.

Also today in Baghdad, a welcomed step toward the drafting of a new constitution. The Sunni delegation has ended its boycott and rejoined the process, alongside Shiites and Kurds. The Sunni contingent walked out last week, demanding better protection after two of its members were assassinated.

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