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Al-Zarqawi Video Appears on Radical Islamist Web Site; New Energy Strategy; 9/11 Revisited; Numerous School Shooting Plots Uncovered in Recent Days

Aired April 25, 2006 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it is apparently a rare glimpse into the face of terror in Iraq. You're seeing now -- we're going to put it up there for you -- some video from an Islamic Web site. The man on it appears to be Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of the al Qaeda group in Iraq. Here's that video now.
What does this mean? What does this new Web video mean?

Well, let's go to our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, who joins us live from London.

Nic, you have covered Zarqawi for years. You've actually been to his hometown. You've spent some time really digging and researching. Looking at this video, what does it say to you?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think if we listen to the way that Zarqawi gets into his speech here, he's talking to the Iraqi people. He says that, "The Mujahideen are here to defend your honor." But it's not just talking to all the Iraqi people. He's really talking to the Sunnis.

He talks about the issue of Sunni women. Now, in Sunni communities in the west of Iraq, there is a perception that Sunni women are being abused by U.S. soldiers. I hear that from tribes people. Zarqawi seems to be playing on that fear.

He's also warning people not to join the Iraqi security forces, not to get involved with the government. He calls those people traitors.

He has a warning for the United States: "You will never have peace if we don't have peace." That's a message Osama bin Laden has used in the past. He echoes some of what Osama bin Laden has been saying.

But I think very importantly, this is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi trying to win the support of the Iraqi people. And this has been the assessment of the intelligence community in the region for a while now, that Zarqawi has stopped some of his gruesome beheadings, has stopped some of the massive suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of people in one go, and that he is trying to make himself more palatable, more acceptable to the Sunnis in Iraq, and in a way try and prepare them for a civil war.

And really, this is his rallying call here. It's all about getting support from Sunnis, its all about not joining the central government in Iraq, and it's all about making him acceptable, saying, I am fighting with your sons for your honor in Iraq at this time -- Betty.

NGUYEN: We're looking at some of that video now, Nic. And I know that you've had just a few moments to take a look at it yourself.

The video is spliced together, it is edited together. We don't know exactly where or when these shots were taken, and we're seeing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's face for the first time, correct? Because in the past he's been hooded.

ROBERTSON: We have never had a videotape where we've seen Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's face before.

NGUYEN: Right.

ROBERTSON: There have been some photographs from about a year and a half ago, and they look very similar to the man that we're seeing now. These were photographs that U.S. forces were able to capture at a time -- at around about a time when they captured somebody they described as his driver and another close bodyguard to Zarqawi.

So, this does appear to be him. He is showing his face. He's taking a conscious decision to do that. And it really does seems to be, at least from the perspective I've gathered in the last few months from intelligence experts in the region about what they see happening, this is Zarqawi coming out, if you will, a new phase of Zarqawi, the Zarqawi he's trying to portray for the Iraqis, somebody who's supporting him, somebody's who fighting for them against the government, against -- against the new government there, and against the United States as well -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Have you been able to see if there are any timestamps, any markers on there to let us know exactly when this video was captured?

ROBERTSON: There is a reference there to -- excuse me -- there is a reference there to a truce that Osama bin Laden offered the people of the United States -- excuse me -- to end the war in Iraq. That truce Osama bin Laden offered at the end of January in an audio tape this year.

So, it does appear that Zarqawi's recording here, Zarqawi's videotape, has been recorded at least since January. And I think when we take a closer look at it, perhaps we can get a better idea. But it would seem at least within the last few months -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. And let me ask you this one thing, too. We saw the tape come out over the weekend with Osama bin Laden. Now we see this today, this Web video of al-Zarqawi. What does that say to you?

ROBERTSON: I think the very fact that Zarqawi has put in Osama bin Laden into his own tape is a clear message that he still supports Osama bin Laden, that he's not going out on his own. And this is something that Zarqawi has been criticized for recently, that he had gone into Iraq, that he formed his own brigade and band of people, they got about their own grisly beheadings, their own operations without bringing themselves under control of Iraqi leadership, with just sort of directing themselves as they chose. And I think this is a clear message that Zarqawi is showing loyalty to Osama bin Laden and that he is trying to show jihadists that he is part of the wider al Qaeda ideology and the al Qaeda operation -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Nic Robertson, senior international correspondent for CNN. Also been following al-Zarqawi for many, many years.

We thank you for that insight, Nic.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Visiting al-Zarqawi's hometown and, yes, as you mentioned, covering Zarqawi for many, many years.

As we continue to analyze this Web posting, we want to give you the context of what is actually being said, the exact words, the exact language, the quotes from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Take a look at this.

"When the crusader enemy entered Iraq, he intended to control the Islamic nation and supported the Zionist state."

As you see in this video, he is seemingly at ease, calm. And in other portions of the video, smiling, laughing. Obviously, he controls the imagery of this tape.

Another quote from the Web posting.

"Your mujahedeen sons were able to confront the most ferocious of crusader campaigns on a Muslim state. They have stood in the face of this onslaught for three years."

More analysis now, with perhaps a look at the insurgency as it stands now in Iraq.

Our Ryan Chilcote is with us now.

And Ryan, I don't know if you had an opportunity to gauge any reaction. What time is it there in Iraq now, in Baghdad?

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's eight hours ahead of you. It's eight minutes past 10:00.

HARRIS: OK.

CHILCOTE: So not very much reaction on the streets of Baghdad at this point. What we can tell you is that we have been talking to people within the U.S. military. They say they've seen the video, they're studying the video. And at this point, they still cannot confirm that that is indeed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in that Internet video. The important thing is, obviously, that this is a very crucial piece of information, a piece of evidence, if you will, for the U.S. military to study. They don't have a whole lot to go with. Certainly haven't gotten a whole lot recently that we publicly know about, about Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. So they are going to look at every frame of video that appears in this Internet message.

It's about nearly 30 minutes long, as far as I can tell. They're going to study it very carefully to find some clues that might help them in their hunt for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the alleged leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

HARRIS: Ryan, I have to ask you, whenever we get either an audiotape, a videotape, and now this Web posting, it seems these messages are followed in short order by some uptick in violence. Give us a sense of what you've seen from the weekend on. The weekend, of course, bringing us the audiotape from Osama bin Laden.

CHILCOTE: Yes, well we saw a very violent day on Saturday, a bit of -- a bit of a downturn in the violence on Sunday. Today not a very violent day. Rather, Monday was an exceptionally violent day in Iraq, scores of attacks.

Today has been -- and this by the barometer, the Iraqi barometer of violence, a light day. But even at that, of course, there were several bombings here in the Iraqi capital.

It is possible that this video was put out -- you know, it would not be surprising if this video was put out to precede some big attacks. Also, of course, video like this is used by terrorist groups, in this case perhaps by Al Qaeda in Iraq, to inspire some of their followers by -- to inspire other insurgents here in Iraq, to show them that there is a leader for their movement.

So it is possible, like you say, that people will see this video, insurgents here in Iraq, and that there will be an uptick in violence as a result of it. Of course, the feeling on the street -- I've been here before and asked people about what they feel about Abu Musab al- Zarqawi. If they're not in the insurgency, and even if they are, if they are what is often called Iraq's home-grown insurgency, a lot of times people have a very, very negative opinion of Abu Musab al- Zarqawi.

He is a man that many people here in Iraq, many Iraqis feel is simply ruthless, is indiscriminate -- indiscriminatory (ph) in his attacks. And by no means do most of the people here in Iraq condone his actions.

HARRIS: And Ryan, if we have -- we have to leave now, but if we get an opportunity to talk to you a little later, I want to talk about the timing of all of this. Clearly, there were major developments stepping forward with the government, and some -- some appointments, at least some names put into nomination. And I'm wondering if these -- these messages from Al Qaeda in Iraq and from Osama bin Laden are in some way a way of asserting that, yes, the political process may be moving forward, but we are, in fact, the real political power brokers in Iraq.

But perhaps we'll talk about that a little later.

Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad for us.

Ryan, we appreciate it. Thank you.

NGUYEN: You know, Tony, that's a really good point. We're going to try to bring that up with Brian Jenkins. He is a terror expert with the Rand Organization, which is a think tank. He joins us now on the phone out of Los Angeles.

And I do want to bring up the point that Tony just made about the fact that al-Zarqawi presented this Web video today. It comes on the heels of the political process really ramping up and getting under way in Iraq.

What's his message?

BRIAN JENKINS, RAND TERRORISM EXPERT: Well, I think all wartime communications are aimed at the home front. So al-Zarqawi is talking principally to his -- his constituents, his followers, those he would like to recruit into his cause, and his message is a fairly straightforward one: I am alive.

By showing his face, if indeed this is him, "I am alive" to dispel any notions that the resistance might be leaderless. By issuing the tape, he asserts that "I am in charge." And the third point of the message is that the struggle will continue. "I am with you. We will continue fighting."

Having said that, he goes on, like a lot of -- like a lot of politicians, to look for various issues that might -- might expand his constituency. So, he talks about some of the issues in Iraq itself, and, of course, as part of the jihadist line, he connects the crusaders -- that's us, the United States -- with the Zionists -- that's Israel -- because those are resonant issues throughout the Middle East.

NGUYEN: Is he doing a little bit of damage control? Because we've been speaking with Nic Robertson and our Peter Bergen. Both have been following al-Zarqawi for a while. And the fact that he has been at the spearhead of many bloody attacks, some beheadings as well, is this a tape, this video, a way of damage control?

JENKINS: I don't know that it's damage control. He has certainly been -- been ruthless and has alienated a lot of the people in Iraq and indeed people around the world. And this has been a topic of some debate even among the jihadists themselves. That is, the wisdom of Zarqawi's tactics in Iraq.

The way these people interpret their own operational code, it does give them a great deal of latitude for this kind of violence. But Zawahiri, the number two in al Qaeda, has, in fact, questioned the wisdom of some of the tactics of Zarqawi.

So, it's an ongoing debate within jihadist circles.

NGUYEN: The Web video is really quite interesting in the fact that not only do we see his face for the first time in a video like this, we're also seeing right now some video of the terrorist training camps. Is this also a way for al-Zarqawi to legitimatize himself, to show that he still has some support, he still has plans in the works?

JENKINS: I don't know so much that I would use the word -- I'm not sure that I would use the word "legitimatize." I probably would use the word that they're trying to rayify (ph). That is, it's an assertion that all of this is real.

That is, by issuing these tapes, by showing the guns and the training camps in the background, you are describing something that is -- that is real. So you give perhaps even greater reality to what may actually exist. Instead of shadowy figures planting bombs in the middle of the night and carrying out other -- other attacks, you may it appear more as if it is an army in the field.

NGUYEN: Brian Jenkins, terror expert with the Rand Organization, which is a think tank.

Brian, we appreciate your time today and your insight.

JENKINS: Thank you.

HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. CNN has confirmed that the judge in the so-called Lodi terror trial -- this is in Lodi, California, very near Sacramento -- has declared a mistrial in the case against Umer Hayat. A separate jury continues to deliberate in the case against Umer Hayat's son, Hamid Hayat.

Now, this is the case where a father and son are on trial. In the case of the son, Hamid Hayat, for providing material support to terrorists by attending an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan. Now, Hayat's father, Umer, is charged with lying about his son's involvement.

So, once again, CNN has confirmed that the judge in this case has declared a mistrial in the case again the father, Umer Hayat. And a separate jury continues to deliberate in the case again the son, Hamid Hayat -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Want to take you now to CNN's David Ensor, who joins us from Washington as we analyze some more of this Abu Musab al-Zarqawi video that we've received over a Web site there.

What's the buzz right now in Washington? Obviously, everyone is piqued to see what exactly is in this Web video.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Betty.

Well, first of all, there's a technical analysis under way, I'm told, by U.S. counterterrorism officials. They do believe this is indeed -- these are images of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It appears to be him, but they're doing a technical analysis to make sure. This, they say, is the first videotape that he's put out in they think something like three years. Obviously he's done a lot of audiotapes in the interim.

As they see it, as the officials I've been speaking to see it, this is a calculated decision by Zarqawi to try to rally the troops, so to speak, for the propaganda effect of showing his face and putting his words out there on television. The downside, of course, is an increased vulnerability.

Putting out all of this imagery of himself, various camera angles on his face, this obviously gives those who are trying to hunt him down in Iraq a powerful tool with which to do so. So, officials I'm speaking to are saying they see this as a calculated decision on his part that the propaganda benefit would be greater than -- than the risk involved.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about that risk for a minute, because this is being seen over the Internet. It's a Web video. It's not actually a tape that was handed from one person to another. So, does that, in a sense, protect his location a little bit more?

ENSOR: Well, the officials I'm talking to say that they do believe that it is a lot safer to put -- put a tape like this out through the Internet than it is to use the technique that is more commonly used by bin Laden and Zawahiri, and that is to pass a videotape through various hands which eventually get to the Al-Jazeera network or one of the other Arab language networks.

There's higher risk involved in that, they believe, than in what Zarqawi has done here. But nonetheless, there's risk involved in showing your face, in showing different angles like this. You can imagine that certainly U.S. intelligence will have new wanted posters out, new pictures out to pretty much every soldier in Iraq very quickly based on this videotape.

NGUYEN: You mentioned just a few minutes ago about this calculated decision, in your words, to rally the troops. In the Osama bin Laden tape that was released over the weekend, he talks about how the Americans as a whole are responsible, not just the politicians, but the Americans, and that more attacks would be coming. Does al- Zarqawi, in what you've been able to see so far, make any similar claims about attacks that could happen soon?

ENSOR: I'm going to have to be honest with you. I haven't had time to go over the full language of this -- of this tape. I have obviously seen the highlights, as you have.

NGUYEN: Right.

ENSOR: But to give you an in-depth answer to that, I really can't do it at this point.

NGUYEN: Yes, there's a lot of analyzing that is being done, a lot of analysis that people here at CNN, along with the folks that you have spoken with, are trying to do quickly as this tape has just surfaced over the Internet.

David, we're going to let you go for the moment because I know you have a lot of work to do. And we'll be speaking with you shortly. Thank you for that.

ENSOR: Thank you.

Well, should Zacarias Moussaoui get life in prison or death? That is the question. A 9/11 family member speaks his mind about that and a new movie that depicts the harrowing events aboard United 93, his father and stepmother's last trip.

That's when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: As you fill up at the pump, are you cutting back elsewhere? A CNN poll done by Opinion research Corporation says most of us are.

The question: "Have rising gas prices caused financial hardship for you or your family?" Sixty-nine percent say yes, with 23 percent citing severe hardship. Forty-six percent cite moderate hardship.

President Bush wants to change those numbers. That's for sure. And just this morning he laid out a strategy.

Let's go to the White House now and our Ed Henry.

OK, Ed, talk us through this new strategy.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon, Tony.

You know, the president got an up-close look at what you're talking about with those soaring gas prices. On his way to the speech on energy, ironically enough, he passed the Watergate Hotel here in Washington. Across the street there's an Exxon gas station. They were selling gas for $3.49 per gallon.

Democrats point out the average price for a gallon of gas was just about $1.46 when the president took office. In five years it's just about doubled. And amid all this political pressure, the president, as you noted, unveiled a four-point plan today.

First of all, he's now launching a federal investigation to take a look at these charges of price gouging by oil companies. And secondly, the president has decided to halt all deposits to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a really dramatic move. He's going to delay those deposits until after the summer, try to increase the supply of gasoline and aid consumers.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our strategic reserve is sufficiently large enough to guard against any major supply disruption over the next few months. So, by deferring deposits until the fall, we'll leave a little more oil on the market. Every little bit helps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, the president is also promoting better fuel efficiency. He also, in the final point in that four-point plan, is talking about getting energy companies to pony up for more research and development, those hydrogen-powered cars that we heard the president talking about over the weekend on Earth Day.

But Democrat Chuck Schumer says there were five words missing from this speech today: get tough on big oil. Democrats say they've been demanding various actions for the president to take over the last five years. They say he hasn't done it until now. They say he's doing it now because he's feeling that political heat, fearful that these high gas prices will fuel a Democratic takeover of Congress in November -- Tony.

HARRIS: White House Correspondent Ed Henry.

Ed, thank you.

The president mentioned the strategic reserve a moment ago. Let's talk about it.

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the world's largest supply of emergency crude. It was debated for decades but created only after an international crisis. Here's a fact check.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS (voice over): In 1973, oil-producing nations in the Middle East unleashed economic shock waves throughout the U.S. by cutting off oil imports. In the aftermath of that dramatic move, President Gerald Ford signed legislation establishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The measure calls for a reserve of up to one billion barrels of petroleum. At present, about 700 million barrels are stored in huge underground salt caverns along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. That's enough to guard against any major supply disruption for almost 60 days.

Only the president has the authority to withdraw oil from the reserve. And that's happened only twice.

President George H. W. Bush did the first time in the aftermath of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The current President Bush did it again after Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage to oil production facilities along the Gulf. Once the president orders a withdrawal, it takes about 13 days for the oil to enter the U.S. market. (END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The Zacarias Moussaoui trial is still deliberating, but in the court of public opinion, the verdict is in. In a weekend phone poll of about a thousand U.S. adults conducted for CNN by Opinion research Corporation, half said they favor the death penalty for the admitted al Qaeda conspirator, 45 percent think Moussaoui should be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Just five percent said they have no opinion.

The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus three points.

Now, when the official verdict does come, Moussaoui won't face his fate alone. His mother, Aicha El Wafi is due to arrive shortly from France.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AICHA EL WAFI, MOUSSAOUI'S MOTHER (through translator): It's not just a moment. This has been going on for four years. But now my life is hell. It's hell, and that's all.

Right now I have nothing to say. We have to wait until after the verdict to see what, but for now, I have nothing to say. I feel too much pain to speak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Like the Capulets and the Montagues, families on both sides of the 9/11 tragedies are destined to suffer together. But for people such as Hamilton Peterson, a Virginia courtroom is just one place to revisit the pain.

With the release of the film "United 93," movie theaters are another. His father and stepmother were on that plane. Hamilton Peterson joins us from Washington.

Hamilton, good to talk to you.

HAMILTON PETERSON, LOST DAD & STEPMOM ON FLIGHT 93: Good afternoon, Tony.

HARRIS: Let me see if I can set this up and then get your response to it. Zacarias Moussaoui, confessed 9/11 conspirator, death penalty eligible. Do you want to see him put to death?

PETERSON: I would like to see him put to death assuming he's given the fullest, fairest trial he can receive. I believe he has received that, and the jury will make that final determination.

HARRIS: What would it mean to you to have him put to death?

PETERSON: I think it's the appropriate sentence, Tony. Under the statutes, which require him to be put to death if a finding is made, that the aggravating factors balance in favor of death, one of those factors is, did he create grave risk of death to another human being? We've got nearly 3,000 people dead. I think that statutory element has been fully satisfied.

HARRIS: He would essentially -- and I know you've thought about this, so I'll ask it. He would essentially be put to death, if that's the way the jury comes back, for his inaction, not telling investigators what he knew.

Are you comfortable with that? Clearly, it sounds like you are.

PETERSON: Well, Tony, I'd be careful how you characterize it. He has admitted that he was an active part of a criminal conspiracy, which means he was part of a greater role or group of people with an affirmative plan.

So, yes, his act of omission was not telling the truth. Telling the truth at the time, he could have prevented that 2,972 horrific death day here in the United States. But clearly, he's responsible.

HARRIS: OK. That leads to my next question. How much anger do you reserve even today for the individuals in the various government agencies who for whatever reason didn't communicate to one another in a way that might have prevented this plot from being carried out?

PETERSON: Well, certainly, there is severe disappointment, Tony. One fact remains. Whether it's the government or business, they both recruit from the human race. And as a result, there are many honorable, desirable, and I believe most government employees fulfill that description. And there are others who satisfy the other side of the coin.

HARRIS: You've seen this movie, "United 93". It opens up at the Tribeca Film Festival, I believe, in New York this evening.

What's your opinion of it?

PETERSON: Tony, I had the opportunity to see it two weeks ago. Universal has been extremely generous with the families of Flight 93. As you may be aware, we are in the process of building a memorial at the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The families have already raised in excess of $7.5 million. Universal is giving to the families 10 percent of the gross of the three-day premier weekend. And that is a very generous offering. And I would encourage everyone to see the movie this weekend if they can fit it in.

Tony, I would just like to share with us our Web site.

HARRIS: Sure.

PETERSON: If any your viewers are inclined to get additional information, www.honorflight93.org provides a tremendous amount of information relative to our memorial effort. And again, I encourage your viewers to visit that site.

HARRIS: I certainly appreciate that the studio is making such a donation. I have to ask you, though, does this feel in any way exploitive to you? This is a movie studio that is making a movie to make money. Does it in any way feel too soon for you?

PETERSON: Tony, you've asked a very fair question. And, frankly, my perspective on Hollywood is that I prefer how they treated the American causes back in World War II. However, if your question is, is this an exploitation of our loved ones, I believe absolutely not and that's because this is an accurate depiction of what occurred on Flight 93 on 9/11.

Just like "Schindler's List" has produced a very horrific recounting or replication of the Holocaust, this is a message which must be carried forward. I can't think of a better medium that a well-resourced, blockbuster movie. Universal has certainly stepped up to the plate.

HARRIS: Hamilton, thanks for your time.

PETERSON: Thank you.

HARRIS: I really appreciate it. It's a good conversation. I really do appreciate it. Hamilton Peterson, thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, in other news, many of us remember pranks at the end of the school year. These days though, we're hearing more about the end of the year plots to kill. Coming up, LIVE FROM explores the reasons behind this violence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Trucking companies throwing out their tough image to try to attract new drivers.

JJ Ramberg joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with a look at the softer side of trucking -- JJ.

JJ RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we sort of think of them as the biggest and toughest guys on the road, right? Well, that might be changing. As trucking companies face a mounting shortage of drivers, they're trying to lure new recruits by promoting, as you said, the softer and more emotional side of driving big rigs.

Now, starting this summer, members of the American Trucking Association plan to roll out ads on billboards, radios, and newspapers using slogans like "My office has a better view than yours," and "assembly lines don't give you stories to tell." Kind of wistful, right?

Now, these ads point to a Web site, truckjobs.com. The group want to attract those who love the outdoors and the freedom of working without a box. But many current drivers point out it's a tough job with lots of time away from home -- Tony.

HARRIS: So, JJ, who's come up with the bright idea of 10-minute pizzas? What are they just throwing it in the microwave now?

RAMBERG: Hey, no, no, no. These may be good. It's Papa John's. They are rolling out what they call the fastest made-to-order pizza in America. And it's promoting fresh pizzas, as you said, in ten minutes or less. And if it's longer, you get it for free.

Now, the pizza chain plans not to use microwaves, Tony, but to spend $20 million to install thousands of ovens that slash cooking time by a third to just four minutes. However, not everyone is going to have access to this speedy fare. The guarantee will only apply to carry out orders at lunch in about a third of the company's stores.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a listen to this. Alaska, Kansas, Washington state all scenes of alleged school shooting plots involving suspects as young as 13. And all have come to light in just the past week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's kind of scary that actually somebody would actually think about doing that to us.

NGUYEN (voice-over): Students at Rogers High School in Puyallup, Washington reacting to the news of a 16-year-old boy at their own school is suspecting of plotting to kill fellow students.

ED TROYER, PRINCE CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: We recovered a couple of rifles, ammunition. He had made a homemade bomb, which our bomb team went out and got, so he definitely had access to the tools to carry this out.

A search the boy's home also netted a downloaded copy of a book with directions for making explosives. Investigators say they recovered computer messages the suspect allegedly sent to a fellow ROTC student, outlining a plan to shoot people at the school this Wednesday.

The graphic message detailed his desire to, quote, "Finally, to go out in a blaze of hatred and fury, to wrongly hurt others for my own sick pleasure before ending it for myself." Police have charged the sixteen-year-old with felony harassment, first degree attempted assault and possession and manufacture of an incendiary device.

In Alaska, the arrest of six middle school boys accused plan has shaken a small town.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a shock to know they're so young, 12 years old. I couldn't believe it. It was really a shock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heartbroken. I was here earlier in the day leaving my office when I saw one of my former students being taken into custody by state troopers with handcuffs on.

NGUYEN: Authorities say the North Pole Middle School seventh graders had the attack planned in great detail. That the boys would first knock out the school's power and telephones, giving them time to stab and shoot teachers and students. In Kansas, a tip about an ominous posting on myspace.com led to charges against five Riverton High School students. The message threatened an attack with guns on the school on April 20th, the anniversary of the Columbine massacre. Investigators say they found guns in the home of one of the suspects.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Have you ever been convicted of a crime before or a juvenile offense?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: Have you ever been convicted of a juvenile offense before?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.

NGUYEN: All five are charged with making a criminal threat and incitement to riot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: That's not all. In Mississippi a nightmare revisited. Two Pearl Junior High School students are charged with making threatening statements about classmates. One message on the Web site Zenga warns students to stay away from school May 1st.

The police chief says Luke Woodham was mentioned in the messages. He is in prison for life for killing his mother and then going on a rampage at Pearl High School in 1997. Two classmates were killed and seven others wounded.

In North Carolina , a seventeen year old boy is in custody, accused of holding a teacher and a female student hostage. That standoff at East Chapel Hill High School lasted about an hour. Police say the teenager fired his shotgun twice before escaping. No one was hurt. He was found a short time later by his parents who took him to a hospital and called police.

Acting out in school is one thing, planning to harm teachers and classmates quite another. As you have heard, that is what authorities from Mississippi to Alaska say teenagers have been plotting.

What is behind this anger? Joining us from Springfield, Massachusetts, is Dr. Frank Sacco, he is a child and family mental health expert of the also a consultant to the FBI. We appreciate your time today.

I have to ask you, what is behind the anger? Kansas, Alaska, Washington, North Carolina, what's prompting all of these cases?

DR. FRANK SACCO, MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT: What we've discovered is that these kids are being pressurized by social aggression. They're trying to fit in. They're being excluded, and in the process of this, they're being disconnected from the mainstream of the school network.

So it's compressed humiliation from trying to fit in that then gets disengaged. Often these kids get on to virtual -- most of these kids will go onto the Internet and find hate groups and other people who will connect to their message of being humiliated and shamed at school.

NGUYEN: You know, school is tough. We all know that. We know that kids can be cruel. We have been there. Why now? It seems like toward the end of the school year, there are pranks but plots to kill other students? Is it something that happens this the time of the year, towards the end of the school year?

SACCO: This is the time. It's Hitler's birthday and it is a copycat phenomenon that happens around Columbine and it's about the buildup of social pressure. Just like in suicide, most of these kids die in the shootings. These kids get shamed to the point where they can't take it, and the victim becomes the victimizer. It shifts into the avenging angel scenario.

NGUYEN: Are there some outlying factors. Are kids more likely to act on that violence these days than in the past? Do other things contribute to it, like video games and movies and television, things that have a lot of violence?

SACCO: The primary fact -- of course, they don't help. Really what you're talking about now is that American high schools have become vicious social architectures. Kids are trying desperately using brand names to fit in. When they don't fit in, they disconnect.

Generally they'll get access to weapons at home. They may connect with other friends who are having similar feelings. I think the pressure with the Internet, now they can get online and instead of one phone call telling rumors or bad stories about another, they can get on the Internet now and blast everybody. It's really much more compressed social aggression I think now than before.

NGUYEN: Where are these kids getting these guns? In the Kansas case in particular, one student's bedroom, had guns, ammunition, knives, things of that sort. Where are these kids getting these guns?

SACCO: The FBI and Secret Service have studied this phenomenon. In three out of the four cases, guns come from the family.

NGUYEN: Really? Are the parents the last to know.

SACCO: Yes. Dismissiveness, both at school and home is a key ingredient in the evolution of these instances. In the cases you're talking about, these things were stopped. There was no violence. Usually the kids tip someone off, like in suicide. There's usually an indication something is happening. In these cases luckily it did happen.

NGUYEN: When we talk about the tips, it seems in a lot of cases kids were tipped off. Are we seeing nowadays where kids are getting this information and actually acting on this information. They are not being afraid to speak up. They say, this is what I heard, and this could be a problem. SACCO: This should be credited to the schools. Schools really have to keep an eye on their climates. They have to recognize that when kids fall off the mainstream, that's an indication. They have to make it easy for kids to talk to teachers or to talk to principals. They have to -- it can't be just a punitive. They can't always punish the kids, because if that happens, the kids won't speak up.

NGUYEN: We want them to keep speaking up, and hopefully we won't see any more cases like this. As you say, it does happen. We appreciate your insight on why it's happening. Frank Sacco, a consultant to the FBI on school shootings. We appreciate your time today.

HARRIS: Here's a question for you. What would make you visit Tennessee? We'll tell you what the volunteers are doing to get you to visit Old Rocky Top. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM next.

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HARRIS: How about this? A couple of music legends tooling through Tennessee in the a red Corvette. One alive, the other not so much. The state of Tennessee tapped tourism spokeswoman Dolly Parton for a new commercial and paired her with Elvis Presley. Dolly was digitally inserted into a scene from the movie "Clambake."

It's Elvis's first digital appearance in a television commercial with another celebrity. Straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer or "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." A.J. what's on tap.

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT ANCHOR: I love that. One of them living, the other, not so much.

HARRIS: Not so!

HAMMER: That's pretty funny to me.

Well, coming up Jay Leno certainly used to making fun of gay people on "The Tonight Show," but now there's one outspoken gay man who is fighting back. I'm going to have that for you. Plus, Michael Jackson and Brad and Angelina news, when LIVE FROM returns.

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HARRIS: An unlikely musical partner (INAUDIBLE) to sneak a peek at a Hollywood collaboration on location, and a no joke plea to Jay Leno. All that and a look ahead to Headline Prime's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" from our own A.J. Hammer.

A.J., good to see you, sir.

HAMMER: Nice to see you, as well, Tony. And what started off as a simple letter writing campaign -- a letter written out of frustration -- has now turned into this enormous national story. It's very, very heated. The out creator of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "Avenue Q" has had enough of Jay Leno's late night jokes targeting gay people.

In an open letter written to Leno, Jeff Whitty slams him for making gay people the punchline of so many of his jokes. He wrote, quote, "When you think of gay people, it's funny. They're funny folks. They wear leather. They like Judy Garland. When I think of gay people, I think of a countless list of people who took their own lives because the world was so toxically hostile to them." Well, Whitty ends the letter by asking Leno to cut it out. A spokesperson for "The Tonight Show" actually tells CNN that Mr. Leno plans to call Jeff Whitty personally.

Now on the program, a couple of rumors to debunk this afternoon. First off, in music news, the king of pop Michael Jackson had been rumored to be getting a royal career boost from music sensation 50 Cent. The embattled superstar was allegedly eying this collaboration with the multi-platinum rap artist on a mix tape which was spearheaded by a famous D.J. who is member of 50's crew.

The mind-bending collaboration does not appear to be happening. Michael Jackson's publicist Raymone Bain tells CNN that Kid and Jackson did meet during the D.J.'s recent visit to Bahrain. However, Bain was unable to confirm whether the two parties are collaborating on the project. 50's camp tells CNN there's no collaboration in the works at all.

And with just weeks left until the expected birth of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's baby, rumors just been flying around as to which publication is going to get the very first pictures of the newborn. Well, according to the South African "Sunday Times," "People" magazine has negotiated a deal with the stars to donate $3.5 million to UNICEF in exchange for the pictures.

Well, CNN has learned from "People" magazine directly that no such deal has been made. This should come as great news to the droves of photographers that all hanging out and staking out the Boutique Hotel (ph) in Namibia, Africa, where the famous couple is currently staying.

According to members of the paparazzi, the very first image of Brad and Angelina's baby could easily fetch more than a million dollars. Tony, I am guessing, with those parents, the little tike is likely to be very photogenic. And I have actually heard reports of something like $3 to $5 million for the picture.

HARRIS: Three to five million dollars?

HAMMER: It's unbelievable.

HARRIS: Man!

HAMMER: But we can pretty much expect they're going to want to keep control over it and use the picture.

HARRIS: That makes sense. OK, A.J., appreciate it. Thank you, sir.

HAMMER: You got it!

NGUYEN: You definitely want to stick around, because coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, she has access like no other reporter covering the Duke investigation, interviewing the family of the woman accusing Duke lacrosse players of rape. We're going to hear what life is like for that family right now. More LIVE FROM after a quick break, and a look at how the markets are trading at this hour.

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