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Pentagon Investigates Alleged Haditha Massacre; Bourbon Street Businesses Struggle to Survive; New Orleans Braces for Another Hurricane Season
Aired June 01, 2006 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: You will know when we know -- that is the U.S. military's promise on the investigation into an alleged massacre of civilians in western Iraq.
Now, U.S. Marines allegedly went on a killing spree in Haditha, after a roadside bomb killed one of their comrades. Military leaders and President Bush say they're using the incident to impress on troops the fundamentals of combat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our troops have been trained on core values throughout their training, but, obviously, there was an incident that took place in Iraq that's now being investigated. And this is just a reminder for troops either in Iraq or throughout our military that there are high standards expected of them, and that there are strong rules of engagement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Let's go to the Pentagon now and our senior correspondent there, Jamie McIntyre.
Jamie, what has been the reaction to the president's words?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this -- the U.S. military is going to undergo what they call a core value reinforcement training, that is, to underscore to all U.S. military personnel in Iraq and around the world the importance of upholding the -- the basic values of the U.S. military, which includes protecting noncombatants on the battlefield.
This isn't anything different than what soldiers and Marines, sailors and airmen are taught during basic training anyway. But the gravity of the allegations in this Haditha case, in which it is alleged that a small number of Marines killed 24 civilians after a Humvee hit their four-vehicle convoy, and that those killings were at close range and without provocation -- that's the allegation -- that has prompted the military to do a -- an assessment and say, they need to stop and make sure that everyone understand that, no matter how much pressure you're under, under combat, that there are laws of war that have to be adhered to.
And -- and what are the rules? Well, here is a very simple explanation that was offered by Major General William Caldwell, who talked to reporters today in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM CALDWELL, COALITION SPOKESMAN: I don't think there's any question in our mind, if you're carrying a locked and loaded weapon, you're not going to pick it up and aim it at anybody unless you feel your life is threatened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: That's basically it. You're not supposed to fire on unarmed civilians, unless they pose a real threat against you. And that's the real crux of the matter in this case in Haditha. What threat did these civilians pose to those Marines, as they were searching for the roadside bombers who hit their vehicle convoy?
Now, for the next 30 days, troops in Iraq and around the world will be given some training sessions there, slide shows, some other materials, again, to just underscore the training that they already got in basic training about the efforts that need to be made to protect civilian lives, even though they are in a very dangerous combat zone, and the difference between the values of the U.S. military and those of the insurgents they are fighting -- Carol.
LIN: Jamie, thank you so much.
Now, if it is determined that U.S. troops killed unarmed civilians intentionally, it wouldn't be the first time.
Our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, says the Haditha-My Lai comparison is an easy one to make.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST (voice-over): By the spring of 1968, some half-a-million Americans were fighting in Vietnam and dying at the rate of nearly 400 every week.
The enemy could be around the next turn in a road or inside an apparently peaceful village. So, when Lieutenant William Calley and the men of Charlie Company, 11th Brigade, America Division, entered the village of My Lai, they were, by official reports, angry, frustrated.
When they were told, this is what you have been waiting for, search and destroy, they went on a frenzy of killing. Men, women, children, some 500 of them, were killed.
A Vietnam veteran named Ron Ridenhour heard of the killings from members of Charlie Company. He spent months telling his story to Congress, the White House, the Pentagon. By the fall of 1969, Lieutenant Calley had been charged with murder. He claimed a superior officer had ordered the killing.
But it wasn't until November 1969, a year-and-a-half after the massacre, that a young reporter for Dispatch News Service named Seymour Hersh broke the story in newspapers across the country. "LIFE" magazine published these pictures a month later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What is the best way to end it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: By then, the tide of public opinion on the war had shifted.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Hell no, we won't go!
GREENFIELD: President Nixon had already embarked on a program of Vietnamization, lessening U.S. presence. And a military commission suggested that one key reason for the massacre was that, as the war progressed, many career soldiers had either been rotated out or retired or died, leaving scores of draftees whose fitness for leadership in the field of battle was questionable, at best.
But Iraq is very different. There are no draftees. And Marines pride themselves on a particularly rigorous commitment to discipline. And, in a world of ubiquitous media, professional and amateur, questions about Haditha began to surface relatively quickly.
Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Can the U.N. Security Council break the stalemate over Iran and nukes.
Now, while the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, lobbies members of the U.N. Security Council in Vienna to vote for economic sanctions, President Bush calls on the leaders of China and Russia to support the move.
In the meantime, Mr. Bush says the offer of multilateral talks is still on the table. Now, so far, Iran is rejecting the condition that calls for a freeze on all of its nuclear activities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Yesterday, Secretary Rice, at my instructions said to the world that we want to solve the problem of -- of the Iranian nuclear issue diplomatically. And we made it very clear publicly that we're willing to come to the table, so long as the Iranians verifiably suspend their program.
In other words, we said to the Iranians, the United States of America wants to work with our partners to solve the problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: In pre-Katrina New Orleans, Bourbon Street was its own escape, with endless jazz and countless juke -- juke joints and bars and cafes. Well, in post-Katrina New Orleans, Bourbon Street is paved with countless businesses struggling for life.
CNN's Gary Tuchman strolled the French Quarter to check out the scene for "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 11:00 p.m. on Bourbon Street...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES AND FEMALES (voice-over): ... living on a prayer.
TUCHMAN: ... the busiest time on a weekday for the fun New Orleans has made famous.
But this club doesn't have the crowds it had a year ago. And neither do most other clubs, bars and restaurants here in New Orleans in the days since Hurricane Katrina.
At the Voodoo Barbecue, business has been cut in half.
STACY COLEMAN, MANAGER, VOODOO BARBECUE: We've cut payroll. We have -- you know, we run a tight shift, with everybody working. And the managers and myself, both -- we all work the counters and the kitchen also.
TUCHMAN: But at least they're still open.
At the Deep South Lounge, the owner has given up. He closed his doors permanently this past weekend.
LOUIS WILLIAMS, OWNER DEEP SOUTH LOUNGE: I feel defeated by something other than normal business factors, which -- which -- which doesn't seem fair.
TUCHMAN: So many locals have left, so many tourists are not visiting, that this city's famous nightlife is wilting. Less than half the restaurants have reopened since last year, and most have huge decreases in business.
(On camera): On a Saturday night before Katrina, what would typical gross revenue have been in this bar?
WILLIAMS: Typical Saturday night, between $3,000 and $4,000.
TUCHMAN: And Saturday night recently?
WILLIAMS: Between $600, $700.
TUCHMAN: So one-fifth, 80 percent...
WILLIAMS: Roughly.
TUCHMAN: ... off your business?
WILLIAMS: Roughly. And that's been basically since Mardi Gras. That's the way the numbers have been looking.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Mardi Gras was wild and festive, but business was down by at least 30 percent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coyote Ugly. No cover charge!
TUCHMAN: Coyote Ugly is a wildly successful brand name, fifteen bars around the country, including this one in New Orleans that was booming before Katrina.
(On camera): So, compared to a year ago, how is business?
LILIANA LOVELL, OWNER, UGLY COYOTE: We're down about 40 percent. It's a rocky road.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Liliana Lovell started Coyote Ugly in New York, and personally moved to New Orleans because she loves the city. And that is why she is not closing the doors.
LOVELL: I feel that it's my obligation to stay here and try to bring life back to the city.
TUCHMAN: That attitude, says the city, will help fuel a return to better times.
ERNEST COLLINS, NEW ORLEANS ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR: I think it's going to start a cycle that will be completed maybe three or four years down the road. And along the way, people will be encouraged by the pace of our recovery.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Most nightlife-related businesses are not giving up. But here in the French Quarter, where they rely on fun, frivolity and alcohol, business prospects, for the most part, are no longer intoxicating.
This was a concept you developed. It was a bar. You had the bull. And it just all went kaput after the storm.
WILLIAMS: Right, pretty much.
TUCHMAN: I mean, you probably never envisioned that.
WILLIAMS: Not at all.
TUCHMAN: Was it part of your business plan before you started, a possible hurricane?
WILLIAMS: Was not even on the map.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Business owners here have now redrawn those maps.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: You can see more reports from Gary Tuchman on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." You can watch "A.C. 360" weeknights at 10:00 Eastern. All right, so, what do you do if you live in a hurricane zone? What kind of things should you actually put aside, just in case?
Well, our meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has put together his own survival kit?
Reynolds, what have you got there?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: OK. We have got a lot of things.
And if you happen to be, say, at the office and you're watching this, or maybe at home, you might want to get out a sheet of paper, a pen, a pencil, a crayon, whatever you have, and just -- just get a -- a few ideas here.
And keep in mind, the tropics are -- are really quiet for the time being, but it's never too soon to be prepared for hurricane season. OK, a couple of ideas. First thing you want is, you obviously want food that will not be perishable, nonperishable food. It could be canned food.
And, with canned food, you obviously need a can opener. Do not be surprised in -- in -- in hurricane country how many people will save up these kind of things, cans of -- of peaches, whatever, and -- and they forget a can opener. You got to have one. It makes all the difference in the world.
Another thing, a good stove would be a good idea. When I say a stove, I really mean a grill, like this little charbroil that you see here. Some charcoal would be good with it. At the same time, a lighting mechanism like this, lighter that you see here, that is -- certainly would definitely make a difference.
Other things that you would need would be, after these storms move through a given area, usually, the skies are nice and clear, and you have got plenty of sunshine, but you don't have power. So, you're going to be spending quite a bit of time outdoors. With that in mind, you're going to need some bug spray, something like Off!. It doesn't really matter the brand. You're just going to need it. Trust me.
And, at the same time, any kind of sunscreen that you can possibly use would be certainly a good thing to get. Also, you're going to have all kinds of plants, all kinds of debris all over. This is a time when a lot of people get poison ivy after these kind of storms.
So, any little bit of -- anything you can have to -- to help ward off those problems would be a good idea, ponchos, a good idea, a rain poncho, for a few scattered showers, although the weather usually is improving afterwards, some kind of mechanism to remove splinters, because you are going to be moving branches and -- and trees from your yard. Trust me, it happens. From a -- take it from a guy who has lived in hurricane country.
Also, gasoline is a good idea. Many people are going to need chain saws, if you have a chain saw, to move some trees off your roof, off your front yard. You're definitely going to need something to fuel those things. It would be good to go and get some gas.
At the same time, eye protection also a good idea, something to protect those ears. And it would seem like a no-brainer, but a cell phone is a pretty handy thing to have. Granted, usually, during a hurricane, or shortly thereafter, everyone in the whole world is trying to call that area. So, things do get clogged up.
But, still, things obviously are going to calm down. You are going to want to call your loved ones and let them know you are OK. Have your cell phone with you. And, for heaven's sake, have a charger, one that will fit in the lighter of your car. OK? There you go. Good idea, absolutely.
Other things, a pair of gloves would certainly be good. That would also help in moving debris from your yard -- something to clean your hands with before you cook. Certainly, these would work, some Handi Wipes, of -- or even this. We have got some -- just some hand sanitizer, certainly a good thing.
And, Carol, another thing you certainly can't rule out would be the handy flashlight. Again, this will be your chandelier for a while, because it takes usually a while for the power to come back, certainly a good idea -- also, lighters, walkie-talkie, and, most importantly, a handy first aid kit, not that expensive.
LIN: Ah.
WOLF: You can get it at -- at any drugstore. Trust me, from small boo-boos to even boo-boos that may be a little bit bigger, this will take care of you for a while.
(LAUGHTER)
LIN: I think boo-boos has -- has entered your vocabulary since having a baby...
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Yes.
LIN: ... Reynolds.
WOLF: Very much so.
LIN: But you know the meaning of them. They can hurt.
And, you know, I didn't think of the tweezers or the can opener.
WOLF: Yes.
LIN: And you're right.
(LAUGHTER)
LIN: That's going to make a big difference.
WOLF: And -- and one -- one other thing, Carol, to remember, is -- is, folks, you need to do this right now, before you have a Category 5 just right off the coastline. You need to do this before there's that mad rush to the stores.
Go ahead and get it done now, and -- and just set it aside, because it's always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
LIN: And can you store gasoline safely?
WOLF: I think you can. Again, I can get back to you on that one, but I'm sure there's a way.
LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Reynolds.
WOLF: You betcha.
ANNOUNCER: Stay with CNN, your hurricane headquarters.
LIN: Military officials say they have never seen anything like it, this handwritten letter sent to a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.
The reason it's so odd, it was written by the colonel's former Iraqi captor and interrogator. The former POW joins me live with details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: A former prisoner of war finds an unusual reminder of his captivity in his mailbox.
Back in 1991, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Fox was flying a mission in Iraq when his plane was shot down. He ejected, but was captured as soon as he hit the ground. Now, during the next two weeks, he was blindfolded, beaten, thrown into a car trunk, and held in solitary confinement.
Well, fast-forward to the present and the now retired airman receives a handwritten letter. And it turns out to be from one of the Iraqi soldiers who had interrogated him.
Well, Jeff Fox joins me now live from Charleston, South Carolina.
Jeff, this is an amazing story. And it started three years ago at a Baghdad airport, when an Air Force sergeant gets a letter hand- delivered meant for you. What was your reaction when you finally got it?
JEFF FOX, FORMER GULF WAR PRISONER OF WAR: I wasn't really surprised. I mean, it was -- it was interesting, but it didn't -- you know, it didn't shock me that I received a letter.
LIN: Why weren't you surprised? I mean, taking a look at this, he -- he -- he goes into describing the date that you were captured. He described how you were suffering and you had hurt your elbow and knee, but no apology.
FOX: No, he -- he was actually one of the gentlemen, or one of the -- the interrogators who was actually, in my humble opinion, a -- a gentleman.
He -- he told me that he thought that the invasion by Iraq into Kuwait was the wrong thing to do. And he actually jokingly one time said that he would try to return my watch and that I would call the police. And he could actually speak English pretty well. And, then, from there, he sent me up to Baghdad. And that's when I started getting beat up and abused.
LIN: So, why do you think he wanted to write you after so many years?
FOX: I don't know. Maybe -- I mean, he had -- he's still in the army there -- or at least he was a couple of years ago. And he was -- he had a -- he had met several Air Force personnel in Iraq, in Baghdad. And he asked them if -- if -- you know, if any of them knew me.
I -- I just think that he probably liked Americans.
LIN: But -- and what an odd situation. I mean, his job was to interrogate you. So, do you think, somehow, he formed some kind of personal connection with you during that time?
FOX: He -- he might have.
I -- you know, it wouldn't surprise me if I was the only POW that he interrogated, because I was probably the only one shot down in that particular kill box. And he was, like I say, one of the first guys to -- to interrogate me. So, it wouldn't surprise me if he was -- or if I was the only POW that he actually interrogated.
LIN: But maybe it's something you did right as well.
I mean, something that we learn in war zone training, if ever caught and -- and held captive, that you have to figure out a way to make some kind of a human connection with your captor. It could be the thing that saves your life.
FOX: Yes, it -- it -- it could be.
But, like I say, in all honesty, there are some of -- of the folks or the people who interrogated me were actually, I mean, cruel, mean. But he was not one of them.
LIN: And, somehow, he wanted you to know, perhaps, that he was different. I mean, he describes giving you a -- some water and an orange. He kind of indicates that he may give you back your watch. I mean, do you ever expect you will ever see him again?
FOX: He -- we might. I mean, I don't know. It -- it all depends.
Like I say, the -- the letter was given to an Air Force sergeant three years ago. And I don't know even if the general is still alive or if he's still on active duty. But there -- there is a possibility, I guess, that he might be able to return the watch or contact me.
LIN: Would you want to see him again?
FOX: That would be fine. I don't have any problem with that.
LIN: You know, Jeff, you...
FOX: Like I say, he was...
LIN: Go ahead.
FOX: Go ahead.
LIN: I'm just...
FOX: But he was one of the...
LIN: Mmm-hmm.
FOX: ... one of the few guys that was actually a gentleman. He -- I was not beat up in his facility.
LIN: Mmm-hmm.
FOX: Shortly thereafter, I was, but not in his facility.
LIN: Maybe it was just, I don't know, two strangers crossing paths, and, years later, making this connection. Or maybe you're just used to strange things happening to you.
(LAUGHTER)
FOX: Yes. I don't know.
LIN: Maybe, you know? I don't know.
FOX: Yes. I don't know.
LIN: If you ever hear from him again, let us know.
FOX: OK.
LIN: But a voice from the past.
Thank you very much...
FOX: Yes.
LIN: ... Jeff Fox.
FOX: That -- that would be interesting, yes. LIN: We now bring you some of the names and faces of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives in the war in Iraq.
Marine Lance Corporal Benito Ramirez was killed in Anbar Province May 21. He was on his third tour in that war-torn country. At his funeral, on Memorial Day, in Edinburg, Texas, there were lots of hugs. His cousin says Benito would hug everyone. His father says he will miss Benito's smile and his easygoing way.
Army Specialist Michael L. Hermanson was in a vehicle hit by a rocket-propelled grenade May 23, while clearing roadside bombs. One of his grade school teachers says Michael was the kind of guy who would light up a room when he walked in. Michael leaves behind his parents and a younger sister in North Dakota.
Marine Lance Corporal Robert G. Posivio III earned a Purple Heart in Iraq. He got it for an injury he suffered in April. When military men came to his parents' house last week, they thought it was to deliver that medal. But, instead, they brought the devastating news.
The young Marine had been killed by a roadside bomb May 23. This was the second loss for the Posivio family. Robert's younger brother, Daniel, was killed in a car wreck in 2004 while on leave from the Navy.
These are just three of the 2,471 men and women who have died in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
LIN: Can't believe it was 39 years ago that album came out.
Well, more celebrity baby news -- it looks like Anna Nicole Smith is going to be familiar with the other definition of playmate. The former "Playboy" model says she is pregnant with her second child -- no word on who the father is. Now, the 38-year-old Smith posted a message on her Web site, promising to check in periodically, so fans can see how she is growing.
Prince Albert admits it. An official document confirms it. A California teenager is the daughter of royalty. The news has set the town of Palm Desert on its ear. It stirred up such a royal ruckus that the sheriff is having to batten down the hatches at a local school to keep the paparazzi at bay.
Ria Taromina has the details from our affiliate KESQ.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIA TAROMINA, KESQ REPORTER (voice-over): Sheriff's deputies on motorcycles get ready to escort someone home, possibly a student, home from school. Could there be a princess among us? Prince Albert may have a daughter here in the valley living in Palm Desert. French newspaper "Le Figaro" says the heir to Monaco's throne will soon publicly acknowledge his 14-year-old daughter.
(on camera): Paparazzi rushed here to our valley, only to be blocked by security at the private school.
(voice-over): The possible princess attends St. Margaret's Episcopal School, where she's in eighth grade. When parents took their kids to school, unwanted attention descended upon them.
SGT. RICK KAMSTRA, RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: We're out here just simply because, this morning, there seemed to be a -- a problem with media and paparazzi, basically interfering with the runnings of the school.
TAROMINA: We didn't see any paparazzi, but the sheriff's department thinks they're here, and could be playing a game of cat and mouse to try and get a picture of the girl.
(on camera): Do you think they all went back to where they came from, like L.A. or something?
KAMSTRA: Probably not. I would assume that they're probably going to be back this afternoon, when school lets out. And that's pretty much why we're here, is to monitor and make sure we don't have the same thing happen this afternoon that happened this morning.
TAROMINA: It's believed the girl and her mother live in this gated community. The newspaper article says her mother and the prince had a brief two-week affair in 1991 while she was on vacation in the small principality. They were photographed on a yacht together during that time.
Ria Taromina, News Channel 3.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: New Orleans after Katrina -- crime is up, and the number of police officers down. LIVE FROM goes on the beat just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Bruised and battered and bracing for more. We have seen a lot of changes in New Orleans since Katrina slammed ashore. So, how ready is the city for another storm season? CNN's Anderson Cooper has a first-hand look.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Carol, thanks very much. I'm coming to you now from the lower ninth ward here in New Orleans. And, of course, today is the official start of hurricane season.
As you can see, if you look around the lower ninth ward, not much has changed here. I mean, people's possessions are still all around. This is the gate to someone's home. So much debris still scattered all about. One of the frustrating things for the people here, it doesn't seem like there's a plan for the redevelopment yet of this area and it's been now, you know, nine plus months. Last night, on "360," we showed you a very up close look at the rebuilding of the levees. We took a look at the 17th Street Canal and these giant 11-ton gates that they are building as extra surge protection in case there is another hurricane.
Tonight on "360" we're going to be taking you back, back to that terrible week after Hurricane Katrina. Our original reporting, what we saw then and we'll also update what we see now. We'll take you back to the places we reported from. We'll show you how they are doing and how many of the people you met in that after the week after the storm are coping right now, Carol.
LIN: Alright, thanks Anderson. His original reporting is really going to touch you. So, we're all going to be watching tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
Well on the beat and under the gun, New Orleans face as rising menace. Months after Katrina a crime wave has washed over the city.
CNN's Susan Roesgen has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 7:00 A.M., on the beat in the Big Uneasy. Hurricane Katrina chased away more than 200,000 people in New Orleans but criminals are coming back. Police department figures show the number of murders has gone up every month since the storm. Zero last September, 14 in May. But the number of police officers is down about 10 percent.
SERGEANT TROY LYLES, NEW ORLEANS POLICE OFFICER: Staying cool.
ROESGEN: Sergeant Troy Lyles had been on the force eight years when Katrina blew her world apart. In the flood after the hurricane Sergeant Lyles spent two days trapped in this house until a guy floating past on a door rescued her. She made it to a relative's house, took a hot bath, got a change of clothes and went right back to work.
LYLES: I had to help somebody else. I didn't want anybody else to be stuck in the same situation I was in.
ROESGEN: Sergeant Lyles and most other officers lost their homes in Katrina. For this single mother of two daughters the job is about the only thing that seems normal these days. But it's getting more dangerous.
Police say street corner drug dealers are back and detectives are now tracking the MS-13, a violent Central American gang that, police say, rode into town with thousands of immigrant construction workers. In the French Quarter where the big problem used to be mainly tourists, who'd had to much to drink, this Bourbon Street bar is now the scene of an unsolved murder.
And everyone here knows what happened to Officer Andreas Gonzalez last week. A suspect shot him in the face. The bullet hit his spinal cord and he may be paralyzed.
LYLES: I mean, you don't expect that somebody would do something like that to an officer, have that much disrespect basically to society itself. But you still have to get out there and you have to help people. You can't let that consume you or control you.
ROESGEN: The police can't protect the city from a hurricane, only from what comes later. The question is, after Katrina, can New Orleans police come back as quickly as crime?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Kimberly Dozier is awake and she's asking about her colleagues. Now Dozier, as you might recall, is the CBS journalist who survived a car bombing in Baghdad this week. Well her two-man crew, a U.S. soldier and an Iraqi interpreter were killed. Dozier is in critical condition at a military hospital in Germany and doctors there brought her out of sedation today and she is reportedly communicating with family members at her bedside.
Well, the bodies of James Brolan and Paul Douglas are back home. The two men died Monday in that same explosion in Baghdad. They weren't Iraqi and they weren't military. They were just doing their jobs as CBS news professionals when they were killed by an insurgents car bomb. Their grieving families received the men's flag-draped coffins in London today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are here today to remember and to celebrate the lives of two great journalists. They were husbands to Jerry (ph) and to Linda, dads to Kelly and Joe, Sam and Agatha, but to most of us here they were mates. They were mates that we knew we could depend on. And they were the guys that would get the story for us.
UNIDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBER: You know, he had that smile, he had the ability to light up a room, and I'm going to so miss him but I've got so many memories.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I keep thinking of James, his back killing him one day, climbing the mountain in Pakistan, loaded with gear, never allowing anybody to take any of his bags, and cracking jokes. Or I'd see him in a Balakot, a town that was flattened in the Pakistani quake, climbing over the ruins, a gaggle of kids constantly surrounding him.
UNIDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBER: My dad was, but I think you already know that, he was the most fantastic dad and we are honored to have had him bring us into the world and keep us safe. Although he only managed to spend 30 years with my mom, they have got a lifetime of memories.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was always the day of the unspoken horror and now it has happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: All right. Just want to show you some important pictures of the day. You're watching the swearing-in ceremony for New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin as he's sworn in for his second term in office on the first day of hurricane season. He had asked the voters not to change leadership before this important hurricane season and he is going to be the mayor who will lead New Orleans to rebuilding.
Well, the 2006 hurricane season is here and with it, troubling new predictions about what's ahead, especially for New Orleans. CNN's Tom Foreman investigated for "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Global warming is making hurricanes more intense. That's the conclusion of new studies that some scientists find compelling. Their argument is simple. The atmosphere is getting warmer, oceans too, and since hurricanes feed off of warm water, the storms are getting worse. What's more, they say, the impact is coming quicker and is more severe than they expected.
MICHAEL E. MANN, PENN STATE: Many of us who have studied the science of how the climate works in the past are frankly very surprised at what we're seeing. We didn't really believe that we were going to see, in our lifetimes, the kinds of impacts we already are seeing.
FOREMAN: The new Al Gore movie swings that claim like a sledgehammer.
AL GORE, "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH": Temperature increases are taking place all over the world. And that's causing stronger storms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the biggest crisis in the history of this country.
FOREMAN: The problem is, many scientists say this information is inconclusive at best, not true at worst. Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration generally agree global warming is happening. But, they say, something else is causing wind and water to brew deadly storms.
CONRAD LAUTENBACHER, NOAA: This convergence of conditions in the ocean and atmosphere is strongly related to something we call the multi-decadal signal.
FOREMAN: That's a fancy way of saying they believe world weather patterns have always produced cycles of strong, then weak, hurricanes. And we're in a bad cycle now.
GERRY BELL, NOAA METEOROLOGIST: It's reasonable to expect ongoing high levels of hurricane activity for many years to come. And importantly ongoing high levels of hurricane landfalls for the next decade and perhaps longer.
FOREMAN: The U.S. has suffered terrible hurricanes in the past, long before global warming was an issue. But believers in this possible connection with global warming say they are gathering evidence to prove their case. This, we know. The debate over what causes these monster hurricanes is itself a gathering storm.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: You can see more of Tom's reporting on "THE SITUATION ROOM." Join Wolf at 4:00 p.m. Eastern and in primetime at 7:00.
Now, there's been a rescue, but it is still a mystery. 34-year- old Sandra Eubank Gregory, a family law attorney, was abducted from a Birmingham, Alabama, parking lot yesterday. Well, nine hours later, police found her at a local motel, bound with rope but apparently unhurt. They arrested a suspect at the motel, but there's still no word on what motivated the abduction. A Birmingham judge has given authorities more time to investigate before filing charges.
Now, O.J. Simpson's daughter has accept a plea deal for her face- off with police last year. Sydney Simpson has agreed to 50 hours of community service. Police say she yelled profanities at police who were trying to trying to break up a fight outside a high school basketball game. The police report says she also slapped an officer's hand as she was taken into custody. Pictures of her in her younger days.
Now, if this was a test of faith, Clara Brown passed with flying colors. The Alabama woman says she is blessed to be alive after being struck by lightning whole she was praying.
Pat Peterson has the story from WKRG, our affiliate in Mobile, Alabama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It knocked me all the way over there.
PAT PETERSON, WKRG REPORTER (voice-over): Clara Brown has a new appreciation for severe weather.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden the whole room lit up. I heard, like, bullets flying.
PETERSON: Brown was at home Monday afternoon when severe weather hit her Daphne neighborhood. Brown says the sky became dark and within a matter of minutes, the storm was on top of her. Then she heard thunder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My right arm -- it just ran up my arm, right up my neck and just blew up right in my right ear.
PETERSON: What was going on through your mind at this time? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Jesus, that I'm alive.
PETERSON: Lightning hit Brown's backyard, traveled through the ground and into her kitchen, knocking her off her feet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've got concrete falling out of my hair!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, fire officials actually think the lightning struck across the street from the couple's home and traveled into the house through a water line.
Well, you can't count on -- you can count on dairy cows to produce two things: one obviously is a milk. But a group of college students is using the other to keep this car moving.
LIVE FROM gets to the bottom of the story, ahead.
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LIN: Everyone wants to find a way to deal with the high price of gas but a lot of work is going into finding alternative fuels, as well. And college researches have found one. You just have to be careful not to step in it. Jane McCarthy from affiliate KING explains why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE MCCARTHY, KING REPORTER (voice-over): It's capable of going from zero to 60 in under six seconds. And although it boasts 200 horsepower it's not horses pulling this buggy.
RYAN CRUSE, STUDENT: It's a car powered by cow gas, essentially.
MCCARTHY: The team at Western Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute is taking cow manure and turning it into purified biomethane to power their specially made hybrid car.
ERIC LEONHARDT, VRI DIRECTOR: We are essentially using a total waste product to power the car.
SEAN AYLWARD, STUDENT: To my knowledge, there is no other hybrid vehicle that has been run on biomethane.
MCCARTHY (on camera): The biomethane starts with these cows here at Vander Haak dairy farm in Lynden.
(voice-over): After the cows do what they do, the waste is put into this anaerobic manure digester.
AYLWARD: Which is a device that is essentially an extension of the cow's stomach so it allows the microbes and bacteria in the cow's stomach to continue to break down the foodstuffs that the cow eats. The gas comes into the pipe right here. MCCARTHY: Biomethane is then collected and purified using a scrubber developed at the institute. Each cow can produce enough manure a day to make a car go 15 miles. Of course, the process also produces jokes.
LEONHARDT: A lot of people want to know what it smells like behind the car as it's driving away, and it actually doesn't really smell like anything. Otherwise we'd be wearing gas masks while driving.
MCCARTHY: No gas masks is good, but 43 miles to the gallon is even better. And while there aren't enough cows in the United States to power every vehicle, which is probably a good thing, this group hopes their work will play a part in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's kind of exciting to work on something that hopefully could change the way we drive cars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, that was Jane McCarthy from affiliate KING.
Now the process of turning cow manure in natural gas costs about one-fifth of the price of gasoline at the pump.
Well, a record for House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The Illinois Republican today became the longest-serving Republican House speaker in history, at just under seven-and-a-half years. Hastert became speaker in January 1999. He goes by the nickname "The Coach" and is known for his low key manner.
Now, that's in contrast to the previous Republican recordholder, Joe Cannon, known for his iron-fisted style as speaker in the early 1900s. Democrat Sam Rayburn of Texas is the longest-serving speaker, 17 years over three different periods between 1940 and 1961. Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He's standing by at "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what is coming up at the top of the hour. Hi, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Carol. Thanks very much.
There's a battle brewing right now over immigration here in Washington. President Bush laying down the law to employers who hire illegal workers and sending a tough message to some of his fellow Republicans.
Also, nuclear talks. Iran says it will not suspend its uranium enrichment program despite a looming threat from the U.S.
And the coming storms. The head of the National Hurricane Center is here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Plus this, Batwoman -- get this -- comes out of her cave and steps into the culture wars. There's a new twist on the famous comic character. All that, Carol, coming up right at the top of the hour.
LIN: What are we going to tell the kids, Wolf.
BLITZER: We'll see.
LIN: Who knows? Thanks very much.
Well, you know her face and you've seen her smile but do you recognize her voice?
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN ITALIAN)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LIN: She speaks Italian. The strangeness in her smile has endured for centuries, but now you get to hear her speak, ahead on LIVE FROM.
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LIN: The Mona Lisa's mystic smile has intrigued people for centuries. But what about her voice? Well, a Japanese acoustic experts say he has captured the sound of history's most mysterious woman.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN ITALIAN)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LIN: Dr. Matsumi Suzuki says the Mona Lisa's wide face would have given her a low voice. He also says her pointed chin added mid- pitch tones, and of course he used an Italian woman to add the right intonation to his recording. Suzuki says he considers the voiceprint to be 90 percent accurate.
Well, help wanted. Coffee-loving man in his mid 30s. Must get along with donkeys and look good in ponchos. Thick mustache, a definite plus. Say it isn't so, Jose. The man we all know as Juan Valdez is giving up his gig. Actor Carlos Sanchez has been hauling that burro around for 37 years, and he says at age 71, he's ready to hang up his mug. The Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers says it will name the new Juan Valdez in July.
Ali Velshi is not retiring. He's keeping track of the markets for us in New York. Ali, how are ...
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: I think that Mona Lisa stuff is totally made up. Like, who could prove if he was wrong?
LIN: Oh, come on. Can't the woman have a voice? Come on, Ali.
VELSHI: I don't think my face looks like the voice that comes out of it.
LIN: Do you have a wide face and a resonant voice?
VELSHI: I have a wide face and a resonant voice, and I don't look anything like her.
LIN: All right. Well, you look like you, Ali, and that's what we love you for.
VELSHI: Thank you, Carol.
You know, a couple of days ago we were talking about how these high gas prices in May were having an effect on consumer confidence. Even Wal-Mart came out to say that its clients were, you know, having some trouble making ends meet are shopping less.
Well, guess what? The retail sales numbers for May came out, all the country's chain stores came out with their numbers for May. Remarkable -- that resilient American consumer said who cares about the high prices. We've got to shop. I guess maybe it was Mother's Day or whatever the case is, but across the board a good May for retailers. We'll see what the rest of the year brings.
But automakers weren't so lucky, Carol. The big three all took hits in May, mainly on trucks and SUVs, so that part of it is not surprising. And tomorrow morning, the big jobs report for May. Now, get this. Some people are expecting more job creation, a lower unemployment report and that's going to be bad news for the market, because that means the Fed might raise interest rates again.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
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