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Bremer Eulogizes Slain Iraqi Leader

Aired May 18, 2004 - 10:00   ET

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

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


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning from CNN headquarters, I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's start with the headlines.
First up this hour, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage testify before a Senate committee. The two men are expected to be questioned about the future of Iraq. It's the committee's sixth hearing held on Iraq since April.

Israeli forces in Gaza are calling it the gateway of terrorism, in Rafah this morning the Israeli Army launches deadly rocket attacks followed by tanks and bulldozers. Palestinian sources say 18 Palestinians are dead, including two children and 35 others injured. Israeli says the raids are designed to stem illegal weapons smuggling. But some Palestinians say the campaign is isolating Rafah and the rest -- from the rest of Gaza.

To India, Sonia Gandhi says she has taken her name out of play to become India's next prime minister. She gave a speech where she said that she humbly declines the offer to lead the world's largest democracy. She says she would not reverse her decision.

Catholics are celebrating the pope's 84 birthday today. Although no official events planned to mark the occasion, the pope is launching his new book. It's called "Get Up, Let's Us Go." Pope John Paul, II is the longest serving pontiff in history.

And back here in the states, a crude awakening for many motorists. The Energy Department says the average U.S. gas price now tops $2 a gallon. That's the first time that's happened. Currently, oil prices hover near $42 a barrel. Saudi Arabia is urging OPEC to raise its output by 6 percent. And in emergency talks this weekend, OPEC plans to discuss a possible target increase of 1.5 million barrels.

The first hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

We have some new developments in the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, it's echoing around the world. The U.S. military has moved up the arraignment for three soldiers to tomorrow. That is a very day that a special court-martial gets underway for Specialist Jeremy Sivits.

Our Harris Whitbeck is in Baghdad with the latest on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN : A memorial service was held this morning for Izzedine Salim, the Iraqi Governing Council president who was killed yesterday during a suicide car bombing outside the Green Zone in Baghdad. At the service, U.S. administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer said the death of Salim would not undermine efforts to fully transfer political power to Iraq on June 30.

PAUL BREMER, IRAQI CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: The enemies of freedom has taken him from his countrymen, from his family and from his friends. And although his loss is greatest for his family and for his country, those of us in the coalition shall miss him as well.

WHITBECK: Salim's body was flown to the southern city of Basra, his hometown for a public funeral, and he was later buried in Shiite holy city of Najaf.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the start of several military court proceedings at the Baghdad Convention Center. Three U.S. soldiers will be arraigned in connection with the prison abuses in Abu Ghraib prison. A fourth U.S. soldier, Specialist Jeremy Sivits will undergo a special court-martial for his role in the abuses. In a sworn statement, Sivits described abuses by U.S. soldiers that included beatings and sexual humiliation. It is expected Sivits will plead guilty to charges of conspiracy, dereliction of duty, and cruelty and maltreatment of prisoners.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: The man who wrote the Army's internal report on the prisoner abuses returns to Capitol Hill today. Major General Antonio Taguba appears behind closed doors to brief the House Armed Services Committee. He'll be joined by other U.S. generals, including the man overseeing the criminal investigations.

Tonight on the eve of the military court proceedings, families and supporters will hold a prayer vigil for those charged. They'll gather in Cumberland, Maryland near the base of the Reservists' 372 Military Police Company. That is the unit at the center of the scandal.

Another story that is stoking concerns in Iraq. The discovery of an artillery shell believed to contain sarin nerve gas. More testing is being done. More troubling questions being confronted.

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more on that.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Daryn. Well, as you say, additional testing is going on. Now, the first test that was conducted after it was discovered, seemed to indicate it was sarin. But as with all of these cases, they conduct a number of additional tests to try and confirm their findings. We have not heard the results of that yet. So no absolute confirmation yet that it was sarin in that 155-millimeter artillery shell.

Now, one of the things they will look at, if they determine it's sarin, is the purity of the material. If it's high-grade, that would indicate very recently that that shell was filled. But if it is a degraded, weaker form, that would indicate probably that it is something quite old, perhaps leftover from many years ago.

Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was very cautious about the entire matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: My personal view is the way we ought to handle it, although it's not for me to decide, is to recognize that what you cited, I believe, was a field test, which is not perfect. And what we ought to do is get the sample someplace where they could be tested very carefully, before coming to go a conclusion as to precisely what it was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, also officials saying don't expect to see soldiers back in those gas masks and those heavy protective suits any time soon, unless there is a really specific threat that they can pinpoint. They're just not likely to do that. Of course, the weather is very hot in Iraq right now and it would make it very difficult for soldiers to move around. And unless they really have some sense that they are dealing with a new threat, not likely they will go back into that protective gear that we saw during the war -- Daryn.

KAGAN: What did Donald Rumsfeld mean when he said in that sound bite, it's not for him to decide? Who does decide that?

STARR: Well, that shell is now all being tested by the Iraq Survey Group. We'll all remember that's the group of high tech specialists from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, other areas of the government. They have the special responsibility to look for weapons of mass destruction, and when suspicious material comes up to assess it, test it, try and figure out what's inside of it. It's all a very technical testing process. So they are the ones now looking at it trying to reach a final conclusion.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you.

The panel spearheading the 9/11 investigation is holding hearings this morning not far from the epicenter of the attacks. A live picture from New York City. The commission is meeting near Ground Zero, former site of the World Trade Center towers. They're going to hear from relatives of those killed along with firefighters, and other new Yorkers, who are demanding a probe of the city's emergency communications system.

Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we spoke with the commission chairman who you see live there. Chairman Kean on the importance of finding the answers to what went wrong. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS KEAN, CHAIRMAN, 9/11 COMMISSION: Every single expert we've talked to on the commission says that sometimes, someplace, whether it's next month, next year, whenever, that there probably will be another attack. That we can stop 29 attacks but the 30 might get through, no matter how well prepared we are and we're just going to make sure we are prepared to the best of our ability. One to prevent the attack, if possible, and if God forbid another attack of some kind occurs, to have everybody in place to save as many lives as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Kean also said that what is learned from New York's response could provide valuable response for other U.S. cities.

And now a story that's a little closer, it's your corner gas station and your wallet. U.S. crude oil futures have surged to their highest price and that is fueling a new debate. Democrats want the Bush administration to siphon oil from the nation's emergency stockpile to bring prices down.

Our financial news reporter Allan Chernoff takes a look at that proposal.

Allan, good morning.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. And later today, New York Senator Charles Schumer will be introducing a resolution calling on President Bush to send out 30 to 60 million barrels from the nation's Strategic Reserves. Now, this is an idea that oil traders have been suggesting for several weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The Strategic Reserves lie more than 2,000 feet underground in huge natural caverns along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana; 660 million barrels of oil. Everyday, the government adds another 100,000 barrels, even as the price of oil traded here in New York has jumped to an all-time record high.

RICHARD SCHAEFFER, ENERGY DIR., ABN-AMRO: The closer we get towards the election, with prices staying as high as they are, I think the likelihood of a release to some percentage is the high possibility.

CHERNOFF: With oil above $40 a barrel and gasoline topping $2 a gallon, some industry executives are calling for the government to help by releasing reserves.

The petroleum reserve is supposed to be for emergencies. But President Clinton opened the oil tap in the fall of 2000, temporarily pushing prices down, shortly before the presidential election.

BILL CLINTON, FRM. UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: The overriding purpose for our action is to increase supply and help consumers make it through the cold winter. Families shouldn't have to drain their wallets to drive their cars or heat their homes.

CHERNOFF: The Bush campaign criticized the action. President Bush's Energy Department says the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is off limits. That's the way it should be argues the energy lobby.

JOHN FELMY, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: There is no good argument for releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's our insurance policy so that if we do have physical disruptions of supply, we can fill that void with oil from the SPR.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: But energy traders say a change in policy from the president would send a psychological jolt to the markets, the type of catalyst needed to pull prices down from the record highs -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Just how much of the oil reserve would they have to release to affect the price of the pump -- Allan?

CHERNOFF: Daryn, it is so hard to tell because it is a psychological game. In terms of the actual numbers, the nation consumes about 20 million barrels a day. So if you think about releasing 30 million barrels from the reserves, it really is not a huge number in the big picture. But psychologically, short-term, it really could push prices down.

KAGAN: And there are some psychological head-trips happening at pumps all across America.

CHERNOFF: That, as well.

KAGAN: Allan, thank you for that. Appreciate that.

So just how painful are these new gas prices? One gas station owner -- take a look at this, put out a limb to offer his opinion. An arm and a leg and how about premium? Cost of your first-born. That pretty much says it, doesn't it?

KAGAN: It is 43 days and counting to the June 30 scheduled handover of Iraq to the Iraqis. We're going to talk to our guest analyst Ken Pollack, how he thinks that's going to go.

And was a tragedy that could have been prevented? You're going to hear the 911 call made about an hour before the bridge girder fell.

And later...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to do everything I can to throw roadblocks into compensating Iraqi prisoners of war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Former American POWs denied compensation after being held captive in Iraq while Iraqis -- in Iran, while Iraqi POW's may be paid today.

This is CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're talking about where these flames are coming from. Arizona, furious flames reaching up for the sky. The wildfire continuing to burn. Crews are battling the blaze in the Tonto National Forest this morning. They say they should have a hold on it by tomorrow. The Diamondback Fire has scorched some 1100 acres and officials say it does not threaten the nearby community of Sunflower. For you Arizona enthusiasts, an old mining town on the way to Phoenix to Payson, Arizona.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, about 45 miles northeast of Phoenix.

KAGAN: Heading northeast.

JERAS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: Lot of Arizona fans out there.

JERAS: Yes.

KAGAN: It is a dispute over a public display. We're going to tell you why a sculpture caused a scuffle on the streets of Seattle. Details straight ahead on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Getting word in here at CNN that actor Tony Randall has passed away. He was 84 years old; dies after a long illness. His publicist says that he died with his wife beside his side. Of course, a very long career, not in the movies and on the stage, but very well known as playing Felix Unger on "The Odd Couple" and making a number of television appearances. Once again, Tony Randall, 84 years old. More on his life and career just ahead.

Right now, 17 minutes past the hour, other news today. It is a day after insurgents assassinate a top Iraqi official. Paul Bremer says the U.S. must stay the course. The civilian administrator for Iraq says that transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis must proceed as planned on June 30. But Bremer made those comments as he eulogized Izzedine Salim; the Iraqi Governing Council president was killed in a suicide attack yesterday. Bremer said the best way to honor Salim's honor memory is to continue the mission for peace and democracy in Iraq.

Bremer's words come -- resolve come just 43 days before Iraqis are set to govern themselves and while the violence in the region continues, CNN's Ken Pollack is in Washington with more on that.

Ken, good morning to you.

KEN POLLACK, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn. How are you?

KAGAN: We heard over and over again -- I'm fine, by the way. Thank you very much. We heard over and over again yesterday from Paul Bremer and other Iraqis saying that the assassination of Salim would not affect the transfer of power. And yet, how can it not when the person who is the figurehead of the country cannot even be kept safe?

POLLACK: Sure. And obviously, Daryn, this gets to one of the big problems out there. Which is that the Iraqi people are slowly, and I want to emphasize, slowly losing faith in the course of the U.S. liberty construction. And it things like the assassination yesterday that are kind of like that slow trickle of water that eventually erodes a mountain. The Iraqis came into this very enthusiastic about reconstruction. Don't get me wrong; they didn't like having the Americans in the country; but they were overwhelmingly in favor of the reconstruction. But after 13 months and seeing these kinds of assassinations, seeing the United States not able to deal with the security situation, get basic services restored, it's really eroding their confidence.

KAGAN: But it also shows -- we got a little peek inside of how the country is been running. Dan Senor, of the Coalition Provisional Authority, yesterday said all types of security and security training have been offered to all members of the Iraqi Governing Council. And he said that Salim chose to have his nephews and cousins surround him and protect him, and didn't participate in any of the special training.

POLLACK: Well, that may well be but in all honesty, what we've learned about the attacks suggests that may or may not have had anything to do with anything. Ultimately, this was a convoy that was pulling into the coalition-led Green Zone. I'm skeptical that they actually knew who it was. They probably just knew that it was someone important. Because anyone who drives around in these brand new SUVs is automatically a target in Iraq; because only coalition personnel and coalition-related personnel drive around in them. And I think it's hard to imagine any group of security would have been able to have really dealt with that problem.

KAGAN: Want to talk to you about the other big news yesterday coming out of the news briefing yesterday. And that is the discovery of this artillery shell containing some traces, but we're not sure exactly how much, of the sarin nerve agent. How significant is that in the big picture of this whole war?

POLLACK: Potentially conceivably, it might be important. But I'll be honest with you, my going in assumptions right now it's not going to come to very much. First off, it's not clear exactly what it was. Was it actually sarin? If it was sarin, was it an old round? And one of the things that's really got me paying attention is the military has described this as a binary round. And they described it as a rather advanced binary munition.

Well, the Iraqis weren't known to have those munitions. In fact, when the U.N. inspectors went into Iraq, they found a much cruder form of binary round. Which suggests that this may not have been an Iraqi round. Maybe it was brought in from somewhere else, maybe it wasn't binary. Much more likely, it strikes me it wasn't that the chemicals failed to mix, which is what happens in a binary round. It may be just a really, really old round. And in a country, which had thousands and thousands of these, finding one doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to lead to anything bigger.

KAGAN: And then finally, I want to ask you about the prison abuse scandal. Somewhat dying down a little bit here in this country. Not the top headline every single day. And yet, the impact it continues to have in Iraq and the Arab world.

POLLACK: Sure. Again, for the Iraqis, I think that this was another one of those major disappointments that they have had in the U.S.-led reconstruction. And there have been many. And I'll be honest with you; I don't think for Iraqis it was quite as traumatic as it has been for Americans. We have an image of ourselves and those images that we saw on TV didn't correspond with the image that we have of ourselves.

For the Iraqis, it was just another disappointment. It was another event that said to them, the Americans are not living up to what they promised. And as I said, this is the biggest problem we have in Iraq. Because this accumulation of events is slowly eroding the confidence of the Iraqi people that we either want to make reconstruction work, or we know how to do so.

KAGAN: Ken Pollack in Washington. Ken, thanks for your insight today.

POLLACK: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Time spent being beaten and starved. Some former U.S. POWs say they deserve compensation for having to endure that. But the Pentagon is only promising Iraqi POWs will be paid.

Hoods on popular public artworks to protest Iraqi prisoner abuse. Find out where and what happened, coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Want to tell you about some news we're getting into us here at CNN, news that actor Tony Randall has died. He was 84 years, had a very full life and a very full career. Probably best known to television viewers as playing Felix Unger on the television series "The Odd Couple." But a very long career on stage and on film -- Doris Day films. And also in terms of television, he is noted for making more guest appearances than any other actor on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, as well on David Letterman over 100 times, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and many times with our own Larry King right here on CNN.

He was 84 years old. His wife was by his side when he died in his sleep. And he leaves behind two young children. More on Tony Randall ahead.

And now, let's take a look at some stories across America. We have new details on this weekend's tragic collapse of a 40-ton girder on Colorado's Interstate-70. It turns out that a passing motorist had alerted a highway patrol that the beam didn't look right. That was an hour before its collapse killed a couple and their two- year-old child. Here is that 911 call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like they hung a new I-beam girder in the last couple of days. Well, it's old and it looks like it's structurally unsafe over the freeway.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So is the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hanging down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's rolled toward the existing bridge a good two or three feet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it's on 270 over I-70?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Direction?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's over the eastbound side of I-70. It may not be a big deal, but I've done bridge construction in the past and it doesn't look right.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KAGAN: The dispatcher who misunderstood the caller's concern has been suspended with pay pending an investigation.

We also have an update on the attempt to rescue an injured climber and his companion atop Washington's Mount Rainer. The 39- year-old man died en route to the hospital late yesterday afternoon. Heavy clouds had delayed the airlift of the man who had fallen and suffered a head injury two days earlier.

And for this Wisconsin woman, some bittersweet medical news. A Racine woman has been told that her diagnosis of being HIV positive was wrong! For six years, she lived in fear and avoided physical contact with her children. Attorneys tell her the statute of limitations has expired and she's not able to sue for misdiagnosis.

Well, if only boosting human memory required a chip that you could just kind of stick in your head. Well, you can't do that. But you can look and tap your foot. What's that about? That explanation is coming up.

And hey, it's the pope's birthday. We're going to talk to one of the few correspondents who met privately with the pope today. He's 84. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 18, 2004 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning from CNN headquarters, I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's start with the headlines.
First up this hour, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage testify before a Senate committee. The two men are expected to be questioned about the future of Iraq. It's the committee's sixth hearing held on Iraq since April.

Israeli forces in Gaza are calling it the gateway of terrorism, in Rafah this morning the Israeli Army launches deadly rocket attacks followed by tanks and bulldozers. Palestinian sources say 18 Palestinians are dead, including two children and 35 others injured. Israeli says the raids are designed to stem illegal weapons smuggling. But some Palestinians say the campaign is isolating Rafah and the rest -- from the rest of Gaza.

To India, Sonia Gandhi says she has taken her name out of play to become India's next prime minister. She gave a speech where she said that she humbly declines the offer to lead the world's largest democracy. She says she would not reverse her decision.

Catholics are celebrating the pope's 84 birthday today. Although no official events planned to mark the occasion, the pope is launching his new book. It's called "Get Up, Let's Us Go." Pope John Paul, II is the longest serving pontiff in history.

And back here in the states, a crude awakening for many motorists. The Energy Department says the average U.S. gas price now tops $2 a gallon. That's the first time that's happened. Currently, oil prices hover near $42 a barrel. Saudi Arabia is urging OPEC to raise its output by 6 percent. And in emergency talks this weekend, OPEC plans to discuss a possible target increase of 1.5 million barrels.

The first hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

We have some new developments in the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, it's echoing around the world. The U.S. military has moved up the arraignment for three soldiers to tomorrow. That is a very day that a special court-martial gets underway for Specialist Jeremy Sivits.

Our Harris Whitbeck is in Baghdad with the latest on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN : A memorial service was held this morning for Izzedine Salim, the Iraqi Governing Council president who was killed yesterday during a suicide car bombing outside the Green Zone in Baghdad. At the service, U.S. administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer said the death of Salim would not undermine efforts to fully transfer political power to Iraq on June 30.

PAUL BREMER, IRAQI CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: The enemies of freedom has taken him from his countrymen, from his family and from his friends. And although his loss is greatest for his family and for his country, those of us in the coalition shall miss him as well.

WHITBECK: Salim's body was flown to the southern city of Basra, his hometown for a public funeral, and he was later buried in Shiite holy city of Najaf.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the start of several military court proceedings at the Baghdad Convention Center. Three U.S. soldiers will be arraigned in connection with the prison abuses in Abu Ghraib prison. A fourth U.S. soldier, Specialist Jeremy Sivits will undergo a special court-martial for his role in the abuses. In a sworn statement, Sivits described abuses by U.S. soldiers that included beatings and sexual humiliation. It is expected Sivits will plead guilty to charges of conspiracy, dereliction of duty, and cruelty and maltreatment of prisoners.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: The man who wrote the Army's internal report on the prisoner abuses returns to Capitol Hill today. Major General Antonio Taguba appears behind closed doors to brief the House Armed Services Committee. He'll be joined by other U.S. generals, including the man overseeing the criminal investigations.

Tonight on the eve of the military court proceedings, families and supporters will hold a prayer vigil for those charged. They'll gather in Cumberland, Maryland near the base of the Reservists' 372 Military Police Company. That is the unit at the center of the scandal.

Another story that is stoking concerns in Iraq. The discovery of an artillery shell believed to contain sarin nerve gas. More testing is being done. More troubling questions being confronted.

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more on that.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Daryn. Well, as you say, additional testing is going on. Now, the first test that was conducted after it was discovered, seemed to indicate it was sarin. But as with all of these cases, they conduct a number of additional tests to try and confirm their findings. We have not heard the results of that yet. So no absolute confirmation yet that it was sarin in that 155-millimeter artillery shell.

Now, one of the things they will look at, if they determine it's sarin, is the purity of the material. If it's high-grade, that would indicate very recently that that shell was filled. But if it is a degraded, weaker form, that would indicate probably that it is something quite old, perhaps leftover from many years ago.

Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was very cautious about the entire matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: My personal view is the way we ought to handle it, although it's not for me to decide, is to recognize that what you cited, I believe, was a field test, which is not perfect. And what we ought to do is get the sample someplace where they could be tested very carefully, before coming to go a conclusion as to precisely what it was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, also officials saying don't expect to see soldiers back in those gas masks and those heavy protective suits any time soon, unless there is a really specific threat that they can pinpoint. They're just not likely to do that. Of course, the weather is very hot in Iraq right now and it would make it very difficult for soldiers to move around. And unless they really have some sense that they are dealing with a new threat, not likely they will go back into that protective gear that we saw during the war -- Daryn.

KAGAN: What did Donald Rumsfeld mean when he said in that sound bite, it's not for him to decide? Who does decide that?

STARR: Well, that shell is now all being tested by the Iraq Survey Group. We'll all remember that's the group of high tech specialists from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, other areas of the government. They have the special responsibility to look for weapons of mass destruction, and when suspicious material comes up to assess it, test it, try and figure out what's inside of it. It's all a very technical testing process. So they are the ones now looking at it trying to reach a final conclusion.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you.

The panel spearheading the 9/11 investigation is holding hearings this morning not far from the epicenter of the attacks. A live picture from New York City. The commission is meeting near Ground Zero, former site of the World Trade Center towers. They're going to hear from relatives of those killed along with firefighters, and other new Yorkers, who are demanding a probe of the city's emergency communications system.

Earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," we spoke with the commission chairman who you see live there. Chairman Kean on the importance of finding the answers to what went wrong. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS KEAN, CHAIRMAN, 9/11 COMMISSION: Every single expert we've talked to on the commission says that sometimes, someplace, whether it's next month, next year, whenever, that there probably will be another attack. That we can stop 29 attacks but the 30 might get through, no matter how well prepared we are and we're just going to make sure we are prepared to the best of our ability. One to prevent the attack, if possible, and if God forbid another attack of some kind occurs, to have everybody in place to save as many lives as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Kean also said that what is learned from New York's response could provide valuable response for other U.S. cities.

And now a story that's a little closer, it's your corner gas station and your wallet. U.S. crude oil futures have surged to their highest price and that is fueling a new debate. Democrats want the Bush administration to siphon oil from the nation's emergency stockpile to bring prices down.

Our financial news reporter Allan Chernoff takes a look at that proposal.

Allan, good morning.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. And later today, New York Senator Charles Schumer will be introducing a resolution calling on President Bush to send out 30 to 60 million barrels from the nation's Strategic Reserves. Now, this is an idea that oil traders have been suggesting for several weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The Strategic Reserves lie more than 2,000 feet underground in huge natural caverns along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana; 660 million barrels of oil. Everyday, the government adds another 100,000 barrels, even as the price of oil traded here in New York has jumped to an all-time record high.

RICHARD SCHAEFFER, ENERGY DIR., ABN-AMRO: The closer we get towards the election, with prices staying as high as they are, I think the likelihood of a release to some percentage is the high possibility.

CHERNOFF: With oil above $40 a barrel and gasoline topping $2 a gallon, some industry executives are calling for the government to help by releasing reserves.

The petroleum reserve is supposed to be for emergencies. But President Clinton opened the oil tap in the fall of 2000, temporarily pushing prices down, shortly before the presidential election.

BILL CLINTON, FRM. UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: The overriding purpose for our action is to increase supply and help consumers make it through the cold winter. Families shouldn't have to drain their wallets to drive their cars or heat their homes.

CHERNOFF: The Bush campaign criticized the action. President Bush's Energy Department says the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is off limits. That's the way it should be argues the energy lobby.

JOHN FELMY, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: There is no good argument for releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's our insurance policy so that if we do have physical disruptions of supply, we can fill that void with oil from the SPR.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: But energy traders say a change in policy from the president would send a psychological jolt to the markets, the type of catalyst needed to pull prices down from the record highs -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Just how much of the oil reserve would they have to release to affect the price of the pump -- Allan?

CHERNOFF: Daryn, it is so hard to tell because it is a psychological game. In terms of the actual numbers, the nation consumes about 20 million barrels a day. So if you think about releasing 30 million barrels from the reserves, it really is not a huge number in the big picture. But psychologically, short-term, it really could push prices down.

KAGAN: And there are some psychological head-trips happening at pumps all across America.

CHERNOFF: That, as well.

KAGAN: Allan, thank you for that. Appreciate that.

So just how painful are these new gas prices? One gas station owner -- take a look at this, put out a limb to offer his opinion. An arm and a leg and how about premium? Cost of your first-born. That pretty much says it, doesn't it?

KAGAN: It is 43 days and counting to the June 30 scheduled handover of Iraq to the Iraqis. We're going to talk to our guest analyst Ken Pollack, how he thinks that's going to go.

And was a tragedy that could have been prevented? You're going to hear the 911 call made about an hour before the bridge girder fell.

And later...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to do everything I can to throw roadblocks into compensating Iraqi prisoners of war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Former American POWs denied compensation after being held captive in Iraq while Iraqis -- in Iran, while Iraqi POW's may be paid today.

This is CNN LIVE TODAY.

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KAGAN: We're talking about where these flames are coming from. Arizona, furious flames reaching up for the sky. The wildfire continuing to burn. Crews are battling the blaze in the Tonto National Forest this morning. They say they should have a hold on it by tomorrow. The Diamondback Fire has scorched some 1100 acres and officials say it does not threaten the nearby community of Sunflower. For you Arizona enthusiasts, an old mining town on the way to Phoenix to Payson, Arizona.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, about 45 miles northeast of Phoenix.

KAGAN: Heading northeast.

JERAS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: Lot of Arizona fans out there.

JERAS: Yes.

KAGAN: It is a dispute over a public display. We're going to tell you why a sculpture caused a scuffle on the streets of Seattle. Details straight ahead on that.

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KAGAN: Getting word in here at CNN that actor Tony Randall has passed away. He was 84 years old; dies after a long illness. His publicist says that he died with his wife beside his side. Of course, a very long career, not in the movies and on the stage, but very well known as playing Felix Unger on "The Odd Couple" and making a number of television appearances. Once again, Tony Randall, 84 years old. More on his life and career just ahead.

Right now, 17 minutes past the hour, other news today. It is a day after insurgents assassinate a top Iraqi official. Paul Bremer says the U.S. must stay the course. The civilian administrator for Iraq says that transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis must proceed as planned on June 30. But Bremer made those comments as he eulogized Izzedine Salim; the Iraqi Governing Council president was killed in a suicide attack yesterday. Bremer said the best way to honor Salim's honor memory is to continue the mission for peace and democracy in Iraq.

Bremer's words come -- resolve come just 43 days before Iraqis are set to govern themselves and while the violence in the region continues, CNN's Ken Pollack is in Washington with more on that.

Ken, good morning to you.

KEN POLLACK, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn. How are you?

KAGAN: We heard over and over again -- I'm fine, by the way. Thank you very much. We heard over and over again yesterday from Paul Bremer and other Iraqis saying that the assassination of Salim would not affect the transfer of power. And yet, how can it not when the person who is the figurehead of the country cannot even be kept safe?

POLLACK: Sure. And obviously, Daryn, this gets to one of the big problems out there. Which is that the Iraqi people are slowly, and I want to emphasize, slowly losing faith in the course of the U.S. liberty construction. And it things like the assassination yesterday that are kind of like that slow trickle of water that eventually erodes a mountain. The Iraqis came into this very enthusiastic about reconstruction. Don't get me wrong; they didn't like having the Americans in the country; but they were overwhelmingly in favor of the reconstruction. But after 13 months and seeing these kinds of assassinations, seeing the United States not able to deal with the security situation, get basic services restored, it's really eroding their confidence.

KAGAN: But it also shows -- we got a little peek inside of how the country is been running. Dan Senor, of the Coalition Provisional Authority, yesterday said all types of security and security training have been offered to all members of the Iraqi Governing Council. And he said that Salim chose to have his nephews and cousins surround him and protect him, and didn't participate in any of the special training.

POLLACK: Well, that may well be but in all honesty, what we've learned about the attacks suggests that may or may not have had anything to do with anything. Ultimately, this was a convoy that was pulling into the coalition-led Green Zone. I'm skeptical that they actually knew who it was. They probably just knew that it was someone important. Because anyone who drives around in these brand new SUVs is automatically a target in Iraq; because only coalition personnel and coalition-related personnel drive around in them. And I think it's hard to imagine any group of security would have been able to have really dealt with that problem.

KAGAN: Want to talk to you about the other big news yesterday coming out of the news briefing yesterday. And that is the discovery of this artillery shell containing some traces, but we're not sure exactly how much, of the sarin nerve agent. How significant is that in the big picture of this whole war?

POLLACK: Potentially conceivably, it might be important. But I'll be honest with you, my going in assumptions right now it's not going to come to very much. First off, it's not clear exactly what it was. Was it actually sarin? If it was sarin, was it an old round? And one of the things that's really got me paying attention is the military has described this as a binary round. And they described it as a rather advanced binary munition.

Well, the Iraqis weren't known to have those munitions. In fact, when the U.N. inspectors went into Iraq, they found a much cruder form of binary round. Which suggests that this may not have been an Iraqi round. Maybe it was brought in from somewhere else, maybe it wasn't binary. Much more likely, it strikes me it wasn't that the chemicals failed to mix, which is what happens in a binary round. It may be just a really, really old round. And in a country, which had thousands and thousands of these, finding one doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to lead to anything bigger.

KAGAN: And then finally, I want to ask you about the prison abuse scandal. Somewhat dying down a little bit here in this country. Not the top headline every single day. And yet, the impact it continues to have in Iraq and the Arab world.

POLLACK: Sure. Again, for the Iraqis, I think that this was another one of those major disappointments that they have had in the U.S.-led reconstruction. And there have been many. And I'll be honest with you; I don't think for Iraqis it was quite as traumatic as it has been for Americans. We have an image of ourselves and those images that we saw on TV didn't correspond with the image that we have of ourselves.

For the Iraqis, it was just another disappointment. It was another event that said to them, the Americans are not living up to what they promised. And as I said, this is the biggest problem we have in Iraq. Because this accumulation of events is slowly eroding the confidence of the Iraqi people that we either want to make reconstruction work, or we know how to do so.

KAGAN: Ken Pollack in Washington. Ken, thanks for your insight today.

POLLACK: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Time spent being beaten and starved. Some former U.S. POWs say they deserve compensation for having to endure that. But the Pentagon is only promising Iraqi POWs will be paid.

Hoods on popular public artworks to protest Iraqi prisoner abuse. Find out where and what happened, coming up on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Want to tell you about some news we're getting into us here at CNN, news that actor Tony Randall has died. He was 84 years, had a very full life and a very full career. Probably best known to television viewers as playing Felix Unger on the television series "The Odd Couple." But a very long career on stage and on film -- Doris Day films. And also in terms of television, he is noted for making more guest appearances than any other actor on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, as well on David Letterman over 100 times, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and many times with our own Larry King right here on CNN.

He was 84 years old. His wife was by his side when he died in his sleep. And he leaves behind two young children. More on Tony Randall ahead.

And now, let's take a look at some stories across America. We have new details on this weekend's tragic collapse of a 40-ton girder on Colorado's Interstate-70. It turns out that a passing motorist had alerted a highway patrol that the beam didn't look right. That was an hour before its collapse killed a couple and their two- year-old child. Here is that 911 call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like they hung a new I-beam girder in the last couple of days. Well, it's old and it looks like it's structurally unsafe over the freeway.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So is the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hanging down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's rolled toward the existing bridge a good two or three feet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it's on 270 over I-70?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Direction?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's over the eastbound side of I-70. It may not be a big deal, but I've done bridge construction in the past and it doesn't look right.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KAGAN: The dispatcher who misunderstood the caller's concern has been suspended with pay pending an investigation.

We also have an update on the attempt to rescue an injured climber and his companion atop Washington's Mount Rainer. The 39- year-old man died en route to the hospital late yesterday afternoon. Heavy clouds had delayed the airlift of the man who had fallen and suffered a head injury two days earlier.

And for this Wisconsin woman, some bittersweet medical news. A Racine woman has been told that her diagnosis of being HIV positive was wrong! For six years, she lived in fear and avoided physical contact with her children. Attorneys tell her the statute of limitations has expired and she's not able to sue for misdiagnosis.

Well, if only boosting human memory required a chip that you could just kind of stick in your head. Well, you can't do that. But you can look and tap your foot. What's that about? That explanation is coming up.

And hey, it's the pope's birthday. We're going to talk to one of the few correspondents who met privately with the pope today. He's 84. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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