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CNN Live Today
12 Fires Total from Yosemite to San Diego; Coalition Fraying in Iraq?
Aired July 19, 2004 - 10:58 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: Let's not waste another second. The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Begin by taking a look what is happening now in the news. Just over an hour ago reports started coming in about a large explosion in Gaza. Palestinian sources say the house of a militant leader exploded, wounding three people. It's not immediately clear what caused that blast. Witnesses report seeing an Israeli drone overhead just before the explosion.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is at the center of a political crisis in Gaza. He is facing an unprecedented challenge for his authority. Public anger erupts after Arafat appoints his nephew as head of national security. Demonstrators complaining of corruption took to the streets over the weekend. We'll have a live report coming up in our next half hour.
President Bush meets this is hour with the President of Chile. The two leaders are expected to discuss the importance of defending democracy and expanding free trade and economic opportunity. Later today Mr. Bush meets with the leader of Malaysia.
We are coming up on 11 a.m. on the East Coast, 8 a.m. for West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan. Up first this hour, wildfires are raging across California. In the Sand Canyon area, skies are gray as think plumes of smoke escape into the air. Hundreds of residents were forced to flee just ahead of a fast-burning fire that has scorched more than 4000 acres so far.
In Riverside County crimson and orange lit the sky as firefighters battled a 3,600 acre blaze about 90 miles east of L.A. That fire is said to be about 50 percent contained.
For more on the blazes in the West. Let's check in with our Miguel Marquez. He is live in Santa Clarita, California just north of downtown Los Angeles. Good morning.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
It is about 12 fires in total burning across Southern California from Yosemite all the way down to San Diego. We're at one of the foothills fire in Santa Clarita about 25 miles north of Los Angeles.
The official number now on this fire is 5,700 acres burned. Not a huge fire by some fire estimates, but one that continues to burn and is very difficult to get to because of everything that -- the brush and the oak and the different types of vegetation in there. Plus the weather is not really cooperating with firefighters too much today.
Some mandatory evacuations still for a couple of communities, about 1,600 residents all together evacuated. Some of those now being lifted for the Fair Oaks region now -- the mandatory evacuations have been lifted.
I want to bring in John Armstrong who is a hot shot with the Texas canyon shots not too far from here in the Angeles National Forest. This is your backyard, and what is your job going to be today.
JOHN ARMSTRONG, NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE: Well, today our assignment is to try to come off the top of division X and try to bring it down off the top to, secure this piece of line.
MARQUEZ: So, when you say off the top, you mean off of top of this mountain right here behind us?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, correct.
MARQUEZ: And what's the importance of -- why do you guys have to go up there today? You're also going to have hot shots down along the bottom side. Why is it so important to hold it in this canyon here?
ARMSTRONG : Just one of the areas that we think that's doable. Once we get further up the canyon here, Placerita Canyon, there's areas that it gets really steep. It gets into really bumpy areas. It's a place that we can work.
MARQUEZ: I understand it's been 50 or 60 years since a lot of this brush and oak -- there's a bit of conifer tree in here -- has burned. When you get in there, what are conditions like.
ARMSTRONG: Well the brush, like you said, it's about 60 years plus. The brush is really thick. We, in the hot shot community, we call it family brush.
There all intertwined. It's really hard for the soilers to get through. There's not much ground fuel for the fire to burn in, but just the duff layer underneath it, the smolder underneath and preheat the canopy of the brush. So that kind of makes it a little more -- our situation awareness a little more keen on that.
MARQUEZ: And the -- you guys will be in there for what eight hours today?
ARMSTRONG: Maybe ten hours plus. It all depends.
MARQUEZ: Well, very good luck to you. Crew of about 18 that he'll be in there with. The cause of this fire, the foothills fire still unknown -- under investigation. Back to you.
KAGAN: All right. Miguel Marquez, more from you later in the day from Santa Clarita. Thank you.
(WEATHER BREAK)
KAGAN: And now the latest from Iraq -- officials say that a suicide truck bomb explosion early today kill at least nine people. Sixty others were wounded in an attack near a police station in southern Baghdad.
The last Philippine troops have left Iraq today. They're departure is in response to the demands of kidnappers holding a Filipino truck driver hostage.
Suspected militants have put a price on the head of Iraq's interim prime minister. That is according to a statement on an Islamic Web site. A group linked to militant Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi says that it is offering $280,000 for killing the prime minister.
The violence targeting Iraqi officials continues. Iraqi police say that a member of the Turkmen National Front was killed in a drive by shooting in Mosul today. And the ministry of defense says that one of its officials was assassinated in a similar attack last night.
The violence in Iraq is taking a toll on the U.S.-led coalition. For details on which countries are in and which are pulling out let's check in with our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Daryn.
Well, with indeed the Philippines now bringing its troops home to save the life of that hostage, how will the hook international coalition hang in there?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): The international coalition of 32 nations that sent troops to Iraq is feeling the strain. Hostage taking, violence and political pressure on the home front are making several countries rethink their support.
Some changes in troop levels were certain after the transition to Iraqi sovereignty. But experts say the coalition must remain broad based.
GEORGE JOULWAN, FORMER NATO COMMANDER: I think it's very important that we maintain an international force in Iraq. And these pullouts for whatever reason, I think are not good for the perception that this is an international coalition.
STARR: Most countries have sent relatively small numbers of troops, 32 countries totaling just 23,000 troops.
Now, Norway, New Zealand, Thailand and the Netherlands are either bringing some of their troops home or planning to withdraw in the months ahead. Honduras and the Dominican Republic also have brought their troops home. After the Madrid train bombings, the Spanish government withdrew its 1,300 troops. But others are still going to Iraq despite a South Korean hostage being beheaded, Seoul still plans to send 3,000 fresh troops.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Australia, has just recently made a commitment to expand their number of troops they have in Iraq. You have a commitment from El Salvador to move forward on a proposal that would extend their troop presence there for up to another year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And Daryn, what experts are saying is it's increasingly important to make sure that the mission in Iraq doesn't become just U.S. military troops and Iraqi security forces -- Daryn?
KAGAN: Barbara, now for the latest on one of the bigger mysteries to come out of Iraq, and that is the story of U.S. Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun. I hear that we might be hearing from him today.
STARR: Yes, indeed. The Marines have put out a notice that at three o'clock this afternoon East coast time, the corporal is expected to appear on camera at Quantico Marine Air Base just south of Washington, D.C. here, about a 45 minute drive where he currently is.
And he is expected to appear on camera and make a statement. And then the Marines will come out and give an update on his current status and that repatriation process.
We don't know yet, what Corporal Hassoun plans to say. We are told he will not take any questions from the news media. But stand by, three o'clock today we do expect to see and hear from him -- Daryn?
KAGAN: And we will be showing that right here on CNN. Barbara, thank you for that.
One of the U.S.'s staunchest allies in the Middle East says media organizations are making too much of one terrorist. King Abdullah of Jordan says that one of his subjects, terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is being unnecessarily portrayed as larger than life by the media. Al-Zarqawi is blamed for kidnappings and bombings in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING ABDULLAH, JORDAN: Although I must say that I think, you know, you say that he's the most wanted man in Iraq, I think that the press have made him a much more capable, much smarter and much more of a threat than actually he really is.
Having said that, we are all working as part of the international community to track Al-Zarqawi down, and hopefully the net is closing in on him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: On another topic, King Abdullah says a that a resignation by the Palestinian prime minister would be a serious blow to the Mid- East peace process. Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei announced his resignation over the weekend after a breakdown in security in Gaza. Arafat - Yasser Arafat verbally rejected that resignation.
From cameras in the courtroom to secret text messages. There is a lot on the agenda at today's Kobe Bryant hearing. We'll hear more just ahead.
Also live from Redwood City, California, as a new week begins in the Scott Peterson murder trial.
And should all of America's spies be under one roof? A controversy is brewing just days before the full 9/11 commission report is made public.
CNN LIVE TODAY is back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RHONDA SCHLAFFER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rhonda Schaffler at the New York Stock Exchange where stocks are barely budging.
Investors working their way through earnings news from corporate America. Mixed, at best, today -- some of those reports.
3M is dragging down the Dow, that's the maker of everything from those post-it notes and scotch tape to medical products. That company posted strong earnings. It also raised its full-year outlook. But that forecast fell short of Wall Street expectations. Right now shares of 3M losing about 4 percent.
Here are the rest of the numbers for you, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 5 points. Nasdaq basically flat. That's the very latest from Wall Street.
CNN's LIVE TODAY continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Checking our legal docket this morning, Martha Stewart is hoping her life of luxury on the outside does not turn into time behind bars. The domestic diva says she will appeal the five-month prison sentence for lying about a stock sale.
Tonight she gives her only live interview since she's been sentenced. Martha Stewart will sit down with our Larry King. And that happens 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific. She is taking your calls, by the way.
On the west coast, another pretrial hearing -- well it's not exactly the west coast, it is Colorado. Another pre-trial hearing for Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case, the judge will hear motions from both sides. The prosecution wants to keep cameras out of the courtroom and keep public information from being posted online. Meanwhile, Bryant's defense team wants text messages sent by the accuser after the alleged rape trial entered into the trial. Today's proceeding is just one of three hearings scheduled before Bryant's actual trial is set to begin on August 27th. Here with some analysis on today's developments, Dan Simon from "Celebrity Justice."
Dan, good morning. Good to have you here with us.
DAN SIMON, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Thanks, Daryn. Good morning to you.
KAGAN: Let's go down some of the issues about what is in, what is out, and what each side would like to see.
Text messages, why does the defense want those in?
SIMON: Well, because the accuser and her ex-boyfriend exchanged text messages right after the encounter with Kobe Bryant. So whatever they said to each other could play into this trial.
In other words, if the accuser is talking about what just happened in the hotel room, it's highly relevant to the case. And the defense wants to have that entered.
KAGAN: OK. A very controversial issue, should -- the judge will be deciding -- should the accuser's sexual past be heard by the jury?
SIMON: Yes, that is the most important decision still to come in from the judge.
The accuser's sexual history, extremely important to the defense because they're trying to characterize that the accuser is promiscuous and that she had a couple of sexual encounters in that narrow window, the 72 hours within that time frame that she had the encounter with Kobe Bryant.
If the defense can get that in, obviously it will really bolster their case, Daryn.
KAGAN: A win for the prosecution, a set back for the defense -- it has been decided that the statement that Kobe Bryant made early on to police in Eagle will be allowed in as well as the evidence of the blood on his T-shirt.
SIMON: Yes, that tape recorded statement, obviously important to the prosecution because what Kobe told the police -- obviously the defense wanted to have that statement thrown out; and the judge, of course, allowing that in.
We don't know yet what Kobe Bryant said on that tape, but it's damaging enough that he wanted to have it tossed out of the trial.
KAGAN: And what about the bloody T-shirt?
SIMON: The bloody T-shirt important as well because that's the one key piece of physical evidence that the prosecution has that the accuser sustained some type of injury, because her blood, after all, was found on Kobe's T-shirt. KAGAN: And finally, as we look at a video over and over again of Kobe Bryant arriving at the courthouse, chances are there are not going to be cameras in the courtroom for this trial.
SIMON: Well, I don't think so. This is a very conservative judge. And this is one issue where all of the parties agree, the accuser, Kobe Bryant and the prosecution, none them want to have cameras in the courtroom.
So, I think for that reason and the fact that you have a judge who I said is very conservative, I don't think there will be cameras in the courtroom at least during this trial.
KAGAN: All right. We'll be watching as things as develop from Eagle, Colorado.
Dan Simon from "Celebrity Justice." Thanks for your time today.
SIMON: Thank you, Daryn?
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
Another high profile case to check out -- defense attorneys from the Scott Peterson trial will try to pick apart the case brick by brick. They'll continue to hurl questions at a detective named Henry Dodge Hendee as the attack the investigation as a fruitless search for hard evidence.
More now from Rusty Dornin, who is live in Redwood City, California. Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, defense attorney Mark Geragos seems to have that one prosecution witness right where he wants him. That's on the stand admitting that much of the -- much of the evidence that was admitted, whether it was found in the house and all of the evidence that was found in San Francisco Bay just doesn't have a lot to do with this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN (voice-over): Police divers spent several days last year looking for more of Laci Peterson's remains in San Francisco Bay. They were also told to look for concrete anchors that prosecutors claim Scott Peterson used to weight down his wife's body.
Instead, they pulled up beer cans, pipes, plastic bags, sticks and other garbage. Under cross-examination by defense attorney Mark Geragos, detective Dodge Hendee admitted repeatedly that investigators found nothing in those searches that was related to the case.
Hendee also said he found no forensic evidence when he searched the nursery in the Peterson house. And spots he thought were blood in the house and Scott's warehouse were not. Even the plastic container prosecutors had been hinting was used to make homemade anchors, Hendee told the court they found no evidence it was used for that.
SCOTT PETERSON, DEFENDANT IN LACI PETERSON MURDER TRIAL: When people accuse me...
DORNIN: The judge watched TV interviews with Scott Peterson to decide what parts the jury can see. In an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Peterson claims he told police about his affair with Amber Frey.
PETERSON: I told the police immediately.
DIANE SAWYER, ABC: When?
PETERSON: That was the first night we were together -- the police -- I spent with the police.
SAWYER: You told them about her?
PETERSON: Yes, from December 24th.
DORNIN: On July 29th, the judge will hear a defense motion to dismiss charges against Peterson. Peterson's lawyer says a lead investigator, detective Al Brocchini lied on the stand about an interview with a tipster.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: The judge has already denied two mistrial requests by the defense over the last seven weeks. Legal analysts say that he is unlikely to dismiss charges against Scott Peterson. But if defense attorney Mark Geragos gets a chance to question Brocchini on stand it could damage his credibility and ultimately the prosecution's case.
And again, this week, of course people are still wondering when will Amber Frey -- becoming known around here as the Amber alert -- we are not expecting Ms. Frey to testify until some time next week -- Daryn?
KAGAN: All right. We will be there.
Rusty Dornin in Redwood City, California, thank you.
We actually have news about the real Amber alert.
In search for missing children, the nation's governors are casting a wired - a wider net. Today, Amber alert messages like these broadcast on highway signs will also be posted on the World Wide Web, meaning they'll be available over pagers, cell phones and blackberries as well.
The multi-state plan will be announced during the last day of the National Governors Association conference in Seattle. Officials hope it will help foil child abductions. A family is taken on a wild ride, high above Baltimore. It started out with just a simple balloon ride. We'll tell you how it ended.
Coming up next, we're going to hear from the family who was onboard that balloon.
And later, who's the future face of the Democratic Party? An unusual tug of war might be shaping up. Bill Schneider will tell you about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Check out these pictures from Baltimore, Maryland. This balloon will stay safely tethered to the ground today. Authorities have grounded the helium filled balloon. It bobbed about aimlessly about 300 feet in the air this weekend. It guess it got stuck above the city by high winds over the weekend.
Everyone on board there OK, just some minor injuries.
Many of those stuck on the wayward balloon say it was a very scary ordeal, however, one family who rode the ride appeared on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY MCGONIGLE, BALLOON PASSENGER: We went through the one really turbulent time, then it was calm for a while. And, you know, we kept thinking, why aren't they bringing us down?
And when that second turbulent time came through, that's when we hit the building. And that -- it was terrifying. And I mean, you know, we were in positions just trying to protect the kids and holding on and bracing with our feet. So, you know that was my main concern.
MIKE MCGONIGLE, STRANDED ON BALOON: I don't think that the system was designed -- I mean unfortunately, there really was no backup system. So there wasn't really a plan B to default to.
He was trying his best, but on the ground they clearly were confused. They really, you know, we went through the first gust which was terribly unnerving. But the worst part was we sat there for 45 minutes of calm weather with the fire department showing up and everything and all we could hear over the walkie talkie was, the computer shut down.
And after half an hour, they overrode the computer, but the emergency brake was still applied, and then the second squall hit us.
So he was trying his hardest to keep everyone calm, but they were totally unprepared for it. The balloon really had no backup system whatsoever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Investigators are looking in what when wrong aboard that ride.
The changing face of America's spy games. Some say it's an idea whose time has come, but not everyone is so sure about that. The fallout from the upcoming 9/11 report is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired July 19, 2004 - 10:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's not waste another second. The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Begin by taking a look what is happening now in the news. Just over an hour ago reports started coming in about a large explosion in Gaza. Palestinian sources say the house of a militant leader exploded, wounding three people. It's not immediately clear what caused that blast. Witnesses report seeing an Israeli drone overhead just before the explosion.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is at the center of a political crisis in Gaza. He is facing an unprecedented challenge for his authority. Public anger erupts after Arafat appoints his nephew as head of national security. Demonstrators complaining of corruption took to the streets over the weekend. We'll have a live report coming up in our next half hour.
President Bush meets this is hour with the President of Chile. The two leaders are expected to discuss the importance of defending democracy and expanding free trade and economic opportunity. Later today Mr. Bush meets with the leader of Malaysia.
We are coming up on 11 a.m. on the East Coast, 8 a.m. for West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan. Up first this hour, wildfires are raging across California. In the Sand Canyon area, skies are gray as think plumes of smoke escape into the air. Hundreds of residents were forced to flee just ahead of a fast-burning fire that has scorched more than 4000 acres so far.
In Riverside County crimson and orange lit the sky as firefighters battled a 3,600 acre blaze about 90 miles east of L.A. That fire is said to be about 50 percent contained.
For more on the blazes in the West. Let's check in with our Miguel Marquez. He is live in Santa Clarita, California just north of downtown Los Angeles. Good morning.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
It is about 12 fires in total burning across Southern California from Yosemite all the way down to San Diego. We're at one of the foothills fire in Santa Clarita about 25 miles north of Los Angeles.
The official number now on this fire is 5,700 acres burned. Not a huge fire by some fire estimates, but one that continues to burn and is very difficult to get to because of everything that -- the brush and the oak and the different types of vegetation in there. Plus the weather is not really cooperating with firefighters too much today.
Some mandatory evacuations still for a couple of communities, about 1,600 residents all together evacuated. Some of those now being lifted for the Fair Oaks region now -- the mandatory evacuations have been lifted.
I want to bring in John Armstrong who is a hot shot with the Texas canyon shots not too far from here in the Angeles National Forest. This is your backyard, and what is your job going to be today.
JOHN ARMSTRONG, NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE: Well, today our assignment is to try to come off the top of division X and try to bring it down off the top to, secure this piece of line.
MARQUEZ: So, when you say off the top, you mean off of top of this mountain right here behind us?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, correct.
MARQUEZ: And what's the importance of -- why do you guys have to go up there today? You're also going to have hot shots down along the bottom side. Why is it so important to hold it in this canyon here?
ARMSTRONG : Just one of the areas that we think that's doable. Once we get further up the canyon here, Placerita Canyon, there's areas that it gets really steep. It gets into really bumpy areas. It's a place that we can work.
MARQUEZ: I understand it's been 50 or 60 years since a lot of this brush and oak -- there's a bit of conifer tree in here -- has burned. When you get in there, what are conditions like.
ARMSTRONG: Well the brush, like you said, it's about 60 years plus. The brush is really thick. We, in the hot shot community, we call it family brush.
There all intertwined. It's really hard for the soilers to get through. There's not much ground fuel for the fire to burn in, but just the duff layer underneath it, the smolder underneath and preheat the canopy of the brush. So that kind of makes it a little more -- our situation awareness a little more keen on that.
MARQUEZ: And the -- you guys will be in there for what eight hours today?
ARMSTRONG: Maybe ten hours plus. It all depends.
MARQUEZ: Well, very good luck to you. Crew of about 18 that he'll be in there with. The cause of this fire, the foothills fire still unknown -- under investigation. Back to you.
KAGAN: All right. Miguel Marquez, more from you later in the day from Santa Clarita. Thank you.
(WEATHER BREAK)
KAGAN: And now the latest from Iraq -- officials say that a suicide truck bomb explosion early today kill at least nine people. Sixty others were wounded in an attack near a police station in southern Baghdad.
The last Philippine troops have left Iraq today. They're departure is in response to the demands of kidnappers holding a Filipino truck driver hostage.
Suspected militants have put a price on the head of Iraq's interim prime minister. That is according to a statement on an Islamic Web site. A group linked to militant Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi says that it is offering $280,000 for killing the prime minister.
The violence targeting Iraqi officials continues. Iraqi police say that a member of the Turkmen National Front was killed in a drive by shooting in Mosul today. And the ministry of defense says that one of its officials was assassinated in a similar attack last night.
The violence in Iraq is taking a toll on the U.S.-led coalition. For details on which countries are in and which are pulling out let's check in with our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Daryn.
Well, with indeed the Philippines now bringing its troops home to save the life of that hostage, how will the hook international coalition hang in there?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): The international coalition of 32 nations that sent troops to Iraq is feeling the strain. Hostage taking, violence and political pressure on the home front are making several countries rethink their support.
Some changes in troop levels were certain after the transition to Iraqi sovereignty. But experts say the coalition must remain broad based.
GEORGE JOULWAN, FORMER NATO COMMANDER: I think it's very important that we maintain an international force in Iraq. And these pullouts for whatever reason, I think are not good for the perception that this is an international coalition.
STARR: Most countries have sent relatively small numbers of troops, 32 countries totaling just 23,000 troops.
Now, Norway, New Zealand, Thailand and the Netherlands are either bringing some of their troops home or planning to withdraw in the months ahead. Honduras and the Dominican Republic also have brought their troops home. After the Madrid train bombings, the Spanish government withdrew its 1,300 troops. But others are still going to Iraq despite a South Korean hostage being beheaded, Seoul still plans to send 3,000 fresh troops.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Australia, has just recently made a commitment to expand their number of troops they have in Iraq. You have a commitment from El Salvador to move forward on a proposal that would extend their troop presence there for up to another year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And Daryn, what experts are saying is it's increasingly important to make sure that the mission in Iraq doesn't become just U.S. military troops and Iraqi security forces -- Daryn?
KAGAN: Barbara, now for the latest on one of the bigger mysteries to come out of Iraq, and that is the story of U.S. Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun. I hear that we might be hearing from him today.
STARR: Yes, indeed. The Marines have put out a notice that at three o'clock this afternoon East coast time, the corporal is expected to appear on camera at Quantico Marine Air Base just south of Washington, D.C. here, about a 45 minute drive where he currently is.
And he is expected to appear on camera and make a statement. And then the Marines will come out and give an update on his current status and that repatriation process.
We don't know yet, what Corporal Hassoun plans to say. We are told he will not take any questions from the news media. But stand by, three o'clock today we do expect to see and hear from him -- Daryn?
KAGAN: And we will be showing that right here on CNN. Barbara, thank you for that.
One of the U.S.'s staunchest allies in the Middle East says media organizations are making too much of one terrorist. King Abdullah of Jordan says that one of his subjects, terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is being unnecessarily portrayed as larger than life by the media. Al-Zarqawi is blamed for kidnappings and bombings in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING ABDULLAH, JORDAN: Although I must say that I think, you know, you say that he's the most wanted man in Iraq, I think that the press have made him a much more capable, much smarter and much more of a threat than actually he really is.
Having said that, we are all working as part of the international community to track Al-Zarqawi down, and hopefully the net is closing in on him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: On another topic, King Abdullah says a that a resignation by the Palestinian prime minister would be a serious blow to the Mid- East peace process. Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei announced his resignation over the weekend after a breakdown in security in Gaza. Arafat - Yasser Arafat verbally rejected that resignation.
From cameras in the courtroom to secret text messages. There is a lot on the agenda at today's Kobe Bryant hearing. We'll hear more just ahead.
Also live from Redwood City, California, as a new week begins in the Scott Peterson murder trial.
And should all of America's spies be under one roof? A controversy is brewing just days before the full 9/11 commission report is made public.
CNN LIVE TODAY is back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RHONDA SCHLAFFER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rhonda Schaffler at the New York Stock Exchange where stocks are barely budging.
Investors working their way through earnings news from corporate America. Mixed, at best, today -- some of those reports.
3M is dragging down the Dow, that's the maker of everything from those post-it notes and scotch tape to medical products. That company posted strong earnings. It also raised its full-year outlook. But that forecast fell short of Wall Street expectations. Right now shares of 3M losing about 4 percent.
Here are the rest of the numbers for you, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 5 points. Nasdaq basically flat. That's the very latest from Wall Street.
CNN's LIVE TODAY continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Checking our legal docket this morning, Martha Stewart is hoping her life of luxury on the outside does not turn into time behind bars. The domestic diva says she will appeal the five-month prison sentence for lying about a stock sale.
Tonight she gives her only live interview since she's been sentenced. Martha Stewart will sit down with our Larry King. And that happens 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific. She is taking your calls, by the way.
On the west coast, another pretrial hearing -- well it's not exactly the west coast, it is Colorado. Another pre-trial hearing for Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case, the judge will hear motions from both sides. The prosecution wants to keep cameras out of the courtroom and keep public information from being posted online. Meanwhile, Bryant's defense team wants text messages sent by the accuser after the alleged rape trial entered into the trial. Today's proceeding is just one of three hearings scheduled before Bryant's actual trial is set to begin on August 27th. Here with some analysis on today's developments, Dan Simon from "Celebrity Justice."
Dan, good morning. Good to have you here with us.
DAN SIMON, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Thanks, Daryn. Good morning to you.
KAGAN: Let's go down some of the issues about what is in, what is out, and what each side would like to see.
Text messages, why does the defense want those in?
SIMON: Well, because the accuser and her ex-boyfriend exchanged text messages right after the encounter with Kobe Bryant. So whatever they said to each other could play into this trial.
In other words, if the accuser is talking about what just happened in the hotel room, it's highly relevant to the case. And the defense wants to have that entered.
KAGAN: OK. A very controversial issue, should -- the judge will be deciding -- should the accuser's sexual past be heard by the jury?
SIMON: Yes, that is the most important decision still to come in from the judge.
The accuser's sexual history, extremely important to the defense because they're trying to characterize that the accuser is promiscuous and that she had a couple of sexual encounters in that narrow window, the 72 hours within that time frame that she had the encounter with Kobe Bryant.
If the defense can get that in, obviously it will really bolster their case, Daryn.
KAGAN: A win for the prosecution, a set back for the defense -- it has been decided that the statement that Kobe Bryant made early on to police in Eagle will be allowed in as well as the evidence of the blood on his T-shirt.
SIMON: Yes, that tape recorded statement, obviously important to the prosecution because what Kobe told the police -- obviously the defense wanted to have that statement thrown out; and the judge, of course, allowing that in.
We don't know yet what Kobe Bryant said on that tape, but it's damaging enough that he wanted to have it tossed out of the trial.
KAGAN: And what about the bloody T-shirt?
SIMON: The bloody T-shirt important as well because that's the one key piece of physical evidence that the prosecution has that the accuser sustained some type of injury, because her blood, after all, was found on Kobe's T-shirt. KAGAN: And finally, as we look at a video over and over again of Kobe Bryant arriving at the courthouse, chances are there are not going to be cameras in the courtroom for this trial.
SIMON: Well, I don't think so. This is a very conservative judge. And this is one issue where all of the parties agree, the accuser, Kobe Bryant and the prosecution, none them want to have cameras in the courtroom.
So, I think for that reason and the fact that you have a judge who I said is very conservative, I don't think there will be cameras in the courtroom at least during this trial.
KAGAN: All right. We'll be watching as things as develop from Eagle, Colorado.
Dan Simon from "Celebrity Justice." Thanks for your time today.
SIMON: Thank you, Daryn?
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
Another high profile case to check out -- defense attorneys from the Scott Peterson trial will try to pick apart the case brick by brick. They'll continue to hurl questions at a detective named Henry Dodge Hendee as the attack the investigation as a fruitless search for hard evidence.
More now from Rusty Dornin, who is live in Redwood City, California. Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, defense attorney Mark Geragos seems to have that one prosecution witness right where he wants him. That's on the stand admitting that much of the -- much of the evidence that was admitted, whether it was found in the house and all of the evidence that was found in San Francisco Bay just doesn't have a lot to do with this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN (voice-over): Police divers spent several days last year looking for more of Laci Peterson's remains in San Francisco Bay. They were also told to look for concrete anchors that prosecutors claim Scott Peterson used to weight down his wife's body.
Instead, they pulled up beer cans, pipes, plastic bags, sticks and other garbage. Under cross-examination by defense attorney Mark Geragos, detective Dodge Hendee admitted repeatedly that investigators found nothing in those searches that was related to the case.
Hendee also said he found no forensic evidence when he searched the nursery in the Peterson house. And spots he thought were blood in the house and Scott's warehouse were not. Even the plastic container prosecutors had been hinting was used to make homemade anchors, Hendee told the court they found no evidence it was used for that.
SCOTT PETERSON, DEFENDANT IN LACI PETERSON MURDER TRIAL: When people accuse me...
DORNIN: The judge watched TV interviews with Scott Peterson to decide what parts the jury can see. In an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Peterson claims he told police about his affair with Amber Frey.
PETERSON: I told the police immediately.
DIANE SAWYER, ABC: When?
PETERSON: That was the first night we were together -- the police -- I spent with the police.
SAWYER: You told them about her?
PETERSON: Yes, from December 24th.
DORNIN: On July 29th, the judge will hear a defense motion to dismiss charges against Peterson. Peterson's lawyer says a lead investigator, detective Al Brocchini lied on the stand about an interview with a tipster.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: The judge has already denied two mistrial requests by the defense over the last seven weeks. Legal analysts say that he is unlikely to dismiss charges against Scott Peterson. But if defense attorney Mark Geragos gets a chance to question Brocchini on stand it could damage his credibility and ultimately the prosecution's case.
And again, this week, of course people are still wondering when will Amber Frey -- becoming known around here as the Amber alert -- we are not expecting Ms. Frey to testify until some time next week -- Daryn?
KAGAN: All right. We will be there.
Rusty Dornin in Redwood City, California, thank you.
We actually have news about the real Amber alert.
In search for missing children, the nation's governors are casting a wired - a wider net. Today, Amber alert messages like these broadcast on highway signs will also be posted on the World Wide Web, meaning they'll be available over pagers, cell phones and blackberries as well.
The multi-state plan will be announced during the last day of the National Governors Association conference in Seattle. Officials hope it will help foil child abductions. A family is taken on a wild ride, high above Baltimore. It started out with just a simple balloon ride. We'll tell you how it ended.
Coming up next, we're going to hear from the family who was onboard that balloon.
And later, who's the future face of the Democratic Party? An unusual tug of war might be shaping up. Bill Schneider will tell you about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Check out these pictures from Baltimore, Maryland. This balloon will stay safely tethered to the ground today. Authorities have grounded the helium filled balloon. It bobbed about aimlessly about 300 feet in the air this weekend. It guess it got stuck above the city by high winds over the weekend.
Everyone on board there OK, just some minor injuries.
Many of those stuck on the wayward balloon say it was a very scary ordeal, however, one family who rode the ride appeared on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY MCGONIGLE, BALLOON PASSENGER: We went through the one really turbulent time, then it was calm for a while. And, you know, we kept thinking, why aren't they bringing us down?
And when that second turbulent time came through, that's when we hit the building. And that -- it was terrifying. And I mean, you know, we were in positions just trying to protect the kids and holding on and bracing with our feet. So, you know that was my main concern.
MIKE MCGONIGLE, STRANDED ON BALOON: I don't think that the system was designed -- I mean unfortunately, there really was no backup system. So there wasn't really a plan B to default to.
He was trying his best, but on the ground they clearly were confused. They really, you know, we went through the first gust which was terribly unnerving. But the worst part was we sat there for 45 minutes of calm weather with the fire department showing up and everything and all we could hear over the walkie talkie was, the computer shut down.
And after half an hour, they overrode the computer, but the emergency brake was still applied, and then the second squall hit us.
So he was trying his hardest to keep everyone calm, but they were totally unprepared for it. The balloon really had no backup system whatsoever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Investigators are looking in what when wrong aboard that ride.
The changing face of America's spy games. Some say it's an idea whose time has come, but not everyone is so sure about that. The fallout from the upcoming 9/11 report is up next.
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