Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

U.S. Forces on Offensive in Falluja; War in the Family; Military Politics

Aired October 15, 2004 - 11:00   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: As always, we kick it off with what is happening right "Now in the News."
U.S. forces are on the offensive in Falluja. They pounded more targets in the volatile Iraqi city early today. The goal is to stabilize Falluja and other insurgent hotbeds before the January elections. We'll get an update from the Pentagon just ahead.

Within the last hour, the FDA ordered that antidepressants used by children must carry the agency's strongest warning label. The so- called black box warning is to alert doctors to a link between drugs, these drugs, and an increased risk of suicide among some children.

The standoff over Iran's nuclear program is the focus of a diplomatic gathering in Washington today. The Bush administration is bringing together G8 representatives to discuss the impasse. European diplomats have proposed giving Iran incentives to abandon nuclear ambitions.

A new mother of quintuplets and the wife of a Marine injured in Iraq is expected to hold a news conference this hour. Taunacy Horton gave birth to quintuplets this week as her husband was being treated for his injuries an ocean away. He's now back in the U.S., but he's still hospitalized.

Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.

It is just a minute past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast and just past 8:00 a.m. on the West Coast. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And we're going to start off in Iraq, where there's a lot going on in this day.

Here's what it is, the U.S. hitting Falluja again, hitting them hard, trying to reign in a lawless town that has been the heartbeat of the Iraqi insurgency. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has been watching this new offensive for us this morning, and she's joining us with the latest.

Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Rick.

Well, officials here at the Pentagon say they are watching the situation carefully, but they are indicating that so far this is not the long-awaited major offensive into Falluja. Nonetheless, the airstrikes, the limited ground action are to try and achieve a key goal, essentially prep the battlefield, reduce the insurgency for the time when that major offensive does come, when U.S. and Iraqi forces seek to retake control of the city. The airstrikes that we have seen over the last 24 hours or so are aimed at very particular targets, safe houses, weapons storage sites, meeting places that the U.S. believes are being used by the network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Now, there has been some ground action, an intense Marine artillery bombardment. But that, again, has been on insurgent targets outside of the city.

U.S. forces, Iraqi forces not entering the center of the city of Falluja. Ground combat units setting up some checkpoints around the city, trying to retain control that way, restrict movement in and out of the city.

Still, the key question down the road, when the move is made to retake control of the city, will the Iraqi security forces be able to hold Falluja over the long run? And, of course, what about the insurgents? Are they going to really be defeated or once again run into the night, run away to fight another day? All remains to be seen -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: I wonder as well, Barbara, can -- does this have the makings of becoming an international public relations fiasco with so many people living in that city who probably would say, look, I'm not a part of the insurgency? And what are U.S. troops doing to make sure that that doesn't happen?

STARR: Falluja has always, of course, as you say, been a problematic area. They have resisted control, you know, by the coalition, by U.S. and Iraqi security forces. The insurgency has gone on for some time.

What is happening, of course, is the government of Ayad Allawi is trying to work with the leaders in that city, see if they can come to some sort of agreement. Those talks have recently broken down, but still there is a two-pronged effort, get a political settlement and get the Iraqi security forces ready to move in. Because they know, as you say, unless the people of Falluja are willing to accept them, it's going to be a very long, tough fight -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Yes, good stuff. Barbara Starr, we thank you so much for that report -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Survey this morning showing U.S. troops and their families solidly behind the commander in chief this election season. Two-thirds of them who were asked say that it was worth going to war in Iraq, considerably higher than the general public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM CLYMER, ANNENBERG PUBLIC POLICY CENTER: Lots of people who think the president doesn't have a plan for ending the war are strongly for him. And the casualty -- the risk of terrorism question, you know, I think that that varies a bit between service members and family members. I think family members are a little more concerned that the war has increased the risk of terrorism and the service members themselves.

Why do I think it is? Well, I'm not -- you know, this isn't a psychologist's couch. But these are people who have chosen a way of life and are proud of it. And, you know, the president is their commander in chief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Just ahead, we'll talk to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, about these latest numbers coming up.

SANCHEZ: The consequences of war, can be, well, unexpectedly cruel at times. And nobody knows this better than the woman that you're about to meet. For her, war is truly an all in the family event.

Here's CNN's David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Taps" at Arlington National Cemetery, an echoing reminder of sacrifices made during war. But on this day, the sounds of both double measures of pride and pain for one young Marine who in two days lost her brother and her fiance to fighting in Iraq.

CPL. ROSANNA POWERS, U.S. MARINES: I don't know, it's probably like the hardest thing ever. Nobody should ever have to go through it.

MATTINGLY: Now barely 23 years old, Corporal Rosanna Powers joined the Marines straight out of high school. Her younger brother, Lance Corporal Caleb Powers followed a year later. And last year she fell in love with Sergeant Rick Lord of Florida. The two had a baby boy last October and were planning to get married.

(on camera): They were soon to be a family of Marines, and nothing could have made them happier. But as fate stepped in, they were also discussing plans to return to civilian life.

(voice-over): In some of his last phone calls home, Lord yearned to become a full-time dad and husband. Powers talked of becoming a small-town farmer, quite a change for a young man who grew up dreaming only of the Marines.

POWERS: When we'd talk on the phone, he would talk Marine talk to me. And I'm like, "No, no, no, we don't do that here. I talk civilian talk."

MATTINGLY: Rosanna Powers says the Marine life was a perfect fit for her brother. His fund-raising work for Child Help USA won him celebrity friendships and the respect of his tiny home town in Washington State.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was always smiling, always happy. Always wanted to be a Marine.

MATTINGLY: Caleb Powers, just 21, was shot and killed August 17. Rick Lord, age 24, died from injuries the next day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember the good times.

MATTINGLY: The two most important men in Rosanna Power's life, two lifetimes of plans and dreams, gone in two heartbeats of the war.

POWERS: They definitely knew what they were getting into. And they did this -- they did this for a good reason. And a good outcome will come of it.

MATTINGLY: Spoken like a true Marine. But Rosanna Powers is now a civilian mom with plans to go to college. She's already taught her son to recognize and kiss his father's picture. And when he's older, she plans to tell him of a young father and an uncle who gave up everything in service to their country.

David Mattingly, CNN, Arlington, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Well, it's a holy time, but it can also unfortunately be a time of violence. Ramadan begins. So far, at least, it begins quietly in Jerusalem. Our "World Wrap" is coming up next.

KAGAN: And Prince Harry, he is out of school, but he is not out of trouble. New accusations that teachers conspired with him to cheat.

SANCHEZ: And then later, the morning's most complete political wrap-up. The final sprint for the White House begins, and we're on the road with both candidates when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's get back now to the survey this morning that shows U.S. troops and their families behind George W. Bush this election season and bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. More about this from Washington.

Bill, good morning.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: Let's look at some of the specific questions that were asked these members of the military. First of all, asked if they believe the U.S. is going in the right direction with Iraq? And there are the numbers there, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Yes. And as you can see, by 2-1, these military service personnel and their families believe the country is going in the right direction. Very different from the general public.

Among the general public, it's only 37 percent who say the right direction, 55 percent think things are off on the wrong track in the country. So there's a discontinuity here between the military and the rest of the country.

KAGAN: I think we're going to see another difference with this next question. The question is, did the war in Iraq reduce or increase the risk of terrorism against the U.S.?

SCHNEIDER: Now, these are military and their family members. So you can see there's a division among the military.

They're not really sure whether the war in Iraq has increased or reduced the risk of terrorism. And that's a bit surprising.

Among the general public, the view is more -- the prevailing view is that the war in Iraq has increased the war of terrorism; 53 percent say it has. The military, interestingly, are split over this.

KAGAN: And then as we said at the top, they have overwhelming support for President Bush. But when asked the question, "Do you believe he or John Kerry has a clear plan for a successful conclusion in Iraq," it doesn't seem there's a lot of confidence either way.

SCHNEIDER: There's certainly very little confidence that Kerry has a plan. In the case of Bush, however, you might think they would endorse the view that, yes, he has a plan.

But they're split on that. They are not sure whether Bush has a plan for success in Iraq.

And, in fact, when the general public is asked these questions, most Americans say they don't think Bush has, and most Americans think -- most Americans say they don't think Kerry have a plan to succeed in Iraq. The military do not believe Kerry does, but they're really not sure about their commander in chief.

KAGAN: And final question for you in this election that is just oh so close, with just a few days left to go. How important is the military vote? Don't members of the military tend to vote in a greater percentage than non-military?

SCHNEIDER: They do. And there's an organized effort to try to get them to vote in large numbers.

They are likely to be loyal to the commander in chief. I mean, these survey numbers are not really surprising.

For one thing, the survey reveals that the people in the service and their family members are more Republican than other Americans, 43 percent Republican, only 19 percent Democrats. Remember, they volunteer to go in the military, and the people who tend to volunteer are more Republicans.

The public is more evenly divided, 33 Democrat, 30 Republican. And remember, Bush is their commander in chief. They know what the right answer is.

And there's an old rule in psychology. When you give people a mission, they become committed to that mission. And these people are in the military and they are committed to the mission, as well as the commander in chief.

KAGAN: Bill Schneider in Washington D.C. Thanks for helping us out look at those numbers.

SCHNEIDER: OK.

SANCHEZ: Here are some of the stories that are making news overseas in this morning's "World Wrap" for you.

Friday prayers marked the start of Ramadan in Israel today. Millions of Muslims around the world have begun the holy month of fasting and prayers.

Witnesses say that an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a group of militants in the Gaza refugee camp today. Israeli forces have been operating in Gaza for more than two weeks in an attempt to try and stop rocket attacks from there. The defense ministry said late yesterday that troops would begin pulling back from some of the more populated areas.

A strong earthquake jolts Taiwan. The quake struck off the coast and caused some damage to some of the buildings there. The tremor was the strongest since 1999. That was an earthquake that killed, by the way, in case you can't recall, thousands of people.

KAGAN: On to Britain. Prince Harry has been accused of a lot of things, parties, booze, drugs, a cheap tart here and there. Well, could he also be a cheat as well? The claim was made by a former teacher at a court hearing. ITN's Tom Bradby has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM BRADBY, REPORTER, ITN (voice-over): It was the natural reaction of a man who was out of school. But back then, his father had no complaints.

The most expensive education known to man had delivered Harry what he needed, the grades to get him into the army. But the one essential truth about the royal family is that just when things are going well, a bad press lies around the corner. Sometimes deserved, sometimes a load of absolute cobbler.

So which is this? Well, Sarah Forsyth used to be an art teacher at Eton. She claims she was ordered to help Harry prepare lines of text to accompany images for his AS art expressive project.

Her lawyer told an employment tribunal today she felt unhappy about it and was concerned that it was unethical and probably constituted cheating. She is claiming she was unfairly dismissed. But before leaving the school, she secretly tape recorded a conversation with Harry in which he allegedly acknowledges he did only a tiny, tiny bit. "I did about a sentence of it." For the royal family now, one of the key questions, can Harry be called as a witness?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An industrial tribunal has the powers that we associate with other courts. It has the power, if evidence is relevant, to require that anyone other than the queen -- but that would include her children -- have to attend if the evidence is relevant to the case.

BRADBY: So, in theory, Harry could be called. But in practice it seems unlikely. Though the claim is sensational, Harry himself is not central to the case. But that doesn't change the fact that the allegation could damage his reputation regardless of whether it's true or not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, get this: even with the alleged help, Harry only managed a B in the art class. Still a heck of a lot better than his D in geography. Dad's office put out a statement denying the prince is a cheat. If you're going to cheat, you might as well go for the A.

SANCHEZ: Yes, or be a prince. Even better. After all, you'll be doing fine after that.

KAGAN: Yes, he's going to be OK.

SANCHEZ: Lava breaks the surface of Mount St. Helens, did you know? But believe it or not, that may be good news. Why? Well, that's what we're here for, folks.

KAGAN: And for millions of families in America, the battle over illegal immigration literally hits home. Coming up, a preview of a special presentation of "CNN PRESENTS," "Immigrant Nation."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: New lava's emerging inside Mount St. Helen's crater today. But seismic activity remains somewhat low.

What that tells scientists is the following: the magma is getting to the surface without pressure building, meaning an explosive eruption remains unlikely. "Unlikely," that's the word. The daily bubbling and steaming could continue, we're told, in fact, for months.

KAGAN: And we'll be watching it. It tends to happen during our hours.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KAGAN: We appreciate the live pictures.

SANCHEZ: So we'll be ready.

KAGAN: We'll be ready.

SANCHEZ: Have all your notes spread out around here.

KAGAN: That's it.

SANCHEZ: So you can sound like a scientist.

KAGAN: For your Mount St. Helen's trivia. You've been warned.

Rob Marciano, you know, he spent some time Northwest.

So have you actually gone to Mount St. Helens?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have. Climbed to the top of the -- around the crater.

KAGAN: Oh, you see that.

MARCIANO: Eight thousand -- you know, a lot shorter now than it was back in 1980.

SANCHEZ: You are?

KAGAN: Yes.

MARCIANO: That, too.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Yes, trust me, some of the folks down there, they really welcome it when they get that final -- when they finally get a little bit of cold.

KAGAN: Well, what's cold in Miami?

SANCHEZ: When you're not sweating just standing outside.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: OK. Brrr.

Thank you, Rob.

The final sprint is well under way.

SANCHEZ: And the finish line is 18 days away. Bush and Kerry hit the road. And we're right there with them, as you might expect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And welcome back. I'm Daryn Kagan, alongside my new partner, Rick Sanchez.

SANCHEZ: Good to be here. KAGAN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Time for another look now at what's going on in the news.

KAGAN: Yes, you take it from there.

SANCHEZ: I will.

U.S. forces are cracking down in that city of Falluja once again. They're trying to retake control of the city from insurgents. Iraqi officials warn the city will face an all-out offensive -- their words -- unless it gives up insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his top lieutenants.

A new survey by the Annenberg Center finds that members of military families remain solidly behind President Bush. About two- thirds approve of the job that he's doing thus far. And an equal number say that the war in Iraq was well worth it.

The FDA today ordered drug companies to put strong warning labels on all antidepressants. Studies seem to indicate the medicines can cause increased suicidal risks in children and adolescents.

And McDonald's is temporarily dropping its golden arches logo in Great Britain. It's going to use a question mark instead. The fast- food giant wants folks -- are hoping the stunt will help it shed it's its high-fat, junk food image and bring in more salad eaters.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired October 15, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As always, we kick it off with what is happening right "Now in the News."
U.S. forces are on the offensive in Falluja. They pounded more targets in the volatile Iraqi city early today. The goal is to stabilize Falluja and other insurgent hotbeds before the January elections. We'll get an update from the Pentagon just ahead.

Within the last hour, the FDA ordered that antidepressants used by children must carry the agency's strongest warning label. The so- called black box warning is to alert doctors to a link between drugs, these drugs, and an increased risk of suicide among some children.

The standoff over Iran's nuclear program is the focus of a diplomatic gathering in Washington today. The Bush administration is bringing together G8 representatives to discuss the impasse. European diplomats have proposed giving Iran incentives to abandon nuclear ambitions.

A new mother of quintuplets and the wife of a Marine injured in Iraq is expected to hold a news conference this hour. Taunacy Horton gave birth to quintuplets this week as her husband was being treated for his injuries an ocean away. He's now back in the U.S., but he's still hospitalized.

Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.

It is just a minute past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast and just past 8:00 a.m. on the West Coast. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And we're going to start off in Iraq, where there's a lot going on in this day.

Here's what it is, the U.S. hitting Falluja again, hitting them hard, trying to reign in a lawless town that has been the heartbeat of the Iraqi insurgency. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has been watching this new offensive for us this morning, and she's joining us with the latest.

Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Rick.

Well, officials here at the Pentagon say they are watching the situation carefully, but they are indicating that so far this is not the long-awaited major offensive into Falluja. Nonetheless, the airstrikes, the limited ground action are to try and achieve a key goal, essentially prep the battlefield, reduce the insurgency for the time when that major offensive does come, when U.S. and Iraqi forces seek to retake control of the city. The airstrikes that we have seen over the last 24 hours or so are aimed at very particular targets, safe houses, weapons storage sites, meeting places that the U.S. believes are being used by the network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Now, there has been some ground action, an intense Marine artillery bombardment. But that, again, has been on insurgent targets outside of the city.

U.S. forces, Iraqi forces not entering the center of the city of Falluja. Ground combat units setting up some checkpoints around the city, trying to retain control that way, restrict movement in and out of the city.

Still, the key question down the road, when the move is made to retake control of the city, will the Iraqi security forces be able to hold Falluja over the long run? And, of course, what about the insurgents? Are they going to really be defeated or once again run into the night, run away to fight another day? All remains to be seen -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: I wonder as well, Barbara, can -- does this have the makings of becoming an international public relations fiasco with so many people living in that city who probably would say, look, I'm not a part of the insurgency? And what are U.S. troops doing to make sure that that doesn't happen?

STARR: Falluja has always, of course, as you say, been a problematic area. They have resisted control, you know, by the coalition, by U.S. and Iraqi security forces. The insurgency has gone on for some time.

What is happening, of course, is the government of Ayad Allawi is trying to work with the leaders in that city, see if they can come to some sort of agreement. Those talks have recently broken down, but still there is a two-pronged effort, get a political settlement and get the Iraqi security forces ready to move in. Because they know, as you say, unless the people of Falluja are willing to accept them, it's going to be a very long, tough fight -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Yes, good stuff. Barbara Starr, we thank you so much for that report -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Survey this morning showing U.S. troops and their families solidly behind the commander in chief this election season. Two-thirds of them who were asked say that it was worth going to war in Iraq, considerably higher than the general public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM CLYMER, ANNENBERG PUBLIC POLICY CENTER: Lots of people who think the president doesn't have a plan for ending the war are strongly for him. And the casualty -- the risk of terrorism question, you know, I think that that varies a bit between service members and family members. I think family members are a little more concerned that the war has increased the risk of terrorism and the service members themselves.

Why do I think it is? Well, I'm not -- you know, this isn't a psychologist's couch. But these are people who have chosen a way of life and are proud of it. And, you know, the president is their commander in chief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Just ahead, we'll talk to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, about these latest numbers coming up.

SANCHEZ: The consequences of war, can be, well, unexpectedly cruel at times. And nobody knows this better than the woman that you're about to meet. For her, war is truly an all in the family event.

Here's CNN's David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Taps" at Arlington National Cemetery, an echoing reminder of sacrifices made during war. But on this day, the sounds of both double measures of pride and pain for one young Marine who in two days lost her brother and her fiance to fighting in Iraq.

CPL. ROSANNA POWERS, U.S. MARINES: I don't know, it's probably like the hardest thing ever. Nobody should ever have to go through it.

MATTINGLY: Now barely 23 years old, Corporal Rosanna Powers joined the Marines straight out of high school. Her younger brother, Lance Corporal Caleb Powers followed a year later. And last year she fell in love with Sergeant Rick Lord of Florida. The two had a baby boy last October and were planning to get married.

(on camera): They were soon to be a family of Marines, and nothing could have made them happier. But as fate stepped in, they were also discussing plans to return to civilian life.

(voice-over): In some of his last phone calls home, Lord yearned to become a full-time dad and husband. Powers talked of becoming a small-town farmer, quite a change for a young man who grew up dreaming only of the Marines.

POWERS: When we'd talk on the phone, he would talk Marine talk to me. And I'm like, "No, no, no, we don't do that here. I talk civilian talk."

MATTINGLY: Rosanna Powers says the Marine life was a perfect fit for her brother. His fund-raising work for Child Help USA won him celebrity friendships and the respect of his tiny home town in Washington State.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was always smiling, always happy. Always wanted to be a Marine.

MATTINGLY: Caleb Powers, just 21, was shot and killed August 17. Rick Lord, age 24, died from injuries the next day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember the good times.

MATTINGLY: The two most important men in Rosanna Power's life, two lifetimes of plans and dreams, gone in two heartbeats of the war.

POWERS: They definitely knew what they were getting into. And they did this -- they did this for a good reason. And a good outcome will come of it.

MATTINGLY: Spoken like a true Marine. But Rosanna Powers is now a civilian mom with plans to go to college. She's already taught her son to recognize and kiss his father's picture. And when he's older, she plans to tell him of a young father and an uncle who gave up everything in service to their country.

David Mattingly, CNN, Arlington, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Well, it's a holy time, but it can also unfortunately be a time of violence. Ramadan begins. So far, at least, it begins quietly in Jerusalem. Our "World Wrap" is coming up next.

KAGAN: And Prince Harry, he is out of school, but he is not out of trouble. New accusations that teachers conspired with him to cheat.

SANCHEZ: And then later, the morning's most complete political wrap-up. The final sprint for the White House begins, and we're on the road with both candidates when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's get back now to the survey this morning that shows U.S. troops and their families behind George W. Bush this election season and bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. More about this from Washington.

Bill, good morning.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: Let's look at some of the specific questions that were asked these members of the military. First of all, asked if they believe the U.S. is going in the right direction with Iraq? And there are the numbers there, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Yes. And as you can see, by 2-1, these military service personnel and their families believe the country is going in the right direction. Very different from the general public.

Among the general public, it's only 37 percent who say the right direction, 55 percent think things are off on the wrong track in the country. So there's a discontinuity here between the military and the rest of the country.

KAGAN: I think we're going to see another difference with this next question. The question is, did the war in Iraq reduce or increase the risk of terrorism against the U.S.?

SCHNEIDER: Now, these are military and their family members. So you can see there's a division among the military.

They're not really sure whether the war in Iraq has increased or reduced the risk of terrorism. And that's a bit surprising.

Among the general public, the view is more -- the prevailing view is that the war in Iraq has increased the war of terrorism; 53 percent say it has. The military, interestingly, are split over this.

KAGAN: And then as we said at the top, they have overwhelming support for President Bush. But when asked the question, "Do you believe he or John Kerry has a clear plan for a successful conclusion in Iraq," it doesn't seem there's a lot of confidence either way.

SCHNEIDER: There's certainly very little confidence that Kerry has a plan. In the case of Bush, however, you might think they would endorse the view that, yes, he has a plan.

But they're split on that. They are not sure whether Bush has a plan for success in Iraq.

And, in fact, when the general public is asked these questions, most Americans say they don't think Bush has, and most Americans think -- most Americans say they don't think Kerry have a plan to succeed in Iraq. The military do not believe Kerry does, but they're really not sure about their commander in chief.

KAGAN: And final question for you in this election that is just oh so close, with just a few days left to go. How important is the military vote? Don't members of the military tend to vote in a greater percentage than non-military?

SCHNEIDER: They do. And there's an organized effort to try to get them to vote in large numbers.

They are likely to be loyal to the commander in chief. I mean, these survey numbers are not really surprising.

For one thing, the survey reveals that the people in the service and their family members are more Republican than other Americans, 43 percent Republican, only 19 percent Democrats. Remember, they volunteer to go in the military, and the people who tend to volunteer are more Republicans.

The public is more evenly divided, 33 Democrat, 30 Republican. And remember, Bush is their commander in chief. They know what the right answer is.

And there's an old rule in psychology. When you give people a mission, they become committed to that mission. And these people are in the military and they are committed to the mission, as well as the commander in chief.

KAGAN: Bill Schneider in Washington D.C. Thanks for helping us out look at those numbers.

SCHNEIDER: OK.

SANCHEZ: Here are some of the stories that are making news overseas in this morning's "World Wrap" for you.

Friday prayers marked the start of Ramadan in Israel today. Millions of Muslims around the world have begun the holy month of fasting and prayers.

Witnesses say that an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a group of militants in the Gaza refugee camp today. Israeli forces have been operating in Gaza for more than two weeks in an attempt to try and stop rocket attacks from there. The defense ministry said late yesterday that troops would begin pulling back from some of the more populated areas.

A strong earthquake jolts Taiwan. The quake struck off the coast and caused some damage to some of the buildings there. The tremor was the strongest since 1999. That was an earthquake that killed, by the way, in case you can't recall, thousands of people.

KAGAN: On to Britain. Prince Harry has been accused of a lot of things, parties, booze, drugs, a cheap tart here and there. Well, could he also be a cheat as well? The claim was made by a former teacher at a court hearing. ITN's Tom Bradby has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM BRADBY, REPORTER, ITN (voice-over): It was the natural reaction of a man who was out of school. But back then, his father had no complaints.

The most expensive education known to man had delivered Harry what he needed, the grades to get him into the army. But the one essential truth about the royal family is that just when things are going well, a bad press lies around the corner. Sometimes deserved, sometimes a load of absolute cobbler.

So which is this? Well, Sarah Forsyth used to be an art teacher at Eton. She claims she was ordered to help Harry prepare lines of text to accompany images for his AS art expressive project.

Her lawyer told an employment tribunal today she felt unhappy about it and was concerned that it was unethical and probably constituted cheating. She is claiming she was unfairly dismissed. But before leaving the school, she secretly tape recorded a conversation with Harry in which he allegedly acknowledges he did only a tiny, tiny bit. "I did about a sentence of it." For the royal family now, one of the key questions, can Harry be called as a witness?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An industrial tribunal has the powers that we associate with other courts. It has the power, if evidence is relevant, to require that anyone other than the queen -- but that would include her children -- have to attend if the evidence is relevant to the case.

BRADBY: So, in theory, Harry could be called. But in practice it seems unlikely. Though the claim is sensational, Harry himself is not central to the case. But that doesn't change the fact that the allegation could damage his reputation regardless of whether it's true or not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, get this: even with the alleged help, Harry only managed a B in the art class. Still a heck of a lot better than his D in geography. Dad's office put out a statement denying the prince is a cheat. If you're going to cheat, you might as well go for the A.

SANCHEZ: Yes, or be a prince. Even better. After all, you'll be doing fine after that.

KAGAN: Yes, he's going to be OK.

SANCHEZ: Lava breaks the surface of Mount St. Helens, did you know? But believe it or not, that may be good news. Why? Well, that's what we're here for, folks.

KAGAN: And for millions of families in America, the battle over illegal immigration literally hits home. Coming up, a preview of a special presentation of "CNN PRESENTS," "Immigrant Nation."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: New lava's emerging inside Mount St. Helen's crater today. But seismic activity remains somewhat low.

What that tells scientists is the following: the magma is getting to the surface without pressure building, meaning an explosive eruption remains unlikely. "Unlikely," that's the word. The daily bubbling and steaming could continue, we're told, in fact, for months.

KAGAN: And we'll be watching it. It tends to happen during our hours.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KAGAN: We appreciate the live pictures.

SANCHEZ: So we'll be ready.

KAGAN: We'll be ready.

SANCHEZ: Have all your notes spread out around here.

KAGAN: That's it.

SANCHEZ: So you can sound like a scientist.

KAGAN: For your Mount St. Helen's trivia. You've been warned.

Rob Marciano, you know, he spent some time Northwest.

So have you actually gone to Mount St. Helens?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have. Climbed to the top of the -- around the crater.

KAGAN: Oh, you see that.

MARCIANO: Eight thousand -- you know, a lot shorter now than it was back in 1980.

SANCHEZ: You are?

KAGAN: Yes.

MARCIANO: That, too.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Yes, trust me, some of the folks down there, they really welcome it when they get that final -- when they finally get a little bit of cold.

KAGAN: Well, what's cold in Miami?

SANCHEZ: When you're not sweating just standing outside.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: OK. Brrr.

Thank you, Rob.

The final sprint is well under way.

SANCHEZ: And the finish line is 18 days away. Bush and Kerry hit the road. And we're right there with them, as you might expect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And welcome back. I'm Daryn Kagan, alongside my new partner, Rick Sanchez.

SANCHEZ: Good to be here. KAGAN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Time for another look now at what's going on in the news.

KAGAN: Yes, you take it from there.

SANCHEZ: I will.

U.S. forces are cracking down in that city of Falluja once again. They're trying to retake control of the city from insurgents. Iraqi officials warn the city will face an all-out offensive -- their words -- unless it gives up insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his top lieutenants.

A new survey by the Annenberg Center finds that members of military families remain solidly behind President Bush. About two- thirds approve of the job that he's doing thus far. And an equal number say that the war in Iraq was well worth it.

The FDA today ordered drug companies to put strong warning labels on all antidepressants. Studies seem to indicate the medicines can cause increased suicidal risks in children and adolescents.

And McDonald's is temporarily dropping its golden arches logo in Great Britain. It's going to use a question mark instead. The fast- food giant wants folks -- are hoping the stunt will help it shed it's its high-fat, junk food image and bring in more salad eaters.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com