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Edgar Ray Killen Taken From Courtroom on Stretcher; Insurgents Keep up Campaign of Violence in Iraq; 'Brothers in Arms'
Aired June 16, 2005 - 10:59 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: Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
The U.S. military today announced the capture of a wanted insurgent in the Iraqi city of Mosul. His name is Abu Talha. The military describes him as al Qaeda's leader in Mosul and a trusted agent of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Police in Aruba search the home of a judge whose son is a suspect in the Natalee Holloway case. Holloway is the Alabama teen missing since May 30. Authorities seized two cars and bags of items from the home. The court could rule today on a petition from the judge to see his son.
Democrats have rejected what's been called a compromise in the stalemate over John Bolton. They vowed to block Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador until the get records from secret intelligence intercepts. A leading Republican offered to provide Democrats with some of the information. The offer was rejected.
The FTC says its has reached a settlement with BJ's Wholesale Club over stolen credit card information. The agency says the security breach resulted in millions of dollars in fraudulent purchases. BJ's has agreed to tighten security to protect customers' credit and debit card numbers.
They've examined the problem. This morning, a Senate panel is looking for solutions to prevent identity theft. A hearing began last hour on possible federal laws to guard against identity theft and protect your personal information.
We're keeping you informed. CNN is the most trusted name in news.
Good morning. And welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.
8:00 a.m. in San Francisco, California; 11:00 a.m. in Pinehurst, North Carolina: and 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.
We want to go to our site of breaking news, and that is Philadelphia, Mississippi, and the murder trial currently going on of Edgar Ray Killen. There has been a pause in the trial as the defendant was taken out on a stretcher.
For more on that, let's go to our Ed Lavandera, who is live now on the phone from Philadelphia, Mississippi -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. After the first testimony had started, one of the victim's (INAUDIBLE) was on the witness stand, and it paused the trial momentarily because Edgar Ray Killen had complained about not feeling well (INAUDIBLE) about 30 minutes (INAUDIBLE) you see there on your TV screen now is Edgar Ray Killen being taken out of the courthouse on a stretcher.
Now, every morning he has shown up here at the courthouse for trial, he's brought in, he (INAUDIBLE) the courthouse on a -- in a wheelchair. His family brings him in every day.
There have been great lengths that this court has gone to make sure that Edgar Ray Killen is comfortable for this -- for this trial. Back in March, he had been injured in a -- he had been cutting some trees (INAUDIBLE) branch and broken both of his legs. So Mr. Killen is still recovering from those ailments and a series of other things.
And this is what his defense attorneys have been complaining about, if you will, in the months and weeks leading up to this trial. They had asked -- had asked for a delay (INAUDIBLE). And they had maintained throughout in the weeks leading up to the trial, this week, that he wasn't in the physical condition to be able to withstand this sort of trial. And now we see Mr. Killen being taken out of the courthouse in a stretcher.
We are still trying to get information as to exactly what has happened today, but (INAUDIBLE) the condition he's in and what he's been going through in the last few weeks.
KAGAN: All right. I have a couple of questions for you, Ed, but it sounds like our phone connection is not the best. So we're going to let you go and get some more information, reestablish contact, and we'll bring you back in a little bit.
Ed Lavandera with the latest from Philadelphia, Mississippi.
Ed Lavandera from Philadelphia, Mississippi.
On to our other lead story this morning, mounting casualties and unrelenting attacks in the for the fight for Iraq. Insurgents kept up their campaign of violence today.
CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reports from Baghdad on what is already a bloody month for Iraqi civilians and U.S. troops.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six American troops, five Marines and a sailor were killed during combat operations Wednesday in the Ramadi area of the restive Anbar province as five Marines were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. They were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle.
Now, an American soldier also died from wounds suffered when he was hit by enemy small arms fire. That was also near the town of Ramadi, which is west of Baghdad. This brings the death toll of U.S. troops so far to this month at 47.
Now turning to other developments, a car bomb targeting an Iraqi army convoy exploded at the gate of an oil company facility in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Five soldiers were wounded and two civilians were wounded. And here in Baghdad, early this morning, a remotely-detonated car bomb wounded also five Iraqi soldiers and an Iraqi civilian.
Now, we also heard today from a U.S. military official of the capture of a man described as al Qaeda's leader in the town of Mosul. He is the insurgent leader identified by the Americans as Abu Talha, and he was captured on Tuesday according to Brigadier General Donald Alston (ph).
An important point here. It was an Iraqi tip-off that led to that arrest.
Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: A memo that has raised new questions about Iraq intelligence is the focus of a hearing today. Democratic Congressman John Conyers hold a forum on the so-called Downing Street Memo.
According to a British newspaper, the memo to Prime Minister Tony Blair said U.S. intelligence was "being fixed" to support the war with Iraq. In a news conference with Mr. Blair last week, Mr. Bush flatly denied those allegations.
A small bipartisan group is calling on the president to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. They are introducing a resolution to begin the withdrawal by October of next year. Among the sponsors of the bill, Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: And for the first time, a bipartisan group of members of Congress worked together to craft a binding resolution to bring the troops home. And our partnership reflects a shifting mood in Congress caused by daily reports of more Americans dead in a war with no end in sight. Now, our bill says enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Over 12,000 wounded and $200 billion spent. We believe it is time to have this debate and this discussion on this resolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: By the way, Jones there voted for the war in Iraq and was one of the leaders in the effort to change French fries to "freedom fries" to protest France's opposition to the war.
Well, among the Americans who are serving in Iraq are four men who share a common bond that goes beyond patriotism, beyond duty. This is a CNN special report. It's called "Brothers in Arms." And in it, CNN's Alex Quade introduces us to an Idaho family that has given more than its fair share to the war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Oil pipeline attacks, suicide car bombs, mortars, mass graves, improvised explosives devices and ethnic tensions. This is Kirkuk province, northern Iraq, where nearly 5,000 U.S. Army National Guardsmen serve. Among them, Eric, an assistant manager at a Wal-Mart...
ERIC PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: We're here. We're armed. We are ready for business.
QUADE: ... Jeff, a grocery store clerk...
JEFF PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: We've got to protect our backs.
QUADE: ... Evan, a bartender...
EVAN PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: I just hope nothing bad happens.
QUADE: ... and Greg, a missionary.
GREG PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: I just kind of hope and pray that everything's OK.
QUADE: Four citizen soldiers with something in common: their last name, Pruett. Four brothers deployed with different units in Kirkuk.
On patrol with Eric, the eldest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here toting bulletproof vests and weapons everywhere we go, and guys pulling security even as we talk now. I mean, at any moment, anything could happen, and we need to be ready for that.
QUADE (on camera): What was it like for you the first time you came under fire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was pretty intense.
QUADE (voice-over): An understatement. His platoon has survived five gun fights, three IEDS, improvised explosive devices, three rocket, and nine mortar attacks.
J. PRUETT: They check in this canister thing right here.
QUADE: On the other side of town, I joined brother Jeff. J. PRUETT: We had that rocket fired at our fog (ph) yesterday. This is where they traced it.
QUADE: He hunts for insurgents and weapons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell them to check in between all the pillows and all the mattresses.
QUADE: The dangers Jeff and Eric face are the same for brothers Greg and Evan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get all your gear on and stay in your little bunker and just wait until they tell you everything is good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very real and it's something that we have to contend with every single day.
QUADE: The four Pruetts have been away from home for a year, living under constant threat and worry for each other.
J. PRUETT: I was worried, you know, what's the chances of four of us coming over to Iraq where it's combat and all of us making it home. So it kind of scared me at first, and I didn't like the idea.
QUADE: I met the Pruetts a year ago at their home in Pocatello, Idaho. Among these teens playing volleyball, four soldiers about to go to war the next day. And two just back. Yes, six members of one family serving their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We never thought that all of us would go.
QUADE: Lee Pruett, or dad, and son Aaron just returned from serving in Falluja when the others were called up.
AARON PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: It's kind of weird to think that my brothers are going over there now that I've been there and back. And, you know, I just kind of -- just, you know, offer them as much support and love as I can.
LEE PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: We've had close calls just with Aaron and I over there. A big helicopter crash in Mosul. We actually went out and did the extrication and recovered the bodies of those soldiers in those helicopters.
QUADE: In uniform, for family photos...
TAMMY PRUETT, MOTHER: All right. Look over here, you two.
QUADE: ... the brothers are excited for their chance to experience what dad and Aaron had.
G. PRUETT: Soldiers are dying, but that's war. And, you know, we're willing to take that risk. We love our country.
You know, we're a very patriotic family. I'm sure you saw my brother's car over there. Painted it red, white and blue. And we're all willing to go over there and do what we have to do.
QUADE: Their mom, Tammy Pruett, puts on a brave face.
T. PRUETT: Our odds are a lot higher than most families. And, yes, it would be horrible to lose one of my sons. They're all, I think, prepared to make that sacrifice. And sure, it would be horrible. You know, I'm not going to kid and say, oh, I could really get through that easily, because I couldn't.
QUADE: Next day...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to go with me?
QUADE: ... the brothers say their good-byes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would if you could, huh?
QUADE: ... and report for duty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want you people to think about the innocent people that was burned to death in buildings in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm in charge of 16 guys, four tanks. And that's my first priority. But, at the same time, you know, my brothers are going to be there. And I'm going to be just worried about them and trying to check up on them just as much as I can and as much as I'm allowed to.
QUADE: They will be away from home for 18 months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ease. All right, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Before the brothers get to Iraq, they go through plenty of training.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The leg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's shot in the leg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Left arm and left leg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: But it gets very real and very dangerous very quickly. Stay with us as we follow the "Brothers in Arms" all the way to Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Earlier, we introduced to you the four Pruett brothers, former weekend warriors now serving in Iraq. In part two of her special report, CNN's Alex Quade goes with the men as they learn the dangers of urban warfare.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUADE: It looks like Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be out there too long. Get it done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That first shot through the wall hit a civilian over here.
QUADE: But this is urban combat training, August, Fort Bliss, Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got a strong back. All right. You're my radio man so I can maneuver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to take the two buildings on the right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pruett, get up here!
QUADE: Each Pruett brother and his unit go through this mock Iraqi village.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One bad guy down!
QUADE: Where things suddenly go bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him down! Secure him!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got one man down!
QUADE: If this raid were real, youngest brother Jeff, the one in the middle, would be dead. This training may keep them alive in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go on that side!
QUADE: Brother Eric's tank platoon provides backup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they'll go in and clear a town. And then we'll roll through the town.
QUADE: The four Pruetts have been training separately and haven't seen each other in two months. I arranged with the Army for a reunion for Jeff and Evan, Eric and Greg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty neat because Greg has never really seen the tanks or anything. And so it's pretty cool to explain to him what my job is. And so you can have a little sense of how much safer I am by being on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. He likes it. He better be out of there protecting my butt, you know, while I'm in my Humvee. So that's all I got to say.
I love these things.
EVAN PRUETT: In my heart, I feel we will be able to watch out for each other. And even if it's just that feeling that I think that I'm going to be able to, it's nicer to know that they're there, and if something could happen, you know, that they're there.
QUADE: October, Fort Polk, Louisiana. This is advanced urban combat training where the brothers meet up again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're very lucky to have each other here. You know, you talk to your guys, and the guys in your unit are wonderful, but family, as everyone knows, is a lot different.
QUADE: They haven't even left the states but are already missing family. Evan's wife Amber is pregnant with their first child. Eric's baby boy colors with Crayons with the first time.
ERIC PRUETT: I'm missing such a large part of his growing and first haircuts and walking and birthdays.
QUADE: By December, the Pruetts are in Kuwait. While waiting to deploy into Iraq, the brothers attend a controversial town hall meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not have proper armament vehicles.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: You go to war with the Army you have and not the Army you might want.
QUADE: The press reacted strongly to the statements, but Eric saw it differently. "I was there," he e-mails, "and thought the Rumsfeld talk went very well." Still, Eric goes on to say he's glad he will be in his tank and his brothers in armored Humvees when they cross the border into Iraq.
January, Iraq's first democratic elections. While the four brothers were providing security at different polling stations...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were attacked all day long. Mortared, gunfire, rockets. It was pretty -- a pretty big day.
QUADE: Back home, their sister Emily was getting married.
EMILY PRUETT, SISTER: It's sad not to have them be a part of the day that is really important, you know? I heard from them. And they congratulated me.
QUADE: Brother Greg e-mailed his best wishes and added, "Please play pray that the Iraqi people may have the strength to carry the burdens on their own so that we may all return home."
Until next January, the Pruetts will call Kirkuk home. It is a place of tension between Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. And according to Army intelligence, a recruiting area and sanctuary for extremist militias.
At this point, Tammy's sons have been away six months.
T. PRUETT: Each blue star represents the number of active members that you have in a foreign country. So they're for foreign wars. And then if, by chance, someone didn't come back, which we hope doesn't happen, but they would put a gold star over top of these blue ones.
QUADE: The banner will hang in the window until her boys come home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, a lot more interesting than Idaho.
QUADE: For Jeff, Greg, Evan, and Eric, the challenges have only just begun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: We're going to follow those challenges after the break. We'll go back to Iraq and to the Pruett brothers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Candy? Want a piece of candy? There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: How they go about doing their military jobs, as well as winning over the Iraqi people.
Plus, fighting with and for the Iraqis also means communicating with them. How do American soldiers do that? Up next, we'll speak to two experts on overcoming the language and culture barriers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We're going to get back to the story of the Pruett brothers from Idaho in just a moment.
First, though, the global war on terror has taught the military an important lesson, that language skills are a vital part of the arsenal in today' Army. The reliance on translators in the Iraq work illustrates the challenge facing U.S. troops. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If everybody runs and nobody is able to help, we'll never get anywhere. But I understand he has to protect his family. And I respect -- and I respect him for taking care of his family. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The Army's Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California, is where soldiers go to hone their language skills. Joining us from there this morning, Cassandra Mary Armstrong and Sergeant Justin Burns. They are both Arabic language experts. Sergeant Burns has been deployed in Iraq and has used the training from the institute.
Good morning, to both of you..
CASSANDRA MARY ARMSTRONG ARABIC LANGUAGE EXPERT: Good morning.
SGT. JUSTIN BURNS, ARABIC LANGUAGE EXPERT: (SPEAKING ARABIC)
ARMSTRONG: (SPEAKING ARABIC)
KAGAN: And translate for us, please?
BURNS: It was "Good morning."
KAGAN: Very good.
Private Armstrong, your specialty is Arabic. Do you speak any other language besides English, of course?
ARMSTRONG: Well, ma'am, I have studied French a little bit in high school and college, but I don't think I'm as proficient in that as in English by far.
KAGAN: Yes. And -- but where did you learn your Arabic?
ARMSTRONG: I'm learning Arabic here at the Defense Language Institute.
KAGAN: And how far away are you from being fluent, would you say?
ARMSTRONG: Well, fluent is a long way off. I've only been three months into it so far. The program here will continue, and I'll graduate next July.
KAGAN: And then what's your -- what's your path? What's your track?
ARMSTRONG: Well, I'll return to Georgia, where my National Guard unit is, and from there, probably be deployed and continue a career in the Army.
KAGAN: Sergeant Burns, tell us about -- about your path. You were there before in Monterrey, studied Arabic?
BURNS: Actually, I had a small course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, prior to deploying. And after deploying, decided to come to Monterrey to continue my Arabic education.
KAGAN: So with what little you had as you took it overseas, how did you use it, and what kind of difference do you think it made?
BURNS: It's -- I can't even find words to describe the difference between being able to communicate directly with someone in their own language and having to use a person to go between you, like a translator or some other means of translation.
KAGAN: And was it something that you did on a daily basis?
BURNS: I would say on a daily basis. It wasn't as intense. There were definitely some times where it was a little more intense.
But on a daily basis, you know, you have people all around, the military out there who speak the language. So, yes, I tried to brush up as much as I could.
KAGAN: And then now that you come back here, where does your training go from here?
BURNS: I am not a hundred percent sure. I know I will probably go -- I will return to my unit. And from there, you know, it will depend on (INAUDIBLE) and things like that. I hope to be using the Arabic that I'm learning out here, though.
KAGAN: You're both young people. Obviously, do others who you have worked with and are training with talk about the difference, and the difference in the emphasis of language skills and communicating that they are noticing in the military?
BURNS: Excuse me. Go ahead.
KAGAN: Private, go ahead.
ARMSTRONG: Well, pretty much most of the people in my class are in the same boat as I am. We're somewhat fresh into the military, and we haven't experienced deployment yet.
We do have all of the branches here represented at the DLI, Defense Language Institute. And so we're all learning the language together. We'll see where it leads us.
KAGAN: Right. So let me ask you this, Private. When you signed up to serve, did you think it was going to include this path of studying language? And if not, how was it presented to you?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, ma'am, this is what I signed up for. I had a wonderful recruiter who brought me down, and I signed up for Arabic. I got the spot that I wanted.
KAGAN: And in your past, I mean, you didn't know a single word before you signed up?
ARMSTRONG: Not a one, ma'am.
KAGAN: And, of course, signing up for Arabic probably does mean that you will deploy for Iraq or someplace equally as dangerous. How do you feel about that? ARMSTRONG: Well, ma'am, I'm fine with it. My mom has a slightly different opinion.
KAGAN: Right, obviously.
Sergeant Burns, next stop for you?
BURNS: I mean, I can make an assumption on the language that I'm learning. I've been over, and it would probably be hopefully familiar territory for me again. And it would be another chance to use the language.
KAGAN: Well, we wish you well in your studies and your service, and we wish you safety as well.
BURNS: Thank you very much.
ARMSTRONG: Thank you.
KAGAN: Private Armstrong and Sergeant Burns. Thank you. Good luck with your studies.
BURNS: Thank you.
ARMSTRONG: Thank you.
KAGAN: In just a minute, we're going to follow, we're going to go back to the story of the four Pruett brothers, again in the danger zone, but also into some of the strangest living quarters you could imagine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This right here is actually where he used to hang and torture some of his people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Inside Iraq with its contradictions, its hopes and its dangers when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 16, 2005 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
The U.S. military today announced the capture of a wanted insurgent in the Iraqi city of Mosul. His name is Abu Talha. The military describes him as al Qaeda's leader in Mosul and a trusted agent of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Police in Aruba search the home of a judge whose son is a suspect in the Natalee Holloway case. Holloway is the Alabama teen missing since May 30. Authorities seized two cars and bags of items from the home. The court could rule today on a petition from the judge to see his son.
Democrats have rejected what's been called a compromise in the stalemate over John Bolton. They vowed to block Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador until the get records from secret intelligence intercepts. A leading Republican offered to provide Democrats with some of the information. The offer was rejected.
The FTC says its has reached a settlement with BJ's Wholesale Club over stolen credit card information. The agency says the security breach resulted in millions of dollars in fraudulent purchases. BJ's has agreed to tighten security to protect customers' credit and debit card numbers.
They've examined the problem. This morning, a Senate panel is looking for solutions to prevent identity theft. A hearing began last hour on possible federal laws to guard against identity theft and protect your personal information.
We're keeping you informed. CNN is the most trusted name in news.
Good morning. And welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.
8:00 a.m. in San Francisco, California; 11:00 a.m. in Pinehurst, North Carolina: and 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.
We want to go to our site of breaking news, and that is Philadelphia, Mississippi, and the murder trial currently going on of Edgar Ray Killen. There has been a pause in the trial as the defendant was taken out on a stretcher.
For more on that, let's go to our Ed Lavandera, who is live now on the phone from Philadelphia, Mississippi -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. After the first testimony had started, one of the victim's (INAUDIBLE) was on the witness stand, and it paused the trial momentarily because Edgar Ray Killen had complained about not feeling well (INAUDIBLE) about 30 minutes (INAUDIBLE) you see there on your TV screen now is Edgar Ray Killen being taken out of the courthouse on a stretcher.
Now, every morning he has shown up here at the courthouse for trial, he's brought in, he (INAUDIBLE) the courthouse on a -- in a wheelchair. His family brings him in every day.
There have been great lengths that this court has gone to make sure that Edgar Ray Killen is comfortable for this -- for this trial. Back in March, he had been injured in a -- he had been cutting some trees (INAUDIBLE) branch and broken both of his legs. So Mr. Killen is still recovering from those ailments and a series of other things.
And this is what his defense attorneys have been complaining about, if you will, in the months and weeks leading up to this trial. They had asked -- had asked for a delay (INAUDIBLE). And they had maintained throughout in the weeks leading up to the trial, this week, that he wasn't in the physical condition to be able to withstand this sort of trial. And now we see Mr. Killen being taken out of the courthouse in a stretcher.
We are still trying to get information as to exactly what has happened today, but (INAUDIBLE) the condition he's in and what he's been going through in the last few weeks.
KAGAN: All right. I have a couple of questions for you, Ed, but it sounds like our phone connection is not the best. So we're going to let you go and get some more information, reestablish contact, and we'll bring you back in a little bit.
Ed Lavandera with the latest from Philadelphia, Mississippi.
Ed Lavandera from Philadelphia, Mississippi.
On to our other lead story this morning, mounting casualties and unrelenting attacks in the for the fight for Iraq. Insurgents kept up their campaign of violence today.
CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reports from Baghdad on what is already a bloody month for Iraqi civilians and U.S. troops.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six American troops, five Marines and a sailor were killed during combat operations Wednesday in the Ramadi area of the restive Anbar province as five Marines were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. They were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle.
Now, an American soldier also died from wounds suffered when he was hit by enemy small arms fire. That was also near the town of Ramadi, which is west of Baghdad. This brings the death toll of U.S. troops so far to this month at 47.
Now turning to other developments, a car bomb targeting an Iraqi army convoy exploded at the gate of an oil company facility in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Five soldiers were wounded and two civilians were wounded. And here in Baghdad, early this morning, a remotely-detonated car bomb wounded also five Iraqi soldiers and an Iraqi civilian.
Now, we also heard today from a U.S. military official of the capture of a man described as al Qaeda's leader in the town of Mosul. He is the insurgent leader identified by the Americans as Abu Talha, and he was captured on Tuesday according to Brigadier General Donald Alston (ph).
An important point here. It was an Iraqi tip-off that led to that arrest.
Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: A memo that has raised new questions about Iraq intelligence is the focus of a hearing today. Democratic Congressman John Conyers hold a forum on the so-called Downing Street Memo.
According to a British newspaper, the memo to Prime Minister Tony Blair said U.S. intelligence was "being fixed" to support the war with Iraq. In a news conference with Mr. Blair last week, Mr. Bush flatly denied those allegations.
A small bipartisan group is calling on the president to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. They are introducing a resolution to begin the withdrawal by October of next year. Among the sponsors of the bill, Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: And for the first time, a bipartisan group of members of Congress worked together to craft a binding resolution to bring the troops home. And our partnership reflects a shifting mood in Congress caused by daily reports of more Americans dead in a war with no end in sight. Now, our bill says enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Over 12,000 wounded and $200 billion spent. We believe it is time to have this debate and this discussion on this resolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: By the way, Jones there voted for the war in Iraq and was one of the leaders in the effort to change French fries to "freedom fries" to protest France's opposition to the war.
Well, among the Americans who are serving in Iraq are four men who share a common bond that goes beyond patriotism, beyond duty. This is a CNN special report. It's called "Brothers in Arms." And in it, CNN's Alex Quade introduces us to an Idaho family that has given more than its fair share to the war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Oil pipeline attacks, suicide car bombs, mortars, mass graves, improvised explosives devices and ethnic tensions. This is Kirkuk province, northern Iraq, where nearly 5,000 U.S. Army National Guardsmen serve. Among them, Eric, an assistant manager at a Wal-Mart...
ERIC PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: We're here. We're armed. We are ready for business.
QUADE: ... Jeff, a grocery store clerk...
JEFF PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: We've got to protect our backs.
QUADE: ... Evan, a bartender...
EVAN PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: I just hope nothing bad happens.
QUADE: ... and Greg, a missionary.
GREG PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: I just kind of hope and pray that everything's OK.
QUADE: Four citizen soldiers with something in common: their last name, Pruett. Four brothers deployed with different units in Kirkuk.
On patrol with Eric, the eldest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here toting bulletproof vests and weapons everywhere we go, and guys pulling security even as we talk now. I mean, at any moment, anything could happen, and we need to be ready for that.
QUADE (on camera): What was it like for you the first time you came under fire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was pretty intense.
QUADE (voice-over): An understatement. His platoon has survived five gun fights, three IEDS, improvised explosive devices, three rocket, and nine mortar attacks.
J. PRUETT: They check in this canister thing right here.
QUADE: On the other side of town, I joined brother Jeff. J. PRUETT: We had that rocket fired at our fog (ph) yesterday. This is where they traced it.
QUADE: He hunts for insurgents and weapons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell them to check in between all the pillows and all the mattresses.
QUADE: The dangers Jeff and Eric face are the same for brothers Greg and Evan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get all your gear on and stay in your little bunker and just wait until they tell you everything is good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very real and it's something that we have to contend with every single day.
QUADE: The four Pruetts have been away from home for a year, living under constant threat and worry for each other.
J. PRUETT: I was worried, you know, what's the chances of four of us coming over to Iraq where it's combat and all of us making it home. So it kind of scared me at first, and I didn't like the idea.
QUADE: I met the Pruetts a year ago at their home in Pocatello, Idaho. Among these teens playing volleyball, four soldiers about to go to war the next day. And two just back. Yes, six members of one family serving their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We never thought that all of us would go.
QUADE: Lee Pruett, or dad, and son Aaron just returned from serving in Falluja when the others were called up.
AARON PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: It's kind of weird to think that my brothers are going over there now that I've been there and back. And, you know, I just kind of -- just, you know, offer them as much support and love as I can.
LEE PRUETT, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: We've had close calls just with Aaron and I over there. A big helicopter crash in Mosul. We actually went out and did the extrication and recovered the bodies of those soldiers in those helicopters.
QUADE: In uniform, for family photos...
TAMMY PRUETT, MOTHER: All right. Look over here, you two.
QUADE: ... the brothers are excited for their chance to experience what dad and Aaron had.
G. PRUETT: Soldiers are dying, but that's war. And, you know, we're willing to take that risk. We love our country.
You know, we're a very patriotic family. I'm sure you saw my brother's car over there. Painted it red, white and blue. And we're all willing to go over there and do what we have to do.
QUADE: Their mom, Tammy Pruett, puts on a brave face.
T. PRUETT: Our odds are a lot higher than most families. And, yes, it would be horrible to lose one of my sons. They're all, I think, prepared to make that sacrifice. And sure, it would be horrible. You know, I'm not going to kid and say, oh, I could really get through that easily, because I couldn't.
QUADE: Next day...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to go with me?
QUADE: ... the brothers say their good-byes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would if you could, huh?
QUADE: ... and report for duty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want you people to think about the innocent people that was burned to death in buildings in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm in charge of 16 guys, four tanks. And that's my first priority. But, at the same time, you know, my brothers are going to be there. And I'm going to be just worried about them and trying to check up on them just as much as I can and as much as I'm allowed to.
QUADE: They will be away from home for 18 months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ease. All right, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Before the brothers get to Iraq, they go through plenty of training.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The leg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's shot in the leg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Left arm and left leg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: But it gets very real and very dangerous very quickly. Stay with us as we follow the "Brothers in Arms" all the way to Iraq.
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KAGAN: Earlier, we introduced to you the four Pruett brothers, former weekend warriors now serving in Iraq. In part two of her special report, CNN's Alex Quade goes with the men as they learn the dangers of urban warfare.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUADE: It looks like Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be out there too long. Get it done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That first shot through the wall hit a civilian over here.
QUADE: But this is urban combat training, August, Fort Bliss, Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got a strong back. All right. You're my radio man so I can maneuver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to take the two buildings on the right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pruett, get up here!
QUADE: Each Pruett brother and his unit go through this mock Iraqi village.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One bad guy down!
QUADE: Where things suddenly go bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him down! Secure him!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got one man down!
QUADE: If this raid were real, youngest brother Jeff, the one in the middle, would be dead. This training may keep them alive in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go on that side!
QUADE: Brother Eric's tank platoon provides backup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they'll go in and clear a town. And then we'll roll through the town.
QUADE: The four Pruetts have been training separately and haven't seen each other in two months. I arranged with the Army for a reunion for Jeff and Evan, Eric and Greg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty neat because Greg has never really seen the tanks or anything. And so it's pretty cool to explain to him what my job is. And so you can have a little sense of how much safer I am by being on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. He likes it. He better be out of there protecting my butt, you know, while I'm in my Humvee. So that's all I got to say.
I love these things.
EVAN PRUETT: In my heart, I feel we will be able to watch out for each other. And even if it's just that feeling that I think that I'm going to be able to, it's nicer to know that they're there, and if something could happen, you know, that they're there.
QUADE: October, Fort Polk, Louisiana. This is advanced urban combat training where the brothers meet up again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're very lucky to have each other here. You know, you talk to your guys, and the guys in your unit are wonderful, but family, as everyone knows, is a lot different.
QUADE: They haven't even left the states but are already missing family. Evan's wife Amber is pregnant with their first child. Eric's baby boy colors with Crayons with the first time.
ERIC PRUETT: I'm missing such a large part of his growing and first haircuts and walking and birthdays.
QUADE: By December, the Pruetts are in Kuwait. While waiting to deploy into Iraq, the brothers attend a controversial town hall meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not have proper armament vehicles.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: You go to war with the Army you have and not the Army you might want.
QUADE: The press reacted strongly to the statements, but Eric saw it differently. "I was there," he e-mails, "and thought the Rumsfeld talk went very well." Still, Eric goes on to say he's glad he will be in his tank and his brothers in armored Humvees when they cross the border into Iraq.
January, Iraq's first democratic elections. While the four brothers were providing security at different polling stations...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were attacked all day long. Mortared, gunfire, rockets. It was pretty -- a pretty big day.
QUADE: Back home, their sister Emily was getting married.
EMILY PRUETT, SISTER: It's sad not to have them be a part of the day that is really important, you know? I heard from them. And they congratulated me.
QUADE: Brother Greg e-mailed his best wishes and added, "Please play pray that the Iraqi people may have the strength to carry the burdens on their own so that we may all return home."
Until next January, the Pruetts will call Kirkuk home. It is a place of tension between Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. And according to Army intelligence, a recruiting area and sanctuary for extremist militias.
At this point, Tammy's sons have been away six months.
T. PRUETT: Each blue star represents the number of active members that you have in a foreign country. So they're for foreign wars. And then if, by chance, someone didn't come back, which we hope doesn't happen, but they would put a gold star over top of these blue ones.
QUADE: The banner will hang in the window until her boys come home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, a lot more interesting than Idaho.
QUADE: For Jeff, Greg, Evan, and Eric, the challenges have only just begun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: We're going to follow those challenges after the break. We'll go back to Iraq and to the Pruett brothers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Candy? Want a piece of candy? There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: How they go about doing their military jobs, as well as winning over the Iraqi people.
Plus, fighting with and for the Iraqis also means communicating with them. How do American soldiers do that? Up next, we'll speak to two experts on overcoming the language and culture barriers.
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KAGAN: We're going to get back to the story of the Pruett brothers from Idaho in just a moment.
First, though, the global war on terror has taught the military an important lesson, that language skills are a vital part of the arsenal in today' Army. The reliance on translators in the Iraq work illustrates the challenge facing U.S. troops. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If everybody runs and nobody is able to help, we'll never get anywhere. But I understand he has to protect his family. And I respect -- and I respect him for taking care of his family. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The Army's Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California, is where soldiers go to hone their language skills. Joining us from there this morning, Cassandra Mary Armstrong and Sergeant Justin Burns. They are both Arabic language experts. Sergeant Burns has been deployed in Iraq and has used the training from the institute.
Good morning, to both of you..
CASSANDRA MARY ARMSTRONG ARABIC LANGUAGE EXPERT: Good morning.
SGT. JUSTIN BURNS, ARABIC LANGUAGE EXPERT: (SPEAKING ARABIC)
ARMSTRONG: (SPEAKING ARABIC)
KAGAN: And translate for us, please?
BURNS: It was "Good morning."
KAGAN: Very good.
Private Armstrong, your specialty is Arabic. Do you speak any other language besides English, of course?
ARMSTRONG: Well, ma'am, I have studied French a little bit in high school and college, but I don't think I'm as proficient in that as in English by far.
KAGAN: Yes. And -- but where did you learn your Arabic?
ARMSTRONG: I'm learning Arabic here at the Defense Language Institute.
KAGAN: And how far away are you from being fluent, would you say?
ARMSTRONG: Well, fluent is a long way off. I've only been three months into it so far. The program here will continue, and I'll graduate next July.
KAGAN: And then what's your -- what's your path? What's your track?
ARMSTRONG: Well, I'll return to Georgia, where my National Guard unit is, and from there, probably be deployed and continue a career in the Army.
KAGAN: Sergeant Burns, tell us about -- about your path. You were there before in Monterrey, studied Arabic?
BURNS: Actually, I had a small course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, prior to deploying. And after deploying, decided to come to Monterrey to continue my Arabic education.
KAGAN: So with what little you had as you took it overseas, how did you use it, and what kind of difference do you think it made?
BURNS: It's -- I can't even find words to describe the difference between being able to communicate directly with someone in their own language and having to use a person to go between you, like a translator or some other means of translation.
KAGAN: And was it something that you did on a daily basis?
BURNS: I would say on a daily basis. It wasn't as intense. There were definitely some times where it was a little more intense.
But on a daily basis, you know, you have people all around, the military out there who speak the language. So, yes, I tried to brush up as much as I could.
KAGAN: And then now that you come back here, where does your training go from here?
BURNS: I am not a hundred percent sure. I know I will probably go -- I will return to my unit. And from there, you know, it will depend on (INAUDIBLE) and things like that. I hope to be using the Arabic that I'm learning out here, though.
KAGAN: You're both young people. Obviously, do others who you have worked with and are training with talk about the difference, and the difference in the emphasis of language skills and communicating that they are noticing in the military?
BURNS: Excuse me. Go ahead.
KAGAN: Private, go ahead.
ARMSTRONG: Well, pretty much most of the people in my class are in the same boat as I am. We're somewhat fresh into the military, and we haven't experienced deployment yet.
We do have all of the branches here represented at the DLI, Defense Language Institute. And so we're all learning the language together. We'll see where it leads us.
KAGAN: Right. So let me ask you this, Private. When you signed up to serve, did you think it was going to include this path of studying language? And if not, how was it presented to you?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, ma'am, this is what I signed up for. I had a wonderful recruiter who brought me down, and I signed up for Arabic. I got the spot that I wanted.
KAGAN: And in your past, I mean, you didn't know a single word before you signed up?
ARMSTRONG: Not a one, ma'am.
KAGAN: And, of course, signing up for Arabic probably does mean that you will deploy for Iraq or someplace equally as dangerous. How do you feel about that? ARMSTRONG: Well, ma'am, I'm fine with it. My mom has a slightly different opinion.
KAGAN: Right, obviously.
Sergeant Burns, next stop for you?
BURNS: I mean, I can make an assumption on the language that I'm learning. I've been over, and it would probably be hopefully familiar territory for me again. And it would be another chance to use the language.
KAGAN: Well, we wish you well in your studies and your service, and we wish you safety as well.
BURNS: Thank you very much.
ARMSTRONG: Thank you.
KAGAN: Private Armstrong and Sergeant Burns. Thank you. Good luck with your studies.
BURNS: Thank you.
ARMSTRONG: Thank you.
KAGAN: In just a minute, we're going to follow, we're going to go back to the story of the four Pruett brothers, again in the danger zone, but also into some of the strangest living quarters you could imagine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This right here is actually where he used to hang and torture some of his people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Inside Iraq with its contradictions, its hopes and its dangers when we return.
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