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CNN Live Today
Letter From Iran to Bush Prompts Mixed Reactions; Internet Sex Sting Captured on Camera; Nun Slaying Case Heads to Jury
Aired May 10, 2006 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: You may have heard about the letter this week. It's 18 pages from Iran's leader to the American president. The White House considers the letter a gimmick, but newspapers in Tehran describe it as a chance for old foes to talk.
Our Brian Todd has a few details on what's in this 18-page letter. His report first aired on "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mahmoud Ahmadinejad starts right in on George Bush's Christian beliefs, all but accusing his American counterpart of being a hypocrite. "Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ, feel obliged to respect human rights, announce one's opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, make war on terror his slogan, but at the same time, have countries attacked, the lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed?"
TRITA PARSI, IRAN ANALYST: He's basically trying to show that he is not in a morally inferior position vis-a-vis the United States and vis-a-vis President Bush.
TODD: Ahmadinejad mentions Jesus Christ 10 times, Saddam Hussein three times, calling him a murderous dictator. But he doesn't mention his own nuclear program by name. Instead, writing, "In what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievements being utilized for purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether?"
AZAR NAFISI, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: This letter is very timely. It comes right on the eve of when the U.N. is going to make decisions about Iran. And this is to delay those decision or to confuse.
TODD: Later, a reference to September 11th, calling it a horrendous incident, but then implying that unnamed governments might have sponsored the attacks. Throughout the letter, references to a belief in one god. Analysts say this is to establish common ground with Bush and their faiths.
And...
NAFISI: He's obviously also targeting the audiences in Muslim countries and coming out as the leader of the faith. TODD: Ahmadinejad starts off with the phrase in Arabic, "peace be upon the one who follows God's guidance," but at no time does he directly or indirectly invite President Bush to talk. Why not? Analysts say that was not the Iranian's intent. This letter, they say, was to preach to President Bush, to play to audiences back home and to not be seen as begging for negotiations.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And you can you see more reporting from Brian Todd on "THE SITUATION ROOM." Tune in this afternoon at 4:00 Eastern, the primetime edition at 7:00.
In Iran, their president's letter is a hot topic; in fact, it's front page news. Our Aneesh Raman is in the capital, and he has reaction from just regular folks on the street.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Iranians are getting their first chance to read in full the letter sent by their president to U.S. President Bush.
Here's the full text that's printed in one of the English language newspapers here. Now, the government has been keen to say this letter is an attempt by Iran to curb the international crisis. This is the "Tehran Times," the government-backed paper from Tuesday. The headline, "Iran Gives Diplomacy a New Chance." You can see from the photo, that is clearly the intent, in terms of the message.
Now, the West has criticized Iran for offering no new specifics in this letter, but Iranians say the West might be missing the point.
(voice-over): The letter, many told us here, was never meant to be about nuclear politics, but as 27-year-old Behran Jeti (ph) told us, about venting frustration. "This was an invitation," he says, "to see things from our point of view. It was critique of foreign policy of the United States."
We also ventured inside a nearby market. Some here wouldn't talk to us on camera. This man said he no opinion. But those that did said they hoped this letter, if nothing else, brings Iran and the U.S. closer together.
"This letter has now established some sort of relationship," says 24-year-old Mohammed (ph). "In general, our president wanted to less President Bush know about the realities of the world from the third world point of view."
It is a letter that the West is saying didn't have enough, a letter that Iranians are telling us had everything, as they now wait to see if this could end the current crisis.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: The letter is the talk in the U.S. as well. The largest community of Iranian exiles outside the Mideast is in Los Angeles. No surprise here that people are split over what should happen next with Iran.
Our Chris Lawrence has that part of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a slice of the Middle East in the middle of Los Angeles: Persian sounds and signs, the heart of what Iranian exiles call "Tehrangelos." Right now, it's a community caught in the middle.
SATAREH EGHBAL, IRANIAN-AMERICAN: I'm American right now. I'm proud to be American, but I have my Iranian citizenship, too.
LAWRENCE: Satareh Eghbal left her country just before the revolution in 1979. She read parts of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush.
EGHBAL: I was very surprised, because he is a very stubborn person.
LAWRENCE: Eghbal thinks it's an opening, and she's urging Mr. Bush to give diplomacy a chance.
EGHBAL: We have to solve the problem with talking, not ignoring the people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But never -- doesn't have to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
LAWRENCE: Some weren't sure to take the letter at face value and wondered if it's truly an invitation to open negotiations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope he's serious about that.
LAWRENCE: This man runs his own flower shop, and he's skeptical about this olive branch from Iran's president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to believe all of a sudden he wants to come and talk to President Bush and send a letter to President Bush. I think that because he was totally against everything, and now all of a sudden I don't know what's in his mind, but I hope that he's honest about it.
LAWRENCE (on camera): A lot of Iranian-Americans say it's more of a hope than any kind of realistic expectation, but other people have asked us, how could you pass up any chance to get a peaceful solution?
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: And from Los Angeles to Texas -- Collin County, Texas -- tornadoes landing there, touching down yesterday. Officials setting up to give a news conference about what the latest is about the tornado damage.
Let's go ahead and listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Transported ten by ground -- or correction, seven by ground and three by air last night. Right now we're doing damage assessment to the area. We have damage assessment teams in certain grids checking, also, further searches in the area. We've gridded that off and putting search teams in and as long -- as well as different fire departments, to further search.
We're waiting for the arrival of the Department of Public Safety helicopter to help us assist the damage from the air, and also direct rescuers into areas that was not accessible last night, that we couldn't see.
QUESTION: Is it possible you may find more victims? It is a possibility we could find more victims. At this time, we're about to establish a telephone line that people who have abandoned their homes in that area, in the impact area, can call in, because it would greatly help us on the search, but to call in, let us know who they are, their address and the make sure their whole family is accounted for.
Because we've had some houses where they've actually abandoned their homes, even left notes there saying that -- giving their names and said their family's accounted for and gave what address they're at. But not everyone did that. So we're doing to try to establish that. And accountability is what we're trying to do now.
QUESTION: This elderly couple, were they inside a house? Were they in a car, or...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From my knowledge they were in a mobile home.
QUESTION: The 14-year-old, do you know anything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 14-year-old was in a home, was in Grayson County.
QUESTION: Do you have identity for (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir?
QUESTION: Do you have identities of the victims?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir, we do. They have been identified. All the next of kin have not been notified yet, so we can't release that information.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would estimate probably about a half a mile and the width, and probably traveled a distance in Collin County from around Highway 5, which is probably about six or seven miles.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) apparently torn away from its foundation, can you say what category storm this might be?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir. I can't. It was a rather strong, destructive storm.
QUESTION: There were several houses that were ripped from the foundation. Have those families been accounted for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did rescue several people last night from those homes, off of FM-31-33 (ph) here north of Westminster. They were actually able to recover those people from the homes and transport them. They are part of the seven that were transported by ground, and also the ones transported by air.
QUESTION: How difficult did the nighttime storm make (INAUDIBLE)
KAGAN: Getting an update here on what happened in Collin County, Texas. This is an area just north of Dallas, Texas. Tornadoes touching down there. At least three people, two elderly people and a teenager, killed as those tornadoes touched down. It you'd like to keep listening in, you can listen in on Pipeline on CNN.com.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Also ahead, crisis at hand: No food, water and safety. Can new peace deal finally change the plight of the people of Darfur? I'll be able to talk to a relief worker coming up on LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
KAGAN: Well, it started online, and it ended face down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: where are you from, David? Where are you from, David?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David, where are you from?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: An Internet sex sting. Cameras follow the cops from the first exchange to the final arrest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: You are about to see a month of police work condensed into mere minutes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down, now! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands behind your back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands behind your back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your name, partner?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David Campaniello, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where you from, David?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: It's an Internet sex sting. Police say the man being arrested thought he was meeting a 14-year-old for sex.
Here's what really happened behind the scenes. Reporter Kara Sundlun has details. She's with our affiliate WSFB in Hartford, Connecticut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car! Here he is!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands up!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car, get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands behind your back.
KARA SUNDLUN, WSFB REPORTER (voice-over): This is the last thing 34-year-old David Campaniello was expecting when he showed up at this plaza in Naugatuck. Police say for days he'd been talking online with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, never knowing it was really Detective Ron Blanchard.
(on camera): So is this a breeding ground for predators? This is where they come?
DET. RON BLANCHARD, NAUGATUCK POLICE: Yes, this is the new thing!
SUNDLUN (voice-over): So how did this man end up here, face down in a parking lot? Let's start from the beginning.
Detective Blanchard poses as a young girl to uncover predators lurking in chat rooms. The I-Team cameras rolled on his sexually explicit instant messages. Police say Campaniello sent some so graphic we can't put them on TV, but you get the idea. In this one he writes, "When no one is looking, you can give your daddy a wet kiss."
After a few days of chatting, police get a message saying he wants to meet in person. He calls to confirm he'll meet us at this plaza right across from Naugatuck High School. He has no idea he's speaking to a female police officer.
Later, he calls back to say his car broke down, but that doesn't stop him. Get this. He actually rents a car and calls back and tells to look out for a taupe Ford Focus.
BLANCHARD: Little does he know, he'll be locked up shortly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The target has arrived. Coming to the stop sign.
SUNDLUN: Before he can get close enough to find out Officer Amanda Devan (ph) isn't 14, other officers make their move.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take him out. Just take him out.
SUNDLUN: At first he tried to run, backing up into this police car, while our camera man and I were still in it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car! Here he is!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands up!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the car! Get on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands behind your back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands behind your back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your name, partner?
DAVID CAMPANIELLO, ARRESTED IN SEX STING: David Campaniello, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you from, David?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you from, David?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David, where are you from?
CAMPANIELLO: Is that a news camera, sir?
SUNDLUN: Yes, it is. The I-Team was there to confront him.
(on camera): You came here all the way to have sex with a 14- year-old girl.
CAMPANIELLO: No, I don't think so.
SUNDLUN: Well, that's what you said to us online.
CAMPANIELLO: That's not true.
SUNDLUN (voice-over): He denies it now, but police showed us a message where he actually thought he would be helping the girl. Look at what it says. "In some traditional European families, when a young blossoming virgin comes to age, a member of the family, always older, is given the honorable task of taking the young girl's virginity. What man doesn't want to do something honorable for a woman?"
He even brought along flowers, and police found more proof in his pockets -- a condom, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Plus, MapQuest directions from this plaza to a Super 8 Motel in Waterbury.
SUNDLUN (on camera): What do you have to say for yourself?
(voice-over): Campaniello wouldn't say another word, except to ask for an attorney. The I-Team discovered he used to teach at a sailing school in Newport. We also uncovered his criminal record. He's been arrested more than once on drug charges. Police say until now, no one would have known how dangerous he could be to children.
LT. TODD BROUILLETTE, NAUGATUCK POLICE: Parents need to know that this is going on, and this is going on in your own backyard.
SUNDLUN (on camera): David Campaniello is out of jail now on a $200,000 bond, but he's facing some very serious charges, including attempted sexual assault and enticing a minor.
With the I-Team, I'm Kara Sundlun, Eyewitness News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Are you sitting at home with your jaw -- that one, unbelievable story there. Thank you, Kara, for that story.
Coming up, a priest on trial. The charge is murder. The victim, a nun. Soon a jury's decision. Closing arguments under way. Details on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A nun killed, and a priest accused. Today the case goes to the jury. The Reverend Gerald Robinson is charged in the stabbing death of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. Closing arguments are under way this morning.
CNN's Keith Oppenheim is covering the trial in Toledo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It's expected that right after noon today a jury of seven women and five men will begin deliberating to determine if 26 years ago a priest murdered a 71-year-old nun.
In 1980, Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was found stabbed and strangled in the chapel of Toledo's Mercy Hospital. At the time, Father Gerald Robinson, a hospital chaplain, was questioned but not charged. Nearly 24 years later, cold case investigators took another look and believe they found a match between a bloodstain at the crime scene and a dagger-shaped letter opener that police say is the murder weapon and belongs to Father Robinson.
During the three-week trial, prosecutors presented some strong evidence and had witnesses who said they saw Father Robinson near the crime scene, but prosecutors presented no DNA evidence that links the priest to the victim.
Father Robinson pleaded not guilty. And his lawyers say there is reasonable doubt, that the pieces of the puzzle in this case do not fit.
Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Toledo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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