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Premeditated Murder?; The 'Other' Border; Alleged Abduction Foiled; Who's Watching You?; What A Day

Aired June 06, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Marriage debate. Domestic partners, religious leaders, politicians. A heated debate from Congress to the pulpit. We'll take a look.
Plus, check out the calendar. We just mentioned it. Look at it really closely, right there, 666, folks. To plenty of people, it is a date with the devil. Oh, that just sends chills. And we'll tell you why people feel that way and what some folks are actually doing to protect themselves just in case.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: But first this hour, the fog of war or cold-blooded murder in Iraq? A source close to a military investigation tells CNN that some U.S. Marines may have shot to death an Iraqi civilian in a case of pre-meditated murder. The source, a military officer says, some of the Marines have admitted to a cover-up by staging the crime scene in Hamdaniya. This case is separate from the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in November. CNN's Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre joins us now with the latest on this developing story.

And, Jamie, let me first ask you, is this a case, the Hamdaniya case, where the initial reporting on this is starting to go through a bit of a revision?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a case where the original account that the Marines gave has quickly come under scrutiny. And one of the differences between this case and the Haditha case is that U.S. military officers took very seriously initially the complaints of Iraqi citizens in this town and quickly investigated this. Because this only came to light at the end of April. This happened at the end of April.

At the beginning of May, at a regular meeting with the U.S. military, the villagers complained about the death of this man. There was an immediate investigation. The Marines were shipped back, sent to the brig, along with one Navy corpsmen and held in pre-trial confinement.

And now, just over a month later, it appears that the charges are going to be filed soon. And as you said, a senior military official is indicating to CNN that there is evidence suggesting that it may be a "premeditated murder" and that some of the Marine have talked to investigators and admitted that the circumstances surrounding the death were staged.

Specifically there was a written statement that was in the possession of the family of the victim which has been obtained by Knight-Ridder news service and posted on their Web site. It says, "we spotted a man digging on the side of the road from our ambush site. I made the call and engaged. He was pronounced dead at the scene with only a shovel and an AK-46." Signed by a Marine sergeant, witnessed by a staff sergeant as well. But investigators have concluded that what actually happened was the man was dragged from his home and shot and then the rifle and the shovel were placed next to him to make it appear that he was an insurgent planting a roadside bomb. That's the allegation.

Now there have been no charges filed yet and defense attorneys are complaining bitterly that their clients are being vilified in public by these kinds of leaks before they've even had a chance to review the charges. One of those attorneys sent us an e-mail urging us, "not to rush to judgment." That attorney, Jeremiah Sullivan said, "these individuals have the unqualified right to a presumption of innocence and it is an injustice for anyone to rush to judgment base don conjecture and politics. This is the same reactionary frenzy surrounding the cases I handled involving Navy SEALs implicated in the killing of a terrorist. I represented two of those SEALs and am proud to say that both were fully exonerated and serve our country today. As in those cases, I am confident that my client will be vindicated at the conclusion of this process."

He's representing the Navy corpsman or medic who was along with these people. He's one of the eight people being held in pre-trial confinement at Camp Pendleton pending charges, which could come as early as this week.

Tony.

HARRIS: And, Jamie, you mentioned Haditha. Anything new in that investigation?

MCINTYRE: Well, the investigation is winding down. The preliminary investigation is substantially complete. The commanding general in Iraq, Lieutenant General Peter Corelly (ph), has told members of Congress he met with over the weekend that he wants to make sure that there are no loose ends.

Sources tell us that the completion of the investigation, which is still involving interviews, going back and re-interviewing some witnesses, trying to see if they can exhume the bodies at Haditha. That could take another six to eight weeks. So it may be into the summer before we see any charges filed in that incident.

In contrast to how quickly the Marine Crop was able to move in the Hamdaniya case because they moved quickly, the evidence was much fresher. And because they delayed in the Haditha case, the evidence is -- the trail's a little colder and it's a little harder to build a case.

HARRIS: Yes. CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, appreciate it. Thank you.

With the military investigations in Iraq, what now? We will talk with a former Navy defense lawyer. That's next hour on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

NGUYEN: A follow-up now in our CNN "Security Watch." Fifteen of the 17 terror suspects arrested in Canada are making appearances in Toronto court today. Now they're accused of trying to acquire three tons of ammonium nitrate to bomb Toronto targets. Charges include trying to build bombs and training or being trained as terrorists. Canadian authorities suggest more arrests are possible and, of course, we're going to stay on top of this story. U.S. officials say there's no evidence the group planned any attacks in this country.

Well, we have talked at length about our southern border, but the recent terrorism arrests in Canada raises a big question. Could terrorists find easy passage across our northern border. CNN's Mary Snow went to Buffalo, New York, and filed this report for "The Situation Room."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): With 17 terror suspects arrested in Toronto, some are questioning just how secure is the U.S.-Canadian border.

MICHAEL CUTLER, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: This attack wasn't aimed at the United States, it was aimed at Canada. So they've got their own problem and their problem could easily spill over the border.

SNOW: Along that border, Buffalo is the busiest crossing with over 7 million cars and trucks passing from Canada to the U.S. Lawmakers are debating the need to require passports at checkpoints. But some are concerned terrorists could slip in through a less obvious place, by water.

CHRIS ROMOSZ, U.S. COAST GUARD: People have the right to go back and forth. But, you know, I think it makes it a little difficult up here to figure out who's doing what.

SNOW: This Coast Guard unit stationed in Buffalo is assisted by the U.S. border patrol, watching by camera spots not all boats can see.

One of the key concerns about border security here outside New York state is just how close the Canadian border is. It's right behind us. And here in the Niagara River, there's less than a mile in some spots between Canada and the United States.

ROMOSZ: They'll take small boat. Some of them will float across in their own life jackets to have a lower profile in the water. Sometimes they'll go at night.

SNOW: Sealing the 600 miles of shoreline this unit patrols, which include the Great Lakes, is impossible.

LT. CHRIS SWEENEY, U.S. COAST GUARD: It's wide open. It's a huge, vast area and it's tough to enforce.

SNOW: A former immigration agent says the terrain, coupled with Canada's laws, should be an area for concern.

CUTLER: What we also know is that Canada has a very liberal policy toward political asylum.

SNOW: Not true says Canada's ambassador to the United States.

MICHAEL WILSON, CANADIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: I think that our immigration laws, as they are implemented, are very close in the outcomes as the United States immigration laws.

SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, Buffalo, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And Mary Snow is part of the CNN team covering the world for "The Situation Room." Join Wolf Blitzer at 4:00 Eastern, again in prime time at 7:00 Eastern. CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up-to-date on safety. You'll want to stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HARRIS: President Bush is on the road and on the stump this morning. He's stepping up his campaign for immigration reform. One of the most controversial elements is his call for a guest worker program. Right now the president is on his way to Artesia, New Mexico. He will tour a law enforcement training center and speak on border security and immigration. He then travels on to Texas. There he will visit the border patrol headquarters in Laredo. We will have live coverage of Mr. Bush's remarks on immigration. That event is now scheduled for 1:10 Eastern, that's 10:10 Pacific.

Found safe and sound. An abducted newborn baby has been reunited with her parents. The baby was found yesterday left in a condominium carport in Lubbock, Texas. And listen to this, Betty, more than 100 degree heat.

NGUYEN: Oh, my.

HARRIS: Police have arrested a 33-year-old woman on kidnapping charges. They say she posed as a nurse to befriend the child's mother, then stole the infant from her on Sunday. Mom talked about the ordeal on CNN's "American Morning."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA YSASAGA, BABY'S MOTHER: She came over. She asked about my baby. She had brought up about the stuff she was going give me, the baby stuff she was going give me and then she said if she could take my baby on the next block that her -- some relatives lived on the next block from me and she could take Priscilla and I told her, no. And she kept on insisting, and I told her, no. And I finally went with her and then when we were walking -- we walked over there and she said nobody was at that house. And then were walking back and my son distracted me and when I turned around she was gone with Priscilla.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Six day old baby Priscilla is said to be doing fine.

NGUYEN: Well that's a happy ending.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Take a listen to this, though. A close call and a wake- up call for any parent. Police in Maine say a man tried to abduct a girl from a Wal-Mart store while the mother was just an aisle away. And here's what's more disturbing. Police say the man had just been released on bail on child molestation charges. Reporter Cherilee Budrick of our affiliate WGME has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERILEE BUDRICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Parents in the Waterville area are holding on to their children a little tighter as word gets out about the arrest of this man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Scary. Don't let your kids out of your sight.

BUDRICK: Police say Richard Decca approached an eight-year-old girl in Wal-Mart while her mother went into the next aisle. They say he told her he was going to bring her to her mother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes you think when something like that happens like at Wal-Mart.

BUDRICK: Police say Decca took the little girl into the parking lot and went from car to car looking for one that was open. When he finally found a door that was open, that's when the men approached and police say they believed if he'd gotten the girl in the car she would have been molested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're a single parent or if, you know, if you're alone and your shopping then, I mean, of course you're going to turn your head, of course you're going to step away for a minute. I guess, obviously, don't shop alone now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm glad she's OK.

BUDRICK: In this case, Bruce Smith (ph) and Eric Cahouet (ph) were able to bring the girl safely back to her mother. Police arrested Decca, who had just gotten out of jail the day before after posting his $300 bail on charges he sexually assaulted a one-year-old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time you pick up the paper, hear the news, it's always a repeat offender. Once they put them in jail, leave them there and they wouldn't have the problem.

BUDRICK: And with bail now set at half a million dollars, police say Decca should be behind bars for a while.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Oh, that's disturbing. All right, what you typing over there?

HARRIS: Well, I was -- just until that moment there when I got the cue to turn around, I was working on a little note.

NGUYEN: All right, let me just tell you this.

HARRIS: Well, what?

NGUYEN: Watch out, all right? Just be careful what you type, folks, because your boss may be watching, Tony. Yes, you may want to erase that before you send it.

HARRIS: That's a good point, yes.

NGUYEN: We'll tell you what some companies are doing to make sure employees are follow e-mail rules.

HARRIS: Yes. Feeling a little superstitious?

NGUYEN: Yes. Just a little today.

HARRIS: Yes and you're not the only one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We weren't completely concerned that the child was going to come out with horns if he came out on Tuesday, but we were excited to find out that we were going be able to get him before 6/6/06.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So here's the thing. What is it about this date that has some people so freaked out? We will get the lowdown . . .

NGUYEN: It's 666.

HARRIS: Well, that's it. That's really it.

NGUYEN: So there's a little bit of a (INAUDIBLE). There's more.

HARRIS: We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How's your money, Betty?

NGUYEN: I don't know, it's 666. I'm a little worried.

HARRIS: Well, yes.

NGUYEN: Well it's down apparently. Look at that.

HARRIS: Be careful today. What, 45 minutes into the trading day on Wall Street. The Dow down 12 points. The Nasdaq down about 8 points. We'll check in with Susan Lisovicz a little later to get a complete wrap on the markets early in the day.

NGUYEN: Well, it's not big brother, it is the big boss. More companies are monitoring their worker's e-mails and it's not just to protect company secrets. Oh, no. CNN's Rusty Dornin has a story that first ran on "Paula Zahn Now."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): When nurse Jamie Ray sends an e-mail from her computer at the Dekalb Medical Center where she works to the outside world, she knows her bosses are looking over her shoulder, electronically speak. If her message contains any company no nos, the hospital now has software to catch it.

You don't mind the idea . . .

JAMIE RAY, DEKALB MEDICAL CENTER: No.

DORNIN: That they can see what you're typing out if it triggers something.

RAY: Exactly. Yes. And not a problem at all because this is a hospital, it is a secure network.

DORNIN: Hospital officials say they don't care about most personal e-mails about dinner plans, et cetera, but they do worry about confidential information, patient history, social security numbers and the like. Since last year, Sharon Finney has been tasked with keeping up with those questionable e-mails.

And how many things pop up for you in a day that you have to take a look at?

SHARON FINNEY, DEKALB MEDICAL CENTER: Probably, I would say, probably 200 plus.

DORNIN: No one has been fired yet for violations, but a few have been counseled, says Finney.

Do people still feel like they're being spied upon?

FINNEY: I think that they're -- I think employees do have some concern when they find out that we're monitoring.

DORNIN: So while the software alerts on confidential information, it also alerts on other things that are forbidden. Harassment, for one. So we did a test. Finney sent me an e-mail saying, if you don't respond immediately, I will be forced to take physical action against you. Sounds like a threat to me.

Well, let's see. What time it is now? Let's see what time it is.

FINNEY: It's about 10:30 now.

DORNIN: OK. Her e-mail reached me right away. I just received your e-mail. Then it doesn't take long for the red flags to pop up.

FINNEY: And so it's about -- no, it's probably about 10:40 now. So it took about 10 minutes.

DORNIN: Right.

FINNEY: And then I get a page on my e-mail or on my Blackberry that basically comes up and I can see that a -- where it says here and I've got an e-mail that says I can see regarding account on here and so I know that that is a secure message that has left the facility.

DORNIN: Back in her office, Finney can check the exact wording of the message. Then . . .

FINNEY: At that point what I would do is I would notify human resources that we had an employee that sent a potentially harassing e- mail.

DORNIN: According to the ProofPoint survey, funded by the company that makes security software, more than 40 percent of major U.S. companies have hired people to do what Finney does, read questionable e-mail. But it's tough to get most companies to discuss this publicly.

At CNN's request, the E-policy Institute (ph) asked 8,000 companies to be interviewed on their e-mail security. Only three were willing to talk about it. So we asked our parent company, Turner Broadcasting. It wouldn't either confirm nor deny that it monitors our outgoing e-mails. So you might say if big brother is watching, he's not talking about it.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So be careful. Watch what you write. You can see more of Rusty Dornin's reports on "Paula Zahn Now." That's weeknights at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

HARRIS: So what's the rule on those things, you write it and then you wait, what, a minute or so before hitting send?

Rob, is that what you do? You write the note.

NGUYEN: You're asking Rob?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You breathe. You count to 10.

HARRIS: Rob is all impulse.

NGUYEN: Yes, Rob just sends.

MARCIANO: You close your outbox and sleep on it.

HARRIS: That's it and sleep on it.

NGUYEN: Well then you'd never get anything done. It would take too long.

MARCIANO: Well, there you go. I've been accused of never getting anything done, so that's probably the main reason.

NGUYEN: That's the reason.

HARRIS: Good morning, Rob. Good to see you.

MARCIANO: Hi, Tony. Hi, Betty. How are you?

NGUYEN: Hi.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: And there's supposed to be a hurricane Tony this year, right?

HARRIS: That's right. There is -- if we get that far.

MARCIANO: If we get that far.

HARRIS: If we get that far. We don't want to get that far.

MARCIANO: It likely wouldn't be till September or October and hopefully never. Not that I don't want to see Tony, but I don't want to see Tony there (ph).

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: We just don't want a hurricane Tony. I mean the one we have is bad enough, right?

HARRIS: Cat 4. Cat 4.

MARCIANO: He does have quite a bit of wind.

NGUYEN: He does pack a powerful punch.

HARRIS: OK, good-bye, Rob.

MARCIANO: See ya.

NGUYEN: See ya, Rob.

HARRIS: It was supposed to be a mock mystery, but it turned into the real deal.

NGUYEN: Unfortunately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that the first time I've ever seen a dead body, so I thought that was kind of crazy. And the smell, I'll never forget. But this is a great experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Ahead, a forensic field trip that students will never forget, believe you me. That is ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: OK.

HARRIS: Blasting your horn, tailgating, flipping the finger, just another weekend with Betty. You may have road rage or something more complex.

NGUYEN: Yes, it's called intermittent explosive disorder or IED. And a new study says up to 16 million Americans may be affected. OK. So the disorder involves, listen to this, multiple outbursts way out of proportion with the situation. Yeah, I'm guilty.

HARRIS: Yes, throwing or breaking things. Even spousal abuse can be attributed to it, though not everyone who does those things has IED. The disorder typically first appears in adolescents. Doctors say antidepressants and behavior therapy are often helpful. OK.

NGUYEN: All right. OK. So take a look at the calendar. Take a good look. It is 6/6/06. Right there, folks. And for some people it is a date with the devil.

HARRIS: So here's the question, should you be nervous or is this just another kind of bizarre bit of superstition? Our Alina Cho figures it all out in a story that aired on CNN's "American Morning."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Look no further than the most recent satanic thriller "The Omen."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He bears a birthmark. A sequence of 6s.

CHO: The remake of the 1976 horror flick about a couple raising the son of Satan is not so coincidentally opening nationwide today. The sixth day of the sixth month 2006. But where does 666 come from? The answer, says Father James Martin, is the Bible.

REV JAMES MARTIN, "AMERICA" MAGAZINE: It comes from the book of Revelation which is a book of prophesy. It's written in highly symbolic language. And in Hebrew, some of the letters stand for numbers. So 666 was kind of a coded message to stand for Nero.

CHO: Nero was a Roman emperor who persecuted Christians doing the work of the devil. 666 was a way to characterize him. A nickname or code. Though it was never meant to be taken literally, 666 has become synonymous with Satan, all things evil. Take the late president Ronald Wilson Reagan, six letters in each name, by the way. Reagan changed the address of his California home from 666 to 668. Wedding chapels are, for the most part, empty today and so are some hospitals. New mother Carrie McFarland of Dallas was induced on Sunday so her son, Sam, wouldn't have a birth date of 6/6/06. CARRIE MCFARLAND, NEW MOTHER: We weren't completely concerned that the child was going to come out with horns if he came out on Tuesday, but we were excited the find out that we were going to be able to get him before 6/6/06.

CHO: Her first child was born on January 1st. Friends teased her about missing the deadline for her tax deduction. Husband Larry McFarland says this round of ribbing would be worse.

LARRY MCFARLAND, NEW FATHER: When your friends are over for dinner, whatever, and he starts having a tantrum say, yes, see, there's the 666 kid.

CHO: There is a certain obsession with 666. A Google search turned up 119 million Web sites. Many warning the apocalypse is coming today. The odds online just a one in 100,000 chance the world will end.

Lee Moorhead, a psychic and expert in numerology, has received calls from concerned citizens.

LEE MOORHEAD, NUMEROLOGIST: I talk to them about it and say, please don't worry, it's hype. It's hype. Just like Y2K was hype.

CHO: Father James Martin agrees. Fears of Armageddon, he says, have been around for ages.

MARTIN: There have been people that have been waiting for the end of the world since the second century. And they're usually proven wrong. And I hope the world doesn't end on June 6th. I have kind of a busy day planned. So, but, you never know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And you can see more of Alina Cho's reports on "American Morning" every week day at 6:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

You know, they're also betting on 666 being, you know, the day when the world's going to end.

HARRIS: Oh, when it all ends.

NGUYEN: Yes, but here's the deal. Say you win that bet, right? How are you going get your money?

HARRIS: How do you collect? Very good point.

I have something else pretty strange.

NGUYEN: What?

HARRIS: This is a forensic field trip that becomes a real-life lesson for some Florida teenagers when they make, well, an unexpected and gruesome discovery.

NGUYEN: It is CSI high school coming up on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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