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American Morning

Look at What's Making News in England

Aired February 08, 2002 - 07:45   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: It's Friday, time to journey across the pond for a look at what's making news over there. This morning, it seems the detainees at Camp X-ray at Guantanamo have some members of the British press disturbed and bothered. So let's bring in our guy in the British Isles, Correspondent Richard Quest, who's live in London.

Happy Friday Richard. What's going on now? We're all upset about the detainees again? Why this time? They're going to be treated under the terms of the Geneva Convention. Isn't that -- that's not enough, I guess.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. Well, yeah -- first of all, I'm not entirely sure I exactly like the word disturbed and bothered being uttered in the same sentence as my name, but never mind. We'll let that one go.

CAFFERTY: Yeah, you make a good point.

QUEST: The detainees, big news, of course -- well, the detainees have been much on the mind of the British public and the British newspapers earlier in the week. Especially this particular picture, which was in the Sunday papers and has been seen by all of -- have been used by all of them during the course of the week. It was, of course, one of the detainees being transported on some sort of makeshift cart.

What next? Tony -- the Tony, of course, is the British Prime Minister Tony Blair electrodes (ph). And the voice of "The Mirror" (ph), which is a left-wing newspaper says, "To any neutral observer, it is the closest thing possible to torture, but President Bush doesn't care." And what's interesting about this, is that as the papers have had more and more of these pictures and have tried to stir up what I suppose some would say would be a liberal bias against what's happening. So the readers of the papers are actually writing in and saying, "Absolutely not. What the Americans are doing is entirely the right thing."

So this might be an example of public and paper being absolutely out of step with each other. But, certainly, this picture, Jack, was big news across Britain earlier in the week.

CAFFERTY: I don't know what the big deal is. I have one of those that they wheel me back and forth from the studio to the news room on. It's not a big deal.

QUEST: I've been in a few New York cabs that were more comfortable that. Now then...

CAFFERTY: Absolutely.

QUEST: ... let's look and see exactly what the other big story, of course, in the last few days has been clearly the theft or the alleged fraud that's taken place at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Bank's Baltimore (ph) headquarters. A rogue trader; his name's John Rusnack (ph), and people are absolutely agog by the fact that this man apparently managed to defraud the company out of 540 million pounds. About three quarters of $1 billion. Now nobody's suggesting he did it for his own personal gain. But they don't know where he is and everybody -- the way "The Daily Telegraph" in Britain puts it is interesting. "Mr. middle America disappears after running up huge losses."

Now although the bank won't go under, unlike Barings (ph) back in the 1990s, he's described as being a churchgoer, a man with two children; everything about Mr. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He still managed to lose $750 million, which by everybody's account is an achievement indeed.

Finally, from this side -- of course, we've been so much on the mind this week with the queen's golden jubilee. Here's an interesting picture of her majesty and Prince Phillip (ph). But one of the newspapers, "The London Times," had this fascinating account of what thing were like back in 1952. Now as you can see, this is what "The Times" newspaper looked like on the day. You can see, it was hardly an easy read. I mean, you didn't munch (ph) through that with your croissants and coffee in the morning. There's just acres and acres of newsprint with one picture.

President Truman was on, of course -- it was in the White House in those days. He, of course, sent his condolences. The U.S. Congress -- here's an interesting -- the U.S. Congress adjourned early during all of it. And D. Naturson (ph), the U.S. Secretary of State, when making a statement was clearly so obviously deeply moved, he had to put down his papers.

Finally, I just want to say, Jack, if things are looking a bit ropy for you and Paula, there were plenty of opportunities for you in 1952. For example, Baroness Lady Burton (ph), now she required an experienced personal maid for her (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Scotland and Whales home -- good pay and Wednesday afternoons off. And for yourself, Jack -- because you never know if things can be a bit off -- "Chauffeur Wanted, but you must be accustomed to high-grade cars such as Rolls Royces, with special pay for evening work." A bit like your job (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CAFFERTY: Yeah, exactly. You're much too young to remember this, but I'm not. I watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television. It was in 1952, and television was still a fairly new item, at least out in Reno, Nevada, where I was living. And I remember -- my earliest memories of television were watching the queen and the coronation and the riding in that beautiful coach. You were still a gleam in your father's eye; you were just a youngster. But I remember it well, and it was one of the big events that kind of crystallized television as part of the American life.

Richard, I'll see you next week. Thank you.

QUEST: Thanks very much, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Richard Quest in London.

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