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American Morning
Hunt for Osama bin Laden; Jayson Williams Trial
Aired April 16, 2004 - 07:30 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning. Welcome back here to CNN's AMERICAN MORNING. It's officially the stripes day here on a Friday.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Though we don't officially call each other before the show every morning. What are you wearing, Bill?
HEMMER: We're matching, so if we can get...
O'BRIEN: That would be sad if you were dressed in, like, some (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: Yes, I would agree with that. If we can get your order, let us know.
In a moment here, live to Afghanistan. Intelligence experts are going over that latest audiotape from yesterday. What's happening there on in the ground? Nic Robertson is with U.S. troops searching for the al Qaeda leader. Is their strategy now changing? We'll get to Nic live in a moment overseas.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, if you missed it last night, Donald Trump has a new protege. He picked Bill. No, not Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: The other Bill in the finale of "The Apprentice." That Bill now has to go build a skyscraper. Sibila Vargas is going to join us in just a few minutes. She was actually at the party late last night. I love it when our correspondents get to go out all night and party, and then roll in and talk about all of the fun they had.
HEMMER: They get to tell us about, though, huh?
O'BRIEN: I'm not even a little bit jealous. Not even.
HEMMER: Top stories here at the half-hour.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is meeting with the president today at the White House. The situation in Iraq is expected to dominate the agenda today. Prime Minister Blair has suffered politically for sending British troops to war in Iraq. The last time he met President Bush face-to-face was about five months ago. Complete coverage on that visit throughout the morning here.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saying he regrets having to extend the tours of duty for about 20,000 troops. Yesterday, he acknowledged that he had not expected such fierce violence at this stage in the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I certainly would not have estimated that we would have had the number of individuals lost that we have had lost in the last week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: At least 88 U.S. troops have died in fighting in Iraq since the 1st of April.
The vice president, Dick Cheney, wrapping up a week-long Asia tour in South Korea. American troops widely cheering for the vice president at an Army garrison. Earlier, he thanked South Korea's troops for helping in Iraq. The vice president also challenged leaders to do more to contain North Korea's nuclear program.
HEMMER: In sporting news today, the legend Scottie Pippen is set to retire most probably after this season with the Chicago Bulls. He had knee surgery in December, played in only 23 games this year. For the first time in 17 years, Pippen missed the playoffs. The Bulls completed a 23-59 season.
A health note for you today. There may be such a thing as too much sleep. Fat chance. Researchers at the University of California San Diego are finding that people who sleep 9 to 10 hours a night seem to have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep than those who snooze for about 8 hours a night. That study says people who sleep only seven hours a night experience similar problems.
We've got nothing but sleep problems on this...
O'BRIEN: We wouldn't know. I haven't slept nine hours a night since...
HEMMER: Yes? Well, you're sleeping for three now.
O'BRIEN: Yes. That doesn't count like eating for three, is what they call it, not sleeping for three. It don't work like that.
(WEATHER BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, a day after the CIA said that a new audiotape is likely from Osama bin Laden, General Richard Myers, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, visited Kabul, Afghanistan, to focus on the hunt for the al Qaeda chief.
Nic Robertson has been traveling with the U.S. forces there, who are on-the-ready for any future offensive against al Qaeda and the Taliban. And Nic is live for us this morning in Khowst, Afghanistan, with much more.
Nic -- good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, General Myers today saying that he was confident that Osama bin Laden will be caught. He said he couldn't put a deadline on when that would happen. Over the last month or so, the U.S. forces here have been strengthened by about an additional 2,000 Marines. They are part of a new -- they will be part of a new spring offensive here to try and capture Osama bin Laden. But General Myers saying he thought there were enough troops in Afghanistan right now to do that job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I don't think we feel right now that we need more troops, and I think the number in Iraq is about right, too. That's what General Abizaid has asked for. I just spoke to him, I think it was night before last, if I got my time right and then, of course, with General Sanchez yesterday. And we talked, among other things, that's one of the things we talked about.
ROBERTSON: Now, over the last three days, I've been out in the mountains here with U.S. troops. They have a very slow methodical job of trying to drum up information about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. This information absolutely critical. The electronic high- tech eavesdropping that's practiced here to try and locate Osama bin Laden apparently not being able to pinpoint him.
The troops here are trying to talk to villagers, gain their support, find out anything they can about Osama bin Laden, and that means going high into the mountains to some very remote villages. And soldiers here tell me it's a very slow job, and they say if they had more troops, they could do more. They could have a greater presence and hear more from the Afghan villagers -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, they are telling you it's a slow job. But I'm wondering how realistic is it that the troops will be able to go essentially door to door and try to talk the people of Afghanistan into giving up information about Osama bin Laden? Is that realistic at all?
ROBERTSON: It's realistic to some degree. What they are doing is trying to convince people by asking them about their schools, about their health clinics, offering to help augment and supplement those facilities in these remote villages, win the people's confidence. So, there is a level of trust being built, a level of trust that will allow for the exchange of some information. But some villagers are still very scared that if they pass on information, they'll be ostracized in their villages, that perhaps they'll be chased out of those villages.
And it's not always clear. They'll tell the troops when they visit, yes, absolutely, we'll pass on information about Osama bin Laden and anti-coalition forces. But the troops I've talked to said yes, on one hand there is a level of confidence, but they can't really be sure if they really will get that key information, if people really will trust them enough to pass it on -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Interesting. Nic Robertson in Khowst this morning for us. Thank you for that update. Appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: It's 22 before the hour now.
Jurors in the Jayson Williams trial, back in court on Monday, when testimony resumes for the first time really in more than two weeks there. Yesterday, the judge rejecting a defense motion to dismiss all charges against the former NBA star.
We say good morning to Jeff Toobin, our senior legal analyst here. Good morning to you.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, sir.
HEMMER: How significant? The judge said, forget about it, we're going forward.
TOOBIN: This was a big deal, because this was a real potential issue of prosecutorial misconduct that jeopardized the whole trial. The judge, in a really dramatic scene yesterday, said I am disturbed about the failure of the prosecutors to turn over evidence, the prosecutors' efforts to perhaps change the defense expert's report on the gun. He was disturbed of all of that, but he said I'm not throwing out the case. However, I'm going to let the jury hear about all of the bad things that the prosecutors did. And...
HEMMER: Oh, that's interesting.
TOOBIN: Yes. He says the defense can call all of these witnesses, air out the whole controversy in front of the jury, but they're not -- he's not going to throw out the case.
HEMMER: So, the jurors themselves have not been in court here for, what, two weeks?
TOOBIN: This is so bizarre. This is a relatively straightforward case. It's been three months on trial. The jury hasn't been in the courtroom since April 1. There was a birth in the case, as you know.
HEMMER: Just this week.
TOOBIN: Jayson Williams' wife had a daughter, Whizdom -- W-H-I- Z-D-O-M. And, you know, we'll see if the jury can even remember what this case is about.
HEMMER: But how much did the jurors learn about this then?
TOOBIN: Well...
HEMMER: And, I mean, if you're a juror, I mean, let's be practical here, you're going to wonder what in the world is going on in this courtroom.
TOOBIN: What in the world is going on. In theory, they have not been reading the newspapers and have not following it, and I genuinely believe that that's the case. But they are going to hear quite a tale on Monday of how the prosecutors tried to persuade one of their experts to shift the conclusions in the report on the gun to a more favorable light. That's something that may well offend several jurors.
So, even though the defense lost the mistrial motion, they have some good evidence.
HEMMER: You know, from our perspective here in Manhattan across the river from the Hudson, this has been a trial that is stopping and starting and stopping and starting. Is this right for appeal no matter what course we go from here?
TOOBIN: Well, I certainly think Jayson Williams has some appeal issues here. It's worth remembering, most appeals fail. So, his best shot is to get acquitted in front of this jury.
The issue remains relatively narrow. Remember, this whole case is about whether poor Gus Christofi died as a result of recklessness on the part of Jayson Williams, which is what the prosecution says, or an accident, which is what Jayson Williams' lawyers say.
HEMMER: How did the gun go off essentially.
TOOBIN: Yes, and so, I mean, it's a fairly narrow issue and how this has taken all these months. And remember, this was before the grand jury for months and months too. Gus died a long time ago.
HEMMER: Monday is April 19. That's 19 days since the jury has been in court.
TOOBIN: Nineteen days. I mean, it's incredible in the middle of the trial.
HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff. We'll talk to you later. All right -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, thousands of troops were ready to leave Iraq, but explosive fighting prompts Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to keep them on duty. Hear what he had to say coming up in our next hour.
HEMMER: Also, who got fired and who was hired last night on the final episode of the initial series of "The Apprentice?" There are episodes two and three still on the way. We'll get to it right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Fans of the hit NBC show, "The Apprentice," can be excused for maybe feeling a little withdrawal this morning. We'll have to wait until the fall TV season for the second edition of Donald Trump's reality show now that the first series winner has been chosen.
Here with the behind-the-scenes look at who got what is entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.
Nice to see you, too. Good morning. SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Nice to see you, too.
So anticipated, the finale. I was one of those people that said I'm not going to watch this show. I've got too many reality shows on my TiVo. But, lo and behold, I was under "The Apprentice" spell. But you know what? We had 13 weeks of getting to know these characters. We fell in love with them. But at the end, it came down to one apprentice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): They braced themselves for those two dreaded words.
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.
VARGAS: But after weeks of contentious boardroom meetings, one apprentice got to hear the words he and 15 others had been longing to hear.
TRUMP: Bill, you're hired.
VARGAS: Bill Rancic learned his fate live on television in the two-hour season finale of "The Apprentice."
BILL RANCIC, "APPRENTICE" WINNER: I had no idea of the outcome of this show. I mean, I was on the edge of my seat every minute in that boardroom. And that was real sweat coming off my palms. So it was -- it's a great night.
VARGAS: Donald Trump and producer Mark Burnett broke the reality mold by pitting 16 contestants against each other for the opportunity to work for the master himself. And what began as an innocent task of selling lemonade exploded into a spectacle of romance, betrayal...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I would recommend firing Nick.
TRUMP: You're a cold-hearted person, Amy.
VARGAS: And, oh, yeah, Omarosa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Omarosa, shut up!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you sign up for a reality show, all fairness goes out of the window. They can portray you any way they want. They have these characters that they develop for you, and I was characterized as a villain.
VARGAS: In the end, it came down to two: Bill Rancic, a successful entrepreneur from Chicago, and Kwame Jackson, with a Harvard MBA. But it was Bill who would take it all the way.
(on camera): When do you start your new job?
RANCIC: I think I've started already. So, I'm on the clock right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Bill is so charismatic, isn't he?
O'BRIEN: He's not hard to look at either.
VARGAS: Not hard to look at. But season two, I think they are going to start doing it in the fall. That's what they say so far.
O'BRIEN: Oh, interesting. There was word Kwame had -- in fact, I think Trump maybe even said it, that because he didn't fire Omarosa when she sort of was acting her most diva-ish, most evil-ish...
VARGAS: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... even though she claims that was a character, that that's really why Kwame didn't win.
VARGAS: I think so.
O'BRIEN: Because he didn't have good management skills in some ways.
VARGAS: I think so. I mean, I knew from the moment -- I mean, as I was watching, like constantly, I mean, this show was it for me. And I knew the moment he picked her that she was going to take him down. Anyone who picked Omarosa was just going to be brought down. And he did a mistake. He did a lethal mistake. He put her as part of his team, and it didn't work out for him.
He -- I talked to all of the contestants.
O'BRIEN: They were there last night.
(CROSSTALK)
VARGAS: They were all there last night. And they agreed. They said, you know, ultimately it was Kwame's fault. Kwame picked Omarosa, and ultimately she started those fires, but it was his response that really put them out.
O'BRIEN: That's what good management is all about, you know.
VARGAS: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Sibila, thank you.
VARGAS: OK, thank you.
O'BRIEN: What a fun gig, huh, to have to watch your TiVo every day.
VARGAS: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a tough job. VARGAS: I wouldn't trade it for the world.
O'BRIEN: But someone has got to do it, right?
VARGAS: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: Nice to see you, Sibila.
VARGAS: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: And Sibila's hired. Thanks to both.
In a moment here, Phil Mickelson finally mastering his game last week. And in a moment, what you may not know about how tough this past year has been for him and his family.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: This past year has been a difficult one for the Masters champ, Phil Mickelson. Last year, his wife, Amy, almost died giving (AUDIO GAP). Mickelson's grandfather passed away.
But earlier this week, I sat down with Phil and his wife, Amy. They are very thankful these days for much more than just their green jacket this past Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MICKELSON, MASTERS CHAMPION: I think that my play was -- I played well because I was more relaxed. I was having fun. I was smiling. I was being what I feel is myself and enjoying the round, enjoying the day, as opposed to fighting it. And I think in some of the past events that I've played where I've come close and lost by a shot or come up a little short, I feel like I was almost pressing a little too much. I wasn't enjoying it for what it was and taking advantage of the opportunity.
And having that day, whether I won or lost, was going to be a special day. I had a great chance to win on Sunday at the Masters. It was an awesome day, and it just became an amazing day with that last putt.
HEMMER: When you heard people say 0 for 42, how much of that bothered you?
P. MICKELSON: You know, it really didn't, Bill. I just -- I just felt like, if I continued to progress as a player, ultimately it would come. And I came close in '01. I came close in '02. This year, I felt like I had progressed in my play prior to heading into the Masters, that I really felt confident I would have a shot on Sunday. I wasn't worried about being in contention. It was just whether or not I would do what I needed to do to get it done. And, boy, I'm glad that backside turned out the way it did.
HEMMER: Boy, indeed, with a 31 on the back. How are the kids taking this, Amy?
AMY MICKELSON, WIFE OF MASTERS CHAMPION: Well, it was funny. Sunday, as Phil walked off the green, at one point I -- it's such a blur. It's all so surreal. But Amanda -- a reporter walked up to Amanda, who is 4, our oldest, and said, "Is this the best day of your life, Amanda?" And she said, "Yes, it is." And he said, "And why is that?" And she said, "Because I got to color Easter eggs today." So, I guess...
HEMMER: Puts it back in perspective.
A. MICKELSON: I don't think they really understand, you know, what their father has accomplished. But I think that's what's great about having a family is -- and traveling with a family. And we all work very hard to travel week in, week out together. And when Phil walks through the door, they don't know what he's done. It's just daddy is home. Let's be together and have fun.
HEMMER: Yes, Phil, listen, on Sunday you said -- I'm quote now -- you said: "I want to make this year special. I want to finish it off right." How could it be more special after what happened in Augusta this past weekend?
P. MICKELSON: Well, I don't think that -- I don't think that I would change a thing the way it finished, the way it concluded, having my family there, having all my friends there. They have ridden the last 10 years with me on the highs and lows, mostly lows in the majors. In fact, all lows for the most part. A lot of close calls, and to be able to share it with everyone after the championship was finally concluded, to be together that night, just spend some time together and feel how good it feels, it was very meaningful and a lot of fun.
HEMMER: Yes. Do you remember saying on Sunday, "Get used to me, get used to be, because I'm going to be back every year?" How do we read that?
P. MICKELSON: Well, Bill, they tried to pry this jacket away and I want it. I still have it with me. They couldn't get it off.
HEMMER: We can see that.
A. MICKELSON: Actually, Masters Sunday night, it was me, Phil and the green jacket in bed. So, I guess I have to make room for this little thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: The smiles are indelible on that couple, too. Later today on Wall Street...
O'BRIEN: It's so cute.
HEMMER: It's a lovely story.
O'BRIEN: Look at how sweet they are. HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) couple, too.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Next hour, we'll have the interview with the winner of the 1986 British Open.
HEMMER: As a matter of fact...
CAFFERTY: You'll want to tune in for that.
HEMMER: ... we've got Ben Hogan on the air, Jack.
Opening bell, Phil Mickelson gets the honors today on Wall Street, too.
O'BRIEN: I think it' s nice.
CAFFERTY: He's a lot older since that interview was shot.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Yes.
What's up?
CAFFERTY: You're supposed to say, let's check in with Jack and the question of the day.
O'BRIEN: I am. But first, I'm giving you my non-approving look, and then I'm going to say, Jack, question of the day?
CAFFERTY: We looked around for some older news, but that was the best we could come up with.
The administration may create a new post of director of national intelligence, according to "The New York Times." This is a person and a department that would be created to manage the other 15 intelligence agencies that we already have in this country. What does government do when it's threatened? Why, it creates more government. That's the American way.
This idea was drafted more than a year ago, but it was given little or no attention by the White House until now. Why now? Because the summer, the 9/11 Commission will be out with its report. And one of the things they might recommend is coordinating and consolidating the 15 other agencies that we already have.
How about we just get the communities' computers up to speed, the intelligence communities? We were told yesterday that the FBI was operating with 13-year-old mainframe computers and software that's probably older than that.
The question is: Is a director of national intelligence the answer to the country's security problem?
Eric says: "Creating a director of national security is simply another layer of bureaucracy. Having another post to point fingers at will do little to stop airplanes from slamming into buildings or hunt down the heads of terrorist organizations."
Bob writes from Harrisburg: "At least Bush is trying something instead of just taking the budgets away like Clinton did."
And Jim in North Hampton, Massachusetts says: "I can save the government millions of dollars in studies and analysis costs that they would otherwise spend to decide what to do to fix our national security situation. Dudes, get some better Dells."
HEMMER: Apparently the FBI did. What, Mueller bought like 1,000 of those right around the time of 9/11?
CAFFERTY: Yes, but I mean, they couldn't even transmit a photograph over the Internet.
O'BRIEN: Yes, they couldn't e-mail pictures of the 9/11 hijackers.
CAFFERTY: The Federal Bureau of Investigation was so far behind the rest of the world that they had to use snail mail to send pictures around the country.
HEMMER: What did we say yesterday? You wouldn't find a major company in this country still in business today if they were operating that way (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: And we're still sitting around collectively scratching our heads what to do about this stuff. I mean, it's unbelievable. But I want to see more of that Mickelson interview.
HEMMER: Hey...
CAFFERTY: I am looking for more of that.
HEMMER: Just for you.
CAFFERTY: I'm hopeful.
O'BRIEN: I thought you were going to say, but I don't want to influence any of the people who are going to write in.
CAFFERTY: I'm hopeful we can attend those kids' high school graduations, maybe talk to them and, you know, have a little something on the -- you know...
O'BRIEN: Can I move on here?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a top Shiite Muslim leader adds to the volatile atmosphere the holy city of Najaf. We're going to talk to a reporter who is on the scene. That's just ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired April 16, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning. Welcome back here to CNN's AMERICAN MORNING. It's officially the stripes day here on a Friday.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Though we don't officially call each other before the show every morning. What are you wearing, Bill?
HEMMER: We're matching, so if we can get...
O'BRIEN: That would be sad if you were dressed in, like, some (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: Yes, I would agree with that. If we can get your order, let us know.
In a moment here, live to Afghanistan. Intelligence experts are going over that latest audiotape from yesterday. What's happening there on in the ground? Nic Robertson is with U.S. troops searching for the al Qaeda leader. Is their strategy now changing? We'll get to Nic live in a moment overseas.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, if you missed it last night, Donald Trump has a new protege. He picked Bill. No, not Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: The other Bill in the finale of "The Apprentice." That Bill now has to go build a skyscraper. Sibila Vargas is going to join us in just a few minutes. She was actually at the party late last night. I love it when our correspondents get to go out all night and party, and then roll in and talk about all of the fun they had.
HEMMER: They get to tell us about, though, huh?
O'BRIEN: I'm not even a little bit jealous. Not even.
HEMMER: Top stories here at the half-hour.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is meeting with the president today at the White House. The situation in Iraq is expected to dominate the agenda today. Prime Minister Blair has suffered politically for sending British troops to war in Iraq. The last time he met President Bush face-to-face was about five months ago. Complete coverage on that visit throughout the morning here.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saying he regrets having to extend the tours of duty for about 20,000 troops. Yesterday, he acknowledged that he had not expected such fierce violence at this stage in the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I certainly would not have estimated that we would have had the number of individuals lost that we have had lost in the last week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: At least 88 U.S. troops have died in fighting in Iraq since the 1st of April.
The vice president, Dick Cheney, wrapping up a week-long Asia tour in South Korea. American troops widely cheering for the vice president at an Army garrison. Earlier, he thanked South Korea's troops for helping in Iraq. The vice president also challenged leaders to do more to contain North Korea's nuclear program.
HEMMER: In sporting news today, the legend Scottie Pippen is set to retire most probably after this season with the Chicago Bulls. He had knee surgery in December, played in only 23 games this year. For the first time in 17 years, Pippen missed the playoffs. The Bulls completed a 23-59 season.
A health note for you today. There may be such a thing as too much sleep. Fat chance. Researchers at the University of California San Diego are finding that people who sleep 9 to 10 hours a night seem to have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep than those who snooze for about 8 hours a night. That study says people who sleep only seven hours a night experience similar problems.
We've got nothing but sleep problems on this...
O'BRIEN: We wouldn't know. I haven't slept nine hours a night since...
HEMMER: Yes? Well, you're sleeping for three now.
O'BRIEN: Yes. That doesn't count like eating for three, is what they call it, not sleeping for three. It don't work like that.
(WEATHER BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, a day after the CIA said that a new audiotape is likely from Osama bin Laden, General Richard Myers, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, visited Kabul, Afghanistan, to focus on the hunt for the al Qaeda chief.
Nic Robertson has been traveling with the U.S. forces there, who are on-the-ready for any future offensive against al Qaeda and the Taliban. And Nic is live for us this morning in Khowst, Afghanistan, with much more.
Nic -- good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, General Myers today saying that he was confident that Osama bin Laden will be caught. He said he couldn't put a deadline on when that would happen. Over the last month or so, the U.S. forces here have been strengthened by about an additional 2,000 Marines. They are part of a new -- they will be part of a new spring offensive here to try and capture Osama bin Laden. But General Myers saying he thought there were enough troops in Afghanistan right now to do that job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I don't think we feel right now that we need more troops, and I think the number in Iraq is about right, too. That's what General Abizaid has asked for. I just spoke to him, I think it was night before last, if I got my time right and then, of course, with General Sanchez yesterday. And we talked, among other things, that's one of the things we talked about.
ROBERTSON: Now, over the last three days, I've been out in the mountains here with U.S. troops. They have a very slow methodical job of trying to drum up information about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. This information absolutely critical. The electronic high- tech eavesdropping that's practiced here to try and locate Osama bin Laden apparently not being able to pinpoint him.
The troops here are trying to talk to villagers, gain their support, find out anything they can about Osama bin Laden, and that means going high into the mountains to some very remote villages. And soldiers here tell me it's a very slow job, and they say if they had more troops, they could do more. They could have a greater presence and hear more from the Afghan villagers -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, they are telling you it's a slow job. But I'm wondering how realistic is it that the troops will be able to go essentially door to door and try to talk the people of Afghanistan into giving up information about Osama bin Laden? Is that realistic at all?
ROBERTSON: It's realistic to some degree. What they are doing is trying to convince people by asking them about their schools, about their health clinics, offering to help augment and supplement those facilities in these remote villages, win the people's confidence. So, there is a level of trust being built, a level of trust that will allow for the exchange of some information. But some villagers are still very scared that if they pass on information, they'll be ostracized in their villages, that perhaps they'll be chased out of those villages.
And it's not always clear. They'll tell the troops when they visit, yes, absolutely, we'll pass on information about Osama bin Laden and anti-coalition forces. But the troops I've talked to said yes, on one hand there is a level of confidence, but they can't really be sure if they really will get that key information, if people really will trust them enough to pass it on -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Interesting. Nic Robertson in Khowst this morning for us. Thank you for that update. Appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: It's 22 before the hour now.
Jurors in the Jayson Williams trial, back in court on Monday, when testimony resumes for the first time really in more than two weeks there. Yesterday, the judge rejecting a defense motion to dismiss all charges against the former NBA star.
We say good morning to Jeff Toobin, our senior legal analyst here. Good morning to you.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, sir.
HEMMER: How significant? The judge said, forget about it, we're going forward.
TOOBIN: This was a big deal, because this was a real potential issue of prosecutorial misconduct that jeopardized the whole trial. The judge, in a really dramatic scene yesterday, said I am disturbed about the failure of the prosecutors to turn over evidence, the prosecutors' efforts to perhaps change the defense expert's report on the gun. He was disturbed of all of that, but he said I'm not throwing out the case. However, I'm going to let the jury hear about all of the bad things that the prosecutors did. And...
HEMMER: Oh, that's interesting.
TOOBIN: Yes. He says the defense can call all of these witnesses, air out the whole controversy in front of the jury, but they're not -- he's not going to throw out the case.
HEMMER: So, the jurors themselves have not been in court here for, what, two weeks?
TOOBIN: This is so bizarre. This is a relatively straightforward case. It's been three months on trial. The jury hasn't been in the courtroom since April 1. There was a birth in the case, as you know.
HEMMER: Just this week.
TOOBIN: Jayson Williams' wife had a daughter, Whizdom -- W-H-I- Z-D-O-M. And, you know, we'll see if the jury can even remember what this case is about.
HEMMER: But how much did the jurors learn about this then?
TOOBIN: Well...
HEMMER: And, I mean, if you're a juror, I mean, let's be practical here, you're going to wonder what in the world is going on in this courtroom.
TOOBIN: What in the world is going on. In theory, they have not been reading the newspapers and have not following it, and I genuinely believe that that's the case. But they are going to hear quite a tale on Monday of how the prosecutors tried to persuade one of their experts to shift the conclusions in the report on the gun to a more favorable light. That's something that may well offend several jurors.
So, even though the defense lost the mistrial motion, they have some good evidence.
HEMMER: You know, from our perspective here in Manhattan across the river from the Hudson, this has been a trial that is stopping and starting and stopping and starting. Is this right for appeal no matter what course we go from here?
TOOBIN: Well, I certainly think Jayson Williams has some appeal issues here. It's worth remembering, most appeals fail. So, his best shot is to get acquitted in front of this jury.
The issue remains relatively narrow. Remember, this whole case is about whether poor Gus Christofi died as a result of recklessness on the part of Jayson Williams, which is what the prosecution says, or an accident, which is what Jayson Williams' lawyers say.
HEMMER: How did the gun go off essentially.
TOOBIN: Yes, and so, I mean, it's a fairly narrow issue and how this has taken all these months. And remember, this was before the grand jury for months and months too. Gus died a long time ago.
HEMMER: Monday is April 19. That's 19 days since the jury has been in court.
TOOBIN: Nineteen days. I mean, it's incredible in the middle of the trial.
HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff. We'll talk to you later. All right -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, thousands of troops were ready to leave Iraq, but explosive fighting prompts Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to keep them on duty. Hear what he had to say coming up in our next hour.
HEMMER: Also, who got fired and who was hired last night on the final episode of the initial series of "The Apprentice?" There are episodes two and three still on the way. We'll get to it right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Fans of the hit NBC show, "The Apprentice," can be excused for maybe feeling a little withdrawal this morning. We'll have to wait until the fall TV season for the second edition of Donald Trump's reality show now that the first series winner has been chosen.
Here with the behind-the-scenes look at who got what is entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.
Nice to see you, too. Good morning. SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Nice to see you, too.
So anticipated, the finale. I was one of those people that said I'm not going to watch this show. I've got too many reality shows on my TiVo. But, lo and behold, I was under "The Apprentice" spell. But you know what? We had 13 weeks of getting to know these characters. We fell in love with them. But at the end, it came down to one apprentice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): They braced themselves for those two dreaded words.
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.
VARGAS: But after weeks of contentious boardroom meetings, one apprentice got to hear the words he and 15 others had been longing to hear.
TRUMP: Bill, you're hired.
VARGAS: Bill Rancic learned his fate live on television in the two-hour season finale of "The Apprentice."
BILL RANCIC, "APPRENTICE" WINNER: I had no idea of the outcome of this show. I mean, I was on the edge of my seat every minute in that boardroom. And that was real sweat coming off my palms. So it was -- it's a great night.
VARGAS: Donald Trump and producer Mark Burnett broke the reality mold by pitting 16 contestants against each other for the opportunity to work for the master himself. And what began as an innocent task of selling lemonade exploded into a spectacle of romance, betrayal...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I would recommend firing Nick.
TRUMP: You're a cold-hearted person, Amy.
VARGAS: And, oh, yeah, Omarosa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Omarosa, shut up!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you sign up for a reality show, all fairness goes out of the window. They can portray you any way they want. They have these characters that they develop for you, and I was characterized as a villain.
VARGAS: In the end, it came down to two: Bill Rancic, a successful entrepreneur from Chicago, and Kwame Jackson, with a Harvard MBA. But it was Bill who would take it all the way.
(on camera): When do you start your new job?
RANCIC: I think I've started already. So, I'm on the clock right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Bill is so charismatic, isn't he?
O'BRIEN: He's not hard to look at either.
VARGAS: Not hard to look at. But season two, I think they are going to start doing it in the fall. That's what they say so far.
O'BRIEN: Oh, interesting. There was word Kwame had -- in fact, I think Trump maybe even said it, that because he didn't fire Omarosa when she sort of was acting her most diva-ish, most evil-ish...
VARGAS: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... even though she claims that was a character, that that's really why Kwame didn't win.
VARGAS: I think so.
O'BRIEN: Because he didn't have good management skills in some ways.
VARGAS: I think so. I mean, I knew from the moment -- I mean, as I was watching, like constantly, I mean, this show was it for me. And I knew the moment he picked her that she was going to take him down. Anyone who picked Omarosa was just going to be brought down. And he did a mistake. He did a lethal mistake. He put her as part of his team, and it didn't work out for him.
He -- I talked to all of the contestants.
O'BRIEN: They were there last night.
(CROSSTALK)
VARGAS: They were all there last night. And they agreed. They said, you know, ultimately it was Kwame's fault. Kwame picked Omarosa, and ultimately she started those fires, but it was his response that really put them out.
O'BRIEN: That's what good management is all about, you know.
VARGAS: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Sibila, thank you.
VARGAS: OK, thank you.
O'BRIEN: What a fun gig, huh, to have to watch your TiVo every day.
VARGAS: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: Oh, it's a tough job. VARGAS: I wouldn't trade it for the world.
O'BRIEN: But someone has got to do it, right?
VARGAS: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: Nice to see you, Sibila.
VARGAS: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: And Sibila's hired. Thanks to both.
In a moment here, Phil Mickelson finally mastering his game last week. And in a moment, what you may not know about how tough this past year has been for him and his family.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: This past year has been a difficult one for the Masters champ, Phil Mickelson. Last year, his wife, Amy, almost died giving (AUDIO GAP). Mickelson's grandfather passed away.
But earlier this week, I sat down with Phil and his wife, Amy. They are very thankful these days for much more than just their green jacket this past Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MICKELSON, MASTERS CHAMPION: I think that my play was -- I played well because I was more relaxed. I was having fun. I was smiling. I was being what I feel is myself and enjoying the round, enjoying the day, as opposed to fighting it. And I think in some of the past events that I've played where I've come close and lost by a shot or come up a little short, I feel like I was almost pressing a little too much. I wasn't enjoying it for what it was and taking advantage of the opportunity.
And having that day, whether I won or lost, was going to be a special day. I had a great chance to win on Sunday at the Masters. It was an awesome day, and it just became an amazing day with that last putt.
HEMMER: When you heard people say 0 for 42, how much of that bothered you?
P. MICKELSON: You know, it really didn't, Bill. I just -- I just felt like, if I continued to progress as a player, ultimately it would come. And I came close in '01. I came close in '02. This year, I felt like I had progressed in my play prior to heading into the Masters, that I really felt confident I would have a shot on Sunday. I wasn't worried about being in contention. It was just whether or not I would do what I needed to do to get it done. And, boy, I'm glad that backside turned out the way it did.
HEMMER: Boy, indeed, with a 31 on the back. How are the kids taking this, Amy?
AMY MICKELSON, WIFE OF MASTERS CHAMPION: Well, it was funny. Sunday, as Phil walked off the green, at one point I -- it's such a blur. It's all so surreal. But Amanda -- a reporter walked up to Amanda, who is 4, our oldest, and said, "Is this the best day of your life, Amanda?" And she said, "Yes, it is." And he said, "And why is that?" And she said, "Because I got to color Easter eggs today." So, I guess...
HEMMER: Puts it back in perspective.
A. MICKELSON: I don't think they really understand, you know, what their father has accomplished. But I think that's what's great about having a family is -- and traveling with a family. And we all work very hard to travel week in, week out together. And when Phil walks through the door, they don't know what he's done. It's just daddy is home. Let's be together and have fun.
HEMMER: Yes, Phil, listen, on Sunday you said -- I'm quote now -- you said: "I want to make this year special. I want to finish it off right." How could it be more special after what happened in Augusta this past weekend?
P. MICKELSON: Well, I don't think that -- I don't think that I would change a thing the way it finished, the way it concluded, having my family there, having all my friends there. They have ridden the last 10 years with me on the highs and lows, mostly lows in the majors. In fact, all lows for the most part. A lot of close calls, and to be able to share it with everyone after the championship was finally concluded, to be together that night, just spend some time together and feel how good it feels, it was very meaningful and a lot of fun.
HEMMER: Yes. Do you remember saying on Sunday, "Get used to me, get used to be, because I'm going to be back every year?" How do we read that?
P. MICKELSON: Well, Bill, they tried to pry this jacket away and I want it. I still have it with me. They couldn't get it off.
HEMMER: We can see that.
A. MICKELSON: Actually, Masters Sunday night, it was me, Phil and the green jacket in bed. So, I guess I have to make room for this little thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: The smiles are indelible on that couple, too. Later today on Wall Street...
O'BRIEN: It's so cute.
HEMMER: It's a lovely story.
O'BRIEN: Look at how sweet they are. HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) couple, too.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Next hour, we'll have the interview with the winner of the 1986 British Open.
HEMMER: As a matter of fact...
CAFFERTY: You'll want to tune in for that.
HEMMER: ... we've got Ben Hogan on the air, Jack.
Opening bell, Phil Mickelson gets the honors today on Wall Street, too.
O'BRIEN: I think it' s nice.
CAFFERTY: He's a lot older since that interview was shot.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Yes.
What's up?
CAFFERTY: You're supposed to say, let's check in with Jack and the question of the day.
O'BRIEN: I am. But first, I'm giving you my non-approving look, and then I'm going to say, Jack, question of the day?
CAFFERTY: We looked around for some older news, but that was the best we could come up with.
The administration may create a new post of director of national intelligence, according to "The New York Times." This is a person and a department that would be created to manage the other 15 intelligence agencies that we already have in this country. What does government do when it's threatened? Why, it creates more government. That's the American way.
This idea was drafted more than a year ago, but it was given little or no attention by the White House until now. Why now? Because the summer, the 9/11 Commission will be out with its report. And one of the things they might recommend is coordinating and consolidating the 15 other agencies that we already have.
How about we just get the communities' computers up to speed, the intelligence communities? We were told yesterday that the FBI was operating with 13-year-old mainframe computers and software that's probably older than that.
The question is: Is a director of national intelligence the answer to the country's security problem?
Eric says: "Creating a director of national security is simply another layer of bureaucracy. Having another post to point fingers at will do little to stop airplanes from slamming into buildings or hunt down the heads of terrorist organizations."
Bob writes from Harrisburg: "At least Bush is trying something instead of just taking the budgets away like Clinton did."
And Jim in North Hampton, Massachusetts says: "I can save the government millions of dollars in studies and analysis costs that they would otherwise spend to decide what to do to fix our national security situation. Dudes, get some better Dells."
HEMMER: Apparently the FBI did. What, Mueller bought like 1,000 of those right around the time of 9/11?
CAFFERTY: Yes, but I mean, they couldn't even transmit a photograph over the Internet.
O'BRIEN: Yes, they couldn't e-mail pictures of the 9/11 hijackers.
CAFFERTY: The Federal Bureau of Investigation was so far behind the rest of the world that they had to use snail mail to send pictures around the country.
HEMMER: What did we say yesterday? You wouldn't find a major company in this country still in business today if they were operating that way (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: And we're still sitting around collectively scratching our heads what to do about this stuff. I mean, it's unbelievable. But I want to see more of that Mickelson interview.
HEMMER: Hey...
CAFFERTY: I am looking for more of that.
HEMMER: Just for you.
CAFFERTY: I'm hopeful.
O'BRIEN: I thought you were going to say, but I don't want to influence any of the people who are going to write in.
CAFFERTY: I'm hopeful we can attend those kids' high school graduations, maybe talk to them and, you know, have a little something on the -- you know...
O'BRIEN: Can I move on here?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a top Shiite Muslim leader adds to the volatile atmosphere the holy city of Najaf. We're going to talk to a reporter who is on the scene. That's just ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
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