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American Morning
U.S. Officials Showing Greater Concern About Possible Attack on U.S. Soil; Growing Debate About Who Really is Behind Iraqi Resistance
Aired April 23, 2004 - 07:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now the FBI reveals its particular focus on crop dusting planes.
Extreme weather rips Oklahoma for a third day in a row and the danger may not be over.
And does the public have the right to see some of the most heart- rending images of war -- the dead coming home?
Those stories are all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, welcome to Friday.
Other stories this hour, the latest on what's happening in Iraq in a few moments. A number of stories working again today, not the least of which is what's happening in and around Fallujah -- are the Marines right now on the verge of an all-out assault?
We'll get to that topic this morning.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, news continues to trickle in about the disaster in North Korea. A train explosion involving one or maybe two trains that were carrying fuel oil.
It's very hard, obviously, to get information out of North Korea, but we're going to bring you a report in just a few moments from China because, of course, it happened very close to the border of those two countries.
HEMMER: Hard to believe in 2004.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: They shut the country down, essentially, yesterday -- cut off all the international phone lines. Nobody gets in to see any information as to what's happening.
O'BRIEN: Yes, very few details coming out.
HEMMER: An amazing...
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You know what's frightening about that? We're going to sit down and have negotiations with these people and expect them to tell us the truth about things like their nuclear weapons program. There are 3,000 dead people as a result of that train accident...
HEMMER: Maybe, we don't know.
CAFFERTY: Or more.
HEMMER: Or could be 50.
CAFFERTY: It didn't happen.
HEMMER: We do not know.
CAFFERTY: I mean it's -- it's very scary.
O'BRIEN: Yes, very strange.
CAFFERTY: Those folks will bend the truth.
Issue that's been around for a long time, but has kind of been simmering around on the back burner. Now it's coming to a full boil, that's the ongoing debate over the release of these pictures of the caskets of American servicemen coming home from Iraq. We'll talk about it a little more in a minute.
O'BRIEN: OK, incredible pictures aren't they? And of course the controversy that's followed this may be even more incredible.
CAFFERTY: I'm surprised it hasn't actually boiled up and become a bigger issue before now, but some pictures were put on the Internet and now all bets are off. I mean, they're in the trenches and everybody is defending their position.
O'BRIEN: It'll be interesting to have people weigh in on that. All right, Jack, thanks.
Let's get to our top stories this morning.
Reports of renewed violence in one of Iraq's holy cities.
According to wire reports, coalition troops and insurgents clashed in Karbala, about 70 miles south of Baghdad.
Shiite Muslims loyal to a wanted cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr seized the city earlier this month. We've got more on that situation in Iraq coming up in just a few moments.
An appeals court ruling could put the trial for terror suspect Zacharias Moussaui back on track. Moussaui is the only person charged in the U.S. in connection with the September 11 terrorist attack.
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday the listed (ph) man on prosecutors presenting evidence related to the hijackings and also decided that the government can pursue the death penalty against him.
Jury selection could begin as early as October. A pro hockey player is charged in a bizarre murder-for-hire plot. A grand jury indicted St. Louis Blues forward Mike Danton yesterday along with a teenage girl on charges of trying to hire a hit man to kill Danton's male lover.
According to the criminal complaint -- the alleged plot was foiled after the man who was apparently going to carry out the killing went to the FBI instead and began recording conversations with Danton.
A failing grade for airport security screeners. Dangerous objects still get past security according to reports to a House subcommittee and the Homeland Security Department's chief investigator says neither government nor privately employed screeners perform their jobs well.
An emergency meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is planned to address this issue.
And it is not over yet in Oklahoma. Tornadoes tore off roofs and toppled power lines in the eastern part of the state yesterday. The third straight day of severe weather. No reports of any injuries but more storms are said to be in the forecast, unfortunately, for the folks there who are just doing day after day after day of clearing out.
HEMMER: Tis' the season, and the season continues.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: U.S. officials showing ever-greater concern about a possible attack on U.S. soil as the political conventions and the presidential election approach this summer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We believe that the terrorists are interested in the United States and in injuring American citizens and disrupting American freedom. And we are operating day and night to do whatever we can to disrupt terrorist activity not only abroad but here in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: John Ashcroft from yesterday. One area of possible terrorist attack that has the FBI showing a lot of interest in so far, biological or chemical attacks using crop dusters. In the past year, federal authorities have interviewed thousands of pilots and opened a number of investigations.
Miami's chief of police John Timoney with us now from Miami, Florida to talk about it.
Chief, good morning to you.
CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE DEPT.: Morning, Bill. HEMMER: This crop duster story really an offshoot going back to the events and the days after 9/11. Your reaction -- much surprise here? Three thousand interviews over the past year?
TIMONEY: Yes, no, no surprises there. They're working on those cases, obviously, through a whole host of other cases.
I can guarantee you from the information that I have that clearly the sleeper cells throughout the United States, but also the FBI and the joint terrorist task force is in much better shape now regards to these ongoing investigations.
And they better be, because, you know, the lesson I think the terrorists learned from 9/11 is that they can effect our daily lives and how we move about, particularly in the major cities, I think, the lessons of Madrid is that they also think they can impact or have an effect on an election which is a real problem for us in the upcoming election, the two conventions, the G8 summit in Georgia in June, we got a tough year ahead of us, including the Olympics in Greece.
HEMMER: You mentioned the Madrid bombings, back to those in a minute. You also said sleeper cells here in the U.S., Chief -- you are privy to much more information than we can ever get here. What can you tell us about what you are learning about sleeper cells -- how many in the U.S. today?
TIMONEY: Well, I would never admit to how many, but what I can tell you is that there are active investigations going and the joint terrorist task Force is doing a much better job than it ever has. I think police departments all across America have increased their commitment.
For example, in New York where there used to be 20 -- there are now about 120 New York City police officers assigned. There have been thousands of FBI agents that formally investigated white collar crime, for example, and narcotics, that are now solely involved in terrorist investigations surveillance, wire tapping, and so there's a lot of good things going on and the way we're going to prevent this is by disrupting their operations, number one, but number two through gaining good intelligence. Wiretaps, informants is probably the best way to effectively disrupt these operations.
HEMMER: Chief, can you say that some operations have been disrupted?
TIMONEY: Oh, I think so. I think there is evidence, certainly in New York we know of at least two and it's often...
HEMMER: Hang on -- in New York at least two? Give us more details.
TIMONEY: Well there were -- there were reports of -- of some folks, some terrorist types -- surveilling the Brooklyn Bridge. There was an attempt to explode, or cause an explosion on the New York City subway. And we know there have been other incidents. I just spoke to some colleagues in L.A. yesterday who are very active in this area and we know for a fact that we're having a good impact.
It's always difficult, however, to measure prevention and what you've prevented. You usually don't find that out until after you've made the arrest and during the interview stage the guy will tell you, yes, well we were looking at so and so but -- but for whatever reason we changed our mind.
HEMMER: Chief, in a word or two, how much assurance can you give the American public watching this today that the system is much better since 9/11?
TIMONEY: Oh, I think so. We've had a few major events. For example right here in Miami in the last year and the posture of the FBI and particularly the people in Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the INS is completely different than it was prior to 9/11.
HEMMER: Chief Timoney -- John Timoney from Miami, Florida. Thank you, Chief for talking with us today.
TIMONEY: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: We've got a -- if a catastrophic event such as a terrorist attack were to strike Congress, the House now has a plan to replenish numbers.
Lawmakers voting yesterday 306 to 97 to hold special elections within 45 days after 100 or more House seats are left vacant after a catastrophic event. Some Democrats warning the timeframe could expose Congress to weeks of inaction.
The legislation has not been taken up in the Senate. Senate vacancies can be filled temporarily with appointees picked by governors. That work on Capitol Hill yesterday -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The top American in Iraq, Paul Bremer, is announcing change of policy today toward members of Saddam Hussein's disbanded Baath Party. The change will allow thousands of former Baathist Army officers and teachers back into their jobs. Some Kurds and Shiites are already protesting that move.
Meanwhile, we're learning more about the Bush administration's plan for the new Iraqi government, which will take over power on June 30.
The administration officials laid out plans before Congress yesterday that would place limits on Iraqi sovereignty including only partial command over the armed forces.
There would also be no immediate authority to enact laws.
The Bush administration's plans for a new caretaker government in Iraq would place severe limits on the authority only a partial command, as I mentioned, over that authority. These restrictions, we should add, actually were to presented in detail for the first time by the envoy Brahimi and of course recently presented to Congress.
U.S. military officials in Iraq say that they're going to negotiate just a few more days before launching an invasion of Fallujah. Officials have been concerned all along that they're not talking with anyone who has any authority over the insurgents often described as foreign fighters.
And now, as Jim Clancy tells us from Baghdad, there is growing debate about who really is behind the Iraqi resistance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN: Iraqi officials say a suspect arrested near the scene of one of the suicide bombings in Basra was from the besieged city of Fallujah.
In the view of some, it is evidence the suicide bombings that killed 20 school children along with more than 50 other Iraqis were not the work of al Qaeda or foreign fighters but Iraqis outraged by the U.S. military's Fallujah campaign that has killed hundreds of Iraqis including many civilians.
But it also raises questions about who may be directing the suicide attacks from inside the city.
U.S. Marines in Fallujah are still exchanging fire with anti- coalition fighters as a nominal ceasefire continues. Coalition commanders asserted that hundreds of foreign fighters may be among them.
The surrender of those foreign elements along with the insurgents' arsenal of weapons is being demanded as a condition of any permanent truce.
Thus far, coalition military sources say the weapons handover has been disappointing with old rusted arms or dummy rockets being handed in.
When coalition forces surrounded and cut off Fallujah earlier this month, it was noted that feared bomb attacks in the south failed to materialize during Shiia Muslim religious commemorations.
That was in stark contrast to similar events that were marked by hundreds of causalities in Baghdad and Karbala. The coalition blamed those attacks on al Qaeda or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian born militant with similar aims.
While stressing no group has been tied to the Basra attacks, some believe the tactics are familiar.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR COALITION OPERATIONS: If you take a look at the manner in which it was carried out, the technique that was used, the tactics that were used in the attack, it clearly points to a network, a terrorist network, a coordinated terrorist network such as the Zarqawi network.
CLANCY: al-Zarqawi is believed trying to form a civil war between Iraq, Shiia and Sunni communities as the best way of destroying U.S. plans here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY (on camera): Coalition officials say that there is no more information coming out about what that suspect who was arrested may have to say if he is tied to the Basra bombings it is certain though that those investigators are going to want some answers that go far beyond just Basra -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Talk a little bit more, Jim, about Fallujah. Just how bad is it? How severe is the tension on the ground there?
CLANCY: Well, I think that, you know, you've got a lot of tension. The city is basically been shut down people from going back in. They're sending a clear message to the fighters, look; you're not going to give us some junk arms here. And we're going to walk away. You've really got to disarm.
They also want to get joint U.S.-coalition Iraqi police patrols back in the city after all if they went back in if people don't want to hand over their arms and get immunity from prosecution well then they can wait and have them come in and get the arms away from them and then be thrown in jail as well, so there's a lot, there's a lot of distance to go here but U.S. commanders say they've got to see some progress in all of this.
Now, on the other hand, you get down to this whole sovereignty issue, Soledad, and many Iraqis here today say that they don't believe that the U.S. should be taking this tactic at all. It's counter productive -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jim Clancy for us this morning out of Baghdad. Jim, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Still to come this hour, the latest on what's happening in North Korea. What we can learn anyway.
A catastrophic train explosion. What are the facts on the ground? We'll try to sort them out in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, a heated controversy about showing somber images of America's war dead coming home. Barbara Starr reports from the Pentagon up next.
HEMMER: Also, poor performance from the nation's airport security workers. We'll talk about the problems with a high-ranking member from the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration.
Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: One of the nation's most solemn ceremonies is suddenly getting a lot of attention. At the center of the controversy, hundreds of photographs depicting America's war dead arriving back in the U.S.
Details now from Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Well, the mistaken release of photographs of military remains being returned to the United States has again sparked controversy over the Pentagon policy of not allowing news coverage of the rituals that the military performs for those who gave the last full measure of devotion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: With quiet dignity and military respect, caskets arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Troops killed in Iraq now on the final journey back to their families.
Ceremonies repeated more than five hundred times since the war began. A flag unfolded over a casket, a gentle touch smoothing the corner.
But these extraordinary pictures were never supposed to be seen. The Air Force released more than 300 photographs to this private, anti-government secrecy website, pictures the Air Force says were meant only for history.
A Defense Department spokesman says the release of the pictures under the Freedom of Information Act violated military policy. The entire matter is under review.
Since the war in Iraq, the Pentagon has strictly enforced its long-standing policy of not allowing media coverage of caskets arriving at Dover. Officials say it is out of deference to grieving families, not an effort to keep the news media from covering the mounting death toll.
For the families, news coverage is always difficult. Some do allow cameras at funerals.
One group, the National Military Family Association, had this to say: "We believe the current policy is sensitive to the needs of the families and would urge everyone else to be sensitive to them as well."
The issue remains controversial.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D) DELAWARE: And the idea that there is -- essentially snuck back into the country under the cover of night so no one can see that their casket has arrived -- I just think is wrong. STARR: And in a related matter, a private contractor who was working as a cargo handler has been fired from her job in the Persian Gulf after she took a picture of an airplane loaded with caskets as well -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us this morning -- Barbara, thanks.
HEMMER: Getting a lot of attention from us today and Jack too. Good morning.
CAFFERTY: I am -- what a question. I mean, this is not North Korea we're in here. This is a policy that was originally put in place by the first President Bush that was lifted under President Clinton and has been reestablished under the current President Bush.
The question is should the Pentagon be able to ban pictures of coffins of American military personnel. And you can e-mail us your thoughts. We're getting a ton of responses before we even ask the question.
HEMMER: Is that right?
CAFFERTY: It was posted on the website about 6:30 and people are already writing in and most people say, hey, come on. You know -- they have no right to censor this stuff. You know these are young men and women doing -- doing our business, defending our freedom.
HEMMER: You know how much dignity the military offers the wounded...
CAFFERTY: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Much less the dead who die in battle.
CAFFERTY: Absolutely. There's no question and the Pentagon -- it's interesting -- the Pentagon's rationale is well they're sparing the families exposure to these pictures on television. Well, I'm not sure it's the Pentagon's job to be making decisions about what's on the family's television sets, you know? I'm just not sure...
HEMMER: Well it can cut two ways, though. If you're against the war you say this is the result of what's happening in Iraq...
CAFFERTY: Well that's the real reason they don't want the pictures on television.
HEMMER: Or, Jack, it shows the dignity that the military offers these returning men and sometimes women.
CAFFERTY: Yes, but I -- the real reason they don't want the pictures is because it raises questions about what's going on and...
O'BRIEN: It's a powerful picture, I mean it speaks volumes about a lot of things and you can read it and interpret it any way you want obviously depending on...
CAFFERTY: The issue is whether the Pentagon has a right to be deciding whether we get to see them or not. I mean, once again we're not in North Korea here. am@cnn.com we'll read your stuff a little later.
O'BRIEN: And still to come this morning, officials at the highest level show more concern about a domestic terror attack in the next few months and Andy Serwer tells us why some workers would increase productivity and profits if they would just stay home.
Stay with us; you're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A Red Cross assessment team has arrived at the scene of a deadly train explosion in North Korea. The blast occurred yesterday in the town of Ryongchon, about 30 miles southeast of the Chinese border.
Jaime Florcruz is in Dandong, China, which is across the river. He joins us by videophone this morning. Hime good morning.
JAME FLORCRUZ, BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Soledad.
Well the border crossing on this bridge behind me that links China and North Korea has slowed down to a trickle and the city behind me -- see the city of Shinogoo (PH) has gone dark and quiet.
Some 30 minutes -- 30 hours after the major blast hit a town just about 12 miles away from where I'm standing right now. Now the blast, according to the international aid workers have killed 54 people and injured at least 1,000 people, blasting 2,000 houses.
A huge explosion that was probably caused by a car, a train car filled full of explosives that experts say may have been meant for use for mining and not for military purposes -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And of course there's been lots of conflicting information about this and a lot of that of course is because of the government's control. What kind of information are you getting? Are you finding the government being more forthcoming as the hours move on or not?
FLORCRUZ: Not really. The information is coming in dribs and drabs, not really from the official media in North Korea but mostly from the international aid workers who are working on the ground in North Korea.
From the World Health Organization we are learning that they have moved their medical facilities close to the disaster area and from the international Red Cross saying that through their local offices in North Korea, they are also providing assistance but based on what I saw in Shinogoo (ph) when I visited it about an hour ago -- about a year and a half ago -- the medical facilities there are very backward and they will be overwhelmed by the medical emergency -- Soledad. O'BRIEN: Jamie Florcruz is covering this story for us this morning. Just over the river. Jame, thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: So much we don't know. 1800 homes destroyed?
O'BRIEN: They say.
HEMMER: 6300 possibly damaged? Wow. More throughout the morning as we get it out of China across the border there in North Korea.
If you're sick, your boss may actually want you to stay home, and its looking like more trouble ahead for retirees and their health benefits and for all of that Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" checking in here on a Friday morning. Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you.
If there is ever reason again to remind people to fund their own retirement to the extent you can, here we've got it again this morning.
Yesterday, the equal opportunity, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, voting in Washington to allow employers to cut or reduce medical benefits for retirees once they hit 65 and are eligible for Medicare.
Let's look and see what private health insurance covers that Medicare doesn't. Severe illness costs, co-payment and deductibles, preventive care and prescription drugs. The AARP is very much against this measure, Bill, but we're going to have see whether this becomes law. It needs to go through several other government agencies.
But could be big news for retirees.
HEMMER: On the issue of health, if you're sick rather stay home, huh? Companies don't want you because why?
SERWER: Well, there's a new phrase I learned this morning it's called "presenteeism." OK, get this. It's the opposite of absenteeism.
Presenteeism is when you come to work sick you think you're doing your employer a big favor -- you're not; you're costing your employer a lot of money.
This according to a new study from Cornell University. $225 per employee per year. Let's take a look at what happens -- and this doesn't even include, by the way, the cost of making other people sick. And that's $225 -- difficulty concentrating -- well, that can happen.
Working slowly, have to repeat tasks, get co-workers sick. Someone told me this morning, why stay home when you're sick, save those days for when you're feeling well.
NO, that's not -- OK let's talk about...
O'BRIEN: That's not right.
SERWER: Yes, no, that's not right.
HEMMER: Markets big day.
SERWER: Yes, big day the Dow is up 143 points. What we've got here is a tug of war between those who are afraid of inflation upsetting the apple cart and those who are looking at those positive earnings report that are coming in day after day. Microsoft reporting pretty good numbers last night.
Litigation costs hurting them but their core business doing well, that stock is up nicely in the pre-markets.
HEMMER: Nasdaq is back over 2,000.
SERWER: There you go again. There you go again, Bill.
HEMMER: We're all present and accounted for today.
SERWER: Good, and healthy.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I hate working with sick people. I always tell them go home, don't get me sick.
SERWER: Right, now we know why.
O'BRIEN: Yes, exactly. Presenteeism.
SERWER: Presenteeism.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, airport security checks apparently aren't as effective as they should be. We're going to ask the transportation security administration about that, coming up in just a moment.
Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
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Aired April 23, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now the FBI reveals its particular focus on crop dusting planes.
Extreme weather rips Oklahoma for a third day in a row and the danger may not be over.
And does the public have the right to see some of the most heart- rending images of war -- the dead coming home?
Those stories are all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, welcome to Friday.
Other stories this hour, the latest on what's happening in Iraq in a few moments. A number of stories working again today, not the least of which is what's happening in and around Fallujah -- are the Marines right now on the verge of an all-out assault?
We'll get to that topic this morning.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, news continues to trickle in about the disaster in North Korea. A train explosion involving one or maybe two trains that were carrying fuel oil.
It's very hard, obviously, to get information out of North Korea, but we're going to bring you a report in just a few moments from China because, of course, it happened very close to the border of those two countries.
HEMMER: Hard to believe in 2004.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: They shut the country down, essentially, yesterday -- cut off all the international phone lines. Nobody gets in to see any information as to what's happening.
O'BRIEN: Yes, very few details coming out.
HEMMER: An amazing...
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You know what's frightening about that? We're going to sit down and have negotiations with these people and expect them to tell us the truth about things like their nuclear weapons program. There are 3,000 dead people as a result of that train accident...
HEMMER: Maybe, we don't know.
CAFFERTY: Or more.
HEMMER: Or could be 50.
CAFFERTY: It didn't happen.
HEMMER: We do not know.
CAFFERTY: I mean it's -- it's very scary.
O'BRIEN: Yes, very strange.
CAFFERTY: Those folks will bend the truth.
Issue that's been around for a long time, but has kind of been simmering around on the back burner. Now it's coming to a full boil, that's the ongoing debate over the release of these pictures of the caskets of American servicemen coming home from Iraq. We'll talk about it a little more in a minute.
O'BRIEN: OK, incredible pictures aren't they? And of course the controversy that's followed this may be even more incredible.
CAFFERTY: I'm surprised it hasn't actually boiled up and become a bigger issue before now, but some pictures were put on the Internet and now all bets are off. I mean, they're in the trenches and everybody is defending their position.
O'BRIEN: It'll be interesting to have people weigh in on that. All right, Jack, thanks.
Let's get to our top stories this morning.
Reports of renewed violence in one of Iraq's holy cities.
According to wire reports, coalition troops and insurgents clashed in Karbala, about 70 miles south of Baghdad.
Shiite Muslims loyal to a wanted cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr seized the city earlier this month. We've got more on that situation in Iraq coming up in just a few moments.
An appeals court ruling could put the trial for terror suspect Zacharias Moussaui back on track. Moussaui is the only person charged in the U.S. in connection with the September 11 terrorist attack.
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday the listed (ph) man on prosecutors presenting evidence related to the hijackings and also decided that the government can pursue the death penalty against him.
Jury selection could begin as early as October. A pro hockey player is charged in a bizarre murder-for-hire plot. A grand jury indicted St. Louis Blues forward Mike Danton yesterday along with a teenage girl on charges of trying to hire a hit man to kill Danton's male lover.
According to the criminal complaint -- the alleged plot was foiled after the man who was apparently going to carry out the killing went to the FBI instead and began recording conversations with Danton.
A failing grade for airport security screeners. Dangerous objects still get past security according to reports to a House subcommittee and the Homeland Security Department's chief investigator says neither government nor privately employed screeners perform their jobs well.
An emergency meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is planned to address this issue.
And it is not over yet in Oklahoma. Tornadoes tore off roofs and toppled power lines in the eastern part of the state yesterday. The third straight day of severe weather. No reports of any injuries but more storms are said to be in the forecast, unfortunately, for the folks there who are just doing day after day after day of clearing out.
HEMMER: Tis' the season, and the season continues.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: U.S. officials showing ever-greater concern about a possible attack on U.S. soil as the political conventions and the presidential election approach this summer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We believe that the terrorists are interested in the United States and in injuring American citizens and disrupting American freedom. And we are operating day and night to do whatever we can to disrupt terrorist activity not only abroad but here in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: John Ashcroft from yesterday. One area of possible terrorist attack that has the FBI showing a lot of interest in so far, biological or chemical attacks using crop dusters. In the past year, federal authorities have interviewed thousands of pilots and opened a number of investigations.
Miami's chief of police John Timoney with us now from Miami, Florida to talk about it.
Chief, good morning to you.
CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE DEPT.: Morning, Bill. HEMMER: This crop duster story really an offshoot going back to the events and the days after 9/11. Your reaction -- much surprise here? Three thousand interviews over the past year?
TIMONEY: Yes, no, no surprises there. They're working on those cases, obviously, through a whole host of other cases.
I can guarantee you from the information that I have that clearly the sleeper cells throughout the United States, but also the FBI and the joint terrorist task force is in much better shape now regards to these ongoing investigations.
And they better be, because, you know, the lesson I think the terrorists learned from 9/11 is that they can effect our daily lives and how we move about, particularly in the major cities, I think, the lessons of Madrid is that they also think they can impact or have an effect on an election which is a real problem for us in the upcoming election, the two conventions, the G8 summit in Georgia in June, we got a tough year ahead of us, including the Olympics in Greece.
HEMMER: You mentioned the Madrid bombings, back to those in a minute. You also said sleeper cells here in the U.S., Chief -- you are privy to much more information than we can ever get here. What can you tell us about what you are learning about sleeper cells -- how many in the U.S. today?
TIMONEY: Well, I would never admit to how many, but what I can tell you is that there are active investigations going and the joint terrorist task Force is doing a much better job than it ever has. I think police departments all across America have increased their commitment.
For example, in New York where there used to be 20 -- there are now about 120 New York City police officers assigned. There have been thousands of FBI agents that formally investigated white collar crime, for example, and narcotics, that are now solely involved in terrorist investigations surveillance, wire tapping, and so there's a lot of good things going on and the way we're going to prevent this is by disrupting their operations, number one, but number two through gaining good intelligence. Wiretaps, informants is probably the best way to effectively disrupt these operations.
HEMMER: Chief, can you say that some operations have been disrupted?
TIMONEY: Oh, I think so. I think there is evidence, certainly in New York we know of at least two and it's often...
HEMMER: Hang on -- in New York at least two? Give us more details.
TIMONEY: Well there were -- there were reports of -- of some folks, some terrorist types -- surveilling the Brooklyn Bridge. There was an attempt to explode, or cause an explosion on the New York City subway. And we know there have been other incidents. I just spoke to some colleagues in L.A. yesterday who are very active in this area and we know for a fact that we're having a good impact.
It's always difficult, however, to measure prevention and what you've prevented. You usually don't find that out until after you've made the arrest and during the interview stage the guy will tell you, yes, well we were looking at so and so but -- but for whatever reason we changed our mind.
HEMMER: Chief, in a word or two, how much assurance can you give the American public watching this today that the system is much better since 9/11?
TIMONEY: Oh, I think so. We've had a few major events. For example right here in Miami in the last year and the posture of the FBI and particularly the people in Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the INS is completely different than it was prior to 9/11.
HEMMER: Chief Timoney -- John Timoney from Miami, Florida. Thank you, Chief for talking with us today.
TIMONEY: Thanks, Bill.
HEMMER: We've got a -- if a catastrophic event such as a terrorist attack were to strike Congress, the House now has a plan to replenish numbers.
Lawmakers voting yesterday 306 to 97 to hold special elections within 45 days after 100 or more House seats are left vacant after a catastrophic event. Some Democrats warning the timeframe could expose Congress to weeks of inaction.
The legislation has not been taken up in the Senate. Senate vacancies can be filled temporarily with appointees picked by governors. That work on Capitol Hill yesterday -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The top American in Iraq, Paul Bremer, is announcing change of policy today toward members of Saddam Hussein's disbanded Baath Party. The change will allow thousands of former Baathist Army officers and teachers back into their jobs. Some Kurds and Shiites are already protesting that move.
Meanwhile, we're learning more about the Bush administration's plan for the new Iraqi government, which will take over power on June 30.
The administration officials laid out plans before Congress yesterday that would place limits on Iraqi sovereignty including only partial command over the armed forces.
There would also be no immediate authority to enact laws.
The Bush administration's plans for a new caretaker government in Iraq would place severe limits on the authority only a partial command, as I mentioned, over that authority. These restrictions, we should add, actually were to presented in detail for the first time by the envoy Brahimi and of course recently presented to Congress.
U.S. military officials in Iraq say that they're going to negotiate just a few more days before launching an invasion of Fallujah. Officials have been concerned all along that they're not talking with anyone who has any authority over the insurgents often described as foreign fighters.
And now, as Jim Clancy tells us from Baghdad, there is growing debate about who really is behind the Iraqi resistance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN: Iraqi officials say a suspect arrested near the scene of one of the suicide bombings in Basra was from the besieged city of Fallujah.
In the view of some, it is evidence the suicide bombings that killed 20 school children along with more than 50 other Iraqis were not the work of al Qaeda or foreign fighters but Iraqis outraged by the U.S. military's Fallujah campaign that has killed hundreds of Iraqis including many civilians.
But it also raises questions about who may be directing the suicide attacks from inside the city.
U.S. Marines in Fallujah are still exchanging fire with anti- coalition fighters as a nominal ceasefire continues. Coalition commanders asserted that hundreds of foreign fighters may be among them.
The surrender of those foreign elements along with the insurgents' arsenal of weapons is being demanded as a condition of any permanent truce.
Thus far, coalition military sources say the weapons handover has been disappointing with old rusted arms or dummy rockets being handed in.
When coalition forces surrounded and cut off Fallujah earlier this month, it was noted that feared bomb attacks in the south failed to materialize during Shiia Muslim religious commemorations.
That was in stark contrast to similar events that were marked by hundreds of causalities in Baghdad and Karbala. The coalition blamed those attacks on al Qaeda or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian born militant with similar aims.
While stressing no group has been tied to the Basra attacks, some believe the tactics are familiar.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR COALITION OPERATIONS: If you take a look at the manner in which it was carried out, the technique that was used, the tactics that were used in the attack, it clearly points to a network, a terrorist network, a coordinated terrorist network such as the Zarqawi network.
CLANCY: al-Zarqawi is believed trying to form a civil war between Iraq, Shiia and Sunni communities as the best way of destroying U.S. plans here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY (on camera): Coalition officials say that there is no more information coming out about what that suspect who was arrested may have to say if he is tied to the Basra bombings it is certain though that those investigators are going to want some answers that go far beyond just Basra -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Talk a little bit more, Jim, about Fallujah. Just how bad is it? How severe is the tension on the ground there?
CLANCY: Well, I think that, you know, you've got a lot of tension. The city is basically been shut down people from going back in. They're sending a clear message to the fighters, look; you're not going to give us some junk arms here. And we're going to walk away. You've really got to disarm.
They also want to get joint U.S.-coalition Iraqi police patrols back in the city after all if they went back in if people don't want to hand over their arms and get immunity from prosecution well then they can wait and have them come in and get the arms away from them and then be thrown in jail as well, so there's a lot, there's a lot of distance to go here but U.S. commanders say they've got to see some progress in all of this.
Now, on the other hand, you get down to this whole sovereignty issue, Soledad, and many Iraqis here today say that they don't believe that the U.S. should be taking this tactic at all. It's counter productive -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Jim Clancy for us this morning out of Baghdad. Jim, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Still to come this hour, the latest on what's happening in North Korea. What we can learn anyway.
A catastrophic train explosion. What are the facts on the ground? We'll try to sort them out in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, a heated controversy about showing somber images of America's war dead coming home. Barbara Starr reports from the Pentagon up next.
HEMMER: Also, poor performance from the nation's airport security workers. We'll talk about the problems with a high-ranking member from the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration.
Back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: One of the nation's most solemn ceremonies is suddenly getting a lot of attention. At the center of the controversy, hundreds of photographs depicting America's war dead arriving back in the U.S.
Details now from Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Well, the mistaken release of photographs of military remains being returned to the United States has again sparked controversy over the Pentagon policy of not allowing news coverage of the rituals that the military performs for those who gave the last full measure of devotion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: With quiet dignity and military respect, caskets arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Troops killed in Iraq now on the final journey back to their families.
Ceremonies repeated more than five hundred times since the war began. A flag unfolded over a casket, a gentle touch smoothing the corner.
But these extraordinary pictures were never supposed to be seen. The Air Force released more than 300 photographs to this private, anti-government secrecy website, pictures the Air Force says were meant only for history.
A Defense Department spokesman says the release of the pictures under the Freedom of Information Act violated military policy. The entire matter is under review.
Since the war in Iraq, the Pentagon has strictly enforced its long-standing policy of not allowing media coverage of caskets arriving at Dover. Officials say it is out of deference to grieving families, not an effort to keep the news media from covering the mounting death toll.
For the families, news coverage is always difficult. Some do allow cameras at funerals.
One group, the National Military Family Association, had this to say: "We believe the current policy is sensitive to the needs of the families and would urge everyone else to be sensitive to them as well."
The issue remains controversial.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D) DELAWARE: And the idea that there is -- essentially snuck back into the country under the cover of night so no one can see that their casket has arrived -- I just think is wrong. STARR: And in a related matter, a private contractor who was working as a cargo handler has been fired from her job in the Persian Gulf after she took a picture of an airplane loaded with caskets as well -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us this morning -- Barbara, thanks.
HEMMER: Getting a lot of attention from us today and Jack too. Good morning.
CAFFERTY: I am -- what a question. I mean, this is not North Korea we're in here. This is a policy that was originally put in place by the first President Bush that was lifted under President Clinton and has been reestablished under the current President Bush.
The question is should the Pentagon be able to ban pictures of coffins of American military personnel. And you can e-mail us your thoughts. We're getting a ton of responses before we even ask the question.
HEMMER: Is that right?
CAFFERTY: It was posted on the website about 6:30 and people are already writing in and most people say, hey, come on. You know -- they have no right to censor this stuff. You know these are young men and women doing -- doing our business, defending our freedom.
HEMMER: You know how much dignity the military offers the wounded...
CAFFERTY: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Much less the dead who die in battle.
CAFFERTY: Absolutely. There's no question and the Pentagon -- it's interesting -- the Pentagon's rationale is well they're sparing the families exposure to these pictures on television. Well, I'm not sure it's the Pentagon's job to be making decisions about what's on the family's television sets, you know? I'm just not sure...
HEMMER: Well it can cut two ways, though. If you're against the war you say this is the result of what's happening in Iraq...
CAFFERTY: Well that's the real reason they don't want the pictures on television.
HEMMER: Or, Jack, it shows the dignity that the military offers these returning men and sometimes women.
CAFFERTY: Yes, but I -- the real reason they don't want the pictures is because it raises questions about what's going on and...
O'BRIEN: It's a powerful picture, I mean it speaks volumes about a lot of things and you can read it and interpret it any way you want obviously depending on...
CAFFERTY: The issue is whether the Pentagon has a right to be deciding whether we get to see them or not. I mean, once again we're not in North Korea here. am@cnn.com we'll read your stuff a little later.
O'BRIEN: And still to come this morning, officials at the highest level show more concern about a domestic terror attack in the next few months and Andy Serwer tells us why some workers would increase productivity and profits if they would just stay home.
Stay with us; you're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A Red Cross assessment team has arrived at the scene of a deadly train explosion in North Korea. The blast occurred yesterday in the town of Ryongchon, about 30 miles southeast of the Chinese border.
Jaime Florcruz is in Dandong, China, which is across the river. He joins us by videophone this morning. Hime good morning.
JAME FLORCRUZ, BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Soledad.
Well the border crossing on this bridge behind me that links China and North Korea has slowed down to a trickle and the city behind me -- see the city of Shinogoo (PH) has gone dark and quiet.
Some 30 minutes -- 30 hours after the major blast hit a town just about 12 miles away from where I'm standing right now. Now the blast, according to the international aid workers have killed 54 people and injured at least 1,000 people, blasting 2,000 houses.
A huge explosion that was probably caused by a car, a train car filled full of explosives that experts say may have been meant for use for mining and not for military purposes -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And of course there's been lots of conflicting information about this and a lot of that of course is because of the government's control. What kind of information are you getting? Are you finding the government being more forthcoming as the hours move on or not?
FLORCRUZ: Not really. The information is coming in dribs and drabs, not really from the official media in North Korea but mostly from the international aid workers who are working on the ground in North Korea.
From the World Health Organization we are learning that they have moved their medical facilities close to the disaster area and from the international Red Cross saying that through their local offices in North Korea, they are also providing assistance but based on what I saw in Shinogoo (ph) when I visited it about an hour ago -- about a year and a half ago -- the medical facilities there are very backward and they will be overwhelmed by the medical emergency -- Soledad. O'BRIEN: Jamie Florcruz is covering this story for us this morning. Just over the river. Jame, thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: So much we don't know. 1800 homes destroyed?
O'BRIEN: They say.
HEMMER: 6300 possibly damaged? Wow. More throughout the morning as we get it out of China across the border there in North Korea.
If you're sick, your boss may actually want you to stay home, and its looking like more trouble ahead for retirees and their health benefits and for all of that Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" checking in here on a Friday morning. Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning to you.
If there is ever reason again to remind people to fund their own retirement to the extent you can, here we've got it again this morning.
Yesterday, the equal opportunity, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, voting in Washington to allow employers to cut or reduce medical benefits for retirees once they hit 65 and are eligible for Medicare.
Let's look and see what private health insurance covers that Medicare doesn't. Severe illness costs, co-payment and deductibles, preventive care and prescription drugs. The AARP is very much against this measure, Bill, but we're going to have see whether this becomes law. It needs to go through several other government agencies.
But could be big news for retirees.
HEMMER: On the issue of health, if you're sick rather stay home, huh? Companies don't want you because why?
SERWER: Well, there's a new phrase I learned this morning it's called "presenteeism." OK, get this. It's the opposite of absenteeism.
Presenteeism is when you come to work sick you think you're doing your employer a big favor -- you're not; you're costing your employer a lot of money.
This according to a new study from Cornell University. $225 per employee per year. Let's take a look at what happens -- and this doesn't even include, by the way, the cost of making other people sick. And that's $225 -- difficulty concentrating -- well, that can happen.
Working slowly, have to repeat tasks, get co-workers sick. Someone told me this morning, why stay home when you're sick, save those days for when you're feeling well.
NO, that's not -- OK let's talk about...
O'BRIEN: That's not right.
SERWER: Yes, no, that's not right.
HEMMER: Markets big day.
SERWER: Yes, big day the Dow is up 143 points. What we've got here is a tug of war between those who are afraid of inflation upsetting the apple cart and those who are looking at those positive earnings report that are coming in day after day. Microsoft reporting pretty good numbers last night.
Litigation costs hurting them but their core business doing well, that stock is up nicely in the pre-markets.
HEMMER: Nasdaq is back over 2,000.
SERWER: There you go again. There you go again, Bill.
HEMMER: We're all present and accounted for today.
SERWER: Good, and healthy.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I hate working with sick people. I always tell them go home, don't get me sick.
SERWER: Right, now we know why.
O'BRIEN: Yes, exactly. Presenteeism.
SERWER: Presenteeism.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, airport security checks apparently aren't as effective as they should be. We're going to ask the transportation security administration about that, coming up in just a moment.
Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.
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