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American Morning

Scott Peterson Sentenced to Death

Aired December 14, 2004 - 09:00   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Scott Peterson sentenced to death, and what he did not say spoke volumes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the end, the verdict -- no emotion, no anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: This morning, two members of the jury tell us what sent Peterson to death row in California.

The man who protected Taliban leader Mullah Omar captured in Afghanistan. Will he now lead authorities to a much bigger prize.

And did a religious cult in Japan teach Al Qaeda a lesson in chemical weapons? A CNN Security Watch as our live coverage continues from Tokyo on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien in New York, and from Tokyo, Japan, Bill Hemmer.

Good morning. Good morning from Tokyo. We should say good evening. 11:00 in the evening here in Tokyo. We come to you live again from Japan. Day two of our special coverage continues. Again about a little past -- one minute past 11:00 in the evening here.

A lot to cover again this hour. We'll focus on security issues affecting Japan. Everything from the mission in Iraq to the lessons learned in that deadly sarin gas attack nine years ago.

Right now, though, I want to get back to my partner Soledad in New York. Tell Jack in a moment we have a friend for him, later in the hour. His steadfast e-mail buddy, Dave from Japan, will be here live to talk to Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You guys actually tracked him down over there?

HEMMER: Well, I haven't seen him yet. But he said he'd be here, so I'll let you know.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That will be interesting. All right, Bill, thanks.

Also coming up this morning, that arrest in Afghanistan that we've been focusing on this morning, the security chief for Mullah Omar reportedly is now in custody. How much would it mean to the war on terror to capture the former Taliban leader? We'll talk about that with a terrorism expert just ahead.

Your friend Dave in Japan.

CAFFERTY: Old weird Dave over there in Japan. Actually some of the cleverest e-mail we've read on this program the last two, three years has come from Dave.

The Question of the Day has to do with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. A couple of influential Republican voices not happy with the secretary's job performance. John McCain and General Norman Schwarzkopf both critical of the secretary of defense. Should he become the 10th member of President Bush's cabinet to submit his resignation? Am@CNN.com.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thank you.

Headlines now with Kelly Wallace. Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much, Soledad. Good morning again, everyone.

Now in the news, a morale boost for the troops in Iraq. General Richard Myers arriving in Baghdad today, with joint chiefs chairman meeting with top military officials there. But also playing M.C. briefly for a visiting USO tour. Along to entertain the troops, a celebrity lineup including actor and comedian Robin Williams. You see him there, I believe, signing some autographs.

Meantime, though, the violence continuing inside Iraq. For a second straight day, a car bomb attack near Baghdad's protected green zone, housing the Iraqi interim government and foreign embassies. Hospital officials say at least two people were killed, and 13 others wounded in that suicide bombing. No reports of any American casualties.

Back here in the United States, attorneys for Michael Jackson have filed new court motions asking to delay his January trial on child-molestation charges. Jackson's defense team is also asking the court to suppress DNA evidence. That evidence seized during surprise raids at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The lawyers argue that the charges against Jackson should be dismissed, citing, quote, "vindictive prosecution." Attorneys will be in court next week to present their arguments.

And in France, the inauguration of what is now the world's tallest road bridge. This marvel of modern architecture, you see it there. It is 62 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower and nearly 1.5 miles long. French president Jacques Chirac, one of the first to drive across. He was on hand for today's official opening ceremony. The bridge, which will open to traffic on Thursday, links motorists between Paris and the Spanish border. We've talked about how beautiful it is. But as you said, scary if you're afraid of heights.

O'BRIEN: And even if you're not that afraid of heights, it's still a tall bridge.

All right, Kelly, thanks.

WALLACE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Today, two top Taliban military commanders have been captured in Afghanistan. That's according to the Associated Press and Reuters. One of the men was the one-time personal security chief to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. He was captured on his way to the southern city of Kandahar.

Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel joins us from London this morning with more.

Nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.

SAJJAN GOHEL, ASIA-PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about these guys. The first, Naqibullah Akan (ph), he is believed to be the personal security chief for Mullah Omar. Exactly what is the significance then of his capture?

GOHEL: Well, he played a very important role. It's widely believed that he facilitated Mullah Omar to escape from Afghanistan during the war of Operation Enduring Freedom. And it's widely believed that he had close ties with Mullah Omar, and in turn, with people like Osama bin Laden as well. So his capture is going to have some significance. It could perhaps lead to more intelligence, and it's believed that a document that was found with his arrest also gave information as to key Taliban leaders that are still present inside Afghanistan.

O'BRIEN: Key Taliban leaders, but not necessarily Mullah Omar himself, correct?

GOHEL: That is correct. It's widely believed that Mullah Omar, along with people like bin Laden, and al Qaeda's No. 2, Al Zawahiri escaped into Pakistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. And as we've witnessed, all the key major Al Qaeda leaders have been picked up inside major Pakistani cities, and maybe now we could get direct intelligence as to where the rest are hiding.

O'BRIEN: What do you make of where they were found? Southern Afghanistan, not in Pakistan, as many people might have predicted.

GOHEL: Well, it's been an open secret for awhile that the Taliban were re-emerging in the south of Afghanistan, that they were crossing the border of Pakistan on a regular basis and engaging Afghan troops. And certainly Kandahar is the spiritual home of the Taliban. That is where the movement was created, and it's not unusual, because control in the south is still very weak. It's not fully organized by Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president. So certainly, it's not surprising, and it's also worrying, and could show that more people may be found in the next -- over the next coming weeks.

O'BRIEN: Outside of getting more documentation and potentially leads, is there any indication to believe that Mullah Omar would be anywhere near his security chief?

GOHEL: Well, it's unlikely that Mullah Omar would want to be near anyone that is perhaps operating inside Afghanistan for the fear of capture, for the exposure like as we've seen. Every single key al Qaeda leader has been captured, along with entourages, has not been able to provide enough information as to where people like bin Laden have been hiding. What we've seen is that they've all been separated in order to avoid detection, or heavily guarded, heavily protected, because people that are protecting them are ideologically committed. No ransom is going to be enough for them to be handed over.

But we're starting in the right place. We've arrested important individual, perhaps we can obtain more information. It's a start. It's a lead. It may not amount to anything, but there is hope, and if it can be continued, then maybe we can make progress in arresting people that are responsible for some of the worst atrocities we witnessed this century.

O'BRIEN: Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel joining us this morning. Thank you.

GOHEL: My pleasure.

O'BRIEN: A dramatic end yesterday to the Scott Peterson murder trial, the 12-person jury recommending that Peterson be put to death by lethal injection for killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son nearly two years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People of the state of California versus Scott Peterson, we the jury in the above entitled clause fix the penalty at death, dated December 13th, 2004, foreperson No. 6.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: After the verdict, the Peterson family quickly left the courthouse without talking to reporters. Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING I spoke with two of the jurors who helped determine Scott Peterson's fate, and I asked them if there was one thing that clinched it for them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHEN CARDOSI, PETERSON JURY FOREMAN: As i've said, there were many pieces of the puzzle. They all tended to come together and make one picture. And that picture pointed out Scott Peterson. I think one of the most significant things is that Laci and Conner's bodies both washed up where he went fishing. If they had washed up, you know, in the desert or somewhere other than that, we probably wouldn't be here.

O'BRIEN: There were certainly lots of analysts who pointed to Amber Frey's testimony as potentially being, watching from the outside, most damning and most damaging among the jurors. Greg, was that the case for you? GREGORY BERATLIS, PETERSON JUROR: It was information that was part of all the rest of the information, but it wasn't the -- as everybody's been asking me, is that the one that put me over the edge. That wasn't the one issue. It was a multitude of things that came out as evidence that I wasn't aware of until I went into that courtroom and listened for those six months. It was -- that was just part of it. And we keep saying this piece of the puzzle, it just it fits. It was all of the information, and that's how we came to that decision.

O'BRIEN: Did it affect your decision-making at all, gentlemen -- and I'd like you both to answer this -- that Scott Peterson never took the stand? Did you wanted to hear from him?

BERATLIS: Personally, I would have liked to have heard him in any part of this. Any of it. If it had been in the mitigation part, it would have been something. I think you alluded to earlier that if -- you know, even if he had turned around and when I looked at him in the guilt phase, and just said, disbelief, but he didn't do anything. He just -- he stayed Scott Peterson, the same way throughout the whole trial.

O'BRIEN: Did that have an impact on you?

CARDOSI: I think...

O'BRIEN: Go ahead, Stephen.

BERATLIS: Steve.

CARDOSI: I think -- do you want me to answer the same question?

O'BRIEN: Yes, please, I would.

CARDOSI: I think that, you know, I understand why he didn't testify. And I think, really looking back and thinking about the question -- I was asked the same question yesterday -- you know, given his past and his level of honesty, it probably would have done him more harm than good to talk to us, because I don't believe we would have believed him even if he was being honest. And if he wasn't being honest, obviously, that would be bad, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Scott Peterson is being held in Redwood City until the judge formally sentences him on February 25th. There is a chance that the judge could downgrade the sentence to life in prison. That's believed to be unlikely. Peterson would go to death row at San Quentin.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: If you're looking for a holiday gift, by the way, we talked yesterday about cell phones with the cameras on them. Just about every person has them. In a moment here, we're going to show you the latest technology in these cell phones. This is literally a television station that is run through the inside of this cell phone. We'll show you this and a few others, too, in a moment, as we continue our coverage here in Japan.

Also Japanese citizens voicing their anger over troops serving in Iraq. We'll get to that story, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us about a study that says getting remarried is fattening. All ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Back here in Tokyo now, we know that America and Japan are considered close allies in the region, evidenced by the Japanese Prime Minister's, Junichiro Koizumi's consistent backing of the American-led invasion in Iraq. And just last week, Japan's government extended its troop mission in Iraq by another year. The mission was set to end, in fact, this week. Japan has 550 humanitarian troop missions there in Iraq to support the reconstruction effort. Its constitution prohibits overseas deployments that might involve the use of force.

Japanese troops also focus mainly an rebuilding infrastructure, purifying water and providing medical services in Iraq. It is the country's largest overseas operation since the end of the Second World War.

However, that mission largely unpopular with the Japanese public. Polls show a majority want the troops brought home now. A bit earlier today, we talked to some people here in Tokyo about that very issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I've been against sending the self-defense force from the beginning. But it is absolutely unbelievable to have it extended by a year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If you think about the national and the regional security issue, I think Japan should also participate in efforts like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm very against it. Article IX of the Japanese constitution is a part of constitution that we are to be proud of. We have renounced war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think it is really risky to extend, as the condition in Iraq is very unstable at the moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: This topic will come up again tomorrow here on AMERICAN MORNING live from Tokyo. We'll have our exclusive interview with the prime minister of Japan, and clearly Iraq will be front and center for our discussion when you hear that interview tomorrow.

In the meantime, though, we know the pattern for technology oftentimes is set here in Japan, and then later is translated to the United States. There are a couple of phones I want to show you, Soledad, here, that are really impressive. And not available, to my knowledge, back home in the U.S.

The first one is mode by Vodafone. It literally -- I don't know if you can see this or not, Soledad -- it literally has a live television screen up here above the fold on the phone, and you can watch the channels change. And I just find it absolutely extraordinary. Here's the volume. See if you can pick up on that a little bit here. I find that extraordinary. I'm told it runs about $200 to $300.

There's another one here. This is by Casio. This is a cell phone that has GPS tracking. In this situation, it's got a map of Tokyo behind it, and you can go in and find yourself where you are, where you need to be, and extraordinary again, just the tip of your fingers here on a cell phone.

This last one is even more amazing, too. Let me turn the TV down here a second. This is also made by Vodafone. This is a cell phone that is actually a movie camera, as well. And you can take a picture, a running picture, as you like, and store it in your phone. As you can see here, I just took a picture of the crowd behind us a few moments ago, let's see if I can get it to roll there. And if you see nice and close, everybody waving behind us there. And it has audio, as well, right on the screen there.

And this is really the future for cell phones. It's already the present here in Japan. And so many times in the past as we've mentioned, we see these trends come to the U.S. Maybe it takes a year, sometimes more than that, but look to see at least some of these features on a cell phone near you very soon in the city of New York.

Good stuff, too. And a stocking stuffer. Maybe not now. Perhaps a year from now.

O'BRIEN: I was going to say, all of those things would make a wonderful gift for a co-anchor, if you're, you know, looking for something like that.

HEMMER: I'll keep you in mind.

O'BRIEN: Throwing it out there.

All right, Bill, thanks.

Still to come this morning, U.S. forces might be holding somebody who can lead them to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. And Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld under fire from inside the Republican power base. Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Good morning, welcome back. Jack's Question of the Day involves the secretary of defense.

CAFFERTY: Donald Rumsfeld, Soledad, getting some heat from a couple of pretty powerful voices for his handling of the war in Iraq. Republican Senator John McCain told the Associated Press Monday that he no longer has any confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership.

And in an interview on MSNBC, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf expressed disappointment with Rumsfeld's response last week when a soldier complained of insufficient armored protection in Baghdad. Schwarzkopf pointed out Rumsfeld acted as if he, as the secretary of defense, had nothing to do with the state of the Army.

With resignations already for more than half the president's cabinet, here's the question, should Donald Rumsfeld consider resigning as the secretary of defense?

Pamela writes from Michigan, "Why stop at Rumsfeld? He's just a small part of what's wrong with our foreign policy."

J.R. in Vicksburg (ph), Mississippi, "The truest mark of a great leader is to know not only when to take credit for success, but more importantly, to accept blame for failures. Rumsfeld and this administration have miserably failed to acknowledge problem after problem, and continue to sugarcoat the truth. He should be fired."

Paul writes from Hellertown (ph), Pennsylvania, "When Rumsfeld decides to respond to his own troops in the same glib and smart-mouth manner he routinely uses with the press, it's time for our compassionate conservative president to make the secretary of defense his 10th cabinet absentee."

And bill writes this from North Bay, Ontario, "Thomas Jefferson said government is the art of being honest. Donald Rumsfeld may have his shortcomings, but dishonesty is not one of them. We may not like his answers but maybe the rest of us simply need to resign ourselves to the fact that the war in Iraq is not a failed primetime sitcom that can simply be rewritten or canceled overnight."

O'BRIEN: Interesting point. Really seems to focus on whether you think his remarks to the soldiers were either, as one viewer wrote in, straightforward and blunt in his unusual manner, or glib, as the other writer said.

CAFFERTY: Well, if you take that statement apart, the idea that we -- you know, you go to war with the army you have, not with the army you want. Well, it was our decision when to start that war. So I guess if you didn't have the army you wanted, maybe you should have waited until you had it, rather than going in there with the army you had, if it wasn't adequate to get the job done. And I think when people started to take that response apart, that's what they came up with, and that's why the animosity.

O'BRIEN: And a little bit of distancing, too, that, General, you go to war, as opposed to...

CAFFERTY: Yes, yes. Last time I looked, it was his army, wasn't it?

O'BRIEN: Yes, it was.

CAFFERTY: I think so. O'BRIEN: Good point, Jack.

Thanks, still to come this morning, Amber Frey's testimony could be one of the reasons that Scott Peterson is now facing death. We're going to ask her lawyer how Frey reacted to the news about her onetime boyfriend. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a caution for men who are getting remarried. You may never wear those pants again. Dr. Sanjay Gupta on why remarriage causes weight gain. Stay with us, on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 December 14, 2004 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Scott Peterson sentenced to death, and what he did not say spoke volumes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the end, the verdict -- no emotion, no anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: This morning, two members of the jury tell us what sent Peterson to death row in California.

The man who protected Taliban leader Mullah Omar captured in Afghanistan. Will he now lead authorities to a much bigger prize.

And did a religious cult in Japan teach Al Qaeda a lesson in chemical weapons? A CNN Security Watch as our live coverage continues from Tokyo on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING, with Soledad O'Brien in New York, and from Tokyo, Japan, Bill Hemmer.

Good morning. Good morning from Tokyo. We should say good evening. 11:00 in the evening here in Tokyo. We come to you live again from Japan. Day two of our special coverage continues. Again about a little past -- one minute past 11:00 in the evening here.

A lot to cover again this hour. We'll focus on security issues affecting Japan. Everything from the mission in Iraq to the lessons learned in that deadly sarin gas attack nine years ago.

Right now, though, I want to get back to my partner Soledad in New York. Tell Jack in a moment we have a friend for him, later in the hour. His steadfast e-mail buddy, Dave from Japan, will be here live to talk to Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You guys actually tracked him down over there?

HEMMER: Well, I haven't seen him yet. But he said he'd be here, so I'll let you know.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That will be interesting. All right, Bill, thanks.

Also coming up this morning, that arrest in Afghanistan that we've been focusing on this morning, the security chief for Mullah Omar reportedly is now in custody. How much would it mean to the war on terror to capture the former Taliban leader? We'll talk about that with a terrorism expert just ahead.

Your friend Dave in Japan.

CAFFERTY: Old weird Dave over there in Japan. Actually some of the cleverest e-mail we've read on this program the last two, three years has come from Dave.

The Question of the Day has to do with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. A couple of influential Republican voices not happy with the secretary's job performance. John McCain and General Norman Schwarzkopf both critical of the secretary of defense. Should he become the 10th member of President Bush's cabinet to submit his resignation? Am@CNN.com.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thank you.

Headlines now with Kelly Wallace. Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much, Soledad. Good morning again, everyone.

Now in the news, a morale boost for the troops in Iraq. General Richard Myers arriving in Baghdad today, with joint chiefs chairman meeting with top military officials there. But also playing M.C. briefly for a visiting USO tour. Along to entertain the troops, a celebrity lineup including actor and comedian Robin Williams. You see him there, I believe, signing some autographs.

Meantime, though, the violence continuing inside Iraq. For a second straight day, a car bomb attack near Baghdad's protected green zone, housing the Iraqi interim government and foreign embassies. Hospital officials say at least two people were killed, and 13 others wounded in that suicide bombing. No reports of any American casualties.

Back here in the United States, attorneys for Michael Jackson have filed new court motions asking to delay his January trial on child-molestation charges. Jackson's defense team is also asking the court to suppress DNA evidence. That evidence seized during surprise raids at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The lawyers argue that the charges against Jackson should be dismissed, citing, quote, "vindictive prosecution." Attorneys will be in court next week to present their arguments.

And in France, the inauguration of what is now the world's tallest road bridge. This marvel of modern architecture, you see it there. It is 62 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower and nearly 1.5 miles long. French president Jacques Chirac, one of the first to drive across. He was on hand for today's official opening ceremony. The bridge, which will open to traffic on Thursday, links motorists between Paris and the Spanish border. We've talked about how beautiful it is. But as you said, scary if you're afraid of heights.

O'BRIEN: And even if you're not that afraid of heights, it's still a tall bridge.

All right, Kelly, thanks.

WALLACE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Today, two top Taliban military commanders have been captured in Afghanistan. That's according to the Associated Press and Reuters. One of the men was the one-time personal security chief to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. He was captured on his way to the southern city of Kandahar.

Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel joins us from London this morning with more.

Nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.

SAJJAN GOHEL, ASIA-PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about these guys. The first, Naqibullah Akan (ph), he is believed to be the personal security chief for Mullah Omar. Exactly what is the significance then of his capture?

GOHEL: Well, he played a very important role. It's widely believed that he facilitated Mullah Omar to escape from Afghanistan during the war of Operation Enduring Freedom. And it's widely believed that he had close ties with Mullah Omar, and in turn, with people like Osama bin Laden as well. So his capture is going to have some significance. It could perhaps lead to more intelligence, and it's believed that a document that was found with his arrest also gave information as to key Taliban leaders that are still present inside Afghanistan.

O'BRIEN: Key Taliban leaders, but not necessarily Mullah Omar himself, correct?

GOHEL: That is correct. It's widely believed that Mullah Omar, along with people like bin Laden, and al Qaeda's No. 2, Al Zawahiri escaped into Pakistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. And as we've witnessed, all the key major Al Qaeda leaders have been picked up inside major Pakistani cities, and maybe now we could get direct intelligence as to where the rest are hiding.

O'BRIEN: What do you make of where they were found? Southern Afghanistan, not in Pakistan, as many people might have predicted.

GOHEL: Well, it's been an open secret for awhile that the Taliban were re-emerging in the south of Afghanistan, that they were crossing the border of Pakistan on a regular basis and engaging Afghan troops. And certainly Kandahar is the spiritual home of the Taliban. That is where the movement was created, and it's not unusual, because control in the south is still very weak. It's not fully organized by Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president. So certainly, it's not surprising, and it's also worrying, and could show that more people may be found in the next -- over the next coming weeks.

O'BRIEN: Outside of getting more documentation and potentially leads, is there any indication to believe that Mullah Omar would be anywhere near his security chief?

GOHEL: Well, it's unlikely that Mullah Omar would want to be near anyone that is perhaps operating inside Afghanistan for the fear of capture, for the exposure like as we've seen. Every single key al Qaeda leader has been captured, along with entourages, has not been able to provide enough information as to where people like bin Laden have been hiding. What we've seen is that they've all been separated in order to avoid detection, or heavily guarded, heavily protected, because people that are protecting them are ideologically committed. No ransom is going to be enough for them to be handed over.

But we're starting in the right place. We've arrested important individual, perhaps we can obtain more information. It's a start. It's a lead. It may not amount to anything, but there is hope, and if it can be continued, then maybe we can make progress in arresting people that are responsible for some of the worst atrocities we witnessed this century.

O'BRIEN: Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel joining us this morning. Thank you.

GOHEL: My pleasure.

O'BRIEN: A dramatic end yesterday to the Scott Peterson murder trial, the 12-person jury recommending that Peterson be put to death by lethal injection for killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son nearly two years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People of the state of California versus Scott Peterson, we the jury in the above entitled clause fix the penalty at death, dated December 13th, 2004, foreperson No. 6.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: After the verdict, the Peterson family quickly left the courthouse without talking to reporters. Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING I spoke with two of the jurors who helped determine Scott Peterson's fate, and I asked them if there was one thing that clinched it for them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHEN CARDOSI, PETERSON JURY FOREMAN: As i've said, there were many pieces of the puzzle. They all tended to come together and make one picture. And that picture pointed out Scott Peterson. I think one of the most significant things is that Laci and Conner's bodies both washed up where he went fishing. If they had washed up, you know, in the desert or somewhere other than that, we probably wouldn't be here.

O'BRIEN: There were certainly lots of analysts who pointed to Amber Frey's testimony as potentially being, watching from the outside, most damning and most damaging among the jurors. Greg, was that the case for you? GREGORY BERATLIS, PETERSON JUROR: It was information that was part of all the rest of the information, but it wasn't the -- as everybody's been asking me, is that the one that put me over the edge. That wasn't the one issue. It was a multitude of things that came out as evidence that I wasn't aware of until I went into that courtroom and listened for those six months. It was -- that was just part of it. And we keep saying this piece of the puzzle, it just it fits. It was all of the information, and that's how we came to that decision.

O'BRIEN: Did it affect your decision-making at all, gentlemen -- and I'd like you both to answer this -- that Scott Peterson never took the stand? Did you wanted to hear from him?

BERATLIS: Personally, I would have liked to have heard him in any part of this. Any of it. If it had been in the mitigation part, it would have been something. I think you alluded to earlier that if -- you know, even if he had turned around and when I looked at him in the guilt phase, and just said, disbelief, but he didn't do anything. He just -- he stayed Scott Peterson, the same way throughout the whole trial.

O'BRIEN: Did that have an impact on you?

CARDOSI: I think...

O'BRIEN: Go ahead, Stephen.

BERATLIS: Steve.

CARDOSI: I think -- do you want me to answer the same question?

O'BRIEN: Yes, please, I would.

CARDOSI: I think that, you know, I understand why he didn't testify. And I think, really looking back and thinking about the question -- I was asked the same question yesterday -- you know, given his past and his level of honesty, it probably would have done him more harm than good to talk to us, because I don't believe we would have believed him even if he was being honest. And if he wasn't being honest, obviously, that would be bad, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Scott Peterson is being held in Redwood City until the judge formally sentences him on February 25th. There is a chance that the judge could downgrade the sentence to life in prison. That's believed to be unlikely. Peterson would go to death row at San Quentin.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: If you're looking for a holiday gift, by the way, we talked yesterday about cell phones with the cameras on them. Just about every person has them. In a moment here, we're going to show you the latest technology in these cell phones. This is literally a television station that is run through the inside of this cell phone. We'll show you this and a few others, too, in a moment, as we continue our coverage here in Japan.

Also Japanese citizens voicing their anger over troops serving in Iraq. We'll get to that story, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us about a study that says getting remarried is fattening. All ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Back here in Tokyo now, we know that America and Japan are considered close allies in the region, evidenced by the Japanese Prime Minister's, Junichiro Koizumi's consistent backing of the American-led invasion in Iraq. And just last week, Japan's government extended its troop mission in Iraq by another year. The mission was set to end, in fact, this week. Japan has 550 humanitarian troop missions there in Iraq to support the reconstruction effort. Its constitution prohibits overseas deployments that might involve the use of force.

Japanese troops also focus mainly an rebuilding infrastructure, purifying water and providing medical services in Iraq. It is the country's largest overseas operation since the end of the Second World War.

However, that mission largely unpopular with the Japanese public. Polls show a majority want the troops brought home now. A bit earlier today, we talked to some people here in Tokyo about that very issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I've been against sending the self-defense force from the beginning. But it is absolutely unbelievable to have it extended by a year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If you think about the national and the regional security issue, I think Japan should also participate in efforts like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm very against it. Article IX of the Japanese constitution is a part of constitution that we are to be proud of. We have renounced war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think it is really risky to extend, as the condition in Iraq is very unstable at the moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: This topic will come up again tomorrow here on AMERICAN MORNING live from Tokyo. We'll have our exclusive interview with the prime minister of Japan, and clearly Iraq will be front and center for our discussion when you hear that interview tomorrow.

In the meantime, though, we know the pattern for technology oftentimes is set here in Japan, and then later is translated to the United States. There are a couple of phones I want to show you, Soledad, here, that are really impressive. And not available, to my knowledge, back home in the U.S.

The first one is mode by Vodafone. It literally -- I don't know if you can see this or not, Soledad -- it literally has a live television screen up here above the fold on the phone, and you can watch the channels change. And I just find it absolutely extraordinary. Here's the volume. See if you can pick up on that a little bit here. I find that extraordinary. I'm told it runs about $200 to $300.

There's another one here. This is by Casio. This is a cell phone that has GPS tracking. In this situation, it's got a map of Tokyo behind it, and you can go in and find yourself where you are, where you need to be, and extraordinary again, just the tip of your fingers here on a cell phone.

This last one is even more amazing, too. Let me turn the TV down here a second. This is also made by Vodafone. This is a cell phone that is actually a movie camera, as well. And you can take a picture, a running picture, as you like, and store it in your phone. As you can see here, I just took a picture of the crowd behind us a few moments ago, let's see if I can get it to roll there. And if you see nice and close, everybody waving behind us there. And it has audio, as well, right on the screen there.

And this is really the future for cell phones. It's already the present here in Japan. And so many times in the past as we've mentioned, we see these trends come to the U.S. Maybe it takes a year, sometimes more than that, but look to see at least some of these features on a cell phone near you very soon in the city of New York.

Good stuff, too. And a stocking stuffer. Maybe not now. Perhaps a year from now.

O'BRIEN: I was going to say, all of those things would make a wonderful gift for a co-anchor, if you're, you know, looking for something like that.

HEMMER: I'll keep you in mind.

O'BRIEN: Throwing it out there.

All right, Bill, thanks.

Still to come this morning, U.S. forces might be holding somebody who can lead them to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. And Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld under fire from inside the Republican power base. Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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O'BRIEN: Good morning, welcome back. Jack's Question of the Day involves the secretary of defense.

CAFFERTY: Donald Rumsfeld, Soledad, getting some heat from a couple of pretty powerful voices for his handling of the war in Iraq. Republican Senator John McCain told the Associated Press Monday that he no longer has any confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership.

And in an interview on MSNBC, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf expressed disappointment with Rumsfeld's response last week when a soldier complained of insufficient armored protection in Baghdad. Schwarzkopf pointed out Rumsfeld acted as if he, as the secretary of defense, had nothing to do with the state of the Army.

With resignations already for more than half the president's cabinet, here's the question, should Donald Rumsfeld consider resigning as the secretary of defense?

Pamela writes from Michigan, "Why stop at Rumsfeld? He's just a small part of what's wrong with our foreign policy."

J.R. in Vicksburg (ph), Mississippi, "The truest mark of a great leader is to know not only when to take credit for success, but more importantly, to accept blame for failures. Rumsfeld and this administration have miserably failed to acknowledge problem after problem, and continue to sugarcoat the truth. He should be fired."

Paul writes from Hellertown (ph), Pennsylvania, "When Rumsfeld decides to respond to his own troops in the same glib and smart-mouth manner he routinely uses with the press, it's time for our compassionate conservative president to make the secretary of defense his 10th cabinet absentee."

And bill writes this from North Bay, Ontario, "Thomas Jefferson said government is the art of being honest. Donald Rumsfeld may have his shortcomings, but dishonesty is not one of them. We may not like his answers but maybe the rest of us simply need to resign ourselves to the fact that the war in Iraq is not a failed primetime sitcom that can simply be rewritten or canceled overnight."

O'BRIEN: Interesting point. Really seems to focus on whether you think his remarks to the soldiers were either, as one viewer wrote in, straightforward and blunt in his unusual manner, or glib, as the other writer said.

CAFFERTY: Well, if you take that statement apart, the idea that we -- you know, you go to war with the army you have, not with the army you want. Well, it was our decision when to start that war. So I guess if you didn't have the army you wanted, maybe you should have waited until you had it, rather than going in there with the army you had, if it wasn't adequate to get the job done. And I think when people started to take that response apart, that's what they came up with, and that's why the animosity.

O'BRIEN: And a little bit of distancing, too, that, General, you go to war, as opposed to...

CAFFERTY: Yes, yes. Last time I looked, it was his army, wasn't it?

O'BRIEN: Yes, it was.

CAFFERTY: I think so. O'BRIEN: Good point, Jack.

Thanks, still to come this morning, Amber Frey's testimony could be one of the reasons that Scott Peterson is now facing death. We're going to ask her lawyer how Frey reacted to the news about her onetime boyfriend. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a caution for men who are getting remarried. You may never wear those pants again. Dr. Sanjay Gupta on why remarriage causes weight gain. Stay with us, on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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