Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Could Attack in Mosul Have Come From Within?; Major Winter Storm Hitting at Just the Wrong Time
Aired December 22, 2004 - 08:00 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: Could the attack in Mosul have come from within? Investigators now considering the strong possibility of a planted bomb because of clues found in kitchen equipment.
Highways clogged with travelers now coated with ice, as well. A major winter storm hitting at just the wrong time, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
We're learning more about the attack on U.S. troops in Mosul. Twenty-two people killed. One of the Americans who was there and made it through the ordeal called his wife as it was all unfolding. We'll talk to her about that call from across the world in just a few moments.
HEMMER: The drama you can only imagine there.
Also, from the State of Missouri, the chaplain who helped the family of that slain mother-to-be through the best and the worst of times. The Reverend Harold Hamon is with us today, preaching the funeral for Bobby Jo Stinnett yesterday. He also married her a while back. We'll talk to him about all of that in a few minutes here.
O'BRIEN: What's "The File" look like this morning -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a little lighter than the previous two items. Being it's Wednesday, we take a look at "Things People Say," including a Hollywood hunk who's whining about having to wear a dress. Some of them actually like to do that, I think. A Hollywood star talks about the strange people who live in Hollywood and...
O'BRIEN: Reference the previous story.
CAFFERTY: Reference -- yes, including the one who's complaining about wearing that. And Tommy Lee Jones speaks about what he would like to do to Angelina Jollie.
HEMMER: Oh, the imagination runs wild.
O'BRIEN: OK. Huh. How about that?
CAFFERTY: Think Pamela Anderson.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: OK.
CAFFERTY: You might want to stay tuned for that.
HEMMER: We shall.
Let's get to the headlines now.
Here's Carol Costello with us.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Did you see Pamela Anderson in those tapes? Yes, I know what you're talking about.
CAFFERTY: You've seen those, have you?
COSTELLO: Well, yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
COSTELLO: I'm a reporter. I have to know.
CAFFERTY: Bring this thing down near the sewer where it belongs.
COSTELLO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Circling the drain yet again today.
COSTELLO: I think we'd better move on with the headlines now, don't you?
HEMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone.
Now in the news, British Prime Minister Tony Blair preparing to meet with Palestinian leaders. The prime minister arrived in Ramallah within the past half hour. He's in the region touting a proposed Middle East conference set to take place in London next month. Earlier this morning, Blair held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
In the Washington, D.C. area, emergency crews are working to clear a fiery crash on a major league highway near the Pentagon. That would be I-395. Authorities say a driver apparently lost control of his tanker truck, causing the vehicle to flip over and explode in a giant fireball. The driver was killed in this accident. The wreck is causing some major league delays for commuters this morning.
Police in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania have found the body of a 9-year-old autistic boy. Logan Mitcheltree's body was found yesterday about a mile and a half from his home. The boy had been missing for four days. Searchers braved frigid temperatures to try and find him.
In Washington State, Republicans saying the governor's race there is still too close to call. Right now, Republican State Senator Dino Rossi is holding onto an extremely slim lead over the Democratic attorney general Christine Gregoire. The Washington Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments today over some disputed ballots. And election officials in King County, which includes Seattle, will announce unofficial results from their hand recount today. Of course, we will keep you posted -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Carol, thanks a lot.
This morning in Iraq, the FBI is on the scene of Tuesday's deadly blast inside a dining tent at the U.S. military base in Mosul. They are searching for clues as to the exact cause of the attack and they're ruling nothing out, including the possibility of a bomb planted inside the tent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, U.S. ARMY: It's certainly a possibility. And that's the reason we have our experts up there. They'll be able to figure out exactly what caliber munition and type of indirect fire, if it was indirect. If it was a bomb, I think they'll be able to figure out the size and the kinds of materials that were put into it. But our experts are there right now doing that investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: That's Lieutenant General Thomas Metz.
He was talking to Bill a little bit earlier this morning.
Trish Otto's husband, Lieutenant Sean Otto, is a Virginia National Guardsman. He was in the tent at the time of the attack and he survived.
She joins us this morning from the couple's home in Williamsburg.
Nice to see you, Trish.
Thanks for talking with us.
I know your husband spoke to you yesterday morning.
What was he able to tell you?
TRISH OTTO, WIFE OF MOSUL BLAST SURVIVOR: He called, and it was after the incident, because they are ahead of us. He called and said, "Hi, honey. I just want to let you know that I'm OK and I love you very much." And immediately I knew something was wrong. He said, "I can't talk, but something bad has happened and I can't talk right now. I have to go. I love you." And then he hung up.
O'BRIEN: So he...
OTTO: And just to correct you, he was not in the tent, he was actually on his way to the mess hall tent.
O'BRIEN: OK, thank you for that correction.
So he couldn't be specific on the phone.
What was it like for you when you were -- when you discovered what had actually happened inside that tent?
OTTO: I was horrified. I was upset. I knew that he was OK. I didn't know if he was completely OK. But I was really upset for the soldiers. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next, if there was going to be another attack. I was just -- I was filled with emotions, not knowing, like I said, what was going to happen next, when I was going to hear from him again, not knowing, you know, what the other families were thinking, what was going on, knowing that they were not going to hear from their soldiers.
I got a lucky call.
O'BRIEN: Have the two of you communicated since that lucky call?
OTTO: Last night on the Internet he I.M.d me a few times and he said that he was OK and they basically, after they had everything under control, they had to go and complete their missions as usual.
O'BRIEN: How is he holding up? I know there was a newspaper article that was focusing on Sean that actually had to be rewritten because he told the writer he felt very fortunate, very lucky, because he had not lost a man in the year long deployment to Iraq. Obviously now not the case.
How is he holding up?
OTTO: He's holding up really well. He's a very strong man, a very decent, honorable person. He would give his life for one of the soldiers. I think deep in his heart he is hurting. But I could not tell that by his I.M.s. He just said, "I'm exhausted, I'm tired, I have to keep my men up, I have to keep their morale up and we have to get our missions completed so we can come home."
O'BRIEN: And how are you holding up? One has to imagine that any time you hear a news report about anything happening where you think your husband might be, it's just got to be a roller coaster. I mean it must be really horrible.
OTTO: It is a roller coaster. I cried a lot of tears yesterday, mainly for the families that won't have soldiers coming back home to them. All the people out there serving our country, I just have so much love for them, giving their lives for us and the ones just that are going to be coming home, their families, thinking of everyone, my hearts -- my heart goes out to them and my prayers go out to them. It's just full of emotion.
I can only imagine what all the other families are going through right now.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I agree with you on that one.
I know you have two young boys who are very close to Sean. He's their stepfather, essentially.
How are they doing?
OTTO: They're doing good. They're the ones that hold me up, actually. They really miss him a lot. They just want him back here safe and sound.
O'BRIEN: When is he coming home, do you know?
OTTO: It's supposed to be around mid-February. Originally March, but hopefully mid-February. We're praying for that one, unless something else happens.
O'BRIEN: All right, Trish Otto joining us this morning.
Trish, the best of luck to you and your husband. And, you know, make it through the holidays. I know it's a tough time for you.
Thanks for being with us.
OTTO: Thank you so much.
HEMMER: About eight minutes past the hour now.
Shifting our focus now to nature, Mother Nature now giving the central part of the country a bit of a wallop, getting ready, too, for this storm here. A very white Christmas, as well.
Here's some of the latest we have. A major snow and ice band bearing down on the Midwest. About a foot of snow or more possible in some parts, and there might be a layer of ice in between all of that. Significant ice storms expected in Kentucky and Ohio.
And Chad is watching this on a busy morning.
Hey -- Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Bill.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: What's the forecast if you're traveling this holiday?
AAA Spokesman Justin McNaull is in Washington.
Hey, Justin, nice to see you again.
Thanks for being with us.
You listened to Chad's report, and if you look at the highways that are going to be affected by this storm, they're saying I-80,I- 70,71,40,64. Before, besides, rather, slowing down, what do you think is the best strategy if you get caught in the snowstorm? JUSTIN MCNAULL, AAA SPOKESMAN: Well, the good news right now is it's just December 22. If your goal is simply to be home for Christmas, you still have a day or two to play with. So if you don't have to travel, if you don't have to be somewhere on the 23rd or tonight, hold off for a little bit.
If you do need to be on the roads through this period, take a look at some alternate routes that you might have. Typically we tell people try to go a little further south if you're trying to avoid a storm. This is one case when you might want to go up to the north, actually, and take a look at Interstate 80 or Interstate 90 where, one, you're going to be north of the real bulk of the snow; and, two, at least you're going through parts of Ohio and Indiana, where they're used to getting a lot of snow because of the lake effect snows and they have plenty of plows to move the stuff.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it's all about experience in things like this.
I have zero emergency gear in my car, which I've just sort of realized as, you know, the weather gets bad.
What kind of stuff should I run out and buy? What's the minimum I need, do you think?
MCNAULL: Certainly start off with a cell phone. The good news now in most of our metropolitan areas, even most of our interstate system, you have cell phone coverage regardless of where you are. Even if you don't have a plan with lots of minutes, you can dial 911 if you have a signal and you have power to the phone.
But, additionally, though, you might have to fend for yourself for a little bit. So be sure that you have a blanket, that you have coats, that you have hats, that you have mittens for the adults and all the kids in the car. Be sure you have a little bit of food. This is a great time to have candy bars, granola bars, some of the stuff that's a little higher in fat that normally you avoid. The fat is good for you if you're stuck in the snow for a while.
At the same time, you want some flares, some reflective triangles, things to really mark up your car so that if you are stranded on the side of the road, people will see you there and be able to miss you.
O'BRIEN: I know you saw pictures of the massive pileup on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, on I-80,I think it was.
What do you think is the best way to try to avoid a pileup? I mean how do you become -- how do you get out of the way of all these cars that are just, you know, skidding and sliding into each other?
MCNAULL: Really, the issue is something like this is it's a matter of speed of travel and the volume of cars that are out there. What's interesting, they had 80 or 90 cars involved. They were spread out across eight or nine miles, though. So if people had been traveling at 30 miles an hour, 20 miles an hour, even some of the folks who were traveling 40 or 50 stopped in time so that they could avoid this.
The real risk that you run into is people think the speed limit is 55 or 65 and don't realize that they need to slow down. Those are ideal speeds. There are times when the safe highway speed is 30 miles an hour. There are times when it's 10. There are times when you shouldn't be driving at all.
So if you are traveling slowly, you see the wreck in front of you. You'll be able to slow down. And the trick is, if you can, to try to pull around it and get on the other side of it. A lot of the people in Ohio ended up getting piled into by cars behind them, people who stopped safely but the people behind them were just traveling like yahoos down the road and ended up slamming into them.
O'BRIEN: You know, anybody who's doing 60 miles an hour in this kind of weather is just out and out a complete idiot.
Justin McNaull joining us.
He's a AAA spokesman.
Nice to see you, Justin.
Thanks a lot.
Great advice.
MCNAULL: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.
MCNAULL: Have a great holiday.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
Likewise -- Bill.
HEMMER: About 13 minutes now past the hour.
From the State of Missouri now, friends and family there are still grieving the death of Bobby Jo Stinnett. She's the 23-year-old woman police say was strangled before her 8-month-old fetus was cut from her body. Stinnett was buried yesterday in her home town of Skidmore, Missouri.
The Reverend Harold Hamon is pastor of the Skidmore Christian Church.
He presided at the funeral. He also was there to wed her a few years back.
He's in Skidmore, Missouri, and we appreciate your time this morning in what is certainly to be a difficult time.
Tell me what kind of a person Bobby Jo was, reverend. REV. HAROLD HAMON, PASTOR, SKIDMORE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Well, Bobby Jo was a very quiet person and stuck to her own life, she and her husband, Zeb. And you hardly knew that they were around town. They both worked in a nearby factory and a lot of people in Skidmore knew Bobby Jo much better than I do. My most vivid memory was the wedding, when she came down the aisle as a beautiful bride dressed in white on the arm of her grandfather and her groom waiting for her at the front of the auditorium. And I asked the question, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" And her grandfather said, "I do." And we went on with the ceremony and everybody, and the place was filled, and the community is just stunned at what happened a year and a half after.
HEMMER: Yes, I apologize for the interruption here.
I've read that you wrote and then rewrote the words you wanted to deliver yesterday at the funeral.
Why was this one so especially tough for you?
HAMON: Well, I've never been down this road before. I've seen some tragedies in my ministry, but not like this.
HEMMER: Yes. You mentioned her husband.
How is he doing, Zeb?
Reverend, if you can still hear me, you mentioned her husband, Zeb.
How is he doing?
There seems to be a bit of difficulty there with the signal.
I'm going to hang with it just for a moment here.
If we can get it back here with Reverend Harold Hamon.
He presided over the funeral services yesterday for Bobby Jo Stinnett. He also married her and her husband a few years back.
Do we have him back or do we need to move on?
O'BRIEN: You always have to ask, I think...
HEMMER: Reverend?
O'BRIEN: Well, they're trying to bring him up -- you know, how do you -- she was 23 years old, this young woman, this victim. I mean it must be very difficult to speak to a congregation...
HEMMER: Exceedingly.
O'BRIEN: ... about something that's completely inexplicable, one would imagine.
HEMMER: The other thing is this community here, you have about 350 people living in that town.
O'BRIEN: Yes, people.
HEMMER: And things like this...
O'BRIEN: It's got to rip the heart out of the people there.
HEMMER: Oh, no question.
Our apologies, we can't get back the reverend.
But we thank him for his time this morning.
O'BRIEN: Oh, that's tough.
We'll have more on that story, obviously, because we continue to follow that. And as all of that's going to go into trial, too.
Republicans and Democrats, though, duke it out all the time. We know that. But over holiday greetings? Kamber and May go toe to toe on that issue, as well, this morning.
Plus, some legal gymnastics. He's one of the boys who had to play with the girls. But it turns out that gender equity doesn't apply to everybody.
And a hero's welcome. A Vietnam veteran vows to make sure that history does not repeat itself.
We're back in just a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: He is a decorated Vietnam veteran, who, along with his wife, is doing everything they can to see the wounded U.S. soldiers return to a normal life here in the U.S. This morning, we're honoring their special service. And earlier this month, they got props from the president in a major speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In Washington, D.C., veterans -- Vietnam vet Steve Cobb and his wife Tanya have been coming out regularly to Andrews Air Force Base to meet wounded service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Those two good folks welcome the troops home and they offer whatever help they can provide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Stephen Cobb and his wife Tanya Cobb now with us live in Washington.
Good morning to you, and really a great story here.
And congratulations for the special honor from the president.
What was it like, Colonel, when you heard that, the words from the president? Did you expect that?
STEPHEN COBB, VIETNAM VETERAN: No. It was kind of a surprise, even though his speechwriting office had called me just to check. They verified my military record. They obviously had all the details. But they said the president may or may not be mentioning you and Tanya during his remarks at Camp Pendleton. And then later on, they called back and asked if we could attend Camp Pendleton. And we couldn't very well attend, because we had a flight the night before arriving at Andrews Air Force Base. So there's no way we could meet the flight and still...
HEMMER: That's a pretty cool surprise, too.
Explain to our viewers what you do for the troops there.
S. COBB: Well, we welcome home all troops, whether battle injury or non-battle injury. We tell them thank you, god bless you, welcome home, we appreciate all you've done. And we try to offer as many as we can information on benefits, on further treatment. Any time they need a service officer or anything else, provide them the kind of information that they need to follow-up, to not only receive treatment, but to get back to a normal life.
For instance, for Purple Heart recipients, many schools and universities, starting in the State of Utah, but it spread like wildfire throughout the country, now have free tuition for Purple Heart recipients. And we're pushing legislation to get that adopted nationally.
In addition, all disabled veterans, and Purple Heart recipients included, have a 10 point job preference for any government job. We inform them of this. We try to tell all the patients that at every hospital they go to, there will be a V.A. representative there to help them and that V.A. representative is solely dedicated to helping Iraq and Afghanistan returning veterans. So if they run into any bureaucratic roadblocks or other problems, they can ask for that person by position and cut a lot of red tape.
So...
HEMMER: Well, that is a tremendous program.
I want to talk a little bit about your own Vietnam experience here in a moment and see how you can reflect on that 30 years later.
But to your wife, Tanya.
What's the reaction you get from the U.S. military?
TANYA COBB, STEPHEN'S WIFE: The reaction I get is really wonderful. Some of the guys and girls, as I call them, are about my age or a little younger or a little older. Sometimes they have emotional issues. Now they are home, they are back and they really love to feel welcomed, secure. And they also feel, sometimes, uncomfortable to pick up the phone and call their families and tell them they're back in America, they are on their way either to the -- for further treatment or on the way home. And all the best I can do is help them to pick up the phone and talk with their family and help reestablish contact and bring a cup of coffee and tell welcome, thank you for everything you have been doing. If you have any difficult moments, I am here. You can get an extra hug or an extra cup of coffee or an extra cookie or anything else.
The main idea, you feel comfortable, relaxed, can sleep and get ready for treatment and the next flight on the way for their home.
HEMMER: And I imagine a big smile goes a long way, too, at a time like that, as well.
T. COBB: Sure.
HEMMER: Colonel, when you came back from Vietnam, you had a pretty tough time.
Is this helping to take off some of that edge of three decades ago, knowing that you can give back to the U.S. military now in 2004?
S. COBB: Yes, it does. It certainly does. When I came home, mostly all I saw was demonstrators and there were certainly no parades. There were no welcome homes. But I wanted to make sure that never again would another generation of veterans go through that experience that I had. And that's why there's no pay or remuneration or compensation involved in the work we're doing. It's a personal thing that, to make sure that every veteran is appreciated, thanked, welcomed home and then taken care of after they get home.
I mean we can give boxer shorts and slippers and break away pants and all sorts of other supplies and little toiletry kits and things like that. Those help in the immediate transition.
But what really helps is for every veteran to know that there's a whole network of friends out there who are willing to support them all the way through, not only when they arrive, but when they're at Walter Reed or Bethesda Hospital and when they go on further to other hospitals near their home duty station or near their home of record.
HEMMER: Well, your point is very well taken.
You guys are great.
Thanks for coming on and sharing our story.
And job well done, too, especially during the holidays.
S. COBB: Thank you.
HEMMER: Stephen Cobb and his wife Tanya.
T. COBB: Thank you so much.
HEMMER: You've got it.
Good luck to you. T. COBB: It's a pleasure to be here.
S. COBB: We look forward to spending Christmas with our troops.
T. COBB: Thank you, sir.
Happy holidays to you.
HEMMER: OK.
Wonderful.
And thanks again for your time today.
Also, to our viewers, to donate supplies for injured troops returning home, you can go to purpleheart353.com there for you online -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Good for them.
HEMMER: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: That's such a nice story.
HEMMER: Wonderful.
O'BRIEN: You can get a hug or you can get a cup of coffee. I like the way she's -- or a cookie. It just kind of sums that up.
HEMMER: Very true.
O'BRIEN: Well, how about this? It looks funny, but when every second counts, a strange new device could mean the difference between life and death.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Next here is the Question of the Day today -- good morning, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Indeed.
Thanks, Soledad.
Yesterday's rocket attack in Mosul a sign of a growing desperation, perhaps, among the insurgency. Elections scheduled January 30th. Their time is running out and they know it. The insurgents want an Islamic fundamentalist dictatorship to rule Iraq. But if the elections happen, if Iraqis turn out and vote, it could mark the beginning of the end for them. And so the stakes couldn't be any higher.
The question this morning is how will the escalating violence in Iraq affect the elections. Gayle in Cave City, Kentucky: "Nation building has always ended in failure. Occupation breeds resistance. It looks more and more like we are toast and our wonderful soldiers and Iraqis are dying for nothing."
Kenneth in Dover, Delaware: "We can't even protect our troops while they eat and relax in a so-called secure area. Without more troops on the ground all over Iraq, I doubt the elections will be a success. The way our military is stretched thin throughout the world, there are no significant numbers of fresh troops to send."
David in Miamisburg, Ohio writes: "I think that those that are concerned about the welfare of their new nation will step to the forefront and will turn out to vote.
Bob in New Orleans writes this: "The violence shouldn't affect the timing of the elections at all. The reality is the terrorists are afraid of an election. The news media's focus on the violence around the Sunni Triangle ignores the fact that 80 percent of the country, where the Shiites and Kurds live, is not being terrorized."
Interesting points of view.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Democrats and Republicans fight over what really matters. Do you say Merry Christmas or happy holidays? There is a poll about this, honest.
Also, Title IX promotes equality in sports, right? But one boy finds out that it only applies to half the population. His story, as well, when we continue.
(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 22, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Could the attack in Mosul have come from within? Investigators now considering the strong possibility of a planted bomb because of clues found in kitchen equipment.
Highways clogged with travelers now coated with ice, as well. A major winter storm hitting at just the wrong time, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
We're learning more about the attack on U.S. troops in Mosul. Twenty-two people killed. One of the Americans who was there and made it through the ordeal called his wife as it was all unfolding. We'll talk to her about that call from across the world in just a few moments.
HEMMER: The drama you can only imagine there.
Also, from the State of Missouri, the chaplain who helped the family of that slain mother-to-be through the best and the worst of times. The Reverend Harold Hamon is with us today, preaching the funeral for Bobby Jo Stinnett yesterday. He also married her a while back. We'll talk to him about all of that in a few minutes here.
O'BRIEN: What's "The File" look like this morning -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a little lighter than the previous two items. Being it's Wednesday, we take a look at "Things People Say," including a Hollywood hunk who's whining about having to wear a dress. Some of them actually like to do that, I think. A Hollywood star talks about the strange people who live in Hollywood and...
O'BRIEN: Reference the previous story.
CAFFERTY: Reference -- yes, including the one who's complaining about wearing that. And Tommy Lee Jones speaks about what he would like to do to Angelina Jollie.
HEMMER: Oh, the imagination runs wild.
O'BRIEN: OK. Huh. How about that?
CAFFERTY: Think Pamela Anderson.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: OK.
CAFFERTY: You might want to stay tuned for that.
HEMMER: We shall.
Let's get to the headlines now.
Here's Carol Costello with us.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Did you see Pamela Anderson in those tapes? Yes, I know what you're talking about.
CAFFERTY: You've seen those, have you?
COSTELLO: Well, yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
COSTELLO: I'm a reporter. I have to know.
CAFFERTY: Bring this thing down near the sewer where it belongs.
COSTELLO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Circling the drain yet again today.
COSTELLO: I think we'd better move on with the headlines now, don't you?
HEMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone.
Now in the news, British Prime Minister Tony Blair preparing to meet with Palestinian leaders. The prime minister arrived in Ramallah within the past half hour. He's in the region touting a proposed Middle East conference set to take place in London next month. Earlier this morning, Blair held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
In the Washington, D.C. area, emergency crews are working to clear a fiery crash on a major league highway near the Pentagon. That would be I-395. Authorities say a driver apparently lost control of his tanker truck, causing the vehicle to flip over and explode in a giant fireball. The driver was killed in this accident. The wreck is causing some major league delays for commuters this morning.
Police in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania have found the body of a 9-year-old autistic boy. Logan Mitcheltree's body was found yesterday about a mile and a half from his home. The boy had been missing for four days. Searchers braved frigid temperatures to try and find him.
In Washington State, Republicans saying the governor's race there is still too close to call. Right now, Republican State Senator Dino Rossi is holding onto an extremely slim lead over the Democratic attorney general Christine Gregoire. The Washington Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments today over some disputed ballots. And election officials in King County, which includes Seattle, will announce unofficial results from their hand recount today. Of course, we will keep you posted -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Carol, thanks a lot.
This morning in Iraq, the FBI is on the scene of Tuesday's deadly blast inside a dining tent at the U.S. military base in Mosul. They are searching for clues as to the exact cause of the attack and they're ruling nothing out, including the possibility of a bomb planted inside the tent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, U.S. ARMY: It's certainly a possibility. And that's the reason we have our experts up there. They'll be able to figure out exactly what caliber munition and type of indirect fire, if it was indirect. If it was a bomb, I think they'll be able to figure out the size and the kinds of materials that were put into it. But our experts are there right now doing that investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: That's Lieutenant General Thomas Metz.
He was talking to Bill a little bit earlier this morning.
Trish Otto's husband, Lieutenant Sean Otto, is a Virginia National Guardsman. He was in the tent at the time of the attack and he survived.
She joins us this morning from the couple's home in Williamsburg.
Nice to see you, Trish.
Thanks for talking with us.
I know your husband spoke to you yesterday morning.
What was he able to tell you?
TRISH OTTO, WIFE OF MOSUL BLAST SURVIVOR: He called, and it was after the incident, because they are ahead of us. He called and said, "Hi, honey. I just want to let you know that I'm OK and I love you very much." And immediately I knew something was wrong. He said, "I can't talk, but something bad has happened and I can't talk right now. I have to go. I love you." And then he hung up.
O'BRIEN: So he...
OTTO: And just to correct you, he was not in the tent, he was actually on his way to the mess hall tent.
O'BRIEN: OK, thank you for that correction.
So he couldn't be specific on the phone.
What was it like for you when you were -- when you discovered what had actually happened inside that tent?
OTTO: I was horrified. I was upset. I knew that he was OK. I didn't know if he was completely OK. But I was really upset for the soldiers. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next, if there was going to be another attack. I was just -- I was filled with emotions, not knowing, like I said, what was going to happen next, when I was going to hear from him again, not knowing, you know, what the other families were thinking, what was going on, knowing that they were not going to hear from their soldiers.
I got a lucky call.
O'BRIEN: Have the two of you communicated since that lucky call?
OTTO: Last night on the Internet he I.M.d me a few times and he said that he was OK and they basically, after they had everything under control, they had to go and complete their missions as usual.
O'BRIEN: How is he holding up? I know there was a newspaper article that was focusing on Sean that actually had to be rewritten because he told the writer he felt very fortunate, very lucky, because he had not lost a man in the year long deployment to Iraq. Obviously now not the case.
How is he holding up?
OTTO: He's holding up really well. He's a very strong man, a very decent, honorable person. He would give his life for one of the soldiers. I think deep in his heart he is hurting. But I could not tell that by his I.M.s. He just said, "I'm exhausted, I'm tired, I have to keep my men up, I have to keep their morale up and we have to get our missions completed so we can come home."
O'BRIEN: And how are you holding up? One has to imagine that any time you hear a news report about anything happening where you think your husband might be, it's just got to be a roller coaster. I mean it must be really horrible.
OTTO: It is a roller coaster. I cried a lot of tears yesterday, mainly for the families that won't have soldiers coming back home to them. All the people out there serving our country, I just have so much love for them, giving their lives for us and the ones just that are going to be coming home, their families, thinking of everyone, my hearts -- my heart goes out to them and my prayers go out to them. It's just full of emotion.
I can only imagine what all the other families are going through right now.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I agree with you on that one.
I know you have two young boys who are very close to Sean. He's their stepfather, essentially.
How are they doing?
OTTO: They're doing good. They're the ones that hold me up, actually. They really miss him a lot. They just want him back here safe and sound.
O'BRIEN: When is he coming home, do you know?
OTTO: It's supposed to be around mid-February. Originally March, but hopefully mid-February. We're praying for that one, unless something else happens.
O'BRIEN: All right, Trish Otto joining us this morning.
Trish, the best of luck to you and your husband. And, you know, make it through the holidays. I know it's a tough time for you.
Thanks for being with us.
OTTO: Thank you so much.
HEMMER: About eight minutes past the hour now.
Shifting our focus now to nature, Mother Nature now giving the central part of the country a bit of a wallop, getting ready, too, for this storm here. A very white Christmas, as well.
Here's some of the latest we have. A major snow and ice band bearing down on the Midwest. About a foot of snow or more possible in some parts, and there might be a layer of ice in between all of that. Significant ice storms expected in Kentucky and Ohio.
And Chad is watching this on a busy morning.
Hey -- Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Bill.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: What's the forecast if you're traveling this holiday?
AAA Spokesman Justin McNaull is in Washington.
Hey, Justin, nice to see you again.
Thanks for being with us.
You listened to Chad's report, and if you look at the highways that are going to be affected by this storm, they're saying I-80,I- 70,71,40,64. Before, besides, rather, slowing down, what do you think is the best strategy if you get caught in the snowstorm? JUSTIN MCNAULL, AAA SPOKESMAN: Well, the good news right now is it's just December 22. If your goal is simply to be home for Christmas, you still have a day or two to play with. So if you don't have to travel, if you don't have to be somewhere on the 23rd or tonight, hold off for a little bit.
If you do need to be on the roads through this period, take a look at some alternate routes that you might have. Typically we tell people try to go a little further south if you're trying to avoid a storm. This is one case when you might want to go up to the north, actually, and take a look at Interstate 80 or Interstate 90 where, one, you're going to be north of the real bulk of the snow; and, two, at least you're going through parts of Ohio and Indiana, where they're used to getting a lot of snow because of the lake effect snows and they have plenty of plows to move the stuff.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it's all about experience in things like this.
I have zero emergency gear in my car, which I've just sort of realized as, you know, the weather gets bad.
What kind of stuff should I run out and buy? What's the minimum I need, do you think?
MCNAULL: Certainly start off with a cell phone. The good news now in most of our metropolitan areas, even most of our interstate system, you have cell phone coverage regardless of where you are. Even if you don't have a plan with lots of minutes, you can dial 911 if you have a signal and you have power to the phone.
But, additionally, though, you might have to fend for yourself for a little bit. So be sure that you have a blanket, that you have coats, that you have hats, that you have mittens for the adults and all the kids in the car. Be sure you have a little bit of food. This is a great time to have candy bars, granola bars, some of the stuff that's a little higher in fat that normally you avoid. The fat is good for you if you're stuck in the snow for a while.
At the same time, you want some flares, some reflective triangles, things to really mark up your car so that if you are stranded on the side of the road, people will see you there and be able to miss you.
O'BRIEN: I know you saw pictures of the massive pileup on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, on I-80,I think it was.
What do you think is the best way to try to avoid a pileup? I mean how do you become -- how do you get out of the way of all these cars that are just, you know, skidding and sliding into each other?
MCNAULL: Really, the issue is something like this is it's a matter of speed of travel and the volume of cars that are out there. What's interesting, they had 80 or 90 cars involved. They were spread out across eight or nine miles, though. So if people had been traveling at 30 miles an hour, 20 miles an hour, even some of the folks who were traveling 40 or 50 stopped in time so that they could avoid this.
The real risk that you run into is people think the speed limit is 55 or 65 and don't realize that they need to slow down. Those are ideal speeds. There are times when the safe highway speed is 30 miles an hour. There are times when it's 10. There are times when you shouldn't be driving at all.
So if you are traveling slowly, you see the wreck in front of you. You'll be able to slow down. And the trick is, if you can, to try to pull around it and get on the other side of it. A lot of the people in Ohio ended up getting piled into by cars behind them, people who stopped safely but the people behind them were just traveling like yahoos down the road and ended up slamming into them.
O'BRIEN: You know, anybody who's doing 60 miles an hour in this kind of weather is just out and out a complete idiot.
Justin McNaull joining us.
He's a AAA spokesman.
Nice to see you, Justin.
Thanks a lot.
Great advice.
MCNAULL: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.
MCNAULL: Have a great holiday.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
Likewise -- Bill.
HEMMER: About 13 minutes now past the hour.
From the State of Missouri now, friends and family there are still grieving the death of Bobby Jo Stinnett. She's the 23-year-old woman police say was strangled before her 8-month-old fetus was cut from her body. Stinnett was buried yesterday in her home town of Skidmore, Missouri.
The Reverend Harold Hamon is pastor of the Skidmore Christian Church.
He presided at the funeral. He also was there to wed her a few years back.
He's in Skidmore, Missouri, and we appreciate your time this morning in what is certainly to be a difficult time.
Tell me what kind of a person Bobby Jo was, reverend. REV. HAROLD HAMON, PASTOR, SKIDMORE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Well, Bobby Jo was a very quiet person and stuck to her own life, she and her husband, Zeb. And you hardly knew that they were around town. They both worked in a nearby factory and a lot of people in Skidmore knew Bobby Jo much better than I do. My most vivid memory was the wedding, when she came down the aisle as a beautiful bride dressed in white on the arm of her grandfather and her groom waiting for her at the front of the auditorium. And I asked the question, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" And her grandfather said, "I do." And we went on with the ceremony and everybody, and the place was filled, and the community is just stunned at what happened a year and a half after.
HEMMER: Yes, I apologize for the interruption here.
I've read that you wrote and then rewrote the words you wanted to deliver yesterday at the funeral.
Why was this one so especially tough for you?
HAMON: Well, I've never been down this road before. I've seen some tragedies in my ministry, but not like this.
HEMMER: Yes. You mentioned her husband.
How is he doing, Zeb?
Reverend, if you can still hear me, you mentioned her husband, Zeb.
How is he doing?
There seems to be a bit of difficulty there with the signal.
I'm going to hang with it just for a moment here.
If we can get it back here with Reverend Harold Hamon.
He presided over the funeral services yesterday for Bobby Jo Stinnett. He also married her and her husband a few years back.
Do we have him back or do we need to move on?
O'BRIEN: You always have to ask, I think...
HEMMER: Reverend?
O'BRIEN: Well, they're trying to bring him up -- you know, how do you -- she was 23 years old, this young woman, this victim. I mean it must be very difficult to speak to a congregation...
HEMMER: Exceedingly.
O'BRIEN: ... about something that's completely inexplicable, one would imagine.
HEMMER: The other thing is this community here, you have about 350 people living in that town.
O'BRIEN: Yes, people.
HEMMER: And things like this...
O'BRIEN: It's got to rip the heart out of the people there.
HEMMER: Oh, no question.
Our apologies, we can't get back the reverend.
But we thank him for his time this morning.
O'BRIEN: Oh, that's tough.
We'll have more on that story, obviously, because we continue to follow that. And as all of that's going to go into trial, too.
Republicans and Democrats, though, duke it out all the time. We know that. But over holiday greetings? Kamber and May go toe to toe on that issue, as well, this morning.
Plus, some legal gymnastics. He's one of the boys who had to play with the girls. But it turns out that gender equity doesn't apply to everybody.
And a hero's welcome. A Vietnam veteran vows to make sure that history does not repeat itself.
We're back in just a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: He is a decorated Vietnam veteran, who, along with his wife, is doing everything they can to see the wounded U.S. soldiers return to a normal life here in the U.S. This morning, we're honoring their special service. And earlier this month, they got props from the president in a major speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In Washington, D.C., veterans -- Vietnam vet Steve Cobb and his wife Tanya have been coming out regularly to Andrews Air Force Base to meet wounded service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Those two good folks welcome the troops home and they offer whatever help they can provide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Stephen Cobb and his wife Tanya Cobb now with us live in Washington.
Good morning to you, and really a great story here.
And congratulations for the special honor from the president.
What was it like, Colonel, when you heard that, the words from the president? Did you expect that?
STEPHEN COBB, VIETNAM VETERAN: No. It was kind of a surprise, even though his speechwriting office had called me just to check. They verified my military record. They obviously had all the details. But they said the president may or may not be mentioning you and Tanya during his remarks at Camp Pendleton. And then later on, they called back and asked if we could attend Camp Pendleton. And we couldn't very well attend, because we had a flight the night before arriving at Andrews Air Force Base. So there's no way we could meet the flight and still...
HEMMER: That's a pretty cool surprise, too.
Explain to our viewers what you do for the troops there.
S. COBB: Well, we welcome home all troops, whether battle injury or non-battle injury. We tell them thank you, god bless you, welcome home, we appreciate all you've done. And we try to offer as many as we can information on benefits, on further treatment. Any time they need a service officer or anything else, provide them the kind of information that they need to follow-up, to not only receive treatment, but to get back to a normal life.
For instance, for Purple Heart recipients, many schools and universities, starting in the State of Utah, but it spread like wildfire throughout the country, now have free tuition for Purple Heart recipients. And we're pushing legislation to get that adopted nationally.
In addition, all disabled veterans, and Purple Heart recipients included, have a 10 point job preference for any government job. We inform them of this. We try to tell all the patients that at every hospital they go to, there will be a V.A. representative there to help them and that V.A. representative is solely dedicated to helping Iraq and Afghanistan returning veterans. So if they run into any bureaucratic roadblocks or other problems, they can ask for that person by position and cut a lot of red tape.
So...
HEMMER: Well, that is a tremendous program.
I want to talk a little bit about your own Vietnam experience here in a moment and see how you can reflect on that 30 years later.
But to your wife, Tanya.
What's the reaction you get from the U.S. military?
TANYA COBB, STEPHEN'S WIFE: The reaction I get is really wonderful. Some of the guys and girls, as I call them, are about my age or a little younger or a little older. Sometimes they have emotional issues. Now they are home, they are back and they really love to feel welcomed, secure. And they also feel, sometimes, uncomfortable to pick up the phone and call their families and tell them they're back in America, they are on their way either to the -- for further treatment or on the way home. And all the best I can do is help them to pick up the phone and talk with their family and help reestablish contact and bring a cup of coffee and tell welcome, thank you for everything you have been doing. If you have any difficult moments, I am here. You can get an extra hug or an extra cup of coffee or an extra cookie or anything else.
The main idea, you feel comfortable, relaxed, can sleep and get ready for treatment and the next flight on the way for their home.
HEMMER: And I imagine a big smile goes a long way, too, at a time like that, as well.
T. COBB: Sure.
HEMMER: Colonel, when you came back from Vietnam, you had a pretty tough time.
Is this helping to take off some of that edge of three decades ago, knowing that you can give back to the U.S. military now in 2004?
S. COBB: Yes, it does. It certainly does. When I came home, mostly all I saw was demonstrators and there were certainly no parades. There were no welcome homes. But I wanted to make sure that never again would another generation of veterans go through that experience that I had. And that's why there's no pay or remuneration or compensation involved in the work we're doing. It's a personal thing that, to make sure that every veteran is appreciated, thanked, welcomed home and then taken care of after they get home.
I mean we can give boxer shorts and slippers and break away pants and all sorts of other supplies and little toiletry kits and things like that. Those help in the immediate transition.
But what really helps is for every veteran to know that there's a whole network of friends out there who are willing to support them all the way through, not only when they arrive, but when they're at Walter Reed or Bethesda Hospital and when they go on further to other hospitals near their home duty station or near their home of record.
HEMMER: Well, your point is very well taken.
You guys are great.
Thanks for coming on and sharing our story.
And job well done, too, especially during the holidays.
S. COBB: Thank you.
HEMMER: Stephen Cobb and his wife Tanya.
T. COBB: Thank you so much.
HEMMER: You've got it.
Good luck to you. T. COBB: It's a pleasure to be here.
S. COBB: We look forward to spending Christmas with our troops.
T. COBB: Thank you, sir.
Happy holidays to you.
HEMMER: OK.
Wonderful.
And thanks again for your time today.
Also, to our viewers, to donate supplies for injured troops returning home, you can go to purpleheart353.com there for you online -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Good for them.
HEMMER: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: That's such a nice story.
HEMMER: Wonderful.
O'BRIEN: You can get a hug or you can get a cup of coffee. I like the way she's -- or a cookie. It just kind of sums that up.
HEMMER: Very true.
O'BRIEN: Well, how about this? It looks funny, but when every second counts, a strange new device could mean the difference between life and death.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Next here is the Question of the Day today -- good morning, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Indeed.
Thanks, Soledad.
Yesterday's rocket attack in Mosul a sign of a growing desperation, perhaps, among the insurgency. Elections scheduled January 30th. Their time is running out and they know it. The insurgents want an Islamic fundamentalist dictatorship to rule Iraq. But if the elections happen, if Iraqis turn out and vote, it could mark the beginning of the end for them. And so the stakes couldn't be any higher.
The question this morning is how will the escalating violence in Iraq affect the elections. Gayle in Cave City, Kentucky: "Nation building has always ended in failure. Occupation breeds resistance. It looks more and more like we are toast and our wonderful soldiers and Iraqis are dying for nothing."
Kenneth in Dover, Delaware: "We can't even protect our troops while they eat and relax in a so-called secure area. Without more troops on the ground all over Iraq, I doubt the elections will be a success. The way our military is stretched thin throughout the world, there are no significant numbers of fresh troops to send."
David in Miamisburg, Ohio writes: "I think that those that are concerned about the welfare of their new nation will step to the forefront and will turn out to vote.
Bob in New Orleans writes this: "The violence shouldn't affect the timing of the elections at all. The reality is the terrorists are afraid of an election. The news media's focus on the violence around the Sunni Triangle ignores the fact that 80 percent of the country, where the Shiites and Kurds live, is not being terrorized."
Interesting points of view.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Democrats and Republicans fight over what really matters. Do you say Merry Christmas or happy holidays? There is a poll about this, honest.
Also, Title IX promotes equality in sports, right? But one boy finds out that it only applies to half the population. His story, as well, when we continue.
(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
