Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Developments in Idaho Missing Children Case; Hunting Al Qaeda
Aired May 20, 2005 - 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New leads in that massive search for those two children who are missing in Idaho. We've got a live report ahead.
The first lady is headed to the Middle East, making some comments about a controversial decision by the Secret Service.
And the hunt for Osama bin Laden -- are authorities finally closing in? And there's news of key al Qaeda arrests on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.
8:00 here in New York City.
In a moment here, we showed you this remarkable video on Thursday. A sheriff's deputy in Minnesota got plowed into by a pickup truck, actually, an SUV, as it slid off the road. There is the man who was struck in that tape. He is alive.
O'BRIEN: Not only alive, his injuries were minor, some, you know, a number of bruises and scrapes.
HEMMER: That's good.
O'BRIEN: But that's it. We're going to talk to him this morning about what he remembers about that and how he's doing today.
HEMMER: All right, Jack, what's happening?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming up in "The Cafferty File," sleep well tonight. Our government is determined to control the amount of advertising in space.
A pitching phenom fit for the major leagues and she's only 11 years old.
And the perils of live television here in the big city.
O'BRIEN: Uh-oh.
HEMMER: Of which there are many.
CAFFERTY: I mean besides doing this. HEMMER: Thanks, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
HEMMER: Here are the headlines and Carol Costello again -- hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, good morning.
Good morning, everyone.
We start with the picture. U.S. military officials are condemning the release of photographs showing Saddam Hussein in his underwear. Here's the picture. The British tabloid "The Sun" published the photos because -- inside there are more. U.S. officials call the photos a breach and a possible violation of the Geneva Convention. The military says "The Sun" obtained the photos and then handed them over to military officials to verify.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it gathered what it's calling credible reports about U.S. personnel disrespecting the Koran. A spokesman says the instances at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba date back to 2002 and 2003. The allegations were made by detainees there. But the Red Cross stresses no members of its group witnessed the mishandling of the Muslim holy books. And shortly after Red Cross reports, the Pentagon did issue strict guidelines on how personnel should handle the Koran.
A store manager in northeastern Massachusetts could face over 10 years in prison for allegedly cashing in a customer's winning lottery ticket. Listen to this. A woman claims she asked the manager to check her numbers, he checked them and then he looked her straight in the eye and told her she'd won $2. Police then say the manager kept the ticket and collected $32,000 in winnings after taxes. An investigation underway.
And NASA's $341 million mission finally getting off the ground. A global weather tracking satellite blasted off aboard a Delta jet less than two hours ago. Cool pictures, aren't they? The satellite was originally scheduled to launch last week, but the mission was delayed several times because of bad weather and equipment trouble.
But -- Chad, help is on the way for your forecasts.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Actually, yes. A little bit of el nino help, too. This thing is going to spin around the globe polar wise from north to south and around and around. And it's going to let the Earth rotate under it so every 12 hours it's going to get an entire picture of the Earth, not just sit over one spot and see, let's say, the U.S. or the deep South or whatever it might be.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Some new developments to tell you about in the case of those two missing children in Idaho. They may have been seen as late as Thursday evening. Police now have a description to go on, as they try to solve the mystery of the triple killing in Coeur d'Alene.
Alina Cho is live there for us this morning -- Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.
Yes, they are still checking that out, but authorities in northern Idaho are reporting a possible, and I repeat, possible sighting of two children who looked very much like 9-year-old Dylan and 8-year-old Shasta Groene, who have been missing since Monday night.
They were spotted, apparently, at a sporting goods store with a tall man in a light colored, full sized van. The owner of the store called 911, called in the tip, even had a license plate number. But the van has not been spotted since.
Meanwhile, the children's father says he believes this will all be over soon and his children will come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHO (voice-over): Flanked by his family for support, the father of two missing children began by thanking the media and the public for their concerns and prayers. Steve Groene then made an emotional plea.
STEVE GROENE, FATHER OF MISSING CHILDREN: I'd like to address my children's abductors or abductor. Please, please release my children safely. They had nothing to do with any of this.
CHO: 9-year-old Dylan and 8-year-old Shasta Groene remain missing. The bodies of their mother, 13-year-old brother and another man were found bound in their home, blunt force trauma the cause of death.
CAPT. BEN WOLFINGER, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Why would a killer come in and kill three people and take two children? And does that give us hope for the children? You bet it does.
CHO: As dive teams searched area waters, FBI technicians pressed their hunt for evidence.
WOLFINGER: We did learn there was a gathering here at the house Sunday evening, friends over, barbecue, like many of us do on a Sunday afternoon.
CHO: One of the men who authorities say attended that gathering was 33-year-old Robert Roy Lutner. Authorities had believed he was the last person to see the victims alive. But after seven hours of intense questioning, Lutner was cleared.
WOLFINGER: Mr. Lutner violently took a polygraph test. That confirmed his truthfulness. He had nothing to do with the death scene or the abduction of the children.
CHO: The children's father fought back tears as he pleaded for the return of his children.
GROENE: Release them in a safe area where the law enforcement can find them, call the help line, let them know where they can be found. Please, we need the safe return of those children.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
CHO: Crime scene investigators expect to wrap up their work at the house where the murders took place some time later today, and then, Soledad, all of the evidence will be sent to the best crime processing lab in the nation in Quantico, Virginia -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Alina Cho for us this morning.
Alina, thanks for the update -- Bill.
HEMMER: Now eight minutes past the hour.
In Pakistan, police reporting the capture of two members of al Qaeda and one of them may have had direct contact with the terror group's top leadership.
We're on "Terror's Trail" again today with that story and also word that Osama bin Laden is on the move along the Afghan-Pakistani border after the capture of killing of some of his key subordinates.
Retired Brigadier General James "Spider" Marks back with us down in D.C.
Welcome back, General.
Good to have you both with us this morning.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: I think that whole phrase about on the move is tantalizing.
Do you have any reason to believe that that's the case?
MARKS: Well, I think so. You know, last week one of his close lieutenants was killed in a Hellfire attack. Al Libbi has been interrogated now for approximately two weeks and so we would have to assume that Osama bin Laden understands that he is now more vulnerable. Where he was now becomes very vulnerable, so he's probably on the move.
HEMMER: Now, if he's on the move, though, why don't they run in and get him?
MARKS: Well, it's very difficult, Bill. I mean you know the terrain. You've walked it yourself. This is a very, very difficult place to find anybody. Plus, he's in a business that attracts attention. He knows it. He's the most wanted man in the world and he's got a very mature network protecting him. He suspects everyone, he trusts a few. So he is very well protected and would try to hide his trails very, very aggressively. And he will.
HEMMER: What is the theory, then, General, if you have a moving target? Does it make it more difficult or does it make it easier?
MARKS: Yes, you've got to think your way through this. Ideally what you'd like to have is a stationary target and then, as a result of very aggressive intelligence, if that target is going to remain stationary, you can build up all the intelligence preparation, gather some good fused intelligence from technical means and human means, bring it all together and then you've got actual intelligence that you can go do something about that.
In this case, because he is so very well protected, he suspects with these guys that have already been captured, several have been killed, and these recent arrests, that he is pretty vulnerable because some of these individuals were probably pretty close to Osama bin Laden. He's therefore got to get up and move. And as he does, he's going to establish a signature. He's going to kick up dust. He's probably going to establish and come up on the Net a little bit.
But he'll be wise about how he does that, and very limited.
HEMMER: Yes, Gary Schroen is a CIA officer, now retired. Are you aware of him? He has that book out first?
MARKS: Yes.
HEMMER: And he was here a week ago on our program. He has this working theory. He thinks that if Osama bin Laden is to be captured, it'll happen within the next three to four months. He talks about the weather conditions improving in that part of the world and also referring to al Libbi, as you did just a few moments ago.
If you put that logic together, do you agree with his thinking about three to four months?
MARKS: Well, what you have to realize is that this is a seasonal perspective of when things could come together. Now, nobody knows the region better than Mr. Schroen. I mean he is -- he has lived in that part of the world. He was a CIA operative in that part of the world, was in there immediately after 9/11. So he knows the region. He knows the adversary.
The thing about this seasonal potential of Osama bin Laden being vulnerable has to do with all those environmental, those milieu kind of things. But the other thing that you have to add to that is what is the intelligence that's leading us to this particular time other than that it's simply a good time of the year based on the seasons?
HEMMER: Thanks for your time.
We'll continue to watch it from here.
It will certainly be a headline if, indeed, it happens.
James "Spider" Marks down in D.C., thank you, General. MARKS: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Here's some videotape we were showing you yesterday. When you take a look, you cannot believe the man who was struck is even alive. We showed you these pictures on Thursday. It's a Minnesota sheriff's deputy. He was hit by that out of control truck on a highway. Amazingly, though, Glenn Pothen walked away, walked away with just minor injuries.
He joins us this morning to tell us his story.
He's joined by Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Kelly Collins. She saw it all happen from her patrol car.
Nice to see you both.
Thanks for talking with us.
Deputy Pothen, let's begin with you, if I may.
You look at these pictures and the first thought is how did you possibly survive this?
What do you think?
DEPUTY GLENN POTHEN, RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I have no idea how I survived it. I don't know if the fact that I didn't see the vehicle coming meant that when I was struck my body was limber as opposed to being tensed up. But, again, it's a miracle that I wasn't seriously injured or killed.
O'BRIEN: It absolutely is.
Now, you had pulled over to help Trooper Collins and a woman whose vehicle had sort of slid off the highway into a little bit of a ditch there. So you saw absolutely nothing.
At what point were you aware of what happened?
POTHEN: I think I was aware of what happened as I was laying on the ground and hearing Trooper Collins call out over her radio, "I need an ambulance. We have an officer down." And I saw her coming toward me through the grass.
O'BRIEN: And how did you feel while you're lying on the ground just being literally run over by this truck? What did it feel like?
POTHEN: I remember, I think I was somewhat on my side, but I remember lying on my back and then just start going through an assessment of myself, kind of going OK, my head feels good, my neck feels good, my back feels fine, I can wiggle my fingers, I can move my toes and legs and everything like that.
O'BRIEN: And as you worked your way down, were you just amazed that you know what, I can actually stand up and walk away from this?
POTHEN: Yes, exactly. I remember Trooper Collins coming up, telling her, you know, as she was coming toward me, I'm conscious, I'm alert, I'm breathing. I'm not going to do it, but I feel like I could stand up and walk right now.
O'BRIEN: Trooper Collins gets out of her vehicle, which has also been hit by this truck, I understand, and she comes running over because she thinks you're dead.
Is that right, Trooper Collins?
TROOPER KELLY COLLINS, MINNESOTA STATE PATROL: Yes, it is.
O'BRIEN: What was going through your mind?
COLLINS: The worst possible, and that would be that Glenn had lost his life due to a reckless driver. All I wanted to do was to run down there and to make sure, in order to see if he was alive. And thank god he was.
O'BRIEN: And he had to convince you. I mean from some of the stories that I've read, he had to keep telling you, "I'm OK, I'm OK," because you really didn't believe it at first.
COLLINS: Well, I got to see what had happened and he didn't. It was right, you know, in front of my windshield, so I watched the whole thing happen. So when he was saying he was OK and he goes, "I think I'm just going to lay here." And I said, "Yes, I think that's a really good idea."
O'BRIEN: Have you figured out what happened with this driver? I mean was he drunk? Was it reckless driving? Was the road wet? What's -- do you know?
COLLINS: Basically the driver was -- came into a crash scene way too fast. He failed to slow down and he failed to, you know, drive with caution as he came into us. At this time, I believe that there was no alcohol and drugs involved.
O'BRIEN: Deputy Pothen, you've seen the videotape now, you know, a hundred times, maybe more.
Is it traumatic for you to see it? Does it -- what do you feel like when you look at this tape?
POTHEN: I feel very grateful that I was able to be discharged from the hospital and be home with my wife and children four hours after getting struck by the vehicle with only minor injuries.
O'BRIEN: It is utterly remarkable, and that's a competent understatement.
It's nice to have you alive and well.
Deputy Glenn Pothen joining us, and Trooper Kelly Collins, as well.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
We appreciate it.
POTHEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: I think that's the most remarkable thing we have seen all week.
O'BRIEN: Yes, and, you know...
HEMMER: He's not bruised?
O'BRIEN: He's got some bruises and some scratches...
HEMMER: But he's sitting up there?
O'BRIEN: ... but four hours in the hospital.
HEMMER: Unbelievable.
O'BRIEN: The car -- the truck, they said they thought it was going about 35 miles an hour. Struck. Stood on him, 35 miles an hour.
HEMMER: Yes, if you look at that tape, he gets thrown off to the right side almost like through the right rear quarter panel of that SUV. Had he gone a different direction, maybe that SUV is rolling over the top of him.
O'BRIEN: I think it's fair to say sort of a quarter of an inch either direction.
HEMMER: And look at the female deputy. Look how close her head is to getting taken off.
O'BRIEN: That is the woman, actually, whose car had gone into the ditch.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: She actually almost lost her life.
HEMMER: Man, oh, man.
O'BRIEN: And everybody is just lucky to be alive.
HEMMER: Amen.
You're right.
Let's get a break here.
In a moment, the first lady, Laura Bush, on a Middle East mission and making some surprising comments, too, about the Secret Service. We'll look at that -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And Larry King takes the stand in the Michael Jackson trial. Find out, though, why jurors won't hear his testimony.
HEMMER: Also, parents, hold onto your wallets. It is not your father's prom. A big night with a very big price tag. The story still to come this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: First Lady Laura Bush is on her way to the Middle East, at a sensitive time, too, for U.S. relations in that region. The first lady made a brief stop in Ireland and will visit Jordan, Egypt and Israel, promoting democracy and women's rights. She's also hoping to improve the image of the U.S. after "Newsweek" retracted this article regarding the Koran this week.
She talked about that very issue during an interview on board her plane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: We've had terrible, bad things that have really, really hurt our image in the United States. And they're not -- they were very atypical. They're not any sort of typical thing from the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: What's the White House strategy now behind this trip?
CNN political analyst Carlos Watson here with me in New York -- nice to see you in person again.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you.
HEMMER: She also was asked about this White House scare last week, almost making news before the plane got off the ground, actually. And she said, "I think he," meaning her husband, the president, "should have been interrupted along this bike trip that he was taking at the time, but I'm not going to second guess the Secret Service that was with him."
She's speaking like a wife, but she is also the first lady.
WATSON: Well, part of it is that that was the second scare within a week. You remember that when they were overseas in the Republic of Georgia that a live grenade came within 100 feet of him, the FBI has reported. So clearly there is some concern. And, you know, she clearly loves her husband and wants to make sure he's OK.
HEMMER: I kind of see this in a new light now. Over the past month, this is the second act. The first act was the standup comedy bit she did at the correspondents dinner about a month ago.
Do you see it the same? And what's the strategy for putting her on this platform?
WATSON: There's clearly a second term Laura Bush we're seeing here. You remember during the first term she was very popular, highest popularity ratings of anyone in the administration, approval ratings near 80 percent versus the president, 50 percent. But now they're using her in different ways, and you would argue, in very substantive ways, not only being funny at the White House correspondents dinner, but also now on a major portion of what they're calling their public diplomacy efforts, really trying to win the hearts and minds, if you will, of those in the Middle East.
HEMMER: She can be very disarming and she can be very charming. And you mentioned the approval ratings, too. Regarding this issue with "Newsweek" magazine, she has said, essentially, that she hopes to help improve the U.S. image for those who think it is battered and shattered at this point.
How does she do this on this mission?
WATSON: Well, she's going to speak at a number of places. It will be very heavily covered. And remember, she won't be the first first lady to do this. You remember that Hillary Clinton went to Beijing and had a major speech. You remember -- and some people won't -- that Pat Nixon went to Africa on so-called good will tours or Jackie Kennedy was known not only for her France visit, but for her India visit.
So I think it's appearing in a substantive way, meeting with the spouses of leaders in each of the countries she's going to, and maybe, in some cases, proposing a little bit of good news, maybe a new program or two.
HEMMER: The other thing you say, this shows the influence of the former White House adviser, Karen Hughes.
What do you mean by that?
WATSON: Yes, one of the big and most interesting stories, Bill, of the second term of the Bush administration is that the president's most important agenda item, peace in the Middle East, look who he's asked to focus on it -- three women -- Condi Rice, Karen Hughes, his most trusted political adviser, and his wife. I think that says something very substantive not only in terms of who the president trusts, but it's a major signal in the Middle East, where one of the biggest issues is the freedom and the education of women and girls.
HEMMER: A good point, too.
WATSON: Yes.
HEMMER: Have a good weekend.
WATSON: Good to see you. HEMMER: Good to see you in New York, Carlos.
WATSON: You bet.
HEMMER: In a moment here, the Reverend Jesse Jackson meeting with Mexico's president, Vicente Fox. This was a firestorm this week. Fox's controversial statement about African-Americans and immigrants in this country. And our "Gimme A Minute" panel weighs in on that and more when we continue, after a break on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Jack's got the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: The House Armed Services Committee passed a measure yesterday that would bar women from direct ground combat. The Army says it already upholds the Pentagon's policy that prohibits using women in direct combat. When the units they support are called into a battle zone, the women are ordered to stay behind.
The trouble is in Iraq, there is no behind. The insurgents are everywhere. The danger is constant and omnipresent.
Meanwhile, all of this is coming at a time when the Army has missed its recruiting target three months in a row.
The question this morning is should women be allowed to serve in direct ground combat?
Jerry in Georgia writes: "Let's face it, Jack, if we don't allow the gals to participate in the sport of war, we're going to have a tough time reinstalling all those glass ceilings. If that little French girl Joan of Arc can lead men into battle, why should red blooded American girls be denied the same opportunity?"
Theresa in New York writes: "Hey, we just wanted equal pay, no humor and maybe better parking. We weren't talking combat and getting dirty. Besides, the men made these messes. We galls shouldn't be expected to clean it up."
Michael in Yokosuka, Japan: "As an 18-year veteran currently serving with the forward deployed naval forces in Yokosuka, I feel the female soldiers serving down range should be allowed to serve in combat. Leaving them behind breaks unit cohesion and morale."
And Rod writes from Maine: "Both women and men should be prohibited from ground combat. This is called peace."
HEMMER: I'm just reading this here, 9,400 female soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty-five killed in action to date.
O'BRIEN: Is the theory behind not allowing women to be in combat the hand to hand issue that one of the... CAFFERTY: That's one of them. Being disruptive to the male soldiers is another one. I don't know, you know, it's -- a lot of it is a tradition battle. Like one of the readers reported earlier, women were treated with deference because there was a time when you didn't want to destroy the ability of the human race to procreate. We no longer have that problem now, so I don't know is the answer to your question.
HEMMER: More of that is coming up.
Thank you, Jack.
Let's get a break here.
In a moment, there's a celebrity witness in Michael Jackson's trial not allowed to testify before the jury. The latest from that trial. We kind of know this guy, too, next 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 May 20, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New leads in that massive search for those two children who are missing in Idaho. We've got a live report ahead.
The first lady is headed to the Middle East, making some comments about a controversial decision by the Secret Service.
And the hunt for Osama bin Laden -- are authorities finally closing in? And there's news of key al Qaeda arrests on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.
8:00 here in New York City.
In a moment here, we showed you this remarkable video on Thursday. A sheriff's deputy in Minnesota got plowed into by a pickup truck, actually, an SUV, as it slid off the road. There is the man who was struck in that tape. He is alive.
O'BRIEN: Not only alive, his injuries were minor, some, you know, a number of bruises and scrapes.
HEMMER: That's good.
O'BRIEN: But that's it. We're going to talk to him this morning about what he remembers about that and how he's doing today.
HEMMER: All right, Jack, what's happening?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming up in "The Cafferty File," sleep well tonight. Our government is determined to control the amount of advertising in space.
A pitching phenom fit for the major leagues and she's only 11 years old.
And the perils of live television here in the big city.
O'BRIEN: Uh-oh.
HEMMER: Of which there are many.
CAFFERTY: I mean besides doing this. HEMMER: Thanks, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
HEMMER: Here are the headlines and Carol Costello again -- hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, good morning.
Good morning, everyone.
We start with the picture. U.S. military officials are condemning the release of photographs showing Saddam Hussein in his underwear. Here's the picture. The British tabloid "The Sun" published the photos because -- inside there are more. U.S. officials call the photos a breach and a possible violation of the Geneva Convention. The military says "The Sun" obtained the photos and then handed them over to military officials to verify.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it gathered what it's calling credible reports about U.S. personnel disrespecting the Koran. A spokesman says the instances at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba date back to 2002 and 2003. The allegations were made by detainees there. But the Red Cross stresses no members of its group witnessed the mishandling of the Muslim holy books. And shortly after Red Cross reports, the Pentagon did issue strict guidelines on how personnel should handle the Koran.
A store manager in northeastern Massachusetts could face over 10 years in prison for allegedly cashing in a customer's winning lottery ticket. Listen to this. A woman claims she asked the manager to check her numbers, he checked them and then he looked her straight in the eye and told her she'd won $2. Police then say the manager kept the ticket and collected $32,000 in winnings after taxes. An investigation underway.
And NASA's $341 million mission finally getting off the ground. A global weather tracking satellite blasted off aboard a Delta jet less than two hours ago. Cool pictures, aren't they? The satellite was originally scheduled to launch last week, but the mission was delayed several times because of bad weather and equipment trouble.
But -- Chad, help is on the way for your forecasts.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Actually, yes. A little bit of el nino help, too. This thing is going to spin around the globe polar wise from north to south and around and around. And it's going to let the Earth rotate under it so every 12 hours it's going to get an entire picture of the Earth, not just sit over one spot and see, let's say, the U.S. or the deep South or whatever it might be.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Some new developments to tell you about in the case of those two missing children in Idaho. They may have been seen as late as Thursday evening. Police now have a description to go on, as they try to solve the mystery of the triple killing in Coeur d'Alene.
Alina Cho is live there for us this morning -- Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.
Yes, they are still checking that out, but authorities in northern Idaho are reporting a possible, and I repeat, possible sighting of two children who looked very much like 9-year-old Dylan and 8-year-old Shasta Groene, who have been missing since Monday night.
They were spotted, apparently, at a sporting goods store with a tall man in a light colored, full sized van. The owner of the store called 911, called in the tip, even had a license plate number. But the van has not been spotted since.
Meanwhile, the children's father says he believes this will all be over soon and his children will come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHO (voice-over): Flanked by his family for support, the father of two missing children began by thanking the media and the public for their concerns and prayers. Steve Groene then made an emotional plea.
STEVE GROENE, FATHER OF MISSING CHILDREN: I'd like to address my children's abductors or abductor. Please, please release my children safely. They had nothing to do with any of this.
CHO: 9-year-old Dylan and 8-year-old Shasta Groene remain missing. The bodies of their mother, 13-year-old brother and another man were found bound in their home, blunt force trauma the cause of death.
CAPT. BEN WOLFINGER, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Why would a killer come in and kill three people and take two children? And does that give us hope for the children? You bet it does.
CHO: As dive teams searched area waters, FBI technicians pressed their hunt for evidence.
WOLFINGER: We did learn there was a gathering here at the house Sunday evening, friends over, barbecue, like many of us do on a Sunday afternoon.
CHO: One of the men who authorities say attended that gathering was 33-year-old Robert Roy Lutner. Authorities had believed he was the last person to see the victims alive. But after seven hours of intense questioning, Lutner was cleared.
WOLFINGER: Mr. Lutner violently took a polygraph test. That confirmed his truthfulness. He had nothing to do with the death scene or the abduction of the children.
CHO: The children's father fought back tears as he pleaded for the return of his children.
GROENE: Release them in a safe area where the law enforcement can find them, call the help line, let them know where they can be found. Please, we need the safe return of those children.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
CHO: Crime scene investigators expect to wrap up their work at the house where the murders took place some time later today, and then, Soledad, all of the evidence will be sent to the best crime processing lab in the nation in Quantico, Virginia -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Alina Cho for us this morning.
Alina, thanks for the update -- Bill.
HEMMER: Now eight minutes past the hour.
In Pakistan, police reporting the capture of two members of al Qaeda and one of them may have had direct contact with the terror group's top leadership.
We're on "Terror's Trail" again today with that story and also word that Osama bin Laden is on the move along the Afghan-Pakistani border after the capture of killing of some of his key subordinates.
Retired Brigadier General James "Spider" Marks back with us down in D.C.
Welcome back, General.
Good to have you both with us this morning.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: I think that whole phrase about on the move is tantalizing.
Do you have any reason to believe that that's the case?
MARKS: Well, I think so. You know, last week one of his close lieutenants was killed in a Hellfire attack. Al Libbi has been interrogated now for approximately two weeks and so we would have to assume that Osama bin Laden understands that he is now more vulnerable. Where he was now becomes very vulnerable, so he's probably on the move.
HEMMER: Now, if he's on the move, though, why don't they run in and get him?
MARKS: Well, it's very difficult, Bill. I mean you know the terrain. You've walked it yourself. This is a very, very difficult place to find anybody. Plus, he's in a business that attracts attention. He knows it. He's the most wanted man in the world and he's got a very mature network protecting him. He suspects everyone, he trusts a few. So he is very well protected and would try to hide his trails very, very aggressively. And he will.
HEMMER: What is the theory, then, General, if you have a moving target? Does it make it more difficult or does it make it easier?
MARKS: Yes, you've got to think your way through this. Ideally what you'd like to have is a stationary target and then, as a result of very aggressive intelligence, if that target is going to remain stationary, you can build up all the intelligence preparation, gather some good fused intelligence from technical means and human means, bring it all together and then you've got actual intelligence that you can go do something about that.
In this case, because he is so very well protected, he suspects with these guys that have already been captured, several have been killed, and these recent arrests, that he is pretty vulnerable because some of these individuals were probably pretty close to Osama bin Laden. He's therefore got to get up and move. And as he does, he's going to establish a signature. He's going to kick up dust. He's probably going to establish and come up on the Net a little bit.
But he'll be wise about how he does that, and very limited.
HEMMER: Yes, Gary Schroen is a CIA officer, now retired. Are you aware of him? He has that book out first?
MARKS: Yes.
HEMMER: And he was here a week ago on our program. He has this working theory. He thinks that if Osama bin Laden is to be captured, it'll happen within the next three to four months. He talks about the weather conditions improving in that part of the world and also referring to al Libbi, as you did just a few moments ago.
If you put that logic together, do you agree with his thinking about three to four months?
MARKS: Well, what you have to realize is that this is a seasonal perspective of when things could come together. Now, nobody knows the region better than Mr. Schroen. I mean he is -- he has lived in that part of the world. He was a CIA operative in that part of the world, was in there immediately after 9/11. So he knows the region. He knows the adversary.
The thing about this seasonal potential of Osama bin Laden being vulnerable has to do with all those environmental, those milieu kind of things. But the other thing that you have to add to that is what is the intelligence that's leading us to this particular time other than that it's simply a good time of the year based on the seasons?
HEMMER: Thanks for your time.
We'll continue to watch it from here.
It will certainly be a headline if, indeed, it happens.
James "Spider" Marks down in D.C., thank you, General. MARKS: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Here's some videotape we were showing you yesterday. When you take a look, you cannot believe the man who was struck is even alive. We showed you these pictures on Thursday. It's a Minnesota sheriff's deputy. He was hit by that out of control truck on a highway. Amazingly, though, Glenn Pothen walked away, walked away with just minor injuries.
He joins us this morning to tell us his story.
He's joined by Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Kelly Collins. She saw it all happen from her patrol car.
Nice to see you both.
Thanks for talking with us.
Deputy Pothen, let's begin with you, if I may.
You look at these pictures and the first thought is how did you possibly survive this?
What do you think?
DEPUTY GLENN POTHEN, RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I have no idea how I survived it. I don't know if the fact that I didn't see the vehicle coming meant that when I was struck my body was limber as opposed to being tensed up. But, again, it's a miracle that I wasn't seriously injured or killed.
O'BRIEN: It absolutely is.
Now, you had pulled over to help Trooper Collins and a woman whose vehicle had sort of slid off the highway into a little bit of a ditch there. So you saw absolutely nothing.
At what point were you aware of what happened?
POTHEN: I think I was aware of what happened as I was laying on the ground and hearing Trooper Collins call out over her radio, "I need an ambulance. We have an officer down." And I saw her coming toward me through the grass.
O'BRIEN: And how did you feel while you're lying on the ground just being literally run over by this truck? What did it feel like?
POTHEN: I remember, I think I was somewhat on my side, but I remember lying on my back and then just start going through an assessment of myself, kind of going OK, my head feels good, my neck feels good, my back feels fine, I can wiggle my fingers, I can move my toes and legs and everything like that.
O'BRIEN: And as you worked your way down, were you just amazed that you know what, I can actually stand up and walk away from this?
POTHEN: Yes, exactly. I remember Trooper Collins coming up, telling her, you know, as she was coming toward me, I'm conscious, I'm alert, I'm breathing. I'm not going to do it, but I feel like I could stand up and walk right now.
O'BRIEN: Trooper Collins gets out of her vehicle, which has also been hit by this truck, I understand, and she comes running over because she thinks you're dead.
Is that right, Trooper Collins?
TROOPER KELLY COLLINS, MINNESOTA STATE PATROL: Yes, it is.
O'BRIEN: What was going through your mind?
COLLINS: The worst possible, and that would be that Glenn had lost his life due to a reckless driver. All I wanted to do was to run down there and to make sure, in order to see if he was alive. And thank god he was.
O'BRIEN: And he had to convince you. I mean from some of the stories that I've read, he had to keep telling you, "I'm OK, I'm OK," because you really didn't believe it at first.
COLLINS: Well, I got to see what had happened and he didn't. It was right, you know, in front of my windshield, so I watched the whole thing happen. So when he was saying he was OK and he goes, "I think I'm just going to lay here." And I said, "Yes, I think that's a really good idea."
O'BRIEN: Have you figured out what happened with this driver? I mean was he drunk? Was it reckless driving? Was the road wet? What's -- do you know?
COLLINS: Basically the driver was -- came into a crash scene way too fast. He failed to slow down and he failed to, you know, drive with caution as he came into us. At this time, I believe that there was no alcohol and drugs involved.
O'BRIEN: Deputy Pothen, you've seen the videotape now, you know, a hundred times, maybe more.
Is it traumatic for you to see it? Does it -- what do you feel like when you look at this tape?
POTHEN: I feel very grateful that I was able to be discharged from the hospital and be home with my wife and children four hours after getting struck by the vehicle with only minor injuries.
O'BRIEN: It is utterly remarkable, and that's a competent understatement.
It's nice to have you alive and well.
Deputy Glenn Pothen joining us, and Trooper Kelly Collins, as well.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
We appreciate it.
POTHEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: I think that's the most remarkable thing we have seen all week.
O'BRIEN: Yes, and, you know...
HEMMER: He's not bruised?
O'BRIEN: He's got some bruises and some scratches...
HEMMER: But he's sitting up there?
O'BRIEN: ... but four hours in the hospital.
HEMMER: Unbelievable.
O'BRIEN: The car -- the truck, they said they thought it was going about 35 miles an hour. Struck. Stood on him, 35 miles an hour.
HEMMER: Yes, if you look at that tape, he gets thrown off to the right side almost like through the right rear quarter panel of that SUV. Had he gone a different direction, maybe that SUV is rolling over the top of him.
O'BRIEN: I think it's fair to say sort of a quarter of an inch either direction.
HEMMER: And look at the female deputy. Look how close her head is to getting taken off.
O'BRIEN: That is the woman, actually, whose car had gone into the ditch.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: She actually almost lost her life.
HEMMER: Man, oh, man.
O'BRIEN: And everybody is just lucky to be alive.
HEMMER: Amen.
You're right.
Let's get a break here.
In a moment, the first lady, Laura Bush, on a Middle East mission and making some surprising comments, too, about the Secret Service. We'll look at that -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And Larry King takes the stand in the Michael Jackson trial. Find out, though, why jurors won't hear his testimony.
HEMMER: Also, parents, hold onto your wallets. It is not your father's prom. A big night with a very big price tag. The story still to come this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: First Lady Laura Bush is on her way to the Middle East, at a sensitive time, too, for U.S. relations in that region. The first lady made a brief stop in Ireland and will visit Jordan, Egypt and Israel, promoting democracy and women's rights. She's also hoping to improve the image of the U.S. after "Newsweek" retracted this article regarding the Koran this week.
She talked about that very issue during an interview on board her plane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: We've had terrible, bad things that have really, really hurt our image in the United States. And they're not -- they were very atypical. They're not any sort of typical thing from the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: What's the White House strategy now behind this trip?
CNN political analyst Carlos Watson here with me in New York -- nice to see you in person again.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you.
HEMMER: She also was asked about this White House scare last week, almost making news before the plane got off the ground, actually. And she said, "I think he," meaning her husband, the president, "should have been interrupted along this bike trip that he was taking at the time, but I'm not going to second guess the Secret Service that was with him."
She's speaking like a wife, but she is also the first lady.
WATSON: Well, part of it is that that was the second scare within a week. You remember that when they were overseas in the Republic of Georgia that a live grenade came within 100 feet of him, the FBI has reported. So clearly there is some concern. And, you know, she clearly loves her husband and wants to make sure he's OK.
HEMMER: I kind of see this in a new light now. Over the past month, this is the second act. The first act was the standup comedy bit she did at the correspondents dinner about a month ago.
Do you see it the same? And what's the strategy for putting her on this platform?
WATSON: There's clearly a second term Laura Bush we're seeing here. You remember during the first term she was very popular, highest popularity ratings of anyone in the administration, approval ratings near 80 percent versus the president, 50 percent. But now they're using her in different ways, and you would argue, in very substantive ways, not only being funny at the White House correspondents dinner, but also now on a major portion of what they're calling their public diplomacy efforts, really trying to win the hearts and minds, if you will, of those in the Middle East.
HEMMER: She can be very disarming and she can be very charming. And you mentioned the approval ratings, too. Regarding this issue with "Newsweek" magazine, she has said, essentially, that she hopes to help improve the U.S. image for those who think it is battered and shattered at this point.
How does she do this on this mission?
WATSON: Well, she's going to speak at a number of places. It will be very heavily covered. And remember, she won't be the first first lady to do this. You remember that Hillary Clinton went to Beijing and had a major speech. You remember -- and some people won't -- that Pat Nixon went to Africa on so-called good will tours or Jackie Kennedy was known not only for her France visit, but for her India visit.
So I think it's appearing in a substantive way, meeting with the spouses of leaders in each of the countries she's going to, and maybe, in some cases, proposing a little bit of good news, maybe a new program or two.
HEMMER: The other thing you say, this shows the influence of the former White House adviser, Karen Hughes.
What do you mean by that?
WATSON: Yes, one of the big and most interesting stories, Bill, of the second term of the Bush administration is that the president's most important agenda item, peace in the Middle East, look who he's asked to focus on it -- three women -- Condi Rice, Karen Hughes, his most trusted political adviser, and his wife. I think that says something very substantive not only in terms of who the president trusts, but it's a major signal in the Middle East, where one of the biggest issues is the freedom and the education of women and girls.
HEMMER: A good point, too.
WATSON: Yes.
HEMMER: Have a good weekend.
WATSON: Good to see you. HEMMER: Good to see you in New York, Carlos.
WATSON: You bet.
HEMMER: In a moment here, the Reverend Jesse Jackson meeting with Mexico's president, Vicente Fox. This was a firestorm this week. Fox's controversial statement about African-Americans and immigrants in this country. And our "Gimme A Minute" panel weighs in on that and more when we continue, after a break on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Jack's got the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: The House Armed Services Committee passed a measure yesterday that would bar women from direct ground combat. The Army says it already upholds the Pentagon's policy that prohibits using women in direct combat. When the units they support are called into a battle zone, the women are ordered to stay behind.
The trouble is in Iraq, there is no behind. The insurgents are everywhere. The danger is constant and omnipresent.
Meanwhile, all of this is coming at a time when the Army has missed its recruiting target three months in a row.
The question this morning is should women be allowed to serve in direct ground combat?
Jerry in Georgia writes: "Let's face it, Jack, if we don't allow the gals to participate in the sport of war, we're going to have a tough time reinstalling all those glass ceilings. If that little French girl Joan of Arc can lead men into battle, why should red blooded American girls be denied the same opportunity?"
Theresa in New York writes: "Hey, we just wanted equal pay, no humor and maybe better parking. We weren't talking combat and getting dirty. Besides, the men made these messes. We galls shouldn't be expected to clean it up."
Michael in Yokosuka, Japan: "As an 18-year veteran currently serving with the forward deployed naval forces in Yokosuka, I feel the female soldiers serving down range should be allowed to serve in combat. Leaving them behind breaks unit cohesion and morale."
And Rod writes from Maine: "Both women and men should be prohibited from ground combat. This is called peace."
HEMMER: I'm just reading this here, 9,400 female soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty-five killed in action to date.
O'BRIEN: Is the theory behind not allowing women to be in combat the hand to hand issue that one of the... CAFFERTY: That's one of them. Being disruptive to the male soldiers is another one. I don't know, you know, it's -- a lot of it is a tradition battle. Like one of the readers reported earlier, women were treated with deference because there was a time when you didn't want to destroy the ability of the human race to procreate. We no longer have that problem now, so I don't know is the answer to your question.
HEMMER: More of that is coming up.
Thank you, Jack.
Let's get a break here.
In a moment, there's a celebrity witness in Michael Jackson's trial not allowed to testify before the jury. The latest from that trial. We kind of know this guy, too, next 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
