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American Morning
More Arrests; Jihad Investigation; Jackson Verdict Watch
Aired June 09, 2005 - 08:59 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.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. Nine o'clock here in New York. I'm Bill Hemmer.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad today.
HEMMER: We're also talking with Jack Cafferty about what's coming up.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush out in Ohio, Bill, later today. He's going to make a speech in which he's going to call on the Congress to make the Patriot Act permanent. A lot of people don't think that's a very good idea. Parts of it are due to expire at the end of this year.
We'd like to know what you think about the subject. AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: You got it. Thank you, Jack. Get to another batch in a couple of minutes here.
First, though, to Aruba. We want to start now with this developing story. Learning just a few hours ago prosecutors in Aruba have arrested three more suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. These are the men who were last seen with Holloway as she left the nightclub Carlos 'N Charlie's about 10 days ago.
Back to Karl Penhaul, live in Palm Beach, Aruba.
What more do we know about these three men, Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those three arrests took place just before dawn, Bill. As you say, those were the three men in whose company Natalee Holloway was seen in the wee hours of the Monday morning that she disappeared.
Police and prosecutors have also told us they're looking for evidence at their properties at this time. Also, earlier during the week, of course, we know that two suspects are already in detention. They've been held in custody for a further eight days, and we've been talking to their families.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANN JOHN, MOTHER OF SUSPECT: Say, "Lord, I cry unto thee." PENHAUL (voice-over): Ann John spends her day reading her bible and watching the news. This image haunts her, the moment her 30-year- old son Micky was dragged handcuffed from the home they share on Aruba's eastern tip.
JOHN: If my son do it, I don't worry. He has to take his penalty. But I'm saying, my son knows nothing, nothing concerning this girl.
PENHAUL: Security guard Micky John and work mate Abraham Jones are accused of murder, manslaughter and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of teen Natalee Holloway. This is the picture mother Ann prefers to keep in her mind, happier times a few Christmases ago.
JOHN: I know to myself, my son will never, will never, will never put himself in this kind of situation.
PENHAUL: She says her son likes playing soccer, occasionally plays the slot machines at a local casino, but doesn't drink or smoke. Sitting out on her porch, Ann can't remember if her son went out the night Natalee disappeared. Her other son, 10-year-old Jonathan, still remembers vividly the moment a police squad burst into their home to arrest Micky last Sunday.
They seized him around 7:00 a.m., rousting him from sleep and confiscated items from his room. Ann hasn't felt up to going in there until now.
John was back in handcuffs again Wednesday after a judge ordered him and Jones to be held for eight more days while prosecutors gather more evidence against them. Jones' mother Cynthia was outside the courtroom, though the hearing was eventually held at a police station.
CYNTHIA JONES, MOTHER OF SUSPECT: God is above, god knows my son is innocent! And I (ph) will go down for it.
PENHAUL: Jones has a 5-year-old daughter. His girlfriend, whose name is also Cynthia, says the couple went to a soul music festival on the night Natalee disappeared, then they went home together.
CYNTHIA DE GRAF, GIRLFRIEND OF SUSPECT: He's always spending time with this daughter, with me. He's a -- I don't -- he's not going to do anything wrong to anyone. I don't know even why -- why they pick him.
PENHAUL: John's mother believes she has the answer. Natalee had been staying in the glitzy west end of Aruba and was last seen with three young men from well-to-do families. John and Jones are from black immigrant families, from the poor industrial east end of the island dominated by white Dutch descendants.
JOHN: The problem is simply that they have a color question (ph) in Aruba. Because once you're black -- I've been in Aruba 26 years. I'm not Aruban, and I cannot, I will not (INAUDIBLE). PENHAUL: There's another question, too. These men are accused of a killing, yet so far there's no public evidence to indicate that Natalee is dead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: So just to recap on the latest developments, in addition to those two suspects who were arrested over the weekend, this morning, just before dawn, police and prosecutors have arrested three more men. Those are the three men last seen in Natalee Holloway's company the night she disappeared -- Bill.
HEMMER: Karl, there is a connection apparently between a judge in Aruba and one of these men arrested. What is the connection and what's the relationship as it pertains to this case?
PENHAUL: Indeed, a long-standing resident on this island has told us that one of the young men arrested this morning is in fact the son of an Aruba judge. That judge was also in the past a senior official in the public prosecution service -- Bill.
HEMMER: Karl Penhaul watching the story. Developments again today from Aruba.
Here's Carol.
COSTELLO: There are also new developments in the investigation into a possible terror plot. A fifth man now in custody, and the FBI says more arrests are possible. The investigation is spreading beyond Lodi, California, and the Sacramento area.
Chris Lawrence live from Lodi this morning.
Chris, what do we know about this fifth man now in custody?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, he is 19 years old and the son of one of the two Islamic spiritual leaders already detained. We've learned that he's being held on immigration violations, but not his specific connection to the father and son who lived here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Federal agents say some residents of this small town were making big plans to wage holy war in America.
KEITH SLOTTER, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Although we believe these individuals are committed to acts of jihad against the U.S., we do not possess information concerning exact plans, timing, or specific targets of opportunity.
LAWRENCE: Two U.S. citizens are being held in the Sacramento County jail. Umer Hayat and his son, Hamid, have been accused of lying to FBI investigators. Court documents show that both men denied that Hamid Hayat attended a terrorist training camp. But after hours of interrogation the affidavit states, Hamid admitted he attended the camp in Pakistan. Photos of President Bush were used as targets during weapons training. And he specifically asked to come back to the U.S. to carry out his mission.
SCOTT MCGREGOR, U.S. ATTY: He also confirmed that the camp was run by al Qaeda operatives and that they were being trained on how to kill Americans.
LAWRENCE: The accusations shocked this rural town south of Sacramento, where Umer Hayat drove an ice cream truck.
KARINA MURILLO, NEIGHBOR: He was very friendly with the kids.
LAWRENCE: Some neighbors tell us the Hayats have been in Lodi for years.
MURILLO: He never did anything to lead us to believe he would be planning something like this.
JOHNNY GRIFFIN, UMER HAYAT'S ATTORNEY.: It's important for everyone to push the pause button.
LAWRENCE: Attorney Johnny Griffin says Umer Hayat is being labeled a terrorist without actually being accused.
GRIFFIN: Is he charged with any of those crimes? The answer is no. He is only charged with making a false statement.
LAWRENCE: Two local Islamic leaders have also been detained, at least one for violating his visa. But federal agents won't say how they may be connected to the Hayats. Their attorney tells CNN, "They are victims of guilt by association" and "completely innocent."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Now, law enforcement sources are telling CNN that investigators are looking to see if the two acted as a conduit between terror groups and people right here in the U.S. So far, there are no charges to that effect -- Carol.
COSTELLO: But what about targets, Chris? Because we're hearing they were going to target hospitals, the food supply. Is there anything new?
LAWRENCE: Well, the original affidavit that was filed in federal court stated that Hamid Hayat considered those as potential targets. We read it. So did everyone else.
In this latest version, the FBI backed off that and took out all the references to those targets. Today we're trying to find out why.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Chris Lawrence live in Lodi, California.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
HEMMER: Seven minutes past the hour now, Carol. A little more than a week into hurricane season, already had the first named storm of the year. Tropical Storm Arlene now centered in the Caribbean between Cuba and the coast of Central America. It is headed for the Gulf, growing in strength, and that's just the beginning.
Forecasters predicting as many as 15 tropical storms this year. And of those, seven to nine could grow into hurricanes. And as many as five of those could become major storms with winds of 115 miles an hour, plus.
Four major hurricanes battered Florida in 2004, causing more than $4 billion in damage. They remember that very well. So do we.
Here's Chad Myers watching things at the CNN center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Now to Valerie Morris watching the headlines. And we start in California and Michael Jackson.
Hey, Val.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi again, Bill. And good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," a half-day session for jurors in the Michael Jackson trial. The pop star returned to the hospital Wednesday for a scheduled treatment for back trouble. Friend and spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, visited him there. Jackson says the entertainer is keeping his spirits up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JESSE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON FAMILY FRIEND: Michael is convinced that, as he says in the most private sessions, of his own innocence. He believes in this jury as having the capacity to be fair and thinks that Tom Mesereau has made the best and strongest of arguments. And so Michael really was kind of up last night and looking forward to the conclusion and looking forward to acquittal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: Deliberations get under way in less than three hours from now.
The U.S. Army missing its recruiting goal for four straight months. The Pentagon expected to make that announcement today. Military officials confirming to CNN the active duty force fell short by about 1,700 recruits in May, and that's after the Army reduced its recruiting goal earlier this year. The Army says it hopes to make up for the shortfall later this summer.
The Darfur region in Sudan may be getting much needed support from NATO troops. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels today. They're finalizing plans to send the African Union troop to Darfur, where ethnic violence has raged for more than a year. The U.S. may help airlift troops into the region as early as this month.
And firefighters are hoping cooler temperatures and fire lines will stop the spread of a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona. Dozens have been evacuated near Wickenburg. More than 100 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has already burned nearly 1,000 acres of dry grass and brush. Officials say 30 homes may still be in danger throughout the area.
That's the very latest. Carol, Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: Thanks, Valerie.
COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, 13 years after the brutal murder of his little sister, a teenager receives a college scholarship from an unlikely source, death row inmates. He will share his emotional story next.
HEMMER: Also, one man rounded up in that California terror probe is a second generation American. A terror analyst will tell us why that may be significant. We'll talk about that a bit later.
Back in a moment after the break on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: All the world's watching and waiting for the verdict in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. In fact, journalists from more than 30 countries are covering the story for audiences back home who just can't seem to get enough.
Ted Rowlands has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Frederica Dupuis has been covering the Jackson trial for SRC Television in Canada. She says the day that Michael Jackson showed up in his pajamas was the day her bosses told her to stick around until end.
FREDERICA DUPUIS, SRC TELEVISION: Been a star for years so there is an interest, specifically, that he's become so weird over the years.
ROWLANDS: Dupuis is one of international journalists covering the trial.
According to the reporters from 32 countries covering this trial, Michael Jackson's fate is an international obsession.
SALVADOR DURAN, TELEMUNDO: With Spain, they have a huge fan base here for Michael Jackson. In Latin American, Mexico certainly has a lot -- you know, he gives them a lot of support. I see fans over here. El Salvador has a lot of support.
ROWLANDS: One thing they do seem interested in is the American legal system.
MAREK WALKUSKI, POLISH NATIONAL RADIO: There's no jury in Poland. You don't have 12 regular people who decide about the future of the star of anybody.
PETER SHAPLAN, JACKSON MEDIA POLL PRODUCER: There is a Canadian journalist who asked when getting up in order to leave, should they stand in the aisle and bow to the judge?
ROWLANDS: Dupuis is one the few internationalist journalists has covered the trial. She says, when the case is at its most bizarre, the interest back home is at its highest. She thinks the best is yet to come.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: and the jury is expected to resume deliberations in a little over two hours from now. But it will be a short day for them. Deliberations will last less than three hours so that many of the jurors can attend graduation ceremonies for family and friends.
Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, a terror probe shocks a small California town. Is it an actual terrorist cell? Our terror analyst helps us with the investigation.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: On our Web site, CNN.com, here's one of the most popular stories appearing right now. It's about a sixth grader in Virginia. I love this story.
He got Texas Instruments to recall thousands of calculators. Here's what happened.
It seems the company was supposed to disable a key on those distributed in Virginia schools which enabled students to convert decimals into fractions. Virginia standardized testing requires students to figure that out on paper.
One student discovered that by pressing two keys at the same time, the calculator would still do the conversion. Texas Instruments has begun replacing all the calculators distributed (INAUDIBLE) new ones.
CAFFERTY: The kids like that in my school got beat up in the locker room...
HEMMER: You think so?
CAFFERTY: ... because they screwed up the ability to get a good grade on their tests for everybody. You know, that's like the one who says, "Oh, you forgot to assign the homework." You know.
COSTELLO: I would have never thought about it from that angle, but I'm glad you've enlightened me.
CAFFERTY: It's why I'm here, Carol, is to enlighten you.
President Bush is going to give a speech in Ohio later today where he's going to call on Congress to make the Patriot Act permanent. Parts of it are due to expire later this year. The Senate Intelligence Committee passed a provision the other day for the Patriot Act that will allow the FBI to subpoena records in terrorism investigations without the approval of a judge or a grand jury.
The question is this: should the Patriot Act become a permanent law?
George in West Virginia, "You can always tell when the Bush administration has a bad idea. They want to make it permanent."
Laura in New York writes, "Yes, it should. The enemies of ours aren't mythical creatures but flesh and blood beings who have publicly announced their goal is our destruction. If the opponents of the Patriot Act have a better idea, let's hear it."
Lloyd in North Carolina writes, "The Patriot Act is a necessary tool to combat terrorism, but its potential for abuse must be kept under close scrutiny by a periodic approval process."
And finally this one, Michael in Connecticut, "We recently observed Memorial Day to honor those who gave the last full measure of devotion for our freedoms and the freedom of others. Three days ago, the 61st anniversary of D-Day, a day when many risked everything for the freedom of the world. Now we're talking about abandoning portions of our freedom because we're afraid? If nothing else, Congress should at least revise the title to the, 'We Are Afraid Act,' and stop shaming the word 'patriot' in this way."
COSTELLO: Ooh. That was a good one.
CAFFERTY: It was good, I thought.
COSTELLO: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
COSTELLO: Feeding some of America's top spies is no easy task, especially when the chef has no idea who he's feeding. National Security Correspondent David Ensor explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like almost any good kitchen, though it is tucked away inside a building full of secrets. But even spymasters have to eat. Chef Fred DeFilippo makes sure the CIA top brass do so in style.
FRED DEFILIPPO, CIA CHEF: Now, this is a roast strip loin of beef with melted Cambazola cheese, baby greens, Heirloom tomatoes and grilled asparagus. It's a nice little summer dish.
ENSOR (on camera): Now, what's in the sauce?
DEFILIPPO: This is melted cambazola. Everybody loves that steak and blue cheese mix.
ENSOR: Right. High cholesterol.
DEFILIPPO: Yes, I could be a little bit better on the healthy cooking, but it wouldn't be that much fun.
ENSOR (voice-over): Anyone at CIA can book a table in this dining room to sample DeFilippo's food. And there's another room just for top officials. Then there's the place we're going to eat, the most exclusive menu of all, the director's dining room.
(on camera): I do like that rare roast beef.
DEFILIPPO: It's good?
ENSOR: Where did you train?
DEFILIPPO: At the Culinary Institute. And I graduated in 1992.
ENSOR: Culinary Institute of America?
DEFILIPPO: Correct.
ENSOR: CIA?
DEFILIPPO: The other CIA.
ENSOR: Is that a coincidence?
DEFILIPPO: Pretty bizarre.
ENSOR (voice-over): DeFilippo has never met the man whose dining room we are borrowing, the CIA director, Porter Goss.
DEFILIPPO: I don't even know if I feed him. I don't know -- I'm not privy to know who I feed and when I feed.
ENSOR: And Fred says he knows nothing of the secret work going on all around him. Those secrets do not reach the kitchen.
He loves his job. There is just one thing that's a little weird about it.
DEFILIPPO: I can't go outside the kitchen without an escort.
ENSOR (on camera): That's strange.
DEFILIPPO: It's strange, but they don't want people that aren't cleared just wandering around the building.
ENSOR: Does that bug you at all? DEFILIPPO: No. The hardest part is that we have to be escorted to the bathroom. After about a month, it just becomes routine.
ENSOR (voice-over): Routine if you're the CIA chef.
David Ensor, CNN, Langley, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Oh, the chef clocks in every Monday through Friday before 5:00 a.m. He works until 3:00 in the afternoon and he has weekends off. So I guess that's a good thing.
Still ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the diet they are not on at the CIA. Think smart, eat well, move more. It seems simple enough, but can a new no-fat diet be the trick in helping people lose weight? I'll talk with the man with a plan just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Bill Hemmer.
COSTELLO: I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad this morning.
HEMMER: We are watching these new developments out of Aruba. The news breaking now just a few hours ago. This in the search for Natalee Holloway.
With that, and the rest of the headlines, back to Valerie Morris for those now.
Hey, Val.
MORRIS: And good morning again, everyone. And good morning to you.
"Now in the News," the developing story out of Aruba is that three more arrests were made this morning in connection with the disappearance of that Alabama teenager. A total of five men are now in custody. The three charged today were the last people seen with Natalee Holloway, who went missing on May 30. A judge ruled Wednesday there was enough evidence to hold the other two men for at least another week.
Authorities say they don't know what killed a student who disappeared in New York City in April. Police used dental records to identify 22-year-old Patrick Welsh, whose body was found last Thursday in the Hudson River. Welsh disappeared April 15 after making a call from his cell phone while visiting New York City. Police say autopsy results are not due back for at least another week.
A shortened day of deliberations for the Jackson jury today. Some jurors are apparently attending graduations.
Meanwhile, the pop singer returned to the hospital Wednesday. His spokeswoman says Jackson had a scheduled appointment for his back trouble.
And Russell Crowe says that he's sorry for losing his temper. The actor was arrested Monday for throwing a telephone at a hotel employee.
Crowe appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" Wednesday and said he was frustrated because hotel phones wouldn't work when he was trying to call his wife. Crowe apologized and says he hopes to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: This is possibly the most shameful situation I've ever gotten myself in, in my life, and I've done some pretty dumb things in my life. So to actually make a new number one is spectacularly stupid.
DAVID LETTERMAN, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: Crowe has been charged with assault in the incident.
And apparently, he does want to speak, Bill and Carol, to the person that he assaulted. He says he's very sorry for that.
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 June 9, 2005 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. Nine o'clock here in New York. I'm Bill Hemmer.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad today.
HEMMER: We're also talking with Jack Cafferty about what's coming up.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush out in Ohio, Bill, later today. He's going to make a speech in which he's going to call on the Congress to make the Patriot Act permanent. A lot of people don't think that's a very good idea. Parts of it are due to expire at the end of this year.
We'd like to know what you think about the subject. AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: You got it. Thank you, Jack. Get to another batch in a couple of minutes here.
First, though, to Aruba. We want to start now with this developing story. Learning just a few hours ago prosecutors in Aruba have arrested three more suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. These are the men who were last seen with Holloway as she left the nightclub Carlos 'N Charlie's about 10 days ago.
Back to Karl Penhaul, live in Palm Beach, Aruba.
What more do we know about these three men, Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those three arrests took place just before dawn, Bill. As you say, those were the three men in whose company Natalee Holloway was seen in the wee hours of the Monday morning that she disappeared.
Police and prosecutors have also told us they're looking for evidence at their properties at this time. Also, earlier during the week, of course, we know that two suspects are already in detention. They've been held in custody for a further eight days, and we've been talking to their families.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANN JOHN, MOTHER OF SUSPECT: Say, "Lord, I cry unto thee." PENHAUL (voice-over): Ann John spends her day reading her bible and watching the news. This image haunts her, the moment her 30-year- old son Micky was dragged handcuffed from the home they share on Aruba's eastern tip.
JOHN: If my son do it, I don't worry. He has to take his penalty. But I'm saying, my son knows nothing, nothing concerning this girl.
PENHAUL: Security guard Micky John and work mate Abraham Jones are accused of murder, manslaughter and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of teen Natalee Holloway. This is the picture mother Ann prefers to keep in her mind, happier times a few Christmases ago.
JOHN: I know to myself, my son will never, will never, will never put himself in this kind of situation.
PENHAUL: She says her son likes playing soccer, occasionally plays the slot machines at a local casino, but doesn't drink or smoke. Sitting out on her porch, Ann can't remember if her son went out the night Natalee disappeared. Her other son, 10-year-old Jonathan, still remembers vividly the moment a police squad burst into their home to arrest Micky last Sunday.
They seized him around 7:00 a.m., rousting him from sleep and confiscated items from his room. Ann hasn't felt up to going in there until now.
John was back in handcuffs again Wednesday after a judge ordered him and Jones to be held for eight more days while prosecutors gather more evidence against them. Jones' mother Cynthia was outside the courtroom, though the hearing was eventually held at a police station.
CYNTHIA JONES, MOTHER OF SUSPECT: God is above, god knows my son is innocent! And I (ph) will go down for it.
PENHAUL: Jones has a 5-year-old daughter. His girlfriend, whose name is also Cynthia, says the couple went to a soul music festival on the night Natalee disappeared, then they went home together.
CYNTHIA DE GRAF, GIRLFRIEND OF SUSPECT: He's always spending time with this daughter, with me. He's a -- I don't -- he's not going to do anything wrong to anyone. I don't know even why -- why they pick him.
PENHAUL: John's mother believes she has the answer. Natalee had been staying in the glitzy west end of Aruba and was last seen with three young men from well-to-do families. John and Jones are from black immigrant families, from the poor industrial east end of the island dominated by white Dutch descendants.
JOHN: The problem is simply that they have a color question (ph) in Aruba. Because once you're black -- I've been in Aruba 26 years. I'm not Aruban, and I cannot, I will not (INAUDIBLE). PENHAUL: There's another question, too. These men are accused of a killing, yet so far there's no public evidence to indicate that Natalee is dead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: So just to recap on the latest developments, in addition to those two suspects who were arrested over the weekend, this morning, just before dawn, police and prosecutors have arrested three more men. Those are the three men last seen in Natalee Holloway's company the night she disappeared -- Bill.
HEMMER: Karl, there is a connection apparently between a judge in Aruba and one of these men arrested. What is the connection and what's the relationship as it pertains to this case?
PENHAUL: Indeed, a long-standing resident on this island has told us that one of the young men arrested this morning is in fact the son of an Aruba judge. That judge was also in the past a senior official in the public prosecution service -- Bill.
HEMMER: Karl Penhaul watching the story. Developments again today from Aruba.
Here's Carol.
COSTELLO: There are also new developments in the investigation into a possible terror plot. A fifth man now in custody, and the FBI says more arrests are possible. The investigation is spreading beyond Lodi, California, and the Sacramento area.
Chris Lawrence live from Lodi this morning.
Chris, what do we know about this fifth man now in custody?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, he is 19 years old and the son of one of the two Islamic spiritual leaders already detained. We've learned that he's being held on immigration violations, but not his specific connection to the father and son who lived here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Federal agents say some residents of this small town were making big plans to wage holy war in America.
KEITH SLOTTER, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Although we believe these individuals are committed to acts of jihad against the U.S., we do not possess information concerning exact plans, timing, or specific targets of opportunity.
LAWRENCE: Two U.S. citizens are being held in the Sacramento County jail. Umer Hayat and his son, Hamid, have been accused of lying to FBI investigators. Court documents show that both men denied that Hamid Hayat attended a terrorist training camp. But after hours of interrogation the affidavit states, Hamid admitted he attended the camp in Pakistan. Photos of President Bush were used as targets during weapons training. And he specifically asked to come back to the U.S. to carry out his mission.
SCOTT MCGREGOR, U.S. ATTY: He also confirmed that the camp was run by al Qaeda operatives and that they were being trained on how to kill Americans.
LAWRENCE: The accusations shocked this rural town south of Sacramento, where Umer Hayat drove an ice cream truck.
KARINA MURILLO, NEIGHBOR: He was very friendly with the kids.
LAWRENCE: Some neighbors tell us the Hayats have been in Lodi for years.
MURILLO: He never did anything to lead us to believe he would be planning something like this.
JOHNNY GRIFFIN, UMER HAYAT'S ATTORNEY.: It's important for everyone to push the pause button.
LAWRENCE: Attorney Johnny Griffin says Umer Hayat is being labeled a terrorist without actually being accused.
GRIFFIN: Is he charged with any of those crimes? The answer is no. He is only charged with making a false statement.
LAWRENCE: Two local Islamic leaders have also been detained, at least one for violating his visa. But federal agents won't say how they may be connected to the Hayats. Their attorney tells CNN, "They are victims of guilt by association" and "completely innocent."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Now, law enforcement sources are telling CNN that investigators are looking to see if the two acted as a conduit between terror groups and people right here in the U.S. So far, there are no charges to that effect -- Carol.
COSTELLO: But what about targets, Chris? Because we're hearing they were going to target hospitals, the food supply. Is there anything new?
LAWRENCE: Well, the original affidavit that was filed in federal court stated that Hamid Hayat considered those as potential targets. We read it. So did everyone else.
In this latest version, the FBI backed off that and took out all the references to those targets. Today we're trying to find out why.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Chris Lawrence live in Lodi, California.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
HEMMER: Seven minutes past the hour now, Carol. A little more than a week into hurricane season, already had the first named storm of the year. Tropical Storm Arlene now centered in the Caribbean between Cuba and the coast of Central America. It is headed for the Gulf, growing in strength, and that's just the beginning.
Forecasters predicting as many as 15 tropical storms this year. And of those, seven to nine could grow into hurricanes. And as many as five of those could become major storms with winds of 115 miles an hour, plus.
Four major hurricanes battered Florida in 2004, causing more than $4 billion in damage. They remember that very well. So do we.
Here's Chad Myers watching things at the CNN center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Now to Valerie Morris watching the headlines. And we start in California and Michael Jackson.
Hey, Val.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi again, Bill. And good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," a half-day session for jurors in the Michael Jackson trial. The pop star returned to the hospital Wednesday for a scheduled treatment for back trouble. Friend and spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, visited him there. Jackson says the entertainer is keeping his spirits up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JESSE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON FAMILY FRIEND: Michael is convinced that, as he says in the most private sessions, of his own innocence. He believes in this jury as having the capacity to be fair and thinks that Tom Mesereau has made the best and strongest of arguments. And so Michael really was kind of up last night and looking forward to the conclusion and looking forward to acquittal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: Deliberations get under way in less than three hours from now.
The U.S. Army missing its recruiting goal for four straight months. The Pentagon expected to make that announcement today. Military officials confirming to CNN the active duty force fell short by about 1,700 recruits in May, and that's after the Army reduced its recruiting goal earlier this year. The Army says it hopes to make up for the shortfall later this summer.
The Darfur region in Sudan may be getting much needed support from NATO troops. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels today. They're finalizing plans to send the African Union troop to Darfur, where ethnic violence has raged for more than a year. The U.S. may help airlift troops into the region as early as this month.
And firefighters are hoping cooler temperatures and fire lines will stop the spread of a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona. Dozens have been evacuated near Wickenburg. More than 100 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has already burned nearly 1,000 acres of dry grass and brush. Officials say 30 homes may still be in danger throughout the area.
That's the very latest. Carol, Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: Thanks, Valerie.
COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, 13 years after the brutal murder of his little sister, a teenager receives a college scholarship from an unlikely source, death row inmates. He will share his emotional story next.
HEMMER: Also, one man rounded up in that California terror probe is a second generation American. A terror analyst will tell us why that may be significant. We'll talk about that a bit later.
Back in a moment after the break on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: All the world's watching and waiting for the verdict in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. In fact, journalists from more than 30 countries are covering the story for audiences back home who just can't seem to get enough.
Ted Rowlands has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Frederica Dupuis has been covering the Jackson trial for SRC Television in Canada. She says the day that Michael Jackson showed up in his pajamas was the day her bosses told her to stick around until end.
FREDERICA DUPUIS, SRC TELEVISION: Been a star for years so there is an interest, specifically, that he's become so weird over the years.
ROWLANDS: Dupuis is one of international journalists covering the trial.
According to the reporters from 32 countries covering this trial, Michael Jackson's fate is an international obsession.
SALVADOR DURAN, TELEMUNDO: With Spain, they have a huge fan base here for Michael Jackson. In Latin American, Mexico certainly has a lot -- you know, he gives them a lot of support. I see fans over here. El Salvador has a lot of support.
ROWLANDS: One thing they do seem interested in is the American legal system.
MAREK WALKUSKI, POLISH NATIONAL RADIO: There's no jury in Poland. You don't have 12 regular people who decide about the future of the star of anybody.
PETER SHAPLAN, JACKSON MEDIA POLL PRODUCER: There is a Canadian journalist who asked when getting up in order to leave, should they stand in the aisle and bow to the judge?
ROWLANDS: Dupuis is one the few internationalist journalists has covered the trial. She says, when the case is at its most bizarre, the interest back home is at its highest. She thinks the best is yet to come.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: and the jury is expected to resume deliberations in a little over two hours from now. But it will be a short day for them. Deliberations will last less than three hours so that many of the jurors can attend graduation ceremonies for family and friends.
Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, a terror probe shocks a small California town. Is it an actual terrorist cell? Our terror analyst helps us with the investigation.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: On our Web site, CNN.com, here's one of the most popular stories appearing right now. It's about a sixth grader in Virginia. I love this story.
He got Texas Instruments to recall thousands of calculators. Here's what happened.
It seems the company was supposed to disable a key on those distributed in Virginia schools which enabled students to convert decimals into fractions. Virginia standardized testing requires students to figure that out on paper.
One student discovered that by pressing two keys at the same time, the calculator would still do the conversion. Texas Instruments has begun replacing all the calculators distributed (INAUDIBLE) new ones.
CAFFERTY: The kids like that in my school got beat up in the locker room...
HEMMER: You think so?
CAFFERTY: ... because they screwed up the ability to get a good grade on their tests for everybody. You know, that's like the one who says, "Oh, you forgot to assign the homework." You know.
COSTELLO: I would have never thought about it from that angle, but I'm glad you've enlightened me.
CAFFERTY: It's why I'm here, Carol, is to enlighten you.
President Bush is going to give a speech in Ohio later today where he's going to call on Congress to make the Patriot Act permanent. Parts of it are due to expire later this year. The Senate Intelligence Committee passed a provision the other day for the Patriot Act that will allow the FBI to subpoena records in terrorism investigations without the approval of a judge or a grand jury.
The question is this: should the Patriot Act become a permanent law?
George in West Virginia, "You can always tell when the Bush administration has a bad idea. They want to make it permanent."
Laura in New York writes, "Yes, it should. The enemies of ours aren't mythical creatures but flesh and blood beings who have publicly announced their goal is our destruction. If the opponents of the Patriot Act have a better idea, let's hear it."
Lloyd in North Carolina writes, "The Patriot Act is a necessary tool to combat terrorism, but its potential for abuse must be kept under close scrutiny by a periodic approval process."
And finally this one, Michael in Connecticut, "We recently observed Memorial Day to honor those who gave the last full measure of devotion for our freedoms and the freedom of others. Three days ago, the 61st anniversary of D-Day, a day when many risked everything for the freedom of the world. Now we're talking about abandoning portions of our freedom because we're afraid? If nothing else, Congress should at least revise the title to the, 'We Are Afraid Act,' and stop shaming the word 'patriot' in this way."
COSTELLO: Ooh. That was a good one.
CAFFERTY: It was good, I thought.
COSTELLO: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
COSTELLO: Feeding some of America's top spies is no easy task, especially when the chef has no idea who he's feeding. National Security Correspondent David Ensor explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like almost any good kitchen, though it is tucked away inside a building full of secrets. But even spymasters have to eat. Chef Fred DeFilippo makes sure the CIA top brass do so in style.
FRED DEFILIPPO, CIA CHEF: Now, this is a roast strip loin of beef with melted Cambazola cheese, baby greens, Heirloom tomatoes and grilled asparagus. It's a nice little summer dish.
ENSOR (on camera): Now, what's in the sauce?
DEFILIPPO: This is melted cambazola. Everybody loves that steak and blue cheese mix.
ENSOR: Right. High cholesterol.
DEFILIPPO: Yes, I could be a little bit better on the healthy cooking, but it wouldn't be that much fun.
ENSOR (voice-over): Anyone at CIA can book a table in this dining room to sample DeFilippo's food. And there's another room just for top officials. Then there's the place we're going to eat, the most exclusive menu of all, the director's dining room.
(on camera): I do like that rare roast beef.
DEFILIPPO: It's good?
ENSOR: Where did you train?
DEFILIPPO: At the Culinary Institute. And I graduated in 1992.
ENSOR: Culinary Institute of America?
DEFILIPPO: Correct.
ENSOR: CIA?
DEFILIPPO: The other CIA.
ENSOR: Is that a coincidence?
DEFILIPPO: Pretty bizarre.
ENSOR (voice-over): DeFilippo has never met the man whose dining room we are borrowing, the CIA director, Porter Goss.
DEFILIPPO: I don't even know if I feed him. I don't know -- I'm not privy to know who I feed and when I feed.
ENSOR: And Fred says he knows nothing of the secret work going on all around him. Those secrets do not reach the kitchen.
He loves his job. There is just one thing that's a little weird about it.
DEFILIPPO: I can't go outside the kitchen without an escort.
ENSOR (on camera): That's strange.
DEFILIPPO: It's strange, but they don't want people that aren't cleared just wandering around the building.
ENSOR: Does that bug you at all? DEFILIPPO: No. The hardest part is that we have to be escorted to the bathroom. After about a month, it just becomes routine.
ENSOR (voice-over): Routine if you're the CIA chef.
David Ensor, CNN, Langley, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Oh, the chef clocks in every Monday through Friday before 5:00 a.m. He works until 3:00 in the afternoon and he has weekends off. So I guess that's a good thing.
Still ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the diet they are not on at the CIA. Think smart, eat well, move more. It seems simple enough, but can a new no-fat diet be the trick in helping people lose weight? I'll talk with the man with a plan just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Bill Hemmer.
COSTELLO: I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad this morning.
HEMMER: We are watching these new developments out of Aruba. The news breaking now just a few hours ago. This in the search for Natalee Holloway.
With that, and the rest of the headlines, back to Valerie Morris for those now.
Hey, Val.
MORRIS: And good morning again, everyone. And good morning to you.
"Now in the News," the developing story out of Aruba is that three more arrests were made this morning in connection with the disappearance of that Alabama teenager. A total of five men are now in custody. The three charged today were the last people seen with Natalee Holloway, who went missing on May 30. A judge ruled Wednesday there was enough evidence to hold the other two men for at least another week.
Authorities say they don't know what killed a student who disappeared in New York City in April. Police used dental records to identify 22-year-old Patrick Welsh, whose body was found last Thursday in the Hudson River. Welsh disappeared April 15 after making a call from his cell phone while visiting New York City. Police say autopsy results are not due back for at least another week.
A shortened day of deliberations for the Jackson jury today. Some jurors are apparently attending graduations.
Meanwhile, the pop singer returned to the hospital Wednesday. His spokeswoman says Jackson had a scheduled appointment for his back trouble.
And Russell Crowe says that he's sorry for losing his temper. The actor was arrested Monday for throwing a telephone at a hotel employee.
Crowe appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" Wednesday and said he was frustrated because hotel phones wouldn't work when he was trying to call his wife. Crowe apologized and says he hopes to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: This is possibly the most shameful situation I've ever gotten myself in, in my life, and I've done some pretty dumb things in my life. So to actually make a new number one is spectacularly stupid.
DAVID LETTERMAN, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: Crowe has been charged with assault in the incident.
And apparently, he does want to speak, Bill and Carol, to the person that he assaulted. He says he's very sorry for that.
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