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American Morning

Case Against Saddam; Behind the Verdict

Aired June 14, 2005 - 08:30   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A 4-year-old boy is dead after going on a ride at Epcot at Walt Disney World. Officials say the boy was on the Mission Space Ride with his mother and sister. The mother was later seen carrying the boy out and paramedics were called. Florida police are now investigating.
And after 40 years as an Army deserter, well, he's returning to the United States. Charles Jenkins deserted to North Korea while serving along the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 1965. He gave himself up to U.S. authorities next year. Jenkins plans to visit with his 91- year-old mother in North Carolina. Fascinating story. He goes back to his hometown, where they're very conflicted about his return, by the way, to see his mother. He hasn't seen her since 1965.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, carol.

HEMMER: We want to get back to Baghdad right now. The Iraqi court there a step closer to putting Saddam Hussein on trial. A videotape with no audio was released Monday, showing the judge questioning the former dictator about a mass execution of Iraqi Shiites back in 1982.

Giovanni Di Stefano is Saddam Hussein's legal representative, my guest now from Rome. And we appreciate you coming back and talking with us.

There are some reports out of Iraq that indicate by late summer, maybe early in the fall, Saddam Hussein's trial could begin. Do you see that as possible in that timetable?

GIOVANNI DI STEFANO, SADDAM'S LEGAL REP.: Well, it's very unlikely that could to be the situation. We are only on the first stage of any type of inquiry. There are a number of stages. The first stage is what you have witnessed, where an investigative judge questions, collates evidence. He then sends the matter up to a judge who reviews all the evidence and decides whether the matter can or can't go up for trial, and it's only at that stage that a five-judge court will decide if there is to be any trial. So we are a long, long way away, if the procedure, of course, is to be followed up properly.

HEMMER: But if you listen to the word out of Iraq, too, it appears that Saddam Hussein may go first for the schedule of trials. Do you see that as happening?

DI STEFANO: Well, we have no charges yet. As I just tried to explain, we are at a very preliminary -- after 20 months in custody, we are still at the investigative stage which is a preliminary stage, to see even if a trial can occur. It has to go to another judge, after the current judge, who then decides whether it can be referred to a court or whether the matter is stayed. So we are really sort of at the very, very beginning, after 20 months in custody, without a charge.

All right, in July of 2004, we saw Saddam Hussein in court in Baghdad. You've got this tape release yesterday, a difference of about 11 months. Look at side by side the images of Saddam Hussein over the past 11 months. Do you see much of a change in him now as opposed to last summer?

DI STEFANO: Well, anyone that is in custody, of course, is affected by having their liberty restricted, not just Saddam Hussein, anyone in any jurisdiction there. Everyone has their moments of highs and lows.

I know my colleague that has been to see him on two occasions only, in December and in April, certainly reported to me that he was well. He was fine. He was coping. I will myself be attending President Saddam Hussein very shortly, and maybe I'll have more to report at that stage.

HEMMER: At what point will that be?

DI STEFANO: I didn't hear the question, excuse me.

HEMMER: You're indicating you'll go to Baghdad. And when will that happen?

DI STEFANO: Very shortly. Obviously the date must be kept confidential there for security reasons, but there is a United States civil lawsuit which I was served as is a representative, so obviously, I have to take instructions. It is incidentally the only legal action currently against Saddam Hussein, because as I said, time and time again, as of today's date, after 20 months, this man still has not been charged.

HEMMER: Thoroughly understand that point. One more thing I want to get to here. We're hearing reports from the Associated Press out of Baghdad that the Iraqi Special Tribunal releasing this videotape, wants to show the world and the Iraqi people that's in control of the court proceedings, also perhaps to show that it's not just Shiites and Kurds who are running this tribunal. What do you believe is behind the release of this videotape?

DI STEFANO: Well, I sincerely fear (ph) their hopes, because it is wrong if politicians are in charge of the judiciary. In fact the special tribunal status clearly preclude anything of that nature up there, and of late, far too many politicians have interfered with this process. And that's what one of the officials of the officials of the Iraqi Special Tribunal resigned regrettably there. We must have a fair trial, and we must have the control of any trial by the special tribunal, and not by the prime minister, or the president, or anyone else there. They are simply to remain silent and allow the law to take its course.

HEMMER: After your trip to Baghdad, come on back here to CNN. We'll talk to you then.

DI STEFANO: Thank you.

HEMMER: Giovanni Di Stefano, one of Saddam Hussein's legal reps in Rome -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Back to the Michael Jackson jury. After the verdict was read, the jurors began to talk freely about how they came to their decision.

CNN's Rusty Dornin takes us this morning behind the verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For several of the jurors, there was one witness who stood out in their minds, the accuser's mother. Foreman Paul Rodriguez says, "She just wasn't believable."

RODRIGUEZ: We just thought that she was not a credible person.

DORNIN (on camera): To you, was that one of the biggest factors in your mind reasoning reasonable doubt.

RODRIGUEZ: Well, actually, yes it was. Yes, it was. When we listened to her, and the way -- there were just so many things that came up.

DORNIN (voice-over): Rodriguez says the jury also had a hard time believing the boy who accused Michael Jackson of molestation.

RODRIGUEZ: We felt that he was pretty well programmed by his mother. You know, and we thought not completely programmed, but there was a lot of things that he was saying that sound exactly as is mother said.

DORNIN: the defense kept raising the issue of the time line. Why would Michael Jackson molest the accuser when the whole world was pressuring him to answer questions about his relationship with the boy? Jurors wondered as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We took notes so well that we could develop the timeline on the boards, and really analyze it. So, it was a question. The time line was a concern.

DORNIN: And while some may seem Michael Jackson is cookie or strange, to the one juror who watched him day in and day out, in court, he seemed very human.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It's not like he's way up here and everyone else is down there; it's not like that. He'd be some person that you could walk up on the street, and say, "Hey, what's up?" You know, I mean, it made him real.

DORNIN: The trial may be done, but it's not over for many of these jurors who are likely to be chased by media crews anxious for more interviews.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I'm going to hide in my room, and not answer the door or the telephone.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: And I'm going to go play bridge tonight, and forget all of this.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: And I'll just relax, and be able to just, like, enjoy a glass of wine, and just shut your mind down for a little while.

DORNIN: A wish that may be tough to fulfill, considering the spotlight that continues to shine on this case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Many of Jackson's family members were by his side when the verdict came down. Two of Michael's brothers spoke with Larry King last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: What's the first thing he said to you?

TITO JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: He told me he loved me. And I told him, I love you, too.

KING: How did he hold up today?

JACKSON: Well, it would be hard on anyone, you know. Michael kept his strength, and he hung in there, and he didn't do any of this, and I think it was a very personal thing on Tom Sneddon's part.

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: We were very, very, very happy, and like we always felt from the very beginning and knew, he was a thousand percent innocent, and I'll just say this, it takes one person to tell the truth, but it takes many to concoct a lie, and that's what you saw there.

O'BRIEN: No word yet from Michael Jackson himself. No indication, in fact, when the pop star might address the public -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, 21 minutes now before the hour. The cleanup continues today in Florida. A plane crash-landed in a neighborhood on Monday. It happened in Fort Lauderdale. That plane narrowly missing a busy intersection. It came down on a residential street. The copilot says engine trouble forced the pilots to land the DC-3 among several homes and people. Three people on board, two pedestrians injured, and they are all expected to recover. Wow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, preparing your teenager for the real world with a trip to China? We're going to explain when we mind your business, just ahead. HEMMER: Also, we're paging the good doctor today. Our special series "Just for Dad" continues with Sanjay. Today examines an often overlooked problem for new fathers, postpartum depression. That's up after the break on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: In the second part of our special series "Just for Dad," we take a look at postpartum depression. It not only affects moms, as Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The baby is finally here. One of the most exhilarating times in a new parent's life. It's no surprise, though, that 10 percent of the time, that exhilaration can be replaced by devastating depression in moms. That's because of the sudden change in hormones after the baby is born. More surprising, though, a sort of postpartum depression in dads. Many think it's absolutely real.

JONATHAN ABRAMOWITZ, PSYCHOLOGIST, MAYO CLINIC: Some dads develop postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.

GUPTA: And it's starting to be recognized, as I learned when attended a boot camp for new dads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm more worried about, you know, what's going to happen between me and my wife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The relationship with my wife and the postpartum depression is one of my biggest concerns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I'm a little selfish right, is how do I keep my sanity?

ABRAMOWITZ: One day you don't have a baby, the next day you're responsible for this helpless little thing. And that can, you know, throw fathers for a loop sometimes.

GUPTA: Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz is a clinical psychologist at the Mayo Clinic. He's also the father of 4-year-old Emily and 1-year-old Miriam.

ABRAMOWITZ: I would get bad thoughts. So for example, my oldest daughter, after she was born, my first, I can recall, you know, burping her, giving her a bottle in the middle of the night. You know, my wife's asleep and I'm burping her after giving her the bottle and I just got this intrusive thought, what if I just reared back and whacked her? You know, it would be terrible. I really could hurt this tiny little 3-week-old thing. And, you know, no one's stopping me from doing it.

GUPTA: He stopped himself and decided instead to study the problem. His study found that 60 percent to 70 percent of new parents reported having unwanted thoughts, a finding other experts would agree with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask anyone with a child if they've ever had aggressive thoughts about their children, and anyone that tells you no is lying.

GUPTA: And those unwanted thoughts could lead to depression.

ABRAMOWITZ: So if I'm having lots of problems with intrusive bad thoughts and I start to convince myself, oh my goodness, I'm a terrible dad, I'm going to do something awful, why do these thoughts keep coming back? I think that would make the person depressed.

GUPTA: Symptoms to look out for include mood swings, fatigue, loss of appetite, sadness, diminished interest in activities that dad used to enjoy.

But there are things you can do about it. Ease the pressure on yourself. Don't forget to talk to the mom. She may understand it better than you think. Also, take time to be a couple.

While a lot of the symptoms are common in new parents, if they last longer than two weeks and prevent you from functioning normally, dads may want to consider therapy or anti-anxiety medication.

Best advice, though, talk about it, like these dads do. Too many dads don't and remember, you're not alone. So you can best enjoy the cries and the laughter of your new baby.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Tomorrow in part three of Sanjay's series, we know that some moms struggle with baby weight, but why do some dads struggle with their weight before and after the baby is born? We'll have a look at that tomorrow right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

GUPTA: In the meantime, Soledad, 12 minutes before the hour. Five tips about getting your kids out of the house this summer, while getting them ready for the real word, too. "Minding Your Business" on. That, back in a moment here after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: When school is out for the summer, you're looking for ways to keep the kids busy this summer. Gerri Willis is here, filling in for Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business."

We've got three months ahead of us here, right?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that can be long.

HEMMER: June, July and August.

The first thing you say, is put them to work. What's your advice?

WILLIS: Well, you know, you want to find the best job for your child, and it may not be ringing a cash register. It may be better to find a job in customer service or maybe even demoing a product. Here's why, Bill, you can earn more money, maybe as much as $14 an hour compared to $5.15, which is minimum wage. Good to teensforhire.com for information.

HEMMER: Interesting. There's a Web site for this?

WILLIS: Yes, there is a Web site devoted to getting kids jobs.

HEMMER: I don't think the kids are going to like this next tip you give here. Go back to school?

WILLIS: Well, go back to school. That's right. Look, if you're trying to get into college, and maybe your grades aren't where you want them to be, you want to think about getting the best education possible. You can take some classes in the summertime. Ivy Wise is a great company to get in contact with.

HEMMER: Say that again. What is it?

WILLIS: Ivy Wise. Leadership skills, though, Bill, are also important, and kids can do volunteer work instead of ringing that cash register to build their leadership skills. Think about Habitat for Humanity, a special program for kids. They give the children room and board in exchange the kids work building houses for low-income people, building their skills, building their leadership skills, maybe not making any money, but earning something else instead.

HEMMER: I think this third idea is the best one. Go on a trip.

WILLIS: Go on a trip. Well, you want to take the right vacation with your kids, one that's going to offer you something, as well as them. Maybe keep them a little busy so they're not in your hair all the time. One idea the Dude Ranch. Duderanch.org can help you set that up. But there are other groups, too, that will help you put together vacations, specifically for cities. Check out childrensconcierge.com. And, Bill, these companies even put together special games for kids to help them play better together, to be better little citizens.

HEMMER: Parents would send us to the swim club every summer. It certainly was a pretty good babysitter between noon and 6:00. We never complained.

WILLIS: Well, that sounds good.

HEMMER: Thank you, Gerri.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, in 1992 she blasted into orbit aboard the Shuttle Endeavor, making history as the first African-American woman ever to go into space. As part of CNN's anniversary series, "Then and Now," we take a look at Dr. Mae Jemison's accomplishments and what she's doing today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAE JEMISON, FMR. ASTRONAUT: You know when you're growing up, you have lots of things you want to do. I always assumed I would go into space.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ignition and lift-off!

O'BRIEN (voice-over): On September 12th, 1992, at the age of 35, Dr. Mae Jemison boldly went where no African-American woman had gone before.

JEMISON: It was really after we got on orbit that I had a sensation that I belonged anywhere in this universe.

O'BRIEN: Jemison makes it her life mission to explore the universe in every way she can. This high achiever is also a chemical engineer, peace corps veteran, physician, author and teacher.

In 1994, Jemison started an international science camp for teens called The Earth We Share. These days, Jemison is the founder and president of the BioSentient Corporation, where she is working on a device that provides mobile monitoring of people's nervous systems.

JEMISON: We think there are real applications in the future for trying to identify certain diseases. It can also help people monitor how effective drugs are.

O'BRIEN: In addition to her work in the sciences, Jemison says she may one day explore the field of politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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Aired June 14, 2005 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A 4-year-old boy is dead after going on a ride at Epcot at Walt Disney World. Officials say the boy was on the Mission Space Ride with his mother and sister. The mother was later seen carrying the boy out and paramedics were called. Florida police are now investigating.
And after 40 years as an Army deserter, well, he's returning to the United States. Charles Jenkins deserted to North Korea while serving along the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 1965. He gave himself up to U.S. authorities next year. Jenkins plans to visit with his 91- year-old mother in North Carolina. Fascinating story. He goes back to his hometown, where they're very conflicted about his return, by the way, to see his mother. He hasn't seen her since 1965.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, carol.

HEMMER: We want to get back to Baghdad right now. The Iraqi court there a step closer to putting Saddam Hussein on trial. A videotape with no audio was released Monday, showing the judge questioning the former dictator about a mass execution of Iraqi Shiites back in 1982.

Giovanni Di Stefano is Saddam Hussein's legal representative, my guest now from Rome. And we appreciate you coming back and talking with us.

There are some reports out of Iraq that indicate by late summer, maybe early in the fall, Saddam Hussein's trial could begin. Do you see that as possible in that timetable?

GIOVANNI DI STEFANO, SADDAM'S LEGAL REP.: Well, it's very unlikely that could to be the situation. We are only on the first stage of any type of inquiry. There are a number of stages. The first stage is what you have witnessed, where an investigative judge questions, collates evidence. He then sends the matter up to a judge who reviews all the evidence and decides whether the matter can or can't go up for trial, and it's only at that stage that a five-judge court will decide if there is to be any trial. So we are a long, long way away, if the procedure, of course, is to be followed up properly.

HEMMER: But if you listen to the word out of Iraq, too, it appears that Saddam Hussein may go first for the schedule of trials. Do you see that as happening?

DI STEFANO: Well, we have no charges yet. As I just tried to explain, we are at a very preliminary -- after 20 months in custody, we are still at the investigative stage which is a preliminary stage, to see even if a trial can occur. It has to go to another judge, after the current judge, who then decides whether it can be referred to a court or whether the matter is stayed. So we are really sort of at the very, very beginning, after 20 months in custody, without a charge.

All right, in July of 2004, we saw Saddam Hussein in court in Baghdad. You've got this tape release yesterday, a difference of about 11 months. Look at side by side the images of Saddam Hussein over the past 11 months. Do you see much of a change in him now as opposed to last summer?

DI STEFANO: Well, anyone that is in custody, of course, is affected by having their liberty restricted, not just Saddam Hussein, anyone in any jurisdiction there. Everyone has their moments of highs and lows.

I know my colleague that has been to see him on two occasions only, in December and in April, certainly reported to me that he was well. He was fine. He was coping. I will myself be attending President Saddam Hussein very shortly, and maybe I'll have more to report at that stage.

HEMMER: At what point will that be?

DI STEFANO: I didn't hear the question, excuse me.

HEMMER: You're indicating you'll go to Baghdad. And when will that happen?

DI STEFANO: Very shortly. Obviously the date must be kept confidential there for security reasons, but there is a United States civil lawsuit which I was served as is a representative, so obviously, I have to take instructions. It is incidentally the only legal action currently against Saddam Hussein, because as I said, time and time again, as of today's date, after 20 months, this man still has not been charged.

HEMMER: Thoroughly understand that point. One more thing I want to get to here. We're hearing reports from the Associated Press out of Baghdad that the Iraqi Special Tribunal releasing this videotape, wants to show the world and the Iraqi people that's in control of the court proceedings, also perhaps to show that it's not just Shiites and Kurds who are running this tribunal. What do you believe is behind the release of this videotape?

DI STEFANO: Well, I sincerely fear (ph) their hopes, because it is wrong if politicians are in charge of the judiciary. In fact the special tribunal status clearly preclude anything of that nature up there, and of late, far too many politicians have interfered with this process. And that's what one of the officials of the officials of the Iraqi Special Tribunal resigned regrettably there. We must have a fair trial, and we must have the control of any trial by the special tribunal, and not by the prime minister, or the president, or anyone else there. They are simply to remain silent and allow the law to take its course.

HEMMER: After your trip to Baghdad, come on back here to CNN. We'll talk to you then.

DI STEFANO: Thank you.

HEMMER: Giovanni Di Stefano, one of Saddam Hussein's legal reps in Rome -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Back to the Michael Jackson jury. After the verdict was read, the jurors began to talk freely about how they came to their decision.

CNN's Rusty Dornin takes us this morning behind the verdict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For several of the jurors, there was one witness who stood out in their minds, the accuser's mother. Foreman Paul Rodriguez says, "She just wasn't believable."

RODRIGUEZ: We just thought that she was not a credible person.

DORNIN (on camera): To you, was that one of the biggest factors in your mind reasoning reasonable doubt.

RODRIGUEZ: Well, actually, yes it was. Yes, it was. When we listened to her, and the way -- there were just so many things that came up.

DORNIN (voice-over): Rodriguez says the jury also had a hard time believing the boy who accused Michael Jackson of molestation.

RODRIGUEZ: We felt that he was pretty well programmed by his mother. You know, and we thought not completely programmed, but there was a lot of things that he was saying that sound exactly as is mother said.

DORNIN: the defense kept raising the issue of the time line. Why would Michael Jackson molest the accuser when the whole world was pressuring him to answer questions about his relationship with the boy? Jurors wondered as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We took notes so well that we could develop the timeline on the boards, and really analyze it. So, it was a question. The time line was a concern.

DORNIN: And while some may seem Michael Jackson is cookie or strange, to the one juror who watched him day in and day out, in court, he seemed very human.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It's not like he's way up here and everyone else is down there; it's not like that. He'd be some person that you could walk up on the street, and say, "Hey, what's up?" You know, I mean, it made him real.

DORNIN: The trial may be done, but it's not over for many of these jurors who are likely to be chased by media crews anxious for more interviews.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I'm going to hide in my room, and not answer the door or the telephone.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: And I'm going to go play bridge tonight, and forget all of this.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: And I'll just relax, and be able to just, like, enjoy a glass of wine, and just shut your mind down for a little while.

DORNIN: A wish that may be tough to fulfill, considering the spotlight that continues to shine on this case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Many of Jackson's family members were by his side when the verdict came down. Two of Michael's brothers spoke with Larry King last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: What's the first thing he said to you?

TITO JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: He told me he loved me. And I told him, I love you, too.

KING: How did he hold up today?

JACKSON: Well, it would be hard on anyone, you know. Michael kept his strength, and he hung in there, and he didn't do any of this, and I think it was a very personal thing on Tom Sneddon's part.

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: We were very, very, very happy, and like we always felt from the very beginning and knew, he was a thousand percent innocent, and I'll just say this, it takes one person to tell the truth, but it takes many to concoct a lie, and that's what you saw there.

O'BRIEN: No word yet from Michael Jackson himself. No indication, in fact, when the pop star might address the public -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, 21 minutes now before the hour. The cleanup continues today in Florida. A plane crash-landed in a neighborhood on Monday. It happened in Fort Lauderdale. That plane narrowly missing a busy intersection. It came down on a residential street. The copilot says engine trouble forced the pilots to land the DC-3 among several homes and people. Three people on board, two pedestrians injured, and they are all expected to recover. Wow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, preparing your teenager for the real world with a trip to China? We're going to explain when we mind your business, just ahead. HEMMER: Also, we're paging the good doctor today. Our special series "Just for Dad" continues with Sanjay. Today examines an often overlooked problem for new fathers, postpartum depression. That's up after the break on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: In the second part of our special series "Just for Dad," we take a look at postpartum depression. It not only affects moms, as Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The baby is finally here. One of the most exhilarating times in a new parent's life. It's no surprise, though, that 10 percent of the time, that exhilaration can be replaced by devastating depression in moms. That's because of the sudden change in hormones after the baby is born. More surprising, though, a sort of postpartum depression in dads. Many think it's absolutely real.

JONATHAN ABRAMOWITZ, PSYCHOLOGIST, MAYO CLINIC: Some dads develop postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.

GUPTA: And it's starting to be recognized, as I learned when attended a boot camp for new dads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm more worried about, you know, what's going to happen between me and my wife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The relationship with my wife and the postpartum depression is one of my biggest concerns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I'm a little selfish right, is how do I keep my sanity?

ABRAMOWITZ: One day you don't have a baby, the next day you're responsible for this helpless little thing. And that can, you know, throw fathers for a loop sometimes.

GUPTA: Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz is a clinical psychologist at the Mayo Clinic. He's also the father of 4-year-old Emily and 1-year-old Miriam.

ABRAMOWITZ: I would get bad thoughts. So for example, my oldest daughter, after she was born, my first, I can recall, you know, burping her, giving her a bottle in the middle of the night. You know, my wife's asleep and I'm burping her after giving her the bottle and I just got this intrusive thought, what if I just reared back and whacked her? You know, it would be terrible. I really could hurt this tiny little 3-week-old thing. And, you know, no one's stopping me from doing it.

GUPTA: He stopped himself and decided instead to study the problem. His study found that 60 percent to 70 percent of new parents reported having unwanted thoughts, a finding other experts would agree with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask anyone with a child if they've ever had aggressive thoughts about their children, and anyone that tells you no is lying.

GUPTA: And those unwanted thoughts could lead to depression.

ABRAMOWITZ: So if I'm having lots of problems with intrusive bad thoughts and I start to convince myself, oh my goodness, I'm a terrible dad, I'm going to do something awful, why do these thoughts keep coming back? I think that would make the person depressed.

GUPTA: Symptoms to look out for include mood swings, fatigue, loss of appetite, sadness, diminished interest in activities that dad used to enjoy.

But there are things you can do about it. Ease the pressure on yourself. Don't forget to talk to the mom. She may understand it better than you think. Also, take time to be a couple.

While a lot of the symptoms are common in new parents, if they last longer than two weeks and prevent you from functioning normally, dads may want to consider therapy or anti-anxiety medication.

Best advice, though, talk about it, like these dads do. Too many dads don't and remember, you're not alone. So you can best enjoy the cries and the laughter of your new baby.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Tomorrow in part three of Sanjay's series, we know that some moms struggle with baby weight, but why do some dads struggle with their weight before and after the baby is born? We'll have a look at that tomorrow right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

GUPTA: In the meantime, Soledad, 12 minutes before the hour. Five tips about getting your kids out of the house this summer, while getting them ready for the real word, too. "Minding Your Business" on. That, back in a moment here after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: When school is out for the summer, you're looking for ways to keep the kids busy this summer. Gerri Willis is here, filling in for Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business."

We've got three months ahead of us here, right?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that can be long.

HEMMER: June, July and August.

The first thing you say, is put them to work. What's your advice?

WILLIS: Well, you know, you want to find the best job for your child, and it may not be ringing a cash register. It may be better to find a job in customer service or maybe even demoing a product. Here's why, Bill, you can earn more money, maybe as much as $14 an hour compared to $5.15, which is minimum wage. Good to teensforhire.com for information.

HEMMER: Interesting. There's a Web site for this?

WILLIS: Yes, there is a Web site devoted to getting kids jobs.

HEMMER: I don't think the kids are going to like this next tip you give here. Go back to school?

WILLIS: Well, go back to school. That's right. Look, if you're trying to get into college, and maybe your grades aren't where you want them to be, you want to think about getting the best education possible. You can take some classes in the summertime. Ivy Wise is a great company to get in contact with.

HEMMER: Say that again. What is it?

WILLIS: Ivy Wise. Leadership skills, though, Bill, are also important, and kids can do volunteer work instead of ringing that cash register to build their leadership skills. Think about Habitat for Humanity, a special program for kids. They give the children room and board in exchange the kids work building houses for low-income people, building their skills, building their leadership skills, maybe not making any money, but earning something else instead.

HEMMER: I think this third idea is the best one. Go on a trip.

WILLIS: Go on a trip. Well, you want to take the right vacation with your kids, one that's going to offer you something, as well as them. Maybe keep them a little busy so they're not in your hair all the time. One idea the Dude Ranch. Duderanch.org can help you set that up. But there are other groups, too, that will help you put together vacations, specifically for cities. Check out childrensconcierge.com. And, Bill, these companies even put together special games for kids to help them play better together, to be better little citizens.

HEMMER: Parents would send us to the swim club every summer. It certainly was a pretty good babysitter between noon and 6:00. We never complained.

WILLIS: Well, that sounds good.

HEMMER: Thank you, Gerri.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

HEMMER: Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Well, in 1992 she blasted into orbit aboard the Shuttle Endeavor, making history as the first African-American woman ever to go into space. As part of CNN's anniversary series, "Then and Now," we take a look at Dr. Mae Jemison's accomplishments and what she's doing today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAE JEMISON, FMR. ASTRONAUT: You know when you're growing up, you have lots of things you want to do. I always assumed I would go into space.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ignition and lift-off!

O'BRIEN (voice-over): On September 12th, 1992, at the age of 35, Dr. Mae Jemison boldly went where no African-American woman had gone before.

JEMISON: It was really after we got on orbit that I had a sensation that I belonged anywhere in this universe.

O'BRIEN: Jemison makes it her life mission to explore the universe in every way she can. This high achiever is also a chemical engineer, peace corps veteran, physician, author and teacher.

In 1994, Jemison started an international science camp for teens called The Earth We Share. These days, Jemison is the founder and president of the BioSentient Corporation, where she is working on a device that provides mobile monitoring of people's nervous systems.

JEMISON: We think there are real applications in the future for trying to identify certain diseases. It can also help people monitor how effective drugs are.

O'BRIEN: In addition to her work in the sciences, Jemison says she may one day explore the field of politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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