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American Morning

Tragedy At Sago Mine; Airstrike Fallout In Pakistan; Skating Kwan-Troversy

Aired January 16, 2006 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. A chilly morning in parts of the country anyway.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We hope you're warm wherever you are. We're not so warm here. Well, we are in the studio, but outside, not so great.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's like the arctic out there, Kelly.

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes, it's pretty much like that. Pretty much like that.

Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. And we were complaining how warm it was last week. You see how quickly things change.

Hello, everyone. Some headlines for you right now.

We're beginning with a developing story in Iraq. A U.S. army helicopter has gone down north of Baghdad. It is the third chopper to go down in nine days. The chopper was being used by the army's Task Force Iron Horse. The U.S. military says there was a two-person crew on board. It went down 18 miles north of Baghdad. No word yet on any injuries or deaths.

Two teenagers have turned themselves in to authorities in connection with the beatings of some homeless people in Florida. And you may recall this surveillance video of one of those beatings. This took place in Ft. Lauderdale. This man lived. Another man did not. The teens, one 18, the other 17, are also suspects in the beating of a third man.

A top Republican in Congress is out of a job. Republican Bob Ney is stepping down as chairman of the House Administration Committee. That's the very powerful committee that overseas election and decides how much money other committees should get. Nay is linked to the scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who's charged with bribing officials on Capitol Hill. And we will be going live to Washington for more on this story in the next half hour.

And a member of the British parliament is defending his appearance on a British reality show. George Galloway is taking part on the show called "Celebrity Big Brother." But can you tell what he's doing here? I think we have to describe for you. He is apparently playing a cat. They were all supposed to simulate an animal. He's drinking from a bowl. Yeah, uh-huh. And then I guess she, Rula Lenska, is patting him like a cat. Well, as far as this being a launching pad for higher political office, that remains to be seen. We'll have to keep you posted on that.

COSTELLO: I think she was a lot more believable than he was.

WALLACE: I think she was.

COSTELLO: A strange story.

WALLACE: Oh, my.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Kelly.

Also in the news this morning, Randy McCloy is improving. Doctors says his heart is growing stronger but there could still be problems with his kidneys. His wife, Anna, left his side briefly to attend the memorial for the 12 men who did not make it out of the Sago Mine alive. CNN's Christopher King joins us live from McCloy's hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Good morning.

CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, Randal McCloy is in intensive care here at Ruby Memorial Hospital today. Now this week, investigators want to go into Sago Mine. They hope to start piecing together exactly what caused this disaster. This as families remember the 12 victims at an emotional service.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice over): The choir sang at Wesley Chapel and families lit candles in honor of the 12 men who died inside the Sago Mine in Tallmansville, West Virginia. Well-wishers packed the church on the campus of West Virginia Wesley College in Buckhannon. People came from all over the country to mourn.

MIKE GROVES (ph): Even though this is a difficult time . . .

KING: Mike Groves choked by the tears as he remembered his father-in-law, miner Jerry Groves.

GROVES: He's being held in the arms of a loving Savior looking down upon us and telling us not to be sad but rejoice.

KING: West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin attended, along with Senators Jay Rockefeller and Robert Byrd, for a memorial called a day of hope, honoring and healing. As the families of the victims try to heal their emotional wounds, author Homer Hickam, a West Virginia native, celebrated not how the miners died but how they lived.

HOMER HICKAM, AUTHOR, WEST VIRGINIA NATIVE: They were men who worked hard. They were men of integrity and honor. They were also men who laughed.

KING: Anna McCloy lit a candle for her husband, Randal McCloy. He's the lone survivor of the disaster that took the lives of 12 miners. McCloy is at a hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, and doctors have now upgraded his condition to serious. They say his condition is improving slowly, offering a glimmer of hope amid unspeakable grief.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Now McCloy still has some serious medical issues. He remains in intensive care on dialysis, although doctors say his heart and liver continue to improve.

Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks.

Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN: What seemed like a step forward, leads to several steps back. The apparent failed attempt to kill Ayman al-Zawahiri at the hands of the CIA left 18 others dead in the Pakistani mountains. Those rugged mountains of Western Pakistan near the Afghan border. And it created who knows how many potential recruits in the holy war against the United States. So how did it go so badly wrong? John McLaughlin is a former acting director of the CIA and he's now a CNN national security adviser. He joins us from Washington.

John, do you think the intelligence was good on this one?

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Miles, it's hard to know with precision, but what I would tell you is that typically an operation like this is not undertaken without a very high bar for intelligence. In other words, these things aren't done casually or carelessly. Someone looks very closely to have some assurance that there's very good intelligence.

And we still don't know the outcome of this operation. Apparently Zawahiri was not there but we don't know that with certainty yet. We haven't heard from him. And presumably we will if he was not there.

There are persistent reports coming out of the region as well that there were a number of militants, perhaps as many as 10, including some al Qaeda members who were present. We don't know that with certainty. But if that was true, the result of the strike may have been to take them out. Their bodies were reportedly removed before much notice was given to the strike. So we have to figure that out, too.

MILES O'BRIEN: You hit on an important point here. If bodies were moved, if the evidence was removed, will it ever be determined one way or another if Zawahiri was there?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I think we will know one way or the other by virtue of a couple of things. At some point here, al Qaeda will speak on this. And if Zawahiri was there, we'll learn. And if he wasn't there or has survived, he certainly will let us know that.

Other forms of intelligence will also be hopefully picking up indications within the extremist movement as they talk about this and as they discuss it among themselves. This is an area that's, of course, heavily covered by American intelligence and by Pakistani intelligence.

MILES O'BRIEN: Let's talk about where this intelligence might have come from. Back in May, the number three man purported of al Qaeda, Faraj al-Libbi, was arrested in the midst of a gun battle in Pakistan. Would he be offering intelligence at this juncture which could give, with any sort of precision, where somebody like Ayman al- Zawahiri is, or could there be other sources?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, in all likelihood, Faraj al-Libbi who, as you note, number three in the organizations succeeding Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, probably did offer some information that was helpful in understanding Zawahiri's movements. Faraj al-Libbi is someone who was generally thought to have very direct personal contact with Zawahiri and with bin Laden and knows this area very well. And this is the area where he was taken.

In addition, I, obviously, can't talk about specific sources and methods, but a combination of human and technical intelligence would be brought together in a pattern and added to whatever would be learned from interrogation of people like Faraj al-Libbi to form a composite picture here.

MILES O'BRIEN: Let's talk about what is said publicly and what is the reality. On the one hand, the United States says it did not notify Pakistan in advance. Is that likely? And also, the Pakistani government on record being very critical of this whole attack. In reality, perhaps in both cases, the opposite is true?

MCLAUGHLIN: In all likelihood, the Pakistani government was aware of this at some level and in some level of detail in my judgment. I don't know that for a fact, but that's my judgment. In addition, I think if you look at Pakistani statements carefully, there's a fair amount of ambiguity in them.

On the one hand, they've condemned the attack. On the other hand, they've noted that there is a heavy foreign presence in this area, warned local tribals to get rid of it, and also anonymously noted that there were militants in the area and possibly at the scene of the strike, possibly killed there and removed. So the Pakistani statements here need to be looked at very carefully, I think.

MILES O'BRIEN: Walking a tight rope, that government is. John McLaughlin, former acting CIA director and CNN national security adviser. Thanks for your time.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you, Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN: Carol. COSTELLO: Let's talk a little weather now. Let's head to Atlanta and check in with Chad.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

What's up?

ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am, Carol.

The absolute end to a world-famous ad campaign. What will be the tonic? Yes, we're talking vodka here on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay tuned for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SERWER: All right, a boxer, a doctor, a director.

MILES O'BRIEN: And what ties them together but a date.

SERWER: Yes.

MILES O'BRIEN: Who was doing that - was that Eric? Eric, was that you doing the head thing? We got that shot in there. Who was it? It was Ted Fine? Ted Fine, noted Stevie Wonder fan.

COSTELLO: I think that's gnoshing.

MILES O'BRIEN: You know we should point out the Stevie Wonder happy birthday song was for Dr. Martin Luther King's MLK Day. That's what it - happy birthday to you Martin Luther King Day.

SERWER: I didn't know that.

MILES O'BRIEN: So can you believe that's -- that holiday -- we've been talking about that this morning. It's been going for 20 years now.

SERWER: I didn't realize that either.

MILES O'BRIEN: And I believe in Greenville they're finally getting around to doing it this year after 20 years.

SERWER: Right.

MILES O'BRIEN: Welcome, Greenville, to MLK Day.

Andy Serwer is here to share some vodka with us. Actually he didn't bring any samples.

COSTELLO: Really? What's wrong with you? SERWER: You know, I've got to work on that. I think they are laws about that actually. And iconic ad campaign comes to an end. It was 25 years ago that Absolute rolled out those vodka bottle ads and it's just amazing how much impact they had because they became part of popular culture and part of art. Fifteen hundred ads they made with the bottle. And I think we have a few of them. Do we have some of them? The taxi cab one? That was great. Look at that. That's New York yellow cabs in the shape of the -- that was for Absolute Citron, the lemon soda (ph) one.

MILES O'BRIEN: And that just -- a lot of people don't know that happened randomly one day.

SERWER: It sure did.

MILES O'BRIEN: It did.

SERWER: You've got monkey's typing Shakespeare, as we like to day.

Now they're getting rid of this campaign because it's, well, gotten long in the tooth and a lot of other vodkas have come in like Kettle One, Gray Goose, and Belvedere, and this is what the new campaign is going to look like. Oh, Absolutely Marilyn Monroe.

COSTELLO: Oh.

MILES O'BRIEN: And they got the "e" on the end. The "e" on the end shouldn't be there, right? That ruins the point.

SERWER: You know, I never understand why you get rid of these campaigns that work so well. It's sort of like the advertising department gets bored and has to justify it's existence.

COSTELLO: That's not going to work. (INAUDIBLE) Marilyn Monroe for everything.

SERWER: And they're probably going to bring back the old one anyway, don't you think?

COSTELLO: Yes, they should.

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes.

SERWER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

MILES O'BRIEN: I mean Coke shouldn't have gotten ride of, "I'd like to teach the world to sing," for gosh sakes.

SERWER: Well, your old school.

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) only (INAUDIBLE). No, no, no, that was the only good campaign Coke ever had.

MILES O'BRIEN: The Coke and a smile. That one. That was good. Anyway.

SERWER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Coming up, what would Olympic figure skating be without a little controversy? Michelle Kwan named to the U.S. team even though she did not compete in the qualifier. Does she deserve it? Figure Skating Legend Peggy Fleming will join us live.

First, though, this question. What does Michelle Kwan wear in every skating competition for good luck? Is it, a, her very first medal, b, gold skate laces, or, c, a special necklace. We'll have the answer for you after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Before the break we asked what Michelle Kwan wears in every skating competition for good luck. The answer is, c, a special necklace. It's a gold dragon she got as a gift for her grandma. It symbolizes good luck in China.

The winter Olympics are still weeks away but the U.S. team already has plenty of controversy. The latest is over Michelle Kwan granted a spot on the women's figure skating team even though she missed the qualifying tournament.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO, (voice over): They took to the ice this weekend, America's top figure skaters vying for a shot on the U.S. Olympic team. And when the announcement came, a slip of the tongue.

BOB HOREN, U.S. FIGURE SKATING INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE: And the nomination for the U.S. Olympic team for ladies is Emily -- Sasha Cohen, Kimmie Meissner and Michelle Kwan. The alternates are Emily Hughes and Katie Taylor.

COSTELLO: That slip underscored the controversies surrounding the selection of the women's team. U.S. Olympic officials punched Michelle Kwan's ticket to turn (ph) even though she missed this weekend's national championships due to injury. Kwan had petitioned the skating committee for a spot on the team. Kwan, a nine time national champion and a five time world champion was effectively granted a medical bye.

HOREN: The committee felt that Michelle probably would have a better chance for a medal at the Olympics. Again, you know, the mission of the International Committee is to win medals.

COSTELLO: The Kwan decision meant Emily Hughes would be an alternate. She's the younger sister of Sarah Hughes who won the Olympics gold medal four years ago in Salt Lake City. Kwan took the bronze. Kwan will have to prove she's healthy enough to compete. She'll perform before a five-member panel sometime before January 27th, just shy of the roster deadline. Despite not having competed in 10 months, Kwan is confident.

MICHELLE KWAN, U.S. FIGURE SKATER: I went through a difficult, you know, last couple of months and it's been frustrating, but I believe that I will get better and I can be in fit form for the Olympics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Peggy Fleming is a legend in figure skating. She won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympic games. Today, she's a figure skating analyst for ABC Sports. Peggy Fleming joins us live now.

Good morning.

PEGGY FLEMING, 1968 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Good morning.

COSTELLO: All right. So imagine you are poor Emily Hughes and you hear that official like kind of saying your name and then kind of laughing and say, oh, no, it's Michelle Kwan. And you've worked so hard. It just doesn't seem fair.

FLEMING: Well, she's OK with it and she's going to keep training until, you know, it's really for sure if Michelle Kwan is going to go to the Olympics or not. So she's OK with it.

COSTELLO: She really is - because that's hard for me to believe.

FLEMING: Yes, she really is. I mean, she's -- you know, she didn't skate her best at the national championships and that was part of, I think, the committee's decision is that, you know, Michelle, on a bad year, comes in fourth place in the world. So they are judging on the last 11 months of her competitive season and they feel that she has a better shot at getting a medal, or at least placing higher than what the younger people will.

COSTELLO: Isn't the underlying problem here is, we really don't know how Michelle Kwan will perform. I mean, she's been injured and she hasn't really performed in quite a long time.

FLEMING: Right. She hasn't competed all season, so it's really questionable to see if, you know, she really is ready to compete at the Olympic level. So they are going to have her go through her short program and her long program of a member of five -- a five-member committee that will come out and view that. It will be a skater, three judges, and Bob Horen.

COSTELLO: OK. You know, though, the irony or ironies. In 1994, Michelle Kwan qualified for the Olympic team but she was bumped in favor of Nancy Kerrigan because, you know, Nancy Kerrigan got bopped in the leg by Tonya Harding's goons. I kind of understand that because Nancy Kerrigan, well through no fault of her own, was injured and could not skate. Michelle Kwan has an injury and she may or may not skate well. And it's not exactly the same thing, is it?

FLEMING: No, not really. I mean, I think Michelle will do the right thing, you know, by her career. And if she doesn't feel like she's 100 percent, she will, you know, give that placement to Emily Hughes.

COSTELLO: We heard the U.S. Skating International Committee member saying, "it's our mission to win medals." At all costs?

FLEMING: Right.

COSTELLO: Aren't these amateur games?

FLEMING: Well, you know, Michelle has earned the right to go and compete at the Olympics. I mean, that was their decision. And I think, you know, it was a 20 to three vote. So -- and all the talk around the building thought that that was going to happen. So I think everyone was, you know, prepared for that. And it's up to Michelle. And this was Michelle's idea to have a committee come out and see if she's healthy for the games. So this was written out by Michelle. This was her idea.

COSTELLO: Wasn't another reason, though, they decided to allow her to skate, you know, you know she has to go through that one last skating test, I know. But wasn't another reason because she is so famous? She has name recognition? She adds cache to the sport?

FLEMING: No, that wasn't part of the decision that the committee was really weighing the balance of. It was really supposed to look at the last 11 months of her competitive season. And fourth place isn't too bad, you know? And she has come from behind before and really surprised us all. So I wouldn't put anything past Michelle Kwan. She will come out and do a fantastic performance at the Olympics.

COSTELLO: You can bet . . .

FLEMING: So she will make that decision. And I think she'll do the right thing.

COSTELLO: A lot of people will be watching. Peggy Fleming, Olympic gold medalist.

FLEMING: Oh, absolutely.

COSTELLO: I know, millions and millions of people.

FLEMING: Well, I think we're sending a great team with Kimmie Meissner, if you saw the championship the other day. I mean, it's wonderful talent, good technique. And I think, you know, when you have good technique in skating, you know, it will take you a long way. And I think she's a refreshing, wonderful young athlete.

COSTELLO: Peggy Fleming, thank you. Peggy Fleming, Olympic gold medal and figure skating analyst for ABC Sports.

Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN: I think she should go. She looks like a million bucks, first of all.

COSTELLO: She does. MILES O'BRIEN: Yes, she looks good. And she's probably ready.

COSTELLO: Awesome.

MILES O'BRIEN: Should we ask her? You ready? Peggy, can you do it?

FLEMING: Well, my skates still fit.

MILES O'BRIEN: There you go.

FLEMING: That's a start.

COSTELLO: Does your skating outfits still fit?

FLEMING: But what would I wear?

MILES O'BRIEN: What would you wear? These are the questions.

FLEMING: I know.

MILES O'BRIEN: She's tan, she's rested, she's ready, she just needs something to wear. We can work on that.

All right, thank you, Peggy.

In a moment, the Reverend Al Sharpton will join us live. The 20th anniversary of the Martin Luther King day holiday. He'll give us his take on the state of the civil rights movement in America and the leadership of that movement. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MILES O'BRIEN: Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.

An American airstrike sparks protest in Pakistan. What or whom was the target? And what will the missile miss mean to the future in the war on terror? We'll explain.

COSTELLO: I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad today.

It's been 20 years since the first Martin Luther King Day. Is his dream living on or has the fight for equality gone in a different direction?

MILES O'BRIEN: And tonight, they're handing out hardware to the best in movies and TV. We'll take you live to Los Angeles for a Golden Globes preview ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you. I hope you had the day off on this Martin Luther King Day.

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