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American Morning
American Hostage; Bin Laden Threat; OKC Witness Released
Aired January 20, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Rescue teams are on the scene of another mining accident in West Virginia. Two miners may be trapped underground. We're live on this developing story this morning.
And it's deadline day. Everyone is still holding out hope for American journalist Jill Carroll. She's being held hostage in Iraq. And now another plea for freedom, this time from her father. We're live with the very latest on this story from Baghdad.
M. O'BRIEN: The tale of the tape. Osama bin Laden speaks and yet the nation's threat level stays the same. We'll take a closer look at that.
And then is there a Senate seat in the first lady's future, this first lady? Her husband, the president, has a few ideas about that.
And thieves make quick work of a jewelry story. A million-dollar heist all caught on tape.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow! Unbelievable videotape there. We're going to get to that in just a morning, first though, -- a moment, rather.
First though, we start this morning with another mine accident to tell you about in West Virginia. Two people are missing following a fire in a coal mine in Melville. Melville is just about 60 miles southwest of Charleston, 170 miles southwest of the Sago Mine.
Now at least four rescue teams are in the mine right now. They are trying to find those two miners. They were about 10,000 feet underground when a fire started. It seems as if a conveyor belt may have caught fire.
Right now families are gathering near the mine as they wait for any news. The missing miners were separated from the rest of the crew who managed to come out safely from that mine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOE MANCHIN, WEST VIRGINIA: We have a difference this time, we don't have an explosion, which is good news. But with that, anytime you have a fire, a product of the fire is carbon monoxide. The levels are nowhere what they were in the Sago Mine, if you're comparing to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Mine officials say the two miners are very familiar with the mine. They could find plenty of places where there is safe air to breathe.
AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is on his way to the scene. We're going to check in with Bob as soon as he's available. We're also expecting a press conference in just a few minutes. And we're going to monitor that and update you as developments come in -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Deadline day for that kidnapped journalist, Jill Carroll, abducted in Baghdad January 7. Her kidnappers say the U.S. has until today to release all Iraqi women in its custody or Carroll dies.
Our Michael Holmes is following developments in Baghdad for us.
Michael, what about calls there for Carroll's release? There are a lot of them.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're right, Miles. We were out on the streets yesterday, spoke to a lot of people, and you know what, there was absolutely unanimous calls for her to be released from ordinary people on the street, a housewife, even a Sunni cleric.
As you mentioned in the open there, Jill Carroll's father, Jim Carroll, has appeared on Al-Jazeera television. We don't have the English version of what he was saying. It was voiced over in Arabic. I can tell you what he said, however, just part of his plea for his daughter's release.
He said, "do not sacrifice an innocent soul. Instead, use Jill to be your voice to the world. Her life as a reporter will serve your purpose. And as a father, I appeal to you to release my daughter for the betterment of all of us." And he goes on to say, "and I ask the men holding my daughter to work with Jill to find a way to initiate a dialogue with me." That from Jill's father, Jim Carroll.
Significant, too, Miles, that a prominent Sunni politician, Adnan al-Dulaimi, held a news conference. He, too, called for the release of the 28-year-old American. A woman, he said, defended Iraqis and condemned the war in Iraq. The significance of him, well, he was the man that Jill was trying to interview that day when she was kidnapped -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Michael, let's shift gears here just a little bit and talk about the elections, the final results out. Put that into the whole big picture here of the political situation and the ongoing violence.
HOLMES: Yes, it is. It's a very big day here. We're expecting the election results to be released in a matter of a couple of hours. Actually a news conference scheduled here in Baghdad. I can tell you that the impact of that on the city and other cities around Iraq has been major in terms of security. There is a lockdown, what even authorities are calling a lockdown, road closures, huge security presence all around Baghdad for the release of those election results.
Now it is Friday, too, which is the traditional Muslim holy day. And I think they have chosen that day because there is not going to be a whole lot of people around. The city won't be quite as busy, because they do fear violence -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes in Baghdad, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well despite a warning from Osama bin Laden, the nation's threat level remains unchanged this morning. An audiotape, presumably from the al Qaeda leader, is playing on Arab television networks. And here is a part of what it said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSAMA BIN LADEN, AL QAEDA LEADER (through translator): I would also like to say that the war against America and its allies will not be confined to Iraq. Iraq has become a magnet for attracting and training talented fighters.
Our mujahedeen were able to overcome all security measures in European countries. And you saw their operation in major European capitals.
As for similar operations taking place in America, it's only a matter of time. They are in the planning stages. And you will see them in the heart of your land as soon as the planning is complete.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: A CIA official says the voice is believed to be that of bin Laden. It is the first time he has been heard from in more than a year. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are sending out a bulletin urging police to be vigilant.
CNN's Kelli Arena has more on how intelligence services in fact are handling the terror warning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): U.S. officials continue to analyze that bin Laden tape, along with other intelligence that continues to come in. Now the FBI says while there isn't any specific or credible information that any terror plan is operational, the tape is an important reminder of the threat that still exists.
Another indicator that officials look at is the level of intelligence chatter or intercepted communications between suspected terrorists. Now that hasn't increased in recent weeks either. As for what the public should do, the FBI says that vigilance is key.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MILLER, FBI PUBLIC AFFAIRS: We get more calls to the hotlines. We get more intelligence coming over the transom from people whose awareness are heightened. And while we would discourage fear, higher level of awareness is a good thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: Officials say that there are still no plans to raise the nation's threat level or to nationally increase protective measures. Officials say that they didn't need a tape from bin Laden to make them aware of the continued desire by al Qaeda to strike. And they say that it will basically be business as usual going forward, unless the intelligence picture changes dramatically.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: The bin Laden tape also talked about a truce that would allow Iraq and Afghanistan to be rebuilt.
Dana Bash has the White House response to that offer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The word here at the White House about the new Osama bin Laden tape is we don't negotiate with terrorists. And -- quote -- "we put them out of business." But while Bush officials are trying to downplay the significance of the new bin Laden message, it is an unwelcome reminder that four-plus years after 9/11 enemy number one is still at large.
However, the White House does see perhaps there is an upside to the new bin Laden tape, and that is they have been trying to make the case here that the terror threat is still very real and therefore the controversial spying program should continue. In fact, the NSA surveillance program is the subject of a classified briefing here at the White House from top Bush officials for members of Congress later today.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Now nearly 11 years after the Oklahoma City bombing and the key witness for the prosecution is set to walk free. Michael Fortier knew and helped Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols with the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. His release is a painful reminder to the victims.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Oklahoma City. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): After 10-and-a-half years in prison, Michael Fortier will go free today. He is Timothy McVeigh's friend. McVeigh had confided in him his plans to blow up the Oklahoma City Federal Building. But later, he became the prosecution's star witness in the trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
But many people here in Oklahoma City have mixed emotions about his release. Some say he should be in prison for life for not turning over the information to authorities that could have saved the lives of 168 people. But there are others here who feel that it is time to move on and that letting Michael Fortier go free is the right thing to do.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Oklahoma City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Now federal authorities are not saying when or where Fortier will be released, perhaps headed to the Witness Protection Program. But ahead, we'll talk to Fortier's attorney, try to find out what he has to say about concerns people have about his release.
It's warm once again in the northeast.
Chad, as a matter of fact, near record temperatures I see. Is that right?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, Miles, it should be a snowstorm in Buffalo at this time of year. It's 52 there now. So it's just unbelievable warm air pumping all the way up into New York City, Albany, Philadelphia.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: Not much sledding time.
S. O'BRIEN: I gave out some sleds for Christmas this year to my nephews. And, yes, they're getting nothing, a whole lot of nothing.
MYERS: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: We have a little bit of breaking news. Recovering two people trapped in a mine in West Virginia, yes, it is happening again on a little smaller scale. Rescue operation being staged as we speak. We expect to hear from the team involved in all of that in about five minute's time. We'll bring that to you as it happens.
Also coming up,...
S. O'BRIEN: Does First Lady Laura Bush have any plans to run for office? Yes or no, what would you guess?
M. O'BRIEN: I'm going to guess no.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, President Bush had a pretty strong answer to that very question. We're going to hear what the president said in just a moment.
M. O'BRIEN: I think I'm pretty much no.
Anyway, also the government wants to know what millions of people are searching for online. Is it an invasion of your privacy? We'll tell you why Google is fighting back.
S. O'BRIEN: And then later, we're going to have much more on the first bin Laden tape that we've heard in over a year. Why is he breaking his silence now? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Wilson Pickett never did it halfway, did he?
S. O'BRIEN: No.
M. O'BRIEN: In the "Midnight Hour," a classic song from the man. Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack yesterday. The legendary singer stopped performing just last year because of some health problems. His songs, "Midnight Hour," "Mustang Sally" of course, "Land of a Thousand Dances," will live on. Wilson Pickett was 64. One of the greats. He'll be missed.
S. O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
M. O'BRIEN: Carol Costello, good morning to you.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
I could listen to him all day long. We will miss him.
In the news this morning, there is more violence to tell you about in the Iraqi capital. Two civilians were killed and a third was wounded when a roadside bomb went off near a U.S. military convoy in southeast Baghdad. Authorities say they are beefing up security today because the results from Iraq's parliamentary elections are soon expected.
Today is the day that a group holding American journalist Jill Carroll in Iraq said she would be killed if their demands are not met. The captors want all female Iraqi prisoners released. The freelance reporter was abducted January 7. Both her parents have appealed to her kidnappers to free her.
The nation's terror threat level remains unchanged, despite a threat from Osama bin Laden. A CIA official believes the voice on an audiotape aired on Thursday is that of the terrorist leader. The message is -- from the al Qaeda leader is the first message in -- from the al Qaeda leader in more than a year. Bin Laden says it's only a matter of time before the United States is attacked again.
And it has happened again, there's been another coal mine incident in West Virginia. Rescue teams have entered a mine in Logan County. That's about 170 miles from the Sago Mine where those 12 miners died. Two men are still trapped inside after an equipment fire in the mine. Ten other miners got out of the mine safely. At the half-hour, we'll get a live report from the scene.
Doctors are keeping former President Gerald Ford at a southern California hospital for a little while longer. The former president was expected to be released on Thursday, but now it's not clear when he'll get to go home. The 92-year-old Ford was admitted Saturday. He's being treated for pneumonia. We're expecting to learn more about his condition later today.
And those of you in the know saw it coming. New York Knicks forward Antonio Davis will miss some court time after going into the stands. You remember that incident. It's gotten controversial. This was during a Knicks-Bulls game in Chicago.
Players are not allowed to do that under any circumstances. Davis says he just wanted to check on his wife because he thought a fan was harassing her. No matter, Davis has now been suspended for five games.
And here's the real kicker, the fan, the fan says he plans to sue Davis and his wife for more than $1 million over the incident. Why, because the fan says that his wife was actually harassing him. In fact, she touched his face with her fingernail and was digging into her skin. So, the saga continues -- Chad.
MYERS: Yawn.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
Nice weather across the northeast today.
That's not even worth my time.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Soledad, back to you.
S. O'BRIEN: That's what I like to say. That's what I like to hear, too. I know it's going to be a nice weekend for us.
Thank you, Chad.
I mean it's winter, so maybe we should be colder, but I like it.
M. O'BRIEN: That climate change thing, forget about it, come on.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: We're pro global warming in a sense (ph).
S. O'BRIEN: But in the very small view that I have, it's going to be sunny and warm on Sunday, and I'm happy about that.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sounds good.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk business news with Carrie Lee. Internet search engine Google in the news.
LEE: Google in the news. A big search engine story here. Federal investigators have subpoenaed a lot of records, billions, potentially, worth of search pages from all of the big Internet portals last week, AOL, Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft. And what they are saying is they want to get some information about trends related to online pornography.
Well, Google is fighting this. Google is the only Internet search portal to fight this. And they are basically saying that this is an invasion of, potentially, people's privacy. Now the feds aren't getting any information about individual people. But you can see how this definitely stirs some privacy concerns.
Google's response to CNN, and I'll read this, "Google is not a party to this lawsuit and their demand for information overreaches." They say "we had lengthy discussions with them to try to resolve this, but we are not able to and we intend to resist this motion vigorously." So this was a statement given to CNN.
You can certainly understand the big ramifications to this story. And the other companies have complied, so Google standing alone on this.
M. O'BRIEN: Well good for Google...
LEE: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: ... for fighting the fight.
LEE: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm surprised the other companies rolled over so quickly. But, you know, given the context of all we've been talking about with all the wiretaps,...
LEE: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: ... you can see why it might be a fight worth fighting.
LEE: Absolutely. Well, Congress trying to extend the Patriot Act, a lot of things going on here. You can understand how the government would want to maybe get some information on trends, but where do you draw the line you know as far as individual freedom is concerned? Nobody wants to feel like there is a big brother looking over their shoulder when they are going online.
S. O'BRIEN: We're going to talk to Jeff Toobin about all of this, both sides of the issue, actually, just ahead this morning.
Also, we're going to update you on that miner rescue situation in West Virginia.
And Carol has got "Morning Coffee" right after the break. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Kind of a mellow "Morning Coffee" this morning (ph).
M. O'BRIEN: A little John Mayer, right,...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Yes, we should play peppier music, come on.
S. O'BRIEN: (INAUDIBLE).
M. O'BRIEN: Come on, it's Friday, kind of easing into the weekend stuff, no?
COSTELLO: Easing into the weekend, are you kidding? I'm ready to party.
M. O'BRIEN: How about Wilson Pickett all morning long in honor of him?
S. O'BRIEN: There you go.
COSTELLO: That would be perfect.
S. O'BRIEN: I vote for that.
M. O'BRIEN: How about that?
S. O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Jerry (ph), can you work that out (ph)?
COSTELLO: Perfect.
S. O'BRIEN: What's in "Morning Coffee" this morning -- Carol?
COSTELLO: I've got a lot of stuff, starting with the French President, Jacques Chirac, who is saying he is ready to break out the nukes. Says France would be willing to use its nuclear weapons against terrorists. More specifically, Chirac says a fitting response would face countries that sponsor terrorism.
France's policy, you may know, is not to use nukes in any military conflict. But Chirac says no one should doubt his capacity to use nuclear weapons if France feels threatened. He says France's nuclear submarines are now being reconfigured to allow for targeted strikes.
M. O'BRIEN: So, wait a minute, the French have nukes and their policy is not to use them. OK.
COSTELLO: But only in certain instances, like,...
M. O'BRIEN: Like?
COSTELLO: You know if you're going to nuke a terrorist, though, where are they? I mean where are they? What are you going to nuke?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: So there's a big question mark there for French President Jacques Chirac.
S. O'BRIEN: Well it seems like he is saying states that sponsor terrorists would be open. If they feel threatened, it would be open to...
M. O'BRIEN: I guess, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: He's kind of got a long list.
M. O'BRIEN: Sounds like...
S. O'BRIEN: For a guy whose country doesn't use nukes, he's got a long list of ways in which they are willing to use their nukes.
COSTELLO: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Loopholes. The loophole. I think it has something to do with Iran. That would be my take on this matter (ph).
COSTELLO: Yes, or maybe Syria.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
COSTELLO: Who knows?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, let's talk about college students, because everybody says you know they are really not ready for the real world, and that may indeed be true. A new study says half of all university students cannot handle complex tasks. For example, they cannot understand credit card applications.
M. O'BRIEN: That's complex.
COSTELLO: I can't even understand credit card applications.
(CROSSTALK) S. O'BRIEN: That's unfair. Those are very tricky.
COSTELLO: OK, that was an unfair example. So let's go on. Also, most students cannot understand the size of an issue while reading a newspaper editorial. Again, maybe that's not a fair example.
S. O'BRIEN: Agree.
COSTELLO: But most disturbingly, this study says students can't even understand studies, at least without the help of their parents. And that number jumps from 50 to 75 percent for students in two-year colleges.
S. O'BRIEN: Like a study?
COSTELLO: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Like, say a study was done on, you know, a research study?
COSTELLO: No, like what they are studying in school.
S. O'BRIEN: Their own studies.
M. O'BRIEN: They don't understand their own studies.
COSTELLO: They have to go home and ask their parents, like,...
M. O'BRIEN: You're thinking like a study on fact or whatever?
S. O'BRIEN: Right, that's what I thought.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: I was going to say it's all so confusing.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Yes. Well now if I were a college student hearing this study, I would be angry. I would write in.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: You would be sleeping in.
M. O'BRIEN: You know what you would say...
S. O'BRIEN: It's 6:24 in the morning.
M. O'BRIEN: You know what you would say, I drink to that.
COSTELLO: I'd still be outside partying.
OK, well let's go back to Monday's Golden Globes for just a moment. Remember George Clooney's acceptance speech? Here he is on the red carpet before the awards. There he is. He thanked Jack Abramoff, remember, for no apparent reason when he accepted his Golden Globe. And then he made fun of Abramoff's name. You know the first name, Jack, and the last part of the name, Abram...
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: So take the Abram out and then...
COSTELLO: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes.
COSTELLO: Clooney said it explained why Abramoff was screwed up -- his words. But Frank Abramoff, Jack's father, takes exception to that. He says Clooney is -- quote -- "an idiot." And Clooney's father agrees, kind of. He says he understands how a father would be mad when his son is criticized. So, the debate goes on.
S. O'BRIEN: The dads are getting into it now.
M. O'BRIEN: Surrogate battle of the dads. All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.
S. O'BRIEN: The morning's top stories are straight ahead this morning. Plus, here's a question for you, does the First Lady Laura Bush plan for running -- plan on, rather, running for office some day? Can you imagine, President Laura Bush? Senator Laura Bush?
M. O'BRIEN: Well you know first lady to senator seems to be...
S. O'BRIEN: Can be done.
M. O'BRIEN: ... recent precedent, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Absolutely. Well, President Bush weighed in on this very topic. We're going to tell you what he said just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, live pictures from West Virginia. Yes, we're back in West Virginia. Three weeks after Sago, it's happening again, two miners trapped beneath the surface in a coal mine after a fire on a conveyor belt. We're expecting a news conference from the governor and other officials as they prepare to stage a rescue operation. Our Bob Franken is on the scene. Should be with us shortly. We'll keep you updated. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.
You're looking at live pictures from West Virginia this morning. Melville, West Virginia, where rescue operations are getting under way for two miners who appear to be trapped about 10,000 feet underground. You can see there the governor of the West Virginia -- the state of West Virginia, Governor Joe Manchin. He's been talking to reporters. We're going to monitor some of these remarks, then get the very latest live from West Virginia coming up in just a few moments.
Also, the threat level still the same. New message, though, from Osama bin Laden does bring a warning from the Department of Homeland Security. We'll tell you about that.
And then take a look at this videotape, a group of jewel thieves caught on tape. Never going to guess just how much they got away with.
Welcome, everybody.
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