Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Ramsey Murder Case; Deployment Delay?; Rise in IED Attacks

Aired August 18, 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 morning to you. TGIF, Friday, August 18. I'm Miles O'Brien.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad.

Here's a look at what's happening this morning.

O'BRIEN: Did he or didn't he? The day after that stunning confession in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, many questions remain. John Mark Karr's story that he was with the 6-year-old when she died in 1996 riddled with inconsistencies, among them, Karr's ex-wife says he was in Alabama or maybe Atlanta at the time of the killing.

COSTELLO: U.S. Marines under investigation for that alleged massacre at Haditha, Iraq have destroyed evidence or may have. That's according to "The New York Times." So far, no charges have been filed.

The White House says it will appeal a ruling that strikes down its domestic surveillance program. A federal judge in Michigan has ruled wiretaps and e-mail checks without warrants are unconstitutional.

O'BRIEN: Fidel Castro is getting better. That's the word from his brother, the acting Cuban President, Raul Castro. Raul Castro also says he mobilized Cuba's troops when his brother's surgery was announced in case the U.S. tried to invade.

COSTELLO: The Tri-State Airport in Huntington, West Virginia back open this morning after a security scare. Last night, a terminal was evacuated after bottles in a passenger's carry on tested positive for explosives. Later tests showed they were harmless.

O'BRIEN: Later today, we're going to hear the lessons of Katrina from the government's perspective. Now nearly one year since the storm, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer up a briefing. And how well did we do covering the storm and its aftermath? A nonprofit to release a report on that as well.

Chad Myers at the CNN Center. He did a great job covering Katrina. I remember that very well.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

Do you remember it? I mean we were already on the K storm. Now we can't even find Debby (ph) out there anywhere. So, hey, I'll take that kind of a year any time compared to what we had last year, just the number of storms over and over, Rita and Wilma and all the other ones that made so much other damage.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Back to you guys.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

A day after that dramatic, odd televised confession, still more questions in the JonBenet Ramsey murder mystery. John Mark Karr claims he killed the 6-year-old girl, JonBenet Ramsey, nearly 10 years ago in her Boulder home. But was he even there when the murder happened? Why did he say he picked her up at school when it was Christmas break? And why does he claim he drugged her when an autopsy found no signs of that? We're going to check on more on that in just a moment.

In Boulder, Colorado, they were hoping for some finality to this long-running mystery, but the district attorney said nothing conclusive yesterday about Karr, publicly at least.

CNN's Ed Lavandera live from Boulder now, -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

We're outside the home where JonBenet Ramsey was killed 10 years ago. And it was a fascinating day yesterday with all the hope and the sensational what appeared to sound like a confession coming out of Thailand 24 hours ago. And now many people are wondering whether John Karr's story is unraveling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): With John Karr confessing to being with JonBenet Ramsey when she died and hope building that a 10-year murder mystery might finally be solved, Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy stood before the cameras and popped the balloon of anticipation.

MARY LACY, BOULDER CO. COLO. DISTRICT ATTY.: There's a great deal of speculation and a desire for quick answers. I am not commenting on the particular nature of this investigation.

LAVANDERA: Prosecutors revealed no details of what led them to arrest Karr. Court documents containing some of that information have been sealed.

Now the focus is intensifying on the credibility of John Karr. Is his story true or is he making it up? Karr's ex-wife has said they were both in Alabama during that Christmas season 10 years ago. And Karr's family in Georgia says they'll soon have information to suggest why the charge is wrong.

NATE KARR, SUSPECT'S BROTHER: It's ridiculous, without a doubt. And we'll go over some more specifics of why we think that is. LAVANDERA: Perhaps that is why prosecutors and investigators have been very cautious about what they say. After 10 years of looking for JonBenet Ramsey's killer, no one here is officially saying John Karr is the man. Even the journalism professor who exchanged e- mails with Karr for several years won't say what spooked him about the 41-year-old schoolteacher and convinced him to turn his name over to investigators.

QUESTION: Did a single thing that popped and you said, OK, I've got to go to the cops now?

PROF. MICHAEL TRACEY, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO: There was, but I'm not going to say what it is. It was one particular thing, yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: John Karr's brother said yesterday that the family would release some information that would prove that John Karr is innocent today, so we'll see if that happens. And without prosecutors really adding much to what is going on here, that has set off a firestorm of speculation -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And so it seems, Ed, that this may come down to DNA, a forensic link, potentially. When will we know about that?

LAVANDERA: It's hard to say. You know prosecutors wouldn't answer any questions yesterday about the evidence in this case. And clearly that -- those DNA -- that DNA testing would be a big part of that. We also suspect that handwriting samples with the ransom note would be a big part of it as well and prosecutors just aren't talking about it.

O'BRIEN: All right, Ed Lavandera in Boulder, Colorado.

Atika Shubert has been watching this all unfold from Bangkok, Thailand. She joins us on the line with more, -- Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, the little few more details about exactly what kind of man John Karr was.

I'm actually talking to you through this phone here, that's why I'm holding it up now.

But just to let you know what we found is that he was living at a guest house in southern Bangkok. He was there. We talked to the receptionist there. And according to her, he was very quiet, not sociable at all. He would -- she never saw him with anyone. He seemed to leave every day for some sort of work at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. and came back in the afternoon. He always paid his rent on time, but again, not a sociable person at all.

The other piece of information we found is that he actually taught at several schools here in Bangkok. Apparently he tried to apply for several jobs as a teacher of elementary school students to at least two different schools here. He was rejected from the job because, as one school official put it, he simply was too strict on the students -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Atika Shubert in Bangkok, thank you very much -- Carol.

COSTELLO: On to some other news this morning.

The United Nations says it will contribute as many as 15,000 peacekeepers to patrol southern Lebanon, but there are doubts over its composition and how quickly it could be deployed.

CNN's Anthony Mills live in Beirut to tell us more.

Hello, -- Anthony.

ANTHONY MILLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Carol.

The troops, the Lebanese Army troops are deploying rapidly now after a few days of delay because of disagreements in the Cabinet. Within the last 24 hours, thousands of Lebanese Army troops have crossed that Litani River into the southern part of the country where they are going to be taking control from Hezbollah in conjunction with up to 15,000 United Nations troops.

Lebanese Army troops have also landed at the port city of Tyre in the south of the country, also south of Litani River line. So they are pouring in in force. A Lebanese Army source says they expect all 15,000 to be in place by the end of today.

But, Carol, questions remain, what exactly is going to happen with Hezbollah? There's no talk of disarmament. The Lebanese government has made clear that there will be no confrontation with Hezbollah. So the weapons will remain, possibly out of sight. But they could conceivably, those Hezbollah fighters, at some point, take them out again and then they'd find themselves at odds with not just the Lebanese Army, but also that international force. And that's why, Carol, I think there's some wariness, particularly among nations like France, about sending troops into a hot zone like this where they could, under certain circumstances, be perceived as the enemy by Hezbollah.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the composition of this peacekeeping force. I mean it's safe to assume that the United States soldiers will not be involved.

MILLS: That's correct, Carol, nor will British soldiers. Now France, for a while, had been perceived to be going to take the leading role. But there are reports emerging now that France will probably not contribute very many troops and that's serving as something of a damper for other European nations. There are reports that Italy may contribute as many as 3,000 troops. But there really is wariness among European nations, especially as, for the moment, France is fairly hesitant.

Now other nations that have offered troops are, for example, Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey. They are predominately Muslim nations and Sunni-Muslim nations, for example, Turkey. And although they're not European, there, too, there could be the potential for problems because Lebanon is a multi-sectarian society and the Christians, who form a sizable minority here, might feel unnerved, if you will, by the suggestion that thousands of Muslim troops would be patrolling the country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Anthony Mills live in Beirut this morning, thanks.

And there is speculation this morning that North Korea may be planning an underground nuclear weapons test. Recent imagery shows a change at a suspected nuclear site, including some equipment movement. Still, U.S. military and intelligence officials say there is no way to determine exactly what that means.

O'BRIEN: The Bush administration planning to appeal that ruling against its warrantless wiretapping program. A federal judge ruling yesterday the National Security Agency's campaign to listen in on calls to suspected terrorists overseas is a violation of the Constitution. The program will continue, however, until further arguments can be heard next month. But the administration has dire warnings if the wiretapping campaign is stopped.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We're going to do everything that we can do in the courts to allow this program to continue because it is effective, has been effective in protecting America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Later in the program, we'll speak with one of the advocates of the warrantless wiretapping campaign, the former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Happening in America.

A man believed to have been part of the gang that rapped and murdered at least 10 women in Mexico has been arrested in Denver, Colorado. U.S. marshals and the Department of Homeland Security arrested Edgar Alvarez Cruz for violating immigration law.

A massive fire destroys a church in Boston. The roof collapsed just minutes after the fire captain pulled firefighters from the building. At least one person hurt. Damage is estimated at $1 million. The cause still under investigation.

In Connecticut, anti-war candidate Ned Lamont may still be facing an uphill battle against Senator Joe Lieberman despite his win in the Democratic Primary. A new Quinnipiac University poll finds Senator Lieberman holds a surprising 12-point lead over Lamont.

And in Tuscan, Arizona, bring in the clowns takes on a new meaning. In less than a week, two check cashing stores were robbed by armed suspects dressed up in clown costumes. No arrests have been made.

And finally, in Cedar City, Utah, an unusual hazard to golfers, that would be prairie dogs. They've been digging holes on the course making it tough to golf there. But removing the prairie dogs is no simple matter, the Utah prairie dog happens to be on the endangered species list.

O'BRIEN: Well that should be good for golfers, more holes to aim for, right?

COSTELLO: That's right, easier to get a hole in one.

O'BRIEN: Exactly.

Still to come in the program, homemade bombs, why U.S. troops in Iraq are now more in danger than ever. We're live in Baghdad.

COSTELLO: And the number two man in Britain gets heat for what he said about President Bush's Mideast policy. We'll give you a hint, it wasn't very nice.

O'BRIEN: And a deadly eruption in Ecuador's Andes Mountains. It's a beautiful sight, but it's very dangerous. Dozens of people missing, villages destroyed. What happens now?

And Carrie Lee in the house with the Friday business report.

Hello, -- Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good Friday morning to you all.

A federal judge rules on big tobacco and Merck's latest legal battle over Vioxx. We'll have those stories and more coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Happening this morning.

New speculation about whether John Mark Karr really did kill JonBenet Ramsey. Legal experts are questioning the details of his confession and now his ex-wife says Karr wasn't even in Colorado when JonBenet was killed.

The White House says it will appeal a ruling striking down its domestic surveillance program. A federal judge has ruled wiretaps and e-mail checks without warrants are unconstitutional.

And in Wyoming, cooler weather today should help firefighters make progress against that huge wildfire on Casper Mountain. So far the fire has burned more than 11,000 acres.

O'BRIEN: Nearly three-and-a-half years after the fall of Baghdad, American forces in Iraq now in more danger than ever. Homemade bomb attacks, improvised explosive devices, IEDs they're called by the military, aimed at U.S. troops are at record levels.

CNN's Michael Holmes joining us from Baghdad with more, -- Michael.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Miles.

Yes, of course this is an extraordinary time in this war, things are getting worse and we're getting some extraordinary figures. Listen to this, last month alone more than 2,500 IEDs, those roadside bombs, that also includes car bombs and suicide bombers, went off, were found in an around Iraq. Now 1,600, more than 1,600, in fact, actually went off. The others were found and defused. But still, that's a staggering number for one month alone.

Civilians, of course, have been targeted and caught up in it. Most of the targets have been U.S. military and Iraqi military, but civilians, too.

Here's another figure for you, Miles, 110 Iraqis a day died last month. That's double the figure from last year. And I don't want to just tie this up with figures, but these are amazing numbers, 3,500 Iraqi civilians died last month alone, more than that number were wounded. And as you know with bombs and the like, some of those wounds simply horrific and life changing -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well help us sort it out, is -- how much of this can you say is sectarian driven, how much of it is outright just terror?

HOLMES: Well when it comes to bombs, Miles, I think it's fair to say it's sectarian -- not just sectarian driven, but insurgency driven. Some of them are suicide bombings, usually al Qaeda originated, and others just from the various factions that are behind this insurgency.

Some of the bombs are crude and others are becoming more and more sophisticated. They're also getting bigger, Miles. It used to be in the early days when these bombs first started appearing that an armored Humvee might save your life. These days, many, many troops are dying in those same armored Humvees because the charges are bigger and they developed the shape charge, which of course directs the force towards the vehicle -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And where are all these explosives coming from?

HOLMES: They -- well after the war of course, as you know, Miles, most munitions depots right around this country were left unguarded, bypassed by multinational forces as they headed up to Baghdad. And a lot of those munitions are just local munitions that have been stored and put in these weapon caches that American troops, particularly now here in Baghdad, are trying to uncover.

O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes in Baghdad, thank you very much -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Let's head to the Forecast Center to check in with Chad.

OK, Chad, it's Friday, we're almost...

MYERS: Guess what, -- Carol?

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: It's the weekend.

COSTELLO: I just said it was Friday.

MYERS: I know. Just reiterate it, go ahead.

COSTELLO: It is the weekend, that means we all want a great forecast from you.

MYERS: I'll do what I can.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: That sounds great. That's right, pre-season games are on now.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: Thank you, -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: In Ecuador, a volcano some 80 miles south of Quito, the capital, putting on a spectacular display. Thousands of people fled the lava, rock and ash spewing from this volcano. At least one person is dead, but that toll could rise. Sixty people are now missing. Authorities say a dozen villages on the volcano's western slopes are damaged or destroyed.

O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, the swag gets bagged, kind of. Rich movie stars who least need a bunch of free stuff may no longer be getting it completely for free. Uncle Sam wants to know what's in the bag.

Plus, did big tobacco conspire to hide the dangers of smoking? Would that surprise you? Well what's the business impact of a ruling, a new court ruling? Carrie Lee with that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Some of the most popular stories on CNN.com.

Questions around John Mark Karr's confession, did he really kill JonBenet Ramsey like he said he did? Many experts say he couldn't have. We're going to be exploring that throughout this show on AMERICAN MORNING.

From "Sixth Sense" to drunk driving offense, Oscar nominated actor Haley Joel Osment faces up to six months in jail for drunk driving and marijuana possession. You remember, he famously saw dead people in the movie the "Sixth Sense."

And there should be nothing less taxing than going to the Oscars. Try telling that to the IRS. Starting this year, stars will have to declare their swag, you know that free stuff they get at the Oscars. The IRS is putting little reminder notes in everyone's gift bags just so they don't forget.

O'BRIEN: Well here's one that has a little something for everyone. A judge, Solomon-like, ruling against the big tobacco but saying they don't have to pay up.

Carrie Lee is here with a Friday business report.

LEE: But saying they're not -- there's not much they can do about it as far as making tobacco pay. So in a way, they're kind of off the hook here. I mean the bottom line is what counts, right?

O'BRIEN: You would think they could do something. You're a judge, you can do whatever you want, right?

LEE: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LEE: Well let's get to the story here.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LEE: What's happening, a federal judge says that top cigarette makers did conspire for decades to mislead the public about the health hazards and addictive nature of smoking. Says there's not much she can do, though, to make them pay.

Now siding with the government here in the 7-year-old civil racketeering case against tobacco; however, she says that she can't make them pay billions of dollars in remedies because she was barred by an appeals court ruling that remedies have to be designed to prevent future wrongdoing, not punish bad behavior. So that is what's happening with big tobacco.

Meanwhile, drug giant Merck not such a great day yesterday for this company. Drug maker had a double whammy losing a case in New Orleans regarding a Vioxx, its painkiller, also a jury there awarding the plaintiff $50 million. And a judge in New Jersey threw out a prior verdict in its case that Merck won. So a double whammy, a negative for Merck in New Orleans as well as in New Jersey. The site -- the New Jersey case was switched because of new evidence cited in a trade journal. Merck is one of the Dow 30. Stock was a big loser yesterday, down about 6 percent.

O'BRIEN: And Merck is staying the course, meeting each one of these cases in court, no settlements, going to fight these cases. I think they've won about five of these, right?

LEE: It's about even wins and losses.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LEE: But over 14,000 cases, over 14,000 suits filed.

O'BRIEN: Wow!

LEE: And they're fighting each one individually so far. So the...

O'BRIEN: This will keep business reporters going for years.

LEE: A lot of...

COSTELLO: Well think of how much money they're spending to fight this.

LEE: A lot of...

COSTELLO: Wouldn't it be cheaper for them to settle?

LEE: You know it could be, but they say that they want to fight it individually. They have denied wrongdoing in this and they feel that they're doing the right thing.

O'BRIEN: Matter of principle.

LEE: But Merck was a big loser yesterday on the Dow. But still, the industrials ended up higher by just a little bit, eight points or so. You can see Nasdaq and S&P gaining as well. For this Friday morning, looking like a slightly weak start for stocks. About three hours to go before the official opening bell.

O'BRIEN: All right, Carrie, thank you very much.

LEE: Sure.

O'BRIEN: The morning's top stories are straight ahead, including a federal judge telling the White House to stop listening in on some phone calls. We'll give you the 411 on the legal battle.

And Raul Castro offering an update on his brother's condition.

Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Happening this morning.

New questions about John Mark Karr's confession in the killing of JonBenet Ramsey. His story riddled with inconsistencies, among them, Karr's ex-wife says he was in Alabama or maybe Atlanta at the time of the killing in Colorado.

The White House says it will appeal a ruling that strikes down its domestic surveillance program. A federal judge in Michigan has ruled wiretaps and e-mail checks without warrants are unconstitutional.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com