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American Morning
Two American Hikers Held Prisoner in Iran May Be Released Soon; Oman Playing Pivotal Role in Securing Release of American Prisoners in Iran; Palestinian Authority to Seek Statehood Status from U.N.; Hikers, Lawyer Arrive at Prison; Troy Davis Waiting to Die; Is it Time to Rethink the Death Penalty?; Lawyer: Iran To Release U.S. Hikers Today; Obama-Abbas Meeting Set; U.N. Accepts New Libyan Leaders; Deadly Home Invasion Trial; Connecticut Home Invasion Trial; Reno Air Show Disaster: New Video; Government Shutdown Looming Again; Rick Perry Criticizes President's Israel-Palestine Policies; American Hikers Held Prisoner in Iran Released
Aired September 21, 2011 - 06:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Breaking news to tell you about this morning. Two American hikers being held in Iran for over two years expected to be freed at any moment. We're live in Tehran and Oman.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Showdown. It's an issue the United Nations hasn't been able to solve for decades, but today, it lands squarely at the U.N.'s doorstep. The push for a Palestinian state.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Clemency denied. A Georgia death row inmate just hours from being executed. Supporters staging a last-minute push to save his life.
COSTELLO: And speaking out. Legendary crooner, Tony Bennett, in trouble over comments he made on the radio and what he says President Bush told him about the Iraq war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And good morning. It's Wednesday, September 21st. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. A major development right now in Iran involving two American hikers.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
VELSHI: Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, two American hikers held prisoner in Iran are expected to be released at any moment. Their lawyer says all the court paperwork that was holding this up is now complete. Joining us from outside the prison in Tehran is Shirzad Bozorgmehr with more information. Shirzad, what do you know?
SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now -
(INAUDIBLE) VELSHI: Looks like we don't have a good connection with -- is he back?
(INAUDIBLE)
VELSHI: What we've been hearing reports of is that diplomatic vehicles, we heard one report that our Swiss vehicles have gone to the prison compound. Supposedly these are the vehicles that will be used to bring these two men out. Are you getting the same information?
BOZORGMEHR: According to prison authorities I just talked to, when they are handed over, a prison guard will bring out the prisoner with their lawyer and where they go from there, we don't know yet. But I assume they will go to maybe the Oman.
(INAUDIBLE)
VELSHI: I would assume these two men are ready to leave prison on a moment's notice. So once these papers are in order, they're ready to come out and they're going to want to get out of Iranian custody and Iranian control as soon as possible?
BOZORGMEHR: The last time something like this happened, the American was released, she went to Oman, and I think she stayed a few nights until she left. But we don't know.
VELSHI: We'll hopefully learn about that in a little while. What do we know about the release? Is that an unconditional release? Will there be conditions associated with it? Is it bail?
BOZORGMEHR: There is no conditions set for this. According to the lawyer and the authorities, the case is still open and they leave the country and if they are not back in time for their trial --
(INAUDIBLE)
VELSHI: All right, you're on with our producers. You will keep us posted. As soon as we hear anything we'll come back to you for an update. But we are expecting these two hikers could be released at any moment. Thanks, Shirzad.
ROMANS: Meantime the nation of Oman may have played a huge role in securing the Americans freedom. Mohammed Jamjoom is live with that side of the story. Why Oman as a conduit for the bail money? Is it from the Swiss, the Americans, the families? Why Oman?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, Oman is a diplomatic rarity. It's a very low key country here in the Middle East, but it's a country that has relations with both Iran and the U.S. That can mediate between those two geopolitical forces when there are disputes.
Speculation has been building all week that when and if the hikers are released they will come to Oman, that Oman has been involved in the release. But still, people are kind of scratching their heads at this and wondering why exactly is Oman playing a role in these negotiations?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH SHOURD, FORMER AMERICAN PRISONER IN IRAN: I want to begin by thanking his majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, for welcoming me to this beautiful country upon my release.
JAMJOOM: A happy ending for American hiker Sarah Shourd after being freed from an Iranian prison. Her first stop came as a surprise to many. The sultanate of Oman, not so shocking once revealed that Omani sources had paid the $500,000 in bail money that won her release, begging the question, why would Oman, one of the region's most low-key countries, be involved in such a high-stakes ordeal?
KARIM SADJAPOUR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Oman has had a steady relationship with Iran during the time of the Shah and post-revolution, post-1979 revolution. Sultan Qaboos was one of the very few if only leaders of the Persian Gulf Arab nations which retained a cordial relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
JAMJOOM: That makes Oman a diplomatic rarity in this politically volatile region. Sultan Said has ruled his country more than 40 years. Where most of his neighbors take an adversarial stance toward Iran, the sultan is considered both progressive and pragmatic.
Oman is separated from Iran by the Straits of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for the oil industry. With only 18 miles between countries, maintaining relations is crucial for this Gulf state. Iran seems like it would a natural trading partner with Oman, but due to International sanctions, it can't offer the help Oman needs in diversifying its economy. For that, Qaboos relies on the U.S., with which Oman has a free trade agreement.
But some think there is an even simpler reason for Oman's involvement in the release of the Americans. Analysts wonder if their freedom might ultimately reduce the tension between the U.S. and Iran and therefore reduce overall tension in the Persian Gulf.
SADJAPOUR: Perhaps I think that from vantage point of Sultan Qaboos of Oman, apart from the fact that he wanted to provide a humanitarian gesture by helping to release these young men, I think he sees it in his interests to reduce the overall tension in the region by reducing U.S.-Iran tension.
JAMJOOM: At a time when regional revolt has shaken so many regimes, some are no longer asking why in the world Oman would want to be involved in this case, but rather, why on earth would they not want to be?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JAMJOOM: And, Christine, many analysts are suggesting that Oman realizes now that this is its moment and they really want to take advantage of it to try to raise their profile on the global stage. Christine? ROMANS: All right, Mohammed Jamjoom. We'll continue to monitor. When we know the two hikers are released we'll come to you for analysis. Thanks, Mohammed.
COSTELLO: Also at this hour, President Obama preparing for what could be biggest diplomatic challenge of his presidency. The president hopes to convince Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas not to file for Palestinian statehood and instead steer him back to the negotiating table with Israel. But that is a tough sell for the Palestinians. Mass demonstrations in Ramallah this morning in support for statehood.
Richard Roth live at the United Nations. What can the president say to Mahmoud Abbas to change his mind, Richard?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: I don't think there's very much. He can now hope to work on after the application is submitted to the security council, White House officials saying in effect at briefings yesterday this is somewhat of a done deal that that will happen. and since there's no immediate security council vote where the U.S. has said it would veto, there's plans and time for more negotiations on this.
Last year president Obama at the general assembly said if we act and do what's best for ourselves, he was previewing a Palestinian state here at this time. That's not going to happen. The president will meet with president Abbas ever the Palestinians and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel in separate meetings to try to see what can be done to cool thing over, though it does provide momentum, this Palestinian bid, for further talks and further negotiations. Carol?
COSTELLO: Richard, there are a couple of things could happen. President Obama could persuade the Palestinians to postpone the vote maybe for a few months, or not vote at all and go back to the negotiating table with the Israelis.
ROTH: Well, yes. The Palestinians, once they submit their bid, no say on the timing of the vote. That's going to be up to lobbying by them and others. Can they get nine countries on the Security Council to vote yes? You need that, before the U.S. even considers a veto.
And there are European nations, the United Kingdom and France which hasn't specified which way they will go. Columbia and Germany are likely to side with the United States. Scramble for the African nations on there. Lebanon would vote in favor. There are a lot of interesting dynamics ahead on tallying up the votes. But there would be no persuading President Abbas to drop his statehood application while the general assembly meeting is under way.
COSTELLO: All right, Richard Roth reporting live for us. Thanks.
ROMANS: Rick Perry is working his way into the Palestinian statehood debate. The Republican frontrunner for president schmoozing with Jewish leaders in New York, slamming the Obama administration for its Middle East policies, Perry claiming the White House is undermining America's security interests in the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY, (R-TX) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're equally indignant of the Obama administration and their Middle East policy of appeasement that is encouraged such an ominous act of bad faith. Simply put, we would not be here today at this very precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn't naive and arrogant, misguided and dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Perry says Jerusalem should be united under Israeli rule and that Israel should build settlements wherever it wants. The Texas governor telling Jewish leaders, quote, "I hope you will tell the people of Israel that help is on the way."
VELSHI: Also new this morning, the assassination of the Afghan government's point man on negotiations with the Taliban, a major blow to peace efforts. Officials say a suicide attacker set off a bomb hidden in his turban after greeting Rabanni in his home. They say the attacker posing as Taliban peace envoy was not properly searched.
COSTELLO: Legendary singer Tony Bennett hitting a sour note with his comments on the 9/11 attacks. During an interview on the Howard Stern's radio show, Bennett said, quote, "They flew the plane in, but we caused it." Bennett also says former President Bush confided to him that the Iraq war was a mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BENNETT, SINGER: He said it's a -- he told me, personally, that night, that, he says, I think I made a mistake.
HOWARD STERN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Really?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Really? Bennett has now apologized for his remarks, saying there's no excuse for terrorism and the murder of nearly 3,000 innocent victims.
ROMANS: Typhoon Roke blamed for at least five deaths in Japan. The monster storm made landfall overnight along the coast of central japan. Some one million people have been urged to evacuate. It could pose a threat to the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
It's 11 minutes after the hour.
(WEATHER BREAK)
VELSHI: Still to come this morning, Democrats and Republicans at it again. How their latest disagreement could trigger a government shutdown.
COSTELLO: And coming up next, CNN's legal contributor Paul Callan weighs in on the Troy Davis case. The Georgia death row inmate denied a last-minute clemency. He is now hours away from execution.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
VELSHI: Continuing with our breaking news coverage out of Tehran, we are just getting word now that lawyers for the two hikers have arrived at the prison where we understand the final papers have been signed for the release of the two American hikers.
We also understand that Swiss embassy officials and Omani officials have arrived at the embassy. We have reports from our producer there and from other news agencies that they saw Swiss diplomatic vehicles entering the compound and other diplomatic vehicles which may be used for the removal of these prisoners.
We do not know, if they are freed, where they will be going. In the case of Sarah Shourd, she went to the Omani embassy and was out of the country on the same day. We do not have any information about the plans for these two hikers, and, in fact, when we last thought they were going to be released, it didn't happen.
But, as we understand it from their lawyers, all the final papers have been signed. The lawyers for the two men, Swiss embassy officials and Omani officials have now entered the compound. We will let you know as soon as these two men are released from prison in Tehran.
ROMANS: All right, Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis is set to be executed tonight at 7:00 P.M. after his last-ditch effort for clemency was denied. But he will be killed by the state under a huge cloud of doubt, with supporters around the world still insisting that they have the wrong guy.
COSTELLO: Yes, you probably heard it by now. Davis was convicted of shooting and killing an off-duty police officer. His name was Mark MacPhail. That happened in Georgia back in 1989.
Joining is now is CNN legal contributor Paul Callan. Paul, a lot of people are outraged about this case, because seven of the nine people who testified that they saw Troy Davis pull the trigger either changed their stories or recanted altogether. So, a lot of people are wondering, how could the Georgia Parole Board have made this decision when there's all this doubt?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, there's tragedy on both sides of this case. Those in favor of the death penalty here remind people that the victim was a - a young man, in his 20s, with a - a young daughter and a young son, a former army ranger, shot in the heart and shot in the face by an individual who they say, proponents of the death penalty, that the case was overwhelming. Seven - nine people supported the conviction at the time. He was convicted.
And, by the way, just go back to the history of the case, because these things are so heartbreaking. This case is 22 years old. We went through, in my office last night, to see how many courts have looked at this case, have touched it. I came up, offhand, in a quick count, 28 separate courts had looked at this.
VELSHI: Wow.
ROMANS: And they've all upheld this conviction?
CALLAN: Every single court that has looked at it has upheld the conviction. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Appeals has upheld the conviction twice. Now, they and different members of the board at both times.
Now, we get back to this thing, people saying, seven out of the nine have changed their story, and how could anybody uphold a murder conviction if seven out of nine have changed the story?
The Supreme Court of the United States was so concerned about that claim that a couple of years ago, they sent it back to a federal judge and they said to him, we want to you conduct an actual innocence hearing, because you've got to get to the bottom of this. You have to find out.
VELSHI: When you say an actual innocence hearing, you don't mean a procedural hearing on so many of these things that get - get brought through the system in a death penalty case?
CALLAN: Yes. Usually - you're right on there. Usually it's procedural stuff. There was a violation of some technical rule -
VELSHI: Right.
CALLAN: -- and perhaps the trial wasn't fair because of that.
No. This was, look at the case, is there evidence he really didn't do it?
VELSHI: Right.
CALLAN: The federal judge held two days of hearings in the case, and his conclusion was, smoke and mirrors. This guy is guilty. These claims that the witnesses have changed their story and were inaccurate at the time of trial cannot be depended upon.
Now, one of the big things that federal judge said that it kind of resonated with me, the defense, when they were doing this hearing and when they were doing prior hearings, frequently would not call to the witness stand the witnesses whose - who recanted. Instead, they would just submit a piece of paper, an affidavit that they had signed, and the judge said, well, why wouldn't you submit them under oath -
ROMANS: Yes.
CALLAN: -- to be cross-examined, if the guy's really innocent and if they're really changing their story?
And, remember, it's 22 years later. At the time of the verdict in this case, back in the early - this happened in 1989, trial in 1991. A jury of 12 people, including seven African-Americans, convicted him in two hours based on the testimony in the case. And -
COSTELLO: But I thought that three jurors are now saying that we would have ruled differently?
CALLAN: Yes, they are saying that. And, I will tell you, being a person who has tried an awful lot of jury cases, that 10 minutes after jurors hand down a verdict, I'll give you an hour. They sometimes change their minds. Once they get into the outside world, they rethink.
ROMANS: Right.
CALLAN: And we can't have a system that's based on jurors later on, years later, saying, well gee, maybe I would have decided different.
ROMANS: Are they being influenced -
CALLAN: There has to be some certainty.
ROMANS: -- about the debate around this about the death penalty overall? I mean, we - I think what this case really shows is this unease in American society about the death penalty.
CALLAN: Well, and I think that's a very, very legitimate question. There is a lot of unease, and I've tried a lot of cases as a prosecutor, I've put people in prison for murder, and I've defended people in murder cases, and I know the system does make mistakes. And when we're imposing the death penalty, we want to make sure, 100 percent sure, that we have the right person.
VELSHI: If there wasn't - if the death penalty weren't an issue in a cases like this, would you get more certain convictions and fewer people recanting later on?
CALLAN: Well, I think that what happens in a death penalty case is you get a huge number of death penalty opponents who marshal significant forces behind certain cases. And, of course, that's what happened in this case. And I was - you know, it's been remarkable, the amount of public support that has been generated in the Davis case.
But, on the other hand, I think death penalty supporters would say, well, you know, the Pope, Amnesty International, Al Sharpton, a whole host of people are opposed to this execution -
COSTELLO: And also Bob (INAUDIBLE), a big death penalty proponent.
CALLAN: Yes, but most of those people are people who -
COSTELLO: But before we have to let you go, there's nothing -
CALLAN: -- would always oppose the death penalty. COSTELLO: -- there's nothing anyone can do to stop this execution. President Obama cannot intervene, because this is a state matter. The governor of Georgia, can he intervene?
CALLAN: No, the governor cannot. In Georgia, they have this special system where it's the Georgia Pardon and Appeals Bureau. Only they can intervene. The U.S. Supreme Court could issue another stay, if they came up with some reason.
But, frankly, they've looked at it so many times, they have offered this actual innocence hearing. I don't know why the Supreme Court would intervene.
Now, there was one news report that Obama could intervene and issue a statement. The president doesn't have the power to do that. It's inaccurate.
COSTELLO: OK, so - so if all goes as planned, and it sounds so cold to say it that way, the execution will take place at 7:00 P.M. Eastern tonight.
CALLAN: Yes, it will.
COSTELLO: Paul Callan, many thanks to you.
CALLAN: Nice to be with you.
COSTELLO: All right, let's talk more about the death penalty, because now is your chance to talk back on that big story of the day. The question for you this morning, is it time to rethink the death penalty?
Troy Davis, a convicted cop killer, will die tonight, despite this rally and despite assertions of Davis' innocence from Amnesty International, to the Pope to President Jimmy Carter. Whether you agree with them or not is up to you.
But, Davis' case aside, American juries seem increasingly reluctant to see any inmate put to death. Since the 1990s, the number of executions in America has significantly declined from 98 executions in 1999 to just 46 last year. That decline seems at odds with the strong feelings many Americans still have about the death penalty. Witness the Republican debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your state has executed 234 death row inmates, more than any other governor in modern times. Have you - have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent?
PERRY: No, sir, I've never struggled with that at all. I think Americans understand justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That is Texas, but 16 other states do not have the death penalty.
As for why juries seem loathe to impose the death sentence? That's unclear, but maybe it's because more than 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence since 1973. Many juries now prefer another option, life without the possibility of parole.
So the "Talkback" question this morning - and it's a tough one - is it time to rethink the death penalty? Facebook.com/AmericanMorning, Facebook.com/AmericanMorning. I'll read your comments later this hour.
ROMANS: All right, still to come this morning, a stark warning from the International Monetary Fund. We'll tell you what they're now saying about the world's economy.
So you're watching AMERICAN MORNING. It's 25 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Twenty-seven minutes past the hour. Welcome back. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Uncertainty about Greece and the Fed zapping what was a triple digit rally on Wall Street. The Dow is barely squeezing out a gain yesterday. The NASDAQ and S&P were down. This morning, U.S. stock futures trading mixed ahead of the opening bell.
As I mentioned, we'll learn today if the Fed, after its meeting, will unveil a short-term stimulus to boost the economy. There's speculation the Fed will revive a program known as "Operation Twist." Its goal, to keep long-term interest rates down to fuel the recovery.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the Federal Reserve to ignore a letter by Republican leaders. In that letter, the GOP writes, "We have serious concerns that further intervention by the Federal Reserve could exacerbate current problems or further harm the U.S. economy." Chuck Schumer says the Congress has no business telling the Fed what to do.
The International Monetary Fund raising a red flag. The group, in a report released prior to this week's meeting warns, and I quote, "The global economy is in a dangerous new phase." It also expects the world economy to slow in the next two years. It says the U.S. will grow at only 1.5 percent.
The iconic Australian beer maker Fosters has agreed to be taken over by SABMiller. This is one of the largest brewing companies in the world. It's said to have paid $10 billion for Fosters.
Don't forget, for the very latest news about your money, check out the all-new CNNMoney.com. AMERICAN MORNING will be right back after the quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROMANS: About 31 minutes past the hour. Breaking news, two American hikers held prisoner in Iran could be released any moment.
Reuters says a Swiss embassy car has entered the prison. Their lawyer says all the court paperwork that was holding this up is now complete.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were detained a little the Iran/Iraq border back in 2009. Almost a year ago to the day we spoke to Sarah Shourd who spent 410 days as a prisoner in Iran with them until she was released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SHOURD, HELD FOR 410 DAYS IN IRAN: We'd long been fascinated with the region. You know, the Middle East is a diverse body of cultures and we knew we wanted to immerse ourselves in that part of the world to learn more about it and to be hopefully more of a bridge between the people in that region and the people in our country.
So I taught in Damascus for a year and there's not been a lot of green mountains in Damascus. I don't know if I'll ever understand that. We did nothing wrong. We meant to harm to the Iranian people. We did not intend to cross the border. It was unmarked.
We were just on a trail behind a tourist site that was recommended by the hotel. There were hundreds of families there. It's a very popular spot, by a waterfall where families picnic and, you know, I -- I just think it's a huge misunderstanding that has a lot more to do with the problems between our countries than with us as individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Also this morning, President Obama meeting face-to-face at the United Nations today with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He's going to try to convince Abbas to negotiate Palestinian statehood with Israelis directly instead formally applying for it on Friday at the United Nations.
COSTELLO: The U.N. General Assembly officially voting to accept the credentials of Libya's new transitional government. President Obama confirming the U.S. will reopen its embassy in Tripoli this week and America will continue to protect Libyan civilians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Difficult days are still ahead. But one thing is clear -- the future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people. For just as it was Libyan whose tore down the old order. It will be Libyans who build their new nation.
And we've come here today to say to the people of Libya, just as the world stood by you in your struggle to be free, we will now stand with you in your struggle to realize the peace and prosperity that freedom can bring.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right, in Connecticut this morning, testimony resumes in the trial of the man accused of master minding a deadly home invasion.
VELSHI: One of the worst ever. The lone survivor is the father who's wife and two daughters were brutally murdered. He was reliving the nightmare on the witness stand yesterday.
CNN's Deb Feyerick was in the courtroom. It is one of the hardest cases to even cover. Just listen to those details and to see this man talking about the death of his family.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is, especially because police were just so close to getting everybody out safely and they were on the premises when all of this happened.
Yesterday in the courtroom, it really was a day of reckoning, many respects. The defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky came face-to-face with the man he is accused of beating and torturing. A man who barely escaped with his life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): Dr. William Petit says he didn't know whether he was awake or dreaming, but says he remembers thinking, ow, ow, ow, as his head filled with pain and blood flowed down his face.
In his comfortable Connecticut home, standing before him in the dark of night, he says were two hooded men. One of them holding what looked like a gun. If he moves, put a bullet in him, he heard one intruder say.
Then the doctor's wrist and ankles were bound with rope and plastic ties, which the men had with them. Joshua Komisarjevsky on trial for the home invasion that left a mother and her two children dead listened closely. During 2-1/2 hours of testimony, Dr. Petit described the night his world shattered. How he was taken to the basement and tied to a pole. How he heard his wife Jennifer upstairs in the kitchen telling intruders she had to get dressed, get a checkbook and identification.
It turns out to withdraw $15,000 and how he heard one of the intruders say, get the money, and no one will get hurt. This bank surveillance video shows Mrs. Petit getting the cash while quietly telling the bank manager that two men were holding hostage her husband and daughters Hayley and Michaela. But when she returned home, the intruders had other plans.
Dr. Petit described hearing a loud thud. Then on the witness stand he paused and said, I heard moaning, which I think was my wife. It was then Dr. Petit says he realized he had to get out. Breaking free from the pole, he escaped out storm doors, rolling to his neighbors.
Call 911, he shouted, as moments later a police officer, gun drawn, emerged through the bushes, just as the Petit home went up in flames.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: And you know, it was just so difficult to listen to him talk about this. He was very stoic, very steady, and very calm. There were a couple of pauses, but he never lost his composure at any time.
And it's such a hard thing to talk about, and then in a remarkable gesture of goodwill, Jennifer Hawke-Petit's father who is a reverend, he actually crossed the aisle in the courtroom and shook hands with the father of the man accused of telling his daughter.
Komisarjevski's father was heard to say, God bless you, God bless you. When I asked the reverend later what they spoke about, Reverend Hawke told me, well, he must be hurting as much as us and then he paused and said, well, maybe not as much.
COSTELLO: You know what I was thinking through all that the person with the life sentence is Dr. Petit. He's got live with this the rest of his life. There's no way out for him. What's this trial exactly trying to prove?
FEYERICK: You know what? It's the second of two trials. The first defendant was convicted. He's now on death row. The likelihood the same will happens, what Komisarjevskys lawyers right now, they're trying to get him to avoid the death penalty.
VELSHI: They're saying that he wasn't interested in killing anybody. He was involved in everything else, but he didn't want to kill anybody.
FEYERICK: That's exactly right. They're saying it's intent and that's what the prosecution is going to have to prove. But what they did show is that, you know, that the ties used to bind Dr. Petit that those were not ties that were originally in the house.
In fact, these two invaders, they did bring certain equipment, certain things that clearly showed that this wasn't just, let's get in, let's get out. Take this stuff we've got and it's also sad just looking at the loot they got away with.
I mean, a couple of wallets, credit cards, gift cards. They had jars of change. They took three jars of change. You know? And an iPod dock. So that's the price of three people's lives. I mean, incredible.
COSTELLO: Such a difficult case. Deborah Feyerick, thank you.
FEYERICK: Of course.
VELSHI: Also new this morning, new and dramatic video of Friday's deadly plane crash in an air show in Nevada. In it you can clearly see the plane slam into the ground and shatter. Eleven people died, including the pilot, when he lost control of his vintage P-51 Mustang crashing it straight into the crowd.
Brent Wilson was at the event with his two sons. One of them shot this video. Last night on "AC 360," he said they shared the video to showcase the heroes, not the horror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENT WILSON (via telephone): Really struggling with this, and he came to the realization, he says, we have to help. We have to help. We have to show the spirit -- the spirit that, human nature, to come to each other's aid, and really show that heroism of the pilot and the heroism of the people on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: The cause of the crash is still not known. Investigators are focused on part of the tail that appeared to fall off before the crash.
ROMANS: All right, still to come this morning, Democrats and Republicans at it again. How their latest disagreement could trigger government shutdown in the next 10 days.
COSTELLO: Say it wasn't so. Can Congress accomplish anything this fall? We'll talk about the partisan gridlock that's paralyzing the country. Our senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein, will join us.
ROMANS: And today's "Roman's Numeral" $16. Here's a hint, think the Pentagon's legendary $600 toilet seat is a problem? We'll have it for you right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: All right. I've got a "Roman's Numeral" for you, Velshi.
VELSHI: You know, I normally always feel it has to do with gold.
ROMANS: This will almost feels like gold. A number in the news today, the number is $16.
VELSHI: That's too low to be anything to do with gold.
ROMANS: You're right. According to an audit, the Justice Department served $16 muffins to folks at a 2009 conference or should I say the Justice Department paid $16 --
VELSHI: For muffins.
ROMANS: At a hotel conference.
VELSHI: Were they laced with gold? ROMANS: I don't know, gold powder on the top? Just run of the mill muffins. There you go, also $32 for a snack break.
VELSHI: It's $8 for a cup of coffee. I said earlier I do a lot of my eating in airports. So I manage to pay more money for things than people -- it's unbelievable. What did I just pay for that? I have never gotten $8 for a normal cup of coffee, and I don't have fancy coffee.
ROMANS: I know $8 cups of coffee and tea and $32 for a snack break, this is after the department issued new guidelines on wasteful spending because it had served employees $5 Swedish meatloaf.
VELSHI: Not a sandwich just --
ROMANS: You know, I got to say something about government waste. I mean, in this new era of fiscal responsibility, we have been talking about government waste for years, years.
VELSHI: This stuff is not going to bring down the deficit, but it is worthy of understanding.
ROMANS: Just a reminder. There you go.
Here we go again talking about possible government shutdowns through Capitol Hill this morning all because House and Senate leaders can't agree on funding for disaster relief agencies like FEMA.
VELSHI: Kate Bolduan is live from Washington this morning. Kate, what are we looking at? What kind of timeline are we looking at for a shutdown? Is this even likely to happen?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We will see. If you asked a couple days ago, I would have said, no. But things are definitely heating up. We're facing a shutdown at the end of this month, a week from this Saturday, if Congress can't reach agreement.
Also complicating this timeline is the House and Senate are scheduled to begin a week-long recess this weekend. So we could be looking at an even tighter timeline to get this figured out.
Listen here first to the difference in opinion between the top Republican and top Democrat in the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: It won't be a government shutdown. The Congress always responds appropriately to disasters. We're having a discussion about the appropriate way to do that and I'm confident it will be resolved.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: I heard the reports that Senator McConnell said there will be no shutdown. I'm not that sure. It I'm not that sure, because the Tea Party-driven House of Representatives has been so unreasonable in of the past, I don't know why they should suddenly be reasonable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: So here's what's going on. The Republican-controlled House is set to vote on a short-term spending bill today that would fund the government through mid-November. Tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires. It's been a horrible season. But the House would be allocating fewer dollars to federal disaster relief in that measure, about half of what the Senate has already approved. And that is where the standoff is. Senate Democrats, they are not happy with the dollar amount that Republicans in the House are pushing forward tore federal disaster relief.
On top of the fight over the dollar amount, Senate Democrats are also upset house Republicans are insisting part of the disaster money be paid for, and they would do that by taking money from another program that helps automakers retool plans to make more fuel official vehicles. That Democrats say also creates jobs. Neither side has indicated yet that they're willing to budge and now surprisingly both sides just yesterday were saying that the other is playing politics here.
VELSHI: All right, Kate, thank for that. We'll check in with you in an hour and see what else you've got there.
We have breaking news for you. The hikers have been released. Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, having been in an Iranian jail since 2009, they were convicted last month of entering Iran illegally and spying for the United States. They were sentenced to eight years in prison.
We then heard from Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad they would be released with days, and then that didn't happen, because the judiciary didn't comply with his request.
We then learned this morning that the second judge necessary had signed the release papers. We had our producer there reporting that diplomatic vehicles entered the compound, both Swiss and Omani diplomatic vehicles, and officials were at the prison. Then less than half an hour ago we learned lawyers entered the prison.
And now we have confirmation Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal have been released from prison.
Now, when Sarah Shourd was released from prison she went to the Omani embassy and was out of the country that night. We don't know where these two men have gone. We're speaking to our people on the ground to try to establish where they've gone and where they will be going from here, whether they'll return to the States immediately. But what we know now and can confirm for you, that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal have been released from an Iranian prison.
ROMANS: Sarah Shourd was their traveling companion released on medical grounds last year, on bail last year, but of course she did not return to the country.
We're going to have more on that for you. We'll take a quick break. It's 47 minutes after the hour.
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COSTELLO: It is 48 minutes part the hour. President Obama meeting with the Palestinian president today, trying to head off a diplomatic disaster in the Mideast, something Governor Rick Perry says the president himself created. The Texas governor in New York cozying up to Jewish leaders and carving up the White House for what he calls a policy of appeasement with the Palestinians.
And did you catch Michele Bachmann carving up a side of beef? It's just a great picture, and we have to talk about that. That's why Ron Brownstein is joining us live this morning, CNN's senior political analyst. You're going to help us find clarity in a sea of chaos.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.
COSTELLO: Or beef, right? That was something else. We'll get to Michele Bachmann and the carving of beef in a second.
But we want to talk about Governor Perry, because he has been reaching out to Jewish leaders. In fact, he gave a big speech yesterday criticizing president Obama's approach to Israel, and he used the word "appeasement." So let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We would not be here today at this very precipice of such a dangerous move a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn't naive and arrogant, misguided and dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: All right, there are some who think it's fine to criticize the president. But because Rick Perry criticized the president so harshly at a time when maybe we need to be unified in this country since President Obama is going to speak before the United Nations, that was kind of a dangerous move.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, the idea of the politics stops at the water's edge, which was the historic adage, is long behind us. There was politics behind this and legitimate policy difference. The fact is Benjamin Netanyahu's view to maximize Israel's security is closer in its worldview to the view of American conservatives than to American Democrats that put more effort on negotiating with the Palestinians.
And relationships between Netanyahu and Democratic presidents are fraught. It was difficult between him and Bill Clinton. We saw a little bit of that in Bill Clinton's interview with Wolf Blitzer yesterday. But also President Obama started off with a very hardline toward Netanyahu, really put a lot of pressure on him and really changed directions since. But, still, they are not exactly on the same page by any means.
And someone like Rick Perry, both seeing opportunity in the Jewish community, perhaps for some votes, but, also, it is perhaps easier for them to find a common direction with where Netanyahu wants to go.
COSTELLO: On the subject of president Obama throwing Israel under the bus, Piers Morgan had Israel's defense minister on last night. He said he's been pleased with President Obama's support of Israel. So what are we to believe as the voting public about President Obama's views on Israel and whether he's throwing them under the bus?
BROWNSTEIN: I think President Obama, like all American presidents, has been basically very supportive of Israel. But I think a Democratic president, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama, does put a greater emphasis on pressuring Israel to negotiate seriously with the Palestinians and believe that is a sure pathway to lasting security for Israel than any Republican president might do.
And you saw yesterday, as I said, in the interview with Wolf Blitzer, Bill Clinton was quite critical of Netanyahu and saying, look, the U.S. is going to take this step to defend Israel at the United Nations, but you need to come across with some indication that there is a pathway toward conversation, towards negotiations. So, there is that difference. It is really ineradicable.
COSTELLO: Ron, I wish we could get to Michele Bachmann, but we do have breaking news. And it is good breaking news concerning those American hikers. So I'll throw it over to Ali. Ali, what's new?
VELSHI: All right, I want to give you breaking news right now. Mohammed Jamjoom is standing by in Oman with news of these American hikers who have been -- Mohammed, we have just confirmed that the U.S. hikers have been released in Tehran. Tell us what you know.
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ali, U.S. state department official tells CNN that U.S. hikers Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have indeed been freed from Tehran's prison. Now, we were told a few minutes ago from our producer in Iran that Omani government officials were seen entering the prison a short while ago. We now heard they have been freed.
We don't know where they're going next, but a lot of speculation their first stop, once they leave Iran, will be here in Oman. Last year when the hiker Sarah Shourd was released, her first stop out of Tehran was here. The reason for that being that the Omanis had paid her bail. There's a lot of speculation that the Omanis have been intricately involved in negotiating the release of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. No confirmation yet form the Omanis on that point, but we do know that Omani officials were seen going into the prison and we do know that those two hikers have been freed. Ali?
VELSHI: Mohammed, about the conditions of their release, it's a bail under which they may be called back for trial. I can't imagine they're ever going to go back to Iran, but is that actually part of the condition of their release?
JAMJOOM: We don't yet know all the conditions of the release. We know the bail has been posted. That's according to the lawyer and according to two judges that signed off that the bail had been posted.
We were told by the lawyer last week that the bail was at $500,000 for each person. So, that puts it at $1 million in bail money. The conditions of the bail for release of Sarah Shourd, even though she was released on humanitarian grounds, was that she could be called back for trial. She could be called back to proceed with that trial. She was not called back.
Conventional wisdom would have it that they would not be called back, that this would be seen as a humanitarian gesture, a magnanimous by the Iranian government, but we just don't know at this time and we don't know yet if the sentence was commuted. There was speculation they would be given some kind of amnesty. Right now all we know is the bail money went through, they have been released, and we're waiting the emergence of more details soon to come. Ali?
VELSHI: And again, they were convicted of spying. So they continue to maintain they had nothing to do with spying and the Iranians continued to maintain they were being spied. There is no change in what the Iranian government thinks about these guys. What is the basis of the release?
JAMJOOM: Well, last week the indication from Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was that this was seen as a humanitarian gesture. A lot of analysts were saying this was a good move for Ahmadinejad to make, to make sure they were released just as he made sure that Sarah Shourd was released because it would make him seen magnanimous.
And also he was indicating if more American prisoners were released in Iran, then possible Iranian prisoners who were in jail in the U.S. should be released as some sort of quid pro quo.
That having being said, though, the judiciary, Iranian officials have all maintained throughout the week that these charges still stand, that they were convicted of espionage. There were many allegations by the Iranians that they were part of the CIA and they were spying and that is what they were convicted of. They had an eight-year prison sentence that was doled out just this past month.
So even though this is seen as a humanitarian gesture, as we said before, right now the charges still stand and the convictions still stand. Whether or not at some point that sentence commuted we just don't know. Right now the conviction stands and they're seen as two people who were convicted of spying, who crossed into Iranian territory for the purpose of espionage.
VELSHI: Thank you very much. We'll now move into the step where we'll try to figure out where these guys are going, whether they're going to Swiss embassy.
ROMANS: Did they say who paid the bail?
VELSHI: We don't know.
COSTELLO: The speculation is that Oman paid for it or conduit for it. Remember, it was $500,000 each, which is -- some are saying that's a payoff to the Iranian government, not a bail.
VELSHI: All right, we're taking a break. We'll be back with more coverage of this. Stay with us.
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