Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

'New Yorker' Accuses Rumsfeld of Authorizing Prisoner Abuse; Ins and Outs of Voter Registration

Aired May 16, 2004 - 07:00   ET

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

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


THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for May the 16th. Great to have you with us. I'm Thomas Roberts.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Sophia Choi. Thanks so much for starting your Sunday with us. And here's what's on tap this hour.

Pointing fingers, a "New Yorker" article called "The Grey Zone" accuses Defense Secretary Rumsfeld of authorizing a secret program that encouraged sexual humiliation and physical coercion of Iraqi prisoners. The Pentagon denies it.

Also ahead, the ins and outs of voter registration from a timeline to the dotted line, we'll tell you what you need to know. And need space? Decorating tips on how to make small spaces chic and stylish on a tight budget.

But first, our headlines.

ROBERTS: Secretary of State Colin Powell today apologized for the humiliation and abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of American soldiers. He made the apology in Jordan, while attending the World Economic Forum. Scandal has tarnished U.S. credibility around the globe, especially in the Arab world.

Well, both Israelis and Palestinians have taken to the streets this weekend. A crowd of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, backing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from Gaza. Palestinians demonstrated in Gaza and the West Bank, denouncing the founding of Israel on May the 15th, 1948.

In southern Afghanistan, suspected insurgents attacked a coalition combat patrol, killing one American soldier and slightly wounding two others. The U.S. military says one anti-coalition fighter was detained after that attack.

And at the Vatican, the pope named six new saints today, including a woman who became a symbol for abortion opponents. Thousands of pilgrims attended the ceremony in St. Peters Square. John Paul II has now elevated 480 people to sainthood during his 25 year papacy.

CHOI: Our top story this hour puts the focus again on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. A Pentagon spokesman calls the latest allegations outlandish, conspiratorial and filled with error and anonymous conjecture.

He's talking about an article in "The New Yorker" by Pulitzer prize winning journalist Seymour Hirsch. It says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized expansion of a secret program that encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners.

Hirsch quotes an unnamed former intelligence officer as saying that fewer than 200 operatives and officials, including Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were completely read into the program.

Hirsch writes, "Rumsfeld authorized the establishment of a highly secret program that was given blanket advanced approval to kill or capture, and if possible, interrogate high value targets.

A denial comes from Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Dorita. "No responsible official of the Department of Defense approved any program that could conceivably have been intended to result in such abuses as witnessed in recent photos and videos."

The only ones charged so far in the prison abuse scandal are seven members of the Army military reserve military police, enlisted personnel who were assigned to Abu Ghraib prison.

The courts martial began this week at CNN's Kathleen Koch reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're being called the most important military prosecutions since Vietnam. First in court, Specialist Jeremy Sivits was offered to plead guilty and to testify against the other six soldiers charged. Wednesday, he faces a special court martial, similar to a civilian misdemeanor trial with a penalty of no more than a year in prison.

On Thursday, more serious general courts martialed again for two other defendants, Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick and Sergeant Javal Davis. An attorney for Army specialist Charles Graner also charged in the alleged abuses summarized his client's defense.

GUY WOMACK, GRANER'S ATTORNEY: He's following orders like a good soldier should. Keep in mind the environment that existed at Abu Ghraib, this was an interrogation center. He was being directed by military intelligence officers and others in the intel community.

KOCH: But the military says the requirement to follow orders doesn't apply to patently illegal orders. Another defense cited by an attorney for Private First Class Lynndie England, lack of training to the criticism of a former POW.

ROSE MARY ZAPOR, LYNNDIE ENGLAND'S FAMILY ATTY: So you have a balancing situation here with a young girl who is not sophisticated, who has basically 30 days of training in how to handle situations such as this, and who is a clerk. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's no excuse. You're a soldier first. I was just a cook, but I think I handled myself very well underneath the pressure.

KOCH: Though no commanding officers are yet charged, one expert predicts the military legal process will soon look upward.

THOMAS MORRISON, PROF., GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: It is the duty of the people who are there at the time and the supervisors of the people that are there to draw those lines, to watch what's going on, to monitor how prisoners are being treated and taken care of, and make policy and issue orders, and set rules.

KOCH: Secretary of State Colin Powell Saturday assured an international audience the search for justice would not stop at enlisted soldiers.

COLIN POWELL, SEC. OF STATE: We will make sure that any problems we had within our system of command are dealt with. I want you to know that you are about to see American democracy in action.

KOCH (on camera): The case increasingly being made that while the prison abuse has illustrated the worst of the U.S. military, the coming trials will showcase the best.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: The Iraq situation is getting part of the blame for a drop in President Bush's job approval rating. The "Newsweek" poll was taken Thursday and Friday. And it shows 42 percent of Americans approve of how President Bush is handling his job. 52 percent disapprove.

So did past presidents stack up here? Well, here's some approval ratings taken in the month of May during election years. Bill Clinton, 48 percent; George Bush, 35 percent; Ronald Reagan, 54 percent; Jimmy Carter, 38 percent; and Gerald Ford, 47 percent.

The "Newsweek" poll respondents were asked if the U.S. will successfully establish a stable democratic government in Iraq over the long term. 12 percent are very confident it will. 30 percent are somewhat confident. And 27 percent are not too confident. Another 27 percent are not at all confident.

Well, here are some of the stories making news across America now. In Colorado, three people were killed when a 40 ton steel girder dropped from overpass onto their car. An investigation is currently underway into whether the support girder collapse was caused by criminal activity. But police say that is not likely.

Former South Dakota Congressmen Bill Janklow gets out of jail tomorrow. He was sentenced to 100 days after his manslaughter conviction stemming from a fatal traffic accident last August. Janklow still faces a wrongful death suit that's filed by the victim's family.

CHOI: More than 2,000 people gathered in Virginia for the oldest Civil War re-enactment in the country. It is their 140th anniversary of the Confederate victory in the new market battle. More than 1300 soldiers died in that battle.

Smarty Jones is two-thirds of the way to the Triple Crown following his record breaking performance at the Preakness. Look at him go. The colt won by nearly 12 lengths to stay undefeated. There hasn't been a Triple Crown winner in more than a quarter century. The Belmont completes the Triple Crown on June 5th.

ROBERTS: Let's fast forward to see what's coming up this week. On Monday, a state supreme court ruling goes into effect that legalizes same sex marriage in Massachusetts. But even then, the legal wrangling is not going to be over.

On Tuesday, the 9/11 Commission begins two more days of hearings. And this time, the focus is the emergency response to the terror attacks. And in Iraq on Wednesday, the first court martial related to prisoner abuse begins. Specialist Jeremy Sivits is facing three charges and could spend up to a year in prison if found guilty. The military is providing broad public access to the trial and is inviting Arab news media.

CHOI: Well, if you want to vote this November, we've got an important word for you, register. Later this hour, we will tell you how to make sure your voice will be heard.

ROBERTS: And is there such a thing as a free prom dress? Well one girl's dream becomes her legacy.

CHOI: And up next, is your apartment too tight? We'll tell you how to get more space without breaking your lease.

ROBERTS: OK, but first, before we let you go, here's your assignment this morning. Try your hand in caption writing on this. This ostrich in Taiwan escaped from a petting zoo. And the police literally, look at this, fine, pull it over. Send us your captions at wam@cnn.com. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...mauve carpet throughout, except for the kitchen, which had really scary faded blotchy formally beige, not yellowed squares. Closet was really small. And there was a long wall kind of leading into the bedroom that we decided to take out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: OK, so these are some before pictures. You know, do it yourself TV shows, they've been all the rage. But are you tired of watching people re-do their big houses, while you're stuck in a teeny apartment?

Well, now there's a new show that's going to take your small space into account. Joining us now from New York is designer Marco Pasanella. He's from HGTV's "Small Spaces: Big Style."

Marco, good morning. Great to have you with us.

MARCO PASANELLA, DESIGNER, "SMALL SPACES: BIG STYLE": Good morning.

ROBERTS: OK, so now finally a show that somebody that has that little apartment. We're tired of these big houses getting a re-do. It's time for the smaller space to have the macro big style, isn't it?

PASANELLA: Exactly. I mean, in fact, the lessons you've learned in the small space are good for any size building. You have a big house, you still can have -- learn the same lessons.

ROBERTS: So it can apply across the board. So where do we start first? What is the first thing, if we do have a smaller space, that we're trying to make seem larger?

PASANELLA: Well, here's some tips. The first thing would be if you have -- you want to make the ceiling seem taller, to paint the floor a darker color. That's going to make the floor recede and the ceiling go up.

ROBERTS: So if you paint the floor a darker color, do you have to worry about your lighting for the space? Isn't it going to make the same space kind of dark and dank?

PASANELLA: Yes, actually, lighting is a real tricky thing for a small apartment. In fact, you've got to get it right. Recessed lighting does add more space, but so does -- another trick is to add a lot of light at a low level. Let's say five lights per room, generally. 40 watt bulbs, not too bright. And then keep them at eye level so that you don't get shadows under your eyes.

ROBERTS: Now what about function? You know, when somebody has a small space, a lot of rooms, they double as two or three things. You know, living room den. Or you know, a kitchen could revolve around also being an office space. So it's multi functioned really important here?

PASANELLA: Oh, it's critical. And you've got to think of the opportunities you can get. For example, maybe your desk doesn't have drawers in it so that you can turn it into a dining table. You have to think creatively about using the same space for more than one function at the same time.

ROBERTS: And for all of us, you know, whether you come from a big place or a small space, storage always seems to be a trick. So how do people with a small space come up with the right storage ideas?

PASANELLA: Well, storage is a huge, huge deal because no matter how much you pair down, you're still going to have a lot of stuff. Your storage should look as good as the stuff that's next to it. And whether that's doing something dramatic like having a whole wall of metal boxes or taking a sort of simple bookshelf and cloaking it with a floor to ceiling linen curtain, you want to have something that looks as good as the stuff around it.

ROBERTS: Now we have some tips up on the screen as well, talking about color, also talking about bringing in nature. What do you recommend about that? Is white the way to go to make things seem larger?

PASANELLA: White can be the way to go. What is definitely sort of a good thing to keep in mind is that you want to try to reduce the visual clutter by keeping your color consistent. Maybe it's white, maybe it's tan, maybe it's green.

Generally speaking, warmer colors like red make things cozier. Cooler colors like blue make things airier.

ROBERTS: Marco, what do we do if we are small spaced, small budget? How do we accomplish this?

PASANELLA: You got to choose your battles wisely.

ROBERTS: Choose wisely. So what does that mean? You need just one or two good pieces, things like that?

PASANELLA: You do one or two good pieces. You know, you have to embrace the constraints. You have to say I don't have -- thank goodness I don't have all these daunting choices. Thank goodness I don't have room for my mother-in-law.

But I could potentially splurge. But if a bed is the biggest thing in one room, perhaps you then -- you splurge on the really great Mongolian lamp bedspread or something that's going to make a real statement.

ROBERTS: Well, we're looking now at some of the after images here from tonight's special. Again, we want to tell everybody it's on HGTV. It's called "Small Spaces: Big Style." And everybody's going to get a lot of help tonight when you go and invade all these small apartments around the country.

Marco Pasanella, designer from the show, we appreciate your time this morning. And now we can all go home and work today and try and figure out how to improve our small space.

PASANELLA: Oh, and I appreciate it, too. And if you want more info, HGTV.com.

ROBERTS: OK, Marco, thanks again.

PASANELLA: Thanks.

ROBERTS: Sophia, back to you.

CHOI: What started as one girl's dream is now a fairy tale come true for hundreds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like Cinderella in the dress. Feel like Cinderella.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHOI: But wait until you hear the history and legacy of Becca's Closet next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHOI: Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. For many high school students around the country, it is prom time, time to fuss over finding that right date. And of course, the right outfit.

But for many young girls, playing dress up would not be possible without Becca's Closet.

CNN's John Zarrella explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The dress fit Linda Partain as if it had been made just for her.

LINDA PARTAIN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I feel like Cinderella in the dress. Feel like Cinderella.

ZARRELLA: Linda is one of about 100 girls who come here each weekend to Becca's Closet, a booth at a flea market near Fort Lauderdale. The girls share a common bond.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Turn around.

ZARRELLA: Prom night is coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like that one.

ZARRELLA: If it wasn't for Becca's Closet, many of these girls might not have that special dress to wear on that special night.

NANCY PARTAIN, LINDA'S MOTHER: Our family had some financial problems this year. So I told Linda I don't know what we're going to be able to do for prom because proms can be very expensive for a girl by the time you finish with hair and nails and dresses, and the whole works.

ZARRELLA: A couple years ago, 16-year old Rebecca Kirtman started a dress bank. She got a company to donate prom dresses and then gave them to girls who couldn't afford them.

Last August, Rebecca died in a car accident, but her dream did not.

CHELSEA KOFF, REBECCA'S SCHOOLMATE: The way to keep her spirit alive. It's what we do for her.

ZARRELLA: Rebecca's family and friends have taken her dream and grown it. Before she died, Rebecca had put smiles on the faces of about 250 Cinderellas. Now there are thousands of donated dresses. And Becca's Closets are in several states.

JAY KIRTMAN,REBECCA'S FATHER: We're looking for is a national retailer to step forward, so we can open up a Becca's Closet everywhere. And any girl that needs a dress will get one.

ZARRELLA: And need is based solely on the honor system.

(on camera): After the girls pick out that perfect prom dress, they come here to Rosemary Cosmetics, where they're given just the right make-up and lipstick to complement their dresses.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a little bit of color in your cheeks, but really natural.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): The girls get to keep the make-up and the dresses. And there's no charge. But Rebecca's family and friends are rewarded in smiles and the joy Rebecca's dream brings.

John Zarrella, CNN, Pompano Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHOI: And you take another walk through Becca's Closet when her parents appear live on CNN today. Pam and Jay Kirtman will be our guests on CNN SUNDAY at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

ROBERTS: That is truly a great story. You know, last thing is driving around town. You could see everybody -- all the kids were outside around 6:00 last night at all the good restaurants in Atlanta, all dressed up, prom dresses on...

CHOI: We've got to ask Jacqui, what color was your dress?

JACQUI JERAS, METEOROLOGIST: Black my senior year. I still have it.

CHOI: Oh, you do?

JERAS: Yes, I really do.

CHOI: No, I do not have mine, thank you very much.

JERAS: And pink the year before. Anyway.

ROBERTS: All right, so how are we doing weather wise today?

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: Time now for a quick check of the headlines for you. A report in "New Yorker" magazine says Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved a plan that led to the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The "New Yorker" says the new rules encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation. The Pentagon is denying the report.

Secretary of State Colin Powell says Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat is making it difficult to move forward with peace in the Middle East. Powell made the remarks this morning at the World Economic Forum in Jordan.

CHOI: But how has the U.S. imaging changing in the Arab world? Find out when we take you live to Jordan next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be athletes and rappers because we only see that sweet part. We're seeing the cards, the houses, the girls, the money, the clothes. We're seeing all that good stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: And later, 50 years after racial segregation was officially ended in American schools, why does a racial gap still exist? We take a look.

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


Aired May 16, 2004 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for May the 16th. Great to have you with us. I'm Thomas Roberts.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Sophia Choi. Thanks so much for starting your Sunday with us. And here's what's on tap this hour.

Pointing fingers, a "New Yorker" article called "The Grey Zone" accuses Defense Secretary Rumsfeld of authorizing a secret program that encouraged sexual humiliation and physical coercion of Iraqi prisoners. The Pentagon denies it.

Also ahead, the ins and outs of voter registration from a timeline to the dotted line, we'll tell you what you need to know. And need space? Decorating tips on how to make small spaces chic and stylish on a tight budget.

But first, our headlines.

ROBERTS: Secretary of State Colin Powell today apologized for the humiliation and abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of American soldiers. He made the apology in Jordan, while attending the World Economic Forum. Scandal has tarnished U.S. credibility around the globe, especially in the Arab world.

Well, both Israelis and Palestinians have taken to the streets this weekend. A crowd of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, backing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from Gaza. Palestinians demonstrated in Gaza and the West Bank, denouncing the founding of Israel on May the 15th, 1948.

In southern Afghanistan, suspected insurgents attacked a coalition combat patrol, killing one American soldier and slightly wounding two others. The U.S. military says one anti-coalition fighter was detained after that attack.

And at the Vatican, the pope named six new saints today, including a woman who became a symbol for abortion opponents. Thousands of pilgrims attended the ceremony in St. Peters Square. John Paul II has now elevated 480 people to sainthood during his 25 year papacy.

CHOI: Our top story this hour puts the focus again on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. A Pentagon spokesman calls the latest allegations outlandish, conspiratorial and filled with error and anonymous conjecture.

He's talking about an article in "The New Yorker" by Pulitzer prize winning journalist Seymour Hirsch. It says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized expansion of a secret program that encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners.

Hirsch quotes an unnamed former intelligence officer as saying that fewer than 200 operatives and officials, including Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were completely read into the program.

Hirsch writes, "Rumsfeld authorized the establishment of a highly secret program that was given blanket advanced approval to kill or capture, and if possible, interrogate high value targets.

A denial comes from Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Dorita. "No responsible official of the Department of Defense approved any program that could conceivably have been intended to result in such abuses as witnessed in recent photos and videos."

The only ones charged so far in the prison abuse scandal are seven members of the Army military reserve military police, enlisted personnel who were assigned to Abu Ghraib prison.

The courts martial began this week at CNN's Kathleen Koch reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're being called the most important military prosecutions since Vietnam. First in court, Specialist Jeremy Sivits was offered to plead guilty and to testify against the other six soldiers charged. Wednesday, he faces a special court martial, similar to a civilian misdemeanor trial with a penalty of no more than a year in prison.

On Thursday, more serious general courts martialed again for two other defendants, Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick and Sergeant Javal Davis. An attorney for Army specialist Charles Graner also charged in the alleged abuses summarized his client's defense.

GUY WOMACK, GRANER'S ATTORNEY: He's following orders like a good soldier should. Keep in mind the environment that existed at Abu Ghraib, this was an interrogation center. He was being directed by military intelligence officers and others in the intel community.

KOCH: But the military says the requirement to follow orders doesn't apply to patently illegal orders. Another defense cited by an attorney for Private First Class Lynndie England, lack of training to the criticism of a former POW.

ROSE MARY ZAPOR, LYNNDIE ENGLAND'S FAMILY ATTY: So you have a balancing situation here with a young girl who is not sophisticated, who has basically 30 days of training in how to handle situations such as this, and who is a clerk. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's no excuse. You're a soldier first. I was just a cook, but I think I handled myself very well underneath the pressure.

KOCH: Though no commanding officers are yet charged, one expert predicts the military legal process will soon look upward.

THOMAS MORRISON, PROF., GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: It is the duty of the people who are there at the time and the supervisors of the people that are there to draw those lines, to watch what's going on, to monitor how prisoners are being treated and taken care of, and make policy and issue orders, and set rules.

KOCH: Secretary of State Colin Powell Saturday assured an international audience the search for justice would not stop at enlisted soldiers.

COLIN POWELL, SEC. OF STATE: We will make sure that any problems we had within our system of command are dealt with. I want you to know that you are about to see American democracy in action.

KOCH (on camera): The case increasingly being made that while the prison abuse has illustrated the worst of the U.S. military, the coming trials will showcase the best.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: The Iraq situation is getting part of the blame for a drop in President Bush's job approval rating. The "Newsweek" poll was taken Thursday and Friday. And it shows 42 percent of Americans approve of how President Bush is handling his job. 52 percent disapprove.

So did past presidents stack up here? Well, here's some approval ratings taken in the month of May during election years. Bill Clinton, 48 percent; George Bush, 35 percent; Ronald Reagan, 54 percent; Jimmy Carter, 38 percent; and Gerald Ford, 47 percent.

The "Newsweek" poll respondents were asked if the U.S. will successfully establish a stable democratic government in Iraq over the long term. 12 percent are very confident it will. 30 percent are somewhat confident. And 27 percent are not too confident. Another 27 percent are not at all confident.

Well, here are some of the stories making news across America now. In Colorado, three people were killed when a 40 ton steel girder dropped from overpass onto their car. An investigation is currently underway into whether the support girder collapse was caused by criminal activity. But police say that is not likely.

Former South Dakota Congressmen Bill Janklow gets out of jail tomorrow. He was sentenced to 100 days after his manslaughter conviction stemming from a fatal traffic accident last August. Janklow still faces a wrongful death suit that's filed by the victim's family.

CHOI: More than 2,000 people gathered in Virginia for the oldest Civil War re-enactment in the country. It is their 140th anniversary of the Confederate victory in the new market battle. More than 1300 soldiers died in that battle.

Smarty Jones is two-thirds of the way to the Triple Crown following his record breaking performance at the Preakness. Look at him go. The colt won by nearly 12 lengths to stay undefeated. There hasn't been a Triple Crown winner in more than a quarter century. The Belmont completes the Triple Crown on June 5th.

ROBERTS: Let's fast forward to see what's coming up this week. On Monday, a state supreme court ruling goes into effect that legalizes same sex marriage in Massachusetts. But even then, the legal wrangling is not going to be over.

On Tuesday, the 9/11 Commission begins two more days of hearings. And this time, the focus is the emergency response to the terror attacks. And in Iraq on Wednesday, the first court martial related to prisoner abuse begins. Specialist Jeremy Sivits is facing three charges and could spend up to a year in prison if found guilty. The military is providing broad public access to the trial and is inviting Arab news media.

CHOI: Well, if you want to vote this November, we've got an important word for you, register. Later this hour, we will tell you how to make sure your voice will be heard.

ROBERTS: And is there such a thing as a free prom dress? Well one girl's dream becomes her legacy.

CHOI: And up next, is your apartment too tight? We'll tell you how to get more space without breaking your lease.

ROBERTS: OK, but first, before we let you go, here's your assignment this morning. Try your hand in caption writing on this. This ostrich in Taiwan escaped from a petting zoo. And the police literally, look at this, fine, pull it over. Send us your captions at wam@cnn.com. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...mauve carpet throughout, except for the kitchen, which had really scary faded blotchy formally beige, not yellowed squares. Closet was really small. And there was a long wall kind of leading into the bedroom that we decided to take out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: OK, so these are some before pictures. You know, do it yourself TV shows, they've been all the rage. But are you tired of watching people re-do their big houses, while you're stuck in a teeny apartment?

Well, now there's a new show that's going to take your small space into account. Joining us now from New York is designer Marco Pasanella. He's from HGTV's "Small Spaces: Big Style."

Marco, good morning. Great to have you with us.

MARCO PASANELLA, DESIGNER, "SMALL SPACES: BIG STYLE": Good morning.

ROBERTS: OK, so now finally a show that somebody that has that little apartment. We're tired of these big houses getting a re-do. It's time for the smaller space to have the macro big style, isn't it?

PASANELLA: Exactly. I mean, in fact, the lessons you've learned in the small space are good for any size building. You have a big house, you still can have -- learn the same lessons.

ROBERTS: So it can apply across the board. So where do we start first? What is the first thing, if we do have a smaller space, that we're trying to make seem larger?

PASANELLA: Well, here's some tips. The first thing would be if you have -- you want to make the ceiling seem taller, to paint the floor a darker color. That's going to make the floor recede and the ceiling go up.

ROBERTS: So if you paint the floor a darker color, do you have to worry about your lighting for the space? Isn't it going to make the same space kind of dark and dank?

PASANELLA: Yes, actually, lighting is a real tricky thing for a small apartment. In fact, you've got to get it right. Recessed lighting does add more space, but so does -- another trick is to add a lot of light at a low level. Let's say five lights per room, generally. 40 watt bulbs, not too bright. And then keep them at eye level so that you don't get shadows under your eyes.

ROBERTS: Now what about function? You know, when somebody has a small space, a lot of rooms, they double as two or three things. You know, living room den. Or you know, a kitchen could revolve around also being an office space. So it's multi functioned really important here?

PASANELLA: Oh, it's critical. And you've got to think of the opportunities you can get. For example, maybe your desk doesn't have drawers in it so that you can turn it into a dining table. You have to think creatively about using the same space for more than one function at the same time.

ROBERTS: And for all of us, you know, whether you come from a big place or a small space, storage always seems to be a trick. So how do people with a small space come up with the right storage ideas?

PASANELLA: Well, storage is a huge, huge deal because no matter how much you pair down, you're still going to have a lot of stuff. Your storage should look as good as the stuff that's next to it. And whether that's doing something dramatic like having a whole wall of metal boxes or taking a sort of simple bookshelf and cloaking it with a floor to ceiling linen curtain, you want to have something that looks as good as the stuff around it.

ROBERTS: Now we have some tips up on the screen as well, talking about color, also talking about bringing in nature. What do you recommend about that? Is white the way to go to make things seem larger?

PASANELLA: White can be the way to go. What is definitely sort of a good thing to keep in mind is that you want to try to reduce the visual clutter by keeping your color consistent. Maybe it's white, maybe it's tan, maybe it's green.

Generally speaking, warmer colors like red make things cozier. Cooler colors like blue make things airier.

ROBERTS: Marco, what do we do if we are small spaced, small budget? How do we accomplish this?

PASANELLA: You got to choose your battles wisely.

ROBERTS: Choose wisely. So what does that mean? You need just one or two good pieces, things like that?

PASANELLA: You do one or two good pieces. You know, you have to embrace the constraints. You have to say I don't have -- thank goodness I don't have all these daunting choices. Thank goodness I don't have room for my mother-in-law.

But I could potentially splurge. But if a bed is the biggest thing in one room, perhaps you then -- you splurge on the really great Mongolian lamp bedspread or something that's going to make a real statement.

ROBERTS: Well, we're looking now at some of the after images here from tonight's special. Again, we want to tell everybody it's on HGTV. It's called "Small Spaces: Big Style." And everybody's going to get a lot of help tonight when you go and invade all these small apartments around the country.

Marco Pasanella, designer from the show, we appreciate your time this morning. And now we can all go home and work today and try and figure out how to improve our small space.

PASANELLA: Oh, and I appreciate it, too. And if you want more info, HGTV.com.

ROBERTS: OK, Marco, thanks again.

PASANELLA: Thanks.

ROBERTS: Sophia, back to you.

CHOI: What started as one girl's dream is now a fairy tale come true for hundreds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like Cinderella in the dress. Feel like Cinderella.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHOI: But wait until you hear the history and legacy of Becca's Closet next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHOI: Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. For many high school students around the country, it is prom time, time to fuss over finding that right date. And of course, the right outfit.

But for many young girls, playing dress up would not be possible without Becca's Closet.

CNN's John Zarrella explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The dress fit Linda Partain as if it had been made just for her.

LINDA PARTAIN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I feel like Cinderella in the dress. Feel like Cinderella.

ZARRELLA: Linda is one of about 100 girls who come here each weekend to Becca's Closet, a booth at a flea market near Fort Lauderdale. The girls share a common bond.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Turn around.

ZARRELLA: Prom night is coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like that one.

ZARRELLA: If it wasn't for Becca's Closet, many of these girls might not have that special dress to wear on that special night.

NANCY PARTAIN, LINDA'S MOTHER: Our family had some financial problems this year. So I told Linda I don't know what we're going to be able to do for prom because proms can be very expensive for a girl by the time you finish with hair and nails and dresses, and the whole works.

ZARRELLA: A couple years ago, 16-year old Rebecca Kirtman started a dress bank. She got a company to donate prom dresses and then gave them to girls who couldn't afford them.

Last August, Rebecca died in a car accident, but her dream did not.

CHELSEA KOFF, REBECCA'S SCHOOLMATE: The way to keep her spirit alive. It's what we do for her.

ZARRELLA: Rebecca's family and friends have taken her dream and grown it. Before she died, Rebecca had put smiles on the faces of about 250 Cinderellas. Now there are thousands of donated dresses. And Becca's Closets are in several states.

JAY KIRTMAN,REBECCA'S FATHER: We're looking for is a national retailer to step forward, so we can open up a Becca's Closet everywhere. And any girl that needs a dress will get one.

ZARRELLA: And need is based solely on the honor system.

(on camera): After the girls pick out that perfect prom dress, they come here to Rosemary Cosmetics, where they're given just the right make-up and lipstick to complement their dresses.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a little bit of color in your cheeks, but really natural.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): The girls get to keep the make-up and the dresses. And there's no charge. But Rebecca's family and friends are rewarded in smiles and the joy Rebecca's dream brings.

John Zarrella, CNN, Pompano Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHOI: And you take another walk through Becca's Closet when her parents appear live on CNN today. Pam and Jay Kirtman will be our guests on CNN SUNDAY at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

ROBERTS: That is truly a great story. You know, last thing is driving around town. You could see everybody -- all the kids were outside around 6:00 last night at all the good restaurants in Atlanta, all dressed up, prom dresses on...

CHOI: We've got to ask Jacqui, what color was your dress?

JACQUI JERAS, METEOROLOGIST: Black my senior year. I still have it.

CHOI: Oh, you do?

JERAS: Yes, I really do.

CHOI: No, I do not have mine, thank you very much.

JERAS: And pink the year before. Anyway.

ROBERTS: All right, so how are we doing weather wise today?

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: Time now for a quick check of the headlines for you. A report in "New Yorker" magazine says Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved a plan that led to the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The "New Yorker" says the new rules encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation. The Pentagon is denying the report.

Secretary of State Colin Powell says Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat is making it difficult to move forward with peace in the Middle East. Powell made the remarks this morning at the World Economic Forum in Jordan.

CHOI: But how has the U.S. imaging changing in the Arab world? Find out when we take you live to Jordan next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be athletes and rappers because we only see that sweet part. We're seeing the cards, the houses, the girls, the money, the clothes. We're seeing all that good stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: And later, 50 years after racial segregation was officially ended in American schools, why does a racial gap still exist? We take a look.

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