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CNN Sunday Morning

Najaf Peace Deal in Doubt; Interview With Akbar Ahmed

Aired May 30, 2004 - 08:00   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.


DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
And from the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

It's May 30. Good morning, I'm Drew Griffin.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us today. Here's a look at what's ahead this hour.

It's another day to keep your head down in Tornado Alley. We'll tell you where the storms are brewing today.

Also, no turning back, an Islamic scholar will explain why the handover must take place on June 30, no matter what.

And later, the high price of gas in Britain has some owners circling the wagons. The next big thing, the quest for pint-size transportation.

GRIFFIN: We begin in Iraq, where the headlines begin this morning. The Najaf peace deal in serious us doubt today. U.S. military officials say about 100 police who planned to begin joint patrols with U.S. forces have suddenly left Najaf, they simply skipped town. Despite a peace deal, there was more fighting today between coalition forces and radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr's militia.

Iraqi police have ordered the Iraqi National Congress to permanently get out of their office in Ramadi west of Baghdad. An INC leader says he hopes to work out a solution to the demand. Two weeks ago, the Baghdad compound of the group's leader, Ahmed Chalabi, was raided by U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Fires burned in Karachi, Pakistan. An angry mob is protesting the killing of an Islamic scholar. The victim was known for preaching against American policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was killed. His son, driver and bodyguard were wounded when gunmen opened fire on their car.

NGUYEN: Our top story this morning, Saudi troops storm a building in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, killing or capturing gunmen and freeing as many as 50 hostages. The arrival of Saudi Special Forces was followed by a burst of gunfire. But officials say most of the hostages are safe and in good condition. But earlier, 11 people, including one American, were killed when the gunmen attacked a compound housing oil workers. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERWAN MOWAD, WITNESS: I opened the door to look out and the two guys that were work on the inside security gate were in the section where we live. We're running toward the villa and they rushed into the villa. There were three or four terrorists just jumped over the gate and came in with sub machine guns so. I immediately told everybody to go inside, lock the door, close the curtain, shut the light off, and we went upstairs to a safe place on the second floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Saudi officials sat attack was inspired by al Qaeda and designed to disrupt the Saudi economy.

GRIFFIN: Tornadoes tear across the Midwest this weekend; devastating effect in Missouri. Homes also destroyed and power lines knocked down in many parts of Kansas. Take a look at this. The worst damage appears to be in north central and south central parts of that state. The tornado that ripped through Creek County, Oklahoma destroyed at least a dozen homes there. No reports of injuries in Oklahoma.

NGUYEN: And Mother Nature is helping out a little bit. After about two weeks, firefighters in New Mexico finally got some good news. Favorable winds have allowed crews to get some control over fires that have scorched 29,000 acres. The blaze is now about 30 percent contained. Firefighters are trying to get ahead of it before it reaches 30 homes in a small mountain community.

Smokey the Bear said only you can prevent forest fires. Well, in California, they're heeding Smokey's warnings by making plans to fight the fires before they start.

CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is one of millions of dead and dying trees in just one forest.

MIKE DIETRICH, FIRE CHIEF, SAN BERNARDINO NAT'L FOREST: Now, the work starts.

MARQUEZ: Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest was wracked by fire last year; and with hot, dry weather approaching, it could be another season of fire.

DIETRICH: All the conditions are lined up in terms of extremely dry, field moistures, another year of drought.

MARQUEZ: Another year drought, another year of the bark beetle; a minuscule bug slowly devouring forests from Alaska to New Mexico. An infrared image of just one section of San Bernardino shows just how much the forest is damaged by fire and bugs.

LIZ HARRIS, MAYOR, BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA: There is a certain amount of fear because we know we're sitting on the tinderbox.

MARQUEZ: Last year's fire never reached the resort town of Big Bear, but the bark beetle infests trees that surround it.

HARRIS: Everybody is working to remove dead trees and to manage the fire situation. But the worst-case scenario, of course, would be another fire for us.

MARQUEZ: Researchers say one fire at the right time in the right place could wipe out entire forests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people who live in our forests are in danger because we have not been good land stewards.

MARQUEZ: Too many years, say researchers, of not allowing the forest to burn and re-grow naturally. So the idea now: return forests to a more natural state by reducing tree, in some cases, from as many as 2,000 per acre to about 50.

DIETRICH: This is probably quite a bit closer to what was here several hundred years ago.

MARQUEZ: The cost is staggering. Sixteen million dollars is being spent in the San Bernardino National Forest this year to cull trees. But the Forest Service estimates the cost at about $300 million over 10 years. Multiply that over the entire western United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will cost $60 billion over the next 15 years just for the initial restoration of 73 million acres of land.

MARQUEZ (on camera): Researchers say it will take billions more to maintain the forests. And with little to no profit to be made from dead trees, most of the tab would have to be picked up by the taxpayer.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Two prominent figures from the Watergate era have died. Former special prosecutor Archibald Cox died at his home in Maine. He was 92 years old. Cox directed the search for secret White House tape recordings, but his refusal to give up led to his firing by President Nixon.

Sam Dash has died. He became a household name during the televised Watergate hearings. As chief counsel for the Watergate hearings, Dash led much of the questioning in those hearings. Sam Dash was 79 years old.

NGUYEN: President Bush has a busy week ahead, as he travels at home and abroad. And new pitches for his Iraq policy will be at the top of his to do list.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now with a look at the week ahead.

Good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Betty. This is a very important week for the president. He is honoring the sacrifice of all veterans, but at the same time, he is pushing for the Iraq policy. Trying to convince Americans that the U.S. is on the right course. It was just yesterday that the president participated in honoring World War II veterans at the memorial dedication. In his weekly radio address, he urged Americans to support the Iraq mission.

Now, here's what's going to happen in the coming week. There will be similar events. Tomorrow, he's going to be commemorating Memorial Day with a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. On Wednesday, he's going to be highlighting the Iraq mission at a commencement speech at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

And then later in the week, it is off to Europe. He's going to be in Rome where he is meeting with the pope. Then he's off to Normandy for D-Day, the 60-anniversary. One of the critical leaders he'll be meeting with, of course, is France's Jacques Chirac. He is going to try to seal and win the support of U.N. Security Council members for a resolution for Iraqi sovereignty.

As you know, Betty, of course, this is going to be a critical week for the president and certainly the stakes are high -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Critical and very busy. Thank you, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

GRIFFIN: Just one month to go until the handover of power in Iraq. What can we expect from the man tapped to be the new interim prime minister?

NGUYEN: Plus, what does it take to get decent gas mileage these days? It may just mean leaving old Bessie behind. Our Richard Quest will explain when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We're asking you, are the latest terror alerts changing your holiday plans? You can e-mail us now at wam@cnn.com.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: The political situation in the Iraqi city of Najaf is shaky at best. As we've told you, the joint patrol scheduled to begin today never happened. The U.S. military says Iraqi police, who fled the city, maybe concerned they'd be seen as collaborators.

And as CNN's Jane Arraf reports recent events aren't helping U.S. forces build trust.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): U.S. troops, weighed down by the scandal over prisoner abuse in Baghdad, are finding their message that Iraqis in Najaf should trust them a tough sell. The Second Armored Calvary Regiment is still treading lightly near the holy shrines. But in the last few days has been patrolling further within the city.

(on camera): This patrol is meant to show a presence in this part of Najaf and to find out what people think about the Mehdi army and the Americans here. Around here, a lot of people around seem undecided.

(voice-over): This psychological operations team stopped to find out what Iraqis think about the Mehdi army and its leader Muqtada al Sadr.

"He's a real Iraqi, a holy fighter," Jihad Dabar tells American Mike Arnes (ph). Not quite what Arnes was hoping to hear.

MIKE ARNES, U.S. ARMY: Why do you think he's hiding in the mosques.

ARRAF: But Dabar and his friend, Hamid Jabar don't want to talk about weapons and mosques. Jabar has seen reports of a U.S. strike near the Syrian border that may have killed 40 people; in what television reports claim was a wedding party. And the abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison, what's that about, he asks?

ARNES: There's a few bad military people, but that's not all of the military. They're going to go to trial and they're going to be tried just like criminals.

ARRAF: This psy-ops team leader says the scandal over Abu Ghraib is making their jobs more difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation there has caused a lot of the Iraqi people to doubt the Americans more than they had previously. Basically, they're associating the actions of a few soldiers that they've seen on TV with all American soldiers.

ARRAF: At another shop, troops tear down a calendar depicting Muqtada al Sadr and his assassinated father. The barber says he's a follower of the more moderate Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, that a customer gave him the calendar. "We're a people peace," he says.

In the same neighborhood, the same scene that's been played out in countless homes in Iraq unfolds, a mother distraught that her sons have been taken away for questioning. "Where did you take them," she asks?

ARNES: Whenever we take someone in what and we tell the families is that, you know, your son, daughter, whomever we detain will be treated with dignity and respect. And that is something we've always said. So, yes, what's happened at Abu Ghraib obviously, you know, when we say that now, they sort of give you that look. And so that's frustrating.

ARRAF: In the streets of Najaf, like other cities in Iraq, even those grateful that Saddam was removed don't trust United States. Many believe they've been given more reason for that lack of trust.

Jane Arraf, Najaf, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: With the handover of power in Iraq now just a month away, there's a sense of urgency about getting a political structure in place. For that we turn to Akbar Ahmed, author of "Islam Under Siege." He is a professor of international relations at American University in Washington.

And we want to thank you for joining us this morning.

AKBAR AHMED, PROFESSOR, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Good morning.

NGUYEN: We are about a month away and we just learned this week that Iyad Allawi has been tapped to run the Iraq's Governing Council. And what do you think about the challenges he faces and is he prepared?

AHMED: He faces many challenges. Firstly, he's been abroad for several decades. He comes from a bad background, which meant he had served Saddam Hussein and served as an intelligence officer. So not all Iraqi are thrilled by the appointment. At the same time, he has been identified, he is a practical man, he can put together -- cobble together a government and a team, and hopefully help the transfer of power as peacefully as possible. Very trying difficult days ahead for him.

NGUYEN: Let's talk about that team that he's going to be helping put together. Who needs to be on it?

AHMED: Well, he's a Shiia himself, which is a positive start because the Shiias are in the majority in Iraq. He's a practical man, he's having switched from one system to another, he's known to be a CIA agent at one time in the recent past. So he's capable of making pragmatic decisions. He will appreciate that in order to bring about some semblance of normality, he needs to take the major political forces on the ground, including the Grand Ayatollah Sistani on board. And I think he'll move in that direction.

NGUYEN: And Iraqis on the ground, let's talk about them. What do they need to see done? What do they have to have done before the handover?

AHMED: I think they need to see a lessening in the violence. What you're seeing really is a crescendo now, a climax in preparation for the handover in four, five weeks time. Civil war situations in some parts of some cities in Iraq, they need to see some security returning, some stability. That is the top priority for Iraq today, both for the administration and the civilian population. NGUYEN: And speaking of stability, let's talk a little bit now about the cleric Muqtada al Sadr. There was this agreement, and yet, we seeing fighting still. And we're learning today that 100 Iraqi policemen have left the city of Najaf. What's happening there?

AHMED: Well, again, there's an incompatibility in the objectives. Sadr wants to continue using the platform. He's emerged as the voice, as the poster boy of the opposition to the United States of America. He does not want to give that position up. At the same time, he does not want to be arrested and put away before the transfer of power.

I believe that he would want to play a major role in the political landscape of Iraq after the transfer of power. The forces there, the coalition forces would obviously like to marginalize him, or if possible to completely neutralize him. And that is not happening. Well, he's a difficult customer to contain.

NGUYEN: A lot do and time is running out. Akbar Ahmed, we want to thank you for your time today, professor at American University. Thank you.

AHMED: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Switching gears here, are gas prices driving you mad? Well, I think our Richard Quest has gone mad. He's found a car that drives circles around the others.

NGUYEN: Check it out. And good morning Minneapolis, we'll have your complete weather forecast after the break.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Updating headlines right now. Saudi authorities say most of the hostages were rescued, after these commandos stormed the building where they were being held hostage. It's not yet known if any hostages were killed in the operation. The saga began about 24 hours earlier, when armed gunmen attacked the residential compound of oil workers. At least 11 people were killed, including one American.

Let's get to our e-mail question this morning. Now we have questions, are the latest terror alerts changing your holiday plans? We've also added one, are the gas price changing your plans more than the terror alerts?

And from Ontario, California, John who is up early this morning says, "I refuse to make my plans in accordance with the terrorist threats. To do so would be doing exactly what they want. I hope that the rest of America refuses to let them win."

NGUYEN: And Mary Lou from Ashland, Nebraska writes, "Not the threats, but the gas prices are" changing her plans.

A lot of folks experiencing the pinch at the pump with those high gas prices at there. We want to thank you for those comments at cnn.com. Of course, we will to continue to ask questions throughout these shows, so you'll want to stay tuned for that.

Are you upset with the high price of gasoline, which we've been speaking of? Well, just remember it could be worse. You could live in Europe. Now, you may have seen this story by Richard Quest on CNN last week. If so, sit back and enjoy it again. If not, sit up and pay attention.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is Bessie, my pride and joy. Now, Bessie likes a bit of a drink. Truth be told, Bessie's got a bit of a drink problem. And getting just 18 miles a gallon here in central London, well, at today's prices it's going to cost me a fortune to give Bessie a decent drink. Now, of course, in Europe, we sell petrol in liters, not gallons. and there are four liters in the American gallon. Which means at these price it's going to cost about $6.50 per gallon. Look at the speed that thing is going round. It has cost me more than $100 to fill the tank. And unless the oil cartel OPEC comes to my rescue pretty soon, which seems unlikely, Bessie, it's time for a divorce.

Dolores, we must get to know each other a little bit better. This is more like it. Come on, dear. Let's see what you can do. So, with the smart car getting 60 miles to the gallon and gas at these prices, it's the little car that can that's driving circles around the gas-guzzlers.

Richard Quest, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Gas price do drive you mad.

(LAUGHTER)

GRIFFIN: Memorial kicks off the summer travel season, but fun in the sun could also mean accidental injuries. Up next, "HOUSE CALL" looking at ways to keep your children safe.

At 9:00 a.m. Eastern, while most kids decide how to spend their summer, he's getting a jump-start on his career. We're going to introduce you to an 11 year old who is reporting on the national spelling bee for his hometown newspaper.

And at 9:30 Eastern, you've heard about the warnings about new terror threats. Will your summer vacation be affected?

That's all ahead when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

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 30, 2004 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
And from the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

It's May 30. Good morning, I'm Drew Griffin.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us today. Here's a look at what's ahead this hour.

It's another day to keep your head down in Tornado Alley. We'll tell you where the storms are brewing today.

Also, no turning back, an Islamic scholar will explain why the handover must take place on June 30, no matter what.

And later, the high price of gas in Britain has some owners circling the wagons. The next big thing, the quest for pint-size transportation.

GRIFFIN: We begin in Iraq, where the headlines begin this morning. The Najaf peace deal in serious us doubt today. U.S. military officials say about 100 police who planned to begin joint patrols with U.S. forces have suddenly left Najaf, they simply skipped town. Despite a peace deal, there was more fighting today between coalition forces and radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr's militia.

Iraqi police have ordered the Iraqi National Congress to permanently get out of their office in Ramadi west of Baghdad. An INC leader says he hopes to work out a solution to the demand. Two weeks ago, the Baghdad compound of the group's leader, Ahmed Chalabi, was raided by U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Fires burned in Karachi, Pakistan. An angry mob is protesting the killing of an Islamic scholar. The victim was known for preaching against American policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was killed. His son, driver and bodyguard were wounded when gunmen opened fire on their car.

NGUYEN: Our top story this morning, Saudi troops storm a building in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, killing or capturing gunmen and freeing as many as 50 hostages. The arrival of Saudi Special Forces was followed by a burst of gunfire. But officials say most of the hostages are safe and in good condition. But earlier, 11 people, including one American, were killed when the gunmen attacked a compound housing oil workers. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERWAN MOWAD, WITNESS: I opened the door to look out and the two guys that were work on the inside security gate were in the section where we live. We're running toward the villa and they rushed into the villa. There were three or four terrorists just jumped over the gate and came in with sub machine guns so. I immediately told everybody to go inside, lock the door, close the curtain, shut the light off, and we went upstairs to a safe place on the second floor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Saudi officials sat attack was inspired by al Qaeda and designed to disrupt the Saudi economy.

GRIFFIN: Tornadoes tear across the Midwest this weekend; devastating effect in Missouri. Homes also destroyed and power lines knocked down in many parts of Kansas. Take a look at this. The worst damage appears to be in north central and south central parts of that state. The tornado that ripped through Creek County, Oklahoma destroyed at least a dozen homes there. No reports of injuries in Oklahoma.

NGUYEN: And Mother Nature is helping out a little bit. After about two weeks, firefighters in New Mexico finally got some good news. Favorable winds have allowed crews to get some control over fires that have scorched 29,000 acres. The blaze is now about 30 percent contained. Firefighters are trying to get ahead of it before it reaches 30 homes in a small mountain community.

Smokey the Bear said only you can prevent forest fires. Well, in California, they're heeding Smokey's warnings by making plans to fight the fires before they start.

CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is one of millions of dead and dying trees in just one forest.

MIKE DIETRICH, FIRE CHIEF, SAN BERNARDINO NAT'L FOREST: Now, the work starts.

MARQUEZ: Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest was wracked by fire last year; and with hot, dry weather approaching, it could be another season of fire.

DIETRICH: All the conditions are lined up in terms of extremely dry, field moistures, another year of drought.

MARQUEZ: Another year drought, another year of the bark beetle; a minuscule bug slowly devouring forests from Alaska to New Mexico. An infrared image of just one section of San Bernardino shows just how much the forest is damaged by fire and bugs.

LIZ HARRIS, MAYOR, BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA: There is a certain amount of fear because we know we're sitting on the tinderbox.

MARQUEZ: Last year's fire never reached the resort town of Big Bear, but the bark beetle infests trees that surround it.

HARRIS: Everybody is working to remove dead trees and to manage the fire situation. But the worst-case scenario, of course, would be another fire for us.

MARQUEZ: Researchers say one fire at the right time in the right place could wipe out entire forests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people who live in our forests are in danger because we have not been good land stewards.

MARQUEZ: Too many years, say researchers, of not allowing the forest to burn and re-grow naturally. So the idea now: return forests to a more natural state by reducing tree, in some cases, from as many as 2,000 per acre to about 50.

DIETRICH: This is probably quite a bit closer to what was here several hundred years ago.

MARQUEZ: The cost is staggering. Sixteen million dollars is being spent in the San Bernardino National Forest this year to cull trees. But the Forest Service estimates the cost at about $300 million over 10 years. Multiply that over the entire western United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will cost $60 billion over the next 15 years just for the initial restoration of 73 million acres of land.

MARQUEZ (on camera): Researchers say it will take billions more to maintain the forests. And with little to no profit to be made from dead trees, most of the tab would have to be picked up by the taxpayer.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Two prominent figures from the Watergate era have died. Former special prosecutor Archibald Cox died at his home in Maine. He was 92 years old. Cox directed the search for secret White House tape recordings, but his refusal to give up led to his firing by President Nixon.

Sam Dash has died. He became a household name during the televised Watergate hearings. As chief counsel for the Watergate hearings, Dash led much of the questioning in those hearings. Sam Dash was 79 years old.

NGUYEN: President Bush has a busy week ahead, as he travels at home and abroad. And new pitches for his Iraq policy will be at the top of his to do list.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now with a look at the week ahead.

Good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Betty. This is a very important week for the president. He is honoring the sacrifice of all veterans, but at the same time, he is pushing for the Iraq policy. Trying to convince Americans that the U.S. is on the right course. It was just yesterday that the president participated in honoring World War II veterans at the memorial dedication. In his weekly radio address, he urged Americans to support the Iraq mission.

Now, here's what's going to happen in the coming week. There will be similar events. Tomorrow, he's going to be commemorating Memorial Day with a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. On Wednesday, he's going to be highlighting the Iraq mission at a commencement speech at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

And then later in the week, it is off to Europe. He's going to be in Rome where he is meeting with the pope. Then he's off to Normandy for D-Day, the 60-anniversary. One of the critical leaders he'll be meeting with, of course, is France's Jacques Chirac. He is going to try to seal and win the support of U.N. Security Council members for a resolution for Iraqi sovereignty.

As you know, Betty, of course, this is going to be a critical week for the president and certainly the stakes are high -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Critical and very busy. Thank you, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

GRIFFIN: Just one month to go until the handover of power in Iraq. What can we expect from the man tapped to be the new interim prime minister?

NGUYEN: Plus, what does it take to get decent gas mileage these days? It may just mean leaving old Bessie behind. Our Richard Quest will explain when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We're asking you, are the latest terror alerts changing your holiday plans? You can e-mail us now at wam@cnn.com.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: The political situation in the Iraqi city of Najaf is shaky at best. As we've told you, the joint patrol scheduled to begin today never happened. The U.S. military says Iraqi police, who fled the city, maybe concerned they'd be seen as collaborators.

And as CNN's Jane Arraf reports recent events aren't helping U.S. forces build trust.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): U.S. troops, weighed down by the scandal over prisoner abuse in Baghdad, are finding their message that Iraqis in Najaf should trust them a tough sell. The Second Armored Calvary Regiment is still treading lightly near the holy shrines. But in the last few days has been patrolling further within the city.

(on camera): This patrol is meant to show a presence in this part of Najaf and to find out what people think about the Mehdi army and the Americans here. Around here, a lot of people around seem undecided.

(voice-over): This psychological operations team stopped to find out what Iraqis think about the Mehdi army and its leader Muqtada al Sadr.

"He's a real Iraqi, a holy fighter," Jihad Dabar tells American Mike Arnes (ph). Not quite what Arnes was hoping to hear.

MIKE ARNES, U.S. ARMY: Why do you think he's hiding in the mosques.

ARRAF: But Dabar and his friend, Hamid Jabar don't want to talk about weapons and mosques. Jabar has seen reports of a U.S. strike near the Syrian border that may have killed 40 people; in what television reports claim was a wedding party. And the abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison, what's that about, he asks?

ARNES: There's a few bad military people, but that's not all of the military. They're going to go to trial and they're going to be tried just like criminals.

ARRAF: This psy-ops team leader says the scandal over Abu Ghraib is making their jobs more difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The situation there has caused a lot of the Iraqi people to doubt the Americans more than they had previously. Basically, they're associating the actions of a few soldiers that they've seen on TV with all American soldiers.

ARRAF: At another shop, troops tear down a calendar depicting Muqtada al Sadr and his assassinated father. The barber says he's a follower of the more moderate Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, that a customer gave him the calendar. "We're a people peace," he says.

In the same neighborhood, the same scene that's been played out in countless homes in Iraq unfolds, a mother distraught that her sons have been taken away for questioning. "Where did you take them," she asks?

ARNES: Whenever we take someone in what and we tell the families is that, you know, your son, daughter, whomever we detain will be treated with dignity and respect. And that is something we've always said. So, yes, what's happened at Abu Ghraib obviously, you know, when we say that now, they sort of give you that look. And so that's frustrating.

ARRAF: In the streets of Najaf, like other cities in Iraq, even those grateful that Saddam was removed don't trust United States. Many believe they've been given more reason for that lack of trust.

Jane Arraf, Najaf, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: With the handover of power in Iraq now just a month away, there's a sense of urgency about getting a political structure in place. For that we turn to Akbar Ahmed, author of "Islam Under Siege." He is a professor of international relations at American University in Washington.

And we want to thank you for joining us this morning.

AKBAR AHMED, PROFESSOR, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Good morning.

NGUYEN: We are about a month away and we just learned this week that Iyad Allawi has been tapped to run the Iraq's Governing Council. And what do you think about the challenges he faces and is he prepared?

AHMED: He faces many challenges. Firstly, he's been abroad for several decades. He comes from a bad background, which meant he had served Saddam Hussein and served as an intelligence officer. So not all Iraqi are thrilled by the appointment. At the same time, he has been identified, he is a practical man, he can put together -- cobble together a government and a team, and hopefully help the transfer of power as peacefully as possible. Very trying difficult days ahead for him.

NGUYEN: Let's talk about that team that he's going to be helping put together. Who needs to be on it?

AHMED: Well, he's a Shiia himself, which is a positive start because the Shiias are in the majority in Iraq. He's a practical man, he's having switched from one system to another, he's known to be a CIA agent at one time in the recent past. So he's capable of making pragmatic decisions. He will appreciate that in order to bring about some semblance of normality, he needs to take the major political forces on the ground, including the Grand Ayatollah Sistani on board. And I think he'll move in that direction.

NGUYEN: And Iraqis on the ground, let's talk about them. What do they need to see done? What do they have to have done before the handover?

AHMED: I think they need to see a lessening in the violence. What you're seeing really is a crescendo now, a climax in preparation for the handover in four, five weeks time. Civil war situations in some parts of some cities in Iraq, they need to see some security returning, some stability. That is the top priority for Iraq today, both for the administration and the civilian population. NGUYEN: And speaking of stability, let's talk a little bit now about the cleric Muqtada al Sadr. There was this agreement, and yet, we seeing fighting still. And we're learning today that 100 Iraqi policemen have left the city of Najaf. What's happening there?

AHMED: Well, again, there's an incompatibility in the objectives. Sadr wants to continue using the platform. He's emerged as the voice, as the poster boy of the opposition to the United States of America. He does not want to give that position up. At the same time, he does not want to be arrested and put away before the transfer of power.

I believe that he would want to play a major role in the political landscape of Iraq after the transfer of power. The forces there, the coalition forces would obviously like to marginalize him, or if possible to completely neutralize him. And that is not happening. Well, he's a difficult customer to contain.

NGUYEN: A lot do and time is running out. Akbar Ahmed, we want to thank you for your time today, professor at American University. Thank you.

AHMED: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Switching gears here, are gas prices driving you mad? Well, I think our Richard Quest has gone mad. He's found a car that drives circles around the others.

NGUYEN: Check it out. And good morning Minneapolis, we'll have your complete weather forecast after the break.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

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GRIFFIN: Updating headlines right now. Saudi authorities say most of the hostages were rescued, after these commandos stormed the building where they were being held hostage. It's not yet known if any hostages were killed in the operation. The saga began about 24 hours earlier, when armed gunmen attacked the residential compound of oil workers. At least 11 people were killed, including one American.

Let's get to our e-mail question this morning. Now we have questions, are the latest terror alerts changing your holiday plans? We've also added one, are the gas price changing your plans more than the terror alerts?

And from Ontario, California, John who is up early this morning says, "I refuse to make my plans in accordance with the terrorist threats. To do so would be doing exactly what they want. I hope that the rest of America refuses to let them win."

NGUYEN: And Mary Lou from Ashland, Nebraska writes, "Not the threats, but the gas prices are" changing her plans.

A lot of folks experiencing the pinch at the pump with those high gas prices at there. We want to thank you for those comments at cnn.com. Of course, we will to continue to ask questions throughout these shows, so you'll want to stay tuned for that.

Are you upset with the high price of gasoline, which we've been speaking of? Well, just remember it could be worse. You could live in Europe. Now, you may have seen this story by Richard Quest on CNN last week. If so, sit back and enjoy it again. If not, sit up and pay attention.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is Bessie, my pride and joy. Now, Bessie likes a bit of a drink. Truth be told, Bessie's got a bit of a drink problem. And getting just 18 miles a gallon here in central London, well, at today's prices it's going to cost me a fortune to give Bessie a decent drink. Now, of course, in Europe, we sell petrol in liters, not gallons. and there are four liters in the American gallon. Which means at these price it's going to cost about $6.50 per gallon. Look at the speed that thing is going round. It has cost me more than $100 to fill the tank. And unless the oil cartel OPEC comes to my rescue pretty soon, which seems unlikely, Bessie, it's time for a divorce.

Dolores, we must get to know each other a little bit better. This is more like it. Come on, dear. Let's see what you can do. So, with the smart car getting 60 miles to the gallon and gas at these prices, it's the little car that can that's driving circles around the gas-guzzlers.

Richard Quest, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Gas price do drive you mad.

(LAUGHTER)

GRIFFIN: Memorial kicks off the summer travel season, but fun in the sun could also mean accidental injuries. Up next, "HOUSE CALL" looking at ways to keep your children safe.

At 9:00 a.m. Eastern, while most kids decide how to spend their summer, he's getting a jump-start on his career. We're going to introduce you to an 11 year old who is reporting on the national spelling bee for his hometown newspaper.

And at 9:30 Eastern, you've heard about the warnings about new terror threats. Will your summer vacation be affected?

That's all ahead when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

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