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CNN Sunday Morning

Allawi Expected to Extend Amnesty to Low-Level Insurgents in Iraq; Bush Campaigns in Battleground States

Aired July 04, 2004 - 09:30   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: In Iraq, less than a week after taking power, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is expected to extend amnesty to low-level insurgents. Sources say such a plan could potentially include Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. Details of this deal are expected to be announced on Monday.
Reconstruction at the World Trade Center site gets under way today as the cornerstone of a new skyscraper is set in place. When completed, the "Freedom Tower," as it is called, will stand 1776 feet high, meant to mark the year of America's independence.

And it wouldn't be the Fourth of July in Atlanta without the Peachtree Road race. 55,000 runners came from across the world to run in the 35th annual 10k race, the largest in the nation.

Some campaign fireworks on this July 4th as the president hits the battleground state crucial to his electoral victory. President Bush will visit Charleston, West Virginia today. White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is in Washington this morning with more. Suzanne?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Drew.

For a holiday it's going to be a very busy day for the president. He starts off in Camp David and then he goes to West Virginia, as you know, of course, a key battleground state. The president is going to start off by attending a church service, and then he'll be addressing several thousand people on the steps of the state capitol.

Now, this is the ninth trip of the president to that particular state. And polls show that President Bush and his opponent Kerry are essentially neck and neck here. This is a state that is overwhelmingly democratic, however, but of course it is a key state for a reelection bid. Also, Vice President Cheney in his two-day bus store taking a stop, a trip to West Virginia as well.

Now, President Bush today will make the case before the American people that it was worth it to go to war, that it was the right thing to do to get rid of Saddam Hussein's regime. This is particularly important in West Virginia where it really resonates in that community. About 77 percent of its National Guard troops are activated; also about 15 percent of the population there is made up of veterans, so this is going to be a very important day and important message for the president. Afterwards he will return here to Washington, the White House, that's where he will be watching the fire works from the balcony. Drew?

GRIFFIN: Suzanne, thank you for that. John Kerry will be celebrating this Independence Day in Independence, Iowa. That after a stop in Independence, Wisconsin yesterday. For more on Kerry's Midwest swing here is CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John Kerry could announce his choice of a vice presidential running mate as early as Tuesday. Whenever the announcement happens, he says it will first be released by e-mail to his supporters. Three politicians have been prominently mentioned, including Congressman Richard Gephardt, Senator John Edwards, and Governor Tom Vilsack.

Kerry says he has made no decision as of yet. He has been asked whether the decision has been narrowed down to two, and in response to that he said, quoting now, "That is news to me. That's complete fiction to me. I don't have any idea who's talking about what. I've made no decision yet. When I make a decision I'll be ready to announce it. I don't have any idea how anybody could speculate what's going on in my head."

The focus here is Kerry's three-day bus tour through the heartland. He has visited two very big farms in Wisconsin. He took a question and answer session here in Independence. Kerry wants to project himself as a voice of rural America.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm here to tell you with every ounce of conviction in my body, with every ounce of common sense that God's given me and my parents gave me over a lifetime, that we can make better decisions that stand by the middle class and the average worker and the average American in this country.

JOHNS: Kerry has also tried to create a connection that's memorable with voters in this part of the country. At one event he got up on the stage with the band and played the guitar. The campaign also laid out time for him to go trap shooting. Kerry, of course, has been stressing that he is a hunter even though he's gotten an "f" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Kerry has been talking about the interests of sportsmen in the environment.

KERRY: I'm a hunter; I'm a fisherman. I've been a hunter since I was 15 years old. But hunters understand you've got to protect the habitat. You want to hunt, you have to have places where the fish and fowl can spawn and grow and live, and survive.

JOHNS: Kerry wraps up his bus tour in Iowa, a state both campaigns are targeting.

Joe Johns, CNN, Independence, Wisconsin. (END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And a programming note on the campaign trail, Vanessa Kerry, John Kerry's daughter, will be one of the guests on CNN's "LATE EDITION." John King will host the program this week. It begins at noon eastern here on CNN.

Are Israeli interrogators operating in Iraq? The question raised after an interview with a former U.S. military commander. General Janice Karpinski told the BBC she once met an Israeli interrogator working at a secret facility in Iraq.

Karpinski was most recently in charge of the Abu Ghraib prison, site of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. She says that the Israeli interrogators did not work in Abu Ghraib. The use of Israeli interrogators is highly controversial because it could anger many Arabs. Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon issued a statement emphatically denying Karpinski's claim.

A new documentary brings home powerful images from the conflict in Iraq. It's called "Gunner's Palace," and features soldiers from the 1st Armored Division we featured earlier this hour. The filmmaker is Michael Tucker. Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL TUCKER, DIRECTOR, "GUNNER'S PALACE": All of us have watched the war on the news, but I think you are seeing it with a really long lens. I wanted to get as close as I could to them. To maybe stand a little bit in their shoes, feel what they are feeling. Fear what they are fearing.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Keep your eyes open. If it's anything like last night it's going to be ugly.

TUCKER: And almost get beyond they, where I can say we.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Welcome to gunner palace this palace was built after the first Gulf War for Saddam Hussein's first wife, later given to his son, Uday.

TUCKER: The unit is 2-3 Field Artillery, and their nickname is the gunners. They're based in Germany, and they're part of the 1st Armored Division. I was more interested in these people as personalities and talking to them. I wanted to know who are these soldiers fighting in this war.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Here it is.

TUCKER: When I arrived, there were a lot of weapons captured. The insurgency was just starting to rise up then, where the IAD attacks were starting. Mortar attacks were starting. It was becoming a very dangerous place to be.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Part of our $87 billion budget provided for us to have some secondary armor put on top of our thin-skinned Humvees. This armor was made in Iraq. It's high quality metal, and it will probably slow down the shrapnel so that it stays in your body instead of going clean through.

TUCKER: They really were acting like everything from policemen to social workers to politicians.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We have come so far so fast. Let's not digress.

TUCKER: And then at night, they would go out and raid houses.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Coming in.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Three RPG launchers. Do you know how many years of jail that is? That is 30 years in jail.

TUCKER: Every few weeks they would have something called Gunnerpalooza. They would have free style competitions where the soldiers would spit out free style raps. So I approached some of the core soldiers and said we can't interview you, let's do a free style about it.

Some of the stories they tell in the raps are more on target than any report. When I left the first time I thought I was done. Three, four weeks later the first soldier in the unit, Ben Colgan, was killed. He was the best soldier in the unit. It turned out later that Ben was not just Special Forces, that he had been in Delta Force.

I had hoped to somehow find an ending where I could respectfully tell what happened to him. Once I was done cutting that, I found there was so much more to tell, I didn't want to leave it hanging there. Then I decided to go back.

When I went back immediately upon arrival you could sense that it was different. Soldiers just gave off a feeling that they were exhausted. They were ready to go home. And you felt like they didn't really feel like they could do anything more.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Lose-lose situation we face in anticipation of hating. No need to like this, but please respect it.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We all talk about how when we're going to go home how proud we will be to be combat vets. How many people can say they are combat veterans? 19 years old, I fought in a war.

TUCKER: These soldiers are us wearing uniforms. They come from every walk of American life. I would hope people would listen to what they have to say and not what we think they should say. Because often what they say is pretty surprising.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I don't care what anybody says, [UNINTELLIGIBLE] anybody who has been here they have seen it, they've done it, they've done their job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: A view of Iraq we have not seen to this point.

Our favorite traveling family is in New York for the Fourth of July. We have been watching as this family, the Sprys, have made their way from California across the country in search of a new home. We'll visit with them after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Time to look ahead at what's expected to make news in the coming week.

A state-run newspaper in Yemen says two suspects thought to be masterminds behind the 2000 attack on the USS Cole will go on trial this week. A judicial source reporting that the two will be tried alongside four other suspects in the bombings. 17 American sailors were killed in that attack in 2000.

The trials of a different sort begin Friday in Sacramento, California where U.S. athletes will compete at the track & field Olympic trials. The "New York Times" news service is reporting that anti-doping officials are investigating a number of the athletes expected to compete next week for drugs.

And now let's see how our favorite traveling family is doing on the road. Steve Spry, Coleen Murphy and their son Ryan have been living an American dream since selling their house in Silicon Valley, packing up their RV and setting off in search of the perfect place to call home. That's the trail they left behind. It leads us now to New York City, where they are in the studio to tell us more about their journey.

Good morning, guys. How are you doing on this Fourth of July morning?

COLEEN MURPHY, TRAVELER: Good morning. Great.

GRIFFIN: What is the holiday plan today? You guys could have driven anywhere you want and you chose New York.

MURPHY: Go ahead.

STEVE SPRY, TRAVELER: We're actually staying with friends now. We will do the Fourth of July -- after going around Manhattan, we're going to do the Fourth of July barbecue and fireworks later this evening.

GRIFFIN: Steve, what is actually behind this? You guys left a home in California, you decided it just wasn't right for you, so you try to find a new home, but take a big trip instead to make sure you pick the perfect spot?

SPRY: Kind of like that. So, you know, our big thing was really putting ourselves in a position to think outside of the box, so to speak. And for us it was really perfect timing with Ryan's age and school or not having to worry about those issues that so many people have to worry about. But, you know, so for us it sort of put ourselves in a position to think differently. So, break the, you know, break the mold, so to speak.

GRIFFIN: Colleen, you have crisscrossed the country mostly along the southern route. Which has been the most memorable? Are there any possibilities you want to go back to and begin your life anew?

MURPHY: I would say probably the closest would be Austin so far. We have gone to a lot of places, but more kind of taking it easy. Not really looking for a place. I've heard South Carolina, North Carolina are really nice, which we didn't spend a lot of time there. So, I'd like to go back there and see those places.

GRIFFIN: And eventually, Colleen, what is the plan? When will you make your decision?

MURPHY: You know, it all depends. We are thinking soon we should probably start thinking about getting jobs somewhere. But the plan is that we have an RV, so if we find jobs for a period of time we could go someplace else and check out another place, also.

GRIFFIN: Where is that other place?

MURPHY: That's what we don't know. We don't know at this point.

SPRY: Today is actually our two-month anniversary. We said we would take the first 60 days and not think about it. Today is 60 days, so...

GRIFFIN: Are you guys tired? Weary? Rock and roll stars get tired living on the road. Don't you guys?

MURPHY: Not so far. You know, actually the longest drive we drove was through Washington, D.C. the other day. That was tiring. That was nine hours on the road.

SPRY: Yes, something like nine hours. Pretty bad traffic, and then it was fun getting to Baltimore. We were driving the whale thanks to the Maryland tollbooth commission or whatever it is, they left us kind of in some old city streets. So, it was -- it was tough, but we made it through.

GRIFFIN: You said you guys wanted to do this before Ryan has to go to school. Did you also want to do it before Ryan had his own thoughts and thoughts that his parents were crazy for doing this?

MURPHY: No, not really.

GRIFFIN: He's enjoying it, I assume?

MURPHY: He's having a great time.

GRIFFIN: OK. So Austin, Texas, is that the lead candidate so far in your journey?

MURPHY: I would say for myself.

GRIFFIN: Steve? MURPHY: Steve was thinking Key West.

SPRY: That's not reality.

MURPHY: Not practical.

SPRY: But, you know, I also liked Atlanta. You know, I look at it also from a jump starting a career standpoint, you know, good diversity in an area in terms of jobs, economics, things like that that -- so, you know, I -- personally I liked the Atlanta area.

MURPHY: That was very nice also.

GRIFFIN: All right. Steve Spry, Coleen Murphy, son Ryan on their continuous un-ending journey through America in search of the perfect spot. Thanks for joining us. Happy Fourth of July to you.

MURPHY: Thank you.

SPRY: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: A check of this morning's top stories is straight ahead. We're going to take you to New York again where they are laying the cornerstone for the "Freedom Tower" today. We say good morning to Denver, Colorado. Another complete weather forecast for the nation in about five minutes with Rob Marciano. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: That's a live look over Denver, Colorado. Good morning. Your Sunday forecast is just a minute away. First the headlines.

The Iraqi government said to be considering amnesty for Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. His militias have led attacks against U.S. forces, but in an interview with ABC News, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi says Al-Sadr could receive amnesty if he disbands his army. Al-Sadr has promised to do just that.

The militant group Ansar Al-Sunna is denying reports now that it has beheaded U.S. Marine colonel. Three Islamic websites had posted a message reporting that Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun had been beheaded.

And this is the look of the future at the World Trade Center site. "Freedom Tower" will rise some 70 stories and 1776 feet high. The first cornerstone for this building will be set into foundation at a ceremony a little later this morning.

We go now to Rob Marciano to see what the weather forecast is for Denver and everywhere else.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: Rob, thank you. This morning we have been asking viewers whether or not they are charcoal or gas users. It's our e- mail question of the day for the barbecue, and we do have some responses.

Charcoal all the way says M. Giselle (ph) of Boynton Beach, Florida. Gas is like an outdoor oven. It lacks all of the flavor of real barbecuing. Another person writes in from Oakridge, Tennessee. If you are going to cook on the grill with gas you might as well cook indoors on the stove. The only true grilling is with charcoal or wood.

And this, a history lesson. The word barbecue itself comes from the Tino (ph) Indian word barbacoa (ph), which was and is the traditional method of cooking over an open pyre. Bo Mottom (ph), great thanks, says Tino Macoo (ph).

Thank you for your responses this morning.

And finally on this morning, we are going to pause for a break. We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Finally this morning, hot dogs, parades, fireworks, the perfect combination for the Fourth of July, but lest we forget, it's also a day to remember the document that gave us the freedom we have today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: And that will do it for CNN SUNDAY MORNING at this hour. "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" is up next after a quick check of the morning's headlines.

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 July 4, 2004 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, less than a week after taking power, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is expected to extend amnesty to low-level insurgents. Sources say such a plan could potentially include Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. Details of this deal are expected to be announced on Monday.
Reconstruction at the World Trade Center site gets under way today as the cornerstone of a new skyscraper is set in place. When completed, the "Freedom Tower," as it is called, will stand 1776 feet high, meant to mark the year of America's independence.

And it wouldn't be the Fourth of July in Atlanta without the Peachtree Road race. 55,000 runners came from across the world to run in the 35th annual 10k race, the largest in the nation.

Some campaign fireworks on this July 4th as the president hits the battleground state crucial to his electoral victory. President Bush will visit Charleston, West Virginia today. White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is in Washington this morning with more. Suzanne?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Drew.

For a holiday it's going to be a very busy day for the president. He starts off in Camp David and then he goes to West Virginia, as you know, of course, a key battleground state. The president is going to start off by attending a church service, and then he'll be addressing several thousand people on the steps of the state capitol.

Now, this is the ninth trip of the president to that particular state. And polls show that President Bush and his opponent Kerry are essentially neck and neck here. This is a state that is overwhelmingly democratic, however, but of course it is a key state for a reelection bid. Also, Vice President Cheney in his two-day bus store taking a stop, a trip to West Virginia as well.

Now, President Bush today will make the case before the American people that it was worth it to go to war, that it was the right thing to do to get rid of Saddam Hussein's regime. This is particularly important in West Virginia where it really resonates in that community. About 77 percent of its National Guard troops are activated; also about 15 percent of the population there is made up of veterans, so this is going to be a very important day and important message for the president. Afterwards he will return here to Washington, the White House, that's where he will be watching the fire works from the balcony. Drew?

GRIFFIN: Suzanne, thank you for that. John Kerry will be celebrating this Independence Day in Independence, Iowa. That after a stop in Independence, Wisconsin yesterday. For more on Kerry's Midwest swing here is CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John Kerry could announce his choice of a vice presidential running mate as early as Tuesday. Whenever the announcement happens, he says it will first be released by e-mail to his supporters. Three politicians have been prominently mentioned, including Congressman Richard Gephardt, Senator John Edwards, and Governor Tom Vilsack.

Kerry says he has made no decision as of yet. He has been asked whether the decision has been narrowed down to two, and in response to that he said, quoting now, "That is news to me. That's complete fiction to me. I don't have any idea who's talking about what. I've made no decision yet. When I make a decision I'll be ready to announce it. I don't have any idea how anybody could speculate what's going on in my head."

The focus here is Kerry's three-day bus tour through the heartland. He has visited two very big farms in Wisconsin. He took a question and answer session here in Independence. Kerry wants to project himself as a voice of rural America.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm here to tell you with every ounce of conviction in my body, with every ounce of common sense that God's given me and my parents gave me over a lifetime, that we can make better decisions that stand by the middle class and the average worker and the average American in this country.

JOHNS: Kerry has also tried to create a connection that's memorable with voters in this part of the country. At one event he got up on the stage with the band and played the guitar. The campaign also laid out time for him to go trap shooting. Kerry, of course, has been stressing that he is a hunter even though he's gotten an "f" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Kerry has been talking about the interests of sportsmen in the environment.

KERRY: I'm a hunter; I'm a fisherman. I've been a hunter since I was 15 years old. But hunters understand you've got to protect the habitat. You want to hunt, you have to have places where the fish and fowl can spawn and grow and live, and survive.

JOHNS: Kerry wraps up his bus tour in Iowa, a state both campaigns are targeting.

Joe Johns, CNN, Independence, Wisconsin. (END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: And a programming note on the campaign trail, Vanessa Kerry, John Kerry's daughter, will be one of the guests on CNN's "LATE EDITION." John King will host the program this week. It begins at noon eastern here on CNN.

Are Israeli interrogators operating in Iraq? The question raised after an interview with a former U.S. military commander. General Janice Karpinski told the BBC she once met an Israeli interrogator working at a secret facility in Iraq.

Karpinski was most recently in charge of the Abu Ghraib prison, site of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. She says that the Israeli interrogators did not work in Abu Ghraib. The use of Israeli interrogators is highly controversial because it could anger many Arabs. Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon issued a statement emphatically denying Karpinski's claim.

A new documentary brings home powerful images from the conflict in Iraq. It's called "Gunner's Palace," and features soldiers from the 1st Armored Division we featured earlier this hour. The filmmaker is Michael Tucker. Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL TUCKER, DIRECTOR, "GUNNER'S PALACE": All of us have watched the war on the news, but I think you are seeing it with a really long lens. I wanted to get as close as I could to them. To maybe stand a little bit in their shoes, feel what they are feeling. Fear what they are fearing.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Keep your eyes open. If it's anything like last night it's going to be ugly.

TUCKER: And almost get beyond they, where I can say we.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Welcome to gunner palace this palace was built after the first Gulf War for Saddam Hussein's first wife, later given to his son, Uday.

TUCKER: The unit is 2-3 Field Artillery, and their nickname is the gunners. They're based in Germany, and they're part of the 1st Armored Division. I was more interested in these people as personalities and talking to them. I wanted to know who are these soldiers fighting in this war.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Here it is.

TUCKER: When I arrived, there were a lot of weapons captured. The insurgency was just starting to rise up then, where the IAD attacks were starting. Mortar attacks were starting. It was becoming a very dangerous place to be.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Part of our $87 billion budget provided for us to have some secondary armor put on top of our thin-skinned Humvees. This armor was made in Iraq. It's high quality metal, and it will probably slow down the shrapnel so that it stays in your body instead of going clean through.

TUCKER: They really were acting like everything from policemen to social workers to politicians.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We have come so far so fast. Let's not digress.

TUCKER: And then at night, they would go out and raid houses.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Coming in.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Three RPG launchers. Do you know how many years of jail that is? That is 30 years in jail.

TUCKER: Every few weeks they would have something called Gunnerpalooza. They would have free style competitions where the soldiers would spit out free style raps. So I approached some of the core soldiers and said we can't interview you, let's do a free style about it.

Some of the stories they tell in the raps are more on target than any report. When I left the first time I thought I was done. Three, four weeks later the first soldier in the unit, Ben Colgan, was killed. He was the best soldier in the unit. It turned out later that Ben was not just Special Forces, that he had been in Delta Force.

I had hoped to somehow find an ending where I could respectfully tell what happened to him. Once I was done cutting that, I found there was so much more to tell, I didn't want to leave it hanging there. Then I decided to go back.

When I went back immediately upon arrival you could sense that it was different. Soldiers just gave off a feeling that they were exhausted. They were ready to go home. And you felt like they didn't really feel like they could do anything more.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Lose-lose situation we face in anticipation of hating. No need to like this, but please respect it.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We all talk about how when we're going to go home how proud we will be to be combat vets. How many people can say they are combat veterans? 19 years old, I fought in a war.

TUCKER: These soldiers are us wearing uniforms. They come from every walk of American life. I would hope people would listen to what they have to say and not what we think they should say. Because often what they say is pretty surprising.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I don't care what anybody says, [UNINTELLIGIBLE] anybody who has been here they have seen it, they've done it, they've done their job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: A view of Iraq we have not seen to this point.

Our favorite traveling family is in New York for the Fourth of July. We have been watching as this family, the Sprys, have made their way from California across the country in search of a new home. We'll visit with them after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Time to look ahead at what's expected to make news in the coming week.

A state-run newspaper in Yemen says two suspects thought to be masterminds behind the 2000 attack on the USS Cole will go on trial this week. A judicial source reporting that the two will be tried alongside four other suspects in the bombings. 17 American sailors were killed in that attack in 2000.

The trials of a different sort begin Friday in Sacramento, California where U.S. athletes will compete at the track & field Olympic trials. The "New York Times" news service is reporting that anti-doping officials are investigating a number of the athletes expected to compete next week for drugs.

And now let's see how our favorite traveling family is doing on the road. Steve Spry, Coleen Murphy and their son Ryan have been living an American dream since selling their house in Silicon Valley, packing up their RV and setting off in search of the perfect place to call home. That's the trail they left behind. It leads us now to New York City, where they are in the studio to tell us more about their journey.

Good morning, guys. How are you doing on this Fourth of July morning?

COLEEN MURPHY, TRAVELER: Good morning. Great.

GRIFFIN: What is the holiday plan today? You guys could have driven anywhere you want and you chose New York.

MURPHY: Go ahead.

STEVE SPRY, TRAVELER: We're actually staying with friends now. We will do the Fourth of July -- after going around Manhattan, we're going to do the Fourth of July barbecue and fireworks later this evening.

GRIFFIN: Steve, what is actually behind this? You guys left a home in California, you decided it just wasn't right for you, so you try to find a new home, but take a big trip instead to make sure you pick the perfect spot?

SPRY: Kind of like that. So, you know, our big thing was really putting ourselves in a position to think outside of the box, so to speak. And for us it was really perfect timing with Ryan's age and school or not having to worry about those issues that so many people have to worry about. But, you know, so for us it sort of put ourselves in a position to think differently. So, break the, you know, break the mold, so to speak.

GRIFFIN: Colleen, you have crisscrossed the country mostly along the southern route. Which has been the most memorable? Are there any possibilities you want to go back to and begin your life anew?

MURPHY: I would say probably the closest would be Austin so far. We have gone to a lot of places, but more kind of taking it easy. Not really looking for a place. I've heard South Carolina, North Carolina are really nice, which we didn't spend a lot of time there. So, I'd like to go back there and see those places.

GRIFFIN: And eventually, Colleen, what is the plan? When will you make your decision?

MURPHY: You know, it all depends. We are thinking soon we should probably start thinking about getting jobs somewhere. But the plan is that we have an RV, so if we find jobs for a period of time we could go someplace else and check out another place, also.

GRIFFIN: Where is that other place?

MURPHY: That's what we don't know. We don't know at this point.

SPRY: Today is actually our two-month anniversary. We said we would take the first 60 days and not think about it. Today is 60 days, so...

GRIFFIN: Are you guys tired? Weary? Rock and roll stars get tired living on the road. Don't you guys?

MURPHY: Not so far. You know, actually the longest drive we drove was through Washington, D.C. the other day. That was tiring. That was nine hours on the road.

SPRY: Yes, something like nine hours. Pretty bad traffic, and then it was fun getting to Baltimore. We were driving the whale thanks to the Maryland tollbooth commission or whatever it is, they left us kind of in some old city streets. So, it was -- it was tough, but we made it through.

GRIFFIN: You said you guys wanted to do this before Ryan has to go to school. Did you also want to do it before Ryan had his own thoughts and thoughts that his parents were crazy for doing this?

MURPHY: No, not really.

GRIFFIN: He's enjoying it, I assume?

MURPHY: He's having a great time.

GRIFFIN: OK. So Austin, Texas, is that the lead candidate so far in your journey?

MURPHY: I would say for myself.

GRIFFIN: Steve? MURPHY: Steve was thinking Key West.

SPRY: That's not reality.

MURPHY: Not practical.

SPRY: But, you know, I also liked Atlanta. You know, I look at it also from a jump starting a career standpoint, you know, good diversity in an area in terms of jobs, economics, things like that that -- so, you know, I -- personally I liked the Atlanta area.

MURPHY: That was very nice also.

GRIFFIN: All right. Steve Spry, Coleen Murphy, son Ryan on their continuous un-ending journey through America in search of the perfect spot. Thanks for joining us. Happy Fourth of July to you.

MURPHY: Thank you.

SPRY: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: A check of this morning's top stories is straight ahead. We're going to take you to New York again where they are laying the cornerstone for the "Freedom Tower" today. We say good morning to Denver, Colorado. Another complete weather forecast for the nation in about five minutes with Rob Marciano. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: That's a live look over Denver, Colorado. Good morning. Your Sunday forecast is just a minute away. First the headlines.

The Iraqi government said to be considering amnesty for Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. His militias have led attacks against U.S. forces, but in an interview with ABC News, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi says Al-Sadr could receive amnesty if he disbands his army. Al-Sadr has promised to do just that.

The militant group Ansar Al-Sunna is denying reports now that it has beheaded U.S. Marine colonel. Three Islamic websites had posted a message reporting that Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun had been beheaded.

And this is the look of the future at the World Trade Center site. "Freedom Tower" will rise some 70 stories and 1776 feet high. The first cornerstone for this building will be set into foundation at a ceremony a little later this morning.

We go now to Rob Marciano to see what the weather forecast is for Denver and everywhere else.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: Rob, thank you. This morning we have been asking viewers whether or not they are charcoal or gas users. It's our e- mail question of the day for the barbecue, and we do have some responses.

Charcoal all the way says M. Giselle (ph) of Boynton Beach, Florida. Gas is like an outdoor oven. It lacks all of the flavor of real barbecuing. Another person writes in from Oakridge, Tennessee. If you are going to cook on the grill with gas you might as well cook indoors on the stove. The only true grilling is with charcoal or wood.

And this, a history lesson. The word barbecue itself comes from the Tino (ph) Indian word barbacoa (ph), which was and is the traditional method of cooking over an open pyre. Bo Mottom (ph), great thanks, says Tino Macoo (ph).

Thank you for your responses this morning.

And finally on this morning, we are going to pause for a break. We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Finally this morning, hot dogs, parades, fireworks, the perfect combination for the Fourth of July, but lest we forget, it's also a day to remember the document that gave us the freedom we have today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: And that will do it for CNN SUNDAY MORNING at this hour. "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" is up next after a quick check of the morning's headlines.

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