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CNN Sunday Morning

Iraqi Prime Minister Declares State of Emergency; Car Bomb Goes Off in Crowded Baghdad District

Aired November 07, 2004 - 09:00   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.


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is November 7th. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Good morning to you.

It's 9:00 a.m. here on the East Coast, 6:00 on the West. Thanks for starting your day with us.

"Now in the News," Iraq is under a state of emergency. Officials for Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi made that declaration just about two hours ago. The measure will last for 60 days. More on the situation in Iraq. That's coming up in just minutes.

Also in Iraq, a car bomb rocks a crowded Baghdad district. Details on that bombing are developing. It was the second car bomb of the day in Baghdad. Now, earlier, a bomb exploded on the highway leading from the city to the Baghdad International Airport.

About 30 miles south of Baghdad, Iraqi troops and coalition forces battle insurgents in the town of Latifiya. Six civilians are dead, four more have been wounded. This follows the Friday discovery in Latifiya of 12 Iraqi civilians who had been kidnapped and shot to death.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials have begun governing without Yasser Arafat. A meeting today in Ramallah spelled out a plan for improving security in the West Bank in Arafat's absence. Arafat remains critically ill in a Paris hospital.

And in New York City, if you hear the rumble across the urban jungle, it is just the sound of 60,000 feet pounding the pavement. The New York City marathon started about 30 minutes ago.

Some 30,000 runners will cover just over 26 miles, winding their way through all five of the city's boroughs. It's the only time police in the Big Apple allow half-dressed people to run wildly through the streets. And here's a live shot of the Big Apple right there. Beautiful shot.

HARRIS: And here's what we've got coming up for you. It isn't exactly "Where's Waldo," but look closely. Can you guess who will soon be out of this picture? We'll discuss who's possibly in and who's out in the president's second term. And a son serving in Iraq sends a letter to his mother days before he is killed there. We will speak to the mother and listen to some of those last letters home.

And hypnotic harmonies can turn you into a slave to the rhythm. Millions of addicted to downloading music from the Internet. But how can you avoid illegally downloading copyrighted works? We'll discuss that in our "Best of the Web" segment.

NGUYEN: Iraq's prime minister is declaring a state of emergency in most of his country. Maybe just in time for an offensive by U.S. and Iraqi troops against insurgents in Falluja. Now, final preparations for that assault are under way right now. CNN's Karl Penhaul is with the U.S. Marines near Falluja, and he joins us now with a live report.

What can you tell us, Karl?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.

Certainly the final stages of the preparations are in progress. In fact, most of those final preparations have now been completed.

You'll see some of the Marines sitting around here behind me. They're sitting around like that not because they haven't got anything to do, but because everything is packed. Their backpacks are packed. Their weapons are clean. Their ammunition is counted.

Now, in the course of the day this morning, in fact, the senior commanders of the 1st Marine Expeditionary force came to this camp in the desert outside Falluja. They were giving the last words, the pep talk to their -- to their Marines, and this is what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. MAJOR CARLTON KENT, U.S. MARINES: Unless they tell us to go and they give us the word, if they tell us to go, you're going to make history. This is another Hue City in the making. And you devil dogs, you soldiers, you sailors, and if we've got airmen, you are all going to do it.

GEN. JOHN BATTLER, U.S. MARINES: This town's being held hostage by mugs, thugs, murderers and intimidators. And all they need is for us to give them the opportunity to break the back of that intimidation, to go in there and stomp it out where it needs to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: As we can hear from some of those comments, Marine commanders certainly believe that the fight for Falluja is going to be one of the biggest Marine fights in many, many years. In fact, they're describing it as the biggest fight since 1968 in Vietnam.

They realize, though, that this is going to be urban warfare. They realize it could be bloody. They say it could get dirty very quickly. But certainly, from what we've seen after that pep talk to pump these Marines up, they're now as ready as they'll ever be to get on and get ready for the fight for Falluja -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Karl, as preparations are under way, I wonder if there are any questions or concerns about whether many of these insurgents have already left Falluja.

PENHAUL: Those are some of the options that U.S. military intelligence analysts are looking at. The latest estimates have suggested that it's around 3,000 insurgents are holed up inside of Falluja. Those are described as hard-core fighters. But no firm estimates as to whether any of those insurgents may have been trying to leave the city.

Of course, the Marines have, for several days now, been trying to stop a lot of supply routes in and out of the city. But they do realize that the insurgents have their own, what the Marines call, rat lines. And so they do believe that the insurgents do have methods of escape if they want to do so.

But as the noose tightens, then that will reduce any chance for the insurgents to leave. And over the next hours, in fact, we do expect psychological warfare operations teams to be out there with loud speakers, urging women and children in Falluja to leave while they still have the chance -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And, of course, we will be watching it all play out. CNN's Karl Penhaul, embedded with U.S. Marines near Falluja. Thank you, Karl.

A senior U.S. official is in Iraq, but so far the government is pretty tight-lipped about it. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in Baghdad yesterday. He's expected to leave today. U.S. officials won't say why Armitage made the brief visit.

HARRIS: Back in this country, President Bush is getting a little R&R at Camp David this weekend. But before leaving the White House, Mr. Bush laid out an aggressive agenda for his second term. CNN's Elaine Quijano has more from the White House.

Good morning, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

That's right, Tony. President Bush made clear some of his top priorities on his domestic agenda include reforming Social Security and also simplifying the tax code. As he said last week during his post-election news conference, Mr. Bush talked about some of those issues.

On Social Security, the president pledging to create private accounts to allow younger people to invest part of their withholdings in the stock market. Democrats, though, as you might imagine, are already voicing their opposition, saying they believe that plan would mean cutting benefits for seniors and the disabled, some other items Mr. Bush has called for making tax cuts permanent. Yet at the same time, the president has promised to cut the deficit in half in five years, a deficit that now stands at $413 billion.

Now, as for how the president plans to achieve his goals, he says he wants to reach across party lines. But he also had this to say about his reelection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital. And now I intend to spend it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, this week the president will also be focusing on international outreach. Later on this week, Thursday and Friday, the president will be meeting here in Washington with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Britain, of course, a key U.S. ally not only in Iraq, but also the larger war on terror. President Bush is hoping that Prime Minister Blair will be able to help him bridge some of the gaps with other European countries, countries that did not, Tony, necessarily see eye to eye with the president on Iraq -- Tony.

HARRIS: That's for sure. Elaine Quijano at the White House this morning for us. Elaine, thank you -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Even President Bush expects his cabinet will undergo some revision in his second term. He says it is inevitable.

Some senior advisers will leave for private sector jobs or, perhaps, retire. Others will seek different jobs within the administration.

Norman Ornstein, of the American Enterprise Institute, a veteran observer of Washington's comings and goings, joins us now with his insights on remodeling the Bush cabinet.

Good morning to you.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: Good morning to you, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about this. How much of a shakeup do you expect within the cabinet? A large one?

ORNSTEIN: Oh, I expect we'll see considerable change. But this is not going to be like it was, for example, when Richard Nixon reached his second term and asked everybody to give letters of resignation so that he could give the impression of a major change.

President Bush doesn't like to fire people. And at this point, because, as we just heard, he wants to hit the ground running, he doesn't want to have a major disruption at the start. So I think we'll see a loft of the changes phased in.

NGUYEN: All right. And let's talk specifics now about these changes, and let's go one by one through some of the people. John Ashcroft, do you expect him to stay or go? And if he does go, who do you think may replace him?

ORNSTEIN: He's expected to go partly because he's had some health problems, hypertension and the like. I think the odds on favorite to replace him would be Larry Thompson, who had been the deputy attorney general, who's now actually scheduled to go into a lucrative private sector job with PepsiCo, but who is an emerging superstar, I think, and an African-American at a time when very likely the top African-Americans in the administration will be leaving.

NGUYEN: Yes, he served as Ashcroft's chief deputy for some two and a half years.

Let's go now to Colin Powell. Your thoughts on him and who may replace him?

ORNSTEIN: I think there's very little doubt that Colin Powell will leave. It may not be by January 20. And with that, we'll probably see major changes throughout the State Department.

There the odds on favorite would be Jack Danforth, now serving as the United Nations ambassador, a longtime senator, widely admired on Capitol Hill, and now around the world. And probably a very easy confirmation. And somebody who I think is very much in sync with the president's foreign policies.

NGUYEN: Some people are throwing around Rice and Rumsfeld as his replacement. Is that a viable option?

ORNSTEIN: I think when President Bush first took office his idea was that when Colin Powell left Condoleezza Rice would move over to the State Department so you could have the first African-American in that job replaced by the first African-American woman. But it seems as if she does not want the things that come with the State Department job, which include a lot of diplomatic chit chat and bureaucratic kinds of things that are not in her set of interests.

So I think that the greater likelihood is that she goes back to California. Although she has indicated some interest in the position of Secretary of Defense, I don't think that's going to happen.

NGUYEN: You don't think that's going to happen?

ORNSTEIN: No.

NGUYEN: All right. As we talk about Rice, who do you think may be her replacement?

ORNSTEIN: Well, very likely it would be her deputy, Steve Hadley. The president likes him, and he's been quite effective in that job.

There was some talk about another person there in the National Security Council, Bob Blackwell. But he's now announced that he's leaving.

Another person to keep in mind there would be Jerry Bremer, who served, of course, in Iraq. The president likes him a great deal. And I think would like to have him in the administration probably in a kind of position like this, without the Senate confirmation that would come with some, you know, tough questions about what's happened in Iraq.

NGUYEN: And quickly, Donald Rumsfeld, is he going to be sticking around?

ORNSTEIN: I think Donald Rumsfeld would like to stay for a period of time. He wants to burnish his legacy and continue to work on military reform. But if and when he goes, then you've got some tough choices to make. And a lot of possibilities.

A couple of people in the Senate, like Jon Kyl. Rich Armitage, who's leaving as deputy secretary of state, who we just saw as over in Iraq, would be a superb choice for defense if he wanted to stay. And very possibly Tom Ridge, who's probably leaving at Homeland Security, wants to go into the private sector, but might be lured into that job.

NGUYEN: Lots of names on the table. All right.

ORNSTEIN: Musical chairs.

NGUYEN: Norman Ornstein -- yes, exactly -- from the American Enterprise Institute. Thank you for your insight this morning.

ORNSTEIN: Sure. My pleasure.

NGUYEN: Senator Charles Schumer says there is speculation Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton could be a front-runner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008. Now, that brings us to our e-mail question this morning.

Is America ready to elect a woman president? Email us your thoughts at wam@cnn.com. And we'll read them on the air.

HARRIS: Last letters from home. Troops killed in Iraq, now one mother reflects on her son's last words. It's this week's "Soldier's Story."

NGUYEN: And there's a whole new way to share music on the Web. The future of music online in our "Best of the web."

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A great day to enjoy some music outdoors. Fall weather, supreme across much of the country today. There will be a few changes for some people. And we'll talk about that.

And California, so Cal, getting hit with rain. The complete forecast coming up.

CNN LIVE SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh, look at this. Good morning, Washington. Fall has hit the nation's capital. Rob is coming up in just a couple moments with your Sunday forecast.

And welcome back, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for joining us.

HARRIS: Checking our top stories this Sunday morning, Iraq's government has declared a 60-day state of emergency for most of the country. It comes ahead of what's expected to be a U.S.-led invasion of Falluja.

Meantime, in the rebel-held city, the rubble is piling up. U.S. forces are striking at insurgent sites, setting the stage for the expected all-out assault.

In the West Bank this morning, Palestinian officials have agreed on a plan to boost security there in Gaza. The move comes as Yasser Arafat remains in a French hospital.

One woman's struggle keeping the family together and knowing her husband's about to head into battle in Falluja. Still to come on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: I'm looking forward to that story.

And looking forward to this weather. We've got a marathon going on.

MARCIANO: Yes, marathon in New York City. It's always a treat to come down and see what Betty has...

NGUYEN: We're going to be talking about that book. Don't put it off too far.

MARCIANO: OK. How you guys doing this morning?

HARRIS: Very good. How are you?

MARCIANO: Doing great. It's been a quiet weather weekend, actually.

NGUYEN: Knock on wood.

MARCIANO: So we're just kind of cruising along, and I think it's to the likes of a lot of folks around the country.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

MARCIANO: Let's show you the weather map. Here you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Do we have San Francisco? A quick shot of it? No, we don't.

HARRIS: I don't think -- yes, that jazz festival is out there. And I think we don't have -- no, we don't. We don't have the shot. MARCIANO: A great time of year in San Francisco.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

NGUYEN: There we go.

MARCIANO: Oh, the Bay Bridge, KRON is our affiliate.

NGUYEN: Look at the lights.

MARCIANO: And it's dark. And that's typical this time of year to be dark.

NGUYEN: It's still early out West, yes. And we want to get to a fall photo this morning from Neil Jangale (ph). Check this out.

HARRIS: Now, this is a photo from the Morton Arboretum. And I think it's Lisle, Illinois. Does that sound right to you, Rob?

MARCIANO: Sure.

NGUYEN: L-I-S-L-E.

MARCIANO: L-I-S-L-E. I'm just going to say that you said it.

NGUYEN: Exactly.

MARCIANO: And I know in arboretums they have lots of trees, different kinds of trees, and that's probably why we're seeing three totally different...

NGUYEN: And lots of colors.

HARRIS: We're really enjoy these pictures that you're sending in. So keep them coming. WAM@CNN.com, just keep sending the pictures to us. We appreciate it. Great fall colors.

NGUYEN: Oh, the sweet melody of music. Sharing online, it's future and some top new music sites. We've got it covered in this week's "Best of the Web" when we return.

HARRIS: But first, as we go to break some more leaf-peaking -- that's nice on this Sunday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

HARRIS: Now you're listening to some music we got off the Internet, Betty. It's legal, too. It was part...

NGUYEN: I hope so.

HARRIS: ... part of a new groundbreaking approach to dealing with copyright law. It's a song by singer David Byrne called "My Fair Lady." He is just one of the artists involved in a movement to help make is easier to sample the music of others.

Musicians have been sampling the sounds of others for decades. It's certainly nothing new. But the Internet adds a whole new twist to the practice. That's the focus of this morning's "Best of the Web" segment with "Wired" Magazine's managing editor, Blaise Zerega.

Good morning, Blaise.

BLAISE ZEREGA, MANAGING EDITOR, "WIRED": Good morning, Tony. Good to see you.

HARRIS: How are you, doctor? Good to see you.

HARRIS: Well, I've got to ask you, the motion picture folks are going after folks. They announced it I guess a week or so ago that they're going to be to go after folks who download movies off the net, and they're going to be setting up firing squads and some home invasions. Just kidding -- kind of.

ZEREGA: Yes.

HARRIS: But you're here to tell us that there's a lot that the music folks can learn from the music folks.

ZEREGA: Absolutely, Tony. I mean, it's kind of -- they never heard of Yogi Berra's expression, "It's like deja vu all over again."

(LAUGHTER)

ZEREGA: You know, over the past few months, the radio -- pardon me, the Recording Industry Association of America has filed about 6,000 lawsuits against its fans to try to stop them from downloading music. However, millions of songs continue to be downloaded, and hundreds of thousands daily. The -- you know, it makes us wonder, what is the movie...

HARRIS: Exactly.

ZEREGA: ... what is the movie industry up to?

HARRIS: Well, tell us about this new concept of sort of offering limited copyright freedom to the public, to all kinds of artists.

ZEREGA: Yes. The new copyright idea is coming from Creative Commons. It's an innovative think tank...

HARRIS: Creative Commons, that's it? OK.

ZEREGA: CreativeCommons.org. And what they've done is come up with a new way -- a new approach to copyright. Instead of all rights reserved, they've come up with a license that says some rights are reserved.

The licenses allow the artists to dictate how their music will be used. So in this case, the artists are saying, you can file-share our music. You can mix. You can sample. You can mash. And you can share it. So people like David Byrne and the Beastie Boys have come on board.

HARRIS: Well, this has the potential to kind of change the landscape, am I right in that?

ZEREGA: Absolutely. And at "Wired" Magazine, what we did is we approached these musicians and we said, "Hey, what do you think? Are you on board?" And they said yes. So we put out a music CD which is now available at CreativeCommons.org and, of course, in our magazine.

HARRIS: OK. Now, are there other music-sharing, file-sharing Internet sites out there that can learn from what Creative Commons is doing?

ZEREGA: Yes. A lot of the file-sharing today occurs on networks such as Morpheus, Grokster, Edonky, Kazaa.

HARRIS: Where do these names come from?

ZEREGA: Great names, all of them. But on Monday, Morpheus is going to launch a new version of its software that will be able to read and detect which music is under a Creative Commons license. That is, which music can be legally downloaded and file-shared.

HARRIS: OK. Now, I was going to ask you, are we just talking about sort of garage bands throwing their songs up on the net? But you mentioned David Byrne, you mentioned -- there are some other groups that are getting involved in this.

ZEREGA: Absolutely. The musicians have a lot at stake here.

They understand that the history of creativity involves borrowing from those who have come before, from sharing the influences of the masters. The Beastie Boys have certainly built their career out of sampling music. And on this CD, we also have Gilberto Gil, the international Brazilian pop star, really, you know, cutting-edge musicians like Danger Mouse, some old-timers, like Paul Westerberg...

HARRIS: There you go.

ZEREGA: ... from the replacements.

HARRIS: Well, Blaise, good to see you again. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

ZEREGA: Thank you for having me.

HARRIS: And your magazine will guide us through all this, I hope.

ZEREGA: Yes, indeed. Thank you.

HARRIS: OK, Blaise. Thanks a lot.

ZEREGA: Bye-bye.

HARRIS: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, coming up, "A Soldier's Story."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I miss you and love you very much. I hate the idea of missing out on the holidays."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Parents read that last letter home from Iraq.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning. This is a look at KABC in Los Angeles. Look at that, that's the sun coming up on those towers, there. It's just 6:30 on the West coast.

HARRIS: Good morning, L.A. Good morning.

NGUYEN: And good morning everyone watching, I'm Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. First let's get to what's happening in the news at this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have decided to declare the state of emergency in -- throughout Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: That was the word this morning from a spokesman for Iraq's interim prime minister. The timeframe means the state of emergency will last until shortly before the January elections. The declaration comes as U.S. forces make final preparations for an assault on Falluja. Senior military commanders tell their troops that the fighting ahead is on par with other historic battles. The offensive could begin at any time.

In Afghanistan, a group holding three U.N. workers hostage reportedly has provided Afghan officials with a list of names. The Associated Press reports the kidnappers want to exchange their hostages for the people on the list. The wire service also says negotiations have been taking place at a secret location.

And in Paris, a tentative agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions has been reached between representatives of the European Union and Iran. No details were provided. The plan would still need approval by the governments of Iran, Britain, Germany and France. NGUYEN: Well, as thousands of Marines wait for their orders to move on Falluja, thousands of their loved ones back home wait and worry about what the troops will face. CNN's Donna Tetreault talked to one young wife in California about how that feels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONNA TETREAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day at the beach for Megan Smith and her two daughters, Molly, three, and Maggie, one-and-a-half, isn't without thoughts that someone is missing.

MOLLY SMITH, 3-YEAR-OLD: That's my dad.

TETREAULT: Corporal Matthew Smith, Megan's husband, is one of the thousands of Marines in Falluja, preparing for an expected assault against insurgents.

SMITH: I don't want to spend another anniversary without him. I don't want to spend another birthday without him. I just want him home.

TETREAULT: New Year's eve, the couple will celebrate their third year of marriage. But now Megan focuses more on the smaller milestones. The last time she spoke to her husband was about a week ago.

SMITH: When we get on the phone, he jokes a lot more than usual, so I know he's scared, but he's trying to hide it. So it's -- it's -- I think it's very hard on him to be away again.

TETREAULT: This is Matthew's second deployment to Iraq, and Megan is worried she could get the worst news possible. Like her neighbor did, now a widow.

SMITH: To see my neighbor get that news and to hear her cry, it was hard because I knew it could have been me. Or it could have been Matt. And I don't want it to be.

TETREAULT (on camera): And Megan says that she spends a lot of time praying. She said that when she married her husband, she knew what she had signed up for, but she never dreamed it would be this difficult. But Megan's not alone, there are thousands of families just like her, all of them here in Oceanside at Camp Pendleton.

Donna Tetreault for CNN, Oceanside, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, it is hard to imagine the emotions of a parent who loses a child to war. Then days later, a letter sent before that child's death arrives in the mail. That is the focus of this morning's "Soldier's Story." Here's the preview of an HBO documentary which airs on Thursday, Veteran's Day, about parents who receive that last letter home from children killed in battle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dear daddy. Happy Father's Day. I love you so much, and you can't imagine how often I think of you. I hope you have lots of fun today and that the weather is lovely. We had a briefing telling us to prepare ourselves as best as possible for what lies ahead. Things like children running out in the front of the vehicles, to try and get them to stop. We have to prepare ourselves to hit people because stopping is not an option.

CATHY HEIGHTER, SON, RAHEEN, KILLED IN WAR: In the beginning, there was a lot of bloodshed, but now it's all over. Though there still are terrorists that don't want us here, the good news is I will be home to see you in September or October, the latest. Love, Raheen.

And the minute that I opened this letter and read it, my heart sank.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not an idealist who thinks I can change the world, but I can still be doing some sort of good. I want to be able to believe in what I am doing. I could never do that just working an ordinary job. I miss you and love you very much. I hate the idea of missing out on the holidays.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Those letters are now priceless mementos. They became the soldiers' final farewells to their families. Besides the HBO documentary, there's also a new book by the same name. Some of those letters were to Cathy Heighter from her son, Raheen. He was killed in action in July 2003, and she is with us this morning from New York to tell us his story.

Good morning to you, and we thank you so much. This can be very difficult, and we appreciate your time this morning.

HEIGHTER: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Good morning. Well, first of all, tell us a little bit about Raheen. What kind of a son was he?

HEIGHTER: Well, he was a wonderful son. And he was a very ambitious son. He set out with a plan for his life, and he went ahead with his focus in order to try to accomplish the goals he set for himself in life.

NGUYEN: You know, I read that he tried to enlist before he graduated from high school, and you said, "nope, no way."

HEIGHTER: Yes, he did.

NGUYEN: Then when he turned 20-years-old, he walked into your studio, and what did he tell you?

HEIGHTER: He walked into my studio, and he told me, "Ma, I'm leaving home in the morning at 5:30. The recruiters are coming to pick me up. I'm going in the Army."

NGUYEN: How surprised were you of that? Did you expect it?

HEIGHTER: I didn't expect it. I was shocked. And I was very hurt, but I fought back every tear because I really didn't want him to know how I felt about him going into the military. I wasn't really happy about it.

NGUYEN: But what did the military mean to him? Was it a way to serve? Was it a way to further his career? What did it mean?

HEIGHTER: The military meant that it would be a way for him to get his education, and also to serve his country. Raheen was a very determined and persistent young man. He just never gave up on anything.

NGUYEN: You know, I've been reading a lot of these letters in this book, "Last Letters Home," and they are not only very insightful, but they're heart wrenching as well. If you would, please, just share with us a little bit about what Raheen told you in his last letter home.

HEIGHTER: Raheen told me that -- the letter opens saying "Dear Mother, today is a blissful day." And when I read that first line, tears just began to roll down my face because I knew there was something wrong. I knew my son. He talked about -- he began thanking me, first of all, for all of the things that I had taught him, about being optimistic, about being spontaneous, and teaching him about life and making him the person that he was. And then a line read, "I love you, Mother, as I sit here with tears in my eyes," and I just knew in my heart there was something wrong. And two days later, I was brought the news that he had been killed in Iraq.

NGUYEN: It's almost as if that letter was sending you a signal.

HEIGHTER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about "Last Letters Home," this book that you've decided to participate in with Raheen's letter. What do you hope to accomplish by this?

HEIGHTER: Well, I hope that it continues to raise the awareness of the American people and let the world know that our children are in this war, and they're still dying. But we do have to support them, we have to be there for them, and pray that they all come home safe.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And how are you honoring his memory? You're doing a lot of things. Just quickly, if you tell us some of the few things you have on the table to honor Raheen.

HEIGHTER: I'm doing several things to honor my son's memory. The first thing that I did immediately, after my son was killed, because I knew that his -- he had gone into the military seeking an education. I set up a scholarship fund in his name, which is called "Raheen's Legacy." This past -- well, July 2004, I was able to award five scholarships to five graduating high school seniors, three from Bayshore High School and two from Brentwood. I'm also a spokesperson and member of the Fallen Heroes Fund, which helps to raise funds to help the families of soldiers that have been killed over in Iraq. And because of the fact that my son was sent over to Iraq, and when he died they brought me the news that he only had a $10,000 life insurance policy, I went to my congressman, and he, in turn, had a bill submitted to Congress asking for adequate -- to guarantee adequate life insurance for the armed forces members, which is now in legislation.

NGUYEN: So his legacy lives on through you.

HEIGHTER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Cathy Heighter, we so appreciate your time this morning.

HEIGHTER: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Take care.

HEIGHTER: Thank you very much.

NGUYEN: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. We know the election is history, but it made history for a man wrongfully accused of murder. Michael Austin was freed from prison after serving 27 years. Maryland's governor granted Austin a full pardon and when he was freed, Austin says he looked forward to making a trip to the drugstore and working on his music, but mostly, he could not wait to exercise his privilege to vote in a presidential election for the first time ever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL AUSTIN, FIRST TIME VOTER: I set the phone down and I just stood there for a minute. And I said, "I'm really going home tomorrow." And I walked back to my cell, and I grabbed my trumpet, and I started playing my trumpet a little bit. And then I got on my knees and I prayed. You have no idea of how -- you just can't -- see, you have to imagine, in a cell for 27 years, and then one day they open the door and say, "you can go home." And I'm walking out that door. And when I walk out that door, in my mind, I'm saying, this is a new world. I'm going to have to adapt.

When I came home one day, I went to Rite-Aid, and I needed some toothpaste, and I wanted to do this on my own. This was the first time I was ever able to buy anything, you know, since I was 26. And I go to the counter and I pick the toothpaste up, and I just start crying. And I'm looking around and seeing if anybody's looking at me because they're going to think, this guy is crying about a tube of toothpaste? And, you know, and I asked myself, "why are you -- you know, why are you crying," because I realized then how important freedom is.

I almost stayed in that cell 10,000 days, you know. And imagine, those 10,000 days was enough time for me to either get it together or sink. And I didn't want to sink, because if I didn't voice what had happened to me, I would still be in prison. And that's the same thing about voting. If you don't voice what is happening to you, then you're subject to the same thing, you know. So I just voiced -- you know, the fact that I'm innocent. I didn't do anything. You know. But it's on the same principles, when you get ready to vote, you're voicing how you really feel. See, what was taken from me was a lifetime. We're talking about 27 years.

I cannot allow myself to focus on what was taken. I'm focused on now what am I going to achieve and what am I going to gain? I'm going to vote right down on the street. To be able to go in there and to take my place in the booth and push a button or two or three and say, "this is my selection" is power. When you -- when power is taken away from you for such a long time, you can imagine how joyful and exhilarating it is to be able to have the power to do what you want to do.

(SINGING): We're all in this together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Great story.

Checking our top stories this Sunday morning. Emergency measures in Iraq. Earlier this morning, the Iraqi government declared a 60-day state of emergency for most of the country. The move comes as U.S. and Iraqi forces prepare for an assault on rebel-held Falluja.

Elsewhere in Iraq, deadly attacks and more fighting, more than 20 people have been killed in a series of attacks near Ramadi. Insurgents struck three area police stations with grenades and other weapons.

And Palestinian officials are carrying on without their ailing leader. In Yasser Arafat's absence, they've agreed to a plan to boost security in the West Bank and Gaza. Officials fear an outbreak of violence if Arafat dies.

Killed in action nearly 40 years ago: Six servicemen finally laid to rest. That story when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking stories across America now. In Hollywood, protesters criticized the president's reelection and the Iraq war. Minor disturbances erupted outside a military recruiting office on Sunset Boulevard. Four people were arrested for vandalism or disturbing the peace.

And this man honorably served his country. Now he's suing the military that wants him back. David Miyasato says he was living a quiet life with his family when he unexpectedly received orders to return to active duty eight years after being out of the service. His lawsuit says he's fulfilled his military obligations.

NGUYEN: The remains of six Air Force servicemen are home at last from the Vietnam War. During a recent service at Arlington National Cemetery, their stories finally came to a close.

CNN's Elaine Quijano explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): Almost 40 years ago, the drumbeat of Vietnam called them away. This week, six Americans came home in one flag-draped coffin. To be honored, saluted and finally laid to rest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They honored the flag, and now the flag honors them.

QUIJANO: They were the crew of a U.S. Air Force AC-47 gunship. Kenneth Kryszak's father, Colonel Theodore Kryszak, piloted the plane.

KENNETH KRYSZAK, SON OF MIA SOLDIER: I was 6 years old when he was shot down. I lost my -- I lost my best buddy.

QUIJANO: The military says they were on a nighttime recon mission. The plane reported incoming fire and went down in the woods of southern Laos. After years of red tape, authorities from the U.S. and Laos teamed up in the mid-'90s to search for the remains of missing American servicemen. And at an excavation, like this one, officials found the crew of that gunship.

The funeral at Arlington National Cemetery drew bikers from the POW MIA advocates Rolling Thunder, who happened to be in town for a convention. Most didn't know these servicemen, but they understood their families' anguish. Then, in a ceremony that took less than an hour, decades of "what-ifs" came to an end. The family members received their flags, their whispered words of comfort, and finally said the good-byes they had held back for 38 years.

KRYSZAK: He loved what he did. He did his duty, and he was proud to. And he did it well.

QUIJANO: Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: What is with this music? Sorry, Los Angeles. But good morning out there. We have a live look over the City of Angels today. The American Film Institute hosts the International Film Festival. I don't think Barbie's involved, but 135 films from 42 countries will be screened; 24 are having their world premieres.

HARRIS: We were that close to a clean getaway. That close.

Kelly Wallace joins us from Washington with a preview of "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY."

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY": Good morning, Tony. That music waking us all up here in Washington. Well, coming up at the top of the hour, we are looking ahead to all things political. We will debate President Bush's second term agenda and Congress' blueprint for the next session. We'll also find out how Democrats are planning to regroup after their bitter election night disappointment. And it's never too early for predictions. Our panel runs the numbers on the presidential candidates for 2008. That's all ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY," hope you'll join us. Back to you, Tony.

HARRIS: Oh Kelly, it wakes you up, but we're going to pay a price for that, I'm sure. Thank you.

WALLACE: All right.

HARRIS: See you in a little bit.

NGUYEN: Well, that's for sure.

HARRIS: Well, all morning long we've been asking for your thoughts in our "E-mail Question of the Day" and here it is: Is America ready to elect a woman president?

NGUYEN: We have got lots of interesting responses. Amy from Roanoke, Virginia writes: "Judging by the results of the recent election, I don't think Americans are ready for a woman president. I think we may be looking at whether women will retain the right to vote."

HARRIS: Ouch! "I think America would support the right woman as president. However, the problem with the presidency is that we require perfection, which means the right man or woman had to be hard to find, and women, I think, are held to an even higher standard in politics than men."

NGUYEN: Now listen to this one. This one is from Cody, a 12- year-old from Cattlesburg, Kentucky, and she writes: "I'm a 12-year- old girl, and I have a major opinion on your question. I believe that America is ready for a female president, because women have the same amount of intelligence as men." Go, Cody. "It would be a great change for the United States, and I believe that a woman could run the country. They try to understand more about how people feel, and that would help to understand what America needs."

HARRIS: Well, we're awfully divided. Let's try it, huh?

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: Give it a go.

NGUYEN: Rob, how do you feel?

MARCIANO: Well, I -- first of all, I don't think we should listen to a 12-year-old.

NGUYEN: Oh, Rob!

MARCIANO: No, I'm kidding.

NGUYEN: Cody, don't even listen to what he's saying.

MARCIANO: What am I going to say? No, I don't -- no, it would be great. It would be fabulous.

HARRIS: Rob Marciano.

NGUYEN: Nice save, Rob. Nice save.

MARCIANO: Besides, the men have been working way too hard for the last couple hundred years.

HARRIS: There you go.

MARCIANO: You know, time to take a little time off.

NGUYEN: He just had to slip that in, too. Didn't he? All right, let's get to weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: But, who is this?

NGUYEN: I don't know.

HARRIS: I can't remember of the name of the band, but they were a one hit wonder. This was it.

NGUYEN: "Barbie Girl?"

HARRIS: Yeah, they were sued and everything else.

NGUYEN: All right.

HARRIS: And there you go. Now you know.

NGUYEN: Well, that is all for us.

HARRIS: "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" is next.

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 November 7, 2004 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is November 7th. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Good morning to you.

It's 9:00 a.m. here on the East Coast, 6:00 on the West. Thanks for starting your day with us.

"Now in the News," Iraq is under a state of emergency. Officials for Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi made that declaration just about two hours ago. The measure will last for 60 days. More on the situation in Iraq. That's coming up in just minutes.

Also in Iraq, a car bomb rocks a crowded Baghdad district. Details on that bombing are developing. It was the second car bomb of the day in Baghdad. Now, earlier, a bomb exploded on the highway leading from the city to the Baghdad International Airport.

About 30 miles south of Baghdad, Iraqi troops and coalition forces battle insurgents in the town of Latifiya. Six civilians are dead, four more have been wounded. This follows the Friday discovery in Latifiya of 12 Iraqi civilians who had been kidnapped and shot to death.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials have begun governing without Yasser Arafat. A meeting today in Ramallah spelled out a plan for improving security in the West Bank in Arafat's absence. Arafat remains critically ill in a Paris hospital.

And in New York City, if you hear the rumble across the urban jungle, it is just the sound of 60,000 feet pounding the pavement. The New York City marathon started about 30 minutes ago.

Some 30,000 runners will cover just over 26 miles, winding their way through all five of the city's boroughs. It's the only time police in the Big Apple allow half-dressed people to run wildly through the streets. And here's a live shot of the Big Apple right there. Beautiful shot.

HARRIS: And here's what we've got coming up for you. It isn't exactly "Where's Waldo," but look closely. Can you guess who will soon be out of this picture? We'll discuss who's possibly in and who's out in the president's second term. And a son serving in Iraq sends a letter to his mother days before he is killed there. We will speak to the mother and listen to some of those last letters home.

And hypnotic harmonies can turn you into a slave to the rhythm. Millions of addicted to downloading music from the Internet. But how can you avoid illegally downloading copyrighted works? We'll discuss that in our "Best of the Web" segment.

NGUYEN: Iraq's prime minister is declaring a state of emergency in most of his country. Maybe just in time for an offensive by U.S. and Iraqi troops against insurgents in Falluja. Now, final preparations for that assault are under way right now. CNN's Karl Penhaul is with the U.S. Marines near Falluja, and he joins us now with a live report.

What can you tell us, Karl?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.

Certainly the final stages of the preparations are in progress. In fact, most of those final preparations have now been completed.

You'll see some of the Marines sitting around here behind me. They're sitting around like that not because they haven't got anything to do, but because everything is packed. Their backpacks are packed. Their weapons are clean. Their ammunition is counted.

Now, in the course of the day this morning, in fact, the senior commanders of the 1st Marine Expeditionary force came to this camp in the desert outside Falluja. They were giving the last words, the pep talk to their -- to their Marines, and this is what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. MAJOR CARLTON KENT, U.S. MARINES: Unless they tell us to go and they give us the word, if they tell us to go, you're going to make history. This is another Hue City in the making. And you devil dogs, you soldiers, you sailors, and if we've got airmen, you are all going to do it.

GEN. JOHN BATTLER, U.S. MARINES: This town's being held hostage by mugs, thugs, murderers and intimidators. And all they need is for us to give them the opportunity to break the back of that intimidation, to go in there and stomp it out where it needs to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PENHAUL: As we can hear from some of those comments, Marine commanders certainly believe that the fight for Falluja is going to be one of the biggest Marine fights in many, many years. In fact, they're describing it as the biggest fight since 1968 in Vietnam.

They realize, though, that this is going to be urban warfare. They realize it could be bloody. They say it could get dirty very quickly. But certainly, from what we've seen after that pep talk to pump these Marines up, they're now as ready as they'll ever be to get on and get ready for the fight for Falluja -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Karl, as preparations are under way, I wonder if there are any questions or concerns about whether many of these insurgents have already left Falluja.

PENHAUL: Those are some of the options that U.S. military intelligence analysts are looking at. The latest estimates have suggested that it's around 3,000 insurgents are holed up inside of Falluja. Those are described as hard-core fighters. But no firm estimates as to whether any of those insurgents may have been trying to leave the city.

Of course, the Marines have, for several days now, been trying to stop a lot of supply routes in and out of the city. But they do realize that the insurgents have their own, what the Marines call, rat lines. And so they do believe that the insurgents do have methods of escape if they want to do so.

But as the noose tightens, then that will reduce any chance for the insurgents to leave. And over the next hours, in fact, we do expect psychological warfare operations teams to be out there with loud speakers, urging women and children in Falluja to leave while they still have the chance -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And, of course, we will be watching it all play out. CNN's Karl Penhaul, embedded with U.S. Marines near Falluja. Thank you, Karl.

A senior U.S. official is in Iraq, but so far the government is pretty tight-lipped about it. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in Baghdad yesterday. He's expected to leave today. U.S. officials won't say why Armitage made the brief visit.

HARRIS: Back in this country, President Bush is getting a little R&R at Camp David this weekend. But before leaving the White House, Mr. Bush laid out an aggressive agenda for his second term. CNN's Elaine Quijano has more from the White House.

Good morning, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

That's right, Tony. President Bush made clear some of his top priorities on his domestic agenda include reforming Social Security and also simplifying the tax code. As he said last week during his post-election news conference, Mr. Bush talked about some of those issues.

On Social Security, the president pledging to create private accounts to allow younger people to invest part of their withholdings in the stock market. Democrats, though, as you might imagine, are already voicing their opposition, saying they believe that plan would mean cutting benefits for seniors and the disabled, some other items Mr. Bush has called for making tax cuts permanent. Yet at the same time, the president has promised to cut the deficit in half in five years, a deficit that now stands at $413 billion.

Now, as for how the president plans to achieve his goals, he says he wants to reach across party lines. But he also had this to say about his reelection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital. And now I intend to spend it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, this week the president will also be focusing on international outreach. Later on this week, Thursday and Friday, the president will be meeting here in Washington with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Britain, of course, a key U.S. ally not only in Iraq, but also the larger war on terror. President Bush is hoping that Prime Minister Blair will be able to help him bridge some of the gaps with other European countries, countries that did not, Tony, necessarily see eye to eye with the president on Iraq -- Tony.

HARRIS: That's for sure. Elaine Quijano at the White House this morning for us. Elaine, thank you -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Even President Bush expects his cabinet will undergo some revision in his second term. He says it is inevitable.

Some senior advisers will leave for private sector jobs or, perhaps, retire. Others will seek different jobs within the administration.

Norman Ornstein, of the American Enterprise Institute, a veteran observer of Washington's comings and goings, joins us now with his insights on remodeling the Bush cabinet.

Good morning to you.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: Good morning to you, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about this. How much of a shakeup do you expect within the cabinet? A large one?

ORNSTEIN: Oh, I expect we'll see considerable change. But this is not going to be like it was, for example, when Richard Nixon reached his second term and asked everybody to give letters of resignation so that he could give the impression of a major change.

President Bush doesn't like to fire people. And at this point, because, as we just heard, he wants to hit the ground running, he doesn't want to have a major disruption at the start. So I think we'll see a loft of the changes phased in.

NGUYEN: All right. And let's talk specifics now about these changes, and let's go one by one through some of the people. John Ashcroft, do you expect him to stay or go? And if he does go, who do you think may replace him?

ORNSTEIN: He's expected to go partly because he's had some health problems, hypertension and the like. I think the odds on favorite to replace him would be Larry Thompson, who had been the deputy attorney general, who's now actually scheduled to go into a lucrative private sector job with PepsiCo, but who is an emerging superstar, I think, and an African-American at a time when very likely the top African-Americans in the administration will be leaving.

NGUYEN: Yes, he served as Ashcroft's chief deputy for some two and a half years.

Let's go now to Colin Powell. Your thoughts on him and who may replace him?

ORNSTEIN: I think there's very little doubt that Colin Powell will leave. It may not be by January 20. And with that, we'll probably see major changes throughout the State Department.

There the odds on favorite would be Jack Danforth, now serving as the United Nations ambassador, a longtime senator, widely admired on Capitol Hill, and now around the world. And probably a very easy confirmation. And somebody who I think is very much in sync with the president's foreign policies.

NGUYEN: Some people are throwing around Rice and Rumsfeld as his replacement. Is that a viable option?

ORNSTEIN: I think when President Bush first took office his idea was that when Colin Powell left Condoleezza Rice would move over to the State Department so you could have the first African-American in that job replaced by the first African-American woman. But it seems as if she does not want the things that come with the State Department job, which include a lot of diplomatic chit chat and bureaucratic kinds of things that are not in her set of interests.

So I think that the greater likelihood is that she goes back to California. Although she has indicated some interest in the position of Secretary of Defense, I don't think that's going to happen.

NGUYEN: You don't think that's going to happen?

ORNSTEIN: No.

NGUYEN: All right. As we talk about Rice, who do you think may be her replacement?

ORNSTEIN: Well, very likely it would be her deputy, Steve Hadley. The president likes him, and he's been quite effective in that job.

There was some talk about another person there in the National Security Council, Bob Blackwell. But he's now announced that he's leaving.

Another person to keep in mind there would be Jerry Bremer, who served, of course, in Iraq. The president likes him a great deal. And I think would like to have him in the administration probably in a kind of position like this, without the Senate confirmation that would come with some, you know, tough questions about what's happened in Iraq.

NGUYEN: And quickly, Donald Rumsfeld, is he going to be sticking around?

ORNSTEIN: I think Donald Rumsfeld would like to stay for a period of time. He wants to burnish his legacy and continue to work on military reform. But if and when he goes, then you've got some tough choices to make. And a lot of possibilities.

A couple of people in the Senate, like Jon Kyl. Rich Armitage, who's leaving as deputy secretary of state, who we just saw as over in Iraq, would be a superb choice for defense if he wanted to stay. And very possibly Tom Ridge, who's probably leaving at Homeland Security, wants to go into the private sector, but might be lured into that job.

NGUYEN: Lots of names on the table. All right.

ORNSTEIN: Musical chairs.

NGUYEN: Norman Ornstein -- yes, exactly -- from the American Enterprise Institute. Thank you for your insight this morning.

ORNSTEIN: Sure. My pleasure.

NGUYEN: Senator Charles Schumer says there is speculation Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton could be a front-runner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008. Now, that brings us to our e-mail question this morning.

Is America ready to elect a woman president? Email us your thoughts at wam@cnn.com. And we'll read them on the air.

HARRIS: Last letters from home. Troops killed in Iraq, now one mother reflects on her son's last words. It's this week's "Soldier's Story."

NGUYEN: And there's a whole new way to share music on the Web. The future of music online in our "Best of the web."

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A great day to enjoy some music outdoors. Fall weather, supreme across much of the country today. There will be a few changes for some people. And we'll talk about that.

And California, so Cal, getting hit with rain. The complete forecast coming up.

CNN LIVE SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh, look at this. Good morning, Washington. Fall has hit the nation's capital. Rob is coming up in just a couple moments with your Sunday forecast.

And welcome back, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for joining us.

HARRIS: Checking our top stories this Sunday morning, Iraq's government has declared a 60-day state of emergency for most of the country. It comes ahead of what's expected to be a U.S.-led invasion of Falluja.

Meantime, in the rebel-held city, the rubble is piling up. U.S. forces are striking at insurgent sites, setting the stage for the expected all-out assault.

In the West Bank this morning, Palestinian officials have agreed on a plan to boost security there in Gaza. The move comes as Yasser Arafat remains in a French hospital.

One woman's struggle keeping the family together and knowing her husband's about to head into battle in Falluja. Still to come on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: I'm looking forward to that story.

And looking forward to this weather. We've got a marathon going on.

MARCIANO: Yes, marathon in New York City. It's always a treat to come down and see what Betty has...

NGUYEN: We're going to be talking about that book. Don't put it off too far.

MARCIANO: OK. How you guys doing this morning?

HARRIS: Very good. How are you?

MARCIANO: Doing great. It's been a quiet weather weekend, actually.

NGUYEN: Knock on wood.

MARCIANO: So we're just kind of cruising along, and I think it's to the likes of a lot of folks around the country.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

MARCIANO: Let's show you the weather map. Here you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Do we have San Francisco? A quick shot of it? No, we don't.

HARRIS: I don't think -- yes, that jazz festival is out there. And I think we don't have -- no, we don't. We don't have the shot. MARCIANO: A great time of year in San Francisco.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

NGUYEN: There we go.

MARCIANO: Oh, the Bay Bridge, KRON is our affiliate.

NGUYEN: Look at the lights.

MARCIANO: And it's dark. And that's typical this time of year to be dark.

NGUYEN: It's still early out West, yes. And we want to get to a fall photo this morning from Neil Jangale (ph). Check this out.

HARRIS: Now, this is a photo from the Morton Arboretum. And I think it's Lisle, Illinois. Does that sound right to you, Rob?

MARCIANO: Sure.

NGUYEN: L-I-S-L-E.

MARCIANO: L-I-S-L-E. I'm just going to say that you said it.

NGUYEN: Exactly.

MARCIANO: And I know in arboretums they have lots of trees, different kinds of trees, and that's probably why we're seeing three totally different...

NGUYEN: And lots of colors.

HARRIS: We're really enjoy these pictures that you're sending in. So keep them coming. WAM@CNN.com, just keep sending the pictures to us. We appreciate it. Great fall colors.

NGUYEN: Oh, the sweet melody of music. Sharing online, it's future and some top new music sites. We've got it covered in this week's "Best of the Web" when we return.

HARRIS: But first, as we go to break some more leaf-peaking -- that's nice on this Sunday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

HARRIS: Now you're listening to some music we got off the Internet, Betty. It's legal, too. It was part...

NGUYEN: I hope so.

HARRIS: ... part of a new groundbreaking approach to dealing with copyright law. It's a song by singer David Byrne called "My Fair Lady." He is just one of the artists involved in a movement to help make is easier to sample the music of others.

Musicians have been sampling the sounds of others for decades. It's certainly nothing new. But the Internet adds a whole new twist to the practice. That's the focus of this morning's "Best of the Web" segment with "Wired" Magazine's managing editor, Blaise Zerega.

Good morning, Blaise.

BLAISE ZEREGA, MANAGING EDITOR, "WIRED": Good morning, Tony. Good to see you.

HARRIS: How are you, doctor? Good to see you.

HARRIS: Well, I've got to ask you, the motion picture folks are going after folks. They announced it I guess a week or so ago that they're going to be to go after folks who download movies off the net, and they're going to be setting up firing squads and some home invasions. Just kidding -- kind of.

ZEREGA: Yes.

HARRIS: But you're here to tell us that there's a lot that the music folks can learn from the music folks.

ZEREGA: Absolutely, Tony. I mean, it's kind of -- they never heard of Yogi Berra's expression, "It's like deja vu all over again."

(LAUGHTER)

ZEREGA: You know, over the past few months, the radio -- pardon me, the Recording Industry Association of America has filed about 6,000 lawsuits against its fans to try to stop them from downloading music. However, millions of songs continue to be downloaded, and hundreds of thousands daily. The -- you know, it makes us wonder, what is the movie...

HARRIS: Exactly.

ZEREGA: ... what is the movie industry up to?

HARRIS: Well, tell us about this new concept of sort of offering limited copyright freedom to the public, to all kinds of artists.

ZEREGA: Yes. The new copyright idea is coming from Creative Commons. It's an innovative think tank...

HARRIS: Creative Commons, that's it? OK.

ZEREGA: CreativeCommons.org. And what they've done is come up with a new way -- a new approach to copyright. Instead of all rights reserved, they've come up with a license that says some rights are reserved.

The licenses allow the artists to dictate how their music will be used. So in this case, the artists are saying, you can file-share our music. You can mix. You can sample. You can mash. And you can share it. So people like David Byrne and the Beastie Boys have come on board.

HARRIS: Well, this has the potential to kind of change the landscape, am I right in that?

ZEREGA: Absolutely. And at "Wired" Magazine, what we did is we approached these musicians and we said, "Hey, what do you think? Are you on board?" And they said yes. So we put out a music CD which is now available at CreativeCommons.org and, of course, in our magazine.

HARRIS: OK. Now, are there other music-sharing, file-sharing Internet sites out there that can learn from what Creative Commons is doing?

ZEREGA: Yes. A lot of the file-sharing today occurs on networks such as Morpheus, Grokster, Edonky, Kazaa.

HARRIS: Where do these names come from?

ZEREGA: Great names, all of them. But on Monday, Morpheus is going to launch a new version of its software that will be able to read and detect which music is under a Creative Commons license. That is, which music can be legally downloaded and file-shared.

HARRIS: OK. Now, I was going to ask you, are we just talking about sort of garage bands throwing their songs up on the net? But you mentioned David Byrne, you mentioned -- there are some other groups that are getting involved in this.

ZEREGA: Absolutely. The musicians have a lot at stake here.

They understand that the history of creativity involves borrowing from those who have come before, from sharing the influences of the masters. The Beastie Boys have certainly built their career out of sampling music. And on this CD, we also have Gilberto Gil, the international Brazilian pop star, really, you know, cutting-edge musicians like Danger Mouse, some old-timers, like Paul Westerberg...

HARRIS: There you go.

ZEREGA: ... from the replacements.

HARRIS: Well, Blaise, good to see you again. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

ZEREGA: Thank you for having me.

HARRIS: And your magazine will guide us through all this, I hope.

ZEREGA: Yes, indeed. Thank you.

HARRIS: OK, Blaise. Thanks a lot.

ZEREGA: Bye-bye.

HARRIS: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, coming up, "A Soldier's Story."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I miss you and love you very much. I hate the idea of missing out on the holidays."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Parents read that last letter home from Iraq.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning. This is a look at KABC in Los Angeles. Look at that, that's the sun coming up on those towers, there. It's just 6:30 on the West coast.

HARRIS: Good morning, L.A. Good morning.

NGUYEN: And good morning everyone watching, I'm Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. First let's get to what's happening in the news at this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have decided to declare the state of emergency in -- throughout Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: That was the word this morning from a spokesman for Iraq's interim prime minister. The timeframe means the state of emergency will last until shortly before the January elections. The declaration comes as U.S. forces make final preparations for an assault on Falluja. Senior military commanders tell their troops that the fighting ahead is on par with other historic battles. The offensive could begin at any time.

In Afghanistan, a group holding three U.N. workers hostage reportedly has provided Afghan officials with a list of names. The Associated Press reports the kidnappers want to exchange their hostages for the people on the list. The wire service also says negotiations have been taking place at a secret location.

And in Paris, a tentative agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions has been reached between representatives of the European Union and Iran. No details were provided. The plan would still need approval by the governments of Iran, Britain, Germany and France. NGUYEN: Well, as thousands of Marines wait for their orders to move on Falluja, thousands of their loved ones back home wait and worry about what the troops will face. CNN's Donna Tetreault talked to one young wife in California about how that feels.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONNA TETREAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day at the beach for Megan Smith and her two daughters, Molly, three, and Maggie, one-and-a-half, isn't without thoughts that someone is missing.

MOLLY SMITH, 3-YEAR-OLD: That's my dad.

TETREAULT: Corporal Matthew Smith, Megan's husband, is one of the thousands of Marines in Falluja, preparing for an expected assault against insurgents.

SMITH: I don't want to spend another anniversary without him. I don't want to spend another birthday without him. I just want him home.

TETREAULT: New Year's eve, the couple will celebrate their third year of marriage. But now Megan focuses more on the smaller milestones. The last time she spoke to her husband was about a week ago.

SMITH: When we get on the phone, he jokes a lot more than usual, so I know he's scared, but he's trying to hide it. So it's -- it's -- I think it's very hard on him to be away again.

TETREAULT: This is Matthew's second deployment to Iraq, and Megan is worried she could get the worst news possible. Like her neighbor did, now a widow.

SMITH: To see my neighbor get that news and to hear her cry, it was hard because I knew it could have been me. Or it could have been Matt. And I don't want it to be.

TETREAULT (on camera): And Megan says that she spends a lot of time praying. She said that when she married her husband, she knew what she had signed up for, but she never dreamed it would be this difficult. But Megan's not alone, there are thousands of families just like her, all of them here in Oceanside at Camp Pendleton.

Donna Tetreault for CNN, Oceanside, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, it is hard to imagine the emotions of a parent who loses a child to war. Then days later, a letter sent before that child's death arrives in the mail. That is the focus of this morning's "Soldier's Story." Here's the preview of an HBO documentary which airs on Thursday, Veteran's Day, about parents who receive that last letter home from children killed in battle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dear daddy. Happy Father's Day. I love you so much, and you can't imagine how often I think of you. I hope you have lots of fun today and that the weather is lovely. We had a briefing telling us to prepare ourselves as best as possible for what lies ahead. Things like children running out in the front of the vehicles, to try and get them to stop. We have to prepare ourselves to hit people because stopping is not an option.

CATHY HEIGHTER, SON, RAHEEN, KILLED IN WAR: In the beginning, there was a lot of bloodshed, but now it's all over. Though there still are terrorists that don't want us here, the good news is I will be home to see you in September or October, the latest. Love, Raheen.

And the minute that I opened this letter and read it, my heart sank.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not an idealist who thinks I can change the world, but I can still be doing some sort of good. I want to be able to believe in what I am doing. I could never do that just working an ordinary job. I miss you and love you very much. I hate the idea of missing out on the holidays.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Those letters are now priceless mementos. They became the soldiers' final farewells to their families. Besides the HBO documentary, there's also a new book by the same name. Some of those letters were to Cathy Heighter from her son, Raheen. He was killed in action in July 2003, and she is with us this morning from New York to tell us his story.

Good morning to you, and we thank you so much. This can be very difficult, and we appreciate your time this morning.

HEIGHTER: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Good morning. Well, first of all, tell us a little bit about Raheen. What kind of a son was he?

HEIGHTER: Well, he was a wonderful son. And he was a very ambitious son. He set out with a plan for his life, and he went ahead with his focus in order to try to accomplish the goals he set for himself in life.

NGUYEN: You know, I read that he tried to enlist before he graduated from high school, and you said, "nope, no way."

HEIGHTER: Yes, he did.

NGUYEN: Then when he turned 20-years-old, he walked into your studio, and what did he tell you?

HEIGHTER: He walked into my studio, and he told me, "Ma, I'm leaving home in the morning at 5:30. The recruiters are coming to pick me up. I'm going in the Army."

NGUYEN: How surprised were you of that? Did you expect it?

HEIGHTER: I didn't expect it. I was shocked. And I was very hurt, but I fought back every tear because I really didn't want him to know how I felt about him going into the military. I wasn't really happy about it.

NGUYEN: But what did the military mean to him? Was it a way to serve? Was it a way to further his career? What did it mean?

HEIGHTER: The military meant that it would be a way for him to get his education, and also to serve his country. Raheen was a very determined and persistent young man. He just never gave up on anything.

NGUYEN: You know, I've been reading a lot of these letters in this book, "Last Letters Home," and they are not only very insightful, but they're heart wrenching as well. If you would, please, just share with us a little bit about what Raheen told you in his last letter home.

HEIGHTER: Raheen told me that -- the letter opens saying "Dear Mother, today is a blissful day." And when I read that first line, tears just began to roll down my face because I knew there was something wrong. I knew my son. He talked about -- he began thanking me, first of all, for all of the things that I had taught him, about being optimistic, about being spontaneous, and teaching him about life and making him the person that he was. And then a line read, "I love you, Mother, as I sit here with tears in my eyes," and I just knew in my heart there was something wrong. And two days later, I was brought the news that he had been killed in Iraq.

NGUYEN: It's almost as if that letter was sending you a signal.

HEIGHTER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about "Last Letters Home," this book that you've decided to participate in with Raheen's letter. What do you hope to accomplish by this?

HEIGHTER: Well, I hope that it continues to raise the awareness of the American people and let the world know that our children are in this war, and they're still dying. But we do have to support them, we have to be there for them, and pray that they all come home safe.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And how are you honoring his memory? You're doing a lot of things. Just quickly, if you tell us some of the few things you have on the table to honor Raheen.

HEIGHTER: I'm doing several things to honor my son's memory. The first thing that I did immediately, after my son was killed, because I knew that his -- he had gone into the military seeking an education. I set up a scholarship fund in his name, which is called "Raheen's Legacy." This past -- well, July 2004, I was able to award five scholarships to five graduating high school seniors, three from Bayshore High School and two from Brentwood. I'm also a spokesperson and member of the Fallen Heroes Fund, which helps to raise funds to help the families of soldiers that have been killed over in Iraq. And because of the fact that my son was sent over to Iraq, and when he died they brought me the news that he only had a $10,000 life insurance policy, I went to my congressman, and he, in turn, had a bill submitted to Congress asking for adequate -- to guarantee adequate life insurance for the armed forces members, which is now in legislation.

NGUYEN: So his legacy lives on through you.

HEIGHTER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Cathy Heighter, we so appreciate your time this morning.

HEIGHTER: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Take care.

HEIGHTER: Thank you very much.

NGUYEN: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. We know the election is history, but it made history for a man wrongfully accused of murder. Michael Austin was freed from prison after serving 27 years. Maryland's governor granted Austin a full pardon and when he was freed, Austin says he looked forward to making a trip to the drugstore and working on his music, but mostly, he could not wait to exercise his privilege to vote in a presidential election for the first time ever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL AUSTIN, FIRST TIME VOTER: I set the phone down and I just stood there for a minute. And I said, "I'm really going home tomorrow." And I walked back to my cell, and I grabbed my trumpet, and I started playing my trumpet a little bit. And then I got on my knees and I prayed. You have no idea of how -- you just can't -- see, you have to imagine, in a cell for 27 years, and then one day they open the door and say, "you can go home." And I'm walking out that door. And when I walk out that door, in my mind, I'm saying, this is a new world. I'm going to have to adapt.

When I came home one day, I went to Rite-Aid, and I needed some toothpaste, and I wanted to do this on my own. This was the first time I was ever able to buy anything, you know, since I was 26. And I go to the counter and I pick the toothpaste up, and I just start crying. And I'm looking around and seeing if anybody's looking at me because they're going to think, this guy is crying about a tube of toothpaste? And, you know, and I asked myself, "why are you -- you know, why are you crying," because I realized then how important freedom is.

I almost stayed in that cell 10,000 days, you know. And imagine, those 10,000 days was enough time for me to either get it together or sink. And I didn't want to sink, because if I didn't voice what had happened to me, I would still be in prison. And that's the same thing about voting. If you don't voice what is happening to you, then you're subject to the same thing, you know. So I just voiced -- you know, the fact that I'm innocent. I didn't do anything. You know. But it's on the same principles, when you get ready to vote, you're voicing how you really feel. See, what was taken from me was a lifetime. We're talking about 27 years.

I cannot allow myself to focus on what was taken. I'm focused on now what am I going to achieve and what am I going to gain? I'm going to vote right down on the street. To be able to go in there and to take my place in the booth and push a button or two or three and say, "this is my selection" is power. When you -- when power is taken away from you for such a long time, you can imagine how joyful and exhilarating it is to be able to have the power to do what you want to do.

(SINGING): We're all in this together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Great story.

Checking our top stories this Sunday morning. Emergency measures in Iraq. Earlier this morning, the Iraqi government declared a 60-day state of emergency for most of the country. The move comes as U.S. and Iraqi forces prepare for an assault on rebel-held Falluja.

Elsewhere in Iraq, deadly attacks and more fighting, more than 20 people have been killed in a series of attacks near Ramadi. Insurgents struck three area police stations with grenades and other weapons.

And Palestinian officials are carrying on without their ailing leader. In Yasser Arafat's absence, they've agreed to a plan to boost security in the West Bank and Gaza. Officials fear an outbreak of violence if Arafat dies.

Killed in action nearly 40 years ago: Six servicemen finally laid to rest. That story when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And checking stories across America now. In Hollywood, protesters criticized the president's reelection and the Iraq war. Minor disturbances erupted outside a military recruiting office on Sunset Boulevard. Four people were arrested for vandalism or disturbing the peace.

And this man honorably served his country. Now he's suing the military that wants him back. David Miyasato says he was living a quiet life with his family when he unexpectedly received orders to return to active duty eight years after being out of the service. His lawsuit says he's fulfilled his military obligations.

NGUYEN: The remains of six Air Force servicemen are home at last from the Vietnam War. During a recent service at Arlington National Cemetery, their stories finally came to a close.

CNN's Elaine Quijano explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): Almost 40 years ago, the drumbeat of Vietnam called them away. This week, six Americans came home in one flag-draped coffin. To be honored, saluted and finally laid to rest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They honored the flag, and now the flag honors them.

QUIJANO: They were the crew of a U.S. Air Force AC-47 gunship. Kenneth Kryszak's father, Colonel Theodore Kryszak, piloted the plane.

KENNETH KRYSZAK, SON OF MIA SOLDIER: I was 6 years old when he was shot down. I lost my -- I lost my best buddy.

QUIJANO: The military says they were on a nighttime recon mission. The plane reported incoming fire and went down in the woods of southern Laos. After years of red tape, authorities from the U.S. and Laos teamed up in the mid-'90s to search for the remains of missing American servicemen. And at an excavation, like this one, officials found the crew of that gunship.

The funeral at Arlington National Cemetery drew bikers from the POW MIA advocates Rolling Thunder, who happened to be in town for a convention. Most didn't know these servicemen, but they understood their families' anguish. Then, in a ceremony that took less than an hour, decades of "what-ifs" came to an end. The family members received their flags, their whispered words of comfort, and finally said the good-byes they had held back for 38 years.

KRYSZAK: He loved what he did. He did his duty, and he was proud to. And he did it well.

QUIJANO: Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: What is with this music? Sorry, Los Angeles. But good morning out there. We have a live look over the City of Angels today. The American Film Institute hosts the International Film Festival. I don't think Barbie's involved, but 135 films from 42 countries will be screened; 24 are having their world premieres.

HARRIS: We were that close to a clean getaway. That close.

Kelly Wallace joins us from Washington with a preview of "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY."

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY": Good morning, Tony. That music waking us all up here in Washington. Well, coming up at the top of the hour, we are looking ahead to all things political. We will debate President Bush's second term agenda and Congress' blueprint for the next session. We'll also find out how Democrats are planning to regroup after their bitter election night disappointment. And it's never too early for predictions. Our panel runs the numbers on the presidential candidates for 2008. That's all ahead on "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY," hope you'll join us. Back to you, Tony.

HARRIS: Oh Kelly, it wakes you up, but we're going to pay a price for that, I'm sure. Thank you.

WALLACE: All right.

HARRIS: See you in a little bit.

NGUYEN: Well, that's for sure.

HARRIS: Well, all morning long we've been asking for your thoughts in our "E-mail Question of the Day" and here it is: Is America ready to elect a woman president?

NGUYEN: We have got lots of interesting responses. Amy from Roanoke, Virginia writes: "Judging by the results of the recent election, I don't think Americans are ready for a woman president. I think we may be looking at whether women will retain the right to vote."

HARRIS: Ouch! "I think America would support the right woman as president. However, the problem with the presidency is that we require perfection, which means the right man or woman had to be hard to find, and women, I think, are held to an even higher standard in politics than men."

NGUYEN: Now listen to this one. This one is from Cody, a 12- year-old from Cattlesburg, Kentucky, and she writes: "I'm a 12-year- old girl, and I have a major opinion on your question. I believe that America is ready for a female president, because women have the same amount of intelligence as men." Go, Cody. "It would be a great change for the United States, and I believe that a woman could run the country. They try to understand more about how people feel, and that would help to understand what America needs."

HARRIS: Well, we're awfully divided. Let's try it, huh?

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: Give it a go.

NGUYEN: Rob, how do you feel?

MARCIANO: Well, I -- first of all, I don't think we should listen to a 12-year-old.

NGUYEN: Oh, Rob!

MARCIANO: No, I'm kidding.

NGUYEN: Cody, don't even listen to what he's saying.

MARCIANO: What am I going to say? No, I don't -- no, it would be great. It would be fabulous.

HARRIS: Rob Marciano.

NGUYEN: Nice save, Rob. Nice save.

MARCIANO: Besides, the men have been working way too hard for the last couple hundred years.

HARRIS: There you go.

MARCIANO: You know, time to take a little time off.

NGUYEN: He just had to slip that in, too. Didn't he? All right, let's get to weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: But, who is this?

NGUYEN: I don't know.

HARRIS: I can't remember of the name of the band, but they were a one hit wonder. This was it.

NGUYEN: "Barbie Girl?"

HARRIS: Yeah, they were sued and everything else.

NGUYEN: All right.

HARRIS: And there you go. Now you know.

NGUYEN: Well, that is all for us.

HARRIS: "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" is next.

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