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CNN Sunday Morning
2 in Custody in Connection With Teen's Disappearance on Aruba; Thunderstorms, Tornadoes Pound Midwest
Aired June 05, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's the year's first major tornado outbreak. Just look at these pictures. A string of twisters rips through the nation's mid section, causing damage.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING on the fifth day of June. Good morning, everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Let's take a look at some of the other stories making news this hour. Now in the news, police in Aruba are now treating the search for 18-year old Natalee Holloway as a criminal case. But they say they still hope to find her safe. The Alabama teen was last seen Monday night leaving an Aruba nightclub with three young local men. FBI agents are assisting in that search.
Homeland Security officials say the Transportation Security Administration could better use existing technology to make air travel safer. A 200 plus page report outlines relatively simple steps, such as more checkpoint lanes in airports. But one Homeland Security official says some of the recommendations might be too costly to implement.
Two people are confirmed dead after three trucks caught fire in a European tunnel Saturday night. The tunnel links France and Italy and remains closed this morning for inspection. A French government spokesman says the fire broke out when two trucks collided.
NGUYEN: And also ahead this hour, war through a windshield. What it's like to drive trucks through a war zone. A Texas man risked his life for not much more than minimum wage. We will bring you his story.
Also, this Marine didn't know what hit his convoy in Iraq. Dozens of surgeries later, he is our hero's story today. And Osama's head in a box of dry ice, that is the order given by the CIA in Afghanistan. We have those details just ahead.
HARRIS: People throughout the Midwest will be picking up and cleaning up today, after being pounded by heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes. At least 30 twisters were reported in parts of Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas yesterday. It's the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year.
This funnel cloud was spotted in Oklahoma, where two tornadoes touched down. At least five people suffered minor injuries. Homes and other buildings were damaged.
And in Chicago, it wasn't a tornado, but strong winds that whipped around, damaging homes and knocking out power. Almost 50,000 customers lost power throughout northern Illinois. Utility crews worked through the night to get it all back up and running.
NGUYEN: And I guess the question today, Rob, are they going to see any more of this? I mean, it is that time of year, isn't it?
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: The family of Natalee Holloway is holding out hope that the 18-year old will soon be found alive. The Alabama teenager on vacation in Aruba has not been seen since Monday. Aruba authorities have help from the FBI, but still no sign of Natalee.
CNN's Karl Penhaul has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One word that conjures up 1,000 fears and emotions. Police joined by well wishers scour Aruba's beaches for signs of Natalee Holloway.
And her mother, Beth, makes an emotional pledge about her missing daughter.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MISSING TEEN'S MOTHER: My primary goal is to bring Natalee back home. We will do whatever it takes. As I've said from the beginning, I'm not leaving Aruba without her.
PENHAUL: For much of the afternoon Saturday, investigators backed by FBI agents searched this hotel. It's being remodeled, plenty of hiding space workmen say. Nothing was found. It was just one of what police say are dozens of tips from the public.
Aruba's deputy police chief, Gerold Dompig, spelled out the avenues of inquiry.
DEP. COMM. GEROLD DOMPIG, ARUBA POLICE: Three theories. One is, as you all know, these persons of interest might have done something wrong to Natalee. That's one area.
The other area is that this person is just missing in terms of somewhere else for whatever reason. And the last theory is, of course, kidnapping.
PENHAUL: The persons of interest he is referring to are three local men. They left this Mexican bar early Monday with Natalee. They told police they took her to a nearby beach before dropping her off at her hotel.
(on camera): Aruba is a tropical paradise of sorts. Plenty of sun, sea, and white sandy beaches. But it also has its darker side. The island is a transshipment point for cocaine and heroine coming from Colombia en route to the United States and Europe. The island's also stopping off point for many South American prostitutes, hoping to get to Europe.
(voice-over): But there's little history of violent crime against tourists. One-third of Aruba's income comes from tourism -- around a million visitors a year. Half of those from the U.S.
18-year old Natalee Holloway was one of many. Yet to those who knew her, she stood apart.
B. TWITTY: Natalee is truly an angel. She's a member of the National Honor Society. She's a straight A student.
PENHAUL: She's praying hard her angel reappears safe and well in paradise.
Karl Penhaul, Palm Beach, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Now the Natalee Holloway case prompts the obvious question. Just how many missing kids are there? Well, according to the Justice Department's latest report, just under 800,000 kids were reported missing in 1999. And about 25 percent of those or just around 204,000 were reportedly abducted by a family member.
In our security watch this morning, the Homeland Security Department has a few suggestions to make you safer at the airport during the busy summer travel season. Among its recommendations to the Transportation Security Administration, here they are.
Expand the use of explosive detection technology. And station more armed guards in sensitive areas. Also, use longer tables at security checkpoints for travelers to unload the personal items for screening. And the bottom line, the TSA should improve its use of existing technology while the more sophisticated screenings can be brought on line in the future.
Now with all of this in mind, the report suggests adding checkpoint lanes to get you and your bags through more quickly. Air travel dropped off in the years after 9/11, but this summer, passenger numbers will probably rise to what they were before the terror attacks.
HARRIS: Time now to check the top international stories making news this morning.
NGUYEN: And for that, let's go to the CNN international desk where Hala Gorani is for Anand Naidoo.
Good morning, Hala.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Betty. Good morning, Tony. Well we start our look around the world in Lebanon once again three days after the assassination of a leading anti-Syrian journalist. There are elections in Lebanon. It's the second of a four phase pull to elect members of parliament in that country. But this time, anti-Syrian candidates don't have much of a chance. The 23 seats up for grabs are for district in southern Lebanon. So a more Syria friendly alliance that includes Hezbollah, it is expected to make a clean sweep.
A discovery in Iraq of gigantic proportions. U.S. Marines, get this, say they've uncovered an underground insurgent bunker the size of almost 14 football fields in Karmah, not far from Fallujah with large stores of weapons. There were no insurgents there, but it must have been used recently because the Marines say they found fresh food in a makeshift kitchen area.
Finally, love makes you feel lighter than air, right? Well, it was definitely the case for this adventurous Nepalese couple. They briefly took off their oxygen mask to get married in the Hindu tradition. They were at the top of the world's highest mountain for 10 minutes.
Tony, this is a good way to make sure those very distant relatives don't come to your wedding, right? To send an invitation to Mount Everest. Come if you can.
NGUYEN: We'll send pictures if we can.
GORANI: Yes.
NGUYEN: Right, Hala. Thank you.
HARRIS: Thanks.
Oh, now to some very private papers from a very public figure. Have you heard this story? Pope John Paul II's long time secretary says he will not burn notes and memos from the late pontiff, even though John Paul's will instructs his secretary to destroy the papers.
In an interview with Polish state radio, the secretary says the documents contain "great riches." And he says they should be preserved and eventually made public.
And that leads us to our e-mail question of the morning. Should Pope John Paul II's wishes be carried out? Let us know what you're thinking this morning on this subject. There's the address. Weekends@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: Now for a quick look at some of the stories we will be covering in the week ahead. Monday, a decision is expected in a trial challenging the results of Washington state's 2004 gubernatorial election.
Now at issue, what to do with illegal votes, including those cast by some felons who are banned from voting under state law? Democrat Christine Gregoire won the race by a mere 129 votes.
Also Monday, jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial resume their deliberations. The jury got the case Friday, after a day and a half of closing arguments. Now the pop star will stay at his Neverland ranch, as the jury weighs his fate. The judge says he will allow an audio feed from the courtroom to broadcast the reading of the verdict whenever it comes.
On Tuesday, the first in a series of public hearings on the military's proposed downsizing of bases all around the country. The first hearings take place in Salt Lake City, Utah and St. Louis, Missouri. The government says the closings could save it nearly $49 billion over 20 years.
HARRIS: He is the most wanted man in the world. And there's a multi million dollar reward for him, but Osama bin Laden's still on the run. And the American agent who started the foot chase talks about his mission. And that's coming up.
And dangerous storms this Sunday in the Midwest. Good morning, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Our top stories this morning, the story of a missing teenager in Aruba evolves into a criminal case. It is now six days and counting since 18-year old Alabama high school student Natalee Holloway vanished.
Fifteen years after he was murdered, Emmett Till has reached his final resting place. The teenager was killed in Mississippi, a murder that helped spark the civil rights movement. The FBI had exhumed this body to search for clues until his family buried him again outside Chicago yesterday.
Nothing is fit for burning, says Pope John Paul long time private secretary. The late pontiff wanted his personal documents and notes destroyed. But instead, the secretary says the papers contain great riches and should be preserved.
Pope John Paul II's papers and his last requests are the focus of our e-mail question today. We're asking you should his wishes, that is former Secretary burn his private papers be carried out? E-mail us your thoughts at weekends@cnn.com. We'll be reading those responses throughout the morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right, it is one of the remaining mysteries of 9/11. Where is Osama bin Laden? You're about to meet a man hired to track down the most wanted criminal on earth. And you won't believe what his orders were.
The story next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: Also, a purple heart recipient talks about fighting for his life after he left the battlefield.
NGUYEN: First though, a CNN extra. Believe it or not, some of your favorite Internet shopping sites may be charging different prices to different customers for the same items. And it's perfectly legal. HARRIS: And then tell if it's done by quietly tracking your buying habits and benefits repeat customers who spend the most money. Who loses? The bargain hunter who searched different sites for the best deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: In the war on terror, the hunt is still on for mastermind terrorist Osama bin Laden. So what's it like to take on the task of hunting him down?
CNN's national security correspondent David Ensor goes one on one with a man who had bin Laden on the run.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Until this day, Gary Schroen, the CIA man who led the first American team into Afghanistan just days after 9/11, had never seen the site where so many died.
GARY SCHROEN, LED FIRST TEAM TO AFGHANISTAN: When you think what went on, if you remember seeing those images, I mean, my God, it just takes your breath away to stand here.
ENSOR: And how many days after this came down did you get into Afghanistan to start the fight back?
SCHROEN: We were -- I think we actually left the United States on the 19th of September.
ENSOR: Schroen got his marching orders from Coffer Black, then head of the CIA's counterterrorism center. He was to link up with the rebel northern alliance, tell them the Americans would be there soon to help defeat the Taliban government.
And there was another charge.
SCHROEN: I was to find bin Laden, kill him, and bring his head back to the United States in a box on dry ice.
ENSOR: Did he mean that literally, do you think?
SCHROEN: Knowing Coffer, perhaps he did. But I took it as -- that he was wanting to really demonstrate to us that this was very, very serious. The gloves were off and that we were there to really go after this guy and his lieutenants and to kill them.
ENSOR: As Schroen writes in his new book, "First In," his seven man team were given just five days to get ready to go into Afghanistan.
SCHROEN: So we needed tents, camping gear. Sort of like on a -- let's say it's a hunting expedition in the Rockies or something. And so, we went out to a local camping good stores and sporting good stores and bought our gear. ENSOR: Really? I mean, I would imagine -- I guess we imagine the CIA has, you know, like in James Bond, a guy who does all that?
SCHROEN: Absolutely not.
ENSOR: What about money?
SCHROEN: Oh, we had $3 million that we took along with us in cash. Three cardboard boxes.
ENSOR: They flew into Afghanistan in a CIA owned Russian made helicopter with souped up American avionics. They gave it the tail number 9/11/01.
SCHROEN: And everyday, we'd look at the helicopter. We'd think back of this and why we were there in Afghanistan.
ENSOR: Schroen's team rallied the northern alliance, which was reeling from the murder of its commander by al Qaeda. They helped call in U.S. strikes on Taliban front lines. The CIA's quick work, say Bush administration officials, shortened the war and saved a lot of American lives
But not without a few close calls, like the time CIA headquarters called to say a predator drone had spotted two guys walking around a Taliban airfield, one of them tall and thin.
SCHROEN: We think it's bin Laden. And we have a hell fire on board. And we want to shoot these two guys -- we want to blow these two guys up. So I said, "well, give me the coordinates." And so I -- we check. And I say, "that's our airfield. That's a CIA airfield. And those are our two -- those are CIA officers walking the ground. You mean they're really -- it's not bin Laden?" I said, no, it's our pilot.
ENSOR: Gary Schroen loved his tough assignment in Afghanistan. He has one regret.
How do you feel about the fact that bin Laden is still out there?
SCHROEN: It's one of the frustrations that I have is to watch this man still, you know, out there free and still creating, you know, plans to attack the United States.
Maybe this year, if we can get the Pakistanis to cooperate, we'll be able to track him down.
ENSOR: Schroen argues the U.S. will need to beef up its military forces on the Afghan-Pakistani border and send in more CIA teams like his. He wants to be sure of catching or killing Osama bin Laden.
David Ensor, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, thousands of Americans are doing their jobs overseas, helping to rebuild Iraq. But one man says the price, it just wasn't right when his truck rolled into the war zone.
HARRIS: Now he wants the company to pay up. His story, next, in a special CNN investigative report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning and welcome back on a Sunday. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: Let's get you started with a look at the news this morning.
NGUYEN: A new homeland security report recommends an array of improvements at the nations airports. Sources tell CNN one of the recommendations is increased screening of luggage for explosives. Four areas of security were examined, including passenger carry on bags, checked luggage and cargo. Sources say many recommendations have already been implemented, while others may be too expensive to carry out.
Aruba police say they are treating the search for the missing Alabama teenager as a criminal investigation. Police say several people have reported seeing 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, but tips, well, they lead nowhere so far. Holloway was last seen Monday leaving a nightclub with three local men. She was in Aruba on a high school graduation trip.
U.S. Marines say they have discovered a massive underground bunker used as an insurgent hideout in Iraq. The military says the bunker is about the size, get this, of 14 football fields, 14 of them, and contained huge weapons and ammunition caches. It also had showers, an air conditioner and a kitchen. No insurgents were found in the bunker.
People throughout the Midwest will be picking up and cleaning up today after being pounded by heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes. At least 30 twisters were reported in parts of Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska - look at the map here -- Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas yesterday. It's the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year. This funnel cloud was spotted in Oklahoma where two tornadoes touched down. At least five people suffered minor injuries. Homes and other businesses were damaged.
And in Chicago it wasn't a tornado, but strong winds that whipped around damaging homes and knocking out power. Almost 50,000 customers lost power throughout northern Illinois. Utility crews worked through the night to get it all back on.
NGUYEN: They're hoping a new day brings better news. Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I don't think so, not for Chicago at least, but the folks that saw the tornadoes yesterday, that weather is now moving east. Chicago like you mentioned, wasn't a tornado, but the straight line winds from heavy thunderstorms that rolled through there last night. Now they're going to be in the area that could see more severe weather in the form of tornadoes. Last night's storms exploded across the plains. This is what we call tornado alley, because it's an area that gets warm and moist air from the south, dry hot air from the northwest, cool dry air from the northwest and those three combined in this area of the world for an unusual combination of severe weather. So that's what happened yesterday.
Today, not as much expected. The storm winding down just a little bit, but everything moves a little bit farther to the east. These red watch boxes were tornado watches that were up last night and they expired a few hours ago. They'll probably be reposted, at least some of them, most of which will be across, probably Michigan, eastern, northeastern Illinois and Indiana, as this warm moist air comes into this hot zone, if you will and then that trail all the way towards Dallas, Texas, where this morning they're already seeing some thunderstorms there and in Oklahoma City. Upwards of 300 reports of severe weather. You said 30-plus reports of tornadoes but another 250 of straight line winds and damaging hail yesterday. So it was quiet. It was a quiet May, but it looks like Mother Nature not quite giving up on severe weather season just yet.
HARRIS: Hey, Rob, what are straight line winds?
MARCIANO: Straight line winds basically a thunderstorm that doesn't have a tornado, but that's just a down draft that comes from the upper parts of the thunderstorm, comes straight down into the ground and it can bring winds from the jet stream all the way down to the ground, 60, 70, 80 mile an hour winds, can do just as much damage as a tornado.
NGUYEN: I know all about that living in Texas, tornado alley, Rob. Thank you, talk to you later.
MARCIANO: See you.
NGUYEN: Each Sunday morning we spotlight the best stories from CNN's investigative unit and today, it's a look at the Iraq war through a windshield. Hundreds of American contractors signed on with the promise of reaping big rewards, sometimes three or four times their annual salaries. As CNN's Jim Clancy reports, the promise in one contractor's encounters in Iraq, well, they weren't the same.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN PETTY: It's Monday morning, pretty quick getting loaded. (INAUDIBLE) Going to a pretty rough area.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Allen Petty had good reason to be concerned. Iraq was not a safe place in the summer of 2004 for anyone doing his job.
SYLVIA PETTY, WIFE: What are you going to have for breakfast?
CLANCY: Back home in Burnet, Texas, Allen's wife Sylvia was dealing with the family and her own fears.
SYLVIA PETTY: I watched everything on TV, every moment I could get to see if I could see his truck on a convoy, checking names, checking when they would say three military killed and two others. I knew what the others meant.
ALLEN PETTY: Some bad news and some good news. We had one of our guys from the yard get hit yesterday. This is the truck that got hit with that IED I was talking about. That's what's left of it. There's the driver's seat.
CLANCY: Even as the situation in Iraq grew more disturbing, the paychecks at home were growing more disappointing.
ALLEN PETTY: We were supposed to be receiving between 8 and 10 grand a month and we were only getting half of that, 4 grand.
CLANCY: Allen and Sylvia were mystified by KBR's accounting. Had they been promised too much? Not according to KBR. The company declined an on-camera interview, but replied to our questions in writing. The figure you mention, $8,000 to $10,000 a month sounds like a reasonable sum when you factor in that KBR employs in Iraq typically work and are paid for more than 80 hours per week, 12 plus hours per day, seven days a week and are also paid a hazardous duty uplift, an area differential and a foreign service bonus. For Allen though, it didn't seem to add up.
ALLEN PETTY: It was less pay, you know, more than 12 to 14 hours and less pay than what we were promised.
CLANCY: But Allen's disappointment was written right into his contract. Here's what it says. All hours worked over 40 hours per week will be paid at the straight time rate. The foreign service bonus, work area differential and hazard pay apply only to the first 40 hours worked each week. In other words, after 40 hours, the bonuses that can add 55 percent to his pay no longer applied. Effectively, the more hours he worked, the lower his average hourly rate dropped. Slowly it dawned on Allen that he was driving trucks into a war zone for $15.57 an hour. Sylvia, who saw the bank statements put it differently. She saw their dream of a new home for their six daughters fading.
SYLVIA PETTY: It never reached a point to where we were in that bracket that we were told it would -- you know, we would get paid. I see we as in a couple, you know, as a family. I don't understand why. I just don't understand. I just know that the dream was over when that happened. There was no, going to get a house. There was no -- there's nothing left.
ALLEN PETTY: So when I started bringing home 2 grand a month, you know, I said, I could go back to my old job and make that, you know. And not get, you know, bullets shot at you, RPGs, IEDs, car bombs, rocks, or possibly even get our head cut off.
CLANCY: If there was growing disillusion with the money, the mission was losing its luster as well.
ALLEN PETTY: I guess our escort's done, they left. It's just us, man, and our body guards. Looks like coming into Baghdad. CLANCY: Like other drivers, Allen grew uneasy about risking his life, especially when it came to ferrying empty convoys around a war zone. There may have been a reason for it, but Allen says he didn't understand it. The risks he learned all too well.
ALLEN PETTY: I had never been that afraid before in my life until that day.
CLANCY: That was in August 2004.
ALLEN PETTY: It was just how close it came to being one of those that you hear about or read about.
CLANCY: Allen Petty's convoy was hit. Shrapnel pierced his windshield. The 19-year old reservist with him wisely ducked for cover.
ALLEN PETTY: Of course, I was afraid, but you're down on the floorboard and (INAUDIBLE). One picture I seen after that was my little two-year old Lydia. At the time she wasn't two, but I remember seeing a picture of her crawling on the floor. I thought man...
CLANCY: The attack was real, but even in his dreams, Allen felt danger closing in on him.
ALLEN PETTY: And there was a point where I actually had a nightmare, that I'd been, that I'd gotten my head cut off and I could see my body. And so I figured, I thought it was the lord trying to tell me to come home.
This is hopefully my last trip, said that about the last one. This is (INAUDIBLE) humanitarian run. It's very hot. It's an emergency. We're going to run all day and all night.
CLANCY: In early September, Allen Petty did come home for what was supposed to be a two-week leave. Instead, he was hospitalized with a heart condition. Allen and his wife Sylvia, who had gone to Iraq to buy them a new home, decided staying home, abandoning their dreams would insure something more precious for their six children.
SYLVIA PETTY: And they're tired of just barely, you know, making it. But they don't to want lose their daddy either.
CLANCY: Even though Allen Petty decided not to return to Iraq, he did go back every night in front of his computer.
SYLVIA PETTY: It's like he couldn't get away from it. He was still there. He wasn't here and he really began worrying me. He was very tense.
CLANCY: In some ways, Allen Petty didn't come home for months. It took him that long to rejoin his family. He doesn't look at the videotapes that much anymore, but he hasn't found a new job and he's still asking KBR about what he thinks are missing pay and benefits, still asking himself, was it worth it? Jim Clancy, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Petty is getting on with his life by doing small jobs in his hometown of Burnet, Texas. Adding up pay stubs, it appears that Allen Petty was on track to average about $6,000 a month, far short of the $8,000 to $10,000 a month that he said Kellogg, Brown and Root promised. Now we asked KBR about that and the company sent this response. It is important to note that any employee's salary will vary depending on the actual number of hours worked. And recruits are not guaranteed a specific amount. The figure you reference, $8,000 to $10,000, is simply represented to recruits as the average total compensation for positions in Iraq.
HARRIS: 9/11 was just one of the major news stories you watched unfold on CNN. We'll have more on our silver anniversary from the dot-com desk. That's next.
NGUYEN: And he was wounded on the battlefield. Now one veteran wages a daily war. He shares his story later on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Our top stories this morning. It's not called tornado alley for nothing. At least 30 twisters were reported in parts of six states yesterday. It's the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year.
Homeland security officials say the Transportation Security Administration could better use existing technology to make air travel safer. A report outlines relatively simple steps such as more checkpoint lanes at airports.
And Detroit beat down the Heat. My goodness, the Pistons pummeled Miami 91-66. Come on, Shaq! -- to even the eastern conference finals at three games apiece.
NGUYEN: From tragedy to triumph, from war to peace, they are the stories that have defined our lives. For 25 years CNN has followed them and brought them to you. For a sampling of the major stories we've covered over the past quarter century, here's Christina Park of cnn.com.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA PARK, CNN.COM: The world's first 24-hour news network was born 25 years ago. Cnn.com looks at the biggest news events that have changed our lives and changed the world.
Go straight to our interactive time line for the biggest story since 1980. From the space shuttle "Challenger" that exploded on takeoff, killing all seven aboard in 1986, to tearing down the Berlin Wall in November of 1989. Revisit the images that have burned themselves into our memories, from the pro-democracy demonstrations that were crushed in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to the Gulf wars. And the September 11th terrorist attacks. We've said good-bye to Princess Di, JFK Jr., Pope John Paul II and many other news makers. If you're a news junkie, take our quiz on world events and test your pop culture IQ. What was the name of Madonna's film debut? Log on to find out. While you're there, tell us about your most memorable news event. We'll rank your top 10 stories of the past 25 years and show you which ones touched the lives of others. So log onto cnn.com/cnn25 to relive some of the biggest stories in the past quarter century. Reporting from the dot com desk, I'm Christina Park.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: A Marine leaves part of his leg in Iraq, but his heart is intact. A hero story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We have some breaking news to report in the disappearance of a missing Alabama teenager. This just in. Police in Aruba have detained two men in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, which you see right there on your screen. She's been missing for nearly a week now. She was in Aruba on a high school trip, a senior trip, when she went missing. Now, police are calling these two men suspects, but they're not providing much more than just that. Details about exactly why they're being described as suspects. We're still waiting for that to come in. But here's what we know.
Police officers and three FBI agents took two men into custody at two different houses today in the southeastern town of San Nicholas. We have CNN's Karl Penhaul in Aruba on the phone with the latest on this investigation and the recent arrest. Karl, what can you tell us?
PENHAUL: I've just talked in the last few minutes to the chief of police here on the island, Jan van der Straaten. He described in his words these two men have been arrested. He said that they were both arrested in operations at their homes around 7:00 a.m. So we're talking less than an hour ago that these arrests took place. He described them as two security guards at near a hotel where Natalee Holloway was staying. Natalee Holloway was staying in the Holiday Inn, which is on the west end of the island. But it is concerned (ph) that those men were detained in the town of San Nicholas and that's on the eastern end of the island.
You remember yesterday that there was a search at the hotel that's being refurbished very near the Holiday Inn, but Jan van der Straaten declined to say whether those security guards were security guards at that particular hotel. What he did confirm to me was that these two men detained today, are not any of the three people of interest that were being talked about earlier this week. Those three people of interest were three young men who were last seen in Natalee's company on Monday in the wee hours of Monday, but they have maintained in interviews with police that they dropped Natalee off back at the Holiday Inn. These are the first two arrests. The word arrests coming from the chief of police Jan Straaten. He said that he hoped to give us an update later in the day.
NGUYEN: Karl, so to be just very clear here, these men are not just detained. They have been arrested in connection with this disappearance?
PENHAUL: What we must state is that Aruba, being a Dutch dependency operates under a mixture of Dutch law and elements of English common law. The terminology here and the legal processes here are somewhat different from the legal processes that we see in the United States. But certainly the chief of police Jan Straaten used the word in the phone conversation with me just a few moments ago that these two men had been arrested. His deputy chief of police, Gerold Dompig, used the broader term, detained, but as I say, his boss using the term arrested at this stage.
NGUYEN: And any indication as to where Natalee Holloway may be?
PENHAUL: At this stage, no. The police are playing it very close to their chest. They wouldn't even give any more information on the two people that were -- are now in custody. And certainly not revealing any information that they may have got in initial interviews with those two men. As I say, these arrests, if that is in fact, the case, are still very recent, less than one hour ago.
NGUYEN: And these two men, to be clear, are not members of this group of three, which were not suspects, but they were people of interest in the beginning of this case, the three men that Natalee was believed to have left the club with?
PENHAUL: That is -- that assertion is correct. The chief of police Jan Straaten was very clear on that. He said that these two men are security guards at a hotel near the hotel where Natalee was staying. He said that neither of the two are part of that group of three. You'll remember, as I say, in the wee hours of Monday, Natalee was seen leaving the club Carlos 'n' Charlie's with three men ages between 18 and 25. The chief of police said that those three men are not among the two people that have been arrested this morning.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Karl Penhaul in Aruba. We'll be talking with you again shortly Karl. Thank you for that. And just a recap, just briefly, there have been two arrests in the case of a missing Alabama teenager in Aruba. We'll continue to follow this story and bring you the latest as soon as we know. We're going to take a quick break right now. You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: From the CNN Center this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is June 5th, 8 a.m. at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7 a.m. in the west.
Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.
We do begin with breaking news. CNN has learned Aruba police now say two are in custody in the disappearance of 18 year old Natalee Holloway, but no word on whether the police have located the missing Alabama high school senior. We will go live to Aruba for this breaking news in just a few minutes.
The United States is considering taking the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons to the United Nations. At a security conference in Singapore, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the administration is reassessing its position on North Korea. The communist country says it would consider the action "hostile."
While he could face 500 charges, Saddam Hussein will probably be tried for about a dozen. A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says Saddam will be tried on a range of charges including alleged crimes committed against Iraqi Kurds. His trail could start within the next two months.
And the Homeland Security Department has a few suggestions to make airline travel safer during the busy summer season. Among its recommendations per the Transportation Administration here they are: Expand the use of explosive detection technology, and station more armed guards in sensitive areas.
But one homeland security officials says some improvements are just "too expensive" to implement.
HARRIS: And we begin with some breaking news in the case of a girl missing in Aruba. Police have arrested two men in connection with her disappearance. It happened just about an hour ago. For more CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now by videophone.
And Karl, why don't you begin with updating us on the news of the arrest and then we'll discuss it from there.
PENHAUL: Absolutely, Tony. In the last few minutes I've just come off the phone from the chief of police, Jan van der Straaten. He said that two men in his words, have been arrested.
He described those men as security for a hotel near the hotel where Natalee Holloway has been staying. He declined to give any further information about the ages, the identities or the background of the two men, but he did say that these two men were not anybody that they had initially focused on as persons of interest.
You'll remember that earlier this week the police were talking about three persons of interest, three young men in whose company Natalee was last seen. But Jan van der Straaten, the police chief, says that the two people detained today were not part of that group of three.
Now in terms of the terminology, as I say, the chief commissioner is saying that these two men were arrested. But Aruba being a Dutch dependency operates under a mixture of Dutch law and English common law and it's not clear at this stage as to whether these two men have actually been formally accused or formally charged of any crimes relating to Natalee Holloway's disappearance. Obviously in the next few moments we will try and bring you up to date with that. What the police commissioner did say, however, was that the two men were detained on raids at their home around 7 o'clock this morning, about an hour ago, Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Karl, and you may not know the answers to these questions yet, but let's just sort of kick it around a little bit. Do we know at this point what lead police, what kind of information was developed that led police to these two suspects that have now been arrested?
PENHAUL: We don't know that precisely. The chief of police, Jan van der Straaten, has declined to give any more information at this state. He has promised us an update later in the day.
But what the police have been very specific about is that over the last few days they have been receiving dozens of tip offs. They've been receiving hourly tips from the general public.
And obviously they have been under great pressure to try and bring about arrests or detentions in this case. They have been working very hard and around the clock, but certainly no precise indication at this stage as to what has led them to those two men, Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Karl, let's talk about that pressure for a bit. I mean is it your sense that the authorities there have received optimum cooperation from everyone? I'm talking about tourists and natives of Aruba in helping in this investigation, understanding the broader implications for tourism on that island.
PENHAUL: Both the police and the family of Natalee Holloway have been specific about that. They say that they've been overwhelmed by the scale of cooperation from the general public. When I say general public, Tony, we're talking about the Arubans themselves, but also tourists, tourists who are taking time off from their vacations to travel around parts of the island handing out flyers with Natalee's picture on.
Yesterday even an American came into the Holiday Inn. He'd flown in Grand Caiman. He'd seen the news on TV. His background is in diving. He flew from Grand Caiman into Aruba to say, hey, is there anything that I can do for you here? Is there anything that I can be of assistance for? And that really has reflected the spirit of both the Arubans themselves and the tourist on the island. It's a very close knit community here, Tony.
Also, the Arubans and the Aruban government know very, very distinctly that their island depends on tourism. One third of this island's income comes from tourism. One half of the visitors each year, about half a million, come from the United States. So there is intense pressure on the police.
But what the chief commissioner has said is, hey, hold on a minute, take a deep breath, we're going to do our police in a thorough fashion and make sure that we get to the bottom of this case and try and find what has happened to Natalee. Tony.
HARRIS: And Karl, one other thought, it feels -- is it a coincidence that we seem to have this break in the case just a day or so after the FBI gets involved. It seems as though maybe the FB brought some expertise, some knowledge in handling this kind of case that was instrumental in this break.
PENHAUL: Certainly, Tony, the local police and the attorney general here have welcomed the help from the FBI. They say that the cooperation there has been very close, and they also recognize the international expertise of the FBI. But at the same time, I think at this stage we can't detract from the ethics of the Aruban police because literally they have been working around the clock.
I've been talking on background to one or two of the police officers working on this case and they say that they've hardly been home for the last week they've been working so hard. They say they're stressed. They've been a little frustrated at this point.
But as I say, they have been acting on tips that have been coming in by the hour. They've been scouring the whole island. So I think this is a reflection quite possibly, as you suggest, of good cooperation with the FBI, but certainly also a reflection of the work of policemen on the beat of boots on the ground and a thorough search, the thorough investigation that has been going on, Tony.
HARRIS: Very good. Karl Penhaul in Palm Beach Aruba for us. Karl, we appreciate it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: I other news today thousands across the mid west are realizing again that they live in tornado alley and no tornadoes are anything but gentle. Some 30 twisters touched down yesterday in this year's first major outbreak. This is Kansas, we're going to show it to you right now, where some roadways are now waterways after storms brought heavy rains, flash floods, even hail.
Officials say the damage appears to be light though.
In Oklahoma at least two funnels pummeled the state. Look at this video. Officials say at least five people suffered minor injuries and some homes and buildings were damaged.
And in a city already windy even worse winds. Thousands of people in Chicago are still without power after winds topping 50 MPH downed trees, porches and power lines.
And it's not looking so good for the mid west again today. Not what they want to hear, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: In other news across America now, Emmett Till's family bids goodbye again at his reburial outside Chicago. The 14-year-old African American, who was murdered 50 years ago in Mississippi. His killing helped ignite the civil rights movement. The FBI had exhumed Till's body to search for DNA or other evidence. It might help determine who killed the boy.
It was Operation Atlas at Boston's Logan Airport. Authorities staged an elaborate antiterrorism drill including a simulated hijacking. Fighter jets scrambled to intercept an airliner over the Atlantic forcing it to land at Logan. There tactical teams stormed the plane, freed the mock hostages and arrested two mock terrorists.
Oh good grief, someone is vandalizing the statues of...
NGUYEN: No.
HARRIS: ...yes, Charlie Brown, 55 of them have popped up in Santa Rosa, California. It's supposed to be a town fund-raising campaign. The rumors are that the vandals sort of a short gal with dark hair, goes by the...
NGUYEN: That's not funny, Lucy.
HARRIS: Goes by the name of Lucy.
NGUYEN: Blame it on Lucy. We'll have to check in on that one for your folks.
All right. Now to some very private papers from a very public figure.
Pope John Paul II's long time secretary says he will not, he will not burn notes and memos from the pontiff even though John Paul's will instructs his secretary to destroy the papers.
In an interview with Polish state radio, the secretary says the documents contain quote, "great riches." And he says they should be preserved and eventually made public, which leads to our e-mail question of the morning for you. Should Pope John Paul II's wishes be carried out? Let us know your thoughts. Send them to weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: These days more and more Muslims are listening to a different voice belonging to a very young man who preaches tolerance and shuns violence. We'll meet him in this week's "Faces of Faith." Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One minute you own the world, and the next minute you're homeless. You don't know -- you just don't know what tomorrow holds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: What it's like to lose everything and slowly bounced back. This survivor of Hurricane Charley tells his story coming up in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories now we begin with breaking news. CNN has learned Aruba police now say two people are in custody in connection with the disappearance of 18 year old Natalee Holloway. But no word on whether police have located the missing Alabama high school senior.
Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes land a body blow to the nation's midsection. This funnel cloud was spotted in Oklahoma yesterday where it leaves two tornadoes touched down. All together there were 30 twisters in several states causing few injuries and no major damage.
NGUYEN: I guess that's a little bit of good news that came out of it. But 30, what tornadoes, 30 of them. Rob you say the big picture is even larger than that.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: And our "Faces of Faith" report this morning comes from the Middle East. But it's not about bombs or politics. It is about a young boy, whose teachings of the Koran go far beyond a child's view. CNN's John Vause has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They call him the little sheik, Amjad Abu Seedo has been delivering lessons to a growing number of men and women in Gaza's mosque for more than a year. He speaks for up two hours quoting the Koran without notes and in formal Arabic, a difficult language to master even for adults. To the men he teaches the value of patience and justice, to the women, how to be a good wife.
The first thing a woman will be asked on the day of judgment, he tells them, did she pray and was she faithful to her husband.
Fatma El-Habas has been a regular at Amjad's lessons and believe this 13 year old boy is a gift from God.
FATMA EL-HABAS: I feel that my fruit are coming -- come out from my eyes because I have great feeling when I see such this boy. This boy speak fluently, speak quickly, speak with understanding.
VAUSE: Amjad lives in a poor neighborhood in Gaza City. He spends his day studying the Koran and listening to sermons over the Internet.
"When I'm preaching," he tells me, "I have to be touched by what I'm saying so the worshipers will be touched by me."
He discovered the talent for preaching at his religious school. Each week he delivers the sermon to his classmates, but unlike some of the imams and sheiks in Gaza, Amjad says he doesn't preach violence and avoids politics. AMJAD ABU SEEDO, BOY PREACHER (via translator): I don't like politics. I don't follow politics, he says. I only follow the stories of the prophet Mohammed and his followers. That's it.
VAUSE: In the next week or so, Amjad will deliver his first ever sermon at Friday prayers, the most important day of worship for Muslims everywhere. And there in Gaza where Islam plays a major role in almost everyone's live that's a pretty big responsibility for a boy who's barely a teenager.
And if he's nervous he's not showing it. The people they love me, he says, and they show their love to me.
John Vause, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: I'll tell you what I like about that.
NGUYEN: What?
HARRIS: He's staying away from politics. He's staying away from the political.
NGUYEN: He's teaching his word.
HARRIS: And if you can get that generation you'd be doing something, right?
All right. Let's go to our e-mails this morning. This morning we've learned that the personal papers of Pope John Paul II have not been burned, which is what he requested actually in his will. His secretary says the papers are too important to be destroyed. We've been asking you this morning, should the pope's wishes be carried out.
Let's get to some of these e-mails. First, from Bob from Montgomery Village, Maryland. Where is Montgomery Village? I don't know where that is.
NGUYEN: It's in Maryland.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, exactly. OK. Bob writes, "Of course the pope's wishes should be carried out. To think that his secretary would ignore the late pope's wishes is just beyond belief."
NGUYEN: Jeff from Birmingham, Alabama writes, "Once one is elevated to pontiff, one's life becomes public domain. With all due respect to John Paul's wishes, I still believe in publication of his personal documents."
So we have some conflicting views this morning, which is why we want to know what you think. Should Pope John Paul II's wishes be carried out. E-mail us your thoughts, weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: Well, the kids are out of school. The barbecue is heating up and the beach is calling. We've got some tips on how to have fun in the sun and keep your family safe. HOUSE CALL with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and your top stories straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. We're following a developing story out of Aruba this morning. About 90 minutes ago authorities arrested two men in the disappearance of Alabama teen, Natalee Holloway. She vanished almost a week ago while on a high school graduation trip. Police say the suspects worked as security guards. Authorities say they are not among the three men described earlier as persons of interest.
At least 30 tornadoes have ripped across the nation's middle. Yesterday storms marked the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year. This frontal cloud was in Oklahoma where at least two tornadoes touched down. All tolled the twisters caused little in the way of damage or injuries.
The Mars Rover Opportunity will be making tracks again soon after being stuck for nearly five weeks on a sand dune. A test drive awaits the rover on either Monday or Tuesday. Engineers want to make sure opportunity won't get mired down in another sand patch.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other defense chiefs have wrapped up their three day Asian security conference in Singapore. They say they still want to find a peaceful solution to the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. One senior American defense official says the U.S. might decide to refer the matter to the U.N.
Saddam Hussein could face up to 500 charges at a tribunal, but he will only be tried on 12 well documented charges. A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says, "Trying the former dictator on all possible counts is a waste of time." No date has been set for the trials just yet.
I'm Tony Harris. HOUSE CALL begins right now.
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 June 5, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's the year's first major tornado outbreak. Just look at these pictures. A string of twisters rips through the nation's mid section, causing damage.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING on the fifth day of June. Good morning, everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Let's take a look at some of the other stories making news this hour. Now in the news, police in Aruba are now treating the search for 18-year old Natalee Holloway as a criminal case. But they say they still hope to find her safe. The Alabama teen was last seen Monday night leaving an Aruba nightclub with three young local men. FBI agents are assisting in that search.
Homeland Security officials say the Transportation Security Administration could better use existing technology to make air travel safer. A 200 plus page report outlines relatively simple steps, such as more checkpoint lanes in airports. But one Homeland Security official says some of the recommendations might be too costly to implement.
Two people are confirmed dead after three trucks caught fire in a European tunnel Saturday night. The tunnel links France and Italy and remains closed this morning for inspection. A French government spokesman says the fire broke out when two trucks collided.
NGUYEN: And also ahead this hour, war through a windshield. What it's like to drive trucks through a war zone. A Texas man risked his life for not much more than minimum wage. We will bring you his story.
Also, this Marine didn't know what hit his convoy in Iraq. Dozens of surgeries later, he is our hero's story today. And Osama's head in a box of dry ice, that is the order given by the CIA in Afghanistan. We have those details just ahead.
HARRIS: People throughout the Midwest will be picking up and cleaning up today, after being pounded by heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes. At least 30 twisters were reported in parts of Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas yesterday. It's the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year.
This funnel cloud was spotted in Oklahoma, where two tornadoes touched down. At least five people suffered minor injuries. Homes and other buildings were damaged.
And in Chicago, it wasn't a tornado, but strong winds that whipped around, damaging homes and knocking out power. Almost 50,000 customers lost power throughout northern Illinois. Utility crews worked through the night to get it all back up and running.
NGUYEN: And I guess the question today, Rob, are they going to see any more of this? I mean, it is that time of year, isn't it?
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: The family of Natalee Holloway is holding out hope that the 18-year old will soon be found alive. The Alabama teenager on vacation in Aruba has not been seen since Monday. Aruba authorities have help from the FBI, but still no sign of Natalee.
CNN's Karl Penhaul has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One word that conjures up 1,000 fears and emotions. Police joined by well wishers scour Aruba's beaches for signs of Natalee Holloway.
And her mother, Beth, makes an emotional pledge about her missing daughter.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MISSING TEEN'S MOTHER: My primary goal is to bring Natalee back home. We will do whatever it takes. As I've said from the beginning, I'm not leaving Aruba without her.
PENHAUL: For much of the afternoon Saturday, investigators backed by FBI agents searched this hotel. It's being remodeled, plenty of hiding space workmen say. Nothing was found. It was just one of what police say are dozens of tips from the public.
Aruba's deputy police chief, Gerold Dompig, spelled out the avenues of inquiry.
DEP. COMM. GEROLD DOMPIG, ARUBA POLICE: Three theories. One is, as you all know, these persons of interest might have done something wrong to Natalee. That's one area.
The other area is that this person is just missing in terms of somewhere else for whatever reason. And the last theory is, of course, kidnapping.
PENHAUL: The persons of interest he is referring to are three local men. They left this Mexican bar early Monday with Natalee. They told police they took her to a nearby beach before dropping her off at her hotel.
(on camera): Aruba is a tropical paradise of sorts. Plenty of sun, sea, and white sandy beaches. But it also has its darker side. The island is a transshipment point for cocaine and heroine coming from Colombia en route to the United States and Europe. The island's also stopping off point for many South American prostitutes, hoping to get to Europe.
(voice-over): But there's little history of violent crime against tourists. One-third of Aruba's income comes from tourism -- around a million visitors a year. Half of those from the U.S.
18-year old Natalee Holloway was one of many. Yet to those who knew her, she stood apart.
B. TWITTY: Natalee is truly an angel. She's a member of the National Honor Society. She's a straight A student.
PENHAUL: She's praying hard her angel reappears safe and well in paradise.
Karl Penhaul, Palm Beach, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Now the Natalee Holloway case prompts the obvious question. Just how many missing kids are there? Well, according to the Justice Department's latest report, just under 800,000 kids were reported missing in 1999. And about 25 percent of those or just around 204,000 were reportedly abducted by a family member.
In our security watch this morning, the Homeland Security Department has a few suggestions to make you safer at the airport during the busy summer travel season. Among its recommendations to the Transportation Security Administration, here they are.
Expand the use of explosive detection technology. And station more armed guards in sensitive areas. Also, use longer tables at security checkpoints for travelers to unload the personal items for screening. And the bottom line, the TSA should improve its use of existing technology while the more sophisticated screenings can be brought on line in the future.
Now with all of this in mind, the report suggests adding checkpoint lanes to get you and your bags through more quickly. Air travel dropped off in the years after 9/11, but this summer, passenger numbers will probably rise to what they were before the terror attacks.
HARRIS: Time now to check the top international stories making news this morning.
NGUYEN: And for that, let's go to the CNN international desk where Hala Gorani is for Anand Naidoo.
Good morning, Hala.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Betty. Good morning, Tony. Well we start our look around the world in Lebanon once again three days after the assassination of a leading anti-Syrian journalist. There are elections in Lebanon. It's the second of a four phase pull to elect members of parliament in that country. But this time, anti-Syrian candidates don't have much of a chance. The 23 seats up for grabs are for district in southern Lebanon. So a more Syria friendly alliance that includes Hezbollah, it is expected to make a clean sweep.
A discovery in Iraq of gigantic proportions. U.S. Marines, get this, say they've uncovered an underground insurgent bunker the size of almost 14 football fields in Karmah, not far from Fallujah with large stores of weapons. There were no insurgents there, but it must have been used recently because the Marines say they found fresh food in a makeshift kitchen area.
Finally, love makes you feel lighter than air, right? Well, it was definitely the case for this adventurous Nepalese couple. They briefly took off their oxygen mask to get married in the Hindu tradition. They were at the top of the world's highest mountain for 10 minutes.
Tony, this is a good way to make sure those very distant relatives don't come to your wedding, right? To send an invitation to Mount Everest. Come if you can.
NGUYEN: We'll send pictures if we can.
GORANI: Yes.
NGUYEN: Right, Hala. Thank you.
HARRIS: Thanks.
Oh, now to some very private papers from a very public figure. Have you heard this story? Pope John Paul II's long time secretary says he will not burn notes and memos from the late pontiff, even though John Paul's will instructs his secretary to destroy the papers.
In an interview with Polish state radio, the secretary says the documents contain "great riches." And he says they should be preserved and eventually made public.
And that leads us to our e-mail question of the morning. Should Pope John Paul II's wishes be carried out? Let us know what you're thinking this morning on this subject. There's the address. Weekends@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: Now for a quick look at some of the stories we will be covering in the week ahead. Monday, a decision is expected in a trial challenging the results of Washington state's 2004 gubernatorial election.
Now at issue, what to do with illegal votes, including those cast by some felons who are banned from voting under state law? Democrat Christine Gregoire won the race by a mere 129 votes.
Also Monday, jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial resume their deliberations. The jury got the case Friday, after a day and a half of closing arguments. Now the pop star will stay at his Neverland ranch, as the jury weighs his fate. The judge says he will allow an audio feed from the courtroom to broadcast the reading of the verdict whenever it comes.
On Tuesday, the first in a series of public hearings on the military's proposed downsizing of bases all around the country. The first hearings take place in Salt Lake City, Utah and St. Louis, Missouri. The government says the closings could save it nearly $49 billion over 20 years.
HARRIS: He is the most wanted man in the world. And there's a multi million dollar reward for him, but Osama bin Laden's still on the run. And the American agent who started the foot chase talks about his mission. And that's coming up.
And dangerous storms this Sunday in the Midwest. Good morning, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Our top stories this morning, the story of a missing teenager in Aruba evolves into a criminal case. It is now six days and counting since 18-year old Alabama high school student Natalee Holloway vanished.
Fifteen years after he was murdered, Emmett Till has reached his final resting place. The teenager was killed in Mississippi, a murder that helped spark the civil rights movement. The FBI had exhumed this body to search for clues until his family buried him again outside Chicago yesterday.
Nothing is fit for burning, says Pope John Paul long time private secretary. The late pontiff wanted his personal documents and notes destroyed. But instead, the secretary says the papers contain great riches and should be preserved.
Pope John Paul II's papers and his last requests are the focus of our e-mail question today. We're asking you should his wishes, that is former Secretary burn his private papers be carried out? E-mail us your thoughts at weekends@cnn.com. We'll be reading those responses throughout the morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right, it is one of the remaining mysteries of 9/11. Where is Osama bin Laden? You're about to meet a man hired to track down the most wanted criminal on earth. And you won't believe what his orders were.
The story next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: Also, a purple heart recipient talks about fighting for his life after he left the battlefield.
NGUYEN: First though, a CNN extra. Believe it or not, some of your favorite Internet shopping sites may be charging different prices to different customers for the same items. And it's perfectly legal. HARRIS: And then tell if it's done by quietly tracking your buying habits and benefits repeat customers who spend the most money. Who loses? The bargain hunter who searched different sites for the best deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: In the war on terror, the hunt is still on for mastermind terrorist Osama bin Laden. So what's it like to take on the task of hunting him down?
CNN's national security correspondent David Ensor goes one on one with a man who had bin Laden on the run.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Until this day, Gary Schroen, the CIA man who led the first American team into Afghanistan just days after 9/11, had never seen the site where so many died.
GARY SCHROEN, LED FIRST TEAM TO AFGHANISTAN: When you think what went on, if you remember seeing those images, I mean, my God, it just takes your breath away to stand here.
ENSOR: And how many days after this came down did you get into Afghanistan to start the fight back?
SCHROEN: We were -- I think we actually left the United States on the 19th of September.
ENSOR: Schroen got his marching orders from Coffer Black, then head of the CIA's counterterrorism center. He was to link up with the rebel northern alliance, tell them the Americans would be there soon to help defeat the Taliban government.
And there was another charge.
SCHROEN: I was to find bin Laden, kill him, and bring his head back to the United States in a box on dry ice.
ENSOR: Did he mean that literally, do you think?
SCHROEN: Knowing Coffer, perhaps he did. But I took it as -- that he was wanting to really demonstrate to us that this was very, very serious. The gloves were off and that we were there to really go after this guy and his lieutenants and to kill them.
ENSOR: As Schroen writes in his new book, "First In," his seven man team were given just five days to get ready to go into Afghanistan.
SCHROEN: So we needed tents, camping gear. Sort of like on a -- let's say it's a hunting expedition in the Rockies or something. And so, we went out to a local camping good stores and sporting good stores and bought our gear. ENSOR: Really? I mean, I would imagine -- I guess we imagine the CIA has, you know, like in James Bond, a guy who does all that?
SCHROEN: Absolutely not.
ENSOR: What about money?
SCHROEN: Oh, we had $3 million that we took along with us in cash. Three cardboard boxes.
ENSOR: They flew into Afghanistan in a CIA owned Russian made helicopter with souped up American avionics. They gave it the tail number 9/11/01.
SCHROEN: And everyday, we'd look at the helicopter. We'd think back of this and why we were there in Afghanistan.
ENSOR: Schroen's team rallied the northern alliance, which was reeling from the murder of its commander by al Qaeda. They helped call in U.S. strikes on Taliban front lines. The CIA's quick work, say Bush administration officials, shortened the war and saved a lot of American lives
But not without a few close calls, like the time CIA headquarters called to say a predator drone had spotted two guys walking around a Taliban airfield, one of them tall and thin.
SCHROEN: We think it's bin Laden. And we have a hell fire on board. And we want to shoot these two guys -- we want to blow these two guys up. So I said, "well, give me the coordinates." And so I -- we check. And I say, "that's our airfield. That's a CIA airfield. And those are our two -- those are CIA officers walking the ground. You mean they're really -- it's not bin Laden?" I said, no, it's our pilot.
ENSOR: Gary Schroen loved his tough assignment in Afghanistan. He has one regret.
How do you feel about the fact that bin Laden is still out there?
SCHROEN: It's one of the frustrations that I have is to watch this man still, you know, out there free and still creating, you know, plans to attack the United States.
Maybe this year, if we can get the Pakistanis to cooperate, we'll be able to track him down.
ENSOR: Schroen argues the U.S. will need to beef up its military forces on the Afghan-Pakistani border and send in more CIA teams like his. He wants to be sure of catching or killing Osama bin Laden.
David Ensor, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, thousands of Americans are doing their jobs overseas, helping to rebuild Iraq. But one man says the price, it just wasn't right when his truck rolled into the war zone.
HARRIS: Now he wants the company to pay up. His story, next, in a special CNN investigative report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning and welcome back on a Sunday. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: Let's get you started with a look at the news this morning.
NGUYEN: A new homeland security report recommends an array of improvements at the nations airports. Sources tell CNN one of the recommendations is increased screening of luggage for explosives. Four areas of security were examined, including passenger carry on bags, checked luggage and cargo. Sources say many recommendations have already been implemented, while others may be too expensive to carry out.
Aruba police say they are treating the search for the missing Alabama teenager as a criminal investigation. Police say several people have reported seeing 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, but tips, well, they lead nowhere so far. Holloway was last seen Monday leaving a nightclub with three local men. She was in Aruba on a high school graduation trip.
U.S. Marines say they have discovered a massive underground bunker used as an insurgent hideout in Iraq. The military says the bunker is about the size, get this, of 14 football fields, 14 of them, and contained huge weapons and ammunition caches. It also had showers, an air conditioner and a kitchen. No insurgents were found in the bunker.
People throughout the Midwest will be picking up and cleaning up today after being pounded by heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes. At least 30 twisters were reported in parts of Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska - look at the map here -- Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas yesterday. It's the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year. This funnel cloud was spotted in Oklahoma where two tornadoes touched down. At least five people suffered minor injuries. Homes and other businesses were damaged.
And in Chicago it wasn't a tornado, but strong winds that whipped around damaging homes and knocking out power. Almost 50,000 customers lost power throughout northern Illinois. Utility crews worked through the night to get it all back on.
NGUYEN: They're hoping a new day brings better news. Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I don't think so, not for Chicago at least, but the folks that saw the tornadoes yesterday, that weather is now moving east. Chicago like you mentioned, wasn't a tornado, but the straight line winds from heavy thunderstorms that rolled through there last night. Now they're going to be in the area that could see more severe weather in the form of tornadoes. Last night's storms exploded across the plains. This is what we call tornado alley, because it's an area that gets warm and moist air from the south, dry hot air from the northwest, cool dry air from the northwest and those three combined in this area of the world for an unusual combination of severe weather. So that's what happened yesterday.
Today, not as much expected. The storm winding down just a little bit, but everything moves a little bit farther to the east. These red watch boxes were tornado watches that were up last night and they expired a few hours ago. They'll probably be reposted, at least some of them, most of which will be across, probably Michigan, eastern, northeastern Illinois and Indiana, as this warm moist air comes into this hot zone, if you will and then that trail all the way towards Dallas, Texas, where this morning they're already seeing some thunderstorms there and in Oklahoma City. Upwards of 300 reports of severe weather. You said 30-plus reports of tornadoes but another 250 of straight line winds and damaging hail yesterday. So it was quiet. It was a quiet May, but it looks like Mother Nature not quite giving up on severe weather season just yet.
HARRIS: Hey, Rob, what are straight line winds?
MARCIANO: Straight line winds basically a thunderstorm that doesn't have a tornado, but that's just a down draft that comes from the upper parts of the thunderstorm, comes straight down into the ground and it can bring winds from the jet stream all the way down to the ground, 60, 70, 80 mile an hour winds, can do just as much damage as a tornado.
NGUYEN: I know all about that living in Texas, tornado alley, Rob. Thank you, talk to you later.
MARCIANO: See you.
NGUYEN: Each Sunday morning we spotlight the best stories from CNN's investigative unit and today, it's a look at the Iraq war through a windshield. Hundreds of American contractors signed on with the promise of reaping big rewards, sometimes three or four times their annual salaries. As CNN's Jim Clancy reports, the promise in one contractor's encounters in Iraq, well, they weren't the same.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN PETTY: It's Monday morning, pretty quick getting loaded. (INAUDIBLE) Going to a pretty rough area.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Allen Petty had good reason to be concerned. Iraq was not a safe place in the summer of 2004 for anyone doing his job.
SYLVIA PETTY, WIFE: What are you going to have for breakfast?
CLANCY: Back home in Burnet, Texas, Allen's wife Sylvia was dealing with the family and her own fears.
SYLVIA PETTY: I watched everything on TV, every moment I could get to see if I could see his truck on a convoy, checking names, checking when they would say three military killed and two others. I knew what the others meant.
ALLEN PETTY: Some bad news and some good news. We had one of our guys from the yard get hit yesterday. This is the truck that got hit with that IED I was talking about. That's what's left of it. There's the driver's seat.
CLANCY: Even as the situation in Iraq grew more disturbing, the paychecks at home were growing more disappointing.
ALLEN PETTY: We were supposed to be receiving between 8 and 10 grand a month and we were only getting half of that, 4 grand.
CLANCY: Allen and Sylvia were mystified by KBR's accounting. Had they been promised too much? Not according to KBR. The company declined an on-camera interview, but replied to our questions in writing. The figure you mention, $8,000 to $10,000 a month sounds like a reasonable sum when you factor in that KBR employs in Iraq typically work and are paid for more than 80 hours per week, 12 plus hours per day, seven days a week and are also paid a hazardous duty uplift, an area differential and a foreign service bonus. For Allen though, it didn't seem to add up.
ALLEN PETTY: It was less pay, you know, more than 12 to 14 hours and less pay than what we were promised.
CLANCY: But Allen's disappointment was written right into his contract. Here's what it says. All hours worked over 40 hours per week will be paid at the straight time rate. The foreign service bonus, work area differential and hazard pay apply only to the first 40 hours worked each week. In other words, after 40 hours, the bonuses that can add 55 percent to his pay no longer applied. Effectively, the more hours he worked, the lower his average hourly rate dropped. Slowly it dawned on Allen that he was driving trucks into a war zone for $15.57 an hour. Sylvia, who saw the bank statements put it differently. She saw their dream of a new home for their six daughters fading.
SYLVIA PETTY: It never reached a point to where we were in that bracket that we were told it would -- you know, we would get paid. I see we as in a couple, you know, as a family. I don't understand why. I just don't understand. I just know that the dream was over when that happened. There was no, going to get a house. There was no -- there's nothing left.
ALLEN PETTY: So when I started bringing home 2 grand a month, you know, I said, I could go back to my old job and make that, you know. And not get, you know, bullets shot at you, RPGs, IEDs, car bombs, rocks, or possibly even get our head cut off.
CLANCY: If there was growing disillusion with the money, the mission was losing its luster as well.
ALLEN PETTY: I guess our escort's done, they left. It's just us, man, and our body guards. Looks like coming into Baghdad. CLANCY: Like other drivers, Allen grew uneasy about risking his life, especially when it came to ferrying empty convoys around a war zone. There may have been a reason for it, but Allen says he didn't understand it. The risks he learned all too well.
ALLEN PETTY: I had never been that afraid before in my life until that day.
CLANCY: That was in August 2004.
ALLEN PETTY: It was just how close it came to being one of those that you hear about or read about.
CLANCY: Allen Petty's convoy was hit. Shrapnel pierced his windshield. The 19-year old reservist with him wisely ducked for cover.
ALLEN PETTY: Of course, I was afraid, but you're down on the floorboard and (INAUDIBLE). One picture I seen after that was my little two-year old Lydia. At the time she wasn't two, but I remember seeing a picture of her crawling on the floor. I thought man...
CLANCY: The attack was real, but even in his dreams, Allen felt danger closing in on him.
ALLEN PETTY: And there was a point where I actually had a nightmare, that I'd been, that I'd gotten my head cut off and I could see my body. And so I figured, I thought it was the lord trying to tell me to come home.
This is hopefully my last trip, said that about the last one. This is (INAUDIBLE) humanitarian run. It's very hot. It's an emergency. We're going to run all day and all night.
CLANCY: In early September, Allen Petty did come home for what was supposed to be a two-week leave. Instead, he was hospitalized with a heart condition. Allen and his wife Sylvia, who had gone to Iraq to buy them a new home, decided staying home, abandoning their dreams would insure something more precious for their six children.
SYLVIA PETTY: And they're tired of just barely, you know, making it. But they don't to want lose their daddy either.
CLANCY: Even though Allen Petty decided not to return to Iraq, he did go back every night in front of his computer.
SYLVIA PETTY: It's like he couldn't get away from it. He was still there. He wasn't here and he really began worrying me. He was very tense.
CLANCY: In some ways, Allen Petty didn't come home for months. It took him that long to rejoin his family. He doesn't look at the videotapes that much anymore, but he hasn't found a new job and he's still asking KBR about what he thinks are missing pay and benefits, still asking himself, was it worth it? Jim Clancy, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Petty is getting on with his life by doing small jobs in his hometown of Burnet, Texas. Adding up pay stubs, it appears that Allen Petty was on track to average about $6,000 a month, far short of the $8,000 to $10,000 a month that he said Kellogg, Brown and Root promised. Now we asked KBR about that and the company sent this response. It is important to note that any employee's salary will vary depending on the actual number of hours worked. And recruits are not guaranteed a specific amount. The figure you reference, $8,000 to $10,000, is simply represented to recruits as the average total compensation for positions in Iraq.
HARRIS: 9/11 was just one of the major news stories you watched unfold on CNN. We'll have more on our silver anniversary from the dot-com desk. That's next.
NGUYEN: And he was wounded on the battlefield. Now one veteran wages a daily war. He shares his story later on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Our top stories this morning. It's not called tornado alley for nothing. At least 30 twisters were reported in parts of six states yesterday. It's the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year.
Homeland security officials say the Transportation Security Administration could better use existing technology to make air travel safer. A report outlines relatively simple steps such as more checkpoint lanes at airports.
And Detroit beat down the Heat. My goodness, the Pistons pummeled Miami 91-66. Come on, Shaq! -- to even the eastern conference finals at three games apiece.
NGUYEN: From tragedy to triumph, from war to peace, they are the stories that have defined our lives. For 25 years CNN has followed them and brought them to you. For a sampling of the major stories we've covered over the past quarter century, here's Christina Park of cnn.com.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA PARK, CNN.COM: The world's first 24-hour news network was born 25 years ago. Cnn.com looks at the biggest news events that have changed our lives and changed the world.
Go straight to our interactive time line for the biggest story since 1980. From the space shuttle "Challenger" that exploded on takeoff, killing all seven aboard in 1986, to tearing down the Berlin Wall in November of 1989. Revisit the images that have burned themselves into our memories, from the pro-democracy demonstrations that were crushed in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to the Gulf wars. And the September 11th terrorist attacks. We've said good-bye to Princess Di, JFK Jr., Pope John Paul II and many other news makers. If you're a news junkie, take our quiz on world events and test your pop culture IQ. What was the name of Madonna's film debut? Log on to find out. While you're there, tell us about your most memorable news event. We'll rank your top 10 stories of the past 25 years and show you which ones touched the lives of others. So log onto cnn.com/cnn25 to relive some of the biggest stories in the past quarter century. Reporting from the dot com desk, I'm Christina Park.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: A Marine leaves part of his leg in Iraq, but his heart is intact. A hero story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We have some breaking news to report in the disappearance of a missing Alabama teenager. This just in. Police in Aruba have detained two men in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, which you see right there on your screen. She's been missing for nearly a week now. She was in Aruba on a high school trip, a senior trip, when she went missing. Now, police are calling these two men suspects, but they're not providing much more than just that. Details about exactly why they're being described as suspects. We're still waiting for that to come in. But here's what we know.
Police officers and three FBI agents took two men into custody at two different houses today in the southeastern town of San Nicholas. We have CNN's Karl Penhaul in Aruba on the phone with the latest on this investigation and the recent arrest. Karl, what can you tell us?
PENHAUL: I've just talked in the last few minutes to the chief of police here on the island, Jan van der Straaten. He described in his words these two men have been arrested. He said that they were both arrested in operations at their homes around 7:00 a.m. So we're talking less than an hour ago that these arrests took place. He described them as two security guards at near a hotel where Natalee Holloway was staying. Natalee Holloway was staying in the Holiday Inn, which is on the west end of the island. But it is concerned (ph) that those men were detained in the town of San Nicholas and that's on the eastern end of the island.
You remember yesterday that there was a search at the hotel that's being refurbished very near the Holiday Inn, but Jan van der Straaten declined to say whether those security guards were security guards at that particular hotel. What he did confirm to me was that these two men detained today, are not any of the three people of interest that were being talked about earlier this week. Those three people of interest were three young men who were last seen in Natalee's company on Monday in the wee hours of Monday, but they have maintained in interviews with police that they dropped Natalee off back at the Holiday Inn. These are the first two arrests. The word arrests coming from the chief of police Jan Straaten. He said that he hoped to give us an update later in the day.
NGUYEN: Karl, so to be just very clear here, these men are not just detained. They have been arrested in connection with this disappearance?
PENHAUL: What we must state is that Aruba, being a Dutch dependency operates under a mixture of Dutch law and elements of English common law. The terminology here and the legal processes here are somewhat different from the legal processes that we see in the United States. But certainly the chief of police Jan Straaten used the word in the phone conversation with me just a few moments ago that these two men had been arrested. His deputy chief of police, Gerold Dompig, used the broader term, detained, but as I say, his boss using the term arrested at this stage.
NGUYEN: And any indication as to where Natalee Holloway may be?
PENHAUL: At this stage, no. The police are playing it very close to their chest. They wouldn't even give any more information on the two people that were -- are now in custody. And certainly not revealing any information that they may have got in initial interviews with those two men. As I say, these arrests, if that is in fact, the case, are still very recent, less than one hour ago.
NGUYEN: And these two men, to be clear, are not members of this group of three, which were not suspects, but they were people of interest in the beginning of this case, the three men that Natalee was believed to have left the club with?
PENHAUL: That is -- that assertion is correct. The chief of police Jan Straaten was very clear on that. He said that these two men are security guards at a hotel near the hotel where Natalee was staying. He said that neither of the two are part of that group of three. You'll remember, as I say, in the wee hours of Monday, Natalee was seen leaving the club Carlos 'n' Charlie's with three men ages between 18 and 25. The chief of police said that those three men are not among the two people that have been arrested this morning.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Karl Penhaul in Aruba. We'll be talking with you again shortly Karl. Thank you for that. And just a recap, just briefly, there have been two arrests in the case of a missing Alabama teenager in Aruba. We'll continue to follow this story and bring you the latest as soon as we know. We're going to take a quick break right now. You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: From the CNN Center this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is June 5th, 8 a.m. at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7 a.m. in the west.
Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.
We do begin with breaking news. CNN has learned Aruba police now say two are in custody in the disappearance of 18 year old Natalee Holloway, but no word on whether the police have located the missing Alabama high school senior. We will go live to Aruba for this breaking news in just a few minutes.
The United States is considering taking the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons to the United Nations. At a security conference in Singapore, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the administration is reassessing its position on North Korea. The communist country says it would consider the action "hostile."
While he could face 500 charges, Saddam Hussein will probably be tried for about a dozen. A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says Saddam will be tried on a range of charges including alleged crimes committed against Iraqi Kurds. His trail could start within the next two months.
And the Homeland Security Department has a few suggestions to make airline travel safer during the busy summer season. Among its recommendations per the Transportation Administration here they are: Expand the use of explosive detection technology, and station more armed guards in sensitive areas.
But one homeland security officials says some improvements are just "too expensive" to implement.
HARRIS: And we begin with some breaking news in the case of a girl missing in Aruba. Police have arrested two men in connection with her disappearance. It happened just about an hour ago. For more CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now by videophone.
And Karl, why don't you begin with updating us on the news of the arrest and then we'll discuss it from there.
PENHAUL: Absolutely, Tony. In the last few minutes I've just come off the phone from the chief of police, Jan van der Straaten. He said that two men in his words, have been arrested.
He described those men as security for a hotel near the hotel where Natalee Holloway has been staying. He declined to give any further information about the ages, the identities or the background of the two men, but he did say that these two men were not anybody that they had initially focused on as persons of interest.
You'll remember that earlier this week the police were talking about three persons of interest, three young men in whose company Natalee was last seen. But Jan van der Straaten, the police chief, says that the two people detained today were not part of that group of three.
Now in terms of the terminology, as I say, the chief commissioner is saying that these two men were arrested. But Aruba being a Dutch dependency operates under a mixture of Dutch law and English common law and it's not clear at this stage as to whether these two men have actually been formally accused or formally charged of any crimes relating to Natalee Holloway's disappearance. Obviously in the next few moments we will try and bring you up to date with that. What the police commissioner did say, however, was that the two men were detained on raids at their home around 7 o'clock this morning, about an hour ago, Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Karl, and you may not know the answers to these questions yet, but let's just sort of kick it around a little bit. Do we know at this point what lead police, what kind of information was developed that led police to these two suspects that have now been arrested?
PENHAUL: We don't know that precisely. The chief of police, Jan van der Straaten, has declined to give any more information at this state. He has promised us an update later in the day.
But what the police have been very specific about is that over the last few days they have been receiving dozens of tip offs. They've been receiving hourly tips from the general public.
And obviously they have been under great pressure to try and bring about arrests or detentions in this case. They have been working very hard and around the clock, but certainly no precise indication at this stage as to what has led them to those two men, Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Karl, let's talk about that pressure for a bit. I mean is it your sense that the authorities there have received optimum cooperation from everyone? I'm talking about tourists and natives of Aruba in helping in this investigation, understanding the broader implications for tourism on that island.
PENHAUL: Both the police and the family of Natalee Holloway have been specific about that. They say that they've been overwhelmed by the scale of cooperation from the general public. When I say general public, Tony, we're talking about the Arubans themselves, but also tourists, tourists who are taking time off from their vacations to travel around parts of the island handing out flyers with Natalee's picture on.
Yesterday even an American came into the Holiday Inn. He'd flown in Grand Caiman. He'd seen the news on TV. His background is in diving. He flew from Grand Caiman into Aruba to say, hey, is there anything that I can do for you here? Is there anything that I can be of assistance for? And that really has reflected the spirit of both the Arubans themselves and the tourist on the island. It's a very close knit community here, Tony.
Also, the Arubans and the Aruban government know very, very distinctly that their island depends on tourism. One third of this island's income comes from tourism. One half of the visitors each year, about half a million, come from the United States. So there is intense pressure on the police.
But what the chief commissioner has said is, hey, hold on a minute, take a deep breath, we're going to do our police in a thorough fashion and make sure that we get to the bottom of this case and try and find what has happened to Natalee. Tony.
HARRIS: And Karl, one other thought, it feels -- is it a coincidence that we seem to have this break in the case just a day or so after the FBI gets involved. It seems as though maybe the FB brought some expertise, some knowledge in handling this kind of case that was instrumental in this break.
PENHAUL: Certainly, Tony, the local police and the attorney general here have welcomed the help from the FBI. They say that the cooperation there has been very close, and they also recognize the international expertise of the FBI. But at the same time, I think at this stage we can't detract from the ethics of the Aruban police because literally they have been working around the clock.
I've been talking on background to one or two of the police officers working on this case and they say that they've hardly been home for the last week they've been working so hard. They say they're stressed. They've been a little frustrated at this point.
But as I say, they have been acting on tips that have been coming in by the hour. They've been scouring the whole island. So I think this is a reflection quite possibly, as you suggest, of good cooperation with the FBI, but certainly also a reflection of the work of policemen on the beat of boots on the ground and a thorough search, the thorough investigation that has been going on, Tony.
HARRIS: Very good. Karl Penhaul in Palm Beach Aruba for us. Karl, we appreciate it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: I other news today thousands across the mid west are realizing again that they live in tornado alley and no tornadoes are anything but gentle. Some 30 twisters touched down yesterday in this year's first major outbreak. This is Kansas, we're going to show it to you right now, where some roadways are now waterways after storms brought heavy rains, flash floods, even hail.
Officials say the damage appears to be light though.
In Oklahoma at least two funnels pummeled the state. Look at this video. Officials say at least five people suffered minor injuries and some homes and buildings were damaged.
And in a city already windy even worse winds. Thousands of people in Chicago are still without power after winds topping 50 MPH downed trees, porches and power lines.
And it's not looking so good for the mid west again today. Not what they want to hear, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: In other news across America now, Emmett Till's family bids goodbye again at his reburial outside Chicago. The 14-year-old African American, who was murdered 50 years ago in Mississippi. His killing helped ignite the civil rights movement. The FBI had exhumed Till's body to search for DNA or other evidence. It might help determine who killed the boy.
It was Operation Atlas at Boston's Logan Airport. Authorities staged an elaborate antiterrorism drill including a simulated hijacking. Fighter jets scrambled to intercept an airliner over the Atlantic forcing it to land at Logan. There tactical teams stormed the plane, freed the mock hostages and arrested two mock terrorists.
Oh good grief, someone is vandalizing the statues of...
NGUYEN: No.
HARRIS: ...yes, Charlie Brown, 55 of them have popped up in Santa Rosa, California. It's supposed to be a town fund-raising campaign. The rumors are that the vandals sort of a short gal with dark hair, goes by the...
NGUYEN: That's not funny, Lucy.
HARRIS: Goes by the name of Lucy.
NGUYEN: Blame it on Lucy. We'll have to check in on that one for your folks.
All right. Now to some very private papers from a very public figure.
Pope John Paul II's long time secretary says he will not, he will not burn notes and memos from the pontiff even though John Paul's will instructs his secretary to destroy the papers.
In an interview with Polish state radio, the secretary says the documents contain quote, "great riches." And he says they should be preserved and eventually made public, which leads to our e-mail question of the morning for you. Should Pope John Paul II's wishes be carried out? Let us know your thoughts. Send them to weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: These days more and more Muslims are listening to a different voice belonging to a very young man who preaches tolerance and shuns violence. We'll meet him in this week's "Faces of Faith." Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One minute you own the world, and the next minute you're homeless. You don't know -- you just don't know what tomorrow holds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: What it's like to lose everything and slowly bounced back. This survivor of Hurricane Charley tells his story coming up in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories now we begin with breaking news. CNN has learned Aruba police now say two people are in custody in connection with the disappearance of 18 year old Natalee Holloway. But no word on whether police have located the missing Alabama high school senior.
Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes land a body blow to the nation's midsection. This funnel cloud was spotted in Oklahoma yesterday where it leaves two tornadoes touched down. All together there were 30 twisters in several states causing few injuries and no major damage.
NGUYEN: I guess that's a little bit of good news that came out of it. But 30, what tornadoes, 30 of them. Rob you say the big picture is even larger than that.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: And our "Faces of Faith" report this morning comes from the Middle East. But it's not about bombs or politics. It is about a young boy, whose teachings of the Koran go far beyond a child's view. CNN's John Vause has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They call him the little sheik, Amjad Abu Seedo has been delivering lessons to a growing number of men and women in Gaza's mosque for more than a year. He speaks for up two hours quoting the Koran without notes and in formal Arabic, a difficult language to master even for adults. To the men he teaches the value of patience and justice, to the women, how to be a good wife.
The first thing a woman will be asked on the day of judgment, he tells them, did she pray and was she faithful to her husband.
Fatma El-Habas has been a regular at Amjad's lessons and believe this 13 year old boy is a gift from God.
FATMA EL-HABAS: I feel that my fruit are coming -- come out from my eyes because I have great feeling when I see such this boy. This boy speak fluently, speak quickly, speak with understanding.
VAUSE: Amjad lives in a poor neighborhood in Gaza City. He spends his day studying the Koran and listening to sermons over the Internet.
"When I'm preaching," he tells me, "I have to be touched by what I'm saying so the worshipers will be touched by me."
He discovered the talent for preaching at his religious school. Each week he delivers the sermon to his classmates, but unlike some of the imams and sheiks in Gaza, Amjad says he doesn't preach violence and avoids politics. AMJAD ABU SEEDO, BOY PREACHER (via translator): I don't like politics. I don't follow politics, he says. I only follow the stories of the prophet Mohammed and his followers. That's it.
VAUSE: In the next week or so, Amjad will deliver his first ever sermon at Friday prayers, the most important day of worship for Muslims everywhere. And there in Gaza where Islam plays a major role in almost everyone's live that's a pretty big responsibility for a boy who's barely a teenager.
And if he's nervous he's not showing it. The people they love me, he says, and they show their love to me.
John Vause, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: I'll tell you what I like about that.
NGUYEN: What?
HARRIS: He's staying away from politics. He's staying away from the political.
NGUYEN: He's teaching his word.
HARRIS: And if you can get that generation you'd be doing something, right?
All right. Let's go to our e-mails this morning. This morning we've learned that the personal papers of Pope John Paul II have not been burned, which is what he requested actually in his will. His secretary says the papers are too important to be destroyed. We've been asking you this morning, should the pope's wishes be carried out.
Let's get to some of these e-mails. First, from Bob from Montgomery Village, Maryland. Where is Montgomery Village? I don't know where that is.
NGUYEN: It's in Maryland.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, exactly. OK. Bob writes, "Of course the pope's wishes should be carried out. To think that his secretary would ignore the late pope's wishes is just beyond belief."
NGUYEN: Jeff from Birmingham, Alabama writes, "Once one is elevated to pontiff, one's life becomes public domain. With all due respect to John Paul's wishes, I still believe in publication of his personal documents."
So we have some conflicting views this morning, which is why we want to know what you think. Should Pope John Paul II's wishes be carried out. E-mail us your thoughts, weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: Well, the kids are out of school. The barbecue is heating up and the beach is calling. We've got some tips on how to have fun in the sun and keep your family safe. HOUSE CALL with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and your top stories straight ahead.
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HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. We're following a developing story out of Aruba this morning. About 90 minutes ago authorities arrested two men in the disappearance of Alabama teen, Natalee Holloway. She vanished almost a week ago while on a high school graduation trip. Police say the suspects worked as security guards. Authorities say they are not among the three men described earlier as persons of interest.
At least 30 tornadoes have ripped across the nation's middle. Yesterday storms marked the first major outbreak of tornadoes this year. This frontal cloud was in Oklahoma where at least two tornadoes touched down. All tolled the twisters caused little in the way of damage or injuries.
The Mars Rover Opportunity will be making tracks again soon after being stuck for nearly five weeks on a sand dune. A test drive awaits the rover on either Monday or Tuesday. Engineers want to make sure opportunity won't get mired down in another sand patch.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other defense chiefs have wrapped up their three day Asian security conference in Singapore. They say they still want to find a peaceful solution to the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. One senior American defense official says the U.S. might decide to refer the matter to the U.N.
Saddam Hussein could face up to 500 charges at a tribunal, but he will only be tried on 12 well documented charges. A spokesman for Iraq's prime minister says, "Trying the former dictator on all possible counts is a waste of time." No date has been set for the trials just yet.
I'm Tony Harris. HOUSE CALL begins right now.
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