Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Did Al Qaeda Plan to Attack New York City Subway?; Two U.S. Soldiers Abducted in Iraq
Aired June 18, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, the U.S. military says it is using every resource available to find two soldiers who witnesses say were kidnapped at gunpoint in Iraq.
Good morning, everybody. It is Sunday, June 18th. Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to many of you out there. I'm Betty Nguyen here at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
Happy Father's Day, Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much. That's so kind of you to say.
NGUYEN: Nice to have you here.
SANCHEZ: Waiting for my kids to say it, though. They haven't called, yet.
I'm Rick Sanchez in for Tony Harris. We're going to take a live shot for you in just a moment from Baghdad. First, though, let's bring you up-to-date on some of the other stories making news.
Published report released this morning claims that Al Qaeda planned to attack New York's subways with poison gas in 2003. Osama bin Laden's second in command called it off. The report appears in "Time" magazine, which is running portions of a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ron Suskind. In his book, Suskind cites an Al Qaeda informant. A police spokesman says New York authorities knew of this plot.
Now, in Washington, a special Father's Day tribute is taking place at the Vietnam vet's memorial. Families from across America are gathering at the wall and placing messages on about 1,000 long-stemmed roses. During the morning, each message will be read aloud.
It's a go from space shuttle Discovery. NASA says it plans to launch the shuttle July 1st. This will mark the very first manned space flight in nearly a year, only a second since the Columbia disaster nearly 3 1/2 years ago. CNN, as you've come to expect, will provide launch coverage. CNN is the most trusted name in news.
NGUYEN: Ahead in this final hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING, inside a real MASH unit in Iraq. Our Baghdad camera team was there when one serviceman arrived for the second time. That's coming up in today's "A Soldier's Story". And Lassie, take a look. When was the last time you saw America's most beloved dog? That is Lassie here in the studio. She's in the house, and we are going to be talking to Lassie, believe it or not, because Rick can speak dog language. I know you didn't know it.
SANCHEZ: Trilingual.
It is starting to look more and more like those two U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq have been abducted. Iraqi police are telling CNN that witnesses did see the soldiers being taken away by masked gunmen. The soldiers have been missing since the attack Friday in an area that was near Baghdad known as the Triangle of Death. Let's get the latest on this now. CNN's Cal Perry in Baghdad.
What do you have, Cal?
CAL PERRY, BAGHDAD BUREAU DIRECTOR: Well, good morning, Rick. New information to CNN overnight, as you said, in a town about 30 miles to the south of Baghdad. That town, Yusufiya. A group of witnesses went to police. They say they saw four or five masked gunmen take two U.S. soldiers, put them in vehicles, and drive out of the area.
We also heard from CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. She spoke to a senior U.S. official who said that a vehicle was found in the area. That vehicle had blood in the back and boot prints -- this is more important than the blood -- boot prints that seemed to match boots that would be worn by U.S. military personnel in the area leading away from that vehicle.
We heard yesterday in a rare taped announcement from Major General Caldwell. He said the U.S. military will never stop looking for any of its soldiers until they can be determined exactly what's happened to them -- Rick?
SANCHEZ: Cal Perry following that story for us. And let's back it up with this story as well, because the military is still looking for a soldier who was captured in Iraq two years ago. The military does believe that Sergeant Keith Maupin was captured when his convoy came under attack near Baghdad International Airport. Now, Maupin's mother says she can empathize with the parents of the two soldiers that Cal just mentioned in his report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLYN MAUPIN, MISSING SOLDIER'S MOTHER: Kind of made me remember when Matt was captured. Kind of reliving that again. And thinking of the parents, how they must feel. You still have your crying times, you still have your praying time, and every day you have a void. Every day. I go to work every day with a smile, but no one knows how my heart aches. No one. And I carry that every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: In June of 2004, the al-Jazeera network received -- said it received, I should say -- a videotape and a statement from militants who claimed that they had killed Maupin. U.S. officials say they have not been able to confirm that -- Betty?
NGUYEN: Stepping up the fight against insurgents, U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched a new operation in Iraq. This one is against militants in the Sunni Arab city of Ramadi, which is just west of Baghdad.
Now, CNN's Nic Robertson is embedded with the army's 1st Armored Division, which is spearheading this mission. In fact, he is on the move with them right now. But he was able to file this report on the outskirts of Ramadi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When the operation began just after dusk and was completed in the early hours of this morning, Sunday morning, the U.S. military says it now has Ramadi isolated. It is tactically encircled. The U.S. military and Iraqi army now control all the roads in and out of Ramadi.
Now, the U.S. military says this will stop, and this operation was designed to flood the last hole, if you will, in Ramadi where insurgents have been coming in and out of the city to re-supply the operations inside the city of Ramadi.
It's a city of some 400,000 people. The operation last night on the southern side of the city kicked off by a large 500-pound bomb being dropped on a bridge that blew away for this military advance to come into this neighborhood.
This is a neighborhood where insurgents are known to operate. This is a neighborhood where there have been very, very few U.S. military operations. The Iraqi army hasn't been able to go here. It's been an area where the insurgents have essentially had free reign. And the military says this operation is the beginning to an end to that.
They plan to put U.S. and Iraqi army military installations in place around the city and ultimately to replace the Iraqi army with Iraqi policemen. Now, this operation, the U.S. military says it is a turning point, a now completely isolation. They tactical (inaudible). They can begin with similar affairs, programs, and other programs inside the city of Ramadi designed to defeat the insurgents here.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Ramadi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we do have this program note. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow weighs in on Iraq and the war on terror. That is coming up beginning at 11:00 Eastern on CNN's LATE EDITION with Wolf Blitzer.
Then at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, CNN's John Roberts hosts "Iraq, A Week at War." CNN's team of correspondents all around the world bring you the only in-depth look at major events in the war on terror. SANCHEZ: There is a report today that details an Al Qaeda plot to unleash poison gas in the New York City's subway system. Now, this was back in 2003. A "Time" magazine report is based on a new book by journalist Rob Suskind. According to "Time," Al Qaeda had developed a device to disperse Hydrogen Cyanide gas, but Osama bin Laden's deputy called off the attack.
An expert from the book on Time.com says, and we quote here, "there would be several placed in subway cars and other strategic locations and then activated by remote control." That was well past conception and early planning. The group was operational. They were 45 days from the zero hour.
Two former U.S. officials confirm some of the details of this plan to CNN, but they disagree that an attack was 45 days away. They say the timing was not that precise.
NGUYEN: Here's some other news across America this morning. Five teenagers dead after a New Orleans street corner shootout. Police say all were find shot inside a wrecked SUV. Four died at the scene, one died later at a hospital. Now, police believe the shootings were drug-related or some type of retaliation attack.
Well, something did go wrong on Oregon's highest mountain on Saturday. Climbers near the top of Mt. Hood fell about 500 feet, hitting other climbers below. Here's a shot of that. Two were seriously hurt and had to be airlifted to a Portland hospital with head injuries and back injuries.
SANCHEZ: Touchdown in Kansas. No, not football. Reports of a damage sum (ph) in this tornado that hit in southeastern Kansas, yesterday. Yes, there's the picture. You can just see how clear it is, that funnel. Twisters, wind and hail from a lot of storms moved through the state just this weekend.
NGUYEN: That's really quite an amazing shot of that.
Well, President Bush did make worldwide headlines with his unannounced trip, surprise trip, to Iraq last week. Ahead in about five minutes, one of the very few reporters invited on that trip will join us. CNN's chief national correspondent John King with some inside information on the president's secret trip, plus this.
SANCHEZ: In about 28 minutes, the most famous dog in the world joining us. Have we got a clip? Can we show him? Can we show him live? We've got Lassie. You're looking at him there in black and white. There he is in full color.
NGUYEN: Lassie's a "she," Rick.
SANCHEZ: Lassie's a "she," right?
NGUYEN: Lassie's a "she." There. She's barking.
SANCHEZ: I knew that.
NGUYEN: I know you did know that.
SANCHEZ: We are coming back.
NGUYEN: Rick is actually going to talk to Lassie, believe it or not, coming up. So you'll want to stay tuned for that.
SANCHEZ: Unbelievable. We'll be back.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Lucky me. We go from dogs to Wolfs. And tell you what, folks, this morning we've got some scattered showers in parts of Texas right into the Mississippi valley. But this morning in Miami, conditions are just beautiful. A mix of sunshine and clouds and possibly some rain into the afternoon. Here's a live image that we have from WPLG in Miami. There you go. You see a mix of clouds there. We'll have your complete forecast across the nation coming up in just a moment right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Let's do this for you, now. Let's update some of the top stories. Iraqi police say that two missing U.S. soldiers were taken away by masked gunmen. U.S. forces continue to scour the area. The soldiers have been sing since an attack on the checkpoint Friday night.
A report today, though, is telling us that Al Qaeda came close to attacking the New York subway system back in 2003. The "Time" magazine report is based on an except from a new book by journalist Ron Suskind. It says that Al Qaeda planned to release poison gas on the subway, but then called the plot off.
Space shuttle Discovery is set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center July 1st. It's going to NASA's first manned space flight in almost a year. Also, only the second since the Columbia disaster. You can tune in for live coverage of the launch, as you've come to expect from us, right here on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Betty, you've got a dad with you.
NGUYEN: Yes, I do. And, you know, a real inside look this morning, too. He was one of the very few people who knew about President Bush's top secret trip to Baghdad before it even happened. In fact, our chief national correspondent John King traveled with the president to Baghdad.
He's going to be on "Reliable Sources" next hour, but he is kindly joining us now to talk about this trip -- a bit of a trick, too, because a lot of people didn't know about it until boom, you were there in Baghdad.
JOHN KING, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was both a trick and a trip. I got a head's up on Sunday afternoon a week ago, about 4:15 in the afternoon, in an email from a top White House official, Dan Bartlett, saying, "Where I can reach you?" And then he said he'd call me on my cell phone. He said he wouldn't on the cell phone, so I sort of knew there was some bells and whistles, smoke and dagger going on. So he asked me if I would be the television pool correspondent, which means I was working not only for CNN, but for all of the other TV networks, as well. But that was Sunday afternoon. We left Monday night. And obviously, about five hours on the ground in Baghdad after the overnight flight. Pretty remarkable security.
NGUYEN: Wait, wait, wait. Let's walk back just a second because this is quite amazing. OK, so you get the e-mail. You're boarding Air Force One. What then? Do you just sit and wait? Do you know what's happening? Do you know where you're going?
KING: They told us on Sunday we were going to Baghdad, but they swore us to secrecy. We weren't supposed to tell everybody. It's a little controversial within the business in the White House picking the reporters that go on the trip. And that is an issue the White House needs to work out with the bureau chiefs, but our argument is they should call the five network bureau chiefs and the bureau chiefs should decide who goes.
NGUYEN: But their argument is...
KING: The president's security, the president's life, is at stake when you're taking him into a hot zone like Baghdad. They need to have as few people as possible know about it, so they like to do it one-on-one hand-pick people.
SANCHEZ: Did you know -- I'm just curious -- did you know the president was going to Baghdad?
KING: Yes. Dan Bartlett told me on Sunday afternoon the president was going to Baghdad. It was a secret trip, and they needed to get a small group of reporters to go and cover him.
NGUYEN: So you're on the flight. And then you're heading -- I mean, the flight itself is really quite interesting because the way that you have to get into Iraq. I mean, it's not like a simple flight. You jump on a plane and boom, you land. I mean, you've got to go through some major maneuvers to get on the ground, and get on the ground safely. So talk to us about that.
KING: Right. It's a 747. The president insists on taking in the 747, which is Air Force One. Any plane he's on is Air Force One, but it's his big main 747. He insists on that. Most VIPs go in on a C17, a military transport plane.
We did not do the corkscrew landing that many planes do, but we did do some dicey banks. And then you get to a certain altitude and then they just drop it quickly. Because at that point, it's broad daylight. We went in in the daylight. Usually they go in under cover of darkness. But because of the schedule, they wanted to go in in the daylight.
But we're coming in and we see cars on the highway going by, and in we come. And they rush us off. Air Force One, you run off to get onto these helicopters. They gave us flak jackets, and then it's a six-minute helicopter ride with the machine gunners hanging out the window.
We had no incidents, but they're obviously very sensitive to the fact that we've seen, since the president was in Baghdad, there is still a very active insurgency and the threat of violence all of the time.
NGUYEN: Well, this was an important trip because the president really is defined by this war. That's going to be his legacy. And a lot of that legacy is going to depend on a man that, really, he just met.
KING: Well, it was very interesting. Prime Minister Maliki had a five-minute heads up that the president of the United States was on the ground in Baghdad there to meet him. So a surprise on the Iraqi end as well.
But you're right. Well, the president wanted to show this as a sign of progress. He's going to meet this new prime minister, a man he believes finally, perhaps, can put Iraq on the path to political stability.
So a show of progress on the one hand, but also a reminder of the problem. This war started three years and three months ago where the United States, according to the administration, would be greeted as administrators. The Iraqi oil would be up and pumping soon to pay for it. And yet, you still have to sneak the president of the United States into Baghdad.
SANCHEZ: Because there's more insurgency now than there was before.
KING: Right. So the president wants to say that we're near a turning point, and perhaps that is the case. We will see. Cliche, but time will tell. At the same time, you do see the reminder of the problem here. The fact that Iraq is still the mess that it is is not what anyone envisioned, including the White House. Especially the White House.
NGUYEN: What a fascinating trip. Thanks so much for the inside look at that.
KING: My pleasure.
NGUYEN: Really neat stuff. Hey, and happy Father's Day, by the way.
KING: Thank you very much. I have my little ones back there. Lord knows what they're doing.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: I think they're giving you both a raise.
NGUYEN: Oh, I like that. Yes, work on that, would you, John? Hey, take care.
KING: Thank you very much.
SANCHEZ: Good luck on "RELIABLE SOURCES." We'll be watching for it.
Well, you've heard all the stories that we bring you from time to time about the war and the war wounded and the situations that develop, as John was just telling us moments ago, in Iraq.
NGUYEN: Now you'll actually get a chance to see what life is really like in thing the Baghdad ER. That is coming up in about 13 minutes.
And we're going to check your forecast. Here's a look at Miami. Sunny Miami. What a beautiful day there. You'll want to stay with CNN. We are the most trusted name in news.
SANCHEZ: And you think Betty wears nice coats? Take a look at this coat.
NGUYEN: That is beautiful, isn't it?
SANCHEZ: Is that incredible? How'd you like to own something that...
NGUYEN: It's got to be hot underneath that, though. Wouldn't you think?
SANCHEZ: That's Lassie. The real thing. That's right, Lassie. You tell them. You don't want to go to a commercial. Stay around. We'll be right back with Lassie and more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: These are pictures that we're bringing you right now from the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. It's a special day there as many people have their remembrances of their fathers. And in the case of many of the people visiting this memorial, as difficult as it is, as hurtful as it is for them, they're often remembering fathers or grandfathers they never really got a chance to know because they died in combat.
Sons and daughters of Vietnam vets have gathered to honor their fathers lost in Vietnam. Red roses signify the soldiers killed in action. Yellow roses will denote those soldiers that are still missing. White roses are being used for those who have died in some of America's most recent wars in the Middle East.
NGUYEN: It gives me chills just looking at that today. A lot of people and a lot of remembrances. It is a happy day, though, for many fathers throughout. And what a day it is. Hey, if you're going barbecue today like Rick Sanchez, you may want to just stay outside just as little as possible to get that stuff done and get back in the AC.
SANCHEZ: Or get somebody else to do it.
NGUYEN: Yes, that's even better.
WOLF: Yes. Or, you know, if you're going to be a trooper and you're goin to stay out there and you're going to do some barbecue and have the spatula in one hand and an ice drink in the other. But if you happen to be in Texas, it's going to be a spatula in one hand and an umbrella in the other hand.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
NGUYEN: Coming up, "Wounded in Iraq."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, dad, it's Chris. Hey, I've got some good news and I've got some bad news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Doctors and nurses saving lives in a Baghdad ER. We'll have one soldier's story ahead in about five minutes.
SANCHEZ: Also ahead, the world's most famous canine makes a comeback. Lassie right here in the studio. He barks on cue, folks. Watch.
NGUYEN: She barks on cue.
SANCHEZ: We haven't figured that out, yet.
NGUYEN: Yes, that's a little up for debate. But Lassie's a "she," we understand.
SANCHEZ: Or a "he." We don't know yet. That's part of the reason we're going to get them to come back. You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Now in the news, two American soldiers reported missing in Iraq apparently were abducted. Iraqi police tell CNN at least four or five masked gunmen seized the two soldiers on Friday night. U.S. troops searching the region report an abandoned vehicle was found with blood in the back.
Live this hour in Washington, a Father's Day tribute at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Sons and daughters are leading this remembrance to fathers lost or still missing from the Vietnam War. You can see so many have turned out to remember on this Father's Day. Red roses signify those killed in action. Yellow roses are for those still listed as missing.
SANCHEZ: We're going to be following that. Also this story though, a published report says that Al Qaeda planned to attack New York subways with poisoned gas in 2003. The plot is in a new book by reporter Ron Suskind. Excerpts are in "Time" magazine by the way. A spokesperson says New York authorities knew of this plot before Osama Bin Laden's second in command decided to call it off.
NASA has set July 1st as the launch date for the Space Shuttle Discovery. It's going to be NASA's first manned spaceflight in nearly a year. Expedition 13 will deliver supplies to the international space station. CNN will provide full coverage of the launch, stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.
NGUYEN: Love those. In Iraq, wounded troops are taken first to a CASH which is a combat support hospital. Like its predecessor, the MASH unit, it's a place where dark humor and tough banter counter the daily reality of pain and loss. Our Baghdad camera team was there when one serviceman arrived for the second time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SGT. CHRISTOPHER FLORES, U.S. ARMY: Dad -- hey, dad, it's Chris. Hey, I've got some good news and I've got some bad news. Well, the good news is I'm probably going to go home pretty soon. The bad news is I got hurt.
Just the tip off the big toe and maybe the second toe in.
FLORES: Will I still be able to walk?
Hell yes, of course, not a problem.
FLORES: My name is Sergeant Flores, Christopher R. Bravo company 2nd in the 50 sector, 101st infantry division air assault.
Yeah lungs are clear, belly looks good, too.
FLORES: This is my second time at this CASH.
You better stop visiting us. But we appreciate you taking one for the team, okay?
FLORES: Yeah I hate you guys.
I know, I'm sorry. We love you, too.
FLORES: You don't forget how those people -- they take care of you and they look after you. They try to do their best. It doesn't matter how long it will take them, but they'll do their best to patch you up to get you back out in the game.
I don't think that's new.
LT. NATALIE SKATES, U.S. ARMY: This gentleman, he was in here a few months ago actually. I had him as a patient. I think in March, he said, so, but he's back again.
Sorry about that news, but your son's a trooper, man. He's joking and giving us a hard time.
SKATES: A lot of them come in with major injuries and they're joking around, trying to pull through. They just roll with the punches.
He's a trooper. That guy's a hero. So --
FLORES: Alright, I love you, dad. Later. I'm glad I joined and I don't regret it one minute. I don't regret that my face is like this. I don't regret that my toes are almost gone. As a matter of fact, I embrace the fact that this happened to me, and I'm just proud to be in the infantry and that's it.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Wow! Here's a CNN special program that you also do not want to miss. CNN's John Roberts hosts "Iraq: A Week at War." CNN's team of correspondents all around the world bringing you the only in- depth look at major events in the war on terror including President Bush's surprise trip to Baghdad and the new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. You can catch that today at 1:00 p.m. eastern only on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
SANCHEZ: If I were to ask you to name the most popular dog which -- would you say Snoopy?
NGUYEN: Maybe, yeah.
SANCHEZ: Rin Tin Tin? Benji?
NGUYEN: Perhaps.
SANCHEZ: Or would you say Lassie?
NGUYEN: I would say Lassie.
SANCHEZ: Oh, look at that.
NGUYEN: Oh, look at Lassie with a rose in her mouth!
SANCHEZ: Remember we were doing the story about Washington's special roses for soldiers. Well Lassie wants to take part. Good job, Lass. We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Why a small city can be the perfect summer getaway on today's vacations off the beaten path.
DONNA ROSATO, WRITER, MONEY MAGAZINE: Small cities can be great for summer vacation because many low-cost airlines are not targeting small cities, so it's cheaper to fly there. It's easy to navigate when you get in a small city. They're a good value and less crowded. "Money" magazine found several places that would be good destinations for a family trip, Knoxville, Tennessee, Greenville, South Carolina, Portland, Maine and Banff up in Canada. Portland's a wonderful city to visit in the summer. It's got an amazing art museum. It's also great for people who like the outdoors. You can go canoeing or kayaking and there's lots of hiking trails there, too. Plus it's a Mecca for great restaurants. (END OF VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Oh, oh, killer bees. We'll tell you where an entire hive was found. Nicole Lapin joins us with that and some of the other most popular stories on cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: America has a favorite canine, it's Lassie. Get ready, the animal icon of American TV in the '50s and '60s is embarking on a comeback. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: The American love affair with Lassie began in 1954, that's when the story of a boy and his dog became a staple of Sunday night television. But Lassie's story began years earlier with a short story written for the "Saturday Evening Post" in 1938 and a novel by Eric Knight. But it's safe to say Lassie didn't become the world's most famous dog until she became a TV star. Actors who spent time with Lassie on TV include Cloris Leechman, Ronnie McDowell and John Provost.
The television series ran from 1954 to 1974 and while the character of Lassie was a girl, the role was filled over the years by nine male dogs, all descendants of the original Lassie.
UNKNOWN: Come on, Lassie. Stay awake. I need your help.
SANCHEZ: America's favorite dog made a few big-screen appearances over the years, too and there were even efforts to revive the TV series during the '80s and '90s.
You're so excited about that camera, you haven't even touched your milk.
SANCHEZ: But nothing could quite rekindle the public's love affair with the original.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Let's go now from the original to Lassie now. That's right. Lassie's back, in fact on tour. Meet Lassie number 10?
NGUYEN: Yeah.
SANCHEZ: Well, we're going to --
NGUYEN: It's number nine.
SANCHEZ: Yeah, I thought that was wrong, because you had just told me.
A dog with a cause. Pet healthcare, since no real star travels alone, Lassie's personal vet Dr. Jeff Werber is joining us now. What do we need to know doctor about this particular Lassie?
DR. JEFFREY WERBER, LASSIE'S VETERINARIAN: This is ninth generation and she's 8 1/2 years of age, actually going to be nine pretty soon. It's amazing, they are all direct descendants. And what I love about Lassie is I've been practicing veterinarian medicine for almost 23 years and always have this what we call bond-centered practice. Pets are part of the family, they're our kids.
NGUYEN: He wants to shake your hand.
WERBER: I know. So if we think about it, Lassie was the first dog that was actually allowed in the house.
SANCHEZ: And all of us as kids growing up saw it as a super dog. That it could do unbelievable things. Is it really? Or are all dogs trainable?
WERBER: All of our dogs are super dogs, every one of us has our Lassie.
SANCHEZ: But some are harder to train than others aren't they?
WERBER: Well of course. Some of our kids are harder to train than others.
SANCHEZ: You got me there.
WERBER: You just told us about your Rottweiler puppy.
SANCHEZ: We just got a Rot, little Rotty.
WERBER: I mean fantastic dogs. When I think -- we look at Lassie as the icon, is that she's the epitome of the family pet. She's one of us.
NGUYEN: But is she just like any other family? I mean she's still a dog, right? What does she do in her off time when she's not doing TV?
WERBER: Well she just gets to be famous. I mean she flies better than I do. She has more frequent flier miles than I have.
NGUYEN: Are you serious?
WERBER: Oh yeah, she's a first class flyer, of course.
SANCHEZ: Really? Sits in first class?
WERBER: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: No way.
WERBER: Yeah, way.
NGUYEN: Okay, well she's got a beautiful coat and all of this really points to the fact that it's summertime. Dogs out there need special care during these summer times.
WERBER: Absolutely. I mean you look at a dog like Lassie, looks gorgeous, she's in great shape, she eats very well, she actually eats her own line of dog food. I mean it's a natural food but that's what we should all eat. And when you think about obesity being the number one nutritional disease affecting our pets and we're getting into summer, with the summertime issues, obviously exacerbated by pets that are overweight.
SANCHEZ: So should you let your dog be outside in the summer? I can't help but ask that, because I hear you talking about the summer.
WERBER: It's a great question. The truth of the matter is yes, however, make sure they have shade at all times. Make sure they have ample supply of water at all times.
NGUYEN: Now if Lassie wasn't such a superstar would Lassie's coat be this thick in the summer? I mean, because I know that you advise people to have their dogs trimmed during the summer.
WERBER: Comb them well, brush them well, but interestingly it's very funny. You would think, oh my God, it's summertime, let's shave them down.
NGUYEN: Right.
WERBER: Wrong! That thick coat -- like especially in the arctic reads, actually acts as a thermos. It's an insulator.
NGUYEN: It's kind of like shade?
WERBER: Exactly, it keeps them cooler in the hot weather, it keeps them warmer in the cold weather. Now if it's matted or unhealthy then you want to comb it down, you want to shave it, work with your veterinarian.
SANCHEZ: You know there's something else that happens in the summer that we need to ask you about doctor. I see in my backyard alone, more insects, more flees, just a whole bunch of stuff breeding back there. What do you do to keep that off your dog?
WERBER: You want to see your veterinarian, there are great products available. I am not a big fan of many of the over counter products. A lot of the over the counter products are actually older technologies which are now being sold. There are some great products available, simple, once a month, extremely safe.
SANCHEZ: You mean a pill?
WERBER: No, actually topicals. Topicals that go right on the coat --
SANCHEZ: There's a lot of talk now about this product and I can't tell you exactly what it is that a lot of my neighbors are telling me, well we give our dog this once a week or something and it's something they take in pill form or a syrup or liquid. WERBER: If you get into that, which is a great product, and we use it. If an animal comes in just loaded with flees, you give them this one medication, it's a pill. Every flee dropping off in 30 minutes.
SANCHEZ: Really?
WERBER: It is absolutely -- but it gets to be very expensive. That's what I use to start them and then I use the monthlies to keep them going.
NGUYEN: Alright, well you know this is the time for Lassie, because she's such a big star. I mean we have to hear from Lassie herself and, Rick, I know that you can speak dog, right?
SANCHEZ: Watch, I'll snap my finger, she'll bark.
NGUYEN: Yeah, that worked real well.
SANCHEZ: Wait, it was the wrong finger. There.
WERBER: I can see that Rotty right now.
NGUYEN: Can you shake?
SANCHEZ: See the problem isn't the dog it's the trainer.
WERBER: Right, right.
SANCHEZ: I'll bet you, you could make Lassie bark?
WERBER: I can. Lassie. Ready? Lassie? Come on. Give a bark. Give them a bark.
NGUYEN: Here it comes. Come on, Lassie.
WERBER: Okay.
NGUYEN: Nice girl!
WERBER: Come summertime, before we finish, I also want to say some common sense things. The car, don't leave your dogs parked in a car ever!
NGUYEN: I mean just like children. Don't leave dogs or children.
WERBER: Within 13 minutes a car, even in the shade can reach temperatures over 110.
SANCHEZ: Just to be clear, by the way, Lassie is a girl right?
WERBER: Lassie's --
SANCHEZ: Obviously female because she wouldn't listen to me. And I don't think my daughter or my wife listens to me either. NGUYEN: I think Lassie's tired of you, she's laying down right now Rick, because she's like I'm done.
SANCHEZ: The story of my life. Doctor, thanks so much for being with us.
NGUYEN: Yeah, thank you and thank you Lassie. Such a pretty, pretty dog.
WERBER: And happy Father's Day to your kids and your dog, because you're a dog dad now.
SANCHEZ: I have six kids now.
NGUYEN: Alright. We're going to get to a burning question of the day. Why is this movie clip, we're going to show it to you, one of the most popular pieces of video on the -- oh I know what this is, nacho! CNN.com's Nicole Lapin is going to explain what I'm talking about.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Happy Father's Day, folks. Now it's time to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES." Hello, Howard.
HOWARD KURTZ, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Betty. Coming up the president fakes out the press corps by visiting Iraq and hails the non-indictment of Karl Rove. Is the White House finally starting to get some positive coverage. Gloria Borger and Clarence Page join our discussion. Plus a special sit-down with PBS's Jim Lehrer on why journalists are tarnishing their own reputation and the CBS breakup with Dan Rather. And how did the liberal blogger Daily Kos get all kinds of politicians and journalists to fly to his Las Vegas convention. We'll ask him. All of that and how the networks were swept away by tropical storm Alberto on "RELIABLE SOURCES."
NGUYEN: Alright. Thank you Howard. That is "RELIABLE SOURCES" coming up at 10:00 eastern followed by Wolf Blitzer and "LATE EDITION" at 11:00. And "Iraq, A Week at War," that's at 1:00 eastern. So you want to stay tuned to CNN as we go in-depth into the stories of the day.
SANCHEZ: It has almost made into the English language, we have one downstairs, it's called Starbucks speak.
NGUYEN: I know that very well.
SANCHEZ: People don't say large, medium or small, they say grande, skim, tall, latte, frapucchino, macchaccino --
NGUYEN: Whatever.
SANCHEZ: Nicole's joining us again to talk about this?
NICOLE LAPIN, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Of course, I'm going to talk about this, but I think you have a little talking to do. What is your drink of choice? Everybody has one.
SANCHEZ: Actually, you know what I had this morning? Tea.
NGUYEN: Let's try tea latte.
LAPIN: I do a soy latte, I had one this morning. It was iced because it's very hot outside, but of course we have really one person to thank for all of our concoctions, all of our coffee drinks, the frappucchinos and what not. Alright I'm going to show you who it is. It's this guy. His name is Howard Schultz. There he is, he's the chairman of Starbucks.
NGUYEN: I thought it was the photographer for a minute. The guy with the camera.
LAPIN: No, it's the guy who is the chairman of Starbucks and he's the one to thank for all of us thinking that it's normal to pay $3 for a cup of java, right?
NGUYEN: Yeah.
LAPIN: It's up to four now and here's how he did it. Back in 1987 Schultz was just 25 and he bought Starbucks for $3.8 million, with an M, dollars. And that was 11 stores with less than a hundred employees.
NGUYEN: That's cheap compared to what it's worth right?
LAPIN: Yeah. Look, it's worth $29 billion, with a B, dollars now. And there are 11,000 stores all over the world.
SANCHEZ: You know what's interesting, those of us who are Hispanic and grew up drinking coffee as part of our culture, we've been drinking cafe con leche and all these espressos since we were like little kids, our mothers would give it to us for breakfast, even though we were kids. So to us --
NGUYEN: Well you know Vietnamese, we've been drinking a lot of it, you know the sweet coffee, the iced coffee, yes for years.
SANCHEZ: What's interesting is though, we would go in Miami where I grew up and get a cup of espresso for 25 cents.
LAPIN: Expresso or espresso?
SANCHEZ: Well, we call it cafe Cubano.
NGUYEN: That's a bigger mouthful.
SANCHEZ: It was 25 cents and you put a little milk in it and it's then up to 35 cents. Well how much is this?
LAPIN: At Starbucks it's like four bucks.
NGUYEN: Yeah exactly. That's why it's $29 billion, right? LAPIN: That's true. And Howard Schultz, he's a rock star. Every time he goes into a Starbucks and we're going to show you another rock star that's pretty popular on cnn.com. You knew who he was.
NGUYEN: Nice rear shot.
LAPIN: Jack Black, he's wearing spandex. This is all part of the new comedy that's out this weekend, and what is it called, guys?
"Nacho Libre." And for this role he's suiting up as a Mexican wrestler and Jack Black, well he's just taking it off. Now he says that he knows he doesn't have the most chiseled body out there.
NGUYEN: Oh, man, look at that side shot. That's good.
LAPIN: He says that sometimes he has to forget about all those breakfast burritos he eats. He has to meditate and find his inner who cares? I love that.
NGUYEN: All the way to the bank, baby.
SANCHEZ: His inner who cares.
LAPIN: Get into those spandex. Now here's --
NGUYEN: Don't invite Rick to get into a spandex.
SANCHEZ: I look good.
LAPIN: We're going to move on right now. This is something else that people are definitely caring about. African bees, a.k.a., killer bees. Zoo workers in Tampa, Florida found a hive with a thousand killer bees and just as the reporter from our affiliate WFTS was doing a story on this, the bees came out and they swarmed him and the zoo officials. Now you know they're called killer, but officials are really saying, calm down guys. There's really no threat and this hive should be gone. Well we're hoping, by now.
SANCHEZ: Imagine how much worse it would have been had he been wearing the mucho libre outfit?
NGUYEN: The nacho libre!
LAPIN: Nacho!
SANCHEZ: Thanks Nicole.
LAPIN: Hey guys, just check this out on cnn.com.
NGUYEN: We will do. And we've been asking you all morning long. This is really a great topic for today. What is your fondest Father's Day memory? And boy, responses we've been getting. This is from first lieutenant Dan Thunen and he says, "It's been four years since I've been able to spend time with or even speak with my dad on Father's Day. Thousands of service members share this unfortunate circumstance. I wish all father's a special day on behalf of service members deployed throughout the world."
SANCHEZ: This one says, "I have a son and a daughter serving in the U.S. Navy as officers. And last night this dad writes to us, I received a wonderful clear phone call from their ship in the Indian Ocean wishing me happy Father's Day. That is as good as it gets for a father." That's Jeff Bastable from Fayetteville, New York. Thanks for watching Jeff.
NGUYEN: And do we have time for this last one from Japan? Quickly, Jason says, "My dad and I almost caught Mark McGwire's 68th home run in the year he hit 70. I remember saying, "Here it comes!" And then it was just crazy after that. We were on top of the pile and he was holding me so that no one would knock me over." All of these great memories on Father's Day. Happy Father's Day.
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much for being with us, everybody. Love you, dad. Te quiero.
NGUYEN: Have a good one. "RELIABLE SOURCES" is next followed by "LATE EDITION" and "Iraq, A Week of War." You don't want to miss any of this. And as we leave you, here's a look at some happy dads from our CNN morning team.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
