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CNN Sunday Morning

Three U.S. Soldiers Die In Afghanistan; Lebanese Prime Minister Tours War Torn Areas Of Lebanon

Aired August 20, 2006 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Good morning, everyone, now in the news.
Bound for the U.S., new developments in the JonBenet Ramsey case. Suspect John Mark Karr leaves Thailand this hour on a flight to Los Angeles. He boarded the plane within the past half hour. Live updates from Bangkok, Thailand, to Boulder, Colorado just minutes from now.

Absolute mayhem in Baghdad kills more than a dozen and wounds hundreds more. The Associated Press reports snipers fired from rooftops on the Shiite religious procession and you can see the pandemonium. Iraqi officials say at least 16 Shia pilgrims have been killed and another 230 people wounded in a series of attacks.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: The war in Afghanistan claims the lives of three American soldiers. The U.S. military reports the troops were killed and three others wounded in a battle with Taliban fighters in Kundahar Province. To the south Afghan officials tell wire services that more than 70 Taliban fighters were killed after attacking an Afghan police station in Kandahar Province.

Now to Beirut this morning, Lebanon's prime minister toured the bombed-out remains of a neighborhood. Also today Lebanon is denouncing an Israeli raid on a Hezbollah stronghold yesterday as a flagrant violation of last weeks cease-fire. Israel says it was stopping arms smuggling from Syra and Iraq.

HARRIS: Flooding in Alaska forces hundreds from their homes and campsites. High water and mudslides have closed the main highway and rail line from Anchorage north to Fairbanks. The region reported more than six inches of rain over the past week.

Any relief in sight here? Let's check in now with Reynolds Wolf at the CNN Weather Center. Reynolds good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Reynolds thank you.

We will run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming at 8:15 am Eastern Time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ninety nine percent of America doesn't know that these soldiers have honorably served and that they are finding difficulty coming back home. NGUYEN: So we are going to show you what is being done to change that and how veterans find a life outside the military.

HARRIS: From the CNN Center this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, it is August 20th, 8:00 a.m. at CNN Headquarters here in Atlanta, 6:00 a.m. in Boulder, Colorado. Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.

Under suspicion, now on lane that will bring him back to the United States. We are following new developments, as the suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey case gets ready to leave Thailand. In fact he has already boarded that plane. John Mark Karr's flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles will be taking off within just minutes. CNN's Stan Grant joins us via broadband from the airport in Bangkok and boy, what a show it was this morning as he was paraded through the airport.

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, sure it was indeed, Betty, but reminiscent of the scenes we saw just a couple of days ago when he was also paraded before the media then we saw that startling confession that he was there in his words on the night that JonBenet Ramsey died that he loved her and her death was an accident. No such comment today. He was hustled out of the police van, of course awaiting him a throng of media, he pushed slowly through that, they were throwing questions at him left, right and center, refusing to answer. Dressed very sharply. I was able to see him from where I stood. A very small man with waxy sort of skin, and dressed very, very well.

He actually made a request to the police. Officials have told us that he said to them I want to dress well. I want to dress like a teacher for the last time. Remembering of course that he is a schoolteacher, was teaching at a school here in Bangkok before he was arrested with the killing of JonBenet Ramsey. The voice also told us he's been eating Kentucky Fried Chicken for the past few days and reading a book called "Secret Garden." A children's book about a little orphan girl, he'll have more time now to read that book, 15 hours, in fact right about now he's sitting in a seat 21k we are told. A business-class seat in the upper deck of the plane flanked by U.S. Officials, 15 hours from here now to Los Angeles and of course awaiting him, so many unanswered questions about what happened on that night 10 years ago.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Stan maybe you can ask or answer, should I say, this question. Why didn't he have handcuffs on him, as he was being led from the detention center through the airport and actually sat at the terminal waiting to board?

GRANT: That's a good question. He wasn't wearing handcuffs the other day either, when he was paraded before the media, that was after being charged with first-degree murder of the killing of JonBenet Ramsey. That is a question that is also posed by fellow passengers. We stopped a few passengers also on board this flight and they were surprised to know that he was in fact onboard. And one of them said I hope he is wearing handcuffs. One possible explanation is that he wasn't under arrest by Thai officials, but by U.S. officials.

The Thai officials had revoked his visa and were deporting him from the country as a person who was unwanted in this country in their words an undesirable, wanted in the hands of the U.S. officials back in the U.S., that could very well change and then we may see him in handcuffs. Perhaps that could be one explanation.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Stan Grant joining us live at the Bangkok Airport there in Thailand. Stan thank you.

HARRIS: Well he lands in Los Angeles, but John Mark Karr will eventually be taken to Boulder, Colorado. He faces charges there in the death of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. CNN's Peter Viles is following developments in Boulder and he joins us live. Peter I'm always curious, clearly, a huge national and international story, but I'm curious as to how the story is being treated say in the local press there in Boulder?

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A blanket coverage here in Boulder and in Denver, which is, Boulder is really part of the larger Denver, metropolitan area. The front-page story of the Denver paper is from Thailand, that Karr is leaving Thailand and he'll be back in the United States today. There's a front-page story questioning the tactics and the process of the district attorney and bringing these charges before the investigation was complete.

There's a column, a lifestyle column complaining about the media presents here in Boulder. Remember Boulder is an affluent successful community with a wonderful university, it is a pretty place, there is a lot of accomplished people here and yet the media shows up in droves to talk about a 10-year-old murder and that is what the public hears about Boulder outside of this country.

There's mixed feelings about all the attention being brought here. One question, Tony when John Mark Karr arrives here, has he ever been here before. Of course prosecutors maintain he has, they maintain he was here 10 years ago to kill JonBenet Ramsey. His ex-wife says she's pretty certain he was home with his family in Alabama on Christmas of '96. She'd remember if he wasn't there.

We don't really have any evidence here on the ground when he was here. There was one person in this town who has come forward and said I remember him, this is a writer, Michael Sandrock who met him in Paris. When he met him in Paris, he was struck with Karr's obsession with the JonBenet Ramsey case. But also his knowledge of things about the case here in Boulder. That he knew there was a professor here Michael Tracey, who had made movies about it, then he knew where the newspaper was located, it is another geographical landmark here in Boulder. Here is Michael Sandrock talking about John Karr's knowledge of Boulder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SANDROCK, FREELANCE WRITER: What struck me must about him was just how much he knew about Professor Tracy and where he worked and things like that. How much he knew about the daily camera and knew where it was in relation to the Ramsey house, which I still didn't think, was out of the ordinary. I thought he was a regular guy that really was involved with just the whole Ramsey case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VILES: That writer plays a key role in how this whole case came together. He meets John Karr in Paris in 2002. John Karr is obsessed with the JonBenet Ramsey case. He says to John Karr maybe you should get in touch with this professor who makes documentary movies about it. John Karr then has an e-mail relationship that goes on for years with this Professor Michael Tracy. At some point in that e-mail relationship the professor says you know something's not right about this guy. He tells law enforcement maybe you should take a look at this guy John Karr who bombards me with emails about the Ramsey case. That's how John Karr got on the radar screen of law enforcement. That's how he came to be arrested this week in Bangkok and that's how he came to becoming to Boulder sometime this coming week.

HARRIS: Hey Peter just another quick question, I see there is an article in the "Daly Camera," the local paper there?

VILES: That's the Boulder paper, yes.

HARRIS: What's the D.A. so hot about? Blasting the media and the obsession, I guess is the word?

VILES: I got to be perfectly honest with you Tony; it's 6:00. We haven't got our copy of the "Daly Camera" yet.

I'll let you know in the next live shot.

HARRIS: OK. I just pulled it up online. And I just saw the headline that the D.A. Miss Tracey is hot at the media. All right. Peter appreciate it.

VILES: Tony you're ahead of me.

HARRIS: OK Peter. Thanks a lot, man.

Get that paper and read that column.

In this programming note, Larry King will have an exclusive interview with the Ramsey family attorney, that's Lin Wood. And the Colorado professor who led police to Karr that's Monday 9:00 p.m Eastern here on CNN.

NGUYEN: Let's take you to Iraq now, 16 Shia pilgrims gunned down this morning on their way to a religious festival. More than 200 others hurt in attacks in and around Baghdad. CNN's Michael Holmes is in Baghdad with the latest on this. What a violent day it's been.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, it certainly has. In many ways violence was expected but this was a very extraordinary situation. These gun battles in various places around the capital here, according to the Iran health ministry 16 dead, as you said, 289 wounded. That number is rising. As I said a variety of shooting attacks. The victims Shia pilgrims, up to 2 million of them were expected here to commemorate the death of the Imam Moussa Kadhim, who was the seventh a revered figure in Shia Islam.

As I said violence was expected, there was a lot of security around. There were roadblocks and the like and Shia militiamen taking on the role of security men and a total vehicle ban has been in effect for two days now and it will go through to tomorrow morning. But that didn't stop gunmen. Some of them on the roofs of buildings who opened fire on these Shia pilgrims as they commemorate this Imam and what a scene it was, people running in panic. Security forces' returning fire and this was happening in half a dozen places around Baghdad.

Groups of gunmen striking these pilgrims and also security forces it has to be said. This battle is still going around town, extraordinary scene.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Sniper shooting and all the death and destruction there. All right. Michael Holmes, thank you for the update.

HARRIS: From the battle line to the unemployment line. Why are some returning Iraq war veterans having a difficult time getting work? We'll go in search of answers and solutions in five minutes.

NGUYEN: Children hit the protest line check it out, in support of polygamy. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Good morning, everyone. Now in the news, right now the suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey case is on a plane that will take him from Bangkok, Thailand, to Los Angeles. We have a correspondent, Drew Griffin on the plane with John Mark Karr and he'll be updating us throughout the morning.

NGUYEN: Now to Iraq. We are getting updated information on the series of violent attacks on Shia pilgrims in Baghdad. You could see them running in fear there. Authorities tell CNN that at least 16 people were killed and nearly 300 wounded when gunmen and snipers fired on a religious pros session. Four suspected gunmen were shot and killed by police. We do have a live update coming up in 45 minutes.

HARRIS: In Afghanistan the U.S. military says three American soldiers were killed yesterday in a battle with Taliban fighters in Kunar Province near the Pakistan border to the south. Afghan officials tell wire services that more than 70 Taliban fighters were killed after attacking an Afghan police station in Kandahar Province.

NGUYEN: Look at the signs. I love all my moms' reads one of them at a Salt Lake City rally promoting Polygamy. Kids from plural families, as they call it, rally for a change in state laws. Polygamy is banned in the Utah constitution and it is a felony offense. We do run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Our next check of the headlines coming up at 8:30 Eastern.

HARRIS: Too many of the men and women deployed to serve overseas are coming home to face unemployment. CNN's Gary Nuremberg has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NUREMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The transition from this job to a civilian job back home can be tough.

GARETT REPPENHAGEN, VETERAN: A lot of the skills really don't translate at all. I was a sniper. I was a combat soldier.

NUREMBERG: Part of Garett's Reppenhagen's new job is to help other veterans find jobs.

REPPENHAGEN: A lot of these guys are infantry soldiers that have been in infantry maybe eight years from the time they graduated high school. They never had a real job; they never had a college education.

NUREMBERG: The problem is most acute for younger veterans, while the nation's unemployment rate, as a whole is less than 5 percent. The most recently available number for unemployment for veterans between 18 and 24 at more than 17 percent.

JAMES NICHOLSON, VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY: That's significantly higher than their counterparts in the civilian sector and that bothers me.

NUREMBERG: So the Department of Veterans Affairs has what it calls transition assistance programs?

NICHOLSON: We send teams all over the world really to talk to them for several months before they get out to get them thinking about employment.

NUREMBERG: But there is a sales job to do at home as well.

STEVE ROBINSON, VETERANS FOR AMERICA: Ninety nine percent of America doesn't know that these soldiers have honorably served and that they're finding difficulty coming back home.

JASON MCGEE (ph): Send the D.C. Army National Guard and the positions I'm looking for are for International Project Management.

NUREMBERG: Veterans like Jason McGee can use special job search facilities like this one in Washington, D.C.

MCGEE (ph): We have to also work for it.

NUREMBERG: Where counselors tell employers.

ROBINSON: These people will be good employees when they come back. They're willing to do what they have to do to get the job done.

NUREMBERG: If they can just get the job in the first place.

Gary Nuremberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: What's in these waters that has one doctor calling it a fountain of youth. Does this one really exist? Boy I sure hope so; I want to take a dip. We have those details in three minutes.

HARRIS: At the bottom of the hour amazing medical mysteries, Dr. Sanjay Gupta makes a "House Call" in 10 minutes.

NGUYEN: But first images we like to see from the Iraq war, America's finest coming home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well history is on Tiger Woods' side in today's final round of the PGA championship although Betty believes you make your own history. We will explain in a live report. Did you see how that landed so softly?

NGUYEN: That's why he's a pro. How beautiful is that?

HARRIS: A live report from Madina, Illinois, in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Right now in today's "Bod Squat," forever young. Could the waters of an Italian spa stop ageing, really can it? Here's Carol Costello to explain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Does a 3,000- year-old spa in Italy hold the key to the fountain of youth? Dr. Nicholas Fortunati thinks so. He's the director of one of the many spas in Italy's Tuscany's region that claim their warm waters have anti-ageing and healing properties.

DR. NICHOLAS FORTUNATI, TERME DR SATURNIA SPA DIR: You achieve a special sensation, a special feeling of well being.

COSTELLO: He says the hydrogen sulfate is good for your heart and that you can drink the waters to purify your liver, but some doctors are skeptical.

DR. DREW WERNER, VALLEY VIEW HOSPITAL: I don't think there's really science or medical evidence with that, that the composition of the water does anything particularly healing for us, but I think the whole idea of a hot spring is not so much dipping your toes in a magical water and getting better, but I think it's the investment in yourself to come to a hot spring to be healthy.

COSTELLO: Dr. Drew recommends his patients use the Colorado Glenwood Hot Springs for swimming and exercise.

Carol Costello, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: That's beautiful, isn't it?

NGUYEN: Makes you want to take vacation, didn't it?

HARRIS: So Reynolds, if we were to travel, pack up and go somewhere, what's the big city today?

WOLF: For me today even though there is a chance of scattered storms. I'm going go to New York.

NGUYEN: You can't go wrong with New York.

WOLF: Regardless of the weather it's always beautiful.

NGUYEN: Look at that shot, Reynolds.

WOLF: That looks nice, isn't it? You know I can't really see from this vantage point, but I think she's smiling.

NGUYEN: And only at you.

WOLF: Whatever it takes. A beautiful day in New York no question about it. There's a great shot. I believe that -- is that the East River, perhaps? I don't know, can't tell from this vantage point. A little bit of haze later on into the afternoon, partly cloudy skies; I know there are scattered showers in New York yesterday. You'll see better conditions as you move into the work week and the reason why is because this big area of high pressure that is now over Chicago and New York will eventually move into the northeast. Beautiful conditions also for Boston.

Meanwhile a little farther to the south we see a frontal boundary that could bring scattered showers into the Carolina's possibly into the southeast and that front extends all the way into west Texas and into New Mexico, which is a spot where we really don't need. The reason why is because they've been dealing with quite a bit of rainfall and they're expecting the potential of another one to three inches of rainfall and with that there could be some flooding as we make our way through the evening hours from Santa Fe southward to Las Cruces, even in El Paso. We're going to watch that for you very carefully.

In terms of the heat it is going to be warm for you in Portland, Oregon, 91 degrees expected very warm in the Ilwillamette (ph) Valley. Meanwhile south ward into San Francisco a lovely day there, 75 in Los Angeles and 75 also for Denver, 82 in Detroit, but in Dallas, 106 the expected high and as you take a look at the next five days, the temperatures are going to just be sizzling. Take a look. Dropping to 102 for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, pretty much the same deal, however on Thursday. How about that going all of the way back to 99 degrees and it will get cooler. NGUYEN: That 99 looks like a cool front.

WOLF: It definitely is an improvement.

NGUYEN: You want to break out the sweaters.

WOLF: They will get some rain today that will cool things off a bit. So keep your fingers crossed.

NGUYEN: Thank you, Reynolds.

HARRIS: "House Call" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta is just four minutes away. Today's topic, medical mysteries.

NGUYEN: We will be back live at the top of the hour with complete coverage of the JonBenet Ramsey case. The suspect in her murder is on a flight right now heading back to the U.S.

HARRIS: Our own Drew Griffin is on the plane with him and will bring us updates throughout the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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