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CNN Sunday Morning
Al Qaeda's Second in Command in Iraq Captured; Six Children Killed in Chicago Apartment Fire
Aired September 03, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Captured, Iraq says it has the number two leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq in custody this morning. It is Sunday, September 3rd. Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Randi Kaye in for Betty Nguyen this morning.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez, thanks so much for being with us. A live report from Baghdad is straight ahead, but first, a check of your headlines.
Right now in the news, a sixth child has died from an overnight fire in Chicago. This fire broke out on a third floor apartment, sad situation there still. The mother and three other children remain hospitalized. We are going have a live update on this story and there's a lot more to it in about six minutes.
Also New York State police describe Ralph "Bucky" Phillips as a desperate man and a threat to anyone who could possibly get in his way. Phillips is wanted in connection with the shooting of three state troopers. A $225,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
KAYE: A big catch in Iraq. The government says it has captured the country's number two terrorist, the second in command of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Iraq's deputy prime minister will be a guest today on CNN's "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER." You can catch that at 11:00 a.m. eastern time.
Another contingent of Italian troops arrived in Lebanon, they're helping monitor the U.N.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel now says its troops could withdraw from Lebanon within two weeks if peacekeeping deployments continue at the current pace.
SANCHEZ: This morning the space shuttle "Atlantis" crew is again prepping for launch. The countdown began just an hour ago. Ernesto delayed the launch last Sunday. Liftoff is now scheduled for Wednesday. "Atlantis" will deliver a 35,000 pound edition to the half built international space station.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: We're going to 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 up at 9:15 eastern.
KAYE: They tracked him down and got him. That's what Iraqi officials are saying today about a top terror leader. They say Al Qaeda's number two man in Iraq has been arrested. CNN's Michael Holmes has more now live from Baghdad. Michael, how'd they get this guy?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good to see you, Randi. That's right. This news coming from the national security adviser Mowaffak Al-Rubaie at a news conference a couple of hours ago. How they caught him, was they had intelligence that he was in a house. They said that there were civilians, women and children in that house, but they managed to arrest their man without hurting those civilians. He is known as Hamed Jumaa Farid Al Saeedi. Also known as Abu Hahmam. And according to the national security adviser, he was the deputy to Abu Ayab Al Masri who himself took over as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq from the rather well known Abu Musab Al Zarqawi who was killed by U.S. troops back in June. Now Al-Rubaie said that this man was important not only because of what he has done around the country in the last few months, but in particular for one attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOUWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He is the one who is directly responsible for the criminal atam al badri, the mastermind and the bomber of the samara shrine. He has implemented the policy of Al Qaeda in Iraq and the orders of Abu Musab al Zarqawi in triggering sectarian sedition and violence in Iraq between Sunnis and Shiites.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You can't really understate Randi what the importance of that bombing was. That samara shrine, a very holy place for Shias in this country. The bombing of it really did spark the major sectarian violence that we have seen all around the country in recent months. Randi?
KAYE: Michael, first Al Zarqawi is dead and now they've managed to pick up this number two. Would it be wrong to assume that U.S. intelligence is getting better there?
HOLMES: Well certainly the intelligence played a role in the capture of this man. But let's also put this into perspective. A lot of number twos are being caught in the war on terror. And when it comes to Iraq the insurgency here isn't really based around Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is responsible for the major spectaculars if you like, and also a lot of the suicide bombings which have taken place, but it's really one slice of the picture. Let's remember when Al Zarqawi was killed the violence didn't really stop. Al Qaeda is very much a cellular type of organization, there are no headquarters for this group and the killing or capture of one particular leader doesn't always have a major impact on activities. The insurgency here is largely homegrown, although to be fair, Al Qaeda does prompt a lot of that insurgency by carrying out its act against one side or the other, Randi?
KAYE: Live from Baghdad for us this morning, Michael Holmes, thank you. The fight for Iraq is one of the topics this morning on "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER." That's coming up in about two hours at 11:00 a.m. eastern time.
SANCHEZ: Al Qaeda leaders have issued many threats and proclamations over the years, but the latest is more disturbing than most. The bulk of the ominous message is delivered in English by a young American from California. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has our report now from Islamabad, Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fronting Al Qaeda's latest message, Azzam the American, as he likes to be called. A 28-year-old California convert to Islam telling fellow Americans they, too, must convert.
ADAM YEHIYE GADAHN, AKA, "AZZAM THE AMERICAN": We invite all Americans and other unbelievers to Islam, wherever they are and whatever their role and status in Bush and Blair's world order.
ROBERTSON: Al Qaeda's number two Ayman al Zawahiri is next to appear seemingly at a different location. For four minutes he quotes the Koran and backs Gadahn's call.
AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI, BIN LADEN'S SECOND IN COMMAND: And as our brother Azzam the American talks to you, he talks to you as one who is concerned about the fate which awaits his people. And as a perceptive person who wishes to lead his people out of the darkness into the light.
ROBERTSON: The remaining 43 minutes of the 48 minute message, Gadahn delivers a litany of so-called abuses by the United States. This is not Gadahn's first message. He appeared earlier this year on another tape and last year around the anniversary of September 11th, he warned Americans to expect an attack. The son of a California couple raising goats in Riverside County, according to family and friends, he embraced heavy metal before dumping it for Islam in 1995. Three years later, he left home for Pakistan. Now Gadahn once again appears to be threatening his countrymen, warning the offer to convert is serious.
GADAHN: Anyone who pays any attention to the messages of the leaders of the jihad like Sheikh Osama bin Laden and Sheikh Ayman al Zawahiri, may God protect them, will know that they have been consistent in inviting the Americans and other unbelievers to Islam. And in pressing upon them that they want the best for them and making it clear to all that we have no choice but to fight those who fight us.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Implicit in the call to convert, the possibility of attack. The Jihadists like Gadahn, their interpretation of Islam dictates that they offer conversion before attacking. In 2002, Osama bin Laden made a similar offer. Shortly thereafter came the Bali bombings and the death of nearly 200 people. Nic Robertson, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Some are calling him from a mama's boy to Osama's boy. We're going to find out more about what happened with Adam Gadahn? We'll have his story in 30 minutes. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your safety and your security.
KAYE: The tragedy in Chicago deepens. A sixth child has now died from an early morning apartment fire. Michelle Gallardo of our affiliate WLS has been following this story for us this morning. She joins us now with the very latest developments. Good morning again, Michelle.
MICHELLE GALLARDO, WLS: Good morning Randi, that sixth victim was just confirmed in the last hour. She is described as a 16-year- old girl. The ages of the victims now range from three to 60 years of age, but we still have three more children in the hospital. Two of them in critical condition along with their mother who is also hospitalized. Now, just in the last hour there was a press conference in which fire officials told us that there were no working smoke detectors in the home. And they are now working on the assumption that it was a lit candle that may have caused that fire. Apparently the family had been without power since May and they were using candles for light inside of the apartment. Fire officials also telling us the blaze started a little bit after midnight. It did start on the third floor of this three flat. It was contained just to that one apartment. EMS officials were seen doing CPR on all of the children as they were brought out one by one with officials telling us this is the worst they have seen in a long time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAYMOND OROZCO, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: You really can't put it in perspective. This is the largest multiple fire fatality we've had from a single fire in quite a few years. I mean, it's children. You know that's one of our most vulnerable populations for the future. It's difficult. It's difficult for everyone involved. And don't -- remember the family here. The family is going to go through some very, very trying times here.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GALLARDO: Now we are hearing that there may have been an argument going on inside of the apartment shortly before the fire started but we don't know if that was related at all to the start of this fire that has not yet been confirmed. But of course, we will have more information for you as it becomes available. Live on Chicago's north side, I'm Michelle Gallardo. Randi, back to you.
KAYE: Michelle give me an idea of the neighborhood there. You mentioned that this family has been without power and now they're looking at candles as possibly being the cause here. It certainly appears that way. Without power since May?
GALLARDO: That's right. And you know, we've spoken to the power company and they actually told us that it's not that their power was disconnected for lack of payment, but that the contract was closed by the customer, but we don't know the reason for that.
KAYE: All right. Michelle Gallardo, thank you very much, from our affiliate WLS.
SANCHEZ: There is a particular picture we want you to see. It may remind you of the joke about clowns in a Volkswagen, but it's not, nor would they want to be called that. These are the Kohrings in St. Louis and they said this is one of the best decisions they have ever made. We're going to tell you more about why their super-sized family down-sized their family car in 10 minutes. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEMBAKWI YOMBA, STUDENT: I'm Dembakwi Yomba and I'm from West Africa, Sierra Leone.
MADIHA MOHSENI, STUDENT: My name's Madiha Mohseni and I'm from Afghanistan.
HELENA CAMDEN, STUDENT: My name is Helena Camden, and I'm from California.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: It is a United Nations of education. We'll tell you more about the International Community School. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: They are calling it a blow to Al Qaeda in Iraq. The government says it's captured the country's number two terrorist, the second in command of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Iraq's deputy prime minister will be a guest on CNN'S "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER." You can catch that at 11:00 a.m. eastern.
An army investigator has recommended the death penalty if four U.S. soldiers are convicted of murder linked to a raid in Iraq. The soldiers are accused of killing three Iraqi men north of Baghdad outside samara last May. The soldiers said they were ordered to kill all military-age males.
SANCHEZ: This is certainly one of the most interesting stories of the day. This is a young man from California who is now emerging as a lead spokesperson for Al Qaeda. Adam Gadahn is known within the terror group as Azzam the American. He appears in the newest Al Qaeda videotape with an ominous message in English, convert to Islam or else.
New terror searches in Britain. Police say that they searched an Islamic school and other sites across London today. Weekend raids in the country have already netted 16 suspects. 14 are suspected of trying to train and recruit others. KAYE: An update from Chicago now. A sixth child has died from an early morning apartment fire. The mother and three other children remain hospitalized. Fire officials say there were no fire alarms in the third floor apartment.
We 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 your way at 9:30 eastern.
SANCHEZ: You might call this one, honey, I shrunk the car. No, really, I shrunk the car. It happens in some families in America. Imagine having this discussion with your kids after trading the roomy SUV for a gas-sipping hybrid.
KAYE: Your kids would love that.
SANCHEZ: They wouldn't fit for the size of my family. We're going to meet the Kohrings and find out how the down sizing has gone. That's coming up in just four minutes.
KAYE: And later this hour, Brenda Bernard goes global. There she is, and she's going to wrap up the international headlines. Brenda?
BRENDA BERNARD, CNN ANCHOR: Israel is talking about pulling out of Lebanon. Find out just when that might happen coming up on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A family of six including four children and a dog gives up their Chevy suburban for a Toyota Prius? By now you're probably asking why. But let's do the math to help you understand. The Toyota Prius costs any where from 20 to $26,000 and supposedly can get 51 miles per gallon highway and 60 in the city. Now a new Suburban costs between 36 and $42,000 and gets a whopping 14 miles per gallon on the highway, 19 in the city. Is there really a comparison here? Michael and Maria Kohring are just two of the family of six that gave it all up. They're in St. Louis speaking with us this morning. Welcome to both of you. First tell me why did you decide to give up your Suburban?
MICHAEL KOHRING, GAVE UP THE GUZZLER: Well, as the economics worked out as you just explained it was sort of a no brainer, once we kind of put those things together. It made a lot of sense to take that step forward.
KAYE: But now you also took it one step further even, you went with a hybrid car. Why's that?
MARIA KOHRING, GAVE UP THE GUZZLER: We originally went when we were donating our Suburban to a dealer, looking for a car originally that went 30 miles per gallon and it was one on the lot that we looked at and then we became aware of the Prius at the same time, the hybrid Prius and decided, oh, let's go give this a try. Let's go drive the car. We really didn't have a lot of knowledge about the hybrid at that point and once we got in and drove it and saw the spacing inside the car we knew this was an option that we could do.
KAYE: Let's talk about how you all fit in this car because you're a large family and you also have a pretty large dog. So how on earth have you all been able to get used to traveling in such a small quarters after having a big Suburban?
MARIA KOHRING: Well actually, when we looked at down sizing the car, 80 percent of the time all six of us are not in the car at the same time. I'm taking them to practices or going to work. So we thought that could be an option that the main car of the family could seat five and we could get by with that, so, that's what we do.
KAYE: And have you figured out exactly how much you're saving here?
MICHAEL KOHRING: Oh easily between the Suburban. We're driving about 800 miles a month so far and easily about 130, $150 a month in savings compared to if we drove the Suburban that same mileage.
KAYE: And what are you doing with all that money?
MARIA KOHRING: We find something.
KAYE: Anything special? What has been the reaction from your friends and neighbors when they see you now and what you've done?
MICHAEL KOHRING: It's the same thing. How do you all fit in there? Some folks, it's kind of like, well, that's a strange shape. It's a funny-looking car, but for the most part people are really curious. They're curious how it works. You know curious, does it need to be plugged in, things like that.
KAYE: And you obviously think you're making a difference as well, because you wouldn't be doing this if you didn't. It's not just about the money, it's about the planet.
MARIA KOHRING: Exactly. And then we kind of approached it from two different areas. I'm very much about the pollution and the environment. He was looking for a very economical vehicle and so it turned out to be a win-win situation for both of us and, you know it was a little bit of adjusting for kids who are used to a lot of space and a big Suburban to get used to sitting fairly close to each other in the car, but.
KAYE: Well you're one big, happy family. Thanks so much Michael and Maria Kohring. We appreciate what you're doing as well.
KOHRINGS: Thank you.
KAYE: Have a great day. Thanks.
Ok. So the Toyota Prius isn't your thing, there are other choices. You can log on to cnn.com/fuel for a complete viewing gallery of the best high-mileage cars.
SANCHEZ: We have moved because we want to stay with the futuristic, smart theme and, of course, what is more futuristic and smart than cnn.com. So we have our own cnn.com set here where we're talking about even more energy tips. Right Nicole?
NICOLE LAPIN: Yeah, we all need energy-saving tips Rick. I mean energy prices continue to go up, it's really nothing new, but a lot of the details could go unnoticed like why? And what can I do about it? So cnn.com/fuel has some tips for you. We're really getting you the back story. The economics of the oil industry can sometimes seep into politics. You know that, but you can see exactly which companies are donating thousands of dollars to the political battle, really fueling the political battle with republicans receiving most of that money and with the debate turning to alternative fuels you can look at some of those sources now being tested in cars. Hydrogen fuel, for example, there it is, that's the lightest fuel source and it's the one backed by President Bush. And if you're someone who thinks we'll forget about energy conservation, it's simply too tough. But check out this interactive because it provides everyday solutions to your problems.
Like we're going to get to it in a second. This is the section for you right here. Did you know that a bath weighs almost double the amount of energy and water used in a shower and even turning your computer monitor off can help save some energy, even when your computer needs to be on . So it's under a section called excuses, excuses. Really, you have no excuses, Rick and Randi, it is all at cnn.com/fuel.
KAYE: Great. Thank you very much.
SANCHEZ: Noted and understood.
KAYE: You took notes there right?
SANCHEZ: I did.
KAYE: Yes, she'll test us for sure.
Stay tuned to CNN, all day, actually. We're going to have this coverage of the world's energy crunch. Coming up at 4:00 eastern we will add up the cost of getting oil from the pipe to the pump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every single one of these oil heads is pumping oil directly from the sea bed, a mile and a half below here. Now if you touch them they really are hot. This is the stuff that's literally burning a hole in your pocket.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: She's not wearing that orange jump suit for nothing. That's Becky Anderson. She reports from the north sea. Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Captured in Iraq. The government says it has arrested the country's number two terrorist, the second in command of Al Qaeda in Iraq. The suspect goes by several names including Abu Rahna. Iraq says he's behind the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samara which enflamed sectarian tensions.
A sixth child has died from an early morning apartment fire in Chicago. The children's mother and three other children remain hospitalized. Preliminary reports suggest a burning candle may have started the blaze. We will have a live update in just a minute.
SANCHEZ: There's also this story, the manhunt widens for fugitive Ralph "Bucky" Phillips. New York State Police warned that he's a desperate man and a threat to anyone who gets in his way. Phillips is suspected of shooting three state troopers.
In Afghanistan, an Afghan official tells the "Associated Press" at least 89 Taliban and apparently some NATO soldiers have been killed in two days of fighting. No specifics yet on the number or nationality of the NATO casualties. The operation in Kandahar province seems to drive out Taliban forces and allow displaced residents to return.
KAYE: Ernesto may be weakening, but the storm is bringing wind and rain to the northeast again today. Thousands of homes are still without power after trees fell on power lines.
In North Carolina at least one river is expected to crest later today, five feet above flood stage.
Now to Reynolds Wolf for a quick check of your weather -- Reynolds.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAYE: Thank you, Reynolds. We 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 up at 9:45 Eastern.
He's back. Ayman Al-Zawahiri has a new warning to the West. Convert to Islam or else. Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant appears for only a few minutes in the 48-minute video. Actually most of the ominous message is delivered in English by Adam Gadahn, an American convert to al Qaeda.
SANCHEZ: Here is a look at the young California native, that Adam Gadahn we were just referring to. Here he is again in video released yesterday. See, he's appeared in previous al Qaeda videos before. See the difference between the older pictures and the new one? Who is Adam Gadahn? CNN's Carol Lin tries to tackle that question.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): October, 2004, a videotape makes its way across the World Wide Web, a covered face, a weapon. Open, vicious threats against the United States and those who know a young Californian born Adam Pearlman are convinced they know the voice, the eyes. It's him.
July of this year, no longer hiding his face and IDed as "Azzam the American," a new name he either assumed or was given by his new associates, his associates in al Qaeda.
His journey from rural Orange County through a rebellious childhood and a religious reawakening. We spoke to his family members two years ago, family from which he remains estranged.
PHILLIP GADAHN, ADAM GADAHN'S FATHER: I really couldn't imagine he would do anything that would get him in this position, but I'm not really sure he's done anything.
NANCY PERLMAN, ADAM GADAHN'S AUNT: I am concerned, of course. Very concerned. I know of a nephew that was a wonderful young man, caring, loving.
GADAHN: Even when he was keeping in touch with us he only sent us a card every six months when he was traveling around.
LIN: Adam Gadahn is wanted by the FBI. They say they have no indication he's directly involved with terrorism, but do consider him armed and dangerous.
"Azzam the American," Adam Gadahn on al Qaeda's latest videotaped offering, urges American soldiers to convert to Islam because, he says, "Time is running out, so make the right choice before it's too late."
Carol Lin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your safety and your security.
KAYE: If you are just joining us, there's been some diplomatic movement within the past few hours regarding Iran's nuclear program. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan met with Iran's president this morning and afterward he sounded optimistic. A showdown may just be averted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: We also discussed the nuclear issue and on the nuclear issue the president reaffirmed to me Iran's preparedness and determination to negotiate and find a solution to the crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: However, Annan says the Iranian leader made it clear he would halt the nuclear program as a precondition for negotiation. In other words, the uranium-enrichment efforts will continue for now.
SANCHEZ: A man who was once Iran's president is now in the United States. Mohammad Khatami spoke directly to Muslim-Americans in a Chicago suburb last night. He condemned the 9/11 attacks for the second time, but he also then pointed fingers at the U.S. policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD KHATAMI, FMR. IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Through cooperation and reaching consensus with all the people of the United States, public opinion can be rescued from the grips of ignorance and blunder. And the domination of arrogant, war-mongering, and violence-triggering policy will end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Khatami says Muslims "Must forge a new identity that embraces the modern world and tolerates other religions and also works toward peace."
KAYE: Keeping focus international with our going "Global Segment."
SANCHEZ: And for that we turn to our own Brenda Bernard. She's at the International Desk to bring us up-to-date -- Brenda.
BRENDA BERNARD, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. Israel says it may pull troops out of Lebanon in two weeks, but there's a big if. The IDF says the withdrawal will begin that soon if the U.N. interim force in Lebanon continues to deploy at its current pace. This is the first time that Israel has given any sort of timetable for withdrawal from Southern Lebanon. It comes as more Italian troops arrived there for peacekeeping duties. Eventually international peacekeepers should number about 15,000. That's a crucial part of the U.N. resolution that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah last month.
Now some out of this world news for you. Europe's first mission to the moon has crash landed according to plan. The "Smart-1" spacecraft ended its three year-voyage and slammed into a volcanic plane called the "Lake of Excellence" at about 4,500-miles-per-hour. Scientists hope the impact will raise a cloud of dust that will reveal clues to the moon's composition.
And you just can't get enough of this woman. She's an Iranian- born American making history. Thirty-nine-year-old Anousha Ansari is about to become the first female space tourist and only the fourth space tourist ever. This successful high-tech entrepreneur from Dallas is preparing to ride a Russian capsule later this month to the International Space Station. She'll blast off with one Russian and one Spanish-American for a 10-day stay on the orbiting outpost. How's that for a vacation -- Rich.
SANCHEZ: I like the fact that she's training in that extremely difficult and technical task of opening a can of tuna fish.
BERNARD: Hey, those things can be difficult in space.
KAYE: Certainly in space. Maybe not here, but that could be tough stuff up there.
BERNARD: Yeah, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Brenda. Just kidding.
BERNARD: Thank you. You're welcome.
KAYE: Well, flood warnings or watches are the order of the day across the northeast courtesy of what was Ernesto. Up to 50-miles-an- hour winds knocked down big trees like those right there on to power lines as tens of thousands of homes are without power now this morning. Travel delays also being reported. What's left of Ernesto is now moving into Maine.
SANCHEZ: Reynolds Wolf is standing by now to handle this difficult technical aspect offs this job.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, I know, there are a lot of people in the northeast this morning that are, you know, looking outside and they're looking the cloudy skies, they're thinking hey, it's supposed to be a holiday weekend, we're supposed to have great weather. Well, it will get better as time goes on.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Well done, Reynolds, thank you.
KAYE: The language of learning in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A really good school. They teach you other languages and kids that are from other countries teach you about themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Up next, we're going to visit the International Community School. This is a school really like no other and a story that you're not going want to miss. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Captured in Iraq, the government says it's arrested the country's No. 2 terrorist, the second in command of al Qaeda in Iraq. The suspect goes by several names including "Abu Rana." Iraq says that he's behind the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samara which enflamed sectarian tensions there.
Al Qaeda's latest message to the West is really a warning to convert to Islam that's the gist of the almost 50 minute videotape released yesterday. Ayman al Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant makes a brief appearance. Most of the message delivered in English by Adam Gadahn, he's an American convert to al Qaeda. An update now from Afghanistan. Wire reports say at least 89 Taliban fighters and three Canadian soldiers have been killed in two days of fighting. The operation in Kandahar Province seems to drive out Taliban forces and allow displaced residents to go back to their homes.
KAYE: A sixth child has died from an early morning apartment fire in Chicago. The children's mother and three other children now remain hospitalized. Preliminary reports suggest a burning candle may have started the blaze.
This warning New York state police describe Ralph "Bucky" Phillips as a desperate man and a threat to anyone who gets in his way. Phillips is wanted in connection with shooting three state troopers. The $225,000 dollar reward is offered for information leading to Bucky's arrest.
SANCHEZ: Ernesto's decreasing wind and reign are moving toward Maine now. Thousands of homes in the Northeast are still without power. In North Carolina at least one river is expected to crest later today about five feet above flood stage. We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING and in-depth coverage, obviously when necessary. Your next check of the headlines is coming up right at the top of the hour.
KAYE: The Labor Day weekend means back to school for thousands of families across America. As CNN's Betty Nguyen reports, students at one Georgia school are already back in class and learning the three Rs with an international twist.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Salut, Nihau, Salamalekum, or just plain hello. Some of the way the International Community School in DeKalb County, Georgia greet each other every day. It's not your average public charter school. There are more than 330 students here in grades K through six representing more than 30 countries in 40 different languages.
DEMBAKWI YOMBA, STUDENT: I'm Dembakwi Yomba, I'm from West Africa, Sierra Leone.
MADIHA MOHSENI, STUDENT: My name is Madiha Mohseni and I'm from Afghanistan.
HELENA CAMDEN, STUDENT: My name is Helena Camden, and I'm from California.
AUSTIN BASS, STUDENT: Austin and I'm from Georgia.
NGUYEN: Diversified by design, ICS prides itself on its student body, 50 percent of whom are from outside the U.S. Many of the boys and girls have fled war-torn countries with their families and bring with them the stress and emotional wounds of war, poverty and genocide. Something the founders were mindful of when they set out to create the school. DAVID BELLAMY, 4TH GRADE TEACHER: They speak very honestly. They tell you about, well, the bad men. They'll tell you things like that and it's just part of our morning meeting. You'll hear them tell you these different things. You know, you love them no matter where they come from, no matter what they've done, no matter what they've been through.
NGUYEN: ICS's goal for diversity is extremely ambitious. Opportunities to place students in a cultural melting pot where they can learn from one another isn't always easy.
JENNA NELSON, 4TH GRADE TEACHER: And I also really wanted to teach with a diverse population which can, surprisingly, still be hard to find because of neighbors often are integrated -- I mean, segregated. And so here we are in a place where we have deliberately said we want diversity.
NGUYEN: ICS's teachers strive to create an environment where their students feel comfortable participating and interacting with others, something a lot of them weren't comfortable doing when they first arrived.
MS. LI, 1ST GRADE TEACHER: Do you need more time Sabrina? Just say, "Ms. Li, I need a little bit more time." Say that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need a little bit more time.
LI: Very good.
NGUYEN: The curriculum extends to the home as well with a myriad of programs to help families obtain visas, citizenship, and a permanent place to live. There's also a program where members of the community can adopt a family and donate clothes, furniture, and vehicles for families with limited resources. And while children get acclimated with the English language, parents are able to learn with them, too. It's something co-founder and ICS Principal William Moon is proud of.
WILLIAM MOON, ICS PRINCIPAL: You can imagine, if I don't speak the language of the country, but my child speaks the language of the country I feel at odds with what my child is doing and I don't know what I can do to help my child, but if I could be helped to see that there are ways for me to set up the learning environment at home. There are ways for me to listen to my child read and ask my child help me to read, too, then we can develop a relationship between the parent and the child that makes it possible for the parent to feel proud of the child and the child to feel proud of the parent.
NGUYEN: Although the school says it scores among the top in the district on standardized tests and ranks at the top with attendance, it doesn't get as much money as other public schools. That's because Georgia's charter law allows for the school district to determine how much money each charter school gets, which means ICS runs largely on the generosity of private foundations and supporters, all of whom envision a much bigger vision for the school, its students, and their families. MOON: We see ourselves as a potential model for the integration of families from all over the world who don't know quite how to make it happen for themselves.
NGUYEN: And the kids here seem to be learning just as much about themselves as they are about each other.
CAMDEN: It's a real good school. They teach you other languages and kids that are from other countries teach you about themselves.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: For more information on the International Community School, log onto intcomschool.org.
SANCHEZ: Did you know all day today CNN is highlighting energy issues that hit all of us in the pocketbook one way or another and many of us know very little about it. Believe it or not, one of the fastest growing sources of new energy in the United States is now wind power. So why aren't there more wind farms being built across the country? You will find out at 7:00 Eastern. Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: So we do here at CNN watch the world go by and we report on it. Now time to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, will New Orleans slip out of the media spotlight again now that most of the anchors and producers have packed after the one-year anniversary of Katrina?
The incredible media frenzy over John Mark Karr. Are journalists embarrassed now that the whole thing turns out to be a hoax?
Also John Dean weighs in on the conservative media, Democrat Joe Lockhart and Bush advisor, Mike McKinnon on why they're joining forces online.
And the hype surrounding the Katie Couric countdown. All that ahead on "RELIABLE SOURCES."
KAYE: That's RELIABLE SOURCES coming up at 10:00 Eastern followed by Wolf Blitzer and LATE EDITION at 11:00 Eastern and the WEEK AT WAR, don't forget, at 1:00 Eastern. Stay tuned to CNN as we go in-depth into the stories of the day.
SANCHEZ: What do you say we do a little revisiting?
KAYE: OK, lets.
SANCHEZ: All right.
KAYE: Where are you going to take us?
SANCHEZ: We're going to take you back to something we talked about a little bit yesterday? Just a little bit.
KAYE: Oh, yes. I know where we're going.
SANCHEZ: Some call it a feud, some call it a spat, whatever it is, it was one man who decided to go on national television and criticize a woman who happened to be home with her baby at the time and a lot of people thought that's just not the right thing to do.
KAYE: We're talking about the Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields. Cruise, of course, a follower of Scientology, and publicly criticized Shields for taking antidepressants to overcome her postpartum depression.
SANCHEZ: Well, he said you shouldn't do that. You don't need that and anybody who does that is just downright foolish for doing so. You might remember Cruise, he go into it with NBC's Matt Lauer talking about this very thing that we're discussing now, antidepressants and what people should and shouldn't do and whether they really need them. When his views were challenged during the interview, he really got quite stern, quite strident.
Well apparently, the spat between Cruise and Shields, who he was criticizing at the time, who happened to be pregnant, is over. Shields explained just the other night, she went on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno and said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE SHIELDS, ACTRESS: He had called me and he came over to my house and he gave me a heartfelt apology, and he apologized for bringing me into the whole thing and for everything that happened and through it all I was so impressed with how heartfelt it was. And I didn't feel at any time they had to defend myself or did I feel that he was trying to convince me of anything other than the fact that he was deeply sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I have a question and I know you do, too. If you were to do something that -- to that, to another person that way and you feel bad about it, why would you wait almost a year?
KAYE: So long to apologize? I don't know. You know, there's some talk that maybe because Tom Cruise's girlfriend, Katie Holmes, just had a baby and they recently gave birth that maybe he softened up a little bit and realized maybe he wants to say you're sorry. But who knows? We don't know the guy. We don't talk to him.
SANCHEZ: But there's also something else that just happened in his career. Wasn't he just unceremoniously, some would say, unceremoniously, let go by his film company?
KAYE: We was dropped and the movies haven't been doing so well, but who knows?
Who knows? Maybe he's trying to be the good guy and make amends. Or, I don't know, Reynolds, do you think that being a new dad, you're a fairly new dad, maybe it's kind of softened him up, wants to make nice.
WOLF: Oh, maybe so. But my big question is, when he apologized to Brooke Shields was he jumping up and down on top of the couch?
SANCHEZ: No. No, in fact we have...
KAYE: Maybe at home, we don't know.
SANCHEZ: We have it from reliable sources that he was standing on the porch at the time.
WOLF: Oh, OK. Well, that changes everything.
KAYE: She was jumping up and down on the couch.
SANCHEZ: She never actually let him through the front door. Everything was right there at the door.
WOLF: OK, you got to do what you have to do.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
SANCHEZ: And thank you for the hearty opinion on that situation. I think you captured it.
KAYE: I think he did. RELIABLE SOURCES is next followed by LATE EDITION and THIS WEEK AT WAR, so please don't go away.
SANCHEZ: Also Fredericka Whitfield's going to be with you all morning, the rest of the morning, we should say, with live news updates as they become available.
KAYE: Have a great afternoon.
SANCHEZ: Goodbye.
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