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CNN Sunday Morning
New Details Emerge About Man Accused of Attempting to Blow Up Plane
Aired December 27, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for the 27th of December. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brooke Baldwin, in for Betty Nguyen again today. Good morning to you. It is bright and early, 6:00 a.m. in Atlanta, 5:00 a.m. in Oklahoma City, 3:00 a.m. in the Pacific Northwest, Portland, Oregon.
Thank you for starting your day with us.
Whoa! A busy day yesterday. We'll see how today shapes up.
A new photo we showed you, new details emerging into the Northwest Airlines terror plot. Now, this young terror suspect is the sun of a rich Nigerian banker. The question we're asking is what went wrong?
HOLMES: Also, we're still getting details about exactly what happened on that plane and a young Dutchman now being hailed the hero of that Northwest flight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I freaked, of course, and without any hesitation, I just jumped over all the seats and I just jumped to the suspect, because I was thinking (EXPLETIVE DELETED) he's trying to blow up the plane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, yes. You're going to meet that man. He's got profanity late in the interview, coming up. No, he helped to save the lives of (AUDIO BREAK).
BALDWIN: Also, thousands of people are cramming into the streets of Iran this morning. Look at these pictures coming out. People on the ground, they say that this crowd is the largest they have seen in years. We're asking: why is a religious holiday the backdrop for such deadly public protest?
HOLMES: But, first, we want to go ahead and give you more details about that terrorist bombing attempt. That attempt to bring down that Northwest Airlines flight.
And let's tell you what we know today. Twenty-three-year-old Nigerian man, he is Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. He's officially charged yesterday.
This is the newest photo of the suspect that we are seeing.
A senior administration official says the father of the suspect, whose name is Umaru Abdulmutallab, contacted the U.S. embassy in Nigeria with concerns his son was planning something sinister. The suspect's father retired this month as chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria, that's a premier bank there.
Abdulmutallab was on a terror watch list, but that didn't stop him from getting on the plane. Now, President Obama's advisers are looking reassessing how the government uses those terror watch list.
Also, a preliminary FBI analysis found the device that he carried contained PETN. Now, that is the same highly explosive chemical compound that was used by Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber," who tried to bring down a passenger jet back in 2001.
So, a lot more details are starting to emerge about exactly what happened aboard that plane on its final approach.
Our Deb Feyerick picked up the story for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... allegedly tried to kill himself and some 300 people onboard that passenger plane. By all counts, he appeared surprisingly calm during this initial appearance, where he was charged with not only carrying an explosive device on board but also trying to detonate it with the intention of destroying that airplane.
Now, he was -- he's being treated in a burn unit at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He was brought into a conference room that has been set up like a makeshift courtroom. There were prosecutors on one side, his lawyers from the Federal Defenders Office on the other, and a judge and a stenographer there, basically to address him. He seemed very calm and polite.
Witnesses say that he appeared much younger in person than his 23 years of age. That he seemed almost baby-face. He answered the judge's questions that he had had a much better day today. And he spoke English.
They say that during this initial appearance, he understood the charges that he was being accused of. And his federal defenders who now be representing him, and the reason for that is because he says he simply just doesn't have the money, even though his parents are very well-off.
So, clearly, whether he's separated from them or whether it's because of some self-radicalized notion that he's had by meeting with people, or because of what path he took in his route to pursue more of the Islamist theory, he basically said no, he just didn't have any money.
The federal defenders do want to have access to the airplane to see exactly what transpired.
Clearly, prosecutors have questioned many, many people who were onboard. They tell a story of somebody who got up just as the plane was descending, spent about 20 minutes in the bathroom, came out, complained of a stomachache, pulled a blanket over his stomach, and then, within moments, there was a fire and explosion. And part of the wall and part of the gentleman's calves caught fire. Passengers acted pretty quickly.
So, all this right now entered into the record as he is at the burn unit recovering from the wound, second and third-degree wounds he suffered to his lap.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now, the FBI says the passenger in seat 19A, that suspect, he was armed with PETN. That's an explosive, a major explosive. Again, we said it was used by Richard Reid as well.
PETN was developed after World War I. It's among the least stable of military explosives but extremely powerful and can be stored for long periods of time without losing effectiveness.
FBI agents also recovered a syringe from near the suspect's seat, believed to have been used to activate that device.
BALDWIN: Now, airports throughout the country have definitely upped their security because of this whole incident onboard that flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, which, of course, means a lot of hassles for holiday travelers again today.
Sandra Endo is standing by live for us this morning at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Sandra, I see it's nice and quiet behind you for now. We know TSA -- they're ramping up security. What can people expect when they go to airport and hop on a plane today?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, they could pretty much expect a big headache because actually, it's pretty busy here at Reagan National Airport already at this hour. You can see the line forming behind me.
And that's going to be the situation at area airports across the country today as travelers can expect to take extra time getting to their gates. And as you mentioned, security is certainly stepped up in light of the recent attempted terrorist attack on Christmas.
And the TSA, as you mentioned, did release new security measures for travelers. Some of those new rules are being kept under wraps to remain unpredictable. What we can tell you is that international travelers traveling to the United States can be determined to stay in their seats an hour before a landing and they will not be allowed to have any personal items or blankets on their laps. Also, we know that the new rules include extra pat-downs and gate screenings as well. Now, all major airlines are recommending that passengers check their airports and airlines in advance and get to the airport early if you can -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Get to the airports early, be patient, and, Sandra, I know -- another bit of fun, a hint of being facetious there with Reagan. They're dealing also with, what, a lot of water?
ENDO: Oh, yes. To make matters worse, yesterday, a broken water pipe flooded terminal C's baggage claim area. Now, can you imagine all the travelers waiting for their luggage? It was ankle-deep water and travelers in the U.S. Airlines actually had to get their planes delayed or their flights canceled.
And that's pretty much the situation this morning as well. We are just learning, though, that some of the flights have been rebooked starting at 10:00 a.m. this morning, but we talked to some tired travelers who are just frustrated this morning, and they have been rebooked three times already on certain flights. So, a lot of frustration out there.
So, just take a little patience with you if you're going to the airport.
BALDWIN: Yes, patience and, I guess, your galoshes if you are heading to Reagan this morning.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Sandra Endo for us in Washington, D.C. -- Sandra, thank you.
HOLMES: Of course, President Obama is on vacation for the holidays. He's in Hawaii. He hasn't made any public statements just yet on the case.
BALDWIN: Yes, I was playing a little golf yesterday.
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: And some critics are saying they would like to see a little bit more of an aggressive response out of the president.
Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling along with the president has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: While he vacations here in Hawaii, the president is facing sharp criticism from Republican Peter King for not making any public comments on the Detroit terror case. King is saying the president is advocating leadership by not being out front on this major case -- certainly, a sharp contrast to former President Bush who was front and center on terror issues.
But Obama officials say this president is comfortable allowing other officials to take a lead role. They note that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will reassure the American public in various Sunday talk show appearances and will also allow the FBI to lead the criminal investigation. Various other intelligence officials are working behind the scenes to chase down leads and make sure this was not part of a broader terror al Qaeda plot.
Meanwhile, the president's only real public appearances this weekend so far consisted of a workout at a local Marine base and a round of golf. White House aides are saying the president works hard throughout the year. They believe that the public believes the president should have some down time and he's also staying in the loop with frequent briefings with the White House staff telling him about the terror investigation.
Also, the president is getting frequent secure paper updates from the White House Situation Room back in Washington, sending him information all the way here to Hawaii.
Administration officials also pushing back on reports suggesting the suspect was on some sort of a government list and never should have been on the plane in the first place. Administration officials tell CNN that the suspect was only on a database with about 400,000 other names and that he was not on a smaller no-fly list. They say that the administration welcomes scrutiny over what went wrong in this case and certainly scrutiny is going to come.
Various committee chairmen on Capitol Hill, including Democrat Jay Rockefeller, are saying that they plan to hold hearings into this whole matter very early in January.
Ed Henry, CNN, Honolulu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Make sure you stick around and watch CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" later this morning when the Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano -- she will be talking about the latest on the terror investigation and the president's response to this attempted attack. Again, "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING" at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
HOLMES: We are going to turn to Iran next. Protestors are in the streets once again, this time the results: deadly. We will have the update from there coming up.
BALDWIN: And, as we told you, Sandra Endo is saying, you know, yes, everyone is on alert at the airports these days, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer through all the long lines. Find out how to get where you're going quickly -- we hope -- and safely as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: A massive crackdown is underway right now in Iran. Police are patrolling the streets in heavy numbers. Take a look at these pictures here. What they're doing is they're trying to put down these protests, these opposition protests that have popped up here during an important religious period.
CNN's Reza Sayah has been following these developments from our international desk, making phone calls, all over the story.
Reza, I want you to first, of course, describe the scene for me today and explain to our viewers why today is so significant in Iran.
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke, a lot happening in Iran today -- another extremely tense and dramatic day. And once again, clashes erupt between security forces and supporters of the opposition movement.
New information coming into CNN -- according to an opposition Web site, at least three people killed during Sunday protests in Tehran. Over the past couple hours, we've gotten a lot of amateur video, amateur pictures into the Iran desk.
We're going to show you one of the pictures now. We warn you this picture is graphic in nature. We have covered a portion of it because it is graphic. That picture right there that you're looking at is purportedly showing one of the victims who was shot and killed on Sunday in Iran.
We should note that, once again, international journalists have been banned from covering these protests in Iran. So we cannot independently verify these reports. But again, according to an opposition Web site, three people killed during Sunday protests.
The protests started at 10:00 a.m. local time in Iran.
Based on the witnesses we have been speaking to throughout the day, these are some of the intense protests we've seen in the past few months And you can point to at least two reasons: this Sunday is seven days following the death of the dissident cleric, Ayatollah Montazeri. Ayatollah Montazeri is a huge figure in the opposition movement, really a thorn on the side, a harsh critic of the regime. It's customary in Shia Islam to commemorate someone seven days after they pass away.
Sunday is also a huge religious holiday in Iran. It's Ashura, the day when Shia Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Prophet Hussein, Imam Hussein.
So, again, opposition supporters converging on this day, taking advantage of it, to demonstrate for their cause.
You are looking at pictures aired on Iranian state-run TV earlier on Sunday. There you see President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad taking part in Ashura ceremonies, waving to the crowd. In a moment, you'll see him kiss a baby. These pictures from state-run TV show the events relatively calm.
But again, Brooke, based on what we are hearing from witnesses, things were far from calm throughout Sunday, a lot of protest, a lot of clashes. I just got off the phone with a witness; he says things have calmed down. Security forces have taken over the streets, but earlier today, a lot of intense activity and drama throughout the streets of Tehran.
BALDWIN: On the day of Ashura and the day of mourning for so many.
Reza, let many ask you this -- at least one of the opposition leaders took part in this weekend's commemorations, and we're seeing some dramatic pictures from that, are we not?
SAYAH: Yes. And this is some of the most dramatic video that we've seen in the past few months. Let's go and take a look at it.
This is former two-term Iranian President Mohammad Khatami delivering his speech at the late Imam Khomeini's home in northern Tehran. And in a few seconds, you're going to see what appear to be members of Iran's Basij, the private militia, storm into this compound, barge in. They're going to open this door and what ensues is chaos and emotion.
And it really illustrates these pictures, what many describe as a face-off that has emerged in this post-election turmoil between what people call the new military establishment dominated by the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij, and the old establishment, the old ruling critics of which Mohammad Khatami is a part of.
A couple years it was unthinkable to see this former president disrupted and charged like this, but there you see a glimpse of what this turmoil has evolved into, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Unbelievable. Reza Sayah, working the story for us in Tehran this morning -- Reza, thank you.
HOLMES: And it's time for us to say good morning to Mr. Reynolds Wolf. He's still keeping an eye on a lot of people who are still trying to make their way back home. And he's going to tell us how their journey is going to be.
Good morning to you, sir.
BALDWIN: Good morning.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, guys, finally, it looks for the first time within five days we're going to have somewhat decent weather around the nation. So people should have an easier time getting out and, of course, they're trying to drive or fly home. The problem is there's a lot of snow on the ground to shovel up.
We're going to talk about who had the most snow and what we can expect for the next couple of days. That's coming up in just a few minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. See you in a few.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: So, Reynolds, you said a little while this morning, you said no more blizzard warnings and watches, all gone.
WOLF: Yes, for the time being, it looks pretty good. I mean, remember, we are just getting into the brunt of the winter season. It's just starting. And even before winter officially began, we were getting hammered by some snowstorms. But right now, let's just take a collective sigh of relief and show you what's happening out there. We still have some snowfall mainly southwest of Chicago. That upper low is just right over parts of Milwaukee, about to cross into Lake Michigan.
As we put into motion, we're going to just drift away a little bit more to the east. And you're going to see that it's mainly a rain event in parts of New England. Now, New York this morning, not bad for you.
But in Boston, you got some scattered showers. You're going to get a little bit of a break by this evening and then tomorrow into Boston. But by tomorrow night, you might have a chance to some snowfall. But at least a 90 percent to 100 percent chance of snow back in parts of, say, the Berkshires and in downtown Boston. Same story for upstate Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Now, something else we can expect for today, fairly nice conditions for you across the Northern Plains, and very cold, too, because they got a lot of that air coming in from the north. So, places like Arkansas, Little Rock, Fayetteville, certainly a cool morning for you. Dallas-Fort Worth is cool as well. Atlanta, mix of sunshine and clouds. Temperatures this morning are at the freezing point, but warming up nicely this afternoon.
And then out to the west, we are watching this area of low pressure which is going to bring possibly some scattered showers, maybe a thunderstorm or two for the San Joaquin Valley. But in the higher elevations, we got moisture going to mix in with some cold air aloft. You might have some snow to deal with in the Sierra Nevada, not of the magnitude of what we have in the Northern Plains, but still, a real pain for you for making that drive from Sacramento back to places like Reno.
Now, in terms of your forecast highs for the day, 53 in Atlanta, 42 in Memphis (INAUDIBLE), 34 in Denver, 29 degrees in Salt Lake City, 62 in Phoenix. And back out east, we go in New York and Boston, mainly into the 40s, 75 in Miami, 26 in Chicago, 27 in Minneapolis, and L.A. with 64 degrees.
We still a lot of planes out there especially along the eastern seaboard, people are waking up and taking off. No major delays out there. That is certainly a great thing. Let's hope that holds true for a good part of the following week.
That is a look at your forecast. Let send it back to you guys at the news desk.
BALDWIN: Thank you, thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: Lovely. Thank you so much, Reynolds. We'll see you again shortly. I believe you are showing the temperature today, suppose to be around 53.
BALDWIN: Pretty picture.
HOLMES: In Atlanta, a gorgeous shot of downtown Atlanta. It's still dark here. We should still be sleeping. A lot of people are.
BALDWIN: No, we're happy to be awake.
HOLMES: Yes. What a gorgeous skyline we have here in Atlanta as well.
BALDWIN: Good morning, Atlanta. Not too far from us, these pretty pictures. Well, travelers all around the world, yes, they are reporting extra delays while airport officials are taking some of these additional security measures because of what happened yesterday, two days ago rather now, on that flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, but there are some things we can do hopefully to speed up that process of getting through and hopping on that flight.
Josh Levs has more on that this morning -- Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hey there, guys. There are some things that we can all do. And it's interesting. I heard from people of more than 50 different airports around the country and around the world, talking about what they are seeing, and we are hearing some things, longer delays, longer times in the security lines.
What I'm going to do is talk you through some of the things that the TSA here in the U.S. says should be done. If you do these things, it just speeds up your time in the security line. At their Web site, TSA.gov, they actually show you how to pack. And they have this little picture here.
This is how to pack and how not to pack. And they get pretty specific. By looking at that picture, doesn't help you too much.
So, let's go to these bullet points here and we'll talk you through.
The first one is packing in layers, which is interesting. And they show you how to do this. They say, you do a layer of clothes then a layer of electronics, and another layer of clothes and then your heavier items. The people who do that as a rule in your carry-on move a lot faster through the line.
The next one is obviously the liquids. A lot of people know about this. Get in advance these little containers of your liquids and prepare quart-sized clear plastic Ziploc bag of liquids. That's the next one they are talking about because you got to keep in mind that they're going to check the liquids, especially in the wake of what's happened.
And I'll just talk through a couple more. They are suggesting, if you are comfortable with it, you take your coat in advance. You take it off and put it inside your suitcase.
And then there's a few more, you can see them at TSA.gov.
Now, I'll end by pointing out some of the holiday stuff and then I'll bring you back to T.J. and Brooke. They say, you know, a lot of people after the holidays are bringing home foods. They bring home some of their favorite kinds of food. You got your cranberry sauce, maple syrup, these kinds of things -- they are confiscating them or giving people a chance to get out of the line, go mail it to themselves or send it home in some kind of bag, and then you have to go through the whole line again.
So, they say, don't take those kinds of foods on.
And something that T.J. and Brooke are having a lot of fun this weekend when I talk about, a lot of people are writing me it's funny, but it's true. You're not allowed to bring a snow globe on the plane and apparently, the TSA is seeing all these people this time of year trying to bring this snow globes on the plane. They say there's undefined amount of liquid in there that they just can't tell how much is in there. So, they'll take it away or they'll make you send it home.
That's all up at the blog, CNN.com/Josh. Also, Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN. Lots of tips to help you make your way through the airport really fast. Hopefully, that will do it.
And, T.J. and Brooke, I'll tell you, we've been hearing from a lot of people who say that when they are using these tips, it just helping them save time. My theory is: the more people that do that, it multiplies across the country. Ultimately, we save hours in security lines.
BALDWIN: I'm just hoping that if somebody is going to confiscate grandma's cranberry sauce, somebody is at least going to enjoy it, don't just chuck it in the trash, right?
HOLMES: They chuck it right there...
BALDWIN: They do.
HOLMES: ... in front of you.
BALDWIN: Piles of...
HOLMES: They don't apologize.
BALDWIN: ... perfectly good water bottles.
HOLMES: They just look you right in the face and throw your stuff in the trash.
LEVS: Unless you want to get out of line, right? Go buy a bag, check the cranberry sauce and then do the whole security line again.
HOLMES: Grandma, make some more.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Thanks, Josh.
LEVS: You got it, guys.
BALDWIN: OK. Well, coming up here, the latest on the terror suspect. We are learning more new details emerging here as to what in the world caused the security crackdown, coming up in our top stories.
HOLMES: Also, a huge shocker in the world of sports. No kidding, a coach who has won two of the past three national championships calling it quits. He's stepping away. We'll explain why when we come right back.
It's 24 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Our top stories this morning.
Twenty-three-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with trying to bring down a Northwest jet as it approached the Detroit airport on Christmas Day. Senior administration official says the suspect's father contacted the U.S. embassy in Nigeria with concerns his son was planning something sinister.
A preliminary FBI analysis found the device carried by the suspect contained the same highly explosive chemical used by Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber." Reid tried to bring down a passenger jet in 2001.
BALDWIN: Thousands and thousands of people gathered across Asia to remember the deadly tsunami five years ago. It was yesterday. About 250,000 people were killed when that 9.2 magnitude earthquake triggered all these massive waves. And the hardest hit area: Indonesian's Banda Aceh province. And yesterday, crowds flock to prayer services at mosque and some mass graves just to honor some of the victims.
HOLMES: And Florida's head football coach is resigning. Urban Meyer is calling it quits. Did so yesterday. The reason? Health concerns. Not really saying specifically what those health concerns are, but this has to be a really big deal.
This is a man who has won two of the fast three national championships. Now, it wasn't long ago that the SEC championship game, they got beat by Florida but Meyer was -- excuse me, they got beat by Alabama, but Meyer was admitted to the hospital with chest pains after that game.
Now, again, as head coach of the Gators, he has had record-winning streaks. He has led his team to two national titles. Again, two of the last three. His last game now will be at the Sugar Bowl. That will be his last game.
Also, going to be Tim Tebow's last game. They'll be playing Cincinnati, a team whose coach quit on them to take Notre Dame.
BALDWIN: That's right. Before the ball game. There's no rules.
HOLMES: So, you got all kind of emotions are going to be happening in that game. But Gator fans are...
BALDWIN: Grateful in Gainesville but...
HOLMES: Boo hooing right now.
BALDWIN: ... boo hooing.
HOLMES: But hope he's all right. But that has to be a real serious health issue...
BALDWIN: Yes, absolutely.
HOLMES: ... for him to step down like that.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HOLMES: So, best of luck to him and his family.
Well, we got a young video producer, a Dutch guy here, who after his flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, he is now being called a hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I freaked, of course, and without any hesitation, I just jumped over all the seats and I just jumped to the suspect, because I was thinking (EXPLETIVE DELETED) he's trying to blow up the plane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Oh, yes. He was trying to blow up the plane. Thanks to that guy, he's helped stop him. Still to come, he's the man who tackled that terror suspect onboard that flight, Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: There's that lovely picture this morning. We have a little Otis Redding going in the background as well.
BALDWIN: Oh, look at the Christmas tree and the lights on the building next to that. Monument Square, Indianapolis, this morning.
HOLMES: Somebody from Indianapolis had to correct us. We want to know, it is Monument Circle or Monument Square? Please.
BALDWIN: We trying, we are out-Googling one another.
HOLMES: Somebody write in and correct us, or get us straight. Yes, a lovely shot, nonetheless.
BALDWIN: Good morning.
HOLMES: And welcome back. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin in for Betty Nguyen this Sunday. Hope you are having a nice slow Sunday morning.
HOLMES: Slow is good.
BALDWIN: We like slow.
HOLMES: Because it has been fast moving, especially on the story out of Detroit. We are still learning a lot more about the terrorist bombing attempt to bring down the Northwest Airlines flight with 289 people onboard.
The suspect, 23-year-old Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab; he has now officially been charged. It happened yesterday. Now this is a new photo we have gotten of the suspect.
A senior administration official says the father of the suspect whose name is Umaru Abdulmutallab contacted the U.S. embassy worried his son was planning something. The suspect's father, see him there. He is retired. He retired just this month as the chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria.
Abdulmutallab, the suspect, was on a terror watch list and now President Obama advisers are looking at reassess how the government uses those terror watch lists. Also, a preliminary FBI analysis found the device carried by the suspect contained PTEN, that is the same highly explosive chemical used by Richard Reed, the so-called shoe bomber, who tried to bring down a passenger jet back in 2001.
BALDWIN: It is a frightening story, but it is also a story that could have been much, much worse. After all, security missed that explosive device, but fortunately, there was one guy on that plane, on Flight 253, who saw what was happening and he did not just sit there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASPER SCHURINGA, HELPED SUBDUE TERROR SUSPECT: I was on the right side of the plane and the suspect was on the left, so there were quite some seats in between. When I saw that the suspect was getting on fire, then I freaked, of course. Without any hesitation, I just jumped over all the seats and just jumped to the suspect. And because I was thinking like, Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED), he's trying to blow up the plane.
And so, you know, I was trying to search his body for any explosives. And then I took some kind of object that was already melting and smoking out of him and I tried to put out the fire. And then when I did that, I was also restraining the suspect.
And then the fire started beneath his seat. So I waved my hands and everything. You can see it is a little burned there. I put out the fire and then other passengers helped me as well. Of course, I was screaming for water because we had a fire in the plane, is not that good, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I mean, Jasper Schuringa, amazingly, the guy is from Amsterdam, going to Florida with friends. Thank goodness he was on there. I mean, really hailed a hero for grabbing this device, this flaming device, and stopping this.
HOLMES: You know, we are in a different world now, and on a plane, you know, people don't play no more. People just react. Oftentimes you might sit back, but when people see things happen now, they react and don't take chances.
BALDWIN: It makes you think, what would you do?
HOLMES: What would you do? And sometimes people just react like that. You don't have time to think about it. Thank goodness.
BALDWIN: Thank goodness.
HOLMES: And we saw his hand, that stuff there. So, he was obviously injured.
BALDWIN: He took one for the team, the whole plane. Thank goodness for that.
HOLMES: Took one for the team, for the whole plane.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HOLMES: That investigation into the attempted terrorist attack stretches across the globe, we are talking Nigeria and London. Our International Correspondent Nic Robinson is in London for us; he has more on the suspect's time there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (On camera): Well, this is where Abdulmutallab lived at least until June 2008. That's when he completed his university course of mechanical engineering here in London. He was at the University College in London about 10 minutes walk away from this luxury apartment complex. Apartments here cost between $2 million and $4 million, very expensive accommodation in London. His father, a rich Nigerian banker.
What the police have been doing is searching the premises that the family owned, a basement apartment in the building. Now, after about 12 hours, they suspended the operations during the night. This tape has been put across the road by the police. They are guarding the building through the night expecting to continue the searches in the early morning hours.
And what it is clear that we are seeing from the police operation here is we have seen them coming and going, in ones and twos of policemen, carrying a box in or out of the building. I have not seen them take away a huge amount of equipment. But what is clear, or what is emerging here is they are not generating evidence that appears to link another potential terror plot that's being planned at the moment. Why can we make that analysis? Because, if the police had found information here that led them to believe there was another active plot, one can imagine the operations would have continued throughout the night, there would have been a lot more police here.
What's very interesting as well that we have learned from the suspect's family is that when he completed his studies here in June 2008, he told his family he wanted to go to Saudi Arabia or Cairo in Egypt to study. The family said they were worried because while he was in Britain he had been meeting with suspicious characters. The family felt he was beginning to be radicalized and that gave them a great deal of concern.
It was very interesting at that same time, June 2008, he was able to get a multiple-industry visa for travel from the United States from the U.S. embassy here in London. So, a number of things happening here, at that time, a year-and-a-half ago. His family believes he's becoming radicalized. He wants to go off to the Middle East to continue his studies. And he gets a visa for the United States.
Now, when the police continue their searches here, likely to last perhaps another day, we have seen during operations by counter- terrorism police here in Britain, that once they begin searching through an apartment or a house, they go through it very slowly, very carefully. What terror investigations say they need to do, is take all those tiny bits of information they can find and build them into a complete picture.
But quite possibly, the police here in Britain already have a profile in place of Abdulmutallab, from his time as a student studying mechanical engineering. Nick Robinson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Well, we have been talking a whole lot about how this will impact everyone heading to the airport, the longer lines, increased security, and the security crackdown.
HOLMES: Yes. You are going to be seeing some of that, but some of the changes are already in place. We'll tell you about those, how they may impact you here on the CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Checking our top stories this morning. The suspect in the Northwest plane bombing attempt has been formally charged now with trying to bring down the airliner approached Detroit on Christmas Day. A preliminary FBI analysis found the device carried by the suspect contained the same explosive used by Richard Reed, the so-called shoe bomber.
So, you better be ready now, because of all of that, for more airport security, especially for international flights. The TSA moved quickly on some new rules after the incident on Flight 253. Not just at airports, either, at the checkpoints, no, no, no, on the plane as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKI YAZZIE, AIRLINE PASSENGER: The last hour on the flight we weren't going to be allowed to walk around. We had to stay in our seats with our seatbelts on and we wouldn't be able to have the blankets or pillows or anything covering our lap.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You can also expect some stricter limits on carry-ons and expect much more searching.
BALDWIN: In Iran the situation there calming down just a bit, but earlier today, look at the pictures, you can see violent clashes erupting between security forces and anti-government demonstrators. At least three people killed, two others injured, that's all according to one of the opposition web sites. Since the disputed presidential elections in June, protestors have really been turning to public gatherings -turning these gatherings into rallies against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Today people are gathering for Ashura, that is a major religious observance in Iran.
And back to talking about traveling, imagine hopping on a plane, flying home, you have all your gifts, hopefully some gifts, but we are talking about the tightened security because of what happened on that plane, two days ago, but then imagine all of that and dealing with a disability.
HOLMES: Our Reynolds Wolf is coming back here with one woman's story and a look at how airports are making it easier for travelers like her.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, a lot of people traveling this weekend, of course. We'll bring in our Reynolds Wolf here, because a lot of people are traveling, as you can imagine, all the stress people have, can you imagine having a wheelchair to get through the airport with all the bags and the stuff. That has to be a nightmare.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know a lot of people do it.
BALDWIN: It's tough. Now there's the center in Atlanta saying you can do it, here's how.
WOLF: It is a partnership between a center in Atlanta, called the Shepherd Center, and Delta Airlines. They have come together to help people with debilitating problems. You know, people who at one point were in perfect health and they woke up one morning and either by a stroke, or something else, their live have been forever.
This program helps them get back on the road to recovery and really develop the love they have for traveling once more. It is an amazing thing to see and here's the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, so we want to be turned around?
WOLF (voice over): Constance Kay is getting on a plane for the first time since her paralyzing injury.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you nervous for the first type trip?
CONSTANCE KAY, SHEPHERD CENTER PATIENT: Oh, yes. Absolutely. I never thought I could do it at all. So, oh, yes, beyond a doubt.
WOLF: She is taking part in a program between Delta Airlines and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a rehabilitation hospital for people with spinal cord and brain injuries.
KEN HYLANDER, DELTA AIRLINES: We want them to be very comfortable when they fly with us. We want our employees to be very comfortable in interacting with passengers with disabilities, and we want to make sure the passengers with disabilities know it is OK to be an advocate for their own needs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You really want to be familiar with the bullet points of the air care facts (ph) before you travel.
WOLF: It all begins with a class at the Shepherd Center where recently disabled patients learn how to navigate an airport.
CECILIA RIDER, SHEPHERD CENTER: For travel specifically, we are looking at what are the accessibility concerns you are going to have at the airport. What are you rights in terms of when you travel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make sure you are checked in properly.
WOLF: It is a daunting process to endure in a wheelchair. Checking in, going through security, getting to the gate, but what scares these guys the most is being transferred from their wheelchairs to a thinner less bulky version that fits down a plane aisle, and then to their seat on the aircraft.
KAY: One, two, three, go. And I'm in. So, they have to two-man you, lift you. You fly through the air like Peter Pan or TinkerBell. That's the anxiety producing part.
WOLF (on camera): I'm sure there are some people who see this and they see this as being kind of just as getting on a plane, but this is really part of the healing process isn't it?
KAY: Oh, it is. It is a major facet of the healing process. It gives you the courage and strength to keep going on and to know you can conquer life. That you are still you. That underneath this body it doesn't work like it used to. It's me. It is so easy to lose track of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF: OK, here's the thing to think about. Imagine being in perfect health and you go to an airport just trying to go from the ticket counter to the airplane can be a daunting process, but if you are in a chair like that, it is incredible intimidating. And what this program does it allows these people to go through every single one of these steps, of getting the tickets, going through security, going down the gangway, to getting on the plane. And just going through this rehearsal process sever times makes it very interesting.
Now, this lady you are seeing here, dressed in red, her name is Constance Kay. She had an illness in Leesburg, Florida, where she went from being relatively healthy to being confined to a wheelchair. I had a conversation with her after the story and was asking her, what is it like to find yourself hampered with an injury like this. She said, when she was going through rehabilitation, one of the doctors said to her, how do you pick up a pencil? And when you think about one of us, you reach over and pick the thing up, but when you are trying to restructure your mind to go through the process of doing just the simplest things, picking up a can, picking up a soda, picking up a pen, you are basically reprogramming everything single thing you do.
BALDWIN: I love how she said, underneath all of this, and despite everything that has happened it is still me.
WOLF: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: She should be able to travel.
WOLF: Absolutely. The one thing, very quickly, the big compulsion that many of them have is that when you go through something like this, it is to really shelter yourself, to stay away from that.
BALDWIN: Stay home.
WOLF: Yes, you are just wounded, you really are, mentally. But she has two grandkids that are recovering from cancer.
BALDWIN: Oh!
WOLF: And she's trying to be a source of inspiration to her grandchildren by going out there and having some courage. She's really made great progress. She can actually get to a standing position at this point, which is an amazing thing. She has a long way to go, she may never fully recover, but just having this freedom to get out there and be able to do things like that is really a tremendous, tremendous thing. It is all part of the healing process.
HOLMES: We both reacted, what a great attitude she had.
WOLF: She's an amazing lady.
HOLMES: Somebody who is going through airports, and we have all been there and complained about stuff.
BALDWIN: Moan, groan.
HOLMES: What have we got to complain out?
WOLF: It puts it in perspective.
(CROSS TALK)
WOLF: These are amazing people. HOLMES: Reynolds, appreciate that.
BALDWIN: They left an impression on you.
WOLF: Oh, no questions.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
HOLMES: Great stuff this morning. We appreciate it this morning.
We're going to come right back here and we will continue to follow what has been one of the biggest stories of the past couple days, that terror attempt aboard Flight 253, that happened on Christmas Day. We'll have the very latest on that.
BALDWIN: Yes, coming up we'll talk about what happened, when some questionable intelligence threatened to disrupt the flight plans really all around the world. The bizarre events, more details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, of course, authorities are investigating that suspected terrorist incident on Northwest Flight 253, but we are now learning new details about another security alert.
BALDWIN: This one, we are going back a couple years for this, has an entirely different ending. CNN's Brain Todd tells us, bogus intelligence actually duped the U.S. into raising the terror alert.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The closing days of 2003, a period of heightened travel during the holidays and heightened tension. Intelligence officials knew that two years after 9/11 air travel was still a prime target for Al Qaeda. On December 21st on that year, the terror threat level was raised from yellow to orange.
TOM RIDGE, FMR. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Recent reporting reiterates, and this is a constant stream of reporting, that Al Qaeda continues to consider using aircraft as a weapon.
TODD: Fran Townsend a White House deputy national security advisor, at the time, and now a CNN contributor, says this about the information.
FRAN TOWNSEND, SECURITY ANALYST: It seemed that the intelligence community was producing on a running basis, on an ongoing basis, information related to specific planes that may be targeted, in specific locations. And so it was being taken very seriously.
TODD: Townsend says some commercial planes were grounded, others diverted. But within days, she says, the White House learned this about the intelligence.
TOWNSEND: In retrospect it was not credible.
TODD: A major disruption in holiday air traffic, based on bogus intelligence. Where did it come from? An investigation by "Playboy" magazine traced it back to a Nevada software company called eTreppid, and a programmer there named Dennis Montgomery.
(On camera): Two former employees of eTreppid tell CNN Montgomery claimed to have developed technology that he said could decode Al Qaeda messages that were hidden in secret bar codes, transmitted unknowingly by the Al Jazeera TV network. Codes that supposedly gave specific information on airline flights.
(Voice over): The employees we talked to said people widely believed within the company to be U.S. intelligence officials, came to eTreppid, to look at Montgomery's programs, but the employees say they never saw the technology. "Playboy" cites sources saying no secret Al Qaeda messages ever existed on Al Jazeera, and Montgomery's alleged technology apparently didn't exist either. In Washington, doubts about the information got around quickly.
(On camera): How did this all start to unravel?
TOWNSEND: Well, as the threat begins to unfold and there's massive disruption and chaos at international airports around the world, our allies asking us more questions and putting greater pressure on us to really understand the source and credibility of the intelligence.
TODD (voice over): In the end, Townsend says none of the intelligence held up. Our repeated attempts to reach Dennis Montgomery and the CEO of eTreppid were not successful. But in court documents filed four years later Montgomery defended his overall work, claiming to have provided the government specific target coordinates and flight numbers which helped to disrupt a different threat.
Contacted about the original reporting of the bogus intelligence in late 2003, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security would not comment. Our inquiries to the office of former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge phone calls were not returned. The CIA declined to comment.
Fran Townsend says she still doesn't regret the actions she took to ground and divert those flights, because she says at the time they believed the information was credible. She says at the White House they did what they had to do based on that information to safe lives. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Hello, there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. For December 27th. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BALDWIN: And I'm Brooke Baldwin, good morning to you, sitting in for Betty again today. It is bright and early, 7:00 a.m. in Atlanta. 6:00 a.m. in, shout out to you, in Memphis. 4:00 a.m. in San Diego. Thank you for starting your Sunday with us.
We are on top of the developing story here. New pictures and new details here into the Northwest airline terror plot. Here's the young terror suspect, he's the son of a rich Nigerian banker. So what we are asking is what went wrong?
HOLMES: Also this morning, something went wrong because thousands of people cramming into the streets of Iran this morning. People on the ground say it is the largest crowd they have seen in years, but now a religious holiday has turned deadly with public protests. We'll explain this, but first, we do want to get to our top story.
The more we are learning about the terrorist bombing attempt to bring down that Northwest Airlines flight with 289 people onboard. Twenty- three-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was officially charged yesterday.
A senior administration official says the father of the suspect whose name is Umaru Abdulmutallab contacted the U.S. embassy in Nigeria with concerns his son was planning something sinister. The suspect's father retired this month as chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria. That's a premier bank there.
Abdulmutallab, the suspect, was on a terror watch list.
Now, President Obama's advisers are looking at reassessing how the government uses those terror watch list. Also, a preliminary FBI analysis found the device carried by the suspect contained something called PETN, that is the same explosive compound used by Richard Reid, the so-called "shoe bomber," who, of course, as we know, changed the way we traveled in this country.
We have got our correspondents covering all angles of this story. Deborah Feyerick is at the Detroit airport. Richard Quest is in Amsterdam for us where the Northeast flight was coming from. Also, Sandra Endo is standing by live at Reagan National.
We do want to start with Deb Feyerick who has been there for us in Michigan.
Deb, tell us where we are in this investigation.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, T.J., you have to think about this. This is a young man from a very prominent well- to-do Nigerian family. He attended one of the best universities in London. His father is chairman of one of the major Nigerian banks.
That upbringing very visible yesterday during an initial appearance, Abdulmutallab was very calm, very polite, and very comfortable answering questions before a judge who informed him of the charges against him. And those are bringing and explosive device onboard the plane and attempting to use it to bring down that plane with some 300 passengers onboard.
Now, under investigation right now, why and how this young man became radicalized, why he set off on this particular path. A source close to the family says that about three months ago, he informed his family via text message that he was going to Yemen, that he was leaving school in Dubai to go to Yemen in order to pursue a more religious path. Now, Yemen is where he allegedly told authorities that he got the device and instructions on how to use it. He then went to Nigeria, his home country, before setting off on his course here to the United States.
Now, he was -- he was -- excuse me, he appeared a first appearance in the hospital yesterday. He's being treated for second and third- degree wounds. A judge was there, along with prosecutors and federal defenders. He was told the charges against him, again, very calm. Witnesses who were there say he looks much younger than his 23 years of age, very polite.
The prosecutors say that he is a big danger to the community, that he is a flight risk. They are asking the judge to issue a DNA sample so they can dig down into the evidence that is against this young man. The federal defenders, his lawyers, are actually saying that they want to get onboard that plane as soon as possible to see the damage that was done.
Remember, these are only preliminary charges. Many more charges are likely to follow, including, most likely, attempted murder, trying to kill all these passengers -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Deborah Feyerick on the scene there for us, what's essentially the scene of the crime there in Detroit. Deb, we certainly appreciate you this morning.
The FBI says Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was armed with PETN. That's an explosive related to nitroglycerine.
PETN was developed after World War I. It is among the least stable of military explosives. It's extremely powerful and can be stored for long periods of time without losing effectiveness.
FBI agents also recovered a syringe from near the suspect's seat. That syringe believe to have been used to activate the device.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: On to the European side of this investigation, specifically in Amsterdam, that is precisely where the suspect allegedly boarded Flight 253 with this device.
And our Richard Quest is standing by live for us in Schiphol Airport there in Amsterdam.
And, Richard, good morning to you. I just want to emphasize what you were saying yesterday, that Schiphol was a major modern airport. Officials there have to be taking this incident quite seriously.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think officials are taking it exceptionally seriously. So seriously, in fact, that the official, the national coordinator for counterterrorism will produce their final report on Wednesday. And that report will be presented to the Dutch parliament in the Netherlands, because, substantially, what they need to do here is work out what happens next.
It seems that all the normal security procedures that were in place were followed. And Abdulmutallab did indeed go through a metal detector, and his hand luggage was X-rayed, but the way the PETN and explosives were secreted around his body, of course, there was no alarm. Nothing went off.
Now, to emphasize, Brooke, I mean, Schiphol Airport is not some small airport in the middle of nowhere. It is a major hub where every day, thousands, if not tens of thousands, of passengers crisscross around the world.
Now, they're going to have to rethink what it is that they do. We already know the U.S. has demanded a higher and tighter security screening process. That's being put in place in Japan, in the U.K., and right across Europe. It means more delays at airports. And for people bound to the United States, it means more inconvenience, understandably so.
BALDWIN: Understandably so. And you mentioned -- we have spoken a lot about how domestically here in the United States things are changing as far as these different steps that are being taken both on the plane and at airports for people traveling. But, specifically, in Amsterdam, what's the effect on travel there?
QUEST: Well, first of all, one can't get to where the travelers are. They are way down in the middle of those concourses. And what we do -- but what we do know because the airport has told us that now is the result of their request from the United States, all passengers are undergoing a more rigorous search. And that means is at the gates, there will be body searches, bags will be opened, and in some cases, liquids will be tested. We know one particular case where one woman was asked to taste the milk that she had in her bags.
Across the continent, let me just briefly show you, this is the paper -- this morning's newspapers from the -- from the Netherlands. The picture was exclusive to CNN of the alleged bomber coming -- being pulled off the plane. Again, coming from Spain, "El Pais," here they are focusing on the frustration of the passengers as they come off and on planes. And again, in Italy, the morning paper, (INAUDIBLE), again, the story of passengers being -- what's happening across the continent.
Anyone flying to the United States today should expect some serious delays.
BALDWIN: No doubt, Richard Quest, this is affecting every single one of us around the globe. We appreciate your report there from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Richard, thank you.
HOLMES: All right. That's the story from the airport there in Amsterdam. What's the story from airports here in the U.S.?
We want to turn to our Sandra Endo, standing by for us. Sandra is at the Reagan National Airport.
Still a little early, but so far, so good. I know a lot of travelers are seeing more searches. We're seeing more police out. We're seeing more of those bomb-sniffing dogs. So, what are you seeing there so far?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, T.J., all of the above, really. The evidence is behind me.
Take a look at that long line. It has tripled in size in the last hour. And it's going to be a similar situation at areas all across the country today as travelers can expect to take a lot more time getting to their gate. Security is certainly stepped up in light of the Detroit incident.
And the Transportation Security Administration has released new guidelines for travelers. Now, they aren't releasing all the information because they want to remain unpredictable. But we do know that travelers coming from overseas to the United States will have to remain in their seats an hour before landing, with no personal items or blankets on their laps. We know that there are going to be extra pat-downs and gate screenings as well.
And all major airlines are saying, look, if you are heading out to the airport, make sure you check your flight in advance and make sure to come extra early -- T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, extra early. People adjust -- I mean, it's one thing, the holiday season, you have to travel. It's another thing, we got this terror threat.
But are you kidding me? How unlucky can they be? There was another issue they had to deal with there at the airport. Now, you're smiling right now, but I know some of those travelers were not smiling when they saw this.
ENDO: Oh, yes. A lot of angry travelers, actually, are rushing over to us to complain this morning. Some water broken pipe here at the United -- U.S. Airways terminal yesterday has caused havoc here, really. It caused ankle-deep water to fill the terminal C baggage claim area. Cancelled flights delayed travelers here this morning, sleeping over at the airport trying to find the hotel, just trying to find any way to get to their destination.
And so, a lot of travelers we spoke to who are tired and frustrated are certainly not happy this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were not telling people what was going on. They -- we didn't even know there was a flood until it was too late to get to a plane at another gate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENDO: Yes, adding insult to injury. Of course, adding insult to injury there. And some travelers we spoke to said that this has been a third time they have been rebooked on flights. So, clearly, they are trying to find any way do get back home. But, certainly, if you are heading out to the airport, make sure you bring a lot of patience with you this morning.
HOLMES: Yes. And a paddle and a boat and all kinds of other stuff, it appears. Oh, they got a mess going on there. Sandra, thank you so much. Try to stay dry over there, all right?
Well, be sure to watch CNN "STATE OF THE UNION." That's coming up a little later this morning. Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano will have the latest on the terror investigation and the president's response to the attempted attack. Of course, some criticism already that the president hasn't been out in front of this story -- of course, he's in Hawaii right now.
But we're going to be hearing from at least a member of the administration, Janet Napolitano. That's coming up at 9:00 Eastern Time.
BALDWIN: I want to return our attention now to Iran and some violence that we are seeing there. Security forces are launching this massive crackdown after thousands of protestors have hit the streets. Take a look.
(VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: You hear the shouts -- reportedly shouts of anti-government slogans, including "Death to the dictator." This demonstration is taking place as the holy period Ashura wraps up. It's a time of penance and mourning for the Shiite religion.
Our Reza Sayah is watching the situation closely and he tells us that it has calmed down, some in recent hours. But earlier today, at least three people were killed as demonstrators clashed there with police.
And we've been talking a lot about holiday travel. And yes, you know, those whole story broke, what, Christmas Day?
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: Now, a lot of people paying attention. Apparently, Ivana Trump didn't exactly get the memo about the crackdown at the security at the airports. We'll tell you why she has to be escorted by off an airplane by authorities yesterday.
HOLMES: How could you miss all this coverage?
BALDWIN: She wasn't watching CNN, my man.
HOLMES: Oh, my goodness.
BALDWIN: She wasn't watching.
HOLMES: All right. Well, the tighter security means airport slowdowns, unless you plan ahead. We got some tips that maybe could help you get through security a little faster, but probably only if your fellow passengers follow those same tips. That's coming up.
BALDWIN: And we'll be talking weather and what you can expect when you're heading out and about. Reynolds Wolf, hoping that people, at least when it comes to weather, will be a bit easier today.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, things should be a little bit better out there. But, I mean, obviously there are going some delays out there, especially if you're driving. A lot of snow is still on the ground, even though that the intensity just dropped somewhat.
We're going to have your complete forecast coming up in just a few moments. Make sure you sit tight, right here on CNN SUNDAY. Oh, yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Hey. Yes, you. Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY. We got a lot to talk about. We always do here.
And the thing we're going to talk about is a little bit about the weather. What we are dealing with today, some delays in places like Boston, low clouds, rain and (INAUDIBLE) things just make you pull out your hair today.
In Boston, it looks OK, but in Chicago it might get a little bit worse. Right now, we're looking at about 15 to 30-minute delays. But with some of those cross winds, you might have some issues there. Same deal in Detroit and Indianapolis. San Francisco, Portland, Oregon, low clouds, rain and some wind.
Now, the reason why we're going to be seeing it out west is pretty simple, we got this area of low pressure, it's going to be pulling that frontal boundary right across from the Pacific, right into the California coast and up to Oregon, bring some scattered showers right along the coastal areas. But higher up, when you get to the mountains, you get all that cold air aloft. So, you can be seeing some snow switch over there.
Across the nation's midsection into the Rockies, it looks pretty good. A lot of cold air, though, still into the parts of the Northern Plains. Scattered snow showers and relatively light activity for you in the Great Lakes and in places like Michigan and into back to the Ohio Valley.
But when you get up into the Northeast, it's going to be this low pressure that's going to bring some rain, possibly some enhanced surf along the coastline, especially up near Arcadia and Maine and back into, say, places like Massachusetts, southward to Rhode Island.
Now, in the southeast, pretty quiet and fairly comfortable, going to 53 degrees in Atlanta, 62 in Tampa, Miami with 75 degrees, 59 in Houston, 34 in Denver, 56 in San Francisco -- New York and Boston mainly into the 40s.
All right, guys, that's all for your forecast. We'll have more coming up in just a few moments right here on CNN SUNDAY. See you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: In the wake of the attempted terrorist attack, airports increasing their security effort -- that this means even longer waits for travelers.
BALDWIN: Even longer.
HOLMES: Even longer.
BALDWIN: They're long anyway. Now, they're longer.
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: Josh Levs is here with tips to hopefully speed up your check-in process.
Josh, good morning.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, guys.
Yes, you know, last hour, we were taking a look at how to speed your way through security. Now, we're going to move over to the check-in process -- the other thing that's slowing a lot of people down. And think about it, if you're going to spend extra time in security, you better know how to make it through check-in pretty fast.
To give you some answers here, I'm taking from this. This is a section of CNN.com which we call "Road Warriors" with a lot of traveling tactics. And we've actually broken down by talking to a lot of experts some ways to speed up the process of check-in. Let's go to them.
This first one: do everything you can online. A lot of people who buy tickets are still uncomfortable changing seats online, making some last-minute changes, confirming as much as you can online will obviously save time.
Also, check your bags online. And this helps financially because some airlines will actually give you a discount on that extra bag fee if you check it online. You print something out. You bring that with your bag and it saves time at the airport.
Also, use the kiosks. If you have not done everything online at home, use those kiosks. Don't be afraid of them. This is what the experts say.
Now, a couple more here. And this one is a little tricky. Use the right confirmation code.
Here's what this is about. When you buy a ticket on a flight, you might be buying from a third party, like Expedia or Orbitz. One of these Web sites that get you discounted tickets. That's great. But they have their own confirmation codes. So, a lot of people messed that up.
What you need to do is look carefully at your ticket and make sure you're using the actual airline confirmation code so that you can save a long time at the airport and some confusion.
And finally, the experts suggest that you put everything in one pocket or holder. They say they can't believe how many people they see show up at the airport, fish through various pockets, coat pockets, pants pockets, to find their license, their ticket, and whatever other kind of documents they're going to need for all of them. Put everything in one pocket or even a special little holder you use just for the airport.
And everything you need to know is right there. There you go. I'll put it up at CNN.com/Josh. And also at Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN. What you'll see there are the tips on how to get through security quickly, and also this -- how to speed up your time at check- in.
Hopefully, this information will save you some time at the airport because, T.J. and Brooke, as we know, huge traveling weekend today. This is one of the biggest traveling Sundays of the entire year. So, now, you are adding in the security concerns, it's taking even longer. Hopefully, people grab some of those ideas to save some time.
BALDWIN: Good tips.
HOLMES: Hopefully.
BALDWIN: Hopefully.
LEVS: Hopefully.
BALDWIN: Josh, thank you.
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
HOLMES: Yes, OK. You go.
BALDWIN: Yes. OK, I'll go.
So, yes, hopefully, as we get into this next story, they're having a little fun with.
This is Ivana Trump, you know, Donald's first ex-wife. Things not to do these days when you're -- when you're at the airport or on a plane, obviously, given everything that's happened in the last couple of days, people are very sensitive, not to do. Maybe not yell and curse those misbehaving kids on the plane. That is...
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: ... precisely what she did and it has gotten her tossed or escorted off a plane yesterday.
HOLMES: Tossed.
BALDWIN: Tossed.
HOLMES: OK.
BALDWIN: Get out of there.
HOLMES: But, yes, TSA doesn't really need to list that as things not to do on a plane. Do not curse at children.
BALDWIN: They are not playing around these days like you said.
HOLMES: We've all been -- we've all been frustrated before and maybe kids not acting -- maybe kids acting up or crying. You just don't yell and cuss at a child.
BALDWIN: You don't.
HOLMES: But that's what she did. They asked her to get off. She didn't want to, so they made her get off.
This was in Florida, in an airport there. No charges, I don't believe, have been filed. But they called her, I was looking, they call her the original...
BALDWIN: The original ex...
HOLMES: ... ex-wife. Yes.
BALDWIN: ... of Donald.
HOLMES: He's on number three, I think, now.
BALDWIN: You're doing your quick due diligence research over here.
HOLMES: Yes, I was.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: All right.
HOLMES: We're going to have another check on the morning's top stories, the big stories we are keeping an eye on today, including the latest on clashes we are seeing in Iran.
BALDWIN: Yes. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We have been talking this morning about the unfolding situation, the unfolding violence in Iran, in the streets of Tehran. We want to get the latest on the protest and the crackdown by security forces.
HOLMES: Yes. Reza Sayah is with us this weekend. He's at the international desk following a lot of the video and a lot of breaking -- this is still a fast-moving story as well.
What do you have for us now, Reza?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J., a lot of new information, new video, new pictures coming into the Iran desk.
A very emotionally charged day in Tehran as once again clashes between supporters of the opposition movement and Iran and security forces taking place. New information is coming into the Iran desk -- according to an opposition Web site, at least three people have been killed during the protesting clashes on Sunday. And one of the pictures that we have been getting in reportedly shows one of the victims.
We want to warn some of our Sunday morning viewers that this picture is graphic. If you are uncomfortable with graphic pictures at this time of the day, you might want to turn away.
Let's see if we can take a look at this picture at this moment. Again, this picture purportedly showing one of the victims, according to an opposition Web site, shot and killed. That Web site is also saying several people have been injured.
We have another new piece of video that just came into the Iran desk that shows some protestors appearing to be taking away one of the victims. In this particular piece of video, it shows more clashes on Sunday.
We should note that CNN not independently verified the reports of the injuries and deaths. And we should also note that Fars News, an Iranian state agency denies anyone has died during these protests.
But, again, based on what our witnesses have been telling us in some of these pictures, there were pockets of extreme violence today as activity continues and this opposition movement appears to be gaining momentum and getting more aggressive.
Some really extreme chants, once again today, are directly targeting this regime and the supreme leader. One of the chants we heard today, we haven't heard before, but "I will kill, I will kill the one who killed my brother." Another chant is referring to the commemoration of Ashura today, the holy day, the religious holiday. "This is the month of blood, the supreme leader," a reference to Ayatollah Khamenei, "has been upended."
So, that's the latest based on our witnesses. Things have quieted down, but some activity in the northern parts of Tehran at this hour.
We are keeping our eyes on things and we'll bring you the latest when it becomes available, guys.
HOLMES: Reza, are we running into or we have another situation like we saw after the disputed election where we are going to be, once again, the rest of the world, at the mercy, really, of a lot of these cell phone cameras and a lot of stuff that has to be posted online because there is once again a very tight crackdown by the government there on what certainly official news agencies can cover if we can cover anything there.
SAYAH: No question about it. The government simply does not want information coming out of the country. But they haven't been able to stop the information flowing. If it wasn't for these people in Iran, these opposition supporters, who are risking a lot, taking these cameras, taking these hidden videos out there, we would not be able to bring you these pictures of these protests and these clashes that are getting more intense by the month.
We've seen a lot of these protests. This is one of the most intense protests we've seen in recent months, guys.
BALDWIN: Precisely. Whoever (ph) you're going to ask, it's amazing that the challenge you have trying to cover what's going on there in Tehran.
And Reza Sayah for us at the Iran desk -- thank you.
CNN SUNDAY MORNING rolls on in about 30-minutes time. First, "HOUSE CALL" after this quick break.
