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CNN Sunday Morning
Report: 2 Arrested for Terrorism; Protecting Florida's Beaches; Activists Being Deported from Israel
Aired June 06, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Good morning. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Drew Griffin. We are both in for T.J. Holmes.
Eight a.m. here in Atlanta, 7:00 in New Orleans, 5:00 in Los Angeles.
And thanks for all of you starting your day with us.
New information is coming in this morning regarding the Irish ship that was seized by the Israeli military. The vessel was trying to get humanitarian aid into Gaza yesterday. Today, those activists are being deported. We're going to have a live report from Jerusalem.
MALVEAUX: Plus, a heated meeting over plans to build a Muslim cultural center two blocks from ground zero. It's hit a raw nerve with some. While others point out it's going to help with the healing. A protest is planned today. I will talk to two people on both sides of that debate.
But, first, developing news coming into CNN right now.
GRIFFIN: Arrests involving a terror investigation, we've been following this developing story overnight. A New Jersey newspaper reporting two men arrested and charged now with conspiring to commit international terrorism.
Let's get the latest from CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Drew, we have to underline over and over again that there is no known threat to the U.S. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Newark, New Jersey, says, "The arrests do not relate to any known immediate threat to the public or active plot against the United States."
The FBI adds that JFK Airport where the men were taken into custody was never at risk and that the arrests were part of an ongoing investigation. According to a law enforcement official, the men are U.S. citizens. One from North Bergen, New Jersey, the other from Elmwood Park, New Jersey. The law enforcement source says they were planning to travel to Somalia via Egypt and then "Newark Star Ledger" is reporting that they plan to link up with a militant group al-Shabaab. The paper is also reporting that two homes were raided in connection with the case.
In recent years, about two dozen young men are believed to have left Minneapolis, Minnesota, area to fight with al-Shabaab. And their disappearances and disappearances from other cities are being investigated. One American has even made propaganda videos for the group.
The FBI has made a concerted effort to reach out to the Somali community and prevent more from going. The concern being that once they are trained in Somalia, they could use their U.S. passport to re- enter this country and do harm.
We know very little about these new arrests at this point in time, but it sounds like this case could intersect with a hot and disturbing topic: people born in the U.S. or living in the U.S., self- radicalizing, or being recruited to terrorist causes.
Drew, back to you.
GRIFFIN: All right. Jeanne Meserve in Washington -- thanks, Jeanne.
MALVEAUX: And in the Gulf of Mexico, a BP official says they are pleased with the amount of oil that it's now collecting from that ruptured wellhead.
Now, here's the very latest: BP reports it's collected 250,000 gallons of crude oil in the first 24 hours of placing the cap. Now, that's about one-third of the 798,000 gallons that's gushing into the sea daily. Now, BP is trying to shut valves in the cap to increase the amount of oil that is collected.
Now, all of that as oil is drifting on to the beaches as far east now as Panama City in the Florida Panhandle.
Well, you can hear more about efforts to stop the oil on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" at 9:00 Eastern. Host Candy Crowley, she's going to talk with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the government's point- man for the disaster.
GRIFFIN: And she will be talking with Thad Allen as this disaster does stretch now into the panhandle. Globs of oil, there you're seeing them there, this is from the pristine beaches of Florida's panhandle as this oil spreads.
Jim Acosta is in Destin, Florida -- one of the prettiest beaches that this nation has, Jim, potentially getting ready for oil to hit there.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they really are, Drew and Suzanne. We've been out here for the last couple of hours. And so far, we haven't seen any tar balls, no sign of oil on the beach where we are here in Destin. But from what we understand from talking to Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials, just down the beach in Miramar Beach, there is a state park where they had hamburger-size tar ball patties washing ashore.
And then as far east, you keep going down the panhandle, the Panama City Beach, they're seeing some evidence of tar balls down there. That, of course, is a sign that the sheens of oil, the slicks of oil that are off of the beaches here in the Gulf of Mexico are starting to make their way on the shoreline of the panhandle of Florida.
And as Suzanne and you, Drew, just mentioned a few minutes ago, down in the panhandle, they are seeing a lot of oil coming ashore down there. That is not the case where we are.
But we should show you some pictures from yesterday that we got here in Destin, just in case, they are preparing for the worst. They put out containment boom equipment in an area called East Pass. That is where the Gulf of Mexico dumps into the local bay here. So, they are preparing over in those parts.
Also, I saw command post setting up at a nearby state park where officers with the state are on four-wheel all-terrain vehicles going up and down the beach, looking for any signs of tar balls.
And just another sign of just how pristine these beaches are, we saw a wedding party moving on to the beach yesterday. A couple tying the not, they came actually from Louisiana -- if you can believe that -- to come to Destin, Florida, to get married. As they were telling us, they were -- they were getting the ceremony going as fast as they could, concerned that that oil might wash ashore.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: You must be pretty relieved this didn't happen on your wedding day.
JOSH FUSELIER, GROOM: Absolutely. We called every day for the last two weeks. Well, Stephanie did. I just sat back. But --
ACOSTA: Your bride?
FUSELIER: That's right. That's right. Yes, we're very relieved. They're saying it's about two weeks out. So, we're getting this thing over with. I'm excited and beat the oil out of here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And we were talking to that gentlemen and he was saying, well, you know, we're trying to get this done, because we understand the oil may be getting even worse in a couple of weeks from now.
That's really wishful thinking. I mean, according to the Department of Environmental Protection officials here in the state of Florida, they think that this oil might just be a mile to four miles off the coast here. So, that is what they are up against right now.
And you saw that wedding party just a few moments ago, just an aside, that white wedding dress was not soiled or tarred in any way. But -- I mean, just to show you how popular this area is, there's a wedding setting up just to the side of us, just off our camera position here for some folks who are getting married later today.
So -- I mean, Drew and Suzanne, this is what people do down here. They call it paradise because these beaches could not be spectacular. The sand is just pristine in certain parts of the panhandle here.
GRIFFIN: Yes, I'll tell you, having lived there if you've never been, it's something to see. I hope it will be something to see after this oil crisis is over.
Thanks, Jim.
ACOSTA: Absolutely.
MALVEAUX: And, obviously, something that could affect the cleanup as well, this is a wild weather weekend. Dozens of tornadoes are raking across five Midwest states.
GRIFFIN: Yes. Coming up: we're going to have a closer look at the damage and the cleanup, plus the places that may get hit today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Guys, we're back.
GRIFFIN: The big question is, is Suzanne going to get home today. She's going to fly out to D.C.
MALVEAUX: Yes. What's the weather like?
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: When do you leave? When is your flight?
MALVEAUX: It all depends on the weather. It all depends (INAUDIBLE).
WOLF: If it's early, I think you're going to be OK, before noon. When you get to the afternoon in the southeast, things get a little bit crazy weather-wise, too. Just putting them out there.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Yes.
MALVEAUX: Yes, you know, we're trying to keep it that way.
WOLF: Absolutely. Yes, you're right. You know, it did get crazy last night, especially in parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley. I mean, take a look at this video, folks. We got it for you right here.
The video is going to show a couple of places, mainly into parts of Iowa and even into Illinois. We had 48 reports of tornadoes across parts of the Midwest. Even had an additional tornado that popped up in portions of Vermont -- you see the damage there. Big cleanup day. There were two fatalities in parts of the Midwest.
And it looks like today is going to be a huge cleanup day today. We're talking about widespread structural damage to buildings. You had damage to -- many power outages. You got a power lines that have been toppled. So, big cleanups, no question about it.
What we're seeing now is that batches of severe weather moving into parts of the Keystone State of Pennsylvania. Our photojournalist Scott Maltona (ph), it's just near his area, they're having some storms this morning. More of that over towards Boston and New York, as we make our way to the afternoon.
Washington, D.C., will Suzanne get home? That's going to be a good question. If she leaves fairly early -- and again, this is subtle (INAUDIBLE) -- you are going to be in great shape. Later this afternoon, you might have to be back up.
So, here's the reason why we've been seeing all these issues. It's pretty simple. We got this area of low pressure. This is a giant mixing bowl in the atmosphere.
What it's doing is pulling in that moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic, and at the same time, bringing in a little bit of cooler air from the north. That contrasting line creates what we refer to as a frontal boundary. That combined with your daytime heating makes for very unstable atmosphere. And that is where you get those severe storms.
You could some rumbles of thunder, a few rumbles of thunder, and you see some lightning in parts of the Gulf Coast. Heavy showers and storms are possibly. Pretty quite though as we make your way across the nation's midsection.
But we got some more live pictures we're going to go to. We have a live shot, I believe. This will probably be in, I'm guessing, New Orleans, guys? Actually, it's a live shot that we have.
Take a look at this. This is from WGN, some tornado damage they had yesterday. Some of these storms struck very quickly. Many are of them are rain-wrapped, very hard to see in this part of the (INAUDIBLE), like the storms you'd see white out in the open plain, in Oklahoma, perhaps, even into Texas, they struck very hard.
Again, 48 reports, two fatalities. It's going to be a big cleanup day. But, thankfully, better day for them today and not quite as turbulent. All that rough weather moving to parts of the northeast. I hate to see it this time of year. It's a very active severe weather season.
And, guys, looks like all signs are pointing to a very active season in the tropics, possibly, of course, in the Gulf of Mexico where they're cleaning up the oil.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you very much, Reynolds. Appreciate it.
WOLF: You bet guys.
MALVEAUX: Well, the 19 crew members and passengers of the ship Rachel Corrie have signed deportation papers. And they're expected to leave the country by the end of the day. This is after Israel stopped the Irish vessel from getting to Gaza.
Now, it was this time yesterday that senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, was waiting for the Rachel Corrie in Ashdod. He is now joining us from Jerusalem.
And, Matthew, tell us about the Palestinian supporters. Are they planning more missions to Gaza?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We understand they may be, although they haven't given us a time frame yet, Suzanne, about when they are going to organize it, a new flotilla.
We know that what's happened to the 19 people on board the Rachel Corrie, the ship that was seized, the ship that was seized by the Israeli navy yesterday, they've all signed their deportation papers. And we understand at least eight of them have already been deported. The rest of them, we're told by the Israel interior ministry, will be forced to least country as soon as possible.
And so, Israel is trying to bring to close as quickly as it can this, you know, very painful, damaging chapter.
MALVEAUX: And what do we know about the humanitarian aid that was on the ship that was meant to go to Gaza for many people in need?
CHANCE: Well, the Israelis say they're still very happy to send it on to Gaza once it's been screened, of course, to make sure there are no banned items in the cargo, although, I think there probably are.
And the trouble is, is that Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that essentially runs the Gaza Strip and forms the government there, is refusing to take delivery of any further humanitarian aid from the Israelis because they say it has been illegally seized and they want to support the aid workers, they say, who tried to get into Gaza from the Mediterranean Sea. And so, they are refusing, at this point, to take delivery of any aid that the Israelis prove to go across the land border anyway. And so, that's obviously a bit more of a problem for the people of the Gaza Strip, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: We know that President Obama obviously came out with statements this week saying that he supports Israel's right to protect itself. But also that they wanted to see that this humanitarian aid reached those who are in need. Are there any signs that Israel is easing this blockade?
CHANCE: There is no signs that it's going to be prepared to ease its naval blockade in the sense it's not getting ready to let ships through. It's made it quite clear that it has no choice in it's opinion but to enforce this naval blockade, because if it didn't, then that would mean that Palestinian militant groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, others down there, would be able to bring in weapons into the Gaza Strip and those weapons would ultimately be fired at Israeli citizens. That's the Israeli justification for the naval blockade.
But what is being considered is to look again at the list of banned items that Israel has, things like cement, which are needed very much to rebuild Gaza, rebuild the schools, the hospitals, the houses there which currently, Israel won't let in because they say the militants -- they use it to build bunkers and to construct missiles that are fired against Israeli citizens.
And so, there's some scrutiny now on what kinds of items should be sanctioned and which kinds of items are needed for humanitarian reasons and can be allowed in, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: OK. Matthew Chance, thank you, once again.
GRIFFIN: Scammers target the top U.S. general in Iraq.
MALVEAUX: Our own Josh Levs, he's going to be telling us about how a Facebook scam aimed at getting money from military families.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unbelievable, guys. You know, some scammers will try anything. But I am still sometimes surprised how low these people will sink.
I'll tell you what happens to General Ray Odierno and families with loved ones at war. It's coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: The top U.S. general in Iraq, not someone you'd expect to be hit by a Facebook scam.
MALVEAUX: But, you know, he actually was, by somebody who was trying to take advantage of all things military families.
Our Josh Levs is here to explain it.
What this is all about, Josh? How did this happen?
LEVS: It's just amazing what some people will try out there. There are scammers who find their way into all sorts of people's Facebook faces. And now, they find all the way up to General Ray Odierno.
And in a news conference, he talked about some of the scams that some of them have been trying. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCES-IRAQ: I have had several scam artists on Facebook use my Facebook page and then go out and asking people for all kinds of money, if you pay $200,000, your son can get sent home early. So, we are constantly going after these scam artists that are out there. And we are very aware of all of these that are going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: It went by quickly. What he's saying is that people are using his Facebook and sending out messages saying, hey, you pay a ton of money, we can get your loved ones home from war early on. So, there's the search on for who is trying to pull this off.
By the way, I have opened up his Facebook page behind me right here. If you look at it right now, pretty much what you see is legit. They have weeded out the stuff that shouldn't be there. He also posted a message over here thanking people -- and those can be really small.
On this screen, he thanks people and he says, "By the way, I'm the only one who is posting here. And you should be able to trust it." But he also talked about taking steps to try to crack down on the problem.
Since we are talking about this, I thought now would be a good time for me to tell you all some tips to avoid having any problems with your Facebook pages. Some security tips and these are really good list from techmind.com.
I want to talk through some of these key points. You know, more than 400 million people are now on Facebook. So, it's good to keep this in mind.
First of all, use different passwords for your different accounts. If you got Twitter, if you got other or you got a YouTube password -- use different passwords, different accounts.
Also, be wary of where you enter your passwords. Sometimes it looks like you're dealing with a Facebook page, but it's actually a fake one that looks almost exactly the same. So, be very careful about that.
Avoid suspicious links and attachments. I know you hear this a lot but a lot of the times, you get one of these inbox messages on Facebook, you think you should click on it, it might be someone you know, if you're not familiar with it, leave it out. Just delete it.
Be suspicious of urgent requests. As a rule, if something is urgent, it's not going to show up as a general message to you in Facebook.
I got two more for you here. Update your Web browser. Some of these more updated Web browsers by now might be not protecting you through some people using fishing scams, reaching into your computer.
And, finally, use those security questions that they ask you, you know, where you went to school, mother's maiden name, that kind of thing. They actually are proven to make a big difference.
I posted all these links for you on my Facebook pages. It's Facebook.com/JoshLevsCNN. It has that and more ideas for how you get can protect yourself and, obviously, as we're seeing, it goes all the way up our government, even our military.
Drew, back to you.
GRIFFIN: All right. Thanks, Josh.
We are going to check our top stories now.
In Bangladesh, the death toll from a fire last week has risen to 117 from a fire. Transformer explosion Thursday caused a fire that engulfed a plastics factory and four other buildings. Bangladesh put its flags at half-staff and observed a day of mourning for the victims.
Hotel surveillance appears to show Dutch man Joran van der Sloot enter a hotel room with the woman he is accused of killing in Peru. Hours later, he leaves alone. It could help investigators established a timeline. Van der Sloot arrested twice but never charged in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager, Natalee Holloway, in Aruba.
Seven players from the Green Bay Packers have been questioned and released after two women said were sexually assaulted at a Wisconsin resort Saturday. One player remains under investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: As classes wind down across the country, their students are thinking about the headlines that grab their attention during the school year.
Now, our CNN student news anchor, Carl Azuz, tells us the stories that caught the attention of school-aged kids.
And, Carl, you are talking school age being middle school, high school?
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Exactly, right.
MALVEAUX: What actually grabbed them?
AZUZ: This begins with a disclaimer that the stories that got the most comments at CNNStudentNews.com aren't necessarily the biggest stories we've covered. We have covered the oil spill, the Haitian earthquake, and we do get hundreds of comments on those.
But this time around, as you'll see, the stories that got the most comments, some might surprise you. Our salute to teachers every year is when we give teachers shootouts, we recognize them during Teacher Appreciation Week. You can see from that. We got 1,681 comments at CNNStudentNews.com.
The second most popular topic: "Information or Distraction?" That was based on the comment President Obama made when he was talking about different types of media, iPods, iPads, Xboxes, where information could become sort of -- a means of distraction as opposed to a means of empowerment. We had 949 students either agree or disagree with the president on that.
And the third: "Is Texting Addictive?" Seven hundred and eighty- five comments. And I would say they are pretty well-equipped to comment on that because roughly, a third of them said they sent or received more than 100 texts per day.
MALVEAUX: They are addicted.
AZUZ: Some -- some say, yes, I can stop any time I want, which sounded like the guy in the college who says the same thing, but you know he is in trouble.
GRIFFIN: (INAUDIBLE) center, what kind of headlines do they want to see when they come back?
AZUZ: That is the question we asked. I wish I could take credit for that. That was our E.P., our executive producer, who came up with that one. And we wanted to find out, you know, what would you like to see in the fall? What -- if you could choose anything to happen over the summer, what would it be?
Two subjects got the most responses. The first being the oil spill. We have a comment from Nicole who's telling us she'd love to see that the oil spill is finally cleaned up. But, she says, of course, like many of us think, it should have been cleaned up long ago.
And the second most popular topic with students would have been school budgets increased. We have this comment from Cole saying, you know, "My school has had to cut a lot of things." He misses the field trips and misses the hands-on information, stuff he personally likes.
I'd say a lot of folks commented on that specific topic. One teacher on Facebook even told us, hey, you know, if school budgets were to increase, maybe we could get those cool book thingies, we've heard so much about.
MALVEAUX: The iPads.
(LAUGHTER)
AZUZ: Whatever it takes. But, you know, it's kind of making light on a subject that so many of them have seen and had to live through the school year with all the cuts.
MALVEAUX: Sure. And obviously, students are looking forward to summer break. They get a little chance to take it easy. But they want to keep up with you as well.
So, how do viewers actually follow you during the summer?
AZUZ: Good question. There are two ways to do that. We have Facebook page, that's Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews. It's a little lighter and more relaxed.
But we'd like to invite everyone out there, parents if you're looking for a great tool, commercial-free, 10 -minute show, to get your students, get your kids up-to-speed on current events, CNNStudentNews.com is where to go. You can see every show we've done so far, the school year.
Plus, you can e-mail us or comment on the blog where you saw me bring you comments from today.
MALVEAUX: Great stuff, Carl.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Carl.
AZUZ: Thank you both very much.
MALVEAUX: Thanks. Appreciate it.
Well, is it a way to bridge a cultural divide or is it just a painful reminder?
GRIFFIN: How plans to build a mosque at ground zero have set off an emotional debate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Welcome back. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
GRIFFIN: And I'm Drew Griffin it's 8:30 here in Atlanta, 7:30 in New Orleans. Thanks for staying up with us this morning.
Checking our top stories now, the FBI is making two terror- related arrests. It happened at New York's JFK International Airport. FBI agents searched the New Jersey homes of two men overnight.
According to the Newark Star Legend newspaper, the two, both American citizens were planning to join a violent extremist group in Somalia.
Now, take a look at tornado damage. This is near Streator, Illinois; the storms damaged several homes in this area, emergency crews still assessing the damage to buildings some of which lost their roofs, power also out in that part of Illinois.
People along the Gulf Coast report finding more tar balls on the beaches and more dead wildlife inland in the marshes and wetlands. BP says that its cap is reducing the oil gushing from the broken well by about 10,000 barrels a day.
MALVEAUX: A polarizing vote in New York's lower Manhattan, splitting many touched by the 9/11 attacks. Now, officials have given the green light to build a mosque near Ground Zero. But does this help or hurt when it's still very much an ongoing healing process?
Here is Lucy Yang from affiliate, WABC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCY YANG, REPORTER, WABC (voice-over): It was a raucous and impassionate meeting in lower Manhattan as Community Board One considers whether or not to support a mosque near the former World Trade Center.
DAISY KHAN, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MUSLIM ADVANCEMENT: There are 200 mosques in New York and yet another one is not a big deal. Calm down.
YANG: Calming down, easier said than done as speaker after speaker railed against the Islamic center.
PAMELA GELLER, STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA: This is an insult, this is demeaning, this is humiliating that you would build a shrine to the very ideology that inspired the attacks of 9/11.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This house of evil will be the birth place of the next terrorist event.
IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, CORDOBA HOUSE SUPPORTER: We feel 9/11 very, very much; we belong in this area.
YANG: The old Burlington coat factory at 45 Parkway has already been purchased and plans are underway to build the Cordoba House, a 15-floor Islamic museum, cultural center and prayer space right in the shadow of ground zero.
(on camera): In the end, the Board voted overwhelmingly in support of the new mosque, which means the only way for opponents to stop the plan now is to have the building landmarked.
In lower Manhattan, Lucy Yang, Channel 7, I-Witness News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Well, that debate is the topic of our "Faces of Faith" discussion this morning. Pamela Geller, she is a director, the director with the group Stop the Islamization of America and Ahmed Soliman, a Muslim and respected journalist, joining me on this from New York and Philadelphia respectively.
Now, Pamela, I want to start off with you.
We understand that there is a protest that is planned today that you are leading. What does your group hope to accomplish today and why are you against the building of Cordoba House, this Muslim and cultural community center? GELLER: Well, Ground Zero is a war memorial, it's a burial ground. And this mosque is offensive, it's humiliating, it's demeaning to the 3,000 innocent victims that lost their lives. Without Islam, this attack would never have happened.
And we are rallying at Ground Zero at the corner of Liberty and Church to show the public outcry. And we are asking that they be sensitive and tolerant and responsive to this overwhelming dissent to this mosque.
The latest polls show that America is against this mosque. To build a shrine to the ideology that inspired these jihadist attacks is insulting.
MALVEAUX: Miss Geller --
GELLER: -- it is insulting, it is yes --
MALVEAUX: I want to read the response here from the Imam at the mosque and the cultural center. Because they put this out here and they want people like you and others who are criticizing them to understand what is going to take place in this facility.
And they say that "The Cordoba House seeks to create a community center where all people, Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of every faith can gather in the spirit of honor, respect and peaceful coexistence."
And they go on to say that, "We cannot think of a better expression to promote peaceful values of our faith than the Cordoba House where American Muslims stand together with fellow citizens to condemn extremist and then terror. It is a project to honor those who were harmed on September 11th."
Why do you object when they say you know, that's not correct what you are saying? This center is not about promoting some sort of hateful ideology, it's quite the opposite.
GELLER: First of all that -- that statement is deception because it is a mosque.
MALVEAUX: Well, what's wrong with a mosque?
GELLER: And only Muslims can pray -- only Muslims can pray in a mosque. The only time non-Muslims are allowed in a mosque is if -- if perhaps they would be able to convert. There is no plurality here. There is no tolerance here --
MALVEAUX: Well, that's not true because the Imam says that they would actually welcome people of various faiths to go and check this out. And you can as a non-Muslim. I'm a non-Muslim, I have been to a mosque before if you are invited to go as a guest as long as you are respectful.
GELLER: Yes, you are -- you're invited -- right, you're invited to go for (INAUDIBLE). But it is not -- there is no plurality in the mosque.
And my question is, why there? How could it be possibly be seen as outreach to build a mosque at the war memorial that is Ground Zero. How? How could that be perceived? It is a kick in the head.
I don't understand how it can be turned into this idea of outreach when it is the opposite. It is a triumph. It is triumphant. We know that the Islamic pattern is to build giant mosques on the cherished sites of conquered lands. We know this -- this is Islamic history.
MALVEAUX: Miss Geller, I'd like to ask you -- I'd like to ask you because there are obviously Muslims scholars and Muslims who -- who disagree with you. But also President Bush made this point time and time again when he reached out and said look, we've to go after those who attacked Americans on 9/11, al Qaeda, certainly not marred (ph) Muslims and not the faith of Islam.
That there is a distinction, that there is a difference. And if people don't understand it, it's -- it's out of ignorance or misunderstanding. How do you counter that point? Even President Bush said that what you're saying is not true.
GELLER: I counter that point by saying read the Koran. Read the Hadit (ph), read the Sera (ph) --
MALVEAUX: Well, they would counter that as well, I mean and say that Islam --
GELLER: But -- but wait, let me finish.
MALVEAUX: -- is a perversion of Islam to -- it's a -- it's a state of peace.
GELLER: Yes, I understand. But you know the Prime Minister of Turkey said there is no extreme Islam, there is no moderate Islam, Islam is Islam. There have been 15,000 Islamic attacks since 911. And it is inspired by the (INAUDIBLE) doctrines. We have to deal with it.
Clearly, a better idea would be to build a center dedicated to expunging the Koran of the violent text that inspired jihad. Every jihadist attack has the imprimatur of a Muslim cleric. I mean, this is a fact, we can't rewrite reality. We have to see, we have to deal with what's in front of us or how are you going, how are you going to, how are you going to change things?
MALVEAUX: Miss Geller, how do you -- how do you counter the reality that there are thousands of mosque across the United States and they are not points or symbols of jihad or hate?
GELLER: We know from research done by seeing that four out of five mosques preach hate and preach incitement to violence. We know this, as I said it's part of the Koranic text. And I think that it is in -- I think it's deeply offensive to build a mosque on the sacred ground of 9/11. There is a piece of the plane in that building. And I think what we need to do, we are going to file suit with the federal government to designate that building as a war memorial, as a historic landmark, like Gettysburg, like Pearl Harbor. There is a piece of that plane in that building.
And to pray next to that is repugnant to any decent American, any Muslim with conscience. Let me tell you something --
MALVEAUX: Miss Geller --
GELLER: -- I received e-mails from Muslims -- from Muslims who don't believe a mosque should be there.
MALVEAUX: Ok, we're going to talk to -- to another Muslim who has a point of view as well. Real quick before you go, have you read the Koran?
GELLER: Yes, I have --
MALVEAUX: And so you --
GELLER: -- and I strongly recommend Robert Spencer's -- I strongly recommend Robert Spencer's "The Infidel's Guide to the Koran." And Evan Warrick (ph) and Rothlis Lothan (ph) and Noni Dar (ph), these are books from former Muslims that must be read by the American people to understand what it is they are facing.
They just arrested two more Jihadist, they were U.S. citizens at JFK airport. You have to understand the threat doctrine if you're going to address the threat.
MALVEAUX: Ok, Miss Geller, we're going to have to leave it there.
We're going to get another point of view here. Mr. Soliman is joining us here. And I want to ask you. She said she has read the Koran. And I guess she is pointing to some passage in the Koran where she believes that this is a faith that promotes violence.
And is -- is there a portion, is there a passage in the Koran that promotes what we saw al Qaeda do on 9/11.
AHMED SOLIMAN, COLUMNIST: Well first, let me thank you for having me on and providing my, what I call typical Muslim perspective.
Number one, a few points I want to make real quick, unfortunately, there's a lot of erroneous translations that are out there. What we have to do is ask ourselves what do they hope to accomplish with this protest today against the mosque?
If they are asking the government to stop it, well, that would be wholly unconstitutional, as one of the first things I learned in law school, because it would be a violation of equal protection, number one and number two of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Something I've learned in kindergarten as well, in America, we have freedom of religion.
Point number two, this is a fringe group. A lot of family members of the victims of 9/11 as well as public officials and regular Americans who understand the American ideals support this initiative because they understand two crucial points.
Fringe groups like Pamela is what they are doing is number one, spreading the erroneous misinterpretations that the terrorists like al Qaeda want to spread about Islam. And number two there are some continuously (ph) feeding the propaganda that al Qaeda uses to recruit, which is that America is anti-Muslim.
Now, Miss Geller and her group may be anti-Muslim. But the rest of America for the most part is not. As far as what --
MALVEAUX: Well, what is Miss Geller not understanding here? Because she -- she clearly has a point of view here that she feels threatened and she feels that this is going to be dangerous to have this mosque in that -- in that area? What do you want to say to her?
SOLIMAN: Well, let's examine why she is threatened. Number one, she was talking about what the Koran teaches. There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. Now there is admittedly probably tens of thousands of al Qaeda members or members of other terrorist organizations. They have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam.
She keeps equating al Qaeda and their attack against this country with what Islam teaches. I'll take her to my family in Egypt. They're full of -- they'll fill her with food and they'll take her shopping and they'll show her that the vast majority of Muslims around the world and not just in this country follow the teachings of the Koran which state for example in Chapter 5, Verse 32, "killing one innocent person is like killing all people and saving one innocent life is like saving all people". Or another verse that said, "Let there be no compulsion in religion". Another verse that says "Let there be no tyranny."
This is what Islam really teaches when you look at the accurate, majority translations that are out there. There are thousands of mosques already in this country. These are teachings of Jesus and Abraham and Mohammed that they teach in Sunday's schools; it's what I learned in Sunday school growing up.
So this mosque that they are going to be building two blocks away from the World Trade Center, let's remember, number one, a lot of Muslims died at the World Trade Center. Number two, this is going to be interfaith and open to a lot of non-Muslims to use the pool, use the exhibit facilities to engage in the dialogue just like a YMCA would. And yes, Muslims are going to go pray there because there's over a thousand Muslim-Americans who work downtown that need to pray.
MALVEAUX: Let me ask you this. She makes the point she says that this would be a very important symbol to those who would want to do harm, because it is near Ground Zero. Do you think that she has any kind -- is that point valid at all. SOLIMAN: Not at all. The more she talks, the more it's clear that she does not know what she is talking about. This mosque is a symbol of the 1.5 billions Muslims who respect peace.
I mean remember that people go around in the Muslim world saying peace be unto you as hello and good-bye. Let alone the millions of Muslim-Americans, including myself, including, my brother-in-law who is an officer in an air force stationed in Iraq right now, teachers, doctors, these are peace-loving American people. Their relatives overseas are peace-loving American Muslims.
This mosque provides a place to pray just like several other mosques in New York City does. For her to say it is offense is what is offensive to us. Because there's nothing offensive about our religion, mosques are no different from synagogues and churches. And nowhere in this country would someone go out there and fight against the creation of a church in downtown Manhattan.
It is really just offensive. And there's a lot of ignorance out there. And the days when she can go out there and make these untrue statements about the religion are over. We now have native born, English-speaking American citizens like myself with law degrees who can finally go out there on shows like yours that are nice enough to give us an opportunity to respond and say that she is on the wrong side of history here.
MALVEAUX: We're going to have to leave it there.
Mr. Soliman, thank you so much for joining us as well. Pamela Geller as well. Thank you.
We'll be right back.
SOLIMAN: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: From the latest on the federal government's response to the Gulf oil spill to Tuesday's primary elections -- remember that -- in 12 states.
MALVEAUX: "STATE OF THE UNION" host, Candy Crowley, she is joining us live from Washington with a preview of today's show.
Candy, you have a lot on your plate obviously and some very important guests as well.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Well, we're going to pack them all in.
First of all, Admiral Thad Allen, as you know, the point man on the Gulf Coast, we are going to get the latest from there. How he thinks it is going in the Gulf with the latest process that BP has put into place to try to contain that oil and what he thinks -- how he thinks things will go in the future. We also are going to talk to Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, because, as you know, everything we have seen, every model we have seen is that it is now headed, oil is now headed for Florida already showing up there.
But there are Tuesday elections. You know, I would never ignore that. We are going to talk particularly about the Arkansas race. Blanche Lincoln, the current senator from Arkansas, a challenge from within, by a more liberal Democrat, lieutenant government.
Right now, the lieutenant governor is leading in that race. It could be another anti-incumbent night. We want to talk to both of them about that.
We have a panel that will also then talk about the California primary and the Nevada primary.
So a little bit of oil and a little bit of politics.
GRIFFIN: All right.
MALVEAUX: All right. Looking forward to it.
GRIFFIN: Thanks Candy.
Keep it right here "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY" starts in just -- really a few minutes -- 11 minutes or so away. So stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: Forty-eight tornadoes in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio -- Reynolds Wolf, we're getting new video of this. It is pretty impressive.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It really is. You know, really it doesn't matter where the video happened today in parts of the Midwest because the damage is pretty much the same.
Pretty profound stuff we had last night. Forty-eight different tornadoes reportedly touched down. And we're going to show you some of the video again; it's just mind-boggling. Take a look at some of this.
You see neighborhoods that have just been leveled in some places; two fatalities, roof damage, certainly significant in many places. A lot of trees toppled over, power outages, widespread throughout much of the region. Not only in parts of Iowa, back in Illinois, Indiana, even Ohio. Even Vermont, for heaven's sake had a tornado that touched down just yesterday.
Now official tornadoes -- again, we don't have the official word yet. But the National Weather Service is going to fly over much of the area and survey the damage. But this one, what we can see from this vantage I would say -- it would be safe to say, yes, we did have a tornado, several in fact, throughout parts of the region. Now 48 reports doesn't mean there are 48 different tornadoes. What it means is they were spotted. The official count could come later on today or perhaps tomorrow when the National Weather Service makes that official statement.
But you can see it. I mean this is just widespread event all caused by an area of low pressure and frontal boundary that marks just south of the Great Lakes through parts of the Midwest. Now, today, it is strong and be on parts of the northeast.
Let's show you exactly what we are talking about. This low you see spinning here, this has been bringing in a lot of cold air right behind it. And also to the south, it's bringing in a little bit of that moist air. The combination of this contrasting air masses combined with some daytime heating will make this pretty unstable.
So anyone making a flight, say, from Atlanta flying into parts of New York maybe even Washington D.C., could be turbulent flight for you -- kind of bouncing around quite a bit.
Different scenario though when you get back to the nation's mid- section, high pressure is going to be your dominating feature, scattered showers possible for parts of the Pacific Northwest as far south as northern California.
And for the Gulf coast, for your cleanup efforts today, you can expect some scattered showers, a few rain drops here and there. But in the afternoon, more intense storms will develop and with that you might see some water spouts develop right along the coast. So cleanup efforts, especially off the Louisiana coast, a few spots also I would mention perhaps off the Alabama and Florida coastline, even parts of Mississippi, could be kind of choppy on the water, to say the very least.
Now, what we are going to be seen in terms of your temperatures later on today: warmer conditions. I mentioned that will be one of the catalysts that will give us again that better chance of strong storms; 91 degrees is the expected high in Washington D.C. The breeze right off the Potomac may help matters a little bit.
84 in Raleigh, 85 in Atlanta, 94 in Dallas, 100 in Phoenix; hard to believe that we're going to be back up to probably 110, 117 in a matter of weeks. That's what happens in the valley of the Sun. 65 in Seattle, 71 in Billings, 63 in San Francisco and Minneapolis, 80 degrees but much drier air moving into the north. So, a fairly comfortable day out by Target Field for all you Twins fans.
That's the latest in the forecast. Let's send it back to you guys at the news desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRIFFIN: I want to tell you about the President's agenda this week. Looks like he has open room at the end of the week for a possible trip to New Orleans again, at least that's what the White House correspondent sitting next to me says. We read the tea leaves. MALVEAUX: He can do it. We may see that happen.
GRIFFIN: Our Suzanne Malveaux, she'll be checking in with that.
The President and the first lady though will attend the annual gala of the Ford's Theater Society tonight in Washington.
Monday, the President goes to Michigan. He's going to giving a commencement address at the Kalamazoo High School.
On Tuesday, he's taking part in a national town hall meeting with older Americans in Wheaton, Maryland.
Wednesday, he meets with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestinian Authority. Just meetings at the White House are on his agenda for Thursday and Friday, which was interpreted by those who know as open schedules.
MALVEAUX: And he's actually meeting with the families of those who have also died in the oil rig explosion on Thursday.
GRIFFIN: That's right. All right.
MALVEAUX: So you never know, we could see him back in the Gulf Coast by the end of the week.
GRIFFIN: And you as well.
MALVEAUX: Yes, absolutely.
Thank you for joining us this morning month. "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY" is coming up at the top of the hour.
But first, a quick check of this morning's headlines.
GRIFFIN: Here they are. The Newark Star Ledger reporting that two New Jersey men have been arrested and charged with conspiring to commit international terrorism. They were arrested at JFK airport before boarding a plane that they thought would bring them to the Middle East.
The two are due in federal court. That is tomorrow. Authorities say these men presented no imminent threat in this country.
A protest planned today in lower Manhattan against plans for a mosque because the site is near the 911 terrorist attack. The group Stop Islamization of America is hosting this anti-mosque gathering. Just minutes ago, the director of this group said building this mosque so close to Ground Zero is insensitive.
BP reporting it has collected 250,000 gallons of crude oil in the first 24 hours after placing a cap on that ruptured well. That is about 31 percent.
Thanks for joining us this morning.
Candy Crowley, "STATE OF THE UNION" is now.
