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CNN Sunday Morning
Banks Reopening in Cairo; Ohio Train Derailment
Aired February 06, 2011 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Muslims and Christians holding hands this morning in Tahrir Square. What a sight. It is calm there right now. But protesters are still packed into Liberation Square.
What's going to happen today? We head live to Egypt, straight ahead.
In Iran, the trial of three U.S. hikers now underway, all accused of spying and trespassing, but only two are in the courtroom.
And paying tribute to Ronald Reagan. He would have been 100 years old today. Events across the country will honor his life and legacy.
And later today, John King hosts special coverage of the centennial celebration that starts at 2:00 p.m. We will take you there.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's February 6th. Good morning, everyone. So glad you're with us. I'm Randi Kaye.
It's 8:00 a.m. on the East Coast; 3:00 p.m. in Egypt.
And we start with Egypt, where it is the start of the workweek. And for the first time in more than a week, some banks in Cairo are actually open. It closed at the height of the anti-government protests. The stock market remains closed.
A little while ago, Egypt's vice president wrapped up meetings with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood group. Brotherhood members originally said they would not talk until President Mubarak was out of office. Vice President Omar Suleiman met with other opposition leaders yesterday.
We're also seeing a brotherhood of sort in Cairo's main square. Christians have come into the square to show solidarity with Muslim protesters. Our Ivan Watson told us they were standing together, holding up crosses and copies of the Koran.
Cairo's main square is still crowded with protesters this morning. Earlier, they banded together and locked arms to keep the military members from moving in. Joining me now to talk about what's going on in Egypt's capital is freelance journalist Ian Lee.
Earlier, Ian, it seemed as though the crowd of protesters were actually growing in Liberation Square. Ian, good morning. What is the scene there now?
IAN LEE, JOURNALIST (via telephone): Randi, the scene right now is still very festive. This square is packed with people. There is a sea of Egyptian flags waving.
And like you said earlier, there are Christians and Muslims praying together. They had a Christian service, and the Christians were reciting prayers, and both Muslims and Christians would say "amen" after the prayers.
It's really a scene of unity and a show of, you know, support against the Egyptian government. The people here are just unified.
We've also seen some really creative signs. I would say creativity is a big theme of today. We're seeing, you know, Christians and Muslims coming together, having, you know, the cross and the crescent in different variations. You know, people are really unified.
KAYE: And we mentioned that the banks -- or at least some of the banks are open today. Does it feel at all as though business is returning to normal among those huge crowds? I mean, those are the biggest crowds we've seen in several days.
LEE: Randi, it definitely is. If you move away from the square, there are a lot of businesses that are opened. Things seem like they are returning to normal.
But I also want to point out, you know, that before it was difficult to get supplies to the square. There were people stopping cars, trying to deliver supplies to the square. So, while banks are starting to open up, businesses are all starting to open up, it is also easier to resupply the protesters in the square with medicine, with food. They are removing trash also.
So, you know, as things are opening up on the outside, more supplies are getting inside here.
KAYE: All right. Ian Lee for us there, watching it all happen as the streets get more and more crowded as the hours pass. Thank you, Ian.
We are now also hearing reports of thousands of anti-government protesters taking to the streets of Alexandria, Egypt.
Our own Nic Robertson is out on the streets of Alexandria, taking some of these pictures for us with his team. He reports that around 5,000 protesters are outside of the mosque in the central part of the city. He says organizers expect more people to join in.
Nic says he hears the protesters playing songs from the days of 1952 revolution, when the Egyptian people overthrew the monarchy.
President Obama has been working the phones on Egypt. Saturday, he spoke with fellow leaders from the U.K., Germany and the United Arab Emirates. President Obama stressed the need for a peaceful transition and said it needed to start right now.
The president's stance on Egypt isn't sitting well for some. Earlier, I talked on the phone with Fouad Ajami, professor of Middle Eastern studies at Johns Hopkins University, who had a warning for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROF. FOUAD AJAMI, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (via telephone): The Egyptians need to see him out of the country. There is no -- no way about it. And also, the leading figures in the opposition are surely worried about themselves. If he doesn't leave, in a few months, they may all be in prison. I think this is the great standoff between a dictator and his population, with America in the middle backing this terrible dictator.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Everyone is asking what impact will the uprising in Egypt have on Israel's relations with its neighbors. We'll talk about that with Daniel Kurtzer, former ambassador to both Egypt and Israel, that's coming up in just a little while.
Time for weekend wheel, a look at other news you need to know as you get started on this Sunday morning.
Demonstrations in Tunisia have turned deadly. Two people were killed and more than a dozen others injured when police fired shots into the crowd. Protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at a police station in northern city o El Kef. Tunisia's president fled after protests last month. It's not clear exactly what sparked these new demonstrations.
Two American hikers went on trial today in Iran for spying and trespassing. Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were detained in the summer of 2009 after allegedly straying across an unmarked border from Iraq into Iran. Shourd was released last fall because of a medical condition. She has not responded to a court's summon to return to stand trial according to a lawyer representing all three of those people.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney is remembering the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan. Today would have been the great communicator's 100th birthday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD CHENEY, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: One hundred years after his birth, history has taken the measure of President Reagan. He stands tall in memory. And let us always be grateful that such a man came along when this nation and all the world needed him most. When all of us think back of Ronald Reagan and try to sum up all that he was and all he accomplished, thank you is still a pretty good place to start.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And we want to remind you, our John King hosts CNN 'special coverage of the centennial celebration at the Reagan Presidential Library this afternoon. It all begins at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
Some familiar names added to the roster of the pro football hall of fame. Here's the list. At the top, a who's who of Super Bowl stars: Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Richard Dent and Shannon Sharpe. They're joined by old timers, Lee Richter and the Washington Redskins' Chris Hanburger. Ed Sabol round out with the list. He is the founder of NFL films.
When the world tunes in to the Super Bowl later today, the real competition will come during the time-outs as the ad makers battle it out for our attention. We'll get a preview of this year's commercials.
And will the weather cooperate for the big game? We'll get the latest from the severe weather center, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Stressed out by the heavy snow. Check out this canopy that collapsed just before midnight at the Indianapolis International Airport's parking garage. A spokesperson there says no one was injured, but a few rental cars took a pretty good beating from the falling ice and snow that came along with it. The area is now off- limits to parking.
More snow could be on the way for that area later today. Meteorologist Karen Maginnis has the forecast and, of course, she has your forecast as well. She's had it all. She has it all covered.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: If it's not snow for Indianapolis, it's snow somewhere. And it's going to be really cold somewhere. You were talking about Minneapolis and your folks there. Yes, they've carried a heavy burden over the last few months with the very cold temperatures, and the blast of snow.
All right. Let's take a look at this. This is the Cowboys Stadium. Remember the story about how the ice fell and injured about six workers there? Well, several had to be treated, and one was in serious condition, at least for a while, when a big hunch chunk of ice fell off.
Well, yesterday, they had firefighters who were blasting 60- degree temperature water on the ice so that it would fall off. They say the hiccup is kind of just slip around the edge of this 660,000 square foot roof of the dome. So, you can imagine, that was quite the square footage to kind of take care of before this huge game. Speaking of -- lots of folks, probably be tailgating before they go into the stadium and then after. Well, you might want to do it fast, because we've got rain in the forecast. Also some snow that could be mixed in with temperatures expected to be right around the upper 30s.
So, the snowfall is not going to last too long, but nonetheless, it's going to be a bit of a nuisance.
All right. Here's what's going to happen as we look at the computer models over the next 24 hours. In Dallas specifically, I know the stadium is in Arlington, it looks like kind of that icy mixture, while on the western edge of Dallas, it looks like it's just going to be all snowfall.
But as we mentioned, it's not going to last terribly long. And in the forecast, it's going to stay bitterly cold across the upper Midwest, but we could see an icy system across the Southeast, middle of the workweek -- Randi.
KAYE: More ice on the way, you got to love it.
MAGINNIS: There you go.
KAYE: Thanks, Karen.
Just how far would you go for a dozen free donuts? We'll show you what these people did, when we go across country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: This just in to CNN. Taped pictures, taped video of a train derailment in Arcadia, Ohio. You can see quite a bit of fire there.
We are being told by Hancock County Emergency Management that there has been this train derailment with fire, multiple cars, not exactly sure how many cars derailed at this time. But we can tell you -- which probably helps explain all of those flames -- that the cars are carrying ethanol. Not sure exactly what happened at the time. We're trying to get a little bit more information.
I believe we have a reporter from WTVG, Christina Williams on the line with us.
Christina, can you hear me?
CHRISTINA WILLIAMS, WTVG REPORTER (via telephone): Yes. Good morning to you, Randi.
KAYE: Good morning. Can you add to what I've already said at all?
WILLIAMS: Well, absolutely. We do have new information from the Hancock County EMA director telling us that there were 62 cars on this train. We still do not have word where it was traveling to or from. Eighteen of the cars have derailed -- 15 to 18 of those cars are still on fire as we speak right now, leaving residents for up to 15 to 20 miles with a big glow from their windows this morning.
There have already been numerous explosions, up to three reported by emergency personnel. And it's a potential possibility that another car could explode as we sit here right now.
Emergency personnel as well as media members and all of the residents living within a one-mile radius has been evacuated from the area for any safety concerns, and the possibility of that explosion.
You mentioned that there's ethanol on these car trains and that's what really sparked this blaze. Nearby, there is also a co-op, farmer's facility, that does do some fertilizer production. Now, there, they have anhydrous ammonia, and that is another potential concern here for all of the safety workers.
They are trying to monitor this fire that currently they are just letting burn, trying to keep it away from that area, because as you can imagine, if that fire creeps towards that next chemical, it's a possibility of even larger explosion and a really environmental issue here.
KAYE: And no reports of injuries, Christina?
WILLIAMS: No reports of any injuries at this time, which is purely amazing if you ask. You can see, we are going to be getting you some live pictures here. It's a magnitude of what we're dealing with, those 15 to 18 train cars on fire, really sending a lot of burn off into the air and a major, major scene for all of those emergency workers this morning.
KAYE: And just to be clear very quickly -- what about homes in the area? Is this near any residents at all?
WILLIAMS: This is a very rural area in northwest Ohio. There are homes surrounding this. Twenty people have been evacuated already. They have an emergency shelter set up a couple of miles down the road.
KAYE: All right. Christina Williams, nice work for us at WTVG there in Arcadia, Ohio.
We're once again following this. We will continue to follow this train derailment there. We have 18 cars derailed, 15 still on fire, still burning, apparently sparked by ethanol.
We'll stay on this and take a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Time now to take you cross country and see some of the stories our CNN affiliates are covering.
To the greater Boston area we go, where we have adventures in childbirth. Meet Jonathan Patrick Rozzi who arrived Friday at a whopping 13 pounds. That's quite a big boy. He's big, but he's also pretty quick. Mom says it only took 10 minutes actually to deliver him.
To Seattle now where the city's iconic piggy bank Rachel took one on the snout yesterday. A taxi driver accidentally plowed into Rachel where she sat for years in front of the city's pike place market. They say it will take a few days to repair the 550-pound bronze landmark.
And in North Carolina, a pretty sweet challenge. Run down to the Krispy Kreme two miles away, and chow down a dozen, and then -- here's the kicker -- run back and do it all in an hour. Those are pretty much the rules for the annual Krispy Kreme challenge -- a race that benefits North Carolina's Children's Hospital. From its humble beginnings back in 2004 with a dozen runners, the seventh annual run yesterday's had 7,500 participants. Good cause and good doughnuts.
America's students are watching what's going on in Egypt. We'll share some of what they are saying about what they are seeing, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Twenty minutes past the hour.
While the world watches what happens in Egypt, students are getting updates on CNN's Student News. Here to bring us their perspective is the host of that show, Carl Azuz.
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Good morning, Randi.
KAYE: Good morning to you.
How are you communicating with the students? What are they telling you?
AZUZ: Usually, we're talking to students on our blog at CNNStudentNews.com. What we did different this will time we went to our Facebook site. And the reason for that was Facebook played sort of a seminal role in these demonstrations in the early days before the Internet was shut down.
And to drive that point home to our student audience, we started asking them on Facebook what does this mean to you? What are you seeing? How are you responding to this?
What's interesting what we found a lot is among the student audience, particularly among our American audience, it's very unusual that any one person could be in power for 30 years. And so, you'll hear that sort of in their responses, comments like this one from Olivia, who's saying that if Egypt had a democracy like the United States, these types of things wouldn't happen.
We have another comment from Cameron that was interesting, saying these protests were necessary, like America's revolution was necessary. When the old gets to be dysfunctional, it's time for a new one. And then when asked: what's going through your mind as you witness protests on CNN's Student News, Anissa wrote "that the end is near."
KAYE: Wow.
You know, the experts, of curse, have been trying to figure this out now for 13 days, what's next for Egypt. What do the students say what's next for Egypt?
AZUZ: There are some concerns among our student audience that the U.S. military might be pulled in sometime down the line. One student telling us that, OK, if this continues and gets worse, he was concerned that we have both Afghanistan and Egypt to deal with in his words.
But I have a comment for you from Garret that I thought was pretty insightful, and somewhat inflammatory from a high school student. He's saying he's laughing at how half the time we talk about Egypt, we bring, "What is America going to do about this," as if America has become the international babysitting service.
KAYE: Oh, boy.
AZUZ: So, you know, there's a concern among students that, you know, America does usually have some degree of involvement -- whether it's just through diplomatic support or if down the line military support is necessary. And they are concerned. They -- I don't think many of our student audience wants to see America pulled into another conflict.
KAYE: How do they think America should respond?
AZUZ: Some students are just telling us that they support the protesters for the most part. What they are split on is whether or not President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt should leave immediately or if this is something that people should just wait in Egypt, whether or not to decide in the upcoming elections. They're sort of split on that.
But for the most part, what they're telling us is they don't seem to support America getting involved, at least militarily.
KAYE: All right. Carl Azuz, thanks so much.
AZUZ: Thank you, Randi. I appreciate it.
KAYE: Good to hear from students.
Which country has the most to lose from a possible change in leadership in Egypt? It just might be Israel. We'll explore why there are new concerns over security in the region.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Now, let's talk Super Bowl money. The price tag for a 30- second ad this year is $3 million. That comes to about $100,000 a second, if f you're doing the math there.
The question though, of course, is it worth it? Here is one you'll see from cars.com.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CARS.COM)
VOICE: Hey, guys. The reviews are on cars.com.
VOICE: Really? What does it say?
VOICE: Well, let's see. It says Sheila looks great, topless.
VOICE: What's so funny?
VOICE: And it says here hank is a really gas guzzler.
VOICE: You heard that?
VOICE: Whatever.
VOICE: Hey, what about me?
VOICE: It says your ride is very smooth.
VOICE: Oh, yes, hear that, Sheila?
VOICE: Never going to happen.
NARRATOR: With consumer and expert reviews, confidence comes standard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See, just like the reviews said, big rear end.
VOICE: Excuse me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Pretty clever.
Joining us now to chat about that ad and so many more, the executive editor of "Adweek," James Cooper. Good to see you, James.
JAMES COOPER, ADWEEK: Good morning. How are you?
KAYE: Good morning to you. I'm well.
Let's talk about the return on the dollar first -- $3 million for 30 seconds. Is it really worth it?
COOPER: Well, it's a lot of money, but you have to also consider the fact that tonight's broadcast will probably the largest television event in history. Last year's Super Bowl drew 106 million viewers. Tonight's might go as high as 110 million.
That's going to be a colossal evidence. So, it's definitely advertising marketing's biggest stage by far.
KAYE: So, it could be a pretty good payoff I guess. What are the ads that you think are hits? I'm sure you've seen all of these.
COOPER: Yes, we haven't seen them all. But we've seen quite a few. I really like the Volkswagen Passat ad with the Darth Vader theme. It's hilarious.
KAYE: Oh, that is a good one. You know what? Let's take a look at that one and we'll talk about more of your favorites in a sec.
COOPER: OK.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
KAYE: Oh, I love that little kid's reaction when the car starts up. Got a little help from dad there. You like that one?
COOPER: Yes. I just think it's really simple, it's clean and it will appeal across demos. I think it's really great.
KAYE: What other favorites do you have?
COOPER: You know, I like humor in Super Bowl ads. I think that it resonates really well. It's shared socially importantly. And the Career Builder ad with the chimps is great as well. I mean, those are always a crowd pleaser.
The E-trade babies always works, too.
But Budweiser has a really funny ad, about getting severance with a case of Bud Light.
So, there will be some funny ads. And those tend to really sort of resonate nicely.
KAYE: I want to take a look at this pug ad for Doritos and talk about the home made ads.
COOPER: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want a Dorito. Are you hungry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, don't hurt my dog.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, get a chip. Come on, get a chip. Come on. Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I love that pug.
If you could, just really quickly, just explain how those home made ads work and the contest, I guess, for Doritos and Pepsi ads (ph)?
COOPER: Right. And it's especially called crash the Super Bowl, and they basically put out a contest for amateur filmmakers and creative types to basically create a Super Bowl ad and they will basically choose which ad they want to run based on some online polling, but also from the brands, they'll decide as well.
And that pug ad is certainly one of my favorites. I think it's a sleeper. Hopefully, we'll see it tonight.
KAYE: Oh, I'm sure. A lot of folks will be watching and they'll see that one and so many more tonight.
James Cooper, executive editor of "Adweek" thanks so much for playing along with us this morning.
COOPER: Sure. Enjoy the game tonight.
KAYE: Thank you.
And after a quick break, we will update you on that Ohio train derailment, where we have cars on fire as a result of ethanol, in Arcadia, Ohio. We're looking at more pictures of it there. We are keeping an eye on this and we'll have more information for you right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. I'm glad you're with us, I'm Randi Kaye.
It's about half past the hour; checking "Top Stories" for you now.
Breaking news out of Arcadia, Ohio: a train has derailed and caught fire. Residents in the area have been told to leave their homes; about 20 people have been evacuated. It's not exactly clear what led to the derailment or how many cars have come off the tracks. We do know that 15 cars are still on fire. It's not known at this time if there are any injuries. Arcadia is a small town in northeast part of Ohio. And of course, we will continue to stay on top of this.
One voice, one purpose: Christian and Muslim protesters locking hands in solidarity this morning in Cairo's main square. A little while ago, Egypt's vice president wrapped up meetings with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood group. The Brotherhood members originally said they wouldn't talk until President Mubarak was out of office. Vice President Omar Suleiman met with other opposition leaders just yesterday.
Perhaps no country has more to lose from a change in government in Egypt than Israel. For more than 30 years the two countries have officially been at peace and Israel count Egypt as its strongest ally in the region. Just yesterday Israeli President Shimon Peres publicly defended Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, crediting him with helping prevent war in the Middle East.
One of the biggest concerns for Israel is a possible change to an Islamist government that could involve the Muslim Brotherhood, which says it's democratic but it's openly anti-Israel. But like the U.S. Israel has to walk a fine line supporting what ultimately could be an outgoing regime. And not being seen to be backing an increasingly popular leader.
Who better to talk about Egypt than Israel than Daniel Kurtzer? He is the former ambassador to both of these countries. And he joins me from Washington this morning.
Good morning Ambassador.
DANIEL KURTZER, U.S. AMBASSADOR: Good morning Randi.
KAYE: Let me ask you this, many Israelis are -- are convinced the Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood will play a role in Egypt's future government. Members of the Brotherhood met with Egypt's vice president today. So does Israel have a legitimate concern here?
KURTZER: Well, Israel certainly does have legitimate security concerns, not only about the viability of the peace treaty, which has been at the cornerstone of Israeli national security policy for the past 30 years, but also because the neighborhood has gotten a little more dangerous.
To their north, Hezbollah just a few weeks ago, unseated Prime Minister Saad Hariri and has now become the kind of puppet master of the Lebanese government. And of course to the south Hamas continues to rule in Gaza. So there are legitimate security concerns that Israel has that need to be factored in.
At the same time, I wouldn't exaggerate them. There is no indication that Egypt would plan to turn away from the treaty almost under any circumstances. This treaty has been as important for Egypt as it has been for Israel. So while I would suggest that Israel remain vigilant for what happens in Egypt, I also wouldn't exaggerate the -- the concerns.
KAYE: Sure, but when you hear some -- someone like the leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt saying he would like to see the Egyptian people prepare for war against Israel, is that not cause for alarm?
KURTZER: Well, it's not new. The Muslim Brotherhood has been staunch opponents of the peace treaty. It has not changed its policy with respect to a desire for an Islamist state. So sure, if the Muslim Brotherhood were to accede to power this would be a major problem.
But the -- the chances are that some kind of a coalition is going to emerge, perhaps there would be some representation from the Muslim Brotherhood, but I am absolutely sure that as long as the military in Egypt remains a kind of final arbiter of what happens in the country, the peace treaty is not going to be affected at all.
KAYE: Of course, you have to bring into this conversation Jordan which is scrambling to shuffle its government in an effort to stay ahead of the violence. King Abdullah has fired it's government there. Jordan and Egypt being the only two Arab states that have peace treaties with Israel; so, what if both of their governments collapsed? What could that mean for Israel when you bring Jordan into the mix?
KURTZER: Well, in -- in a sense, the Jordanian situation should be of much more concern to Israel because you have the legitimizer of the monarchy, but you also have a very diverse population within Jordan. A very large Palestinian population, including refugees that in some cases have not been assimilated into the system; you have perhaps up to a million Iraqi refugees who have not yet gone home.
So it's a very unstable population that adds to the challenges of the monarchy in dealing with these demonstrators. So I think the Israelis as they look east towards Jordan do have a very serious concern. Jordan has been an excellent partner with Israel in maintaining security along that border. And the Israelis will watch that situation quite carefully.
KAYE: And just very quickly who do you think is the best choice to -- to lead Egypt when it comes to Israel's interest?
KURTZER: Well, I -- I don't make that kind of choice. Clearly the Israelis are going to be comfortable if someone like Omar Suleiman or even a civilian like Amr Moussa were to take over. They've dealt with both of these men in the past. They are both very tough Egyptian patriots, but they're also both committed to the treaty.
So I think the Israelis would like to see people with whom they've dealt, even if the government, the Prime Minister and others, represent part of the new generation that's been at the back bone of these demonstrations.
KAYE: Former Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, a pleasure speaking with you this morning. Thank you, sir.
KURTZER: Thank you Randi.
KAYE: This weekend America is observing the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth. As part of the festivities, the Ronald Reagan Museum has been revamped. We'll take you inside for a preview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: "STATE OF THE UNION" with host Candy Crowley is coming up next right here on CNN. Candy is joining us live from Washington with a preview. Good morning, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Good morning.
KAYE: So you've got a pretty full rundown today. I understand you have former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on, to I guess provide a little perspective on Egypt for you this morning? CROWLEY: Yes, and -- and on -- you know, sort of going inside the -- the head of President Hosni Mubarak, what he's likely to do. She is someone who has worked with him. She is someone that's been intimately involved in the peace process and all of the things in the Middle East. And really just sort of her take on what is it the U.S. wants? There's a lot of people who think we're getting conflicting signals particularly some of the opposition leaders in Egypt, who are now saying well, if -- if this is what the United States means, if the United States means it's ok for Mubarak to stay in office, then that's -- that's a nonstarter.
So we want to kind of take a diplomat who is now out of -- out of office and see if we can get him to be undiplomatic about what they are trying to say.
KAYE: I'm sure. You also have former Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, who is the Ambassador to Egypt and Israel. We just spoke with him a few moments ago. He has some really great insight on -- on what might happen for Israel with the uprising in Israel and what it might mean for the peace treaty.
CROWLEY: Actually we're having former Israeli -- and former -- the former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt, but another one, it's Edward Walker and you know, bringing his prospective to the table, but yes, because so much -- I mean, when you look at the geography of this, who has more to lose and more to win than Israel and what's going on in Egypt. And yet we've heard very little about them.
So we'd like to sort of game out what this does mean to them; what the fears are. We'll also have on John Negroponte, who used to be the head of the -- he was the first director of National Intelligence. You know there's been some complaints that perhaps the U.S. was caught flat-footed and didn't actually see this coming and really realize that -- that what had been simmering unrest was about to boil over.
So we're going to talk a little bit about the intelligence that came in.
KAYE: And, of course, a lot of politics at play here, we can't ignore that. It's interesting.
(CROSS TALK)
CROWLEY: Right.
KAYE: I think, I'd like your perspective on this, but the domestic opponents of President Obama haven't really come out very critical of the President, except maybe Sarah Palin.
CROWLEY: Right. And that's -- you know, part of what she does, because that, of course, launches her into the headlines and -- and she's been critical of it. But you're right that -- that in large part what the President has gotten -- we had John McCain on last week and he said "I'd like to be -- to see the President a little more forward on this", as sort of telling you know what -- what the U.S. would like to see rather than kind of standing back.
So there have been gentle nudges, but it used to be a while back, they're saying that politics stopped at the water's edge. And that is that the President was the President when you are dealing with an international affair, that he ought to be able to do it free of criticism from the home front. That has not held up in previous years, at least recently, in recent history, but I think there is -- I think you will hear more criticism as time goes on and as things settle down.
Because right now, it's pretty easy to criticize, because you know, there is sort of this constant adjustment to what's going on in the ground which changes and -- and how does President Mubarak feel today. And -- and who would they talk to, so I think right now there is sort of a natural reticence. Because, A, we're not sure how this is going to all come out. And if it comes out well, well, then the administration looks like a bunch of geniuses; if it comes out badly, then there's going to be a lot of criticism.
So I think, maybe more down the road you'll hear but right now, they are letting the President handle what really is the President's duty. And that is foreign policy.
KAYE: Certainly has his hands full. Candy Crowley, thank you so much. It's good to see you this morning.
CROWLEY: Thanks.
KAYE: And keep it here for "STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY," it starts in about 15 minutes, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 a.m. Pacific. She's got a great show on tap. So keep it right here on CNN.
One hundred years ago today, America's great communicator and 40th president was born. Ronald Wilson Reagan, the modern day icon of conservatism is being warmly remembered this weekend at his presidential ranch and museum in California.
Our Ted Rowlands takes us there for a tour and much more.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, it's a week of the celebration here at the Reagan Library. Nancy Reagan will be here to cut the ribbon on a $15 million renovation of the museum portion of the library. We had an opportunity to take a sneak peek at it, it is very impressive. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Video and sound are a constant feature. Reagan's movies and speeches are played throughout.
(on camera): We have right over here to my right the very famous debate with President Carter, where he asked the question, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"
(voice-over): There's also a Berlin Wall with tunnels, an interactive video game table and an inauguration day exhibit complete with Reagan's speech on the teleprompter. His diaries have been digitized for people to flip through. There's also an exhibit dealing with the assassination attempt on President Reagan after 70 days in Office.
As in many presidential libraries, you can see an exact replica of the Oval Office and Air Force One, the actual plane used by seven U.S. presidents, and the one Reagan flew in during his eight years in Office.
(on camera): They get to see right where the president sits in the aircraft, they get to see his working quarters, they get to see where the Secret Service would sit, where the -- the travelling Press Corps sits, they got to touch and feel the airplane. It's just a great experience.
(voice-over): An Iran-contra affair exhibit deals with the low point of the Reagan presidency. Also on display, the letter Reagan wrote with the audio of him reading it announcing to the world he had Alzheimer's.
REAGAN: My fellow Americans, I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who have been afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS: Everything here at the library this weekend is closed to the public but the new museum inside the library opens to the public on Monday. They are expecting a lot of people. They will be serving cake throughout the day to celebrate Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday -- Randi
KAYE: Ted Rowlands for us. Thank you, Ted.
John King hosts CNN's special coverage of the centennial celebration at the Reagan Presidential Library today, right here on CNN, beginning at 2:00 p.m. We'll be right back.
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KAYE: Breaking news now. We've been following this breaking news out of Arcadia, Ohio. A train there derailed and caught fire. You can see the flames there. There have been some evacuations.
Let's get more now from reporter Christina Williams from our affiliate WTVG. Christina, do you have an update for us?
CHRISTINA WILLIAMS, REPORTER, WTVG (via telephone): We do. We know that 20 people have been evacuated from neighboring homes in this very rural farm area. They are at an area church currently waiting out the situation. You mentioned the train derailed. We know that 62 cars were on that train. Approximately 18 of them have derailed. This is happening in an area as I mentioned that is very rural. Right now, 15, 18 of those cars still potentially on fire; we are looking at that happening as we speak.
All the emergency crews really on standby right now, waiting to hear word from the EPA about what comes next. Currently all of those fire crews from neighboring areas are standing back about a mile from the situation, trying to see what to do. The EPA is determining whether or not they will let this simply burn off, which could take up to 10 to 15 hours, or if they will move forward with any sort of foam operation. That would in turn get this situation under control.
KAYE: The problem I guess with all of the flames, and because we're seeing so many flames is because the train was carrying ethanol?
WILLIAMS: Yes, it was carrying ethanol. We are still waiting to see where this train was headed. But that is very flammable. In addition to that, the other safety concern -- that is the main issue -- is with the neighboring facility. We have a farmer's co-op next door, which produces fertilizer. In that, they use a lot of chemicals. We're talking about ammonia here, and that could be a very hazardous situation if that fire from the train derailment is to spread. That could in turn cause another explosion.
So far this morning, there have been at least three explosions reported from emergency personnel and neighbors living in this area. They described it as hearing a sonic boom and then a massive shaking similar to an earthquake.
KAYE: And let's continue this discussion as we look at these live pictures coming to us from WTVG. This continues to burn. You said it might be burning for another 10, 15 hours if they can't get it under control. Is there any hint of what might have caused this derailment of -- we have 62 cars?
WILLIAMS: As of right now, we have no word on what could have caused this derailment. We're waiting to hear from the train company. Currently, they are on their way to this area of northwest Ohio, it could be quite some time. We're still waiting to hear if, in fact, weather was related to this.
We received up to 6 inches of snow in this area yesterday. That is causing some really icy conditions. So we have yet to hear on that. But we are happy to report that there are no reports of any injuries at this time.
KAYE: Amazing to know that; to hear that when you look at those pictures of that train on fire and the ethanol burning.
Christina Williams from WTVG, thank you for your information on that. And just to recap, we have 20 people evacuated from their homes in Arcadia, Ohio. About 18 cars derailed of the 62; 15 about still on fire. Ethanol here seems to be the cause of that fire; a chemical facility nearby also causing some real concern. We'll continue to watch these live pictures and we'll get back to you, right after a quick break.
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KAYE: While the people of Egypt think about who their next leader will be, the final decision may not satisfy all of the protesters. Our Fareed Zakaria says they are raging against the deep- rooted power structure. Here is how he explains it to John King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA, GPS": Egyptians are up against a wall. They have to put food on the table. They have to get back to work. These are people who -- you know, the economy has shut down. There's almost no cash in the economy, and this is a sophisticated country. You need -- you need cash to operate.
So it -- it -- their hope is that at some point people will tire of all of this and they'll set up a few committees that will be charged with amending the constitution. But remember, Egypt is still under emergency martial law, it has been for 30 years; as I said, the military still firmly in control.
Whether or not Mubarak steps down, that structure of power is what people are really protesting about. They may like the army on the street because it's a conscript army, the Egyptian army is really part of the country, but it's the generals on top who are running things. If they don't see power, nothing really changes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: You can catch the rest of the conversation with John King and Fareed's interview with the face of the opposition, Mohamed ElBaradei. That's on "GPS" today, it all starts at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 7:00 a.m. Pacific.
Let's talk Super Bowl now. After all it is game day. You know it's going to be heavily watched in Pittsburgh and Green Bay, and actually even Afghanistan.
Earlier this morning, I spoke with Commander Keith Steussi (ph) and Captain Sarah Armstrong (ph) who will be watching the big game just after 3:00 in the morning their time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CMDR. KEITH STEUSSI, U.S. NAVY: I run a clinic over here and we have a pretty large sized TV in our conference room. So I have about 10 to 15 friends who are going to be coming over. And we're going to watch the game there so it should be a lot of fun.
KAYE: And Captain, what is it like, if you can help us understand, to watch your favorite team play halfway across the world while serving your country? CAPT. SARAH ARMSTRONG, U.S. ARMY: Well, I actually have some experience with this, since the last time the Steelers were in the Super Bowl I was watching the game from Iraq. It's a great experience and it really brings me close to home because I get to experience something with my family back in western Pennsylvania and really cheer for the home team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: They're getting about 10,000 pizzas delivered there to Afghanistan to help them enjoy the big game.
We'll have a check of the top stories right after this quick break.
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KAYE: "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley is coming up at the top of the hour but first, a quick check of the morning's headlines.
We want to take you back to Arcadia, Ohio and show you more video of that train derailment there. 62 cars involved, 18 cars derailed, 15 still on fire; at least 20 people evacuated from their homes. The flames continue to burn possibly for the next 10 to 15 hours. And here we have some new video coming in to us. Apparently ethanol sparked this fire along the tracks there. We'll keep an update on that.
Also, anti-government protests enter a 13th day now in Egypt. But unlike the last dozen days, banks are beginning to open and just wrapping up discussions between officials of the Muslim Brotherhood, a newly appointed Egyptian vice president Omar Suleiman.
In Iran, the trial has begun for the three American hikers arrested in 2009 for straying over the border. Sarah Shourd, who last year was released for a medical condition, is being tried in absentia. All three are accused of trespassing and espionage.
We will stay on top of that. We will stay on top of that train derailment as well. I'm so glad you joined us this morning. I'm Randi Kaye.
"STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley starts right now.
