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CNN Saturday Morning News
More Explosions Lead Up to Iraqi Election Tomorrow
Aired January 29, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: In five U.S. cities, 14 different countries, Iraqi expatriates are heading to the polling stations to cast their vote this morning. From the CNN center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's January 29th, one day away from elections in Iraq. Good morning everyone. I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: And I'm Tony Harris, 7:00 a.m. in the east and 4:00 a.m. in the west. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you caught up on the morning headlines now in the news. Sleet and freezing rain are icing the southeast this morning, piling up cars on Atlanta area interstates and scrambling the salt and sand truck fleets in the Carolinas. Ice is building up on trees and power lines and that could mean major power failures.
The execution of convicted killer Michael Ross has been postponed until Monday in Connecticut. A question of whether his attorney has a conflict of interest must be resolved. Ross had been scheduled to die this morning for the killings of four women in the 1980s.
Less than 24 hours before the voting begins in Iraq, two bomb attacks in the Kurdish town of Khanaqin have killed eight people and wounded seven. A suicide bomber set off at least one of the two explosions in the town 60 miles northeast of Baquba. The target was a coordination center for U.S. and Iraqi military forces.
NGUYEN: You would definitely want to stay with us this hour as we countdown to Iraq's pivotal moment. Expatriates around the world are already marking their ballots. Soon their countrymen will join them in making history.
Also ahead, a powerful reminder in Manhattan of the human drama in Iraq. You'll hear from the people responsible for images so arresting even busy New Yorkers stop in their tracks.
And, can the Super Bowl be super sized? The NFL thinking so. CNN's sports business analyst Rick Horrow will join was beyond the game. That's coming up.
HARRIS: And the top story this morning, day two of expatriate voting in the Iraqi election. Let's check in with our Gary Nurenberg who is live at a polling place in New Carrollton, Maryland. Good morning Gary.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony. It's freezing in this Washington, D.C. suburb. But the cold temperatures yesterday, it was freezing most of the day, too, did not keep many Iraqis from dancing with joy at the opportunity to vote for the first time in their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wanted to do this for 36 years. No more killed. No more children killed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Saddam.
NURENBERG (voice-over): This Maryland location is one of five where Iraqis can vote in the United States. Some of it looks like an American election, show ID, sign in. But most American voters don't get told to stick their fingers in ink to prevent them from voting again. It will mark the voters for days. There's some privacy and there is some evident pride when actual voting is done. The smiles continued outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel great. I feel great. I think that I am born new.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is the start of a new Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are so happy and I can tell thanks for President George W. Bush. He did that for us and we appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NURENBERG: But that may not be a universally-shared sentiment. It's estimated there are 240,000 Iraqis living in the United States who are eligible to vote, but only 26,000 of them registered to do so. Polls here opened about four minutes ago and at 6:30 huddled in this cold parking lot across the street, Tony, one Iraqi family was standing by ready to be the first in line.
HARRIS: We appreciate it, Gary, Gary Nurenberg in Carrollton, New Carrollton, Maryland. Gary, thank you.
NGUYEN: And in Iraq today, Insurgents bent on disrupting the election are launching attacks all across the country. The latest, two bombings that killed eight people in a Kurdish town at the border with Iran. CNN's Jeff Koinange joins us now live from Baghdad with all of this. Hi there, Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Betty. It's about 16 hours to go before polls open here in Iraq. And security is unprecedented across the country, but that didn't stop a suicide bomber from strapping himself with explosives, walking up to a military base in the town of Khanaqin. That's about 100 kilometers northeast of Baquba in the Sunni triangle. He detonated himself and in the ensuing commotion, an improvised device went off, killing up to eight people, wounding several others.
Here in Baghdad, Baghdad police tell us that insurgents attacked a police station in one of the southern suburbs. They wounded two Iraqi policemen, but not before making off with a stolen police car. Now why is this significant? Well, on Election Day, only certain vehicles will be allowed within polling stations but of course police cars being one of them, this is not a good sign. Having said that, Betty, security across the country is virtually air tight. You can hear a helicopter just hovering above me. It's been like this for most of the day.
Both U.S. soldiers and Iraqi soldiers patrolling the streets of the capital in tanks, in Humvees, on foot patrol, lots of heavy police checks, checking vehicles, searching drivers, making sure that less than 24 hours to go before that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at least the city is tight and air sealed. The Baghdad airport is closed. The borders are sealed. There's a curfew in effect. It seems like the proverbial calm before the storm. Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, I wanted to ask you about that Jeff because the security, as tight as it is, yet we're still seeing attacks. Are Iraqis a little hesitant to go to the polls? Are these attacks having an effect on them?
KOINANGE: Well, it depends on who you ask. For the most part, especially the majority Shia, they say they want to vote because they want to make a change. They have been disenfranchised by the minority Sunni for decades and they want to go out there and make a change. However, when we asked them, are you going to line up and vote and wait in line for hours on end if need be, they said, we'll try. What if a bomb goes off, we asked them? And they tell us, well, we'll have to see if that happens. A lot of them technically they want to go out and vote. Whether they will actually show up and cast their votes, well, we'll just have to see that in just a matter of, less than 16 hours from now. Betty.
NGUYEN: And we'll be waiting and watching, Jeff Koinange in Baghdad for us. Thank you Jeff.
Our e-mail question today, is Iraq worth the American sacrifice? What do you think? E-mail us now at wam@cnn.com. We will read your responses throughout the morning.
HARRIS: And changing gears now. It is an icy slippery mess here in the Atlanta area. A winter storm is bringing freezing rain throughout middle and north Georgia, slick roads and dozens of auto accidents caused shut downs -- look it, he's spinning out - on every interstate in the metro Atlanta area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy spun out right in front of us and kept circling back and back and back and back and he went right into us.
We were trying to brake. We tried to brake (UNINTELLIGIBLE) avoid us and he just kept sliding and we hit him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Ice is a problem in parts of South Carolina as well. Utility officials are predicting thousands of people in both states may lose power.
NGUYEN: What a mess it's going to be out there on the roadway. It's going to be sticking around all day in those affected areas?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: In some spots, yeah, and temperatures well below freezing here in Atlanta and up I-85, so we're not the only spot. It's a pretty nasty scene. Let's take a live camera. I think we have an Atlanta shot for us. Temperatures have fallen into the 20s, wow. Atlanta's got a river. I'm pretty sure that was the East River up there in New York which is all quiet right now. But good morning Atlanta.
I'll tell you what, the local police have been busy out there, skating around, quiet literally. WSB is giving us this shot, 28 degrees and we have ice pellets and freezing rain widely reported across the Atlanta metro area and also up I-85. You can see the radar, white is when the radar's pretty sure it's snow, blue and the brighter colors rain, pink, it kind of says, well, I'm not quite sure. So freezing rain and sleet falling in this general area and it's been like that for about six to eight hours and it is accumulating on even the primary roads across the Atlanta area. You can see there's a bit of break back to Montgomery and parts of southwestern Alabama and that will get through the rest of the southeast. It will be drying out somewhat from west to east.
As far as how much or where the ice is going to be and where the snow is going to be, you go south of Atlanta and then up I-85 across the Piedmont, banking up against the Appalachians. That's where that cold air tended to trap and then we have this warm moist air coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, rides up over that more dense cold air and that warm moist air, at least above freezing rain, falls into the subfreezing temperatures at the ground. That's where you get that mess.
By the way, D.C. will probably see an increase in clouds and maybe a little snow later on today and tonight, an inch or two possible. Red as you know on weather maps, typically means bad news. Winter storm warnings are up for this area around the Atlanta metro area until 4:00 p.m. and then it goes west across parts of eastern Tennessee, also and then along the Blue Ridge highway and across parts of the southern Appalachians as well. The Carolinas typically get hit hard with this, at least the western Carolinas and that will be the case again today.
Northeast looking good, high pressure control, although it will be on the cool side, a little bit warmer than it was yesterday, daytime highs, reason for celebration in New York, 34 degrees for a high. That gets you above freezing. Enjoy that. WABC gives us this live shot and there it is. That is a beautiful shot, isn't it? I believe that's probably shooting over from Queens.
HARRIS: From Queens? Roosevelt Island? Nice, yeah, yeah. OK.
MARCIANO: Looking good, blue sky. No snow in the forecast. But ice, Atlanta up through Charlotte, Greensboro, those areas -- and ice is not fun. I take six to 10 inches of snow over ice.
NGUYEN: Any day. We're not getting above freezing so it's going to stay around for a while. MARCIANO: It will. The rain, the precip itself will dissipate later this afternoon and we may get above freezing later on tonight but a good six to 10 hours more.
NGUYEN: Iced in, OK, Rob Marciano, thank you for that.
Michael Jackson is taking his case to the public. We'll tell you what the pop star is planning a day before jury selection starts in his child molestation case.
HARRIS: And also ahead this Saturday morning we'll see what has so many busy New Yorkers stopping to take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Pop star Michael Jackson is to release a video statement on his Web site tomorrow. His publicist says it will focus on leaks of grand jury testimony in his child molestation trial. Jackson's representatives say the judge in the case has already approved his videotaped comments. Jury selection is slated to begin on Monday. Meantime, the judge ruled yesterday that Jackson's young accuser will have to testify in open court. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In Columbus, Ohio, the Iraq war comes to the doorstep of a Licking County couple. They have blanketed their front yard with more than 1400 flags, one for each American killed in action there. They say rather than American flags, they chose orange because it is the international color of distress.
It turns out there's now a third conservative columnist who was on the government payroll to lobby in support of an issue backed by the Bush White House. The Department of Health and Human Services says Mike McManus received $10,000 to promote a marriage initiative. Federal law bans the use of public funds for propaganda. Now don't forget our e-mail question this morning. Is Iraq worth American sacrifice? Here's the address, wam@cnn.com and we'll read some of your replies a little later this hour.
NGUYEN: All right. Now more than 1400 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, a large number at first glance, a heartbreaking loss when viewed one by one and family by family. CNN's Jason Carroll has more on the American sacrifice of one such family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Leslie Jackson was everything to her mother, an only child who knew early on what she wanted to do with her life.
VIOLA JACKSON, DAUGHTER KILLED IN IRAQ: That's all she talked about. She was already in junior ROTC and that's all she talked about, was being and going into the army. I'm going into the army, you know. And I was hoping that maybe she would change her might but -- CARROLL: She never did. Leslie kept a journal and wrote letters about her experiences. One reads, this place is hell. I don't know. We got here. Is the lord punishing me? What did I do wrong? The words written May 20th, the day Leslie was killed when her truck hit a roadside bomb. She was 18, the youngest U.S. female soldier to die in Iraq.
JACKSON: She always told me, mom, don't worry about me. Unless you see two uniform personnel standing on the door, standing on the doorstep, she said, don't worry about me. That's how they came. When I saw them, I knew.
CARROLL: Leslie Jackson grew up in a rough section of Richmond, Virginia. When word spread of her death, the community came together and mourned. At her high school, her principal --
EARL PAPPY, PRINCIPAL: let's get out of the halls! Let's go!
CARROLL: -- a man known for keeping order --
PAPPY: You better find somebody's class, man. You better find it now.
CARROLL: -- remember how Leslie kept him in line.
PAPPY: When I came in she took me under her wings to kind of let me know what she expected out of a principal for Georgewith (ph) High School.
CARROLL: That was Leslie Jackson, age 16. At 15, already a member of the school's ROTC program, her peers voted her battalion commander. She often spoke of going to Iraq with her ROTC teacher.
SGT. EARL WINSTON, ARMY ROTC INSTRUCTOR: When we talked about it, about her going to Iraq and we talked about people dying in Iraq prior to her going, you know, she said it was OK. She would still not hesitate to do what she could do.
CARROLL: The school keeps her army uniform. It's too painful to have at home. But her mother has her memories. The last call she got from Leslie the day she died.
JACKSON: And she said, momma, I don't know when I'll get a chance to talk to you again. I just wanted to let you know that I love you and I said, Leslie, I love you, too.
CARROLL: And there are always her daughter's letters.
JACKSON: Today was OK. I only heard one boom and it was outgoing. I wish every day could be like this, quiet and peaceful and normal. I slept most of the day. I talked to my mother and Samantha and it made my day even better. Anyway, another day gone, another day alive. Thank God.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, Richmond, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Super Bowl 39 match up is a marketer's dream, David versus Goliath. The Philadelphia Eagles have not been to the big game in more than two decades when they lost to the Oakland Raiders. The Eagles play David to the team on the verge of a dynasty. The New England Patriots are headed to their third Super Bowl in four years and now the engines of the NFL marketing machine are running full blast, selling the Super Bowl this week as we take you beyond the game.
Dollars, dollars, dollars, the Super Bowl is already the most watched spectator sport on network television on the planet but the NFL believes it can do even better. With a look at how the NFL can improve one of the most prized of all sports products is the author of "When The Game Is on the Line." Rick Horrow is also our CNN sports analyst. Now last week he got lucky it says here and correctly predicted the Eagles and Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl. Where did you do that? I didn't see you on television. Did you do it on your radio show or something?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: No but here's the deal, man. We had a technical glitch and I know what your picks were.
HARRIS: It's on on/off switch.
HORROW: It's an off switch on your football knowledge, pal because I remember that you picked the Falcons. What are you thinking? What are you thinking?
HARRIS: I told you that was more heart than head. OK, I'm living here now. It's more heart than head.
HORROW: I don't ever have to worry about your head, quite clearly, all right, but it has nothing to do with football knowledge. Let's get on with it.
HARRIS: All right. So here's the question when it comes to market this game. I mean how can you improve upon the most popular game on network television?
HORROW: You can certainly improve but the NFL is a $5 billion business and they made it because of a prolific marketing machine on the backs of the fans. Look at the stats. The fans are loyal, 43 percent NFL is their favorite sport. They got money, 62 percent went to college and 30 percent have over $75,000 of household income. By the way, probably to pay back the college loans. They buy 32 percent of us have NFL merchandise and 7 of the top videos are NFL related. And most important, they're diverse. Twelve percent of the fans are African-Americans and over 30 percent are women. And what that means, by the way, more women watch the Super Bowls than the Academy Awards and they make 85 percent of the important buying decisions which, as we all know, is really important to corporate America.
HARRIS: All right. What about marketing this game? Can you improve upon the standing of the game by marketing it in a different way and improving the image in any kind of significant way?
HORROW: Yeah, of course you can and it deals with the individual teams as well. You know we talk about parity. We've had now had 39 Super Bowls and by the way, this year as you know, we had two eight and eight teams make the playoffs which is a big deal. But the bottom line is the America's teams of before are not of the top 10 now in terms of 10 percent share. The Cowboys, by the way, are under 10 percent for the first time in history. We have the Raiders and the Niners, about 6 percent of fan favorites. By the way, all three of those teams were terrible this year, so it's not on the field performance. We got the Packers and the Steelers.
Now, if the Patriots win, we are a nation as you know Tony of bandwagon jumper on-ers. So they will be up there but there is that parity among teams. But the individual stars, top marketers of course according to nfl.com, marketing players, are quarterbacks. We've got Michael Vick of your Falcons number two. We got Brett Favre and we've got Tom Brady. We've got Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens snuck in there, 33 percent increase in endorsability of NFL superstars. The teams are important but the individuals as we know are the key.
HARRIS: And market some of those items to women as well. Let's get some jerseys that are fit for women and things like that. That would help.
HORROW: We've already got it, by the way.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
HORROW: The NFL has a deal with Reebok and women now are 5 percent of the market. It's going to be 15 or 20 percent later. It's a $3 billion industry. So as usual, Tony, it's a good idea, just a couple of years late out of your mouth.
HARRIS: How about the fair ball of the week?
HORROW: Fair ball of the week is a new deal. Healthcare system in Texas signed a 2 million, 12-year deal with Trinity Mother Frances Rose (ph) stadium. That's the name of the health care system. I don't care what the stadium's name is. The point is that it's more money for high school sports and high schools in general.
HARRIS: Foul ball?
HORROW: Let's call it hockey before we forget what the sport is.
HARRIS: Have they called the season yet? Is it over?
HORROW: They might as well. They haven't yet, but as long as the players and the owners can't get together. By the way, 89 percent decrease in merchandise since last December. Nobody's buying. Everybody's forgetting it unless there's a radical restructuring of the game, we may not remember what hockey is.
HARRIS: There he is, the author of "When the Game Is on the Line," Rick Horrow. HORROW: Super Bowl next week, big deal. We'll do that next week so you can put your head on. Just don't pick the teams. I'll talk to you next week.
HARRIS: I'm looking both ways. All right. Rick, good to see you.
HORROW: Your head's somewhere, man. I'll tell you that.
NGUYEN: He is so tough on you Tony.
All right, so who's who in the Iraqi elections and how exactly are things supposed to work after votes are cast tomorrow? Iraq election 101, class begins in just a few minutes.
Plus, what is it like to land at the Baghdad airport, take chopper flights and walk the treacherous Iraqi streets? Anderson cooper shares his reporter's notebook ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So will there be any hanging chads in the Iraqi elections? Probably the least of our worries this morning.
NGUYEN: Exactly.
HARRIS: We'll tell you how it's meant to work. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: We'll have that story in a moment. I'm Betty Nguyen. Here is a look ahead at headlines though. Right now in the news.
Much of the sun belt is glistening under a layer of ice this morning and that's meant some treacherous driving from Georgia to the Carolinas. The ice storm has triggered numerous crashes, including this one outside Atlanta. Dozens of wrecks are there and they have shut large stretches of interstates and side streets, plus power outages are expected. CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano will join us with a little bit more of this and that will happen just a little bit later.
But in the meantime, state officials in Connecticut abruptly stepped in and delayed the execution of Michael Ross just one hour before the serial killer was to be put to death. Ross, who has dropped all appeals and is asking to die, is now scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Monday. A Federal judge has reprimanded his attorney for trying to help his bid to die.
Iraqi expatriates are casting votes this weekend from the United States to the United Kingdom and to the United Arab Emirates. Fourteen countries are hosting polling sites in Iraq's first free election in half a century. About a quarter million Iraqis have registered to cast their votes from outside the country.
HARRIS: Americans have a vested interest in the Iraqi elections and the outcome. Most importantly a successful election is probably the best indication of whether U.S. forces in Iraq can leave sooner rather than later. But the process that unfolds tomorrow is not one that American voters would easily recognize.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): Constant insurgent attacks and threats have everyone on edge and U.S. and Iraqi security forces can only do so much. Military commanders say voter protection is not guaranteed and Election Day violence is expected.
Finding the local polling place may be the first obstacle. There are some 6,000 polling centers around the country; 14 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, plus one million Iraqi expatriates. The single ballot includes candidates for a national assembly that will create a national constitution and pick the nation's leaders. Voters are also deciding on 18 provincial councils and in the northern Kurdish region, they're electing their own parliament.
Most Iraqis may recognize just a few names on the ballot. The United Iraqi Alliance is made up mostly of Shiites and is backed by the grand Ayatollah al Sistani. The alliance holds the largest electoral slate of candidates including several prominent religious leaders. And the other most recognized group is Iraqi list, led by Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. This group is predominately secular with Shiite and Sunni candidates.
Some groups are boycotting because of the on going presence of American troops on Iraqi soil. They say the occupation makes free and fair elections impossible. Despite all of the difficulties, Iraqi officials expect preliminary election results within a week and official results 10 days after the election.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Officials in Baghdad are doing everything possible to make the city secure before tomorrow's election, including closing down the airport but not before CNN's Anderson Cooper arrived. Here's his take on what it's like to be in the middle of things.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flight to Baghdad starts off like any other flight. You fly high above the clouds, endless stretches of sand far below. It's only when you're right above Baghdad you realize this is not a normal flight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The final part of our descent will be from overhead in a spiral fashion. It might feel a little uncomfortable on the body but nevertheless, it's due to safety and security reasons.
COOPER: The plane turns sharply, spiraling downward, a cork screw landing to avoid taking fire, though the insurgents know the maneuver. Not everything goes as planned, however. Suddenly fighter jets appear underneath. There's fighting at the airport. It's too dangerous to land. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are returning back to Amman and we will take it from there, depending on how long the military operation lasts here in Baghdad.
COOPER: The next day another flight, the plane finally gets permission to land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be landing at Baghdad international airport. Kindly return to your seats and make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened and the seats are in the up right position.
COOPER: The road into town from Baghdad's airport is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world. You drive fast, constantly aware of people passing by, cars getting too close, buildings, insurgent spotters could use to target your car. Sometimes, however, you simply get stuck. We're stuck in a traffic jam, it seems. It seems like a traffic jam which is such an ordinary occurrence, all of a sudden it's a security threat because, you know, someone could just come up alongside the vehicle, another car could just slam right into you. You're sort of a sitting duck.
Election posters are all around. It's too dangerous for candidates to appear in person. Some days you wake and don't want to go outside. You ask yourself, do I need to take my vest? Do I need to wear my helmet? The answer is almost always yes. Even if you don't go out, you can't escape the violence. All day long, e-mails from Iraqis, from soldiers, from people you don't even know, a steady stream of death and progress, suicide attacks, schools built, police killed, insurgents caught, shrapnel and bullets, bombs and ballots. At times it all seems surreal. In the green zone a young soldier drives an SUV. For a moment the music makes it feel like home.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Keep your head low and have a good trip.
COOPER: All right. Thanks.
Hitching a ride on a chopper you rise above the dirt and dust, fly low, shaken by the power of American might, the rotors slicing the morning air. In Iraq, Americans rule the sky but on the streets, it's another matter. On a night patrol an American platoon checks up on Iraqi soldiers. Riding long in a pitch black Humvee, you can't help but admire these guys. Reporters can leave, fly home when they're done. These guys are stuck for the long haul. Night and day, day and night they work around the clock, countless patrols, no end in sight.
Outside a polling station an Iraqi National Guardsman masked and alone stares out into the darkness. Gunshots echo in the street. Police look like insurgents, insurgents dressed like police. The nights and days in Baghdad seem very long indeed. Anderson Cooper, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And now to our security watch. We update you on the weekend's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning. Tuesday, an analysis from the Rand Corporation revealed that installing antimissile systems on all commercial airliners would cost about $11 billion and billions more to maintain. It's an idea being considered to protect the aircraft from shoulder-fired missile attacks. Rand recommended the government hold off on installing the technology until it becomes cheaper.
Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says the tip about a possible terror plot against Boston should not have been made public. Tuesday the FBI said the whole thing was a hoax. Officials say the bogus intelligence came from a man who was mad because he was never paid for a job illegally smuggling Chinese nationals into the U.S. from Mexico.
On Monday the Federal government will start requiring truckers who haul hazardous materials to submit to fingerprinting and background checks. Congressman mandated the checks as part of the Patriot Act but with some 2.7 million drivers in line, it could take five years to check them all. And this reminder, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A silent reminder, and one of the world's busiest cities takes New Yorkers through the time line of the Iraq war. Details next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
MARCIANO: Hi, Tony. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN weather center. A winter mess across the eastern third of the country, not going to get to the blizzard-ridden northeast but the southeast getting into the act with ice, probably the worst kind of winter scenario you can have. We'll talk about that and your complete forecast for the rest of the country in just a few minutes. CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) music for you this morning. Good morning, Cincy. It is motorcycle madness over the U.S. Bank arena. Evil Knievel style tricks brought to you by the international freestyle motor cross association and you're looking forward to that, Tony. Rob Marciano will have the forecast in about 10 minutes.
But right now, here is a quick update on our top stories this morning. Expatriate Iraqis in 14 countries from Australia to the United States are voting again today in Iraq's landmark election. They got an early start but people in Iraq vote tomorrow for a national assembly amid very tight security.
Slip sliding away in parts of the southeast. A winter storm is bringing freezing rain to north Georgia and South Carolina. There have already been dozens of auto accidents and highway shutdowns. Numerous power outages are also expected throughout the weekend.
Michael Jackson says he'll release a video statement tomorrow on his Web site, commenting on grand jury leaks in his child molestation trial. Jury selection in that trial begins on Monday.
And just ahead, we will be reading your e-mails. Let us know what you think. Is Iraq worth the American sacrifice? We're at wam@CNN.com.
HARRIS: And time once again to check in on international developments.
NGUYEN: And for that let's go now to Anand Naidoo at the international desk. Good morning Anan.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty, Tony, and time now to check out some of the other stories making news around the world and we start with two places which are separated by only 90 miles of water, but it's taken more than half a century for direct flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
The first passenger jet from China touched down in the Taiwan capital Taipei, touching off some inspiring celebrations. The relaxation of the restrictions comes at lunar New Year, which is one of the biggest holidays in China. Who knows, some are hoping that the lifting of those restrictions could pave the way for let's say more cooler tensions rather in one of the world's most potential dangerous spots.
Now election news, not the Iraqi election, we're talking about elections in Gaza. Could this be a sign of the future? The radical Palestinian group Hamas has swept seven out of 10 councils in the first ever local elections in Gaza. Hamas, which is sworn to destroying Israel, boycotted the presidential election earlier this month but took part in these local polls. Voter turnout there topped 80 percent.
And one other note from the region that we're getting, reports are coming in saying that the new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will be holding a summit with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. That summit scheduled to take place in about two weeks' time.
Remember Beslan? How could we forget the horror of children being massacred at a school in this small Russian town last September. Well, a Russian parliamentary commission investigating the tragedy, says the terrorists got help from the police. Two policemen have already been arrested. Two more are being sought and they're pretty high ranking, at the Federal level, as one official put it. And get this, some of them are still at their jobs.
That's a check of international developments for now. I'll be back later with more. For the moment, let's send it back to Betty and Tony.
HARARIS: Anand, thank you.
New Yorkers are famous for rushing through the city's crowded streets as fast as possible, but at one street corner near the Port Authority people are stopping to take in the view. We'll explain why just ahead.
NGUYEN: But first, a CNN extra, amazon.com this week launched a local Internet search service that allows you a virtual tour of city streets and shows pictures of businesses. So far the database includes more than 20 million photographs from 10 cities including New York, L.A. and San Francisco.
And check this out, online ad spending has increased 27 percent from 2003 to 2004. Compare that with 14 percent on cable and 8 percent in broadcast television.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So if you had a tough time keeping up with the headlines over the past week, we're here to help. That's what we do. Time now to rewind for a look at some of the big stories that made news over the last five days. Congressional numbers crunchers said Tuesday the Federal budget deficit will reach $368 billion this fiscal year. But that figure does not include White House plans to overhaul Social Security or additional costs for the war in Iraq.
In a prelude to a possible Mideast summit, Palestinian cabinet members Seib (ph) Erakat met with a top advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday. On the agenda, talking points for a future meeting between Sharon and Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas. It was one of several developments this week between Israel and the Palestinians signaling progress in relations between both sides.
Also on Wednesday, Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as U.S secretary of state. It happened just a few hours after the Senate voted to confirm her by a vote of 85-13. Meantime, a vote of 10-8 from the Senate Judiciary Committee to have the full Senate consider Alberto Gonzales' nomination as attorney general. Democrats had objected to Gonzales' role in the administration's policies on the treatment of Iraqi prisoners.
NGUYEN: Magnum Photos, a photo journalist collective has teamed with a billboard company in New York for a unique display. The high- tech billboard tells a story in images. And this weekend, the story is Iraq. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK LUBELL, DIRECTOR, MAGNUM PHOTOS: 42nd Street and 8th Avenue as you might know is the most commercial places in New York City, 1.5 million people travel through this space per day. Smart Sign media had a billboard which they allowed us to present Magnum work from Iraq. And it's not imagery that you would normally see in this location and we thought it was very fitting, leading up to the election, to show work from last five years before we actually entered the conflict, during the conflict, and up to the present day.
When you are there as a photographer and you're covering it, you become part of the story yourself. And I think it was Foka's (ph) interpretation and expression of what his experience was, which is chaos, confusion and I think those images reflect that. We have 105 images currently that are playing in rotation. And two photographers that were in Iraq sat down and looked at the work and edited through thousands of images and picked these images that story boards the conflict. Magnum photographers look for the human story and I think this is a human conflict. And so the images reflect that, both from this side, from the funerals of servicemen, to the funerals in Iraq. The story is about humanity and when you see small children in Iraq swimming in a pool with destruction around it, I think it takes away all of the political involvement. It's very easy for people in their daily routine to forget about what is happening in Iraq and with our soldiers and our position in the world. In a way, if we can be a daily reminder to people that what is happening, I think that we are doing our part on a visual front and that maybe that will inspire people to take action.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And as you know, expatriate voters are going to the polls today to cast their ballots for Iraq's first free election in more than half a century. Initial ballots are coming from expatriates in 14 different countries. Those voters are celebrating in the streets as Iraq moves toward a new era. Tomorrow it's the voters inside Iraq. We'll go to the polls. Expect live coverage of the historic event right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: And here's a question. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. You won't believe what one Florida man did to try to save his marriage. We have those details in our wows of the week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: I know you've been waiting but the wait is over. It's time now for the wows of the week. Recent video that was just so amazing we had to show it again. First up, what went down? Well, it happened on the icy overpass in Cleveland. A tractor trailer skid off the road and over the railing landing on a car below which was driven by a pregnant woman. Incredibly, no one was seriously hurt, thank goodness.
Now to warmer climates. This humpback whale was spotted off the coast of south Florida. Seeing whales in these waters is not unprecedented but it is rare. It was also unusual that the whale ventured so close to the beach before finally swimming away.
And probably the most puzzling story of the week, this, $17,000 full-page ad in the "Florida Times Union." Larry of Orlando apparently wants his wife Mary Ann back and shelled out major bucks to say so in a very public fashion. The odd thing is that neither Larry nor Mary Ann has offered any public comment since the ad appeared. All we can say is stay tuned. Hopefully it worked, Larry.
HARRIS: What do you think, Rob, it sounds like he kind of really messed up.
NGUYEN: Big time.
MARCIANO: You know, I was just changing the battery in my ear piece, I have no idea what that story is. I knew Tony you were going to put me on the spot, the one time. HARRIS: But you know what, we appreciate the honesty, see there?
MARCIANO: Yeah, it's probably the only thing I've got going for me. Tony and Betty, we've got a big mess happening across southeast. Everyone knows that who lives here and a break for the northeast. As a matter of fact, you folks may very well get above freezing today. Not the case right now though. It's 9 in Boston, 18 degrees in New York, so another cold start to your day, but a little sunshine will warm things up and you'll begin to moderate temperatures.
Charlotte, 27, Atlanta, 27 and then we've got rain falling on top of that. So that is where our focal point for winter weather and this time around it's ice, sleet, freezing rain and there's a coating outside in the metro area of Atlanta right now and that moisture's heading up into say Columbia, South Carolina, where they could see a half to three quarters of an inch of freezing rain or ice. And that for sure will take down trees, at least tree limbs and power lines. There will be numerous power outages later on today, especially across western parts of south and North Carolina.
And then snow is eventually getting into the Ohio River valley. 34 in Chicago, 34 degrees in New York City, I mentioned that it will get above freezing there, but it probably won't get above freezing in Atlanta until tomorrow once this system begins to press off towards the north and east and things will begin to quiet down with that. Tomorrow's high in Atlanta, 44. That will be enough to melt any ice for sure; 36 degrees in St. Louis, 34, 37 expected in Denver, Colorado.
Quick shot of Atlanta Hartsfield (ph) international airport where it is currently 28 degrees and it is awfully frosty out. I'm not even sure de-icing is going to help. I'm going to check on the airport. It may very well be closed. I don't have that information now but I'll have it in about 10 minutes for you.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
NGUYEN: Yes, it's going to be a mess. It's going to cause some backups.
HARRIS: Thanks Rob.
NGUYEN: Thank you Rob.
All right. Let's get to our e-mail question of the day. Is the Iraq war worth the American sacrifice? We got a lot of very good ones coming in. Bob from Round Rock, Texas says, "if we achieve the objective of creating a free Iraq, it will be worth it. If we don't, it will affect the U.S.A. for decades to come. We are the country facing the biggest potential change, not Iraq."
HARRIS: And this from Stephen, "considering the fact that we are putting hundreds of billions of dollars into it and losing soldiers every day, I would have to say no. Perhaps we should put pictures of soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq on gas station pumps so we can thank them when we fill up on cheaper gas." That's from Stephen. Thank you all for the e-mails. There's the question and there's the address, wam@cnn.com. We'll read
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Aired January 29, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: In five U.S. cities, 14 different countries, Iraqi expatriates are heading to the polling stations to cast their vote this morning. From the CNN center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's January 29th, one day away from elections in Iraq. Good morning everyone. I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: And I'm Tony Harris, 7:00 a.m. in the east and 4:00 a.m. in the west. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you caught up on the morning headlines now in the news. Sleet and freezing rain are icing the southeast this morning, piling up cars on Atlanta area interstates and scrambling the salt and sand truck fleets in the Carolinas. Ice is building up on trees and power lines and that could mean major power failures.
The execution of convicted killer Michael Ross has been postponed until Monday in Connecticut. A question of whether his attorney has a conflict of interest must be resolved. Ross had been scheduled to die this morning for the killings of four women in the 1980s.
Less than 24 hours before the voting begins in Iraq, two bomb attacks in the Kurdish town of Khanaqin have killed eight people and wounded seven. A suicide bomber set off at least one of the two explosions in the town 60 miles northeast of Baquba. The target was a coordination center for U.S. and Iraqi military forces.
NGUYEN: You would definitely want to stay with us this hour as we countdown to Iraq's pivotal moment. Expatriates around the world are already marking their ballots. Soon their countrymen will join them in making history.
Also ahead, a powerful reminder in Manhattan of the human drama in Iraq. You'll hear from the people responsible for images so arresting even busy New Yorkers stop in their tracks.
And, can the Super Bowl be super sized? The NFL thinking so. CNN's sports business analyst Rick Horrow will join was beyond the game. That's coming up.
HARRIS: And the top story this morning, day two of expatriate voting in the Iraqi election. Let's check in with our Gary Nurenberg who is live at a polling place in New Carrollton, Maryland. Good morning Gary.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony. It's freezing in this Washington, D.C. suburb. But the cold temperatures yesterday, it was freezing most of the day, too, did not keep many Iraqis from dancing with joy at the opportunity to vote for the first time in their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wanted to do this for 36 years. No more killed. No more children killed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Saddam.
NURENBERG (voice-over): This Maryland location is one of five where Iraqis can vote in the United States. Some of it looks like an American election, show ID, sign in. But most American voters don't get told to stick their fingers in ink to prevent them from voting again. It will mark the voters for days. There's some privacy and there is some evident pride when actual voting is done. The smiles continued outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel great. I feel great. I think that I am born new.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is the start of a new Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are so happy and I can tell thanks for President George W. Bush. He did that for us and we appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NURENBERG: But that may not be a universally-shared sentiment. It's estimated there are 240,000 Iraqis living in the United States who are eligible to vote, but only 26,000 of them registered to do so. Polls here opened about four minutes ago and at 6:30 huddled in this cold parking lot across the street, Tony, one Iraqi family was standing by ready to be the first in line.
HARRIS: We appreciate it, Gary, Gary Nurenberg in Carrollton, New Carrollton, Maryland. Gary, thank you.
NGUYEN: And in Iraq today, Insurgents bent on disrupting the election are launching attacks all across the country. The latest, two bombings that killed eight people in a Kurdish town at the border with Iran. CNN's Jeff Koinange joins us now live from Baghdad with all of this. Hi there, Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Betty. It's about 16 hours to go before polls open here in Iraq. And security is unprecedented across the country, but that didn't stop a suicide bomber from strapping himself with explosives, walking up to a military base in the town of Khanaqin. That's about 100 kilometers northeast of Baquba in the Sunni triangle. He detonated himself and in the ensuing commotion, an improvised device went off, killing up to eight people, wounding several others.
Here in Baghdad, Baghdad police tell us that insurgents attacked a police station in one of the southern suburbs. They wounded two Iraqi policemen, but not before making off with a stolen police car. Now why is this significant? Well, on Election Day, only certain vehicles will be allowed within polling stations but of course police cars being one of them, this is not a good sign. Having said that, Betty, security across the country is virtually air tight. You can hear a helicopter just hovering above me. It's been like this for most of the day.
Both U.S. soldiers and Iraqi soldiers patrolling the streets of the capital in tanks, in Humvees, on foot patrol, lots of heavy police checks, checking vehicles, searching drivers, making sure that less than 24 hours to go before that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at least the city is tight and air sealed. The Baghdad airport is closed. The borders are sealed. There's a curfew in effect. It seems like the proverbial calm before the storm. Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, I wanted to ask you about that Jeff because the security, as tight as it is, yet we're still seeing attacks. Are Iraqis a little hesitant to go to the polls? Are these attacks having an effect on them?
KOINANGE: Well, it depends on who you ask. For the most part, especially the majority Shia, they say they want to vote because they want to make a change. They have been disenfranchised by the minority Sunni for decades and they want to go out there and make a change. However, when we asked them, are you going to line up and vote and wait in line for hours on end if need be, they said, we'll try. What if a bomb goes off, we asked them? And they tell us, well, we'll have to see if that happens. A lot of them technically they want to go out and vote. Whether they will actually show up and cast their votes, well, we'll just have to see that in just a matter of, less than 16 hours from now. Betty.
NGUYEN: And we'll be waiting and watching, Jeff Koinange in Baghdad for us. Thank you Jeff.
Our e-mail question today, is Iraq worth the American sacrifice? What do you think? E-mail us now at wam@cnn.com. We will read your responses throughout the morning.
HARRIS: And changing gears now. It is an icy slippery mess here in the Atlanta area. A winter storm is bringing freezing rain throughout middle and north Georgia, slick roads and dozens of auto accidents caused shut downs -- look it, he's spinning out - on every interstate in the metro Atlanta area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy spun out right in front of us and kept circling back and back and back and back and he went right into us.
We were trying to brake. We tried to brake (UNINTELLIGIBLE) avoid us and he just kept sliding and we hit him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Ice is a problem in parts of South Carolina as well. Utility officials are predicting thousands of people in both states may lose power.
NGUYEN: What a mess it's going to be out there on the roadway. It's going to be sticking around all day in those affected areas?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: In some spots, yeah, and temperatures well below freezing here in Atlanta and up I-85, so we're not the only spot. It's a pretty nasty scene. Let's take a live camera. I think we have an Atlanta shot for us. Temperatures have fallen into the 20s, wow. Atlanta's got a river. I'm pretty sure that was the East River up there in New York which is all quiet right now. But good morning Atlanta.
I'll tell you what, the local police have been busy out there, skating around, quiet literally. WSB is giving us this shot, 28 degrees and we have ice pellets and freezing rain widely reported across the Atlanta metro area and also up I-85. You can see the radar, white is when the radar's pretty sure it's snow, blue and the brighter colors rain, pink, it kind of says, well, I'm not quite sure. So freezing rain and sleet falling in this general area and it's been like that for about six to eight hours and it is accumulating on even the primary roads across the Atlanta area. You can see there's a bit of break back to Montgomery and parts of southwestern Alabama and that will get through the rest of the southeast. It will be drying out somewhat from west to east.
As far as how much or where the ice is going to be and where the snow is going to be, you go south of Atlanta and then up I-85 across the Piedmont, banking up against the Appalachians. That's where that cold air tended to trap and then we have this warm moist air coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, rides up over that more dense cold air and that warm moist air, at least above freezing rain, falls into the subfreezing temperatures at the ground. That's where you get that mess.
By the way, D.C. will probably see an increase in clouds and maybe a little snow later on today and tonight, an inch or two possible. Red as you know on weather maps, typically means bad news. Winter storm warnings are up for this area around the Atlanta metro area until 4:00 p.m. and then it goes west across parts of eastern Tennessee, also and then along the Blue Ridge highway and across parts of the southern Appalachians as well. The Carolinas typically get hit hard with this, at least the western Carolinas and that will be the case again today.
Northeast looking good, high pressure control, although it will be on the cool side, a little bit warmer than it was yesterday, daytime highs, reason for celebration in New York, 34 degrees for a high. That gets you above freezing. Enjoy that. WABC gives us this live shot and there it is. That is a beautiful shot, isn't it? I believe that's probably shooting over from Queens.
HARRIS: From Queens? Roosevelt Island? Nice, yeah, yeah. OK.
MARCIANO: Looking good, blue sky. No snow in the forecast. But ice, Atlanta up through Charlotte, Greensboro, those areas -- and ice is not fun. I take six to 10 inches of snow over ice.
NGUYEN: Any day. We're not getting above freezing so it's going to stay around for a while. MARCIANO: It will. The rain, the precip itself will dissipate later this afternoon and we may get above freezing later on tonight but a good six to 10 hours more.
NGUYEN: Iced in, OK, Rob Marciano, thank you for that.
Michael Jackson is taking his case to the public. We'll tell you what the pop star is planning a day before jury selection starts in his child molestation case.
HARRIS: And also ahead this Saturday morning we'll see what has so many busy New Yorkers stopping to take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Pop star Michael Jackson is to release a video statement on his Web site tomorrow. His publicist says it will focus on leaks of grand jury testimony in his child molestation trial. Jackson's representatives say the judge in the case has already approved his videotaped comments. Jury selection is slated to begin on Monday. Meantime, the judge ruled yesterday that Jackson's young accuser will have to testify in open court. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In Columbus, Ohio, the Iraq war comes to the doorstep of a Licking County couple. They have blanketed their front yard with more than 1400 flags, one for each American killed in action there. They say rather than American flags, they chose orange because it is the international color of distress.
It turns out there's now a third conservative columnist who was on the government payroll to lobby in support of an issue backed by the Bush White House. The Department of Health and Human Services says Mike McManus received $10,000 to promote a marriage initiative. Federal law bans the use of public funds for propaganda. Now don't forget our e-mail question this morning. Is Iraq worth American sacrifice? Here's the address, wam@cnn.com and we'll read some of your replies a little later this hour.
NGUYEN: All right. Now more than 1400 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, a large number at first glance, a heartbreaking loss when viewed one by one and family by family. CNN's Jason Carroll has more on the American sacrifice of one such family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Leslie Jackson was everything to her mother, an only child who knew early on what she wanted to do with her life.
VIOLA JACKSON, DAUGHTER KILLED IN IRAQ: That's all she talked about. She was already in junior ROTC and that's all she talked about, was being and going into the army. I'm going into the army, you know. And I was hoping that maybe she would change her might but -- CARROLL: She never did. Leslie kept a journal and wrote letters about her experiences. One reads, this place is hell. I don't know. We got here. Is the lord punishing me? What did I do wrong? The words written May 20th, the day Leslie was killed when her truck hit a roadside bomb. She was 18, the youngest U.S. female soldier to die in Iraq.
JACKSON: She always told me, mom, don't worry about me. Unless you see two uniform personnel standing on the door, standing on the doorstep, she said, don't worry about me. That's how they came. When I saw them, I knew.
CARROLL: Leslie Jackson grew up in a rough section of Richmond, Virginia. When word spread of her death, the community came together and mourned. At her high school, her principal --
EARL PAPPY, PRINCIPAL: let's get out of the halls! Let's go!
CARROLL: -- a man known for keeping order --
PAPPY: You better find somebody's class, man. You better find it now.
CARROLL: -- remember how Leslie kept him in line.
PAPPY: When I came in she took me under her wings to kind of let me know what she expected out of a principal for Georgewith (ph) High School.
CARROLL: That was Leslie Jackson, age 16. At 15, already a member of the school's ROTC program, her peers voted her battalion commander. She often spoke of going to Iraq with her ROTC teacher.
SGT. EARL WINSTON, ARMY ROTC INSTRUCTOR: When we talked about it, about her going to Iraq and we talked about people dying in Iraq prior to her going, you know, she said it was OK. She would still not hesitate to do what she could do.
CARROLL: The school keeps her army uniform. It's too painful to have at home. But her mother has her memories. The last call she got from Leslie the day she died.
JACKSON: And she said, momma, I don't know when I'll get a chance to talk to you again. I just wanted to let you know that I love you and I said, Leslie, I love you, too.
CARROLL: And there are always her daughter's letters.
JACKSON: Today was OK. I only heard one boom and it was outgoing. I wish every day could be like this, quiet and peaceful and normal. I slept most of the day. I talked to my mother and Samantha and it made my day even better. Anyway, another day gone, another day alive. Thank God.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, Richmond, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Super Bowl 39 match up is a marketer's dream, David versus Goliath. The Philadelphia Eagles have not been to the big game in more than two decades when they lost to the Oakland Raiders. The Eagles play David to the team on the verge of a dynasty. The New England Patriots are headed to their third Super Bowl in four years and now the engines of the NFL marketing machine are running full blast, selling the Super Bowl this week as we take you beyond the game.
Dollars, dollars, dollars, the Super Bowl is already the most watched spectator sport on network television on the planet but the NFL believes it can do even better. With a look at how the NFL can improve one of the most prized of all sports products is the author of "When The Game Is on the Line." Rick Horrow is also our CNN sports analyst. Now last week he got lucky it says here and correctly predicted the Eagles and Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl. Where did you do that? I didn't see you on television. Did you do it on your radio show or something?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: No but here's the deal, man. We had a technical glitch and I know what your picks were.
HARRIS: It's on on/off switch.
HORROW: It's an off switch on your football knowledge, pal because I remember that you picked the Falcons. What are you thinking? What are you thinking?
HARRIS: I told you that was more heart than head. OK, I'm living here now. It's more heart than head.
HORROW: I don't ever have to worry about your head, quite clearly, all right, but it has nothing to do with football knowledge. Let's get on with it.
HARRIS: All right. So here's the question when it comes to market this game. I mean how can you improve upon the most popular game on network television?
HORROW: You can certainly improve but the NFL is a $5 billion business and they made it because of a prolific marketing machine on the backs of the fans. Look at the stats. The fans are loyal, 43 percent NFL is their favorite sport. They got money, 62 percent went to college and 30 percent have over $75,000 of household income. By the way, probably to pay back the college loans. They buy 32 percent of us have NFL merchandise and 7 of the top videos are NFL related. And most important, they're diverse. Twelve percent of the fans are African-Americans and over 30 percent are women. And what that means, by the way, more women watch the Super Bowls than the Academy Awards and they make 85 percent of the important buying decisions which, as we all know, is really important to corporate America.
HARRIS: All right. What about marketing this game? Can you improve upon the standing of the game by marketing it in a different way and improving the image in any kind of significant way?
HORROW: Yeah, of course you can and it deals with the individual teams as well. You know we talk about parity. We've had now had 39 Super Bowls and by the way, this year as you know, we had two eight and eight teams make the playoffs which is a big deal. But the bottom line is the America's teams of before are not of the top 10 now in terms of 10 percent share. The Cowboys, by the way, are under 10 percent for the first time in history. We have the Raiders and the Niners, about 6 percent of fan favorites. By the way, all three of those teams were terrible this year, so it's not on the field performance. We got the Packers and the Steelers.
Now, if the Patriots win, we are a nation as you know Tony of bandwagon jumper on-ers. So they will be up there but there is that parity among teams. But the individual stars, top marketers of course according to nfl.com, marketing players, are quarterbacks. We've got Michael Vick of your Falcons number two. We got Brett Favre and we've got Tom Brady. We've got Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens snuck in there, 33 percent increase in endorsability of NFL superstars. The teams are important but the individuals as we know are the key.
HARRIS: And market some of those items to women as well. Let's get some jerseys that are fit for women and things like that. That would help.
HORROW: We've already got it, by the way.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
HORROW: The NFL has a deal with Reebok and women now are 5 percent of the market. It's going to be 15 or 20 percent later. It's a $3 billion industry. So as usual, Tony, it's a good idea, just a couple of years late out of your mouth.
HARRIS: How about the fair ball of the week?
HORROW: Fair ball of the week is a new deal. Healthcare system in Texas signed a 2 million, 12-year deal with Trinity Mother Frances Rose (ph) stadium. That's the name of the health care system. I don't care what the stadium's name is. The point is that it's more money for high school sports and high schools in general.
HARRIS: Foul ball?
HORROW: Let's call it hockey before we forget what the sport is.
HARRIS: Have they called the season yet? Is it over?
HORROW: They might as well. They haven't yet, but as long as the players and the owners can't get together. By the way, 89 percent decrease in merchandise since last December. Nobody's buying. Everybody's forgetting it unless there's a radical restructuring of the game, we may not remember what hockey is.
HARRIS: There he is, the author of "When the Game Is on the Line," Rick Horrow. HORROW: Super Bowl next week, big deal. We'll do that next week so you can put your head on. Just don't pick the teams. I'll talk to you next week.
HARRIS: I'm looking both ways. All right. Rick, good to see you.
HORROW: Your head's somewhere, man. I'll tell you that.
NGUYEN: He is so tough on you Tony.
All right, so who's who in the Iraqi elections and how exactly are things supposed to work after votes are cast tomorrow? Iraq election 101, class begins in just a few minutes.
Plus, what is it like to land at the Baghdad airport, take chopper flights and walk the treacherous Iraqi streets? Anderson cooper shares his reporter's notebook ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So will there be any hanging chads in the Iraqi elections? Probably the least of our worries this morning.
NGUYEN: Exactly.
HARRIS: We'll tell you how it's meant to work. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: We'll have that story in a moment. I'm Betty Nguyen. Here is a look ahead at headlines though. Right now in the news.
Much of the sun belt is glistening under a layer of ice this morning and that's meant some treacherous driving from Georgia to the Carolinas. The ice storm has triggered numerous crashes, including this one outside Atlanta. Dozens of wrecks are there and they have shut large stretches of interstates and side streets, plus power outages are expected. CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano will join us with a little bit more of this and that will happen just a little bit later.
But in the meantime, state officials in Connecticut abruptly stepped in and delayed the execution of Michael Ross just one hour before the serial killer was to be put to death. Ross, who has dropped all appeals and is asking to die, is now scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Monday. A Federal judge has reprimanded his attorney for trying to help his bid to die.
Iraqi expatriates are casting votes this weekend from the United States to the United Kingdom and to the United Arab Emirates. Fourteen countries are hosting polling sites in Iraq's first free election in half a century. About a quarter million Iraqis have registered to cast their votes from outside the country.
HARRIS: Americans have a vested interest in the Iraqi elections and the outcome. Most importantly a successful election is probably the best indication of whether U.S. forces in Iraq can leave sooner rather than later. But the process that unfolds tomorrow is not one that American voters would easily recognize.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): Constant insurgent attacks and threats have everyone on edge and U.S. and Iraqi security forces can only do so much. Military commanders say voter protection is not guaranteed and Election Day violence is expected.
Finding the local polling place may be the first obstacle. There are some 6,000 polling centers around the country; 14 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, plus one million Iraqi expatriates. The single ballot includes candidates for a national assembly that will create a national constitution and pick the nation's leaders. Voters are also deciding on 18 provincial councils and in the northern Kurdish region, they're electing their own parliament.
Most Iraqis may recognize just a few names on the ballot. The United Iraqi Alliance is made up mostly of Shiites and is backed by the grand Ayatollah al Sistani. The alliance holds the largest electoral slate of candidates including several prominent religious leaders. And the other most recognized group is Iraqi list, led by Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. This group is predominately secular with Shiite and Sunni candidates.
Some groups are boycotting because of the on going presence of American troops on Iraqi soil. They say the occupation makes free and fair elections impossible. Despite all of the difficulties, Iraqi officials expect preliminary election results within a week and official results 10 days after the election.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Officials in Baghdad are doing everything possible to make the city secure before tomorrow's election, including closing down the airport but not before CNN's Anderson Cooper arrived. Here's his take on what it's like to be in the middle of things.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flight to Baghdad starts off like any other flight. You fly high above the clouds, endless stretches of sand far below. It's only when you're right above Baghdad you realize this is not a normal flight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The final part of our descent will be from overhead in a spiral fashion. It might feel a little uncomfortable on the body but nevertheless, it's due to safety and security reasons.
COOPER: The plane turns sharply, spiraling downward, a cork screw landing to avoid taking fire, though the insurgents know the maneuver. Not everything goes as planned, however. Suddenly fighter jets appear underneath. There's fighting at the airport. It's too dangerous to land. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are returning back to Amman and we will take it from there, depending on how long the military operation lasts here in Baghdad.
COOPER: The next day another flight, the plane finally gets permission to land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be landing at Baghdad international airport. Kindly return to your seats and make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened and the seats are in the up right position.
COOPER: The road into town from Baghdad's airport is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world. You drive fast, constantly aware of people passing by, cars getting too close, buildings, insurgent spotters could use to target your car. Sometimes, however, you simply get stuck. We're stuck in a traffic jam, it seems. It seems like a traffic jam which is such an ordinary occurrence, all of a sudden it's a security threat because, you know, someone could just come up alongside the vehicle, another car could just slam right into you. You're sort of a sitting duck.
Election posters are all around. It's too dangerous for candidates to appear in person. Some days you wake and don't want to go outside. You ask yourself, do I need to take my vest? Do I need to wear my helmet? The answer is almost always yes. Even if you don't go out, you can't escape the violence. All day long, e-mails from Iraqis, from soldiers, from people you don't even know, a steady stream of death and progress, suicide attacks, schools built, police killed, insurgents caught, shrapnel and bullets, bombs and ballots. At times it all seems surreal. In the green zone a young soldier drives an SUV. For a moment the music makes it feel like home.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Keep your head low and have a good trip.
COOPER: All right. Thanks.
Hitching a ride on a chopper you rise above the dirt and dust, fly low, shaken by the power of American might, the rotors slicing the morning air. In Iraq, Americans rule the sky but on the streets, it's another matter. On a night patrol an American platoon checks up on Iraqi soldiers. Riding long in a pitch black Humvee, you can't help but admire these guys. Reporters can leave, fly home when they're done. These guys are stuck for the long haul. Night and day, day and night they work around the clock, countless patrols, no end in sight.
Outside a polling station an Iraqi National Guardsman masked and alone stares out into the darkness. Gunshots echo in the street. Police look like insurgents, insurgents dressed like police. The nights and days in Baghdad seem very long indeed. Anderson Cooper, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And now to our security watch. We update you on the weekend's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning. Tuesday, an analysis from the Rand Corporation revealed that installing antimissile systems on all commercial airliners would cost about $11 billion and billions more to maintain. It's an idea being considered to protect the aircraft from shoulder-fired missile attacks. Rand recommended the government hold off on installing the technology until it becomes cheaper.
Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says the tip about a possible terror plot against Boston should not have been made public. Tuesday the FBI said the whole thing was a hoax. Officials say the bogus intelligence came from a man who was mad because he was never paid for a job illegally smuggling Chinese nationals into the U.S. from Mexico.
On Monday the Federal government will start requiring truckers who haul hazardous materials to submit to fingerprinting and background checks. Congressman mandated the checks as part of the Patriot Act but with some 2.7 million drivers in line, it could take five years to check them all. And this reminder, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
A silent reminder, and one of the world's busiest cities takes New Yorkers through the time line of the Iraq war. Details next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
MARCIANO: Hi, Tony. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN weather center. A winter mess across the eastern third of the country, not going to get to the blizzard-ridden northeast but the southeast getting into the act with ice, probably the worst kind of winter scenario you can have. We'll talk about that and your complete forecast for the rest of the country in just a few minutes. CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in a moment.
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NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) music for you this morning. Good morning, Cincy. It is motorcycle madness over the U.S. Bank arena. Evil Knievel style tricks brought to you by the international freestyle motor cross association and you're looking forward to that, Tony. Rob Marciano will have the forecast in about 10 minutes.
But right now, here is a quick update on our top stories this morning. Expatriate Iraqis in 14 countries from Australia to the United States are voting again today in Iraq's landmark election. They got an early start but people in Iraq vote tomorrow for a national assembly amid very tight security.
Slip sliding away in parts of the southeast. A winter storm is bringing freezing rain to north Georgia and South Carolina. There have already been dozens of auto accidents and highway shutdowns. Numerous power outages are also expected throughout the weekend.
Michael Jackson says he'll release a video statement tomorrow on his Web site, commenting on grand jury leaks in his child molestation trial. Jury selection in that trial begins on Monday.
And just ahead, we will be reading your e-mails. Let us know what you think. Is Iraq worth the American sacrifice? We're at wam@CNN.com.
HARRIS: And time once again to check in on international developments.
NGUYEN: And for that let's go now to Anand Naidoo at the international desk. Good morning Anan.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty, Tony, and time now to check out some of the other stories making news around the world and we start with two places which are separated by only 90 miles of water, but it's taken more than half a century for direct flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
The first passenger jet from China touched down in the Taiwan capital Taipei, touching off some inspiring celebrations. The relaxation of the restrictions comes at lunar New Year, which is one of the biggest holidays in China. Who knows, some are hoping that the lifting of those restrictions could pave the way for let's say more cooler tensions rather in one of the world's most potential dangerous spots.
Now election news, not the Iraqi election, we're talking about elections in Gaza. Could this be a sign of the future? The radical Palestinian group Hamas has swept seven out of 10 councils in the first ever local elections in Gaza. Hamas, which is sworn to destroying Israel, boycotted the presidential election earlier this month but took part in these local polls. Voter turnout there topped 80 percent.
And one other note from the region that we're getting, reports are coming in saying that the new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will be holding a summit with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. That summit scheduled to take place in about two weeks' time.
Remember Beslan? How could we forget the horror of children being massacred at a school in this small Russian town last September. Well, a Russian parliamentary commission investigating the tragedy, says the terrorists got help from the police. Two policemen have already been arrested. Two more are being sought and they're pretty high ranking, at the Federal level, as one official put it. And get this, some of them are still at their jobs.
That's a check of international developments for now. I'll be back later with more. For the moment, let's send it back to Betty and Tony.
HARARIS: Anand, thank you.
New Yorkers are famous for rushing through the city's crowded streets as fast as possible, but at one street corner near the Port Authority people are stopping to take in the view. We'll explain why just ahead.
NGUYEN: But first, a CNN extra, amazon.com this week launched a local Internet search service that allows you a virtual tour of city streets and shows pictures of businesses. So far the database includes more than 20 million photographs from 10 cities including New York, L.A. and San Francisco.
And check this out, online ad spending has increased 27 percent from 2003 to 2004. Compare that with 14 percent on cable and 8 percent in broadcast television.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So if you had a tough time keeping up with the headlines over the past week, we're here to help. That's what we do. Time now to rewind for a look at some of the big stories that made news over the last five days. Congressional numbers crunchers said Tuesday the Federal budget deficit will reach $368 billion this fiscal year. But that figure does not include White House plans to overhaul Social Security or additional costs for the war in Iraq.
In a prelude to a possible Mideast summit, Palestinian cabinet members Seib (ph) Erakat met with a top advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday. On the agenda, talking points for a future meeting between Sharon and Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas. It was one of several developments this week between Israel and the Palestinians signaling progress in relations between both sides.
Also on Wednesday, Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as U.S secretary of state. It happened just a few hours after the Senate voted to confirm her by a vote of 85-13. Meantime, a vote of 10-8 from the Senate Judiciary Committee to have the full Senate consider Alberto Gonzales' nomination as attorney general. Democrats had objected to Gonzales' role in the administration's policies on the treatment of Iraqi prisoners.
NGUYEN: Magnum Photos, a photo journalist collective has teamed with a billboard company in New York for a unique display. The high- tech billboard tells a story in images. And this weekend, the story is Iraq. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK LUBELL, DIRECTOR, MAGNUM PHOTOS: 42nd Street and 8th Avenue as you might know is the most commercial places in New York City, 1.5 million people travel through this space per day. Smart Sign media had a billboard which they allowed us to present Magnum work from Iraq. And it's not imagery that you would normally see in this location and we thought it was very fitting, leading up to the election, to show work from last five years before we actually entered the conflict, during the conflict, and up to the present day.
When you are there as a photographer and you're covering it, you become part of the story yourself. And I think it was Foka's (ph) interpretation and expression of what his experience was, which is chaos, confusion and I think those images reflect that. We have 105 images currently that are playing in rotation. And two photographers that were in Iraq sat down and looked at the work and edited through thousands of images and picked these images that story boards the conflict. Magnum photographers look for the human story and I think this is a human conflict. And so the images reflect that, both from this side, from the funerals of servicemen, to the funerals in Iraq. The story is about humanity and when you see small children in Iraq swimming in a pool with destruction around it, I think it takes away all of the political involvement. It's very easy for people in their daily routine to forget about what is happening in Iraq and with our soldiers and our position in the world. In a way, if we can be a daily reminder to people that what is happening, I think that we are doing our part on a visual front and that maybe that will inspire people to take action.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And as you know, expatriate voters are going to the polls today to cast their ballots for Iraq's first free election in more than half a century. Initial ballots are coming from expatriates in 14 different countries. Those voters are celebrating in the streets as Iraq moves toward a new era. Tomorrow it's the voters inside Iraq. We'll go to the polls. Expect live coverage of the historic event right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: And here's a question. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. You won't believe what one Florida man did to try to save his marriage. We have those details in our wows of the week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: I know you've been waiting but the wait is over. It's time now for the wows of the week. Recent video that was just so amazing we had to show it again. First up, what went down? Well, it happened on the icy overpass in Cleveland. A tractor trailer skid off the road and over the railing landing on a car below which was driven by a pregnant woman. Incredibly, no one was seriously hurt, thank goodness.
Now to warmer climates. This humpback whale was spotted off the coast of south Florida. Seeing whales in these waters is not unprecedented but it is rare. It was also unusual that the whale ventured so close to the beach before finally swimming away.
And probably the most puzzling story of the week, this, $17,000 full-page ad in the "Florida Times Union." Larry of Orlando apparently wants his wife Mary Ann back and shelled out major bucks to say so in a very public fashion. The odd thing is that neither Larry nor Mary Ann has offered any public comment since the ad appeared. All we can say is stay tuned. Hopefully it worked, Larry.
HARRIS: What do you think, Rob, it sounds like he kind of really messed up.
NGUYEN: Big time.
MARCIANO: You know, I was just changing the battery in my ear piece, I have no idea what that story is. I knew Tony you were going to put me on the spot, the one time. HARRIS: But you know what, we appreciate the honesty, see there?
MARCIANO: Yeah, it's probably the only thing I've got going for me. Tony and Betty, we've got a big mess happening across southeast. Everyone knows that who lives here and a break for the northeast. As a matter of fact, you folks may very well get above freezing today. Not the case right now though. It's 9 in Boston, 18 degrees in New York, so another cold start to your day, but a little sunshine will warm things up and you'll begin to moderate temperatures.
Charlotte, 27, Atlanta, 27 and then we've got rain falling on top of that. So that is where our focal point for winter weather and this time around it's ice, sleet, freezing rain and there's a coating outside in the metro area of Atlanta right now and that moisture's heading up into say Columbia, South Carolina, where they could see a half to three quarters of an inch of freezing rain or ice. And that for sure will take down trees, at least tree limbs and power lines. There will be numerous power outages later on today, especially across western parts of south and North Carolina.
And then snow is eventually getting into the Ohio River valley. 34 in Chicago, 34 degrees in New York City, I mentioned that it will get above freezing there, but it probably won't get above freezing in Atlanta until tomorrow once this system begins to press off towards the north and east and things will begin to quiet down with that. Tomorrow's high in Atlanta, 44. That will be enough to melt any ice for sure; 36 degrees in St. Louis, 34, 37 expected in Denver, Colorado.
Quick shot of Atlanta Hartsfield (ph) international airport where it is currently 28 degrees and it is awfully frosty out. I'm not even sure de-icing is going to help. I'm going to check on the airport. It may very well be closed. I don't have that information now but I'll have it in about 10 minutes for you.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
NGUYEN: Yes, it's going to be a mess. It's going to cause some backups.
HARRIS: Thanks Rob.
NGUYEN: Thank you Rob.
All right. Let's get to our e-mail question of the day. Is the Iraq war worth the American sacrifice? We got a lot of very good ones coming in. Bob from Round Rock, Texas says, "if we achieve the objective of creating a free Iraq, it will be worth it. If we don't, it will affect the U.S.A. for decades to come. We are the country facing the biggest potential change, not Iraq."
HARRIS: And this from Stephen, "considering the fact that we are putting hundreds of billions of dollars into it and losing soldiers every day, I would have to say no. Perhaps we should put pictures of soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq on gas station pumps so we can thank them when we fill up on cheaper gas." That's from Stephen. Thank you all for the e-mails. There's the question and there's the address, wam@cnn.com. We'll read
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