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CNN Saturday Morning News
Porter Goss' Replacement Possibly Picked; Patrick Kennedy At Mayo Clinic After Car Crash; President Bush Gives Commencement Address At Oklahoma State University; British Helicopter Crashes In Basra
Aired May 06, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news this morning, outgoing CIA director Porter Goss declines to say why he abruptly quit. Reports were outside his home as he left this morning. We're told President Bush has picked Air Force General Michael Hayden to replace Goss.
We have a live report coming up.
In Iraq, a British helicopter has crashed in Basra. A British military tank responding to the crash was set on fire by cheering crowds. Britain's Defense Ministry says there are casualties in the chopper crash.
A live report from Iraq is minutes away.
All 10 American soldiers aboard a helicopter were killed when it crashed in Afghanistan overnight. The military says the chopper went down during combat, but not as a result of enemy action.
And now to Texas. Baseball sized hail destroyed some property and more stormy weather is heading to parts of the state today.
Our meteorologist, Reynolds Wolf, will bring you a live forecast.
And President Bush is at Oklahoma State University right now to deliver the commencement address momentarily.
A live report on the president's activities, plus his pick for the new CIA chief, coming up.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is Saturday, May 6th, post-Cinco de Mayo.
LONG: Cinco de Mayo.
HARRIS: How are you feeling? You all right?
LONG: I'm here. You're here.
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
LONG: Ready to go.
HARRIS: Good morning, everyone.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.
LONG: And good morning.
I'm Melissa Long in for Betty Nguyen this morning.
HARRIS: Coming up this hour, pandemic plan -- it could save your life. The man who wrote the book will tell you what to do if the bird flu starts spreading from human to human.
Plus, fighting back -- victims turned vigilantes is a picture perfect way to snap out perverts. Meet the woman behind this growing trend.
And cyber parenting -- what you need to know about the online dangers facing your children and how you can protect them.
That's all ahead this hour.
LONG: The CIA shake up -- spy chief Porter Goss abruptly quitting and now we are told a military man has been picked for the top job.
CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is on top of all of that, beginning with Goss' resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush's handpicked choice to run-the CIA quit after just 20 months on the job.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Porter's tenure at the CIA was one of transition where he's helped this agency become integrated into the intelligence community. And that was a tough job. And he's led ably.
PORTER GOSS, OUTGOING CIA DIRECTOR: I would like to report back to you that I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well.
QUIJANO: But by many accounts, turbulence marked Goss' time in charge of the spy agency. While neither Goss nor the president offered an explanation for the sudden resignation, ignoring questions from reporters, intelligence sources close to the discussions about the CIA's future say Goss' departure was anything but a surprise. The reason? Sharp differences between Goss and the man he reported to, John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, a job created after Goss was appointed CIA director.
An intelligence source says Negroponte wanted changes, moving functions from the CIA to Negroponte's umbrella agency, the DNI. But Goss pushed back hard, arguing those changes would weaken the CIA. In the end, Negroponte took his case to the White House for resolution, where top Bush aides sided with him. A senior administration official says Negroponte did raise with Goss the idea that he leave and says the decision was ultimately based on a mutual understanding between Negroponte, Goss and President Bush. John McLaughlin, the man who temporarily held the job before Goss, says the resignation is not a sign the CIA is in disarray, but...
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The danger here is that we could go back into an era where we have revolving door directors. With Porter Goss' departure, we will have something like three directors in four years. And that's seldom a good thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now, this morning, White House officials are trying to knock down reports that President Bush lost confidence in Porter Goss. Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino, aboard Air Force One, said that those reports were "categorically untrue."
Now, Goss himself is not saying anything about his reasons for leaving the agency. In fact, when CNN producer Fran Lewine and CNN photojournalist Larry Langley caught up with him outside his home early this morning, he essentially said it will just be one of those mysterious -- Melissa.
LONG: Goss may be quiet, but what about the White House? What is it saying about naming a successor?
QUIJANO: Well, what we're hearing from senior administration officials, telling CNN that, in fact, an announcement is planned for Monday and that President Bush has settled on Air Force General Michael Hayden to become Goss' successor.
Now, Hayden is the deputy director of national intelligence.
So we look for that announcement early next week -- Melissa.
LONG: Elaine Quijano live from the White House.
Thank you, Elaine.
A quick note, as well.
President Bush is now on the stage at the Oklahoma State University's graduation ceremonies. We expect to hear from him shortly and when he steps to the podium, we will listen in and share some of his comments when he speaks.
Also as a side note, General Hayden was one of the chief architects of the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program. We want to make sure you're up to date on exactly who he is. He is the highest ranking military intelligence officer in the American forces. Hayden entered active duty in 1969. He has been the director of the National Security Agency, commander of the Air Intelligence Agency and the director of the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center.
And remember to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. HARRIS: Cashing in on a scandal. Outed CIA operative Valerie Plame is reportedly ready to tell her story. The Associated Press reports she's received a seven figure book deal with Crown Publishing. You'll remember it was Plame's outing that led to the indictment of vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby. That came after Plame's husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson -- this is Valeria Plame at the Correspondents Dinner last week.
Joseph Wilson accused the Bush administration of distorting intelligence to justify going to war in Iraq. Plame's memoir is due out next year.
LONG: Congressman Patrick Kennedy is now undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic two days after slamming his car into a security barricade on Capitol Hill. At first, the Rhode Island Democrat blamed the crash on a reaction to prescription drugs that he was taking under a doctor's orders. And he revealed yesterday that he is battling depression.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PATRICK KENNEDY (D), RHODE ISLAND: But in all candor, the incident on Wednesday evening concerns me greatly. I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police or being cited for three driving infractions. That's not how I want to live my life and it's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island.
The reoccurrence of an addiction problem can be triggered by things that happen in everyday life, such as taking the common treatment for a stomach flu. That's not an excuse for what happened Wednesday evening, but it is a reality of fighting a chronic condition, for which I'm taking full responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Right now we want to take you to Stillwater, Oklahoma.
President Bush offering the commencement address -- in the middle of the applause right now -- to offer the commencement address to the graduates from Oklahoma State University, the home of the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Let's listen in.
BUSH: Thank you all very much.
President Schmidly, thank you.
Members of the Oklahoma State faculty and administration; Governor; people in the Statehouse; members of the United States Congress; distinguished guests; parents, friends, family, and most important, the Class of 2006...
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Thanks for the warm welcome to this great state and to this fine campus. I'm honored to be here.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Laura sends her greetings and she's disappointed that she couldn't be here with me. She was even more disappointed when she found out I had planned a romantic dinner for two at Eskimo Joe's.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: She also said she had one question to ask the students today -- how orange are you?
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: You know, if you read the newspapers, you know that when some want to criticize me, they call me a cowboy.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: This cowboy is proud to standing here in the midst of a lot of other cowboys.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: I want to thank the moms and dads here for the sacrifice and for the love you've shown your children.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: I want to thank the faculty for your hard work and dedication.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: I congratulate the Class of 2006.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Some of you are graduating with honors that involved much sacrifice and achievement. Others perhaps spent a little less time in the library.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: For all of you, I bring a message of great hope -- there's life after English Comp.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: Someday you'll appreciate what you've learned here. You will make your teachers proud. I know the professors who taught me English marvel at my way of words.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: President Bush in the red state of Oklahoma offering up the commencement address to the Cowboys, the graduating Cowboys at Oklahoma State University.
In southern Iraq, a dangerous mission turns deadly for British troops. A British helicopter crashed today in a Basra neighborhood. Some casualties are confirmed, but there's no word on the exact number.
After the crash, violence in the streets.
The latest now from CNN's Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, in the immediate aftermath of that crash, dozens of mostly young Iraqi men could be seen celebrating in the streets of Basra and then getting into clashes with British troops. Some of these protesters, some of the people in the crowd just throwing rocks, some throwing Molotov cocktails, some even, according to the British military, opening fire on British troops in that city.
The British say they were able to secure the crash site after some time and they say that, however, there is still unrest in the city, belligerent crowds, as they put it, still roaming around Basra.
As for the crash itself, the British military at this point confirming that some of their servicemen were killed. They are not saying, however, how many at this point. They are also -- we are also hearing from the Iraqi police, I should say, who say they believe that this British military helicopter was brought down by a missile -- Tony.
HARRIS: Ryan, let's start off -- this is quite a reversal. We've been talking about it throughout the morning. This is quite a reversal in terms of how the British troops are being treated in southern Iraq, Basra in particular. This -- there was a time not too long ago when the British troops felt so comfortable there, were so welcomed by the Shiites there, that they were doing sort of unarmed patrols through the city, isn't that correct?
CHILCOTE: That is correct. You know, Basra, in the south of Iraq, has been a comparatively quiet city. It is, as you say, a mostly Shiite city. The Shiites have been at the forefront in, if not supporting the presence of the British and American militaries in Iraq, then at least going along with their presence.
It's a particularly quiet place, Basra is, if you compare it to places like Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle in Iraq, where the mostly Sunni insurgency is carrying out the bulk of the violence.
One of the key things, however, we did hear from these crowds of young men on the streets in Basra today were slogans of support for a Shiite militia and its leader, Muqtada al-Sadr. Muqtada al-Sadr is an individual who has led revolts against both the American and British militaries before. He has pretty much gone to ground since then.
The key question is, is this just a one off incident or is Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia planning something more against the British and American militaries in Iraq? HARRIS: Yes.
And you'll be watching it for us. Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad for us.
Ryan, thank you.
Well, this is not the result of a car bomb in Baghdad. Take a look at this. This is Texas, friends, where the hail is bigger than a ranch hand's appetite -- Melissa.
LONG: And gas near $3.a gallon. You know, fill your tank, empty your wallet, fill the tank, empty the wallet. A new poll says high price have the middle class in a pinch.
Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you first notice him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, he got on the train and he kept staring at me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So he's just looking like this, just right at you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. He was like this, like, you know, locked onto his target.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Women fight back -- ready, set, smile. Perverts, get the picture?
All these stories still to come on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LILY KANTER, CO-CEO SERENA & LILY: You can sit around a table and people can have a million good ideas. But leaders are the people that do things between the meetings.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan created Serena & Lily, a high end nursery linens company. Kanter left her executive job at Microsoft to start a children's furniture store. An hour after she met Dugan, Serena & Lily was born.
Their linens use simple color schemes and fabric designs.
This partnership is a profitable one. With Dugan overseeing the designs and Kanter running the business, 2005 sales were over $1 million. Kanter believes in improving children's lives, so 5 percent of the company's profits are donated to kid-related charities. Kanter says success comes down to having an honest approach.
KANTER: When you do something wrong, admit you did it wrong. And find out how you can correct your mistakes. Sometimes that can cost your business money. Sometimes it can cost you some ego. But it's really important to have integrity in your business dealings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories, CIA Director Porter Goss' replacement is expected to be named on Monday. And senior administration officials tell CNN it will be Air Force General Michael Hayden. Goss properly resigned yesterday after losing what intelligence sources describe as a power struggle with National Intelligence Director John Negroponte.
In southern Iraq, Britain confirms some casualties in a helicopter crash in Basra. But right now the number is not known. At least two Iraqis were killed during clashes with British troops who responded to the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, wow!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man, that's a big tornado. That is a big tornado.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Some testifying moments on a Texas highway for these storm chasers. Severe storms pounded the state yesterday. This was the scene as a funnel cloud swept through the Klondike area.
Now some pictures from Seminole. That area was hammered by a windshield smashing hail storm.
And pretty much the same old story in Lubbock. And parts of Texas are under the gun-again today, as more severe storms sweep across the region.
We'll get an update now from Reynolds on this wicked weather -- good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Still ahead, why one man felt he needed to set a porn shop on fire. And even more intriguing, what he was wearing when he did it. We're going across America next.
LONG: Plus, how one woman started a revolution in crime fighting with her cell phone.
That's when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Safeguard your family, your personal belongings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Across America this morning, fire forces residents to flee their homes today in several east-central Florida neighborhoods. Dense smoke also shut I-95 near the Kennedy Space Center. Central Florida is seeing early summer like temps in the 90s and the chance of rain in the coming days is next to nil.
Flash floods are possible again today in Texas. Heavy rain trapped motorists in high water overnight in the San Antonio area. Even a tour bus was stranded under an interstate overpass. No one was hurt. Heavy storms stretched from Houston to Shreveport this morning.
Criminal charges are expected now in the death of a 14-year-old boy who died at a Florida boot camp. A second autopsy indicates Martin Anderson was suffocated and forced to inhale ammonia. A video shows guards at a Florida boot camp roughing up Anderson in January. He died a short time later. A first autopsy indicated the boy died from a rare blood disorder. Governor Jeb Bush ordered an independent investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINA JONES, ANDERSON'S MOTHER: I would like to thank the governor, Mr. Crump (ph) and his staff, the crew in Tampa and the students, also. The truth is out. We all knew how Martin passed away. So I'm relieved and happy today. It's a beginning. Justice needs to be served.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A student at a conservative religious college in Tennessee faces arson charges. Benjamin Warren says he torched an adult bookstore while dressed as a ninja to please god. Police say the suspect now says his crime was a sin and has confessed. Warren told police he reached that revelation after a car wreck. He said god was punishing him.
And what's this? A leisurely spring stroll by the backyard pool. check it out. A southern California bear came down from the hills to contemplate, to think about, to reflect upon a little swim. Well, when the animal noticed he was drawing human attention, he decided to amble away to his wooded home.
LONG: The water was too chilly.
HARRIS: Yes.
LONG: The bird flu, if it becomes a pandemic, will you be prepared?
Coming up, what you need to be ready.
Plus, mom and dad going back to class to get an eye-opening lesson in online child predators, when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Optometry professor Dr. Alan Reichow has designed innovative lenses for sports that have athletes seeing red, literally.
DR. ALAN REICHOW, NIKE VISION CONSULTANT: MaxSight lenses are a contact lens with a performance enhancing tint integrated throughout the whole lens and it filters 50 percent of the light. We designed this to make the ball or the object that's moving pop out, stand out against the background.
Unlike a sunglass, we take a tint, put it directly on the eye so the tint is everywhere. We have no pressure points, no clogging, no sweat buildup on the lens. These lenses were designed specifically for on the field performance, whether it's competition or practice. They were not designed or developed for driving a car.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: The product is a collaboration of Nike and Bausch & Lomb. Nearly 5,000 eye care practitioners in the U.S. carry it and you do need a prescription.
REICHOW: We've equipped many of the top athletes around the world in a variety of sports.
BRIAN ROBERTS, BALTIMORE ORIOLES: They just dimmed everything and that took the glare away and I wasn't squinting and I could see the ball. It was -- I actually didn't -- I couldn't even believe that you could make something that would help that much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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