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CNN Live Sunday

Search for Missing Soldiers in Iraq; White House Reacts to Missing Soldiers; New York Subway Terrorist Plot?; U.S. Open Update; Tuesday is World Refugee Day

Aired June 18, 2006 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Two big stories this afternoon. First, a search for two U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq, captured at this traffic checkpoint. The latest from Baghdad in a moment.
Also, New York subway riders targeted by terrorists. I will ask the former head of the CIA about the al Qaeda plot and what he knew about it and why the attack was called off.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Up first, violent Iraq. New information, two missing U.S. soldiers may have been abducted by masked gunmen.

Deadly attacks: at least 13 people killed in Baghdad and Baquba today. And an exclusive report on the battle to route insurgents. CNN's Nic Robertson is embedded with U.S. forces in the key Iraqi city of Ramadi. And now the latest in the search for those missing U.S. soldiers, and the chance they may still be alive. Here's CNN's Cal Perry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the scene of a coalition checkpoint in Yusufiya, where one U.S. soldier was found dead and two others went .

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: A coalition force soldier was killed and two others are currently listed as duty- status and whereabouts unknown after their security element came under attack at a traffic control point south of Yusufiya.

PERRY: Yusufiya, a town 30 miles to the south of Baghdad, lies within what the military calls the "Triangle of Death." Police in the town say that witnesses have told them four masked gunmen seized the two soldiers. An official at the Pentagon tells CNN that a vehicle was found abandoned with blood in the back, footprints matching those from military-issued boots leading away from the truck.

It all started at 8 p.m. local time on Friday, when a unit near to the coalition checkpoint reported taking small-arms fire and explosions. They called in a quick reaction force.

CALDWELL: Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces initiated a search operation within minutes to determine the status of these soldiers. And we are currently using every means at our disposal, on the ground, in the air, and in the water to find them.

PERRY (on camera): Major General Caldwell took the weekend to remember another U.S. soldier, Sergeant Matt Maupin. The U.S. military lists him as missing captured. Caldwell added at the end of his tape message that the U.S. military will never stop looking for any of its soldiers until their status is determined definitively. Cal Perry, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And so exactly how is a search like that carried out? Joining us now by phone from northern Illinois, CNN military analyst and retired brigadier General David Grange. All right General, well it's been nearly 48 hours since this search began. In any way does the lapse of time impact the way the search is being conducted?

BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: No, what happens is there's drills for this. And in the first 48 hours or so, units -- they are notified immediately. And it's a routine that they rehearse. It's practiced all the time. And it's key the earlier the better, that you start the search.

And so the first 48 hours were the key hours. It doesn't mean it will stop. I mean, we're still looking for people from I recall, being lost in Vietnam. So it's a relentless search that continues. But the first 48 hours was the immediate search procedures that were executed.

WHITFIELD: And General Grange, a number of witnesses say they saw a group of people abducting these two soldiers, separating them, taking them in separate vehicles. In your view, are these the hallmarks of al Qaeda which might be saying -- well, al-Zarqawi might be dead, our movement is not?

GRANGE: Well, yes, I would say that even though there's a lot of pressure on al Qaeda and other insurgent -- and also the insurgent groups, they do want to make a statement that they can still reach out and touch people. But I think that it doesn't necessarily mean it's al Qaeda. It could be kidnappers for ransom, for anything. I mean, this is a country that is grabbing people for many different reasons is a big business. And so it doesn't necessarily mean it's al Qaeda.

WHITFIELD: And how concerned are you that in this search perhaps those U.S. military personnel looking for these two missing soldiers would be attacked not just by insurgents or other people who want to kill them, but instead be targets for more kidnapping?

GRANGE: Well I think, see it's more effect psychologically to capture an American or high-profile Iraqi than it is to kill them. And so that's the optimum choice of our enemy, is to capture people.

And so I'm sure that the alert status, the procedures on people being with other people, the reaction capabilities has been relooked and readdressed and I'm sure it's very robust right now. I think it was already but I'm sure they relooked at their procedures.

WHITFIELD: Retired General David Grange, thank you so much.

GRANGE: My pleasure, thank you.

WHITFIELD: And more information now on the spot where the two soldiers were reportedly abducted. It's in an area so dangerous, it's been dubbed the "Triangle of Death." Most of the people who live there are Shiites and it's the site of a suspected missile production facility. The White House is closely following the search for those missing U.S. soldiers. CNN's Elaine Quijano is live from the White House -- Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Fredricka, at a time when the president and the Bush administration have been trying to highlight progress in Iraq, the spotlight this weekend has in fact been on the status of those two American soldiers missing since Friday.

Today on CNN's "LATE EDITION," White House Press Secretary Tony Snow told Wolf Blitzer that the United States is still trying to determine what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We're still trying to figure it out and we've been in communication with Baghdad, I have, very recently. And there's unfortunately is nothing to report either way. We're still trying to ascertain their whereabouts. Obviously there's a vigorous effort to try to locate them and to bring them back safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Meantime, the debate over setting a time frame for U.S. troops reductions in Iraq continues against the backdrop of upcoming congressional elections in November. Both Republicans and Democrats are trying to frame the issue. In an op/ed in the "San Francisco Chronicle," Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Christopher Dodd wrote that the time had come for a, quote, "phased redeployment to finally begin."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: A timetable, some goals, some discussion with the Congress by the administration. The president might not have wanted to have done that early on, but three years and three months, and a bogging down, I think, suggests that the time has come for some discussion as to where we go from here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, Republican Senator Pat Roberts insists that a time frame for U.S. troop withdrawals would only give terrorists the ability to wait things out. He says that it would also send a message about America's resolve. And President Bush of course has said in the past that such timetables would embolden the enemy. Now White House Spokesman Tony Snow says the president does understand how a war can wear on a nation, but he adds that Mr. Bush will not conduct the Iraq war based on polls -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano, thanks so much, from the White House. CNN will keep you updated on the missing soldiers as developments unfold. And we're also tracking the story on our Web site, log on to CNN.com anytime.

Terror plot, al Qaeda's plan to attack New York subways with poison gas. I will talk with the former head of the CIA about what the agency knew. Also on the front lines in Iraq, our Nic Robertson is embedded with soldiers battling insurgents. It's a story you'll only see on CNN. And later, she lost her father in Vietnam and her husband in Iraq. We talk to one woman about Father's Day without a dad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On the "Security Watch," it's no secret the city of New York makes an appealing target for terrorist attacks. But we are just now learning the city's subway system may have come dangerously close to an al Qaeda attack three years ago. That's according to a new book due out Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): In his upcoming book, "The One Percent Doctrine," Pulitzer Price winning reporter Ron Suskind writes about alleged plans for a 2003 terror attack on a New York subway.

"Time" magazine, owned by the same company as CNN, released excerpts. According to Suskind, informants warned U.S. officials that al Qaeda planned to use small, easily concealed devices to release deadly hydrogen cyanide gas on subway trains.

He says, quote, "There would be several placed in subway cars and other strategic locations and activated remotely. This was well past conception and early planning. The group was operational. They were 45 days from zero hour," un quote.

In Washington, the FBI declined comment. But a New York police spokesman confirms the department was informed of the threat in 2003 and, quote, "took appropriate precautions," un quote.

Somewhere around 4.8 million people ride New York's subway on an average weekday. On Sunday, New York Senator Charles Schumer expressed concern.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: I take the subways, my kids take the subways, so I think New Yorkers should feel everything is being done. But in a post 9/11 world, you can't be too careful.

WHITFIELD: In 1995, 12 Tokyo subway riders died after a nerve gas attack blamed on a doomsday cult. Just last year, terrorists bombed three London subway trains and a London bus, killing 52 people. Suskind says the planned attack in New York was apparently called off by Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Their reason, Suskind says, remains unclear. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The CIA's former acting chief John McLaughlin knew about the plot. He was there when the prototype of the device was unveiled at CIA headquarters. But he disagrees with some of Suskind's details. Mr. McLaughlin, good to see you. What do you dispute exactly?

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, I don't dispute the fundamentals of the story, Fredricka. I think the story is accurate in it's fundamentals, not off base. But the way this excerpt is written, very dramatically with a lot of details, probably overstates the degree to which this particular device and this particular plot played a central role in our deliberations at this time, which is not to say that we didn't take this seriously.

This was taken very seriously, and as I say the excerpt is accurate in its fundamentals. But at the same time, we were doing a lot of other things. This was one morsel on a very full plate.

WHITFIELD: And fundamentals, such as the location, it would involve New York subways, it would involve some sort of gas, poisonous gas, and it would take place or it was to take place somewhere within 45 days of when the plot was dismantled.

MCLAUGHLIN: Well the fundamentals -- when I saw the fundamentals are accurate, yes, we had reporting that there was an al Qaeda plot against the New York subway system. Yes, we had discovered through intelligence sources the existence of this device, which is a crude device for mixing two substances to produce a hydrogen cyanide gas, a poisonous gas. And yes, we had every reason to believe that this device would have been the one that they would have used in such an attack. And yes, we had reporting that this attack was called off.

WHITFIELD: It was called off allegedly by al-Zawahiri. Why?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well many people have views on that. My personal opinion is that as important as such an attack would have been, it wouldn't have been the spectacular kind of attack that I think al Qaeda is looking for. And they certainly know that once they attack in the United States again, the United States will be all over them, as we were in Afghanistan.

WHITFIELD: So how concerned are you now that this is publicly being discussed and that this might in any way prod, whether it be al Qaeda or anybody else to say, "OK, well we are going to deliver now."

MCLAUGHLIN: Well it's not a good idea generally to discuss the techniques that, in public, that are used by terrorists and our techniques for thwarting them.

I think the way we should state our concern is this -- clearly as your reporter indicated, the attacks on the London subways show that subways are a target. Interestingly, they chose conventional explosives in that case, rather than a chemical weapon. And certainly as your reporter indicated and as New York officials have said, the New York Police Department has been alerted to all of this years ago. We should consider our subways, also as Senator Schumer said, an area that we have to keep watchful and consider them as potential targets.

WHITFIELD: Does the revealing of this report in any way, in your view, make vulnerable now the U.S. intelligence that apparently is inside al Qaeda, which helped provide this information?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, there are a lot of details in the -- I certainly would not confirm for anyone listening, any of the things that Mr. Suskind mentioned about sources.

I don't think that's useful to discuss in public, how we learn what we learn. And I don't think that discussion of this particular episode is enormously harmful in the terms in which he's discussed it. On the whole, I would rather these things not be discussed in public, but there it is.

WHITFIELD: New York officials acknowledge that they knew about this plot, they knew it had been dismantled and that the right precautions were taken. Does that mean in the form of when we saw some of the heightened security alerts?

MCLAUGHLIN: Oh, yes. I can't go back and chart from memory exactly when the alerts occurred, but - this was -- but again, I would say -- the important thing I want to emphasize is this was important, but it wasn't the center of our universe at this point.

When you saw heightened security alerts, they were as a result of a variety of threats, a variety of reports. This was just one of many. What you see in this excerpt are a few frames from a much larger and more complex movie.

WHITFIELD: All right, John McLaughlin, former acting chief of the CIA, thank you so much.

MCLAUGHLIN: You bet, thank you.

WHITFIELD: And CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night. It's combat up close. We are on the front lines with U.S. soldiers fighting insurgents in Iraq, it's a story you will only see on CNN. But first check out this twister that touched down in Kansas. We'll find out if there's more severe weather in store for the Midwest. Your forecast, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Look at these pictures out of Kansas, a tornado ripped through the southeastern part of the state yesterday. So far, no reports of any damage, but more stormy weather could hit the Midwest and East today. For your Father's Day forecast, let's check with Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center. Hi, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, across America now, Peru, Illinois. The FAA is investigating a fatal mid-air collision. One pilot was killed. Witnesses say two single-engine aircraft hit each other before 9:00 a.m. Central Time.

Also in Illinois near Chicago, hope dims for saving two men who disappeared in the Cal-Sag Waterway yesterday. Dive teams unsuccessfully searched the channel for six hours. The missing pair are described as two men in their 20s.

An update on the trio of climbers rescued from Oregon's Mt. Hood yesterday. Two remain in a Portland hospital in fair condition. Deputies say the third climber was able to walk off the mountain. The three were found just 500 feet short of the 11,000-foot summit.

The 2006 Transplant Games are underway in Louisville, Kentucky. The 1,200 participants are living proof that transplant procedures succeed. Entrants compete in a dozen sports, including swimming, tennis, basketball and ping pong, as you saw. The games have been held every other year since 1990.

A well-known name is at the top of the leader board at golf's U.S. Open, but there are some unfamiliar names close behind. Our Larry Smith is at the Winged Foot Golf Club in New York. Larry?

LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Well hi there, Fredricka. Yes, an unknown name is at the top. Right now I should say, the first unknown that was at the top of the leader board, coming into the final round in Kenneth Ferrie, a 27-year-old from England. So if you're a Sting fan, you might say he's an Englishman in New York. That's so far, so good.

Six holes, six pars for him as has tried to maintain his par. He has stayed at two over par. It's another unknown, currently leading though, Geoff Ogilvy, from Australia, with birdies on five and six, has taken the lead now at one over par.

So last year, we had a Kiwi, Michael Campbell from New Zealand got a victory here, his first major victory, maybe possibly somebody from down under this year. Ogilvy right now leading the U.S. Open. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Larry, what about Phil Mickelson? He loves New York, New York loves him. How's he doing?

SMITH: That's right, it really does. He finished second here at the U.S. Open at Bethpage four years ago, second at Quinnipiac, when it was held in the area here in 2004. Last year in New Jersey, still the metropolitan area, he won his first PGA at Batastrall (ph).

So far, not too bad, he birdied on four, but then came back, had a great chance to score and get to even par in five. He hit his third shot about a foot, he was in the rough the entire hole, bogeyed there, so he is still even par for the day now at two over par. Again, he's trying to win his third consecutive professional major and try to become only the sixth man ever to win the Master's and the U.S. Open in the same year.

WHITFIELD: Ooh, that would be impressive. And who else is in the wings at Winged Foot?

SMITH: Well, you know, we talked about Colin Montgomerie earlier in the year. No European has won a major since 1999. No European has won the U.S. Open since 1970. But Montgomerie, 42-years-old from Scotland, has had a solid round so far. A couple of birdies on four and five, so he is currently three over par, two shots off the pace, so close so many times.

He's been runner up here a couple of times at the U.S. Open. But right now he's looking very good in the front nine. The back nine though still playing very difficult. Seventeen and 18 hard to score, and again it comes down to whoever makes the fewest mistakes here will get the victory. Montgomerie right now so far, two birdies, he's looking pretty good.

WHITFIELD: All right, good tournament. Larry Smith, thanks so much.

Stepping up the fight against insurgents, we are taking you to the front lines in the fight for Iraq, something you will only see on CNN.

And fallen heroes. On this Father's Day, we'll introduce you to one family who has had to endure the loss of a father figure not once, but twice. Plus a special delivery, a marine makes history just by being there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, I'm Edmund Bradenbar (ph), I'm currently deployed in Al-Asad, Iraq. Just shouting out to my father and my grandfather for a happy Father's Day. Hope you guys are having fun and missing me a lot and I'll see you when I get home, love you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm Private McCann (ph) serving Baghdad, Iraq. I would like to wish my father in Michigan a happy Father's Day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, my name is first class Ronald Hobbs (ph), I'm at camp in Kuwait. I'd like to say hi to Ronald Carter (ph) back in Detroit, Michigan, happy Father's Day, y'all stay safe, god bless you all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now in the news, a plot by al Qaeda to release deadly gas on a New York subway system in 2003. The details in a book by journalist Ron Suskind. "Time Magazine" published excerpts. Two former U.S. officials confirmed the U.S. was aware of the plot. And they also confirm the operation was called off by al Qaeda's number two man, Ayman al Zawahiri. Still no word on the fate of two U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq. Iraqi police say the soldiers were abducted by at least four masked gunman during an attack south of Baghdad on Friday. And intense search continues. CNN will keep you updated developments on this story as they unfold.

Elsewhere in Iraq insurgents on the attack, at least 13 people killed today in bombings and drive-by shootings. Most of the deaths were in the town of Baquba where violence has been escalating.

A major crack down on Taliban militants in Afghanistan. More than 10,000 U.S.-led troops are spreading out over four southern provinces in a blitz dubbed Operation Mountain Thrust. Officials say about 90 insurgents have been killed in less than a week.

Rising tension over the possibility North Korea may test fire a long-range missile. The U.S. says it expects North Korea to maintain a freeze on missiles. If not, the White House warns it will respond appropriately. Officials declined to elaborate. Reports say a missile has been assembled at a North Korean launch pad and possibly fueled.

And a tragedy at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Officials say a woman lost her footing after stepping over a retaining wall to take a photograph. She fell 500 feet down the canyon and died. The 52-year-old woman was visiting the park with her husband and two children.

More on today's top story, Iraqi police tell CNN masked gunmen abducted those two U.S. soldiers in Iraq. In Washington the White House is hopeful the soldiers are still alive buff questions are also being raised why they were alone in such a dangerous area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: I'm aware of the news accounts, but as you know a lot of times news accounts from a crime scene they can be reliable, they can be unreliable. And guys on the ground are trying to figure it out.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So the assumption right now is they are live and they are just missing?

SNOW: Making no assumptions, but certainly you will proceed on the assumption that they are alive and try to find them.

REP. JOHN MURTHA, (D) PA: That's worrisome these three young soldiers were out there by themselves at one of the most dangerous checkpoints in Iraq. I hope it doesn't mean we have such a shortage of personnel that they don't have a plan to reinforce them immediately when this happened. This is really worrisome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a story you will only see on CNN, stepping up the fight against insurgents. U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched a major operation to route insurgents holed up in the key western city of Ramadi. CNN's Nic Robertson is embedded with the army's 1st Armored Division. Here's his exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 500-pound bomb slams into barricades on a strategic bridge, marking the beginning of an attack designed to stop insurgents getting in and out of Ramadi.

In the hours that follow just after sunset, hundreds of U.S. and Iraqi troops and armor pour over the rail bridge to the southern outskirts on have the city, penetrating areas controlled by insurgents and completing, officers say, the isolation or strategic encirclement of Ramadi.

CAPT. MIKE MCLUSKER, U.S. ARMY: Terrorists have had what we would call freedom of maneuver or freedom of movement and they have gone on for a while. So I would say that they are used to being able to operate freely in the area that we're moving to.

COL. SEAN MACFARLAND, U.S. ARMY: They are going to go across this canal and establish a patrol base.

ROBERTSON: It's a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation. Although the U.S. provides most of the firepower and logistics, the plan uses U.S. strength to get Iraqi security forces into parts of Ramadi off-limits to them until now.

MACFARLAND: One piece at a time, going to take back parts of Ramadi that the insurgents have been able to gain the upper hand.

ROBERTSON: The details of this operation have been a closely guarded secret. But as the troops get ready to move on out here over the bridge into Ramadi, the concern is the insurgents may have figured out they are coming, pulled back and laid plenty of IEDs, or road side bombs in their wake.

MacFarland and other commanders have been keen to play down the size of the attack, possibly concerned about sparking panic among city residents. Hundreds of whom they say have recently left the city of 400,000.

For soldiers on the leading edge of the attack, there was no doubt about the scale of what they were getting into.

SPEC. MICHAEL ESKO, U.S. ARMY: This is part of the big one, first part going in, so I guess we are all a little nervous, excited, scared, I think it will work out for the best though.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a big day so make sure this is the one we get everything right and bring all our guys back.

ROBERTSON: CNN wasn't taken along for the actual attack, but sleeping soldiers the next morning spoke volumes for the intensity of their overnight effort and lack of immediate insurgent response. But among commanders, little doubt insurgents will strike back.

MACFARLAND: My concern is the first thing everybody else - is sniper fire, and we're going to probe us to gauge our reaction.

ROBERTSON (on camera): The overnight operation was also made easier by the fact that many had fled their homes when troops arrived here in this suburb on the south side of Ramadi. Their objective? They found half the families had gone, commanders concluded reports they had of people fleeing in advance of their attack were accurate. The challenge now is to convince those people it's safe to come back home and convince them as well that they can defeat the insurgents.

Nic Robertson, CNN, embedded with the 1st Battalion, the 37th Armored Regiment, on the south side of Ramadi, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And this note, Nic Robertson goes inside the world of private military contractors in Iraq, his exclusive report in our next hour.

Many of you are spending the day with your dads in your life. But for those who lost a father to war the day is bittersweet. Sumi Das shares the story of a family who endured the loss of their father figure, not once, but twice.

(BEIGN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At age six, a knock at the door forever changed Yolanda Acevedo's life. Her father was killed in the Vietnam War. Acevedo's most vivid memory is the last time they saw each other.

YOLANDO ACEVEDO, LOST FATHER AND HUSBAND: We were at the airport and we were saying good-bye, you know and we were trying to be brave. We made it through. And that was our last hug and our last kiss.

DAS: Thirty-five years later in April 2003, another life altering moment.

Y. ACEVEDO: We got the knock at the door again.

DAS: Acevedo's husband, Joe, a commander in the U.S. Navy had a heart attack while serving in the Persian Gulf. The loss this time felt not only by Acevedo, but also her two sons, now 11 and 14. This Father's Day weekend the family laid flowers at his grave and attended a service at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.

Y. ACEVEDO: I don't believe there's anything worse for a parent than watch your children's tears, watch them suffer, watch them in pain. Especially when you know that pain all so very well.

DAS: Acevedo says resources like survivor assistance programs have helped her sons cope.

ANDRE ACEVEDO, LOST FATHER: In a way it gets easier, but you still can't just erase what you know could have been, because you know it's not going to happen any more. STEPHAN ACEVEDO, LOST FATHER: I am going to the sixth grade and graduate from middle school just like my brother. So I think that he will never be there to see it.

DAS: On a holiday that could be somber, Andre and Stephan choose to recall their father's laughter, love and devotion to their children and country.

ACEVEDO: They both died doing what they wanted to do. And we loved them both and that was part of who they were.

DAS: Sumi Das, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Bridging the distance, modern technology helped one U.S. marine in Iraq become a dad today. Marine Corporal Terrence Lambert talked his wife through the delivery of their first child via a videoconference hookup. It's the first time he saw and spoke to her in sixth months. Mother and baby girl are doing well in Jacksonville, Alabama.

Helping the world's refugees. She would like to be known as much for her United Nations work as she would be for her movies. The impact celebrities like Angelina Jolie have on the refugee effort.

And later, they didn't make this kind of fuss when Ringo turned 64, but then again, he didn't write these words. Sir Paul McCartney's musical milestone straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, I'm Captain Chris Merrill in Al-Asad, Iraq. This is for my father, Nick Merrill (ph) in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Dad, I just want to take a few seconds and say thanks for being a great example of what a man should be and putting family first and taking care of those around me, thanks for the advice over the years. I still heed it and I see it when I'm out of ideas myself.

Now that I'm a father, I'm starting to see in a whole new light the kind of sacrifices that you made. An example of those personal choices, they still drive me to give that extra bit. Lastly, thanks for the prayers and support and the great care packages. They mean a lot to me. I love you dad. Happy Father's Day. Semper Fidelis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The college term papers are finished. The final exams passed and you have walked across that stage to get your diploma, but before college is completely in your rearview mirror, there's one more deadline you need to pay attention to, June 30th is the last day to consolidate your student loans at a lower interest rate. On July 1st interest rates are expected to rise nearly two percentage points to 6.8 percent. That's the highest level since 2001. If you are in school or within the grace period to pay back the loans, you can consolidate now for as low as 4.75 percent.

Parents needs to pay attention, too. Those who took out plus loans can lock in at 6.1 percent, otherwise it's 7.94 percent starting July 1st. To put this in perspective, a student with $20,000 in college loans could save as much as $5,000 by consolidating before July 1st according to Sally Mae. So start with research about your loans. If all of your loans are with one lender, then by law consolidate with them, but if they are held by more than one lender, then you are allowed to shop around and get the best deals.

WHITFIELD: Tuesday is World Refugee Day. It's the United Nations' effort to salute the spirit and courage of people driven from homelands. The UN estimates that 8.4 million refugees across the globe exist. More than half of them are children, and when you factor in people uprooted and left homeless in their own countries, more than 20 million face the risk of becoming refugees. Joining us from Washington to talk about the sixth annual World Refugee Day is Wendy Young of the UN refugee agency. Good to see you, Wendy.

WENDY YOUNG, UN REFUGEE AGENCY: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: While the number globally seems to be going down according to research from your group, why is the concern of refugees going up.

YOUNG: World Refugee Day is an opportunity for the world community to pause and think about the plight of millions of refugees around the world displaced by war and persecution and even though the number of refugees has dropped, as you indicated, to 8.4 million worldwide, in fact the numbers of persons of concern are increasing. That is largely because of people who are in refugee-like circumstances but have simply not been able to cross international borders, the so-called internally displaced persons, or IDPs around the world.

IDPs have the exact same needs as refugees in terms of protection and assistance, they just haven't qualified for refugee status because of that not crossing the border.

WHITFIELD: We are not just talking about Kosovo, Sudan, Rwanda, anymore, we are talking about Iraq, Afghanistan, even Colombia, so how are you equipped to help these varied needs.

YOUNG: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is the UN refugee agency that is mandated by the international community to provide protection assistance to the world's displaced. That means providing for their basic needs in terms of water, sanitation, health care, shelter, food. But it also means promoting protection among host companies so they are not at risk of return to situations where they would face further persecution.

WHITFIELD: And so the needs are far different if you are displaced or if you are a refugee as a result of war in your country versus a natural disaster, is there an area that is in greater need of public assistance or understanding? YOUNG: Well, certainly there are refugee crises that are receiving significant attention today. I would say the situation in Darfur is a very good example of that. We do need the help of the international community in that situation.

But there are also forgotten refugee crises around the world. Situations such as that in the Democratic Republic of Congo where more than 3 million people have died as a result of conflict-related causes since the war began in the late '90s. Those situations have faded out of the headlines but still need significant support from the world community.

WHITFIELD: So what kind of a difference does it make when you have a public face, a celebrity face like an Angelina Jolie or anybody else who have been attached to the UN or the UNHCR to help bring some notice to the crises of refugees.

YOUNG: It brings huge support to us to have Angelina Jolie partner with us in this cause, but we also rely on government partners, we rely on our non-governmental organization partners and we rely on the everyday citizen to help us in this work as well. It really takes united effort from the entire world community with leadership from individuals such as Angelina Jolie and also our high commissioner, Mr. Antonio Gutierrez.

WHITFIELD: Wendy Young of the UN refugee agency, thanks so much and best of luck and hopefully much success on Tuesday, World Refugee Day.

YOUNG: Thank you.

WHITIFIELD: And if you want to help, logon to UN Nations' refugee agency Web site at UNHCR.org and click on how you can help.

Well, it's been about three weeks since actress Angelina Jolie and her baby Shiloh. She sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper for her first exclusive U.S. interview about her daughter's birth. The UN goodwill ambassador also shared thoughts about her first visit to a refugee camp.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Had you ever seen anything like that before.

ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I hadn't seen anything like that. It was just - it was one of the most -- it one of those things where you -- in so many ways, I was so grateful having had that experience and I knew I was changing as a person, I was learning so much about life. So in some ways it was the best moment of my life. Because it changed me for the better and I was never going to want for more in my life.

COOPER: How did it change you?

JOLIE: Well, I was young and grew up in Los Angeles and I'm an actor and everything is focused on certain things in life and suddenly you see these people who are really fighting something, who are really surviving, who have so much pain and loss and things that you have no idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We'll have coverage of World Refugee Day all day on Tuesday and you can see more of Jolie's interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Tuesday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

It is a musical milestone like the song says, Sir Paul McCartney turned 64. Celebrating the ex-Beatle's birthday, coming up.

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WHITFIELD: Coming up tonight at 10:00, life in the fast lane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How fast were you driving?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eighty-five, but 85 sideways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The latest car craze, high-speed skids. Think it's just a fad? Think again.

Plus, can you hear me now? The new cell phone ring that's all the rage. Your child can hear it, but can you?

And she's just 15, so why is this political blogger all the buzz? That's all tonight at 10 Eastern right here at CNN.

Among the most popular stories this hour on cnn.com sub found on this Father's Day, the families of those is who served a World War II submarine say they feel like they found their fathers. The sub is believed to have been found off the coast of Thailand.

The world's most expensive lemon? A California dealership is suing Mercedes Benz claiming a $1.2 million limited edition roadster won't run more than 10 blocks without a problem.

And an Austin, Texas art teacher is fighting for her job today after topless photos surfaced. The teacher is making no apologies, claiming the photos are art.

Click onto cnn.com for details.

Well, not only is today Father's Day, but it is also Sir Paul McCartney's 64th birthday, a personal milestone of not since it was Sir Paul who penned the song "When I'm 64."

But the birthday, the song and Father's Day have a paternal connection for McCartney, his father was reportedly the inspiration for the song and its lyrics so for McCartney and all the dads out there, have a great day for your friends here at CNN. An update on your top stories just minutes away and at the top of the hour, hired guns.

They say they can do the job quicker and better than the U.S. military. We'll take an inside look at contractors in Iraq. But first Reynolds Wolff has our "Changing Earth" report.

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REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: People are not likely to spend their summer vacation in the Arctic Ocean, but 50 million years ago that could have been a travelers' hot spot.

(voice-over): Two years ago an international team of scientists set out to uncover the original makeup of the Arctic Ocean, what they found was anything but expected. The team, known as the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, drilled down to take rock samples from below the seafloor.

The sediment showed a high level of fresh water ferns, suggesting a low level of salinity. The newly released findings indicate that the Arctic Ocean, known for its glaciers and freezing temperatures was once a subtropical climate. Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Atlanta.

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