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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Barry White Dies; Taylor Agrees to Leave Liberia; Saddam Audiotape Surfaces on Al Jazeera
Aired July 04, 2003 - 17:00 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, GUEST HOST: Sad news to report this Fourth of July. Singer Barry White has died.
WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Is he back?
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): I would like to clarify that my friends and my brothers from the leadership are present in Iraq now.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: An audiotape said to be Saddam Hussein calls for resistance to the invaders.
Barbecue and bullets, not much of a letup for U.S. troops on the Fourth of July.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our nation is still at war.
SAVIDGE: Another nation at war is waiting for U.S. peacekeepers. But so is Liberia's leader. A CNN exclusive with Charles Taylor.
And Fourth of July fright for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT: We could have all been (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: It is Friday, July 4, 2003. Hello from CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Martin Savidge. Wolf Blitzer is off. It is good to be with you.
We begin, though, with breaking news. Singer Barry White has died at a Los Angeles hospital. The velvet-voiced R&B star was suffering from kidney failure. He was best known for his sultry lyrics and his success with the Love Unlimited Orchestra in the 1970s. He was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1944, but grew up in Los Angeles, where he started singing in a church choir as a teenager, beginning a career that spanned three decades.
Here's more on his life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): OK, maybe he never looked the part of a sex symbol. But to millions, Barry white was the love machine, with that deep, growly voice and sensual songs.
BARRY WHITE: Hypnotic, erotic, sexy little (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His biggest successes came in the disco days of the '70s, with hits like "I'm Going to Love You Just a Little More, Baby," the song he called "my anthem."
WHITE (singing): I'm going to be everything, going to want you every way...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he never stopped singing and composing, and ultimately became a pop culture icon, revered by the Spandex kids of the '80s and revered by the Simpsonites of the '90s.
WHITE (singing): Girl, I don't know, I don't know why, hanging it up for your love, babe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did he do it?
WHITE (singing): Staying power...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Staying power, and a distinctive style. He wrote the songs, and he produced the music.
WHITE: I sleep music, I eat music. I'm never without it. I'm never without music. That's my first lady.
(singing): Staring (UNINTELLIGIBLE) into sunlight, turning daytime into night...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And nearly 25 years after he first hit the charts, Barry White still stood for love and lust, as the producers of TV's "Ally McBeal" found out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ALLY MCBEAL")
WHITE (singing): (UNINTELLIGIBLE), what am I gonna do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's he doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The man knew how to make an entrance, but insisted he was a homebody, happiest in his home studio.
WHITE: I am passionate, I am romantic. I am thrilled throughout my soul to be creating music when I'm creating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And thanks to his creations, he put millions in the mood.
WHITE (singing): Never going to give you up...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: White, who was married and divorced twice, leaves eight children.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: And again, Barry White has passed away at the age of 58.
Joining us now on the telephone is Toure. He is from "Rolling Stone" magazine. Thanks very much. Are you there with us?
TOURE, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: I am here.
SAVIDGE: OK, let me ask you, you know, it could be very simple for Barry White to be remembered, I suppose, as somewhat of a fad from the '70s.
TOURE: No.
SAVIDGE: But he went much farther than that. He (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
TOURE: Oh, yes, no...
SAVIDGE: How come?
TOURE: ... there are millions of people who are here because of Barry White.
SAVIDGE: Yes.
TOURE: I mean, this is not music that lasted just in the '70s. I mean, the music he made in the '70s is still viable and interesting and lasting today, that you can play in clubs, you can play in your home.
And I want to take -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I think he absolutely did look like a sex symbol, with that big booming body and that rich dark- chocolate skin. I think a lot of women saw him and were turned on before they heard that amazing rich, textured voice which took it completely over the top.
SAVIDGE: Has there been anyone like him that you think has been able to bring sexuality out in music like he has done over the years?
TOURE: Well, it's interesting, because he was very much a pre- Prince figure. I mean, everything after Prince changes. But Prince surely was studying Barry White and figured out how to take that thing one step further. But similar to Barry White, both of them know how to be sexual without attacking and antagonizing women, how to treat them with respect and dignity and still be sexual toward them.
SAVIDGE: And why do you think he was still popular with the generations that followed? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we look at, you know, how he was even used, incorporated in "The Simpsons."
TOURE: Yes, I mean, you know, Barry White is a pimp, you know, and everybody can feel that energy, that when he looks at you, and when he talks to you, and he's supercool, and, you know, that formula, which he had down pat, works, you know. And you just couldn't help but love him.
SAVIDGE: And many people do. Well, thank you very much, Toure, joining us from "Rolling Stone" magazine.
And again, reminding you that Barry White has passed away, now the -- at the age of 58. A voice and an individual you could never forget. We'll have more coming up throughout the program.
Now to other news.
Two leaders who are frustrating U.S. international policy. One reappears, the other won't disappear.
Iraqis say it is the same voice they feared for decades. A audiotape played on Al Jazeera, purportedly Saddam Hussein, saying regime leaders are still in Iraq, and leading the fight against infidel invaders.
And then Liberia's embattled president says that he's ready to step down, just not quite yet. Charles Taylor answers a U.S. ultimatum with a key condition of his own.
We begin in Liberia, where Jeff Koinange has obtained an exclusive one-on-one interview with President Charles Taylor. Jeff joins us live via phone by Monrovia -- Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Marty.
It was a very subdued Charles Taylor today. Probably the pressures of an ultimatum and him having to step down and leave the country are getting to him. Nevertheless, I asked him about everything, from the possibility of peacekeepers coming to Liberia, to talk of a possible offer of an asylum in Nigeria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA: We're talking about trying to have some soft landing in Liberia. As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with President Basenga (ph), who will be visiting here on Sunday for discussions, so I don't want to get into speculating about asylum or no asylum.
The important thing here is for international peacekeepers to come to Liberia as quickly as possible, take charge of the situation, if I'm going to step down from office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOINANGE: And Marty, the reason why he wants peacekeepers here as quickly as possible is to restore law and order, just so that aid workers can return to the country and provide much-needed aid for the more than 100,000 displaced Liberians who are literally living under the stars with no water, no food, no sanitation, and no shelter, Marty.
SAVIDGE: Jeff Koinange, joining us live on the telephone from Monrovia, Liberia. Thanks very much.
The Bush administration is stepping up now preparations for a peacekeeping operation. But a decision to deploy troops may depend on the Liberian president's plans.
Let's go live now to CNN senior White House correspondent, John King. John, how do things stand?
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Marty.
The Bush administration says it is watching closely to see if President Taylor keeps that promise to leave. And as they watch, the president is waiting the recommendations of a new Pentagon advance team.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING (voice-over): The White House is welcoming President Taylor's promise to leave Liberia, but adding a note of caution.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's important that it's more than words. It has to be deeds. He needs to leave so that peace can be achieved.
KING: As negotiations with Mr. Taylor continue, U.S. planning for a possible peacekeeping role is intensifying. The president is dispatching a Pentagon assessment team to determine whether the situation in Liberia would be hostile for U.S. troops, and to assess how much help Liberia's West African neighbors would need to assemble a credible peacekeeping force.
The Pentagon team will leave over the holiday weekend, and aides say Mr. Bush will likely not have its report on time to make a final decision on a U.S. peacekeeping role before he leaves for Africa on Monday.
FLEISCHER: He's not going to be guided by an artificial timetable in making an important as decision as whether or not to send America's forces abroad.
KING: Mr. Bush did not mention the Liberia deliberations during a Fourth of July visit to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, but he explain his view on using U.S. military power. BUSH: Without America's active involvement in the world, the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed, and millions would live at the mercy of terrorists. With Americans' active involvement in the world, tyrants learn to fear, and terrorists are on the run.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Now, you heard President Taylor in that exclusive interview talk about a quote, unquote "soft landing" for Liberia. It appears the White House might be trying to help bring that about. Just yesterday, Mr. Bush was adamant in saying President Taylor must go before the peacekeepers go in. Today the White House says it is flexible on that point so long as there is an ironclad commitment for President Taylor to step down and leave Liberia, Marty.
SAVIDGE: CNN's John King at the White House, thanks very much.
Turning now to Iraq, and that recorded voice that is sending chills down the spines of many Iraqis, and perhaps spurring some to resist U.S. occupation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): A $25 million bounty on his head, forces from the world's most powerful nations hunting for him. He may even be dead. And yet, Saddam Hussein is still capable of worrying his enemies, frightening many of his own people, and rallying others.
SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): I would like to clarify that my friends and my brothers from the leadership are present in Iraq now.
SAVIDGE: That voice, purportedly of Saddam Hussein, on a newly released audiotape aired today by the Arab-language network Al Jazeera.
The voice claims so-called jihad cells and brigades have been organized to fight what he calls the invaders. The voice on the tape says this was recorded on June 14. It is not certain this is Saddam's voice. But the White House is taking it seriously.
FLEISCHER: The CIA will do an analysis of the purported audiotape of Saddam Hussein. They'll review it to see if indeed it is him or not. Regardless of whether it is him or not, regardless of whether he's dead or alive, the mission in terms of getting rid of the regime has been achieved. Iraq, however, still is a dangerous place.
SAVIDGE: And if the man on this tape has his way, it could get more dangerous.
SADDAM HUSSEIN: There is not a day that passes by in the last few weeks that their blood is not spilled on our great lands, done by our mujahadeen. In the next days, it will be even more difficult on the invaders and even more honorable to the believers. Therefore, I encourage you to cover on the mujahadeen and our heroes, and not give the invaders and their conspirators any information on the mujahadeen and their activities.
SAVIDGE: A man driven from power, never confirmed dead or alive since the war began, but whose images have tweaked the allies virtually from that very day.
March 20, Baghdad, still smoldering from the first U.S. bombs. A man appearing to be Saddam Hussein addresses his nation via videotape, wearing large glasses, looking somewhat ragged, reading from notes.
March 24, on Iraqi television, another tape, a more assured- looking man, believed to be the embattled leader, again attempts to rally his people.
April 4, after some U.S. officials suggested he was dead, this appearance on video aired by Iraqi state television makes reference to a U.S. helicopter that had been shot down early in the war.
Same day, Iraqi TV released this tape of Saddam, or a body double, being swarmed by an adoring crowd in Baghdad.
This tape, said to have been shot on April 9, another alleged appearance by Saddam on the Baghdad streets. If that was him, if that was the date of the videotape, Saddam would have survived the April 7 allied attack on Baghdad's Monsoor (ph) neighborhood targeting him.
April 9, the day allied forces rolled into Baghdad, also the date which an Iraqi TV employee claimed this tape was filmed, a seemingly underconfident Saddam reads an address, then asks how he did. This tape wasn't released until May 2.
In each case, the inevitable questions. Where, when, and who?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: That purported Saddam Hussein tape suggests that the attacks on Americans are indeed being orchestrated by the remnants of a former regime.
Is Saddam back, then?
Joining me from London is Con Coughlin. He is the executive director and editor of the "London Sunday Telegraph" and author of the book "Saddam, King of Terror."
Thank you very much for being with us.
Do you think that voice on the tape is, in fact, Saddam Hussein?
CON COUGHLIN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH": Hi, Martin.
Well, I think the answer is yes, I do. I think it's all very plausible. And just going back to those images you've shown of Saddam during the war, well, I think we now know that was Saddam. It wasn't doubles. It was Saddam, basically trying to rally his people during the war. Of course, he lost the war. But he allowed -- he didn't allow himself to be defeated. He just went -- disappeared into the desert...
SAVIDGE: OK, well, why do you...
COUGHLIN: ... and he's basically, in my view...
SAVIDGE: Why do you think the tape...
COUGHLIN: Sorry?
SAVIDGE: ... is genuine? Why do you -- is it based upon just the voice alone? Or is it the way he is speaking?
COUGHLIN: It's a combination of both. I mean, I'm not an audio expert, and I'll leave it to the CIA to confirm this. But frankly, just fits into the pattern of what's going on now.
The timing of the release of the tape, today, on July the 4th, American Independence Day, is significant. It comes a day after George Bush put a bounty on Saddam's head of $25 million. It comes on the back of weeks of deadly attacks against American and British troops.
I was in Baghdad recently, and I have no doubt that Saddam's inner circle are orchestrating these attacks, it's a guerrilla war. And they're trying to make life very uncomfortable for the coalition forces.
SAVIDGE: Well, if he is still there, if he's still alive, why is it that coalition forces can't find him?
COUGHLIN: Well, it's a good question. I mean, the one thing, I did -- again, I picked up in the course of researching the book, and when I was in Baghdad, is that Saddam is very good at hiding. He spent his whole presidency hiding from the Iraqi people. They never knew where he was.
Two months after the end of the war, it's very easy for him to hide. I was told he has hundreds of secret hideouts throughout Iraq. In addition, during the war, he paid some $1.3 billion, with a big B, to local tribal leaders and loyalists as protection money. That buys a lot of protection.
And the other point I would make, Martin, is, the occupation of Iraq is not popular with the Iraqi people. And I don't think they are going to betray Saddam when there's this great groundswell of resentment at the way the coalition forces are running Iraq at the moment.
SAVIDGE: Right. Well, that's not going to be welcome news to the coalition. Con Coughlin, thank you for joining us.
COUGHLIN: No, I'm afraid not.
SAVIDGE: He's executive editor of the "London Sunday Telegraph" and author of the book, "Saddam, King of Terror." We appreciate it. Well, in case you're just joining us, some breaking news to report. Legendary singer Barry White died this morning at a Los Angeles hospital. The velvet-voiced R&B star was suffering from kidney failure. We'll have more on that throughout the hour.
Plus, military tribunals for terror suspects. Find out why the British are up in arms over a Pentagon plan to try some Gitmo detainees.
Plus, secret surveillance. We'll take a closer look at a technology that has privacy advocates on edge.
And frightening moment for a Supreme Court justice. Find out what sent security scrambling.
First, today's news quiz.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): What are your unalienable rights? Put your American history knowledge to the test. The answer coming up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: U.S. officials aren't naming the six Guantanamo Bay detainees cleared by President Bush to possibly face military tribunals, but British officials say the group involves two U.K. nationals, prompting vocal opposition in that country.
Helen Wright of Britain's ITV News has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HELEN WRIGHT, ITV NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Loazam (ph) Begg's family learnt he was to face trial in a phone call from the foreign office, though just what charges this father of four will face remain a mystery.
He's been held at Guantanamo Bay for four months. American officials here are already planning to build an execution chamber and courtrooms for the hearings.
But Mr. Begg's father fears his son will not receive justice from a military court, which will appoint military lawyers to represent him.
AZMAT BEGG, FATHER: Since he's innocent and he hasn't done anything wrong, he should come out clear if proper justice is done. But I don't expect proper justice from the military courts.
WRIGHT: The other Briton facing trial is 23-year-old Feroz Abbasi, a former computer student from Croydon (ph). At home today, his mother is said to be horrified by the news that he will face a hearing that could impose a death sentence. The family solicitor says she wants an urgent meeting with government ministers.
LOUSIE CHRISTIAN, FEROZ ABBASI"S LAWYER: She never believed that the British government would allow this to happen. She thought they had more influence with the U.S. government. To see her son put on trial in a patently unfair way and facing the death penalty, it really is very, very shocking news, and she's devastated.
WRIGHT: It's likely large parts of the hearings at Guantanamo Bay will be held in private. And it's not clear if there will be any way to appeal against sentence.
Lawyers and human rights groups are appalled.
STEPHEN JAKOBI, FAIR TRIALS ABROAD: The Defense Department of the United States chooses the rules of the game, the judges, the prosecutors, and the defense lawyers. And any similarity between that and the international rules of fair trial escape me.
WRIGHT (on camera): Britain and America have stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the war on terror. But these secret trials threaten to test diplomatic relations. The British government cannot condone the military commissions or the prospect of the death penalty at their conclusion.
BARONESS SYMONS, FOREIGN OFFICE MINISTER: We've made it very clear that as far as this government is concerned, we object to the death penalty. I myself objected to the imposition of the death penalty in the United States on other occasions. And certainly, if there is a suggestion that there may be resort to the death penalty, the British government would object very strongly.
WRIGHT (voice-over): The proposed secret military hearings are a stark contrast to the trial of John Walker Lindh, the only U.S. citizen captured with the Taliban. He was taken to America, tried in an open court, and reached a deal with prosecutors on the charges.
Helen Wright, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: At least 44 people are dead in an apparent suicide attack on a mosque in Quetta, Pakistan. Sixty-five people were injured.
CNN Islamabad bureau chief Ash-har Quraishi reports it may be the result of an ongoing tribal rivalry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blast shattered the Shi'a mosque in the city center around midday. As many as 2,000 worshipers were inside for Friday prayers. According to police, three men entered the mosque and detonated an explosive device. Two of the attackers are believed to have been killed, and a third who was wounded in now in police custody.
Worshipers carried the injured out, as the wounded and dead were transported to area hospitals. Following the attack, angry Shi'a Muslims began rioting in the streets and setting tires and vehicles on fire.
Paramilitary troops descended upon the city, and a curfew was ordered.
Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province has a population of about 1.2 million, a third of them minority Shi'a Muslims. Tension has been rising in Quetta for weeks following a series of attacks on members of the Hazar (ph), a Shi'ite tribe. Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, responded to the attack while in Paris on the last leg of an international trip.
PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: It is always unfortunate that this small minority that I keep saying are able to derail or undermine national feelings. I'm very clear in my mind that the vast majority of the people of Pakistan certainly do not contribute to extremism and terrorism and fundamentalism.
QURAISHI: Early last month, Hazara Shi'a leader was gunned down in Quetta, and days later, another attack left 12 police recruits dead. Hundreds have been killed in sectarian violence in Pakistan in recent years, leading to a ban on the most violent extremist Sunni and Shi'a groups by President Musharraf.
Ash-har Quraishi, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: A chip that tracks what you buy and where you put it. Find out why privacy advocates are up in arms over this.
Plus, tough talk from the president. Find out how he plans to treat enemies of the nation.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: I'd like to say that, first of all, congratulations for saying, Hasta la vista, baby, to Saddam Hussein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: The Terminator in Iraq. Hear how Schwarzenegger pumps up the troops.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Ever had the feeling that you're being watched? In some cases, you might be, thanks to radio frequency identification. You may not mind it in your car, but what about in your clothes? CNN's Erica Hill has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): During World War II, it detected friend-or-foe aircraft. In Iraq, it tracked casualties of war. In fact, radio frequency identification, or RFID, is used on everything from your windshield -- no more waiting at the toll -- to tracking products, to livestock.
DAN MULLEN, AIM, DATA CAPTURE ASSOCIATION: If you look around you, bar code technology, radio frequency identification, is already there. It can be a very positive technology that can help bring efficiencies and customer service applications that really weren't dreamed of 10, 15 years ago.
HILL: But others feel that convenience may have a price.
CORY DOCTOROW, ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION: Here in California, we're seeing increasing use of RFID detectors, of EZ-Pass detectors, not as toll booths, but down on the freeway, so that authorities can figure out just who passes a certain point every day.
HILL: Earlier this year, there was word Beneton may begin using RFID tags in its clothing. The news prompted privacy fears and a boycott of the Italian clothing maker. And soon after, a release from the company stating it did not currently use the technology in garments, and that while it is, quote, "analyzing RFID technology," it had yet to begin feasibility studies.
But other retailers are using RFID. Both Wal-Mart and Gillette have signed on to help keep track of what's on their shelves.
Will the technology one day keep track of you, without your knowledge?
DOCTOROW: I think it's really important that people who buy devices that have RFID tags in them be able to switch them off.
MULLEN: With any technology, any innovation, there has to be responsible use of it. And we actively are looking at how we can answer those misconceptions and misunderstandings, as well as work with the end user community to make some guidelines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Now, with actually, I have brought some different examples of this technology to show you, because it really is found in so many things that we see in our everyday lives.
Taking a look over here, this little key chain is something that's known as Speed Pass. You may have heard of it. You just keep it on your keys, wave it at the gas pump, and it buys your gas.
This is your standard entry card at work, a parking pass. This little chip would look familiar to runners, if it's what's used in the little champion chips marathoners put on their shoes to measure their time as they go through the course.
This could be found in a key. It authenticates your key and it makes it basically impossible to hotwire your car.
And this bracelet was used on casualties in Iraq to keep track of the bodies, so they would know, Marty, which body was which, where it had been found, the date that it had been found.
SAVIDGE: So there are a lot of good things about it, but I guess the real concern is, is this something we should be worried about?
HILL: Well, it's an old technology, but in some ways, it's in very early stages. So both of the folks that we spoke to said, We don't necessarily want to regulate it, but we want to set up some guidelines and make sure that people know where it is, where they could potentially be tracked if they have it, and most importantly, that there be an off switch for them if they would like to turn it off.
SAVIDGE: Right, OK. Erica Hill, thank you very much for joining us. Appreciate it.
Fourth of July and bloody attacks. We'll go live to Iraq, where U.S. forces are coming under fire this holiday.
Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger pumping them up. Hear the Terminator's message for the troops.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'CONNOR: We could have all been (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: ... a close call for a Supreme Court justice. The frightening moment in Philly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: More than 5,000 African-Americans fought for America's independence during the Revolutionary War. Crispus Attucks, an African-American, was killed on March 5, 1770, in the Boston Massacre, the first person to die in the fight for America's independence.
George Washington initially forbid African-Americans from joining the Continental Army, whether free, slave, or ex-slave. But after learning they were being recruited by British forces, Washington changed his mind.
African-Americans filled many roles during the war, including soldiers, Marines, spies, guides, and messengers.
SAVIDGE: Welcome back to CNN.
U.S. troops attacked on the Fourth of July. We'll go live to Iraq.
But first, the latest headlines.
Barry White has died at a Los Angeles hospital. He was suffering from kidney failure brought on by high blood pressure. White became a star in the '70s with his deep voice, sultry lyrics. But he found new fans in the '80s and '90s as well. Becoming a music icon, he won two Grammys in 2000 for his song "Staying Power." Barry White was 58.
U.S. officials are analyzing an audiotape purportedly from ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The voice on that tape praises resistance against U.S. forces in Iraq and says jihad cells have been organized to fight the infidel invaders. The tape was aired today by Al Jazeera.
Liberian President Charles Taylor says that he'll step down once peacekeepers are in place in his wartorn country. The White House is calling on his vow to leave, quote, "encouraging, if true." President Bush and other world leaders have called on Taylor to give up power immediately.
Accused Chinese double agent Katrina Leung is free on $2 million bail. A federal judge has ordered her to remain in Los Angeles and surrender her passport. She was indicted last month on charges of illegally obtaining, copying, and retaining classified U.S. national defense documents.
Chicago police say that a drunk driver ignored a stop sign last night and crashed into a home, killing three young boys and a woman. Richard Green (ph) was cited with 10 traffic violations. He's in custody as prosecutors consider filing reckless homicide charges against him.
Hours before the purported tape of Saddam Hussein urging Iraqis to resist the invaders, U.S. troops in Iraq were under fire and taking casualties. But some could take time out to celebrate the holiday.
Let's go live now to CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He joins us from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Marty.
Well, for the vast number of troops here in Iraq, it's been very much a day as usual on guard duty at bases, on guard duty at government buildings in downtown Baghdad, and around the rest of the country, or going out on patrols as they do on many days.
But for those who have been able to get time off, they have been able to have some fun, and have been able to enjoy themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Shootouts on the beach, harmless Fourth of July fun for U.S. troops enjoying a national holiday. Others work on their tans or cool off in one of Iraq's massive lakes just outside Fallujah, west of Baghdad.
American Independence Day providing a rare opportunity for these soldiers to relax and reflect on what they're missing back home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My family, my wife and kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mainly the fireworks. Bar crowd.
ROBERTSON: At a base in Baghdad, troops treated to a two-for-one burger deal at the only true American burger joint in Iraq. Most here thankful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes I think being in the United States, that we forget the things that we take for granted. And over here, we have been reminded many times over that we're very, very lucky to be Americans.
ROBERTSON: Less fortunate, the 16 U.S. troops injured in an overnight mortar attack on their base at Balad, an hour's drive north of Baghdad.
Not far away, the U.S. says 11 Iraqis were killed a little later when they ambushed a U.S. patrol. Another U.S. soldier was injured in an attack on a convoy west of Baghdad, and yet one more killed by small arms fire while on guard duty in Baghdad.
Into this increasingly volatile situation, Arnold Schwarzenegger came to offer troops his support over the holiday and do a little political campaigning.
SCHWARZENEGGER: This is really wild, driving around here. It's like -- I mean, the poverty, and you see there's no money, disastrous financially. Then there's a leadership vacuum, pretty much like in California right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Well, with the increase in frequency and sophistication of attacks that many of these troops have to endure, likely those that did enjoy a few hours' break this day, Marty, are going to savor those moments for some time to come.
SAVIDGE: I imagine they will. Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad, thanks very much for the report.
A decade after U.S. troops ran into trouble in Somalia, President Bush is considering the deployment of peacekeepers to wartorn Liberia and reconsidering the American role on the African continent.
We get more now from CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Candidate George W. Bush on sending U.S. troops into Africa's civil wars...
BUSH: It's an important continent. But there's got to be priorities.
STARR: Now President Bush is rethinking Africa's importance and the special U.S. interests in Liberia.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Its stability could be vital to progress on the continent. There's a humanitarian situation there that needs to be dealt with. But I think that we've also recognized, since 9/11, that one wants to be careful about permitting conditions of failed states to create conditions in which there's so much instability that you begin to see greater sources of terrorism.
STARR: The peacekeeping mission could turn dangerous, especially if U.S. forces get caught between Liberian President Charles Taylor and well-armed rebels.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Loyalists to Charles Taylor know they have no future, because if they put down their arms and surrender, then the rebel forces, either today or a month from now, will kill them. So yes, there will probably be some sporadic fighting.
STARR: Past military involvements in Africa have caused trouble for U.S. presidents. In 1992, troops went to Somalia. The U.S. pulled out after 18 soldiers died in a Mogadishu ambush.
In 1996, the U.S. sent hundreds of troops to Central Africa for a relief effort, but only after hundreds of thousands of Rwandans had already been killed in a brutal civil war.
Providing training and equipment, but not troops, has been the focus of recent U.S. policy. Last year, the U.S. pledged to help West Africa military forces set up bases for rapid deployment to conflicts. Washington is talking about a regional satellite communications system.
But there are still problems. Three years ago, the Pentagon sent 200 special forces trainers to Nigeria and Ghana to train troops for operations in Sierra Leone, still a hot spot.
(on camera): But civil wars and humanitarian disasters continue. And President Bush will now take his turn trying to see if this time, American troops can make a difference in Africa.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: President Bush says the country is still at war. He made that comment in a speech at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio today. He also restated his doctrine of preemptive strikes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: By killing innocent Americans, our enemies made their intentions clear to us. And since that September day, we have made our own intentions clear to them. The United States will not stand by and wait for another attack, or trust in the restraint and good intentions of evil men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: From the leaders of today, to talking about the leaders of tomorrow.
For more than two centuries, West Point has turned out many of the country's top military leaders. And with the armed forces facing new and unprecedented challenges in the twenty-first century, West Point's role -- excuse me -- may be more important than ever.
Journalist David Lipsky spent four years inside the military academy as an observer. He has written a book about his experience, "Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point."
David Lipsky joins us from New York.
Good afternoon to you, welcome, especially on the Fourth of July. Thanks for being with us.
DAVID LIPSKY, AUTHOR, "ABSOLUTELY AMERICAN": It's a pleasure being here, Marty. It's a great day to talk about West Point.
SAVIDGE: It is, it is. Although many days are good for that.
The students you profiled entered West Point before September 11. You know, so much of the world has changed. We now have fighting going on in Afghanistan, we have fighting going on in Iraq. And I'm just wondering, you know, had the cadets even considered this?
LIPSKY: No, they joined in a -- I mean, you always know, when you're a cadet, that there's a chance that you'll go to war. And what was strange for me being there was that my friends, journalist friends, kept saying, Hey, don't those guys know it's out of date, I mean, what they're doing? We're never going to have another war like that, now we're the superpower.
And then right after 9/11, they realized, Hey, those guys weren't living in the past, they were living in the future. And it was kind of great to see civilian Americans saying that.
SAVIDGE: So where is West Point as far as popularity today? Are they getting more applications than in the past? Or have things subsided somewhat?
LIPSKY: No, I think there was a real wave of patriotism after the attacks. And same thing, you got 2,000 people every year (UNINTELLIGIBLE) requests for -- of information, about 12,000 applications, leading down to 1,000 kind of all-star high school cadets going in starting every June.
SAVIDGE: Well, you really had unprecedented access. And I'm wondering, why did you get it? Why would West Point open it up to you as a journalist?
LIPSKY: Well, to be frank, I actually didn't. I -- before I spent time at West Point, did not have the most positive feelings about the military. And so I knew that the best way, or I felt the best way to get out of having to spend any time at all with the Army or at West Point was by asking for total access to all the cadets, to all the training, to the classes.
And so I made that request and was pretty sure I'd be home by about dinnertime. And instead, the colonel who runs West Point, who runs the cadets, said -- called me back and said Yes, you know, we'd love to have you up here.
And he said this great thing that was both very cool and also supergrammatical. He said, We have nothing of which we should be ashamed. And after four years, I can report that's quite true. Nothing to be ashamed of, and a great deal to be proud of.
SAVIDGE: You spoke with female cadets there. I'm just wondering, what's it like for a woman at West Point these days?
LIPSKY: Well, what was great about seeing how it's changed in the last -- even in the last 20 years, is that a lot of women would have to show that they weren't feminine to succeed in that environment. And now I think the male cadets are willing to accept that when you bring what's special to women into that environment, it can actually add a great deal, both to the atmosphere, certainly, and also to what you can do in the armed forces.
SAVIDGE: You mentioned one question before there that you went in there with perhaps not the best of ideas or thoughts about the U.S. military. That indicates maybe a change of heart or mind on your part. Was that the case?
LIPSKY: Yes. It was -- I mean, I had never -- I hadn't intended to spend more than about a day or two if I could avoid it there.
But it was the happiest place I'd ever been, you know, and I wanted to understand why that was, and I wanted to write the stories about the people I'd seen there.
And the other reason I stayed so long was to see how the stories in the book were going to come out. Because I was seeing kids, kids like kids I grew up with, kids who watched "The Simpsons," who memorized Eminem lyrics, and who could also talk about honor, who could talk about serving their country.
And I wanted to see how those four years would change them and how their stories would evolve.
SAVIDGE: David Lipsky, we'll look for those stories. The book is named "Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point." Thanks... LIPSKY: Marty...
SAVIDGE: ... for talking to us, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LIPSKY: Marty, it was great talking. Thanks for having me.
SAVIDGE: Now, here's your turn to weigh in on this Independence Day. Our Web question of the day, and it's fitting, Would you be willing to serve in the U.S. military? We'll have the results later in the broadcast. Vote at cnn.com/wolf.
And while you're there, we'd love to hear from you, as always. Send us your comments, and we might read some of them at the end of the program. That's also, of course, where you can read our daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
SAVIDGE: A supreme court justice and a hostile curtain? Find out what put sect -- security agents, that is, on edge in Philly.
First, though, a look at other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): No word yet on the cause of an accident at a closed Japanese nuclear power plant. The incinerator overheated, spewing smoke and ash into the sky. There was no radiation danger, because the reactors weren't running.
In Thailand, an extradition hearing for an American wanted in Mexico on child sex charges. Thomas Frank White faces similar charges in California. The San Francisco millionaire was arrested at a luxury hotel in Bangkok in February.
Italy's prime minister now says he did not apologize for a controversial comment. This week, Silvio Berlusconi told a German lawmaker he could play a Nazi in a movie. Berlusconi says he has expressed regret but not apologized.
They call him Father Pistols, a Mexican priest who always carries a gun. He says if police pack heat, why not a priest? Adding, Even some angels are armed with swords.
And the start of the Tour de France now just hours away. All eyes on the Texan, Lance Armstrong, poised for a fifth consecutive win, something only one other racer has ever done. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the race.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: And you're looking at just some of the ways across this great land we are celebrating the Fourth of July. In just a few hours in many places, the red, white, and boom will be heard, as the fireworks displays blossom after dark.
Well, some of the U.S. forces who terminated the rule of Saddam Hussein got a Fourth of July visit from the Terminator himself. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the Baghdad airport, where he showed troops his latest movie, "Terminator 3." He also fueled speculation about a potential run for California governor, comparing the leadership vacuum in Iraq to his home state. But his main mission was supporting the troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARZENEGGER: It's great to be here at Camp Victory. And I have to say that, first of all, congratulations for saying, Hasta la vista, baby, to Saddam Hussein. I, of course, I came here from the United States because I wanted to pump you all up. That was my mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Well, Independence Day got off to a rather strange start in Philadelphia. What was to have been a spectacular opening of the National Constitution Center was marred by a serious mishap.
CNN's Jason Carroll is in Philadelphia with details -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And it was a major mishap.
What basically happened is, the creators staged an elaborate opening ceremony for the National Constitution Museum. And then, just before it ended, as you said, there was a major accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, U.S. SUPREME COURT: We could have all been (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: A large wood frame that was used as a prop on stage fell over, injuring Philadelphia's mayor, John Street, and then narrowly missing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was also on stage. Three people ended up being injured, including the major -- including the mayor.
But none of the injuries were major. Later, the mayor talked about what exactly happened during the accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JOHN STREET, PHILADELPHIA: I could see Justice O'Connor, and I could see all the people to my right. And then I looked up, and I saw this thing falling. And I -- like I said, it first occurred to me that it might be Styrofoam. But then it started moving pretty fast.
And almost as a reflex, I stood up and twisted around to my right and raised my, you know, my right arm. And it hit me right across the elbow, right across the elbow. And I mean, immediately, when it hit, I knew this thing was -- this was some pretty heavy stuff here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Despite the accident, the reviews from the thousands of people who have come out to the museum have been favorable. The creators say that's what they're going to focus on on this Fourth of July, Marty.
SAVIDGE: Jason Carroll, thanks very much. Live from Philadelphia.
Speaking of history, American History 101. Do you know what your unalienable rights are? We'll put your patriotism to the test when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Earlier we asked, what are your unalienable rights? The answer, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson wrote those words in the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted July 4, 1776.
And if you were stumped by our news quiz, you're not the only one. Recent studies suggest many U.S. students know alarmingly little about American history and government.
Congressman Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, is worried about that trend and has sponsored a bill to strengthen history instruction.
I spoke to him about America's civics challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROGER WICKER (R), MISSISSIPPI: What drove it home to me was when I went to a class of advanced-placement students last year during the 2002 congressional races, and I spoke to a class, and I tried to get them to work with me and talk about the Declaration of Independence, the thing that we're celebrating this Fourth of July.
And I asked them to complete the phrase, "We hold these truths to be self-evident," and basically, there was just a blank look around the whole class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Well,we did a little quiz of our own, interviewing families in Washington celebrating the Fourth of July. Let's see if they know their unalienable rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unalienable rights? I would think that our unalienable rights are that we can -- you know, the freedom that we have in this country, I think, gives us the unalienable rights, you know, the freedom of speech, the freedom to express our opinion, and of course there's some other things there too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are your inalienable rights?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unalienable rights? The right to food?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inalienable rights? Oh, boy. That's what you're going to ask me, eh? Oh, let's see. If you look at the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, you would probably find your inalienable rights. What they are, I can't tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What document talks about those rights?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Bill of Rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bill of Rights.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you guys know what your inalienable rights are?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know what those are? We were just looking at them on that other statue over there. I think it was George Mason.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What document talks about your inalienable rights?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Declaration of Independence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who wrote it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thomas Jefferson.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
SAVIDGE: There you go. All right. Now, we're going to throw more questions at you, because our hot Web question of the day is this. Would you be willing to serve in the U.S. military? Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. The results when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Well, in case you're just joining us, some breaking news to report. Singer Barry White has died at a Los Angeles hospital. The velvet-voiced R&B star was suffering from kidney failure. He was best known for his sultry lyrics and his success with the Love Unlimited Orchestra in the 1970s.
He was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1944 but grew up in Los Angeles, where he started singing in a church choir as a teenager, beginning a career that spanned three decades.
OK, here's how you're weighing in our Web question of the day. And remember, we've been asking you this. Would you be willing to serve in the U.S. military? Thirty-seven percent of you said yes, while 63 percent of you said no. I'm a bit surprised by that.
As always, we tell you this is, of course, not a scientific poll.
And a reminder, you can always watch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern. And stick around this weekend for "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. The featured guest, the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pat Roberts and Jay Rockefeller.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts in a moment. But first, an early Fourth of July from Chicago.
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Audiotape Surfaces on Al Jazeera>
Aired July 4, 2003 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, GUEST HOST: Sad news to report this Fourth of July. Singer Barry White has died.
WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Is he back?
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (through translator): I would like to clarify that my friends and my brothers from the leadership are present in Iraq now.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: An audiotape said to be Saddam Hussein calls for resistance to the invaders.
Barbecue and bullets, not much of a letup for U.S. troops on the Fourth of July.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our nation is still at war.
SAVIDGE: Another nation at war is waiting for U.S. peacekeepers. But so is Liberia's leader. A CNN exclusive with Charles Taylor.
And Fourth of July fright for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT: We could have all been (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: It is Friday, July 4, 2003. Hello from CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Martin Savidge. Wolf Blitzer is off. It is good to be with you.
We begin, though, with breaking news. Singer Barry White has died at a Los Angeles hospital. The velvet-voiced R&B star was suffering from kidney failure. He was best known for his sultry lyrics and his success with the Love Unlimited Orchestra in the 1970s. He was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1944, but grew up in Los Angeles, where he started singing in a church choir as a teenager, beginning a career that spanned three decades.
Here's more on his life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): OK, maybe he never looked the part of a sex symbol. But to millions, Barry white was the love machine, with that deep, growly voice and sensual songs.
BARRY WHITE: Hypnotic, erotic, sexy little (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His biggest successes came in the disco days of the '70s, with hits like "I'm Going to Love You Just a Little More, Baby," the song he called "my anthem."
WHITE (singing): I'm going to be everything, going to want you every way...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he never stopped singing and composing, and ultimately became a pop culture icon, revered by the Spandex kids of the '80s and revered by the Simpsonites of the '90s.
WHITE (singing): Girl, I don't know, I don't know why, hanging it up for your love, babe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did he do it?
WHITE (singing): Staying power...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Staying power, and a distinctive style. He wrote the songs, and he produced the music.
WHITE: I sleep music, I eat music. I'm never without it. I'm never without music. That's my first lady.
(singing): Staring (UNINTELLIGIBLE) into sunlight, turning daytime into night...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And nearly 25 years after he first hit the charts, Barry White still stood for love and lust, as the producers of TV's "Ally McBeal" found out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ALLY MCBEAL")
WHITE (singing): (UNINTELLIGIBLE), what am I gonna do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's he doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The man knew how to make an entrance, but insisted he was a homebody, happiest in his home studio.
WHITE: I am passionate, I am romantic. I am thrilled throughout my soul to be creating music when I'm creating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And thanks to his creations, he put millions in the mood.
WHITE (singing): Never going to give you up...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: White, who was married and divorced twice, leaves eight children.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: And again, Barry White has passed away at the age of 58.
Joining us now on the telephone is Toure. He is from "Rolling Stone" magazine. Thanks very much. Are you there with us?
TOURE, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: I am here.
SAVIDGE: OK, let me ask you, you know, it could be very simple for Barry White to be remembered, I suppose, as somewhat of a fad from the '70s.
TOURE: No.
SAVIDGE: But he went much farther than that. He (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
TOURE: Oh, yes, no...
SAVIDGE: How come?
TOURE: ... there are millions of people who are here because of Barry White.
SAVIDGE: Yes.
TOURE: I mean, this is not music that lasted just in the '70s. I mean, the music he made in the '70s is still viable and interesting and lasting today, that you can play in clubs, you can play in your home.
And I want to take -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I think he absolutely did look like a sex symbol, with that big booming body and that rich dark- chocolate skin. I think a lot of women saw him and were turned on before they heard that amazing rich, textured voice which took it completely over the top.
SAVIDGE: Has there been anyone like him that you think has been able to bring sexuality out in music like he has done over the years?
TOURE: Well, it's interesting, because he was very much a pre- Prince figure. I mean, everything after Prince changes. But Prince surely was studying Barry White and figured out how to take that thing one step further. But similar to Barry White, both of them know how to be sexual without attacking and antagonizing women, how to treat them with respect and dignity and still be sexual toward them.
SAVIDGE: And why do you think he was still popular with the generations that followed? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we look at, you know, how he was even used, incorporated in "The Simpsons."
TOURE: Yes, I mean, you know, Barry White is a pimp, you know, and everybody can feel that energy, that when he looks at you, and when he talks to you, and he's supercool, and, you know, that formula, which he had down pat, works, you know. And you just couldn't help but love him.
SAVIDGE: And many people do. Well, thank you very much, Toure, joining us from "Rolling Stone" magazine.
And again, reminding you that Barry White has passed away, now the -- at the age of 58. A voice and an individual you could never forget. We'll have more coming up throughout the program.
Now to other news.
Two leaders who are frustrating U.S. international policy. One reappears, the other won't disappear.
Iraqis say it is the same voice they feared for decades. A audiotape played on Al Jazeera, purportedly Saddam Hussein, saying regime leaders are still in Iraq, and leading the fight against infidel invaders.
And then Liberia's embattled president says that he's ready to step down, just not quite yet. Charles Taylor answers a U.S. ultimatum with a key condition of his own.
We begin in Liberia, where Jeff Koinange has obtained an exclusive one-on-one interview with President Charles Taylor. Jeff joins us live via phone by Monrovia -- Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Marty.
It was a very subdued Charles Taylor today. Probably the pressures of an ultimatum and him having to step down and leave the country are getting to him. Nevertheless, I asked him about everything, from the possibility of peacekeepers coming to Liberia, to talk of a possible offer of an asylum in Nigeria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA: We're talking about trying to have some soft landing in Liberia. As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with President Basenga (ph), who will be visiting here on Sunday for discussions, so I don't want to get into speculating about asylum or no asylum.
The important thing here is for international peacekeepers to come to Liberia as quickly as possible, take charge of the situation, if I'm going to step down from office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOINANGE: And Marty, the reason why he wants peacekeepers here as quickly as possible is to restore law and order, just so that aid workers can return to the country and provide much-needed aid for the more than 100,000 displaced Liberians who are literally living under the stars with no water, no food, no sanitation, and no shelter, Marty.
SAVIDGE: Jeff Koinange, joining us live on the telephone from Monrovia, Liberia. Thanks very much.
The Bush administration is stepping up now preparations for a peacekeeping operation. But a decision to deploy troops may depend on the Liberian president's plans.
Let's go live now to CNN senior White House correspondent, John King. John, how do things stand?
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Marty.
The Bush administration says it is watching closely to see if President Taylor keeps that promise to leave. And as they watch, the president is waiting the recommendations of a new Pentagon advance team.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING (voice-over): The White House is welcoming President Taylor's promise to leave Liberia, but adding a note of caution.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's important that it's more than words. It has to be deeds. He needs to leave so that peace can be achieved.
KING: As negotiations with Mr. Taylor continue, U.S. planning for a possible peacekeeping role is intensifying. The president is dispatching a Pentagon assessment team to determine whether the situation in Liberia would be hostile for U.S. troops, and to assess how much help Liberia's West African neighbors would need to assemble a credible peacekeeping force.
The Pentagon team will leave over the holiday weekend, and aides say Mr. Bush will likely not have its report on time to make a final decision on a U.S. peacekeeping role before he leaves for Africa on Monday.
FLEISCHER: He's not going to be guided by an artificial timetable in making an important as decision as whether or not to send America's forces abroad.
KING: Mr. Bush did not mention the Liberia deliberations during a Fourth of July visit to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, but he explain his view on using U.S. military power. BUSH: Without America's active involvement in the world, the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed, and millions would live at the mercy of terrorists. With Americans' active involvement in the world, tyrants learn to fear, and terrorists are on the run.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Now, you heard President Taylor in that exclusive interview talk about a quote, unquote "soft landing" for Liberia. It appears the White House might be trying to help bring that about. Just yesterday, Mr. Bush was adamant in saying President Taylor must go before the peacekeepers go in. Today the White House says it is flexible on that point so long as there is an ironclad commitment for President Taylor to step down and leave Liberia, Marty.
SAVIDGE: CNN's John King at the White House, thanks very much.
Turning now to Iraq, and that recorded voice that is sending chills down the spines of many Iraqis, and perhaps spurring some to resist U.S. occupation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): A $25 million bounty on his head, forces from the world's most powerful nations hunting for him. He may even be dead. And yet, Saddam Hussein is still capable of worrying his enemies, frightening many of his own people, and rallying others.
SADDAM HUSSEIN (through translator): I would like to clarify that my friends and my brothers from the leadership are present in Iraq now.
SAVIDGE: That voice, purportedly of Saddam Hussein, on a newly released audiotape aired today by the Arab-language network Al Jazeera.
The voice claims so-called jihad cells and brigades have been organized to fight what he calls the invaders. The voice on the tape says this was recorded on June 14. It is not certain this is Saddam's voice. But the White House is taking it seriously.
FLEISCHER: The CIA will do an analysis of the purported audiotape of Saddam Hussein. They'll review it to see if indeed it is him or not. Regardless of whether it is him or not, regardless of whether he's dead or alive, the mission in terms of getting rid of the regime has been achieved. Iraq, however, still is a dangerous place.
SAVIDGE: And if the man on this tape has his way, it could get more dangerous.
SADDAM HUSSEIN: There is not a day that passes by in the last few weeks that their blood is not spilled on our great lands, done by our mujahadeen. In the next days, it will be even more difficult on the invaders and even more honorable to the believers. Therefore, I encourage you to cover on the mujahadeen and our heroes, and not give the invaders and their conspirators any information on the mujahadeen and their activities.
SAVIDGE: A man driven from power, never confirmed dead or alive since the war began, but whose images have tweaked the allies virtually from that very day.
March 20, Baghdad, still smoldering from the first U.S. bombs. A man appearing to be Saddam Hussein addresses his nation via videotape, wearing large glasses, looking somewhat ragged, reading from notes.
March 24, on Iraqi television, another tape, a more assured- looking man, believed to be the embattled leader, again attempts to rally his people.
April 4, after some U.S. officials suggested he was dead, this appearance on video aired by Iraqi state television makes reference to a U.S. helicopter that had been shot down early in the war.
Same day, Iraqi TV released this tape of Saddam, or a body double, being swarmed by an adoring crowd in Baghdad.
This tape, said to have been shot on April 9, another alleged appearance by Saddam on the Baghdad streets. If that was him, if that was the date of the videotape, Saddam would have survived the April 7 allied attack on Baghdad's Monsoor (ph) neighborhood targeting him.
April 9, the day allied forces rolled into Baghdad, also the date which an Iraqi TV employee claimed this tape was filmed, a seemingly underconfident Saddam reads an address, then asks how he did. This tape wasn't released until May 2.
In each case, the inevitable questions. Where, when, and who?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: That purported Saddam Hussein tape suggests that the attacks on Americans are indeed being orchestrated by the remnants of a former regime.
Is Saddam back, then?
Joining me from London is Con Coughlin. He is the executive director and editor of the "London Sunday Telegraph" and author of the book "Saddam, King of Terror."
Thank you very much for being with us.
Do you think that voice on the tape is, in fact, Saddam Hussein?
CON COUGHLIN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH": Hi, Martin.
Well, I think the answer is yes, I do. I think it's all very plausible. And just going back to those images you've shown of Saddam during the war, well, I think we now know that was Saddam. It wasn't doubles. It was Saddam, basically trying to rally his people during the war. Of course, he lost the war. But he allowed -- he didn't allow himself to be defeated. He just went -- disappeared into the desert...
SAVIDGE: OK, well, why do you...
COUGHLIN: ... and he's basically, in my view...
SAVIDGE: Why do you think the tape...
COUGHLIN: Sorry?
SAVIDGE: ... is genuine? Why do you -- is it based upon just the voice alone? Or is it the way he is speaking?
COUGHLIN: It's a combination of both. I mean, I'm not an audio expert, and I'll leave it to the CIA to confirm this. But frankly, just fits into the pattern of what's going on now.
The timing of the release of the tape, today, on July the 4th, American Independence Day, is significant. It comes a day after George Bush put a bounty on Saddam's head of $25 million. It comes on the back of weeks of deadly attacks against American and British troops.
I was in Baghdad recently, and I have no doubt that Saddam's inner circle are orchestrating these attacks, it's a guerrilla war. And they're trying to make life very uncomfortable for the coalition forces.
SAVIDGE: Well, if he is still there, if he's still alive, why is it that coalition forces can't find him?
COUGHLIN: Well, it's a good question. I mean, the one thing, I did -- again, I picked up in the course of researching the book, and when I was in Baghdad, is that Saddam is very good at hiding. He spent his whole presidency hiding from the Iraqi people. They never knew where he was.
Two months after the end of the war, it's very easy for him to hide. I was told he has hundreds of secret hideouts throughout Iraq. In addition, during the war, he paid some $1.3 billion, with a big B, to local tribal leaders and loyalists as protection money. That buys a lot of protection.
And the other point I would make, Martin, is, the occupation of Iraq is not popular with the Iraqi people. And I don't think they are going to betray Saddam when there's this great groundswell of resentment at the way the coalition forces are running Iraq at the moment.
SAVIDGE: Right. Well, that's not going to be welcome news to the coalition. Con Coughlin, thank you for joining us.
COUGHLIN: No, I'm afraid not.
SAVIDGE: He's executive editor of the "London Sunday Telegraph" and author of the book, "Saddam, King of Terror." We appreciate it. Well, in case you're just joining us, some breaking news to report. Legendary singer Barry White died this morning at a Los Angeles hospital. The velvet-voiced R&B star was suffering from kidney failure. We'll have more on that throughout the hour.
Plus, military tribunals for terror suspects. Find out why the British are up in arms over a Pentagon plan to try some Gitmo detainees.
Plus, secret surveillance. We'll take a closer look at a technology that has privacy advocates on edge.
And frightening moment for a Supreme Court justice. Find out what sent security scrambling.
First, today's news quiz.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): What are your unalienable rights? Put your American history knowledge to the test. The answer coming up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: U.S. officials aren't naming the six Guantanamo Bay detainees cleared by President Bush to possibly face military tribunals, but British officials say the group involves two U.K. nationals, prompting vocal opposition in that country.
Helen Wright of Britain's ITV News has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HELEN WRIGHT, ITV NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Loazam (ph) Begg's family learnt he was to face trial in a phone call from the foreign office, though just what charges this father of four will face remain a mystery.
He's been held at Guantanamo Bay for four months. American officials here are already planning to build an execution chamber and courtrooms for the hearings.
But Mr. Begg's father fears his son will not receive justice from a military court, which will appoint military lawyers to represent him.
AZMAT BEGG, FATHER: Since he's innocent and he hasn't done anything wrong, he should come out clear if proper justice is done. But I don't expect proper justice from the military courts.
WRIGHT: The other Briton facing trial is 23-year-old Feroz Abbasi, a former computer student from Croydon (ph). At home today, his mother is said to be horrified by the news that he will face a hearing that could impose a death sentence. The family solicitor says she wants an urgent meeting with government ministers.
LOUSIE CHRISTIAN, FEROZ ABBASI"S LAWYER: She never believed that the British government would allow this to happen. She thought they had more influence with the U.S. government. To see her son put on trial in a patently unfair way and facing the death penalty, it really is very, very shocking news, and she's devastated.
WRIGHT: It's likely large parts of the hearings at Guantanamo Bay will be held in private. And it's not clear if there will be any way to appeal against sentence.
Lawyers and human rights groups are appalled.
STEPHEN JAKOBI, FAIR TRIALS ABROAD: The Defense Department of the United States chooses the rules of the game, the judges, the prosecutors, and the defense lawyers. And any similarity between that and the international rules of fair trial escape me.
WRIGHT (on camera): Britain and America have stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the war on terror. But these secret trials threaten to test diplomatic relations. The British government cannot condone the military commissions or the prospect of the death penalty at their conclusion.
BARONESS SYMONS, FOREIGN OFFICE MINISTER: We've made it very clear that as far as this government is concerned, we object to the death penalty. I myself objected to the imposition of the death penalty in the United States on other occasions. And certainly, if there is a suggestion that there may be resort to the death penalty, the British government would object very strongly.
WRIGHT (voice-over): The proposed secret military hearings are a stark contrast to the trial of John Walker Lindh, the only U.S. citizen captured with the Taliban. He was taken to America, tried in an open court, and reached a deal with prosecutors on the charges.
Helen Wright, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: At least 44 people are dead in an apparent suicide attack on a mosque in Quetta, Pakistan. Sixty-five people were injured.
CNN Islamabad bureau chief Ash-har Quraishi reports it may be the result of an ongoing tribal rivalry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blast shattered the Shi'a mosque in the city center around midday. As many as 2,000 worshipers were inside for Friday prayers. According to police, three men entered the mosque and detonated an explosive device. Two of the attackers are believed to have been killed, and a third who was wounded in now in police custody.
Worshipers carried the injured out, as the wounded and dead were transported to area hospitals. Following the attack, angry Shi'a Muslims began rioting in the streets and setting tires and vehicles on fire.
Paramilitary troops descended upon the city, and a curfew was ordered.
Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province has a population of about 1.2 million, a third of them minority Shi'a Muslims. Tension has been rising in Quetta for weeks following a series of attacks on members of the Hazar (ph), a Shi'ite tribe. Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, responded to the attack while in Paris on the last leg of an international trip.
PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: It is always unfortunate that this small minority that I keep saying are able to derail or undermine national feelings. I'm very clear in my mind that the vast majority of the people of Pakistan certainly do not contribute to extremism and terrorism and fundamentalism.
QURAISHI: Early last month, Hazara Shi'a leader was gunned down in Quetta, and days later, another attack left 12 police recruits dead. Hundreds have been killed in sectarian violence in Pakistan in recent years, leading to a ban on the most violent extremist Sunni and Shi'a groups by President Musharraf.
Ash-har Quraishi, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: A chip that tracks what you buy and where you put it. Find out why privacy advocates are up in arms over this.
Plus, tough talk from the president. Find out how he plans to treat enemies of the nation.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: I'd like to say that, first of all, congratulations for saying, Hasta la vista, baby, to Saddam Hussein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: The Terminator in Iraq. Hear how Schwarzenegger pumps up the troops.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Ever had the feeling that you're being watched? In some cases, you might be, thanks to radio frequency identification. You may not mind it in your car, but what about in your clothes? CNN's Erica Hill has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): During World War II, it detected friend-or-foe aircraft. In Iraq, it tracked casualties of war. In fact, radio frequency identification, or RFID, is used on everything from your windshield -- no more waiting at the toll -- to tracking products, to livestock.
DAN MULLEN, AIM, DATA CAPTURE ASSOCIATION: If you look around you, bar code technology, radio frequency identification, is already there. It can be a very positive technology that can help bring efficiencies and customer service applications that really weren't dreamed of 10, 15 years ago.
HILL: But others feel that convenience may have a price.
CORY DOCTOROW, ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION: Here in California, we're seeing increasing use of RFID detectors, of EZ-Pass detectors, not as toll booths, but down on the freeway, so that authorities can figure out just who passes a certain point every day.
HILL: Earlier this year, there was word Beneton may begin using RFID tags in its clothing. The news prompted privacy fears and a boycott of the Italian clothing maker. And soon after, a release from the company stating it did not currently use the technology in garments, and that while it is, quote, "analyzing RFID technology," it had yet to begin feasibility studies.
But other retailers are using RFID. Both Wal-Mart and Gillette have signed on to help keep track of what's on their shelves.
Will the technology one day keep track of you, without your knowledge?
DOCTOROW: I think it's really important that people who buy devices that have RFID tags in them be able to switch them off.
MULLEN: With any technology, any innovation, there has to be responsible use of it. And we actively are looking at how we can answer those misconceptions and misunderstandings, as well as work with the end user community to make some guidelines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Now, with actually, I have brought some different examples of this technology to show you, because it really is found in so many things that we see in our everyday lives.
Taking a look over here, this little key chain is something that's known as Speed Pass. You may have heard of it. You just keep it on your keys, wave it at the gas pump, and it buys your gas.
This is your standard entry card at work, a parking pass. This little chip would look familiar to runners, if it's what's used in the little champion chips marathoners put on their shoes to measure their time as they go through the course.
This could be found in a key. It authenticates your key and it makes it basically impossible to hotwire your car.
And this bracelet was used on casualties in Iraq to keep track of the bodies, so they would know, Marty, which body was which, where it had been found, the date that it had been found.
SAVIDGE: So there are a lot of good things about it, but I guess the real concern is, is this something we should be worried about?
HILL: Well, it's an old technology, but in some ways, it's in very early stages. So both of the folks that we spoke to said, We don't necessarily want to regulate it, but we want to set up some guidelines and make sure that people know where it is, where they could potentially be tracked if they have it, and most importantly, that there be an off switch for them if they would like to turn it off.
SAVIDGE: Right, OK. Erica Hill, thank you very much for joining us. Appreciate it.
Fourth of July and bloody attacks. We'll go live to Iraq, where U.S. forces are coming under fire this holiday.
Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger pumping them up. Hear the Terminator's message for the troops.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'CONNOR: We could have all been (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: ... a close call for a Supreme Court justice. The frightening moment in Philly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: More than 5,000 African-Americans fought for America's independence during the Revolutionary War. Crispus Attucks, an African-American, was killed on March 5, 1770, in the Boston Massacre, the first person to die in the fight for America's independence.
George Washington initially forbid African-Americans from joining the Continental Army, whether free, slave, or ex-slave. But after learning they were being recruited by British forces, Washington changed his mind.
African-Americans filled many roles during the war, including soldiers, Marines, spies, guides, and messengers.
SAVIDGE: Welcome back to CNN.
U.S. troops attacked on the Fourth of July. We'll go live to Iraq.
But first, the latest headlines.
Barry White has died at a Los Angeles hospital. He was suffering from kidney failure brought on by high blood pressure. White became a star in the '70s with his deep voice, sultry lyrics. But he found new fans in the '80s and '90s as well. Becoming a music icon, he won two Grammys in 2000 for his song "Staying Power." Barry White was 58.
U.S. officials are analyzing an audiotape purportedly from ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The voice on that tape praises resistance against U.S. forces in Iraq and says jihad cells have been organized to fight the infidel invaders. The tape was aired today by Al Jazeera.
Liberian President Charles Taylor says that he'll step down once peacekeepers are in place in his wartorn country. The White House is calling on his vow to leave, quote, "encouraging, if true." President Bush and other world leaders have called on Taylor to give up power immediately.
Accused Chinese double agent Katrina Leung is free on $2 million bail. A federal judge has ordered her to remain in Los Angeles and surrender her passport. She was indicted last month on charges of illegally obtaining, copying, and retaining classified U.S. national defense documents.
Chicago police say that a drunk driver ignored a stop sign last night and crashed into a home, killing three young boys and a woman. Richard Green (ph) was cited with 10 traffic violations. He's in custody as prosecutors consider filing reckless homicide charges against him.
Hours before the purported tape of Saddam Hussein urging Iraqis to resist the invaders, U.S. troops in Iraq were under fire and taking casualties. But some could take time out to celebrate the holiday.
Let's go live now to CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He joins us from Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Marty.
Well, for the vast number of troops here in Iraq, it's been very much a day as usual on guard duty at bases, on guard duty at government buildings in downtown Baghdad, and around the rest of the country, or going out on patrols as they do on many days.
But for those who have been able to get time off, they have been able to have some fun, and have been able to enjoy themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Shootouts on the beach, harmless Fourth of July fun for U.S. troops enjoying a national holiday. Others work on their tans or cool off in one of Iraq's massive lakes just outside Fallujah, west of Baghdad.
American Independence Day providing a rare opportunity for these soldiers to relax and reflect on what they're missing back home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My family, my wife and kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mainly the fireworks. Bar crowd.
ROBERTSON: At a base in Baghdad, troops treated to a two-for-one burger deal at the only true American burger joint in Iraq. Most here thankful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes I think being in the United States, that we forget the things that we take for granted. And over here, we have been reminded many times over that we're very, very lucky to be Americans.
ROBERTSON: Less fortunate, the 16 U.S. troops injured in an overnight mortar attack on their base at Balad, an hour's drive north of Baghdad.
Not far away, the U.S. says 11 Iraqis were killed a little later when they ambushed a U.S. patrol. Another U.S. soldier was injured in an attack on a convoy west of Baghdad, and yet one more killed by small arms fire while on guard duty in Baghdad.
Into this increasingly volatile situation, Arnold Schwarzenegger came to offer troops his support over the holiday and do a little political campaigning.
SCHWARZENEGGER: This is really wild, driving around here. It's like -- I mean, the poverty, and you see there's no money, disastrous financially. Then there's a leadership vacuum, pretty much like in California right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Well, with the increase in frequency and sophistication of attacks that many of these troops have to endure, likely those that did enjoy a few hours' break this day, Marty, are going to savor those moments for some time to come.
SAVIDGE: I imagine they will. Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad, thanks very much for the report.
A decade after U.S. troops ran into trouble in Somalia, President Bush is considering the deployment of peacekeepers to wartorn Liberia and reconsidering the American role on the African continent.
We get more now from CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Candidate George W. Bush on sending U.S. troops into Africa's civil wars...
BUSH: It's an important continent. But there's got to be priorities.
STARR: Now President Bush is rethinking Africa's importance and the special U.S. interests in Liberia.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Its stability could be vital to progress on the continent. There's a humanitarian situation there that needs to be dealt with. But I think that we've also recognized, since 9/11, that one wants to be careful about permitting conditions of failed states to create conditions in which there's so much instability that you begin to see greater sources of terrorism.
STARR: The peacekeeping mission could turn dangerous, especially if U.S. forces get caught between Liberian President Charles Taylor and well-armed rebels.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Loyalists to Charles Taylor know they have no future, because if they put down their arms and surrender, then the rebel forces, either today or a month from now, will kill them. So yes, there will probably be some sporadic fighting.
STARR: Past military involvements in Africa have caused trouble for U.S. presidents. In 1992, troops went to Somalia. The U.S. pulled out after 18 soldiers died in a Mogadishu ambush.
In 1996, the U.S. sent hundreds of troops to Central Africa for a relief effort, but only after hundreds of thousands of Rwandans had already been killed in a brutal civil war.
Providing training and equipment, but not troops, has been the focus of recent U.S. policy. Last year, the U.S. pledged to help West Africa military forces set up bases for rapid deployment to conflicts. Washington is talking about a regional satellite communications system.
But there are still problems. Three years ago, the Pentagon sent 200 special forces trainers to Nigeria and Ghana to train troops for operations in Sierra Leone, still a hot spot.
(on camera): But civil wars and humanitarian disasters continue. And President Bush will now take his turn trying to see if this time, American troops can make a difference in Africa.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: President Bush says the country is still at war. He made that comment in a speech at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio today. He also restated his doctrine of preemptive strikes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: By killing innocent Americans, our enemies made their intentions clear to us. And since that September day, we have made our own intentions clear to them. The United States will not stand by and wait for another attack, or trust in the restraint and good intentions of evil men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: From the leaders of today, to talking about the leaders of tomorrow.
For more than two centuries, West Point has turned out many of the country's top military leaders. And with the armed forces facing new and unprecedented challenges in the twenty-first century, West Point's role -- excuse me -- may be more important than ever.
Journalist David Lipsky spent four years inside the military academy as an observer. He has written a book about his experience, "Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point."
David Lipsky joins us from New York.
Good afternoon to you, welcome, especially on the Fourth of July. Thanks for being with us.
DAVID LIPSKY, AUTHOR, "ABSOLUTELY AMERICAN": It's a pleasure being here, Marty. It's a great day to talk about West Point.
SAVIDGE: It is, it is. Although many days are good for that.
The students you profiled entered West Point before September 11. You know, so much of the world has changed. We now have fighting going on in Afghanistan, we have fighting going on in Iraq. And I'm just wondering, you know, had the cadets even considered this?
LIPSKY: No, they joined in a -- I mean, you always know, when you're a cadet, that there's a chance that you'll go to war. And what was strange for me being there was that my friends, journalist friends, kept saying, Hey, don't those guys know it's out of date, I mean, what they're doing? We're never going to have another war like that, now we're the superpower.
And then right after 9/11, they realized, Hey, those guys weren't living in the past, they were living in the future. And it was kind of great to see civilian Americans saying that.
SAVIDGE: So where is West Point as far as popularity today? Are they getting more applications than in the past? Or have things subsided somewhat?
LIPSKY: No, I think there was a real wave of patriotism after the attacks. And same thing, you got 2,000 people every year (UNINTELLIGIBLE) requests for -- of information, about 12,000 applications, leading down to 1,000 kind of all-star high school cadets going in starting every June.
SAVIDGE: Well, you really had unprecedented access. And I'm wondering, why did you get it? Why would West Point open it up to you as a journalist?
LIPSKY: Well, to be frank, I actually didn't. I -- before I spent time at West Point, did not have the most positive feelings about the military. And so I knew that the best way, or I felt the best way to get out of having to spend any time at all with the Army or at West Point was by asking for total access to all the cadets, to all the training, to the classes.
And so I made that request and was pretty sure I'd be home by about dinnertime. And instead, the colonel who runs West Point, who runs the cadets, said -- called me back and said Yes, you know, we'd love to have you up here.
And he said this great thing that was both very cool and also supergrammatical. He said, We have nothing of which we should be ashamed. And after four years, I can report that's quite true. Nothing to be ashamed of, and a great deal to be proud of.
SAVIDGE: You spoke with female cadets there. I'm just wondering, what's it like for a woman at West Point these days?
LIPSKY: Well, what was great about seeing how it's changed in the last -- even in the last 20 years, is that a lot of women would have to show that they weren't feminine to succeed in that environment. And now I think the male cadets are willing to accept that when you bring what's special to women into that environment, it can actually add a great deal, both to the atmosphere, certainly, and also to what you can do in the armed forces.
SAVIDGE: You mentioned one question before there that you went in there with perhaps not the best of ideas or thoughts about the U.S. military. That indicates maybe a change of heart or mind on your part. Was that the case?
LIPSKY: Yes. It was -- I mean, I had never -- I hadn't intended to spend more than about a day or two if I could avoid it there.
But it was the happiest place I'd ever been, you know, and I wanted to understand why that was, and I wanted to write the stories about the people I'd seen there.
And the other reason I stayed so long was to see how the stories in the book were going to come out. Because I was seeing kids, kids like kids I grew up with, kids who watched "The Simpsons," who memorized Eminem lyrics, and who could also talk about honor, who could talk about serving their country.
And I wanted to see how those four years would change them and how their stories would evolve.
SAVIDGE: David Lipsky, we'll look for those stories. The book is named "Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point." Thanks... LIPSKY: Marty...
SAVIDGE: ... for talking to us, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LIPSKY: Marty, it was great talking. Thanks for having me.
SAVIDGE: Now, here's your turn to weigh in on this Independence Day. Our Web question of the day, and it's fitting, Would you be willing to serve in the U.S. military? We'll have the results later in the broadcast. Vote at cnn.com/wolf.
And while you're there, we'd love to hear from you, as always. Send us your comments, and we might read some of them at the end of the program. That's also, of course, where you can read our daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
SAVIDGE: A supreme court justice and a hostile curtain? Find out what put sect -- security agents, that is, on edge in Philly.
First, though, a look at other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): No word yet on the cause of an accident at a closed Japanese nuclear power plant. The incinerator overheated, spewing smoke and ash into the sky. There was no radiation danger, because the reactors weren't running.
In Thailand, an extradition hearing for an American wanted in Mexico on child sex charges. Thomas Frank White faces similar charges in California. The San Francisco millionaire was arrested at a luxury hotel in Bangkok in February.
Italy's prime minister now says he did not apologize for a controversial comment. This week, Silvio Berlusconi told a German lawmaker he could play a Nazi in a movie. Berlusconi says he has expressed regret but not apologized.
They call him Father Pistols, a Mexican priest who always carries a gun. He says if police pack heat, why not a priest? Adding, Even some angels are armed with swords.
And the start of the Tour de France now just hours away. All eyes on the Texan, Lance Armstrong, poised for a fifth consecutive win, something only one other racer has ever done. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the race.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: And you're looking at just some of the ways across this great land we are celebrating the Fourth of July. In just a few hours in many places, the red, white, and boom will be heard, as the fireworks displays blossom after dark.
Well, some of the U.S. forces who terminated the rule of Saddam Hussein got a Fourth of July visit from the Terminator himself. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the Baghdad airport, where he showed troops his latest movie, "Terminator 3." He also fueled speculation about a potential run for California governor, comparing the leadership vacuum in Iraq to his home state. But his main mission was supporting the troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARZENEGGER: It's great to be here at Camp Victory. And I have to say that, first of all, congratulations for saying, Hasta la vista, baby, to Saddam Hussein. I, of course, I came here from the United States because I wanted to pump you all up. That was my mission.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Well, Independence Day got off to a rather strange start in Philadelphia. What was to have been a spectacular opening of the National Constitution Center was marred by a serious mishap.
CNN's Jason Carroll is in Philadelphia with details -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And it was a major mishap.
What basically happened is, the creators staged an elaborate opening ceremony for the National Constitution Museum. And then, just before it ended, as you said, there was a major accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, U.S. SUPREME COURT: We could have all been (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: A large wood frame that was used as a prop on stage fell over, injuring Philadelphia's mayor, John Street, and then narrowly missing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was also on stage. Three people ended up being injured, including the major -- including the mayor.
But none of the injuries were major. Later, the mayor talked about what exactly happened during the accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JOHN STREET, PHILADELPHIA: I could see Justice O'Connor, and I could see all the people to my right. And then I looked up, and I saw this thing falling. And I -- like I said, it first occurred to me that it might be Styrofoam. But then it started moving pretty fast.
And almost as a reflex, I stood up and twisted around to my right and raised my, you know, my right arm. And it hit me right across the elbow, right across the elbow. And I mean, immediately, when it hit, I knew this thing was -- this was some pretty heavy stuff here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Despite the accident, the reviews from the thousands of people who have come out to the museum have been favorable. The creators say that's what they're going to focus on on this Fourth of July, Marty.
SAVIDGE: Jason Carroll, thanks very much. Live from Philadelphia.
Speaking of history, American History 101. Do you know what your unalienable rights are? We'll put your patriotism to the test when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Earlier we asked, what are your unalienable rights? The answer, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson wrote those words in the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted July 4, 1776.
And if you were stumped by our news quiz, you're not the only one. Recent studies suggest many U.S. students know alarmingly little about American history and government.
Congressman Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, is worried about that trend and has sponsored a bill to strengthen history instruction.
I spoke to him about America's civics challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROGER WICKER (R), MISSISSIPPI: What drove it home to me was when I went to a class of advanced-placement students last year during the 2002 congressional races, and I spoke to a class, and I tried to get them to work with me and talk about the Declaration of Independence, the thing that we're celebrating this Fourth of July.
And I asked them to complete the phrase, "We hold these truths to be self-evident," and basically, there was just a blank look around the whole class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Well,we did a little quiz of our own, interviewing families in Washington celebrating the Fourth of July. Let's see if they know their unalienable rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unalienable rights? I would think that our unalienable rights are that we can -- you know, the freedom that we have in this country, I think, gives us the unalienable rights, you know, the freedom of speech, the freedom to express our opinion, and of course there's some other things there too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are your inalienable rights?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unalienable rights? The right to food?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inalienable rights? Oh, boy. That's what you're going to ask me, eh? Oh, let's see. If you look at the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, you would probably find your inalienable rights. What they are, I can't tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What document talks about those rights?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Bill of Rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bill of Rights.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you guys know what your inalienable rights are?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know what those are? We were just looking at them on that other statue over there. I think it was George Mason.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What document talks about your inalienable rights?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Declaration of Independence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who wrote it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thomas Jefferson.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
SAVIDGE: There you go. All right. Now, we're going to throw more questions at you, because our hot Web question of the day is this. Would you be willing to serve in the U.S. military? Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. The results when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Well, in case you're just joining us, some breaking news to report. Singer Barry White has died at a Los Angeles hospital. The velvet-voiced R&B star was suffering from kidney failure. He was best known for his sultry lyrics and his success with the Love Unlimited Orchestra in the 1970s.
He was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1944 but grew up in Los Angeles, where he started singing in a church choir as a teenager, beginning a career that spanned three decades.
OK, here's how you're weighing in our Web question of the day. And remember, we've been asking you this. Would you be willing to serve in the U.S. military? Thirty-seven percent of you said yes, while 63 percent of you said no. I'm a bit surprised by that.
As always, we tell you this is, of course, not a scientific poll.
And a reminder, you can always watch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern. And stick around this weekend for "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. The featured guest, the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pat Roberts and Jay Rockefeller.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts in a moment. But first, an early Fourth of July from Chicago.
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