[Soledad O'brien, Co-host:] A call to action in Afghanistan from al Qaeda's No. 2.
[Barbara Starr, Cnn Correspondent:] I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. The top general from Iraq is in town. Will he recommend bringing the troops home? I'll tell you, coming up.
[Dana Bash, Cnn Correspondent:] I'm Dana Bash on Capitol Hill, where senators are jockeying for political position in the most extensive debate on Iraq since the war began. But what impact will it have on November's elections? More on that coming up.
[Chad Myers, Cnn Meteorologist:] I'm Chad Myers in Atlanta. Phoenix already 84 degrees, headed for record highs across the southwest. Also headed for some rain in the Midwest, some much needed rainfall there. I'll explain where that's going, coming up on this
[American Morning. O'brien:] Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
[John Roberts, Co-host:] And I'm John Roberts, in this week for Miles O'Brien. Good Thursday morning to you.
[O'brien:] We begin this hour with seven Marines and a sailor who are now facing very serious charges over the death of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdaniya. The charges include premeditated murder and kidnapping and conspiracy. CNN's Kareen Wynter is outside of Camp Pendleton in California. That's where the men are being held. She has the story.
[Kareen Wynter, Cnn Correspondent:] Valencia Thomas can only imagine what's going through her brother's mind.
[Valencia Thomas, Sister Of Accused Marine:] He's really scared.
[Wynter:] Twenty-four-year-old Marine Corporal Trent Thomas is confined to a military cell at Camp Pendleton. He's one of eight charged with premeditated murder in the April shooting death of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdaniya.
[Thomas:] He said, "You have got to get me a civilian lawyer." That was his main focus: "You have got to get me a civilian lawyer. I think that if I use their military lawyers then I'm going to going to go to jail for something that was completely out of our control."
[Wynter:] Charges in the criminal investigation include kidnapping, assault and larceny. The Marines are accused of dragging the Iraqi man from his house, shooting him, and placing an assault rifle in his hands to make him look like an insurgent. According to a charging document viewed by CNN from a defense attorney representing one of the accused, the Iraqi man was allegedly shot by five of the Marines. Thomas says her brother maintains his innocence.
[Thomas:] You can't really go into details on the phone and everything is tapped. But basically orders were given. He said they are over there ordering Marines to do stuff all the time, and he says that orders were given.
[Wynter:] The seven Marines and one sailor will face an Article 32 hearing, similar to a civilian grand jury, which could lead to a courts-martial for some or all of the men. Thomas says the family was signed a military attorney but also wants an outside legal team.
[Thomas:] When I spoke to Trent three weeks ago, you know, his lawyer just admitted or his military lawyer admitted that, you know, he really didn't know much about the case.
[Lt. Col. Daren Margolin, Usmc Judge Advocate:] Every one of these Marines and the sailor are provided with experienced, detailed military counsel. Their choice to retain a civilian counsel is up to them.
[Wynter:] In the nearby town of Oceanside, which has close ties to the Marine base, reaction was subdued and sympathetic.
[Unidentified Male:] Kind of tough to judge from over here. I'm not in that type of situation, you know. When you can't tell who's on your side and who isn't.
[Unidentified Female:] It saddens me that it happened at all. And if it is if it was something that our men did do then I feel that we put them in that position.
[Wynter:] Valencia Thomas says her brother just wants a fair trial, adding if that's even possible in such a high profile case. And Corporal Thomas' family said that it was important for them to come forward right now, Soledad, to share his story that he actually begged them from his jail cell here on base. He wanted them to detail how a decorated serviceman could end up an accused killer. The family also has set up a personal web site: MyBrotherMyHero.GooglePages. It talks about the fact that serviceman was on the third tour of duty when this incident happened, that just last year he was awarded a Purple Heart. The family is also looking for any donations that they can drum up regarding legal representation here. They say, Soledad, they are in for the fight of their life.
[O'brien:] Yes, and when you say fight of their life, I mean, does he face the death penalty?
[Wynter:] Absolutely. He faces the death penalty as well as the other seven who are charged here. The military isn't saying much right now, saying it's too early to speculate, but there are laundry lists for legal proceedings to follow. The charges that were filed yesterday, they could be reduced, they could be changed. Anything could happen between now and when the case wraps up Soledad.
[O'brien:] Kareen Wynter for us this morning. Kareen, thanks John.
[Roberts:] A pair of Pentagon heavyweights on Capitol Hill this morning. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and commanding general in Iraq General George Casey are in breakfast meetings right now, and troop withdrawals may be on the menu. CNN's Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon this morning. What's General Casey's recommendation, Barbara?
[Starr:] Well, good morning to you, John. General Casey isn't making any recommendations public, but sources in the military are telling us that he is ready to put forth what they call a very modest proposal to begin to reduce reduce troop levels in Iraq. Right now there are about 127,000 U.S. troops there. What General Casey is considering is recommending a reduction, if you will, by as many as perhaps one to two brigades. That could be six to 10,000 troops. But the fact is it's a big numbers game at this point. Much of that may be achieved not really by bringing troops home but by postponing or delaying sending new troops in a rotation schedule. It's all going to be very gradual, sources tell us. It's going to give the military a lot of wiggle room, if you will so that they can respond respond to conditions in Iraq. But they do tell us that General Casey is now discussing the option of perhaps not sending as many as one to two brigades.
[Roberts:] Interesting news. What does the recommendation say about U.S. confidence in the Iraqis to be able to provide security to defend their own country?
[Starr:] Well, that's that's really the key point, because as we know from watching the debate on Capitol Hill this week, a lot of members in Congress are saying, in their view, it's time to signal Iraq that U.S. troops won't stay forever, that they will come home, that the security is going to be the Iraqi responsibility, and certainly the Bush administration has been saying that, as well. But with a very modest troop reduction proposal, it doesn't really indicate at this point that at least General Casey or the top military commanders think that the Iraqis are really ready to take over, John.
[Roberts:] All right. Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon this morning. Barbara, thanks. The Senate, meanwhile, is debating and expected to vote on two Democratic proposals to get troops out of Iraq. Congressional correspondent Dana Bash is live on Capitol Hill. Morning, Dana.
[Bash:] Good morning, John. And the difference is inside the Democratic Party that will be on display with these two votes this morning. Senator John Kerry is offering one of the measures, and he insists that the only way to deal with what he calls a failed Bush policy is to say troops should come home by a date certain. But that position is leading a lot of Democrats who say John Kerry, who was their nominee, of course, two years ago, is now hurting his party.
[Sen. John Kerry , Massachusetts:] And it is not an abandonment of Iraq. It is, in fact, a way of empowering Iraq to stand up on its two feet.
[Bash:] Senator John Kerry's proposal would pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007. Republicans looked on with delight as some Democrats labeled Kerry's plan a mistake.
[Sen. Joseph Biden , Delaware:] And a plan to arbitrarily set a date, in my view, to leave is not a plan.
[Bash:] Most Democrats backed a competing proposal, urging the president to begin a phased troop withdrawal this year and submit a plan for further troop reductions.
[Sen. Jack Reed , Rhode Island:] This is not cut and run, or cut and jog, or cut and anything else. It is an attempt to articulate a policy based upon the reality of Iraq.
[Bash:] Democrats hope the election year debate taps voter anxiety about the rising U.S. death toll and financial costs. Republicans said both Democratic plans, any specific talk of withdrawal time lines, give hope to insurgents and terrorists.
[Sen. John Warner , Virginia:] This is a time timetable, a timetable that could well cripple, cripple the ability of this new government.
[Bash:] GOP senators didn't offer their own plan, happy they said, to stoke Democratic differences and paint them as weak on national security.
[Sen. John Cornyn , Texas:] A policy of retreat, a policy of appeasement, a policy of surrender.
[Bash:] Hillary Clinton was among the Democrats making the case voters won't be fooled by Republicans looking to escape political blame for a failed Bush Iraq policy.
[Sen. Hillary Clinton , New York:] It is wrong, plain and simple, to turn this serious debate about our policies and national security into a partisan squabble designed to mislead voters. This is politics at its worst.
[Bash:] But Republicans are actively engaged in an election year strategy to revive what they did in 2004, that they think worked rather well. And that is to turn an increasingly unpopular war in Iraq to their advantage by saying, wait a minute, the Democrats, if you elect them, they will make it worse. They will hurt your security. That's what Republicans are doing. Democrats, of course, recognize that. Many of them say 2004 is not 2006. Things have changed. The American electorate is more upset, more anxious about Iraq. But some of them are very worried the Republicans could really do what they did again this year to Democrats John.
[Roberts:] Going to be an interesting day there in Washington. Dana Bash on Capitol Hill, thanks.
[Bash:] Thank you.
[Roberts:] Soledad.
[O'brien:] There's a call to action in a new videotape from the No. 2 man in al Qaeda. A blunt response this morning from Afghanistan's president, though. In the video that surfaced on Wednesday, Ayman al-Zawahiri calls on Muslims to rise up against coalition forces in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai calls al-Zawahiri an enemy of the Afghan people who must be brought to justice. President Bush is wrapping up his European visit in Budapest, Hungary, this morning. He's going to make a speech in the next hour on the global struggle for democracy. Elaine Quijano, live in Budapest. Elaine, good morning.
[Elaine Quijano, Cnn Correspondent:] Good morning to you, Soledad. And it has been already a full day of events for President Bush here in Budapest, Hungary. In fact, just about an hour or so ago, the president, along with first lady Laura Bush, laid flowers at the eternal flame in Budapest's Kossuth Square. Now an interesting note, quickly, about that square. One of the Hungarian flags that flies there actually has a hole cut in the middle symbolizing when 50 years ago when Hungarian freedom fighters cut out the communist seal from the Hungarian flag. Now, the president's visit here is meant to pay tribute to the thousands of Hungarians who rose up against Soviet communist rule back in October of 1956. The president will highlight the sacrifices of the Hungarian people. In the weeks that followed the start of that uprising, when at least 25,000 Hungarians were killed, nearly a quarter of a million Hungarians fled this country. Already this morning, President Bush was welcomed in an arrival ceremony by Hungary's president at Sandor Palace. Later he met with top officials, including Hungary's prime minister. In just a short time from now the president will deliver marks centering on freedom and democracy. His aides say that it will not be a policy speech. But, of course, Soledad, it comes at a time when President Bush has been trying to bolster Iraq's fledgling democracy Soledad.
[O'brien:] Let me ask you a question about Iran, if I can, Elaine. You heard the president at this news conference yesterday say that he felt that the deadline that has been laid out to the Iranian president should be met faster than what the Iranians have said they would like to get to, sometime in August.
[Quijano:] I'm sorry, Soledad, I'm having trouble hearing you. I think you're asking about Iran. The idea of a deadline is still something that the U.S. is still quite hesitant to put an exact time frame on. We heard time and time again officials saying weeks, not months. Well, this morning for the first time national security advisor Stephen Hadley saying that it would be helpful if, in fact, Iran would respond before the G8 meetings are set to begin. As you know the first meetings are set to take place at the end of this month, June 29, when the foreign ministers will be meeting. At the same time, though, Stephen Hadley very careful to say that there is not an exact deadline that the United States is looking at. Only saying that it would be helpful for this to take place. Obviously, the Bush administration would like to see a response from Iraq sooner rather than later Soledad.
[O'brien:] Perfect answer to a question you couldn't hear. Elaine Quijano, thank you very much. As jets fly over her head this morning. Thanks, Elaine John.
[Roberts:] Firefighters in Arizona are having a tough time battling a 2,600-acre wildfire. They're trying to stop it from burning homes in Sedona. The fire has been burning since Sunday and is only seven percent contained at this point. Five hundred homes are threatened. They've all been evacuated. Arizona's governor has declared a state of emergency there. Time for a look at the weather forecast to see if there is any relief in sight. Chad Myers in the CNN Center. I take it that the immediate answer is no. What you really need is something to come in from the Pacific side of the country and help out those folks in the Four Corner states.
[Myers:] Yes. That's not typical for this time of year, because the Jet Stream is on up into, like, Juneau, Alaska, so that's where the weather goes, rather than getting a dip all the way down here. It's rare to get a dip down there in the summer time.
[Roberts:] Well, Chad, anything you can do to change the situation would be greatly appreciated. All right.
[Myers:] I know.
[Roberts:] Coming up, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to join us. He's going to tell us why synchronizing treatments with your internal body clock could be a life saver.
[O'brien:] Also ahead this morning, a close call at home. We'll show you how one woman was almost run over by a dump truck in her own living room.
[Roberts:] Plus actor David Hasselhoff has got a new movie coming out with Adam Sandler. It's called "Click." Hasselhoff is going to join us in the studio to talk about it ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.