Ahmed Qorei Visits Arafat's Bedside; Pentagon Confirms U.S. Casualties In Falluja
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Shaping up to be a nice, but a little bit cold, day here in New York City. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. Killing, of course, is part of a soldier's job description. But how do the troops reconcile their faith as they head into combat? this morning, we talk with a navy chaplain, his name is Kal McAlexander, about that.</s>BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And a great topic, too, to talk about today. Also this half hour, promising results this morning for a new pill to help overweight and obese patients lose pounds. Some doctors, though, are worried people may see the drug as a magic pill. So, we'll talk to the president of the American Heart Association about just that in a moment here. Opening bell from Wall Street -- here we go on a Tuesday. Bit of a -- I guess, a push yesterday is what we like to call it -- 10,391, up about three points in trading yesterday, just shy of four points yesterday for the Dow 30. Nasdaq MarketSite, 2,039 is your opening mark, up about a third of a point in trading yesterday. We call that a smidge or a scooch. Back to Kelly Wallace now with the headlines this morning. Good morning.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Very technical terms.</s>WALLACE: Exactly. Good morning, again, Soledad and Bill. And good morning, everyone. Now in the news -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has just paid a visit to the bedside of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Qorei, along with three other top officials, has now left the French hospital where Arafat is being treated. The Palestinian delegation arrived in Paris last night. Earlier, a spokesman for the military hospital said Arafat's condition has worsened. A live report from Paris in just a moment. Turning now to Iraq, Baghdad will be under a nighttime curfew until further notice. That's according to Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi. Meantime, the violence continues throughout the country. Iraqi police say there are at least 10 casualties following a suicide car bombing near an Iraqi National Guard base outside of Kirkuk. Closer to Baghdad, insurgents launched attacks on two police stations -- two hospitals and a church were also targeted. In California, less than two hours from now, jury deliberations are set to resume in the Scott Peterson double murder trial. The judge in the case lectured jurors yesterday about the importance of keeping an open mind. There are some signs the panel is becoming divided, which could lead to a possible deadlock. And attorneys for Kobe Bryant's accuser may try to move the civil suit against the NBA star from Colorado to California. The move could open the door to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Bryant because California does not have a cap on financial damages. A decision could come within the next few weeks. We'll be watching that story and keep you posted.</s>HEMMER: All right. Toobin's got an opinion on two on that, by the way.</s>WALLACE: He sure does. He's got an opinion about a lot of things.</s>HEMMER: That's right. Thank you, Kelly. Want to get to Paris now. Much more on the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, his condition at this hour. Fionnuala Sweeney is outside the Percy Military Hospital with more. Good afternoon, there, Fionnuala.</s>FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. About 45 minutes ago, the senior Palestinian delegation left this hospital. They spent about two hours and 20 minutes here talking to doctors, and we understand that only one member of that delegation allowed to the bedside of Yasser Arafat -- that was Ahmed Qorei, the prime minister. Earlier, they met with the French foreign minister emerging very grave and stern looking, and we now know that they're on their way to the Champs-Elysees Palace to meet President Chirac. And we hope to hear more about what has transpired during this day then. We do know from a hospital spokesman earlier this day issuing a statement -- perhaps the most forthright statement we have had to date from the hospital about the condition of Yasser Arafat. The hospital spokesman saying his condition had deteriorated overnight. His coma had deepened, and doctors were no longer reserving a prognosis. I think we can read between the lines on that -- Bill?</s>HEMMER: All right, Fionnuala. Keep us posted there from Paris. Fionnuala Sweeney there reporting the latest -- Soledad?</s>O'BRIEN: More than 12,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces are pounding insurgent targets in Falluja. Military officials say they've taken control of about a third of the city. We've got Barbara Starr for us live at the Pentagon with more on this this morning. Hey, Barbara, good morning.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, again, to you, Soledad. An update now from the Pentagon military officials confirming six U.S. troops now killed in action since the Falluja operation began, two additional troops killed in a vehicle accident, 10 U.S. troops now wounded in action during the Falluja operation. As many as seven other U.S. troops killed in action in a variety of attacks around Iraq yesterday. That coming, of course, as the interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declaring that nighttime curfew in Baghdad, part of an effort to tamp down some of the violence across the country. Now, in the battle for Falluja, the question is: Where are the insurgents? What is the opposition that the U.S. and Iraqi troops are facing? A key U.S. Military official tells CNN this morning, quote, "We believe that most of the Zarqawi senior leadership has departed Falluja." They're not saying whether that includes Zarqawi himself. He moves around very often, they know, and they're not even sure where he is. But they now do believe that the senior Zarqawi leadership is out of Falluja, that they left before this operation began. That may be one explanation why the U.S. and Iraqi forces have not yet encountered the massive organized resistance that they expected. They are encountering some action, but not what they exactly expected at this point -- Soledad?</s>O'BRIEN: Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks. And of course, we'll continue to get updates from you and from the Pentagon all morning. As the battle for Falluja intensifies and soldiers find themselves in life and death battles, more and more of them must turn to their faith for some spiritual guidance. Joining us this morning, someone who knows firsthand what it's like for these soldiers. He's Commander Kal McAlexander. He's a Navy chaplain, also a veteran of Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for being with us.</s>CMDR. KAL MCALEXANDER, U.S. NAVY CHAPLAIN: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning, Bill.</s>O'BRIEN: When the soldiers seek you out, what's the primary reason that they want to see you? What do they want to talk about?</s>MCALEXANDER: I think I can sum it up in three questions, usually. One is: Am I in a right relationship with God? If I die, where do I spend eternity? Two: How do I reconcile my faith with my mission? And then, the last one would be is it OK to be afraid?</s>O'BRIEN: All of those questions are weighty questions, each individually. How do you possibly tackle something like that? How do you tackle is it OK? You're talking about reconciling being a Christian, I would assume for most of the men, and killing people, which is a primary goal?</s>MCALEXANDER: From a Christian perspective, Romans 13 teaches that governments were instituted by God, that their purpose is to protect the poor, to protect the innocent, and to see that justice is carried out. And that deadly force is authorized if you're acting as an agent of the government.</s>O'BRIEN: It's long been said there are no atheists in a foxhole. Have you found that to be true? You do battlefield baptisms, I understand. What exactly are those?</s>MCALEXANDER: That's true. There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole. We've had experience operating in mined waters, and the sailors experience the same thing. As far as the baptisms, they are an expression of the service member's faith and a desire to make sure he's in right relationship with God and ready for eternity.</s>O'BRIEN: I've got to imagine that it takes only one close call or one firefight before some people start really rethinking their relationship with God and the great beyond, as well. How do you counsel these young men -- mostly -- who are so young about seriously considering the chances that they're going to die, they're not going to survive?</s>MCALEXANDER: Well, I think every human being is confronted with their own mortality at some point in time. It's just that these young men are confronted much, much sooner than most people are.</s>O'BRIEN: Commander Kal McAlexander joining us this morning, a Navy chaplain. Thank you for being with us and also sharing some of these photos that we've had an opportunity to look at while you were chatting with us. We appreciate it -- Bill?</s>MCALEXANDER: Thanks, Soledad.</s>HEMMER: Twenty-two minutes now before the hour. This daring police chase and shootout in Dallas, Texas, has gotten our attention here -- captured on videotape by police dashboard cameras. Here's Bert Lozano of FAA, our affiliate in Dallas.</s>BERT LOZANO, REPORTER, WFAA (voice-over): Under a blaze of bullets...</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gosh damn.</s>LOZANO: ... police pursued the alleged bank robbers. Here, just as the suspects were about to enter Central Expressway, they back up and open fire, taking aim at a Richardson police officer.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go!</s>LOZANO: Amazingly, only one officer receives a minor injury from broken glass during the intense chase. This is one of the bank robbery suspects who police say shot at police and is part of the notorious Takeover Bandits, who allegedly are responsible for some 60 robberies. Officers escorted Guadalupe Fajardo on a flight to Dallas after he turned himself in to authorities in Lubbock Saturday. Once he landed, officers booked him into the Dallas County jail. Richardson Police say this video from patrol units prove the suspects are dangerous and must be apprehended after escaping officers during the chase. That's even after smashing their getaway truck into a pole and then opening fire on officers once again. This time, a motorist is almost caught in the gunfire. Police did not return fire for fear innocent bystanders would get hurt, and the suspects were able to get away.</s>HEMMER: Bert Lozano, again, reporting that story out of Dallas, Texas -- WFAA, our affiliate. Broad daylight that took place -- Soledad?</s>O'BRIEN: That's some shocking videotape. Weather now. Let's take a look at that ahead with Chad -- or actually, I think we've got another story to tell you about. This story out of Tippecanoe County in Lafayette, Indiana. Have you seen these pictures? Look at that. That is a school bus that was rear ended by a truck in Tippecanoe County this morning. It happened on U.S. Route 52 and an Indianapolis TV station, WTHR, was reporting that some 30 children were inside that bus. They were taken to a nearby school. They were from a local middle school there. Some of the kids were reported to be slightly injured. And my understanding is they're all out now and, so far from what we've heard, they're all doing fine. Amazing, though. Let's turn to Chad Meyers for a look at the weather this morning. Hello, Chad. Good morning, again.</s>O'BRIEN: All right, Chad. Thanks. Still to come this morning, a promising new drug for overweight and obese people.</s>HEMMER: Also, a former Enron executive trying to get away from people who call him names like snake or evil. We'll explain that. Andy's back...</s>O'BRIEN: Did Jack call him snake or evil?</s>HEMMER: I'm not quite sure. Back with that in a moment here as we continue after this.