Rumsfeld Visits Baghdad; Army Trains Future Interrogators
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And you're watching LIVE FROM. Here are the latest headlines at this hour. A killer identified. CIA analysts say it most likely was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi behind the hood and the sword when Nicholas Berg was beheaded. Zarqawi is one of the world's most wanted men, the leader of an Islamist terrorist group believed to have close ties to Osama bin Laden. A rousing reception for a defense secretary on the defensive. Donald Rumsfeld made an unannounced visit to Iraq today, his fifth since the war ended. He also stopped by the prison where some American soldiers are accused of mistreating Iraqi prisoners. The cost of waging war. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told lawmakers it could take more than $50 billion to finance operations in Iraq and Afghanistan next year. That's twice what the Bush administration has requested. The president also wants to control how the money is spent. Some senators argue, that amounts to a blank check. A change in command in India. Prime Minister Vajpayee has resigned after his ruling coalition lost the parliamentary elections. The Congress Party, headed by Sonia Gandhi, will now lead that government. She's the widow of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, assassinated in 1991. His mother, of course, Indira Gandhi. You know have had a rough week when a day trip to a war zone is a welcome break. But Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers today visibly savored their brief and unannounced visit to Baghdad, which included a visit to Abu Ghraib prison. There, Rumsfeld stood up for truth, justice and the American way.</s>DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: People are lining up year after year to come to our country from every country on the face of the Earth. Why do they do that? They do that because the United States is the beacon of liberty and of freedom and opportunity. And it's a great country, and the American people are wonderful people. And we'll get through this tough period, let there be no question.</s>PHILLIPS: While Rumsfeld denied that they -- quote -- "to throw fire" -- or water, rather -- "on a fire," but they still made quite a splash. Isn't that right, Ben Wedeman?</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Kyra. Well, most people approach a trip to Baghdad with a certain amount of dread, but Secretary Rumsfeld seemed to relish the experienced, a much changed man from the man we saw in congressional testimony. He came into the mess hall at Abu Ghraib prison and was greeted by hundreds of enthusiastic soldiers. It looked more like a pep rally than anything else. He did touch on the prisoner abuse scandal, referring to it as a body blow, but then he went on to say that he and General Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had come here to Iraq to look the soldiers in the eye and tell them how much they admired their work, a noble cause, he described it as. Now, after his visit to Abu Ghraib, which did include a tour of some of the facilities, we did see him going into the newly constructed visitors center being that's built there for relatives coming to see people on the inside, afterwards he went to an old palace of Saddam Hussein for what it was described or billed as a town meeting. There, it was another rousing speech. And afterwards, the defense secretary was moved by admiring soldiers. So, Kyra, a very different sort of scene than we saw in Congress just a few days ago.</s>PHILLIPS: Ben Wedeman, you talk about Rumsfeld and his trip to the prison. And, of course, you see the videotape with all the troops. Were any Iraqis allowed close to the defense secretary? Did they gather at the prison? Any type of reaction to his visit from the Iraqis?</s>WEDEMAN: Well, the only people who actually got anything close to personal contact that I saw today, and, of course, I was along with the secretary, were some Iraqi journalists who seemed quite happy to meet him and shake his hand and have their pictures taken with him. On the outside of the prison, though, it was a completely different atmosphere. Every day, hundreds of people wait outside in fairly harsh conditions. It's hot. Today there was a dust storm. They're waiting out there to find out where their relatives are, when they'll get out, maybe if they'll have a chance for a visit. And what was heard from them was nothing more than a denunciation of Mr. Rumsfeld's visit, lots of them saying that they just thought it was a propaganda stunt. They just want to see their relatives released from jail. And that's about it -- Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Ben Wedeman, thanks so much. Well, Rumsfeld told reporters today that he would be happy to release the Pentagon stash of photos and photo clips about Abu Ghraib, but there are legal complications. One, he said, is the ongoing criminal investigations, another Geneva Conventions prohibition of public shame and ridicule. Some in Congress disagree.</s>SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I would support them consistent with the code of military conduct, that they ought to be out and they should be released. The more the information gets out, the more extensive these hearings, the more knowledge that we have, the better off we are.</s>SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: I think any more of this could harm our troops. Our troops are doing a great job. We're talking about 10 or 12 people here who I think probably went out of control. So I don't know that letting everything out is the best thing for the prosecution of the people who did the wrong things and the incitement that could hurt the security of our troops.</s>PHILLIPS: Lack of training and questions about whether military rules were being followed have become central issues in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. CNN's Ed Lavandera looks at what the Army is doing now to help prepare future interrogators.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is site uniform, our field training exercise.</s>ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the dusty hills of southeastern Arizona, the newest Army intelligence interrogators are completing their final training exercise. The Army wants the world to know that when these soldiers leave here, they're not equipped with techniques of torture and humiliation.</s>MAJ. GEN. JAMES MARKS, U.S. ARMY: We train soldiers to do what's right. Our Army is values based. So if a soldier feels like he or she is moving down a path that they are uncomfortable with, we also have a thing called the chain of command. And you go up through the chain of command and get support from them.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All I'm asking to find out is your chain of command here.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do I know I can trust an American?</s>LAVANDERA: Inside the Fort Wachuka, soldiers are taught the fine points of interrogation; role-playing teaches each soldier how to approach different personalities.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How else did you set fire to the garbage cans?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we doused the cans with gasoline and lit a match.</s>LAVANDERA: The 16-week training course teaches soldiers to get into a prison area's mind.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, you're not going to let them finish whatever they're asking. Eventually the person is going to want to be heard.</s>LAVANDERA (on camera): Army officials here up to 90 percent of useful intelligence in Iraq comes from interrogations. But to get that information from a hardened terrorist or a militant fighter can require a tough approach.</s>MARKS: We don't strip anybody of their dignity, but I want them to be tired. I want them to be afraid of me. I want them when they breathe, I want them to think that the interrogator gave them the right to expand their lungs...</s>LAVANDERA (voice-over): Officials here say it's done under strict guidelines. No touching, no humiliation. Chief Warrant Officer Lon Castleton just returned from Iraq. He found a kinder, gentler approach is the most effective way of dealing with Iraqi prisoners.</s>CWO LON CASTLETON, U.S. ARMY: Yes. The things I saw with these people, they expected to be beaten. and that's the way Saddam Hussein used to treat them. In fact, they figured they'd never be seen again. So when you treat them with kindness, they're a lot more open. In fact, in a lot of cases, they're surprised.</s>LAVANDERA: The need for interrogators is so great that more than 500 soldiers will be put through this course this year.</s>SPEC. JASON HICKMAN, INTERROGATION TRAINEE: I have a foundation for what it's going to take to do my real job in the real world. But until I actually get out there and do it in the real world, I'm not going to know what it's going to be like.</s>LAVANDERA: No matter how real the training might appear, soldiers won't know what it will take to be effective, until they come face-to-face with an enemy prisoner. Ed Lavandera, Fort Wachuka, Arizona.</s>PHILLIPS: Who killed Nick Berg, the American who was beheaded on videotape? Well, the CIA as analyzed that tape and says there's a high probability that fugitive terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi carried out that killing. U.S. officials believe that Zarqawi is a close associate of Osama bin Laden and they suspect he's behind several terrorist attacks in Iraq. Berg's father says his son was in Iraq to help.</s>MICHAEL BERG, FATHER OF NICK BERG: My son was never in any trouble. My son never had a fight in his life, to my knowledge. My son didn't drink alcohol, didn't take drugs ever. He didn't gamble. He didn't have any bad habits. His only addiction was high places. He liked to climb high places and I think a little bit of that danger was part of it as well. He only wanted to help people.</s>PHILLIPS: Berg's body arrived in the United States yesterday. A memorial service is planned for tomorrow in Pennsylvania. President Bush is vowing to continue the fight in Iraq, despite the actions of terrorists. But with polls showing that Americans are growing increasingly concerned by the war, the president is showing a softer side on the campaign trail. Senior White House correspondent John King has that.</s>JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside the White House a forceful condemnation.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no justification for the brutal execution of Nicholas Berg, no justification whatsoever.</s>KING: And a familiar refrain.</s>BUSH: We will complete our mission. We will complete our task.</s>KING: At one end of the helicopter ride, the commander-in-chief voicing resolve in the face of another setback in Iraq. At the other end, a candidate for reelection seeking to soften his image and remind voters war is not his only focus.</s>BUSH: We believe every child can read.</s>KING: New ads revive the compassionate conservative theme of the last campaign.</s>NARRATOR: As president, he signed the most significant education reforms in 35 years.</s>KING: And, on the Internet, enlisting the first lady as part of the image makeover.</s>LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: The president is so committed to education reform because he looks at schools as a parent looks at schools.</s>KING: For a wartime president there is no refuge from events like the prisoner abuse scandal or the execution of an American citizen and the Bush campaign has actively encouraged the commander- in-chief theme. But a majority of Americans now disapprove of how Mr. Bush is handling Iraq. His overall job approval rating is at its lowest point and Democrat John Kerry gets higher marks on handling the economy.</s>STU ROTHENBERG, ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: When there's so much war news it's hard for the president to show a complete range of who he is as a president. He's going to have to do that over the next five months.</s>KING: The Bush campaign knows Iraq is dominating national headlines but the ads, daily campaign events and more up close and personal campaigning are all designed to make war at least a bit less of the picture by election day.</s>ROTHENBERG: A likable guy, a decent approachable person, that's an important asset to have if you're running for reelection, particularly if you're running against a Democrat who does not have an image as particularly approachable, soft and likable.</s>KING (on camera): It is at times a difficult balance, day-to-day management of an increasingly controversial Iraq policy and the longer-term campaign imperative to try, amid the daily images and challenges of war, to soften the president's image a bit. John King, CNN, the White House.</s>PHILLIPS: Other news across America now. Cast and all, it's a one-hop strike in Houston from former American hostage Thomas Hamill. He was honored by the hometown Astros 11 days after escaping his captors back in Iraq. More strong storms on tap today for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. This massive twister yesterday damaged several homes in the Kansas town yesterday of Attica. A total of nine tornadoes were spotted in a single Kansas county. Also a milestone today in the race to make space a tourist destination. A piloted module sets a new civilian record by reaching altitude of 40 miles high and then returning to the California desert. The module was launched by a high-flying aircraft as part of a competition to develop space for tourists. A theme park ride may be the closest many people come to something like that space flight. Well, ahead, how crowded will this amusement park be this summer? Iraqi sports fans are one step closer to the Olympic gold. First, a war story the world isn't paying attention to. CNN's Christiane Amanpour is, though. She goes to western Sudan. Some say it's the worst refugee crisis in the world.