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AMERICAN MORNING

Al Qaeda Taking Credit for Advanced Device on Suspect's Underwear; Airport Passengers Experience Longer Lines and Higher Security; The Politics of Terrorism; The Politics of Terrorism; Better Paying Jobs in 2010; "A Peaceful Person"

Aired December 29, 2009 - 06:00   ET

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


JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: A good Tuesday morning to you. Thanks very much for joining us on the Most News in the Morning. It is December the 29th. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. Here are the big stories we'll be telling you about in the next 15 minutes.

They are images of terror. This morning we're getting a first look of pictures showing the crude bomb that federal investigators say could have brought Northwest Airlines Flight 253 to a tragic end with a bomb sewn into underwear that could have blown a hole in the side of the plane. The very latest on the investigation just ahead.

ROBERTS: Plus, Al Qaeda claims credit. A branch of the terror group in Yemen is calling Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab a hero. The group is also bragging that its advanced bomb passed through airport security.

CHETRY: And President Obama is stepping in, ordering an airport security review after critics slam the administration for not doing enough. Are politics getting in the way of our safety?

ROBERTS: But first, there are chilling images of terror from the FBI. The feds say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab used this pair of underwear to smuggle explosives onto flight 253. And the big worry, it was never detected by airport security.

The federal report obtained by CNN says the 23-year-old Nigerian claims that he got the bomb in Yemen along with instructions on how to use it. And a branch of Al Qaeda in Yemen says it is behind the plot. Our Jeanne Meserve is breaking it all down for us this morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, when you see this bomb, you will see how even a pat-down might have missed it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): These pictures from an FBI bulletin obtained by CNN show 76 grams of PETN in an anatomically shaped sheath tucked into a pocket stitched into underwear. It was allegedly worn by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to avoid detection during screening. There is scorching from the attempt to set off the bomb and one photo shows the triggering device, a melted syringe with plastic film-like material and tape. Preliminary analysis indicates it contained ethylene glycol, an ingredient in coolants and anti-freeze.

A claim of responsibility from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula called it an advanced bomb and touted the fact that it defeated American security. A U.S. counterterrorism official says the statement appears to be authentic, and it seems credible that the group had some involvement in the attempted attack. The government of Yemen where the Al Qaeda affiliate operates says Abdulmutallab visited the country at least twice, once four or five years ago and again from last August to early December.

FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: You do worry that next time the lesson they'll take from this is, next time what we need is two or three guys on each plane and several planes so that we can have some assurance at least one of them does blow up. And so I'm not sure I would take a whole lot of comfort from it.

MESERVE: U.S. officials say the alarm raised by Abdulmutallab's father more than a month ago was not specific or credible enough to put the young Nigerian on a terror watch list. But critics say there was a failure to connect the dots, including his use of cash to purchase a one-way ticket, that he didn't check luggage and perhaps most importantly, the British decision to deny him a new visa last May.

RANDY LARSEN, THE INSTITUTE FOR HOMELAND SECURITY: I just don't believe that we'll ever have a scenario where we'll get more advanced warning of an attack on America. It's hard to imagine that this will happen, and yet we failed to put that information together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula says the attempted attack was retaliation for an alleged U.S. attack against terror targets in Yemen. Two prisoners released during the Bush administration from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are among that group's leaders, but counterterrorism officials say they are still investigating just how tightly linked that organization is with the attempted bombing.

John and Kiran, back to you.

CHETRY: Jeanne Meserve for us this morning, thanks.

Well, just three days after that terror scare, President Obama interrupted his Hawaiian vacation to speak publicly for the first time, ordering more air marshals and a review of airport screeners. He also offered a reassurance to travelers and a warning to terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American people should remain vigilant but also be confident. Those plotting against us seek not only to undermine our security but also the open society and the values that we cherish as Americans. This incident, like several that have preceded it, demonstrates that an alert and courageous citizenry are far more resilient than an isolated extremist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, there are already new rules for airline security. Fliers are now facing even more increased checks, pat-downs, background checks on the ground and restricted movement in the air. But how long will they put up with it?

Allan Chernoff standing by at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with an "A.M. Original." So we heard a little bit about Canada not allowing carry-ons or at least restricting carry-ons. People having to restrict where they're allowed to go to the bathroom and when. How are they dealing with this tougher security?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, passengers are dealing. In fact, this morning you've got lots and lots of passengers here way early for their flights, more than three hours here in advance. The fact is, most of them are resigned and accepting of the measures designed to make sure they get to their destination safely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The lines are long. The security measures at a minimum an inconvenience, and the time loss substantial and seemingly as long as ever following the Christmas Day bombing attempt.

You got here three hours before your flight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CHERNOFF (on camera): And its domestic?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.

CHERNOFF: Normally would you get here three hours before a flight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): But in the aftermath of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's apparent attempt to destroy a Northwest Airlines plane, it seems no inconvenience is too great for the safety of the skies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd rather be safe than, you know, than, you know, them take the extra precautions. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's what it has to be, and it's unfortunate that we have to go to these measures, but I guess it's understandable.

CHERNOFF: As if body and luggage scans, shoe removal and liquid disposal weren't enough, now passengers on some international flights must abide by strict flight rules. These passengers who arrived in Detroit from Amsterdam had to remain seated for an hour before landing with nothing on their laps.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just like a small house arrest on the last leg of the flight. It was pretty good. It felt really secure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unfortunately, this is in the day and age where we have to do these extreme things.

CHERNOFF: Extreme as in serving as the last line of defense if all security measures fail. Just as Casper Schuringa sprang into action to grab Abdulmutallab on flight 253, others say they're prepared to do the same.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all hope so that everyone wants to be that sort of hero.

CHERNOFF: But will the thoughts of heroism and tolerance for inconvenient security last? Psychologist Jeff Gardere says they won't if there are no further incidences in the coming months. Memories are short.

JEFF GARDERE, PSYCHOLOGIST: I think as time goes on, they'll start being a little less agreeable, a little bit more irritable especially if they feel that the rules are being delivered in a way that is draconian.

CHERNOFF: But what Americans remember right now is the fact that someone came close to blowing up a plane on its way to Detroit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just press on, you know. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and everybody stay vigilant.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: After 9/11, the country had a wartime mentality, near misses like Friday's attempted bombing are very quick to revive that vigilance and tolerance -- Kiran.

CHETRY: We saw the people you talked to showing up three hours ahead of a domestic flight. Have people actually missed flights because of the extra security screenings?

CHERNOFF: Indeed, Kiran. I just spoke with two groups of folks inside the terminal. They were here yesterday three hours in advance of their flights and they did miss their flights. However, that they say is not because of the security. It's actually because of the huge lines at the Delta counter. The fact is, I think they just don't have enough people staffed at the counter right now, so the lines are just looping around. There are thousands of people inside the terminal right now. And I spoke with folks who are now here four hours in advance of their flight times.

CHETRY: Things have certainly changed. Allan Chernoff for us this morning. Thanks.

ROBERTS: So years after 9/11, why are people on watch lists still making it through airport security? Just ahead at 6:30, we're going to talk with CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend and Charlotte Bryan. She's the former federal security official.

CHETRY: Meanwhile, it's eight minutes past the hour. Other stories new this morning, the crackdown in Iran continues after Sunday's deadly protests.

Hardliners in parliament demanding no mercy as activist Web sites report eight prominent opposition figures have been taken into custody. At least 300 have been arrested. Iranian authorities say they're holding the bodies of five protesters preventing their funerals including the nephew of the opposition leader, Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

ROBERTS: Another officer killed in the line of duty in Washington State. Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Kent Mundell was wounded in a shootout on December 21st along with his partner. Police say the gunman who was killed in the shootout was drunk and had a history of domestic violence. Mundell was the sixth officer in the Seattle area to die in the line of duty in just the past three months.

CHETRY: A couple stranded for three days in an Oregon national forest blames GPS for getting them lost and found. Their SUV's navigation system sent them down a remote forest road. That's where they got stuck in the snow. After three days though, they managed to send their coordinates to a police dispatcher using the GPS-enabled cell phone.

ROBERTS: So GPS gets them in trouble and gets them back out.

CHETRY: There you go.

Well, right now, we get a check of the other stories new this morning, including our weather headlines. Jacqui Jeras is in the weather center for us this morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: All right. Thanks, Jacqui.

OK. So this incident on this aircraft on Christmas Day, President Obama doesn't come out for three days to talk about it. A lot of people are criticizing him about that.

What does it all mean for what do we do about all the people at Guantanamo Bay? Can you actually release them if they're going back as we've seen some of these leaders of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to terrorism? Questions that will be putting to our experts this morning.

It's ten minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Thirteen minutes after the hour now. That means it's time for an "A.M. Original," something that you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING. But first, a quick check of what's new this morning.

CHETRY: Right. New developments in the Arizona sweat lodge investigation. You may remember back in October, three people died during a spiritual ceremony that was led by self-help guru James Ray inside of a makeshift sweat lodge.

Well, documents released yesterday now reveal that those who attended past events also led by Ray experienced serious medical distress including loss of consciousness, even broken bones. So far no charges have been filed. Prosecutors are expected to get the case next month.

ROBERTS: The custody battle over Sarah Palin's grandson will be played out in public. A judge last week denied a request by Bristol Palin to keep the custody proceedings closed. The boy's father Levi Johnston said he feared that Sarah Palin might have too much pull if those proceedings were kept private.

CHETRY: North Korea says it has detained an American who entered the country illegally last week. It's believed to be 28-year-old Robert Park, a Korean-American Christian missionary from Arizona. Fellow activists say that Park crossed the border from China Christmas Day carrying letters calling North Korea to end its human rights abuses. Park's parents say that their son is willing to die to deliver his message.

ROBERTS: Well, more on our top story now, the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 has reignited debate about how the U.S. deals with the threat of terrorism. Critics are saying President Obama was way too late in addressing it.

CNN's Jim Acosta has this "A.M. Original." He joins us now. Hey, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. You know, when President Obama spoke out on the terrorism scare three days after it happened in Detroit, he entered a debate that had already begun over his administration's approach to combating terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): President Obama interrupted his vacation in Hawaii with some tough talk on terrorism.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As a nation, we will do everything in our power to protect our country. ACOSTA: But it was also a chance to turn down the heat on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who had initially given something of a thumbs-up to the government's handling of the Detroit terror scare on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION."

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: One thing I'd like to point out is that the system worked. Everybody played an important role here. The passengers and crew of the flight took appropriate action.

ACOSTA: Within minutes, Republicans had latched on.

REP PETER KING (R), HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Earlier today, Secretary Napolitano said the system worked. The fact is the system did not work.

NAPOLITANO: Yes. That - that's a phrase taken out of context.

ACOSTA: When pressed, Napolitano later dialed (ph) back her remarks.

NAPOLITANO: Our system did not work in this instance. No one is happy or satisfied with that.

ACOSTA: After his own father had informed authorities his son was a potential terrorist, now members of Congress are asking questions such as how the suspected terrorist in Detroit could fly in the first place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The threat to the United States is real. I think this administration has downplayed it. They need to recognize it, identify it. It is the only way we are going to defeat it.

ACOSTA: But one key senator who has sometimes frustrated the White House brushed off the notion the president has gone soft on terror.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you share that point? What do you think?

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: I - I don't - I don't think it's fair to lay this on President Obama or the Obama administration. A lot of these practices are ones that have been going on for quite a while.

ACOSTA: The White House says those security procedures, some dating back to the Bush administration, are now under review.

ROBERT GIBBS, US PRESS SECRETARY: I think the best New Year's resolution that we might be able to make in the New Year is to make the security of the American people a nonpartisan issue, not a political football that we punt back and forth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Don't bet on it. Hearings on the Detroit scare are planned for later this - this winter, perhaps as early as next month, and the top Republican on that committee has already said there should have been a big red flag next to that suspect's name.

And, John, there is also talk among Republicans, even some Democrats, that perhaps this is not the time to keep moving forward with these plans to close Guantanamo. That plan is also under fire this week, John.

ROBERTS: Yes. A lot of talk about that.

And, Jim, you know, as - as happens with any new administration, there's a lot of key presidential appointments that haven't been filled yet, and some of those are connected to airline security. Who's missing?

ACOSTA: Well, the head of the TSA is missing, and - and we've reported on this. That political appointee from the Obama administration has a hold placed on it by none other than Jim DeMint, the very conservative Senator from South Carolina. He's concerned that that head of the - or appointed head of the TSA would be in favor of TSA screeners joining a union.

So, for now, that appointment is on hold. There are others in the mix, and the Obama administration has been dealing with this. As you know, John, many, many appointees on the political level held up by senators who aren't comfortable with those decisions, John.

ROBERTS: All right. Jim Acosta for us this morning. Jim, thanks so much.

ACOSTA: You bet.

CHETRY: All right. So, the top 10 jobs where you're more likely to get a raise coming up next year. Gerri Willis is going to join us with a look at that.

It's 18 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Good morning, New York City, where right now it is 26 degrees and windy. Later on today it's only going to go up one degree, windy with a high of just 27, and we've got some snow moving in, looks like, for New Year's Eve, which could make for a chilly night there as you ring in 2010, and as well as some travel problems for people trying to get out of town.

CHETRY: And it's the wind that really gets you, because it may be 26, but with the wind chill it feels way colder than that.

ROBERTS: Yes. I heard of one gust that was 50 miles an hour early this morning, so bundle up today if you're in the Northeast.

CHETRY: Yes. Good advice.

Well, meanwhile, 21 minutes after hour. That means it's time for "Minding Your Business." A look at some of the business headlines this morning. First of all, we're waiting for what could be a nice shot in the arm for the housing market. This morning, a new report on home prices is expected to show a slight increase in October. That would be the fifth straight month of gains.

ROBERTS: The cell phone industry is pressing Congress for more airwaves. They say smartphone users are clogging up bandwidth by watching videos, surfing the web and downloading apps - but isn't that what they were designed for?

CHETRY: Right. Wait a minute!

ROBERTS: The Commerce Department says it's on the hunt for more frequencies in the wire that the wireless industry can use.

CHETRY: All right. There's one (ph) frequency hunting this winter. There you go.

ROBERTS: I mean, that's just comical, you know? They design these phones to do all this stuff, and then they're saying, oh, crap! We've got a problem.

CHETRY: Yes.

ROBERTS: Can you imagine?

Well, people have got lots of problems when it comes to the job market, making ends meet. But there are some industries here and some professions where people can actually expect a raise in the next 12 months.

Stephanie Elam here, "Minding Your Business". Good morning.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

I think there's a lot of people who are happy to see '09 go away.

CHETRY: Oh, yes.

ELAM: So that was just a rough period as far as raises. Those weren't around. People saw their 401(k)s axed.

Well, there's good news. Eighty-five percent of big companies that went ahead and got rid of annual raises are now going to bring them back, perhaps. Well, taking a look at that, 85 percent did do the axing there, 54 percent say they plan to lift salary freezes and 35 percent of companies say they will restore those 401(k) contributions, 70 percent of them saying that they'll take the matches back to their original levels. So, for a lot of people this is good news for - for what they plan on doing in saving for retirement.

Now, why are there changes? Well, 40 percent of companies that were surveyed said that they expect their financial situation to improve and they're a little bit more optimistic about things. And so this is why they're looking to help out people here. Now, so let's take a look at who - well, what jobs are getting raises. That's an important question, right, if you're out there trying to find a job.

We are taking a look at jobs such as a tax accountant. Tax accountants could be finding good jobs next year.

CHETRY: How ironic.

ELAM: And there's - especially as we're wrapping up the year, right? Compliance directors as well, information systems, security managers, medical record clerks and executive assistants all looking forward.

Of course, if you want to know - to know more about this, if you want to find out about the salary rangers, check out CNNMoney.com. There's a good write (ph) there to give you more information about this story.

So a lot of help out there for people who are looking to make perhaps a change and find some money out there.

ROBERT: All right, Stephanie. Thanks so much.

ELAM: Sure.

ROBERTS: Stephanie Elam "Minding Your Business" this morning.

CHETRY: That's right.

And still ahead, Mary Snow talks to a prep school friend of the suspect behind that foiled Christmas attempt to blow up an airliner. We're going to see what his friend said about why he's so surprised that his friend may be involved in this.

It's 24 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

They just did not see it coming. Many family members and friends of the man accused of trying to blow up a plane with nearly 300 people on board are simply stunned by the news.

Our Mary Snow caught up with an old classmate of Abdulmutallab who remembers a peaceful person.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, as the world learns more about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab as the man accused of plotting to blow up an airliner, one former schoolmate, now living in the US, remembers his old friend from middle school and high school very differently.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SNOW (voice-over): Efemena Mokedi is having a hard time making sense of how his former schoolmate, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, could now be a suspected terrorist. Mokedi, who's from Nigeria, is seen here as a student. He went to the same school as Abdulmutallab in the West African nation of Togo.

(on camera): When you heard this news, what's your reaction?

EFEMENA MOKEDI, FORMER CLASSMATE OF ABDULMUTALLAB: I was shocked and I was surprised and I didn't believe it at first, until I saw Umar Farouk's images which showed that this was the student I went to - this was the student I went to school with.

So, once I saw that, I, you know, I was, like, man, this is unbelievable. This is out of this world. You know, we have never guessed, you know?

SNOW: What was he like?

MOKEDI: He was a peaceful person. You know, he was a friendly person, sociable and someone - if you had a problem, you can always go and talk to, you know? And he was always willing to help students and a lot of teachers in the school also liked him because he was just an intelligent kid.

SNOW: Was he a religious kid?

MOKEDI: He was a very - he was a devoted, religious person. He - you know, he worshipped - religion was one of - a key aspect of his life, and he - he was someone that, you know, always prayed and, you know, followed the traditions of his religion.

SNOW: Was there anything that he ever talked about that made you think that he was somewhat of a radical at all?

MOKEDI: Nope. Never.

SNOW (voice-over): Mokedi, who's 20, says he last saw Abdulmutallab in 2007 when Mokedi left Nigeria to come to the US. He describes the boarding school he attended with Abdulmutallab in Togo as a small, elite school. He says while the two mostly talked about basketball, they sometimes did discuss religion.

Mokedi is a Christian and says he did ask Abdulmutallab questions about negative perceptions about Islam.

MOKEDI: What we saw on TV, whether it would be (ph) people are, like, portraying them as bad people, and, you know, that's what led me to the curiosity even to talk to him and ask him, is it true? And he said, no. Do I - do I - have you ever seen me come to school in a, you know, with a bomb or something?

No. It's always peace, you know? That's what the main philosophy of (ph) general is about Islam.

SNOW: Mokedi says in the last few days he's been keeping in touch with former schoolmates on Facebook.

MOKEDI: They are all shocked. Some of them are terrified. Some of them don't want to talk about it. Some of them are like, I can't believe it. Some of them are, like, wow, this is - this is unbelievable. Some of them said, you know, at first some of them don't even want to believe that it's him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Mokedi he says he last saw Abdulmutallab in 2007 and never kept in touch with him after that - John and Kiran.

CHETRY: All right.

ROBERTS: Mary Snow for us this morning. Mary, thanks so much.

And it's coming up now in half past the hour. That means it's time for this morning's top stories.

Al Qaeda is now claiming credit for the attempted bombing of a flight over Detroit on Christmas Day. Feds say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had the explosive PETN and a syringe with a detonating chemical secreted in a modified pair of underwear when he tried to blow up Northwest Flight 253. The branch of the terror group in Yemen bragged about the fact that device got past security.

CHETRY: China defending today's execution of a British drug smuggler. The man was convicted of sneaking nearly nine pounds of heroin into China. Relatives say that he's mentally unstable. China rejected British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's call for a mental assessment, calling drug smuggling a serious crime.

ROBERTS: It was the safest year in New York City ever. Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced historic drops in crime for the Big Apple in 2009, including the lowest number of homicides, 461, since reliable record keeping began in 1963. Bloomberg credited new technologies in a program focusing on the most troubled areas of the five boroughs for the drop.

CHETRY: President Obama ordering a review of the terror watch list. We now know that the suspect who paid nearly $3,000 in cash for his ticket and had no carry-on luggage was added to an FBI database last month.

First Homeland Security chief, Tom Ridge, reacted to the president's statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, FMR. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: When the president says, we need to take a look at the watch list, I think he's on to something. What is the mentality? What's the culture? What are we going to do to make sure that more information, particularly those -- that kind of information that sends warning signals out, gets to the people who can act on it? Whether in the battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan, or you're a screener at an airport, you need actionable information. And I'm not sure this information was in the hands -- all this information was in the hands of TSA at the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, Secretary Ridge went on to say that despite serious gaps of information sharing, the U.S. is safer than before.

But as we've been reporting, the suspect, Umar Abdulmutallab, was on one of four watch lists, the largest one actually. It's called TIDE, which stands for Terrorists Identities Datamark Environment. Now, this list has about half million names of people of interest. But these people are not required to get extra screening when they fly.

So, many are asking this morning, what good are these lists if people on them are still getting on planes?

Joining us now is CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend, former homeland security adviser under President Bush. As well as Charlotte Bryan, a former airport official with the FAA, as well as the TSA.

Thanks to both of you for being with us this morning.

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning, Kiran.

CHARLOTTE BRYAN, FORMER AIRPORT OFFICIAL: Good morning.

CHETRY: So, Fran, let me start with you. What is the point of this list if these guys aren't getting extra attention when they fly?

TOWNSEND: Well, Kiran, as you know, we get a lot of information every single day and we collect -- intelligence operatives collect information around the world. But it's not clear whether that's credible, whether it's valuable. And so, it goes into this database so it can be further evaluated.

The problem here is, he got into -- he got past the first screening and into the first database but nobody added to it, nobody flagged it, as Tom -- Secretary Tom Ridge said, to get to the hands where it could be actioned at our airports. I mean, after all, you know, when you take the information from the father, together with the fact that it was a cash ticket, together with the fact that it was a one-way ticket, there was no luggage checked, you would think that information in the TIDE database together with the information about his travel would have flagged him for greater screening and perhaps not to have been able to fly.

CHETRY: Right. So, that's the question, Charlotte. And Fran brought up a couple of the red flags. Another one is that the suspect's visa was denied by the British government. That, again, his father notified the U.S. embassy that his son may be radicalized and as Fran pointed out, he paid for the nearly $3,000 ticket in cash and boarded this flight with no checked luggage.

Does the TSA have access to all of that info? Or are these just tidbits of information that are sort of out there that aren't necessarily concentrated into an area where with a TSA official would know this?

BRYAN: I think it's the latter. I don't think TSA has all the tidbits that it needs. It's scattered among the intelligence agencies.

You'll remember that TSA's primary mission is the screening of checked baggage and passengers, not intelligence gathering, dissemination and review.

I also believe that a lot of this information is available but the problem is, when you have half a million people on a watch list, that's an awful lot of people. Perhaps we need to whittle that down and really to focus our valuable resources on those that really need the attention at the time.

CHETRY: Charlotte, you brought up a good point. You said the TSA's primary responsibility is not intelligence gathering or dissemination.

But, Fran, one of the biggest recommendations from the 9/11 Commission was for the TSA to take over the terror watch lists. The government still isn't in charge of fully matching these passenger names with terrorist watch lists, according to government reports. So, why haven't we seen that nine years after 9/11? It sounds like we're still not connecting the dots.

TOWNSEND: Well, because TSA doesn't actually go out and gather the intelligence. The thought was -- a review was done of that issue -- and the thought was what you wanted to do is have the people who gathered the intelligence and were in the best position to evaluate it, manage the database. And so, you see, the FBI has the Terrorist Screening Center. But that doesn't alleviate them of the responsibility to actually move that information into the hands of the screeners who can action it. In fact, that is part of the responsibility of the Terrorist Screening Center.

CHETRY: All right. And so, Charlotte, the TSA director, Kip Hawley, and we also talked with former homeland security, Michael Chertoff, they're calling for these full-body scanners. They say, yes, there have been political hiccups; yes, privacy advocates are arguing against them. But they're really our best bet.

What do you think about whether or not what happened on Christmas Day, or potentially could have happened, will change the thinking when it comes to whether or not we're going to see these body scanners used on a wide scale?

BRYAN: I firmly believe in the whole body imaging system as a screening device. I believe that they would have detected that there was something there in that position on his body. It may not have detected it as an explosive, but it certainly would have raised some flags that would have required further detection and a review by either an officer or further scanning.

Some of these whole-body imaging systems do detect explosives. I've seen a system that was in development where the body itself is not viewed. It's only things that are on the body. Those could be liquid explosives. It could be ceramics, sheet metal -- I mean, sheet explosives.

So, I firmly believe that that's the way to go. Unfortunately, they're very expensive and the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security do not have the resources necessary to do that. But we do need explosive security screening at our checkpoints.

CHETRY: And, Fran, as far as these screening procedures go, it seems like we're always reacting to the last threat. For example, we take offer our shoes because of Richard Reid. We don't carry more than three ounces of liquid because of the thwarted plan to use liquid explosives. And now, they're talking about -- at least in Canada -- not putting carry-ons on flights to the U.S., or not using the blanket or going to the bathroom for the last hour of the flight.

How can we be more forward thinking so we're actually anticipating what terrorists might do next instead of reacting to what they did before?

TOWNSEND: You know, the best way to understand what the terrorists are thinking and planning to do is to get inside their decision cycle. We've invested over the last eight years hundreds of millions of dollars in increasing our intelligence capability. We're collecting more.

Now, what we need to do is focus on what we do with that information that we collect and how do we get it -- as you point out, Kiran -- to the front end so we're anticipating what's going to happen next instead of just reacting.

I'll tell you the other thing on explosive screening -- I agree completely, we need do explosive screening that at our checkpoints -- but one of the most immediate things we can do to forward that is to put more dogs at checkpoints. Dogs tend to be the cheapest, fastest and most reliable explosive detection capability we have in this country. And while we're debating the use of more advanced technology, we ought to have more dogs at checkpoints.

CHETRY: Right. And as I understand it, that they are -- they have upped that since Christmas Day at many places. We spent $40 billion since 9/11 trying to get our airports more secure. And clearly, we have a lot of challenges ahead.

Fran Townsend and Charlotte Bryan, thanks to both of you for being with us this morning.

BRYAN: You're welcome.

TOWNSEND: Thank you.

ROBERTS: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab spent a lot of time in Yemen in the summer and the fall of this year. We're learning about his time there. We get the latest on that coming right up.

Thirty-eight minutes now after the hour.

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ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Forty- one minutes after the hour. And time for a story that you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING.

A branch of al Qaeda claims the failed attack on Flight 253 was in retaliation for U.S. strikes in Yemen, an example of how the landscape of terror is changing.

CHETRY: This morning, we're tapping into the worldwide resources of CNN. Our Mohammed Jamjoom is live from our bureau in Dubai.

And, Mohammed, the suspect in this attack or alleged attack and attempted attack, spent some time in Dubai. What do we know about his time there?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kiran. What we know so far is that the suspect was here from January of this year until about three months ago.

While he was here, we have from university administrators here with Wollongong University, which is at an international university here in Dubai, that he was studying business courses. He was enrolled for several business courses here, did not finish those courses, dropped out.

And we suspect that when he dropped out, that's about the time that he went to Yemen and probably left from Dubai. But we don't know if he went directly from Dubai and then went to Yemen -- Kiran.

ROBERTS: And, Mohammed, it's John Roberts here. General David Petraeus was in Yemen talking with President Saleh back in the summertime, about just how dire the situation is getting there in regards to al Qaeda's presence.

Just how much of a magnet for terrorism has Yemen become?

JAMJOOM: John, Yemen has become a real hub for terrorism. This has become sort of the perfect storm for militant activity in Yemen.

Yemen is a very poor country with very porous borders. The Yemen government is not confronted with just a huge al Qaeda problem, al Qaeda there is resurgent and very strong, it also has a separatist movement going on in the south and it has clashes with these Houthi Shiite rebels in the north on Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia. That violence is spilling over into Saudi Arabia.

Now, taken together all of those problems, all the Yemeni experts that I've been speaking with this past week are saying this is very concerning, because Yemen right now doesn't just look like the state is collapsing. It looks like it has collapsed. The government is seen as weak and ineffective. The U.S. is very concerned -- they've been concerned for some time, that's why they sent people like David Petraeus there to try to help them.

But analysts that I spoke with are saying, if the U.S. is already helping, if they're already spending millions of dollars, if they're already giving them intel, how much more can they do. If the Yemen government can't get this under control now, what can they do to get it under control -- John.

CHETRY: And what about the prospect of sending some Guantanamo Bay detainees back to countries like Yemen, which is the plan?

JAMJOOM: Right now, there's at least 91 Guantanamo Bay detainees from Yemen that are still at Guantanamo Bay, Kiran. And this has been a huge problem.

There's been a lot of speculation in the past few months that the U.S. wants not send these Guantanamo Bay detainees back to Yemen. Yemen wants their citizens back. The U.S. apparently wants to send these detainees to Saudi Arabia, to undergo this jihadi rehabilitation program which is located in Riyadh, which is the capital of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis, however, they don't want the Yemeni detainees, because they're afraid that if Yemeni detainees come to Saudi Arabia, undergo the jihadi reeducation program, and then graduate, they might go back to Yemen, they might rejoin their terrorist activities, and that would be a stain on the program.

So, right now, you have all of these detainees in limbo. You have the U.S. wanting to get rid of the Yemeni detainees. Yemen wants them back. The U.S. you doesn't want to send them to Yemen. They want to send them to Saudi Arabia, and the Saudis don't want to take them.

So, this is just another big problem. What are they going to do with these detainees? Where are they going to be released to? And is it actually safe to send them back to Yemen? Because there is such a security problem there right now -- Kiran. CHETRY: Yes. So, a lot of questions about how that affects the time line by this administration of trying to close down Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Well, it was great talking to you this morning, Mohammed Jamjoom -- as we said, at our Dubai bureau, bringing us the latest information and really showcasing the worldwide resources of CNN. Thanks. Great to talk to you this morning.

Meanwhile, it's 45 minutes past the hour. And Jacqui Jeras is going to have this morning's travel forecast for us coming up right after the break.

ROBERTS: And at 10 minutes time, Jeanne Moos, some of this year's most awkward television moments. Stay with us.

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CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. It's 48 minutes past the hour. Time now for an AM House Call. Tylenol is recalling arthritis pain tablets. The product comes in 100 count bottles with read easy open caps. Customers reported an unusual moldy odor that caused nausea and upset stomachs. It's believed to be from a chemical used in packaging. If you have the product, you should stop using it, and you can return it for a refund.

A new generation of hearing aids may help senior stay active by allowing users to even swim with them in their ears. Dozens of swimmers will begin testing the devices next month. Use hearing aids sit deep in the ear canal and are coated to withstand at least three swims a week.

And it's well known that drinking and driving don't mix, but what about drinking and walking? Study showed that more pedestrians are killed on New Year's Day than any other day of the year. If you're planning on celebrating the holiday on foot, you should maybe stay in one place. No party hopping and maybe even consider a designated walker? I don't know about that one, but how many times have we seen video of people falling on the subway tracks and train tracks?

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTS: There was that one occasion and the young woman has seemed a little inebriated and not quite in control of her faculties that fell on the train track. That was in Boston, right?

CHETRY: Yes, but I've seen some firsthand the day after or the morning after St. Patrick's day, not a pretty sight in New York. I would have to go into work at that time, on the overnight shift.

ROBERTS: It's not going to be a pretty sight in New York in the next few days. We have lots of cold weather and maybe some snow coming in as well for New Year's eve. We got the weather headlines and Jacqui Jeras in the extreme weather center for us this morning. Hey, Jacqui.

CHETRY: Hey, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ROBERTS: Jacqui, thanks so much.

This morning's top stories just minutes away, including at the top of the hour the latest on the investigation into the Christmas terror scare. We're getting our first look at the device the suspect allegedly had stitched in his underwear.

CHETRY: 7:12 Eastern, how powerful was the explosive that was smuggled on to flight 253. It's called PETN, an explosive powder. You'll see for yourself.

ROBERTS: And then at 7:30 Eastern, we're learning more about the suspect's time in Yemen. Is this the next front in the war on terror? We'll dig deeper today with our guests, Ian Bremmer and Fawaz Gerges. Those stories and more coming your way at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Six minutes to the top of the hour. That mean it's time for the Moos News in the Morning. When you work in live television, any mistake is out there for everyone to see. We proved that on a daily basis. We admit it. We mess up every once in a while. It seems to be fairly frequently from time to time.

CHETRY: Yes, you know, in a 3-hour show, there's a lot that can go wrong. I'm surprised it goes smoothly as it does most of the time.

Also as the year winds down, we want to look back at the best of the worst. Our Jeanne Moos brought us this report a while back, but it was just too good to not see again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We never turn up our nose for news.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: This is disgusting, I know.

MOOS: Especially not at those wonderfully awkward moments.

CARRIE PREJEAN, MISS CALIFORNIA: Larry, you're being inappropriate. You really are.

LARRY KING, HOST: What? I'm asking a question.

UNKNOWN MALE: We screwed up.

MOOS: Some weeks have more than their share of awkward TV moments. Thanks to the former Miss California USA. Maybe you saw her getting miffed at Larry King and taking off her mic.

KING: Is she leaving because I asked what motivated the settlement? Did you hear the question?

PREJEAN: No, I can't hear you.

MOOS: But I'm answering what I can't hear.

PREJEAN: And I'm about to leave your show.

KING: Who are you talking to? Hello?

MOOS (on-camera): But we crowned Carrie Prejean, Miss Awkward Moments, because she inspired awkward moments on more than one show.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: And that you say that you're a victim. I'm not totally biased.

PREJEAN: Did you see the attacks that I was under?

UNKNOWN FEMALE: It's the best things that happened to you.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: I'm not worried about you, Carrie. MOOS (voice-over): But our favorite awkward moment was Barbara Walters describing Prejean's x-rated home movie.

BARBARA WALTERS, HOST: Are you alone doing whatever you were doing with yourself?

MOOS: What was Sean Hannity doing on Fox News Jon Stewart wondered using video of a major rally two months ago to illustrate a smaller protest against health care reform.

UNKNOWN MALE: Not a cloud in the sky, the leaves have changed. All of a sudden the trees turn green again, and it's cloudy.

MOOS: Trying to make the smaller rally seem bigger, said Stewart, inadvertent mistake said Hannity, but he apologized.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: So, Mr. Stewart, you were right. I want to thank you and all your writers for watching.

MOOS: CNN's Situation Room went to pot this week.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: So Wolf, would you know a marijuana plant if you saw one?

UNKNOWN MALE: I'm not sure I would know. You could smell a marijuana, Lou, but you probably wouldn't recognize the plant. Am I right or wrong?

LOU DOBBS, HOST: Well, you're dead wrong.

MOOS: Certitude plus attitude, what a dude, Lou, we're going to miss you.

DOBBS: This will be my last broadcast here on CNN.

MOOS: From veteran leaving to cub arriving, the Today show announced the winner of its kid reporter competition.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: Here's our choice.

It's you Deidre (ph)! It's you!

UNKNOWN MALE: Huh?

UNKNOWN FEMALE: You won!

UNKNOWN MALE: You're Today's kid show kid reporter winner. You're the winner, Gabriel (ph).

MOOS: If you're going to be a reporter, kid, you've got to learn to fill dead air. We said fill it, not kill it. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Oh my goodness. CHETRY: When it finally sunk in, it really sunk in.

(LAUGHING)

CHETRY: She was saving up all that energy with that delayed reaction.

There you go. Our top stories are coming your way in just 90 seconds. It's 58 minutes past the hour.

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