Tens of Thousands of Iraqi Expatriates Registered to Vote in England; Staff Sergeant Dexter Kimble Dreams of Military Career Cut Short by Wednesday's Helicopter Crash
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: There's some important new information coming out of Iraq that we need to share with you. It is really a follow-up to a story that we told you about earlier. You may have heard that two associates of Abu Al Zarqawi have been arrested overnight. Now we're getting information that there may be a third. Here's how they're characterized, by the way, thus far, important leading members of the insurgent group headed by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. Here now is the Iraqi interior ministry talking about this third arrest, information that we just received.</s>FALAH HASSAN AL NAQIB, IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTER: I am happy to tell you that security services have already arrested a third high- level Zarqawi lieutenant. His name is Abu Alid (ph). His real name is Annad Mohammed Al-Kase (ph) a 31-year-old Iraqi. He served as a military adviser to high-ranking Zarqawi affiliates, and assisted in financing terrorist operations in Baghdad. Abu Alid, together with Abu Hassan and Abu Save (ph) represents important successes for the security forces and for our efforts to erode the capability of the Zarqawi network.</s>SANCHEZ: So there again, once again, it seems the information that we're getting now is that they were all associated with Baghdad operations. That's insurgency Baghdad operations. And as you heard, it's a total of three associates of Al Zarqawi who have now been arrested -- Daryn.</s>DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi expatriates are already going to the polls all around the globe. Iraqis at home will vote on Sunday. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Election Day. Any on line by 5:00 will be allowed to vote. Any Iraqi citizen born before December 31, 1986 is eligible to vote. That is approximately 14 million people. More than a quarter million Iraqi expatriates are registered to vote. The majority of them are in Iran. About 25,000 here in the U.S. Voters will cast a single ballot for a slate of candidates who will make up a national assembly. Seats will be awarded to specific parties based on their proportion of total votes. Interesting enough, the very first vote was cast in Australia about 3:00 yesterday afternoon. Iraqi expatriates, though, are going to be voting in about 14 different nations all over the world. They're eligible to vote in the Iraqi elections today, as we've been telling you. Tens of thousands of these voters are registered in England. CNN's Robin Oakley is joining us now from London to fill us in on how things are going there. Robin, what are you hearing?</s>ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Rick, well, there was some disappointment. There are only 31,000 out of around 150,000 Iraqi expatriates in Britain registered to vote. There could be several reasons for that. Some might be fearful of reprisals on families still in Iraq. Some may be puzzled by the complexity of the whole election. Here in London, for example, the ballot paper, there are 111 different names on it. And one of the problems, too, may be that Iraqi expatriates are able to vote here in London, also in Manchester and in Glasgow. But they're spread all over the country, and many of the organizers say there aren't enough voting centers for them all to turn out. But that said, we all get jaded in countries where we have lots of opportunities to vote. What has been so striking here from the Iraqis that have come to vote, they've come in with their families. They've proudly shown their ink-stained fingers after they've had to dip them in the ink to show they voted to their children. There have been little knots of applause among their friends after they voted. And then we had a group of Kurds arrive outside, a whole row of cars turned up, dogged with slogans, everybody waving flags, jumping out of the cars, dancing in the streets. This is real democracy going on for people who've not had a chance to practice it, in many case, ever before, and they're really enjoying the experience, Rick.</s>SANCHEZ: Appreciate that description, that illustrative description by Robin Oakley, one of the many correspondents we'll be getting to today as we cover the elections all over the world -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: How will the Iraqi elections be judged? U.S. officials say the answer goes beyond the numbers at the polls. John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, spoke earlier on CNN.</s>JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: First definition of success is the very fact that the election takes place. The second is the importance of moving from an appointed to an elected government. But thirdly, there will be a good turnout. Millions of Iraqis are going to go to the polls, and they'll be strong participation in the north and the south parts of the country, I'm sure. And there will be some difficulties with security in the central area. But even there, every effort is being made to enable as many people as possible to vote.</s>KAGAN: That central Iraqi area is dominated by Sunni Muslims. Senator Carl Levin, also appearing on "AMERICAN MORNING," made this point.</s>SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: There will be a very small Sunni turnout, and the question then is how will that play in Iraq? Particularly, will the Shia who will dominate in that assembly be smart enough to negotiate with the Sunnis to protect their rights in a new draft constitution which is going to be produced in the next few months.</s>KAGAN: And that constitution goes before Iraqi voters in October. One of the big stories that we've been following out of Iraq has to do with their security forces, or their police sources, as they've often been called. Many of them killed, many of them simply leaving their post, because they just fear that they won't be able to make it through the day. In fact, at least six Iraqi policemen died today in a series of attacks. CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Iraq. He reports on one particular policeman's sense of duty.</s>ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): In the days leading up to elections, Iraqi police have become prime targets for insurgents. On average, two policemen are killed every day. Mustafa is 18. He recently became a policeman in Basra, because of security concerns, we agreed not to use his real name.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The insurgents blow up the police. What have we done to them? We're doing our duty. I don't know why we get killed. A policeman is now afraid to go out alone. Maybe he will get killed or beaten. On the building After the elections, we have to be alert at checkpoints. While we're standing at a checkpoint, anyone could cross with guns and explosions. So you must search them first. Thank God I don't have any fear. Our job is to protect people. Policeman should never be afraid of anything. Difference now is in security. During the days of Saddam Hussein -- and I hope we never see his ugly face again -- there was still some security. We were still able to go out anytime we like. Now there is nothing and nowhere safe.</s>COOPER: Mustafa's elder brother was also a policeman. Two months ago he was killed by gunmen connected to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They first shot my brother here in the chest. He tried to take his pistol out, but the insurgents shot him in the head, and he died instantly. God forgive him</s>SANCHEZ: And if you want to see more of that type of perspective reporting, be sure to watch CNN's special report on the Iraqi vote, Anderson Cooper, Christiane Amanpour, they're both live from Iraq. Also Paula Zahn is going to be in New York, Aaron Brown's going to be in Dearborn, Michigan, with Iraqis voting from home. This all begins at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific, right here on</s>CNN. KAGAN: Pentagon sources now say that low visibility appears to have caused Wednesday's crash of a Marine helicopter in western Iraq. Thirty Marines and a Navy corpsman were killed in the incident. Sources say that say that evidence suggests the main impact happened on the ground and not in midair. That would ruling out mechanical failure or hostile fire. The crash remains under investigation. Staff Sergeant Dexter Kimble loved the Marines, but his dreams of a military career were cut short by Wednesday's deadly helicopter crash. And today, his friends and family are in mourning. Janice Williams, with our affiliate station, KHOU has more now from Houston, Texas.</s>JANICE WILLIAMS, KHOU REPORTER (voice-over): In a patriotic neighborhood, on a dreary winter afternoon, they are a painful reminder.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart just dropped. My heart dropped. My heart dropped. I would hate for any parent to have to be told that.</s>WILLIAMS: Tanya Edmond could only watch and grieve for the Kimble family. Their son, a staff sergeant on his third tour of duty in Iraq, died in a helicopter crash.</s>SGT. MATTHEW MCMENIMEN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: He did a great service to his country, and the family wants to share that with Houston. They're very proud of what their son has done, and rightfully so, and they do want to get that story out there. Just right now, they need time to grasp the gravity of the situation.</s>WILLIAMS: Dexter Kimble was a career Marine. We've learned he just re-enlisted a couple of months ago. His father told us he graduated from Smiley High School, then signed up with the Marines at 17. Neighbors who watched the boy grow into a man are grieving, too.</s>LEON BELLER, FAMILY FRIEND: We lost a very dear friend</s>WILLIAMS: Dexter Kimble died along with more than 30 other Americans on the deadliest day in Iraq.</s>KAGAN: And at least six Marines from Texas were killed -- were among those killed in Wednesday's helicopter crash.</s>SANCHEZ: A combination of razors, batteries, pampers, for example, may sound odd. But this is that combo deal that's taking place. It's worth billions and billions of dollars. It has to do with that company, and it tops our business news.</s>KAGAN: Warren Buffett says it's a good deal.</s>SANCHEZ: We'll see why.</s>KAGAN: Plus, why hire somebody when you can shovel your own driveway and your neighbor's too, all before sunrise. Well, that's how one 85-year-old woman gets the job done. You'll meet her, coming up.