Hearing on Fate of More Than 400 Children in Texas
HARRIS: A hearing on the fate of more than 400 children resumes this hour in Texas. It is a battle between Texas authorities and a polygamist sect. Susan Roesgen live now from San Angelo. And Suzanne, boy, the sheer numbers, the logistics on this, it just sort of boggles the mind.</s>SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: It really does. It is really difficult for all of the attorneys here representing so many children, so many mothers and fathers. And they are all trying to get a say in here and they are all trying to talk to the witnesses that take the stand that try to justify the state's position that it was right to take these children away. You know, Tony, the investigators initially went to the YFZ, the Yearning for Zion ranch back on April 3rd because they were looking for one girl named Sarah whom they believe was 16 years old and had a baby. What they found was several girls named Sarah who may also believe were underage and then had babies. And this is what the lead investigator Angie Voss has testified was a pattern of children having children. She has testified that the girls told her investigators that no age is too young to be spiritually united. That the girls were brought learning that no age is an underaged marriage. Also, she was told by the girls that mothers who complain, who fell out of favor for some reason, would be moved away from the ranch. One child said she had not seen her on own mother in two years. And also the lead investigator Angie Voss says she believed the boys on the ranch were groomed to be perpetrators. To continue this pattern of children having children. Now, the attorneys, dozen of attorneys for the children and the families say that the investigators have been relying on hearsay. And the spokesman for the families, Rod Parker, says the families are not being treated fairly.</s>ROD PARKER, SPOKESMAN FOR FAMILIES: I think it is also apparent what the state is trying to do here is tar a few -- tar all the families with the problems of -- or the alleged problems of a few families.</s>ROESGEN: Now, one of the problems here, Tony, is that so many of these people on this ranch, the children and adults, have the same name. A lot of old testament first names, Sarah, Rebecca, Levi, Ezra. A lot of similar last names, Jessup, Barlow, Jeffs. As in Warren Jeffs, the prophet and the founder of this group who is now in prison on being an accessory to rape charges. So that's one issue here. Also, the investigators said that the children were not entirely honest. They don't believe that the children told the truth. They could not get accurate birth dates. They could not get accurate descriptions of what was going on there from some of the children. So, they initially took a DNA swab. They swabbed some or most of the children when they were being removed from the ranch. There was a gasp yesterday, Tony, in the overflow courtroom where I was listening to some of these hearing from the attorneys representing the families, how can they do this without lawyers' consent? But that was already done, a DNA swab, to try to figure out how these families work.</s>HARRIS: Susan Roesgen for us in San Angelo, Texas. Susan, great to see you. What a story. How disturbing. Thank you. And just another mention here. Live pictures now. We saw the Pope's motorcade angling up to the United Nations. It has clearly arrived. The Pope to deliver an address before the General Assembly, scheduled for about 11:15. It is when we believe we will actually here the Pope's address, much to come before that. Obviously, we will continue to follow the events as they unfold right here in the</s>NEWSROOM. WHITFIELD: All right. Something else we're following, taking place overseas in Iraq. But out of Washington, we're getting reports now that U.S. intelligence has uncovered some potential suicide bombings plots to take place in Baghdad. Barbara Starr is following the developments from the Pentagon. And, Barbara initially, I guess the knee jerk reaction is that isn't this always impending danger in Baghdad? What is different about this particular report?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, what has happened is the U.S. military has now issued an official statement warning the people of Baghdad that they have uncovered, the military and Iraqi forces, what they call credible information that a number of Al Qaeda and Iraq terrorists have entered Baghdad in recent days and are planning to carry out a series of new attacks. It is basically a warning, a very serious warning, from the U.S. military, to the citizens of Baghdad. This coming out now in an official press statement that was just issued a little while ago. What they are warning the people of Baghdad is that these terrorists, these Al Qaeda terrorists, have plans to carry out suicide bomb attacks, vehicle attacks, suicide vest attacks. Of course, this is of great concern because people are at risk, of course, but it will. Again if this was to be carried out, basically destabilizing the security situation in the capital that everyone has struggled so hard to get under control in recent days and weeks. So we will continue to watch this as well. Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Barbara, thank you so much. And of course, on the right-hand side of your screen, you are seeing the arrival of the Pope there at the U.N. being escorted by the Secretary General. The Pope will be speaking to the entire general assembly within perhaps an hour or so from now. And you see a fairly sizable contingent there, folks that have come out to agree to take pictures with the Pope. And as we heard from Richard Roth earlier, there has been a lot of jockeying among the more than 190 countries, those representing the 190 countries there at the U.N., jockeying to try to get the one-on-one time with the Pope.</s>HARRIS: Absolutely.</s>WHITFIELD: And so now we are seeing the jockeying, trying to get at least a photo-op with the Pope during his historic visit to the U.S., three days will be in New York. He has a very full plate in addition to the U.N., he will, of course, be leading mass at Yankee Stadium. And of course, we will be visiting with victims of 9/11 at apartment ground zero as well. All that taking place over the next three days. Meantime, the Pope's visit has really meant a lot, not just to Catholics but people in general here in the U.S., as you see right there, while in Washington, D.C., he was at the cultural - the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center last night. And while there, the pope had a chance to hear some beautiful music as well. From a group with a very funny name, it's called the Suspicious Cheese Lords, which is a very literal translation from a Latin name that you don't want to hear me attempt. But it male acappella group had a chance to perform for him And hear now, a little a taste of the music that the pope got a chance to hear.</s>WHITFIELD (voice-over): Beautiful music there from this acappella group. And only we could see them. You can hear them.</s>WHITFIELD: But if we do have the pleasure of getting a chance to see one of the vocalists, Clifton Skip West. He's a member of the male acappella group. And I'm going to call you Skip because you and I have known each other for years, Skip.</s>CLIFTON "SKIP" WEST III, SUSPICIOUS CHEESE LORDS: Too many years.</s>WHITFIELD: Too many years. And I know that - that you have forever had a great commitment to the church. And this had to be a dream come true to be able to bring your music right to the Pope in his company, all these taking place last night. What was it like?</s>WEST: It was both very humbling and very exhilarating at the same time. This Pope is quite frankly, one of the best patrons of music that we have had since Pius X. And his directives on church music and it should be more of a classically, seriously oriented type of liturgical music. You know, with Catholic tradition of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony that should be promulgated. That was sort of the spirit we tried to bring to this. And, again, it was just amazing. Words really cannot describe the feelings of singing at such a great gathering of Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, to be a part musically of the Pope's mission, of the - John Paul II's Cultural Center's mission, to bring people of different cultures, different faiths together.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes. And you - I mean, you founded this music group, this acappella group.</s>WEST: Yes, I did.</s>WHITFIELD: You have performed throughout Washington, whether it be the Kennedy Center, so many different centers. But this had to be different, Skip. I mean, you have to had to butterflies, did you not?</s>WEST: More than butterflies. It was more like armies jumping through my stomach. Sort of the whole world watching you. And especially the composer of that piece is also a cheese lord, George Cervantes. And he was just -- he was basically -- in the same caliber as (Pallestrin)ph or any of the other papal composers that have come through. I mean, you are writing for the Pope. What else can you do?</s>WHITFIELD: But you know, so extraordinary, too, is, you mentioned, we know that this Pope has a real affinity for music. I mean, he's a pianist himself. Quite accomplished.</s>WEST: Quite accomplished.</s>WHITFIELD: And he has heard some of America's best operatic music over his past three, I guess, now day four, you know day in the U.S. and to now for you and your group to be in the same category as your Placido Domingo, Denise Grace, all of them performed for him while in the United States, that has to be a tremendous honor.</s>WEST: It was a tremendous honor. And especially at the end, he sort of paused and as if to absorb, you know, last chord, or to savor the last chord. And then looked up and then started to applaud. I mean, it was a genuine smile on his face. I talked to a number of bishops and cardinals who know the Holy Father very well. And they say oh, he was -- he was elated. He was so pleased and pleasantly surprised to hear this interfaith meeting, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi set to such beautiful music by George Cervantes.</s>WHITFIELD: Wow. Skip West, the Suspicious Cheese Lord. I will forever know you as Skip. So, good to see you. And there is the</s>CD. WEST: There's the new CD, Vivarex, on our Web site, cheeselords.org. We are also on myspace, YouTube and i-Tunes.</s>WHITFIELD: OK, What a plug. Skip. Smart.</s>HARRIS: Work it.</s>WHITFIELD: Well, thanks so much. And thank you for sharing your story and your experience and it is so great to see you after so many years even though we see each other probably all my life.</s>WEST: Likewise. Never thought that beginning a music group around my dinner table would come to this and especially to meeting you again.</s>WHITFIELD: And look at what happened, awesome. Fantastic. Skip, great to see you and hear your beautiful group, the music as well. Thanks so much.</s>WEST: Thank you, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: We'll connect again.</s>HARRIS: How cool is that? Armies marching around.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes, I love that.</s>HARRIS: Nerves, you kidding me? Butterflies? Armies in my belly, that's great.</s>WHITFIELD: He really described that so succinctly, so well.</s>HARRIS: It's clever (ph).</s>WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Well, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.</s>HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. What do you say we check the big board, New York Stock Exchange right now. A little concerned about how the markets might respond to a lium (ph). Why would I even be concerned? Why for a moment here? I'm telling you the focus is in the stateside right now. And you know, we're buying -- maybe we'll take some profits next week. But this is a week for upticks in the market. The market up 172 points inside the first hour of the trading day. We are following the news, of course, about Citigroup, planning to cut 9,000 jobs over the course of the next year. Susan Lisovicz and all of our money team, all hands on deck for you in the NEWSROOM. Your money, your questions. Gerri Willis is here to answer your e-mails, financial advice ahead in the NEWSROOM.