Iraqi Military Plans For Operation Lightning; Bush Administration Considering Change In Battling Terrorism
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SUNDAY NIGHT. Tonight, tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops begin Operation Lightning, a massive crackdown on insurgents, as the Bush administration changes tactics in the war on terror. Also, finally free. A man convicted of stealing a television spends 35 years in prison. How he wants to spend the first days of freedom. And later, surviving a sinking car, information that could save your life in an emergency. These stories and a lot more next on CNN SUNDAY NIGHT. Good evening, I'm Carol Lin from the CNN Center in Atlanta. Also this hour on this Memorial Day weekend, the simple words that many veterans say makes their sacrifice worthwhile. Also, could this be the make or break week in the Michael Jackson trial? Our rap sheet regulars weigh in on what's expected when closing arguments begin on Tuesday. And later, film star Angelina Jolie talks about her career, her work for the United Nations, and rumors of her wild life off the screen. But up first tonight, American service members of yesterday and today, veterans of war, casualties of war, and their families who also serve, they are all on the minds of everyone tonight, this Memorial Day weekend. Hundreds of thousands of bikers took over the streets of Washington today in honor of those killed, wounded, or still missing from America's wars. The Rolling Thunder Rally gets larger each year. Guest speakers urged those attending not to forget those still in uniform and still at harm's way.</s>DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They've toppled two tyrannies, liberated 50 million people, stood firm in the face of violent extremists, and they are making our country safer and the world more free.</s>LIN: Some places further from being free than others, clearly. Evidence of that today in Iraq. Near Kirkuk, for example, to the north a truck bomb exploded near an American convoy. Two Iraqi civilians were killed. No word yet on U.S. casualties. And then there's George W. Bush, who has spent all but the first few months of his presidency as a wartime leader in Afghanistan, Iraq, and globally against terrorism at large. Now the White House is reorganizing and reprioritizing its approach to war. And many in Washington say it's about time. CNN's Bob Franken reports.</s>BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While President Bush made no comment as he returned from Camp David, administration sources confirmed to CNN advisers are engaged in a full-scale review of the war on terrorism.</s>GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEF CHAIRMAN: What they're trying to do, and what we're trying to do is look at our strategy and ensure that we use the right words, the right vocabulary and focus all interest of national power, just the refinement of what our current strategy is.</s>FRANKEN: That strategy, since the September 11 attacks has included an intense emphasis on breaking the back of al Qaeda. Even though efforts to kill or capture Osama bin Laden have been unsuccessful, several other leaders have been removed. Still, others have moved in. As the president's chief terrorism adviser told the "Washington Post," "nature abhors a vacuum." So officials in and out of the administration believe the time has come to expand the focus. And the co-chairman of the 9/11 commission agrees.</s>LEE HAMILTON, 9/11 COMMISSION: The threat remains still very formidable, but it's much more diffuse than it was in a single little al Qaeda cell.</s>FRANKEN: Critics charge this review is long overdue.</s>SEN. CHRIS DODD, (D) CONNECTICUT: This is a debate they should have been having months ago, not just more recently, about whether or not there is a broader problem out there than just al Qaeda.</s>FRANKEN: In fact, the debate has been going on for some time, hampered by a delay in filling key positions in the anti-terrorism hierarchy. (on camera): Critics say that the delay is causing a drift in policy, but the administration contends the need for change grows out of success. All agree that the war on terror is far from over. Bob Franken, CNN, the White House.</s>LIN: Among the official Memorial Day events tomorrow, President Bush lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. So tune in tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Eastern because we are carrying it live. In the meantime, in the war on terror, a man in Florida, a doctor, is in FBI custody tonight. Dr. Rafiq Sabir and another U.S. citizen were arrested this weekend, both charged with conspiring to supply material support to al Qaeda. The FBI says they busted the men after an undercover operation and reportedly have a recording of the suspect's pledging their loyalty to Osama bin Laden. So is he or isn't he? Well, plenty of chatter in the past week over whether the most wanted fugitive in Iraq is a wounded man. U.S. officials now adding their opinion to wide speculation that Abu Musab al Zarqawi was injured in recent fighting. U.S. joint chiefs chairman General Richard Myers told an interviewer today that he and others tend to believe web-based reports that Zarqawi is hurt. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. Coalition soldiers, coalition troops in Iraq have begun their latest large scale effort to break the insurgency. Operation Lightning, as it's being called, focuses on Baghdad and surrounding. That's after a particularly high number of car bombings and other deadly attacks in April and May. Iraqi troops are taking the lead, about 40,000 in all, the bulk of 100 newly trained battalions. They're backed up by about 10,000 Americans. They're target -- the estimated 12 to 20,000 extremists involved in the insurgency. That figure is what senior U.S. military officials call a worse case scenario. To Europe now, where most analysts agree that the European Union is now in deep crisis. Well, what put it there? French voters, who today with their votes, overwhelmingly rejected the adoption of a pan- European constitution, which it needs a unanimous yes from all EU members to ratify. Now does this mean that the European constitution is dead? Could be. This sets the EU back years in efforts to establish a judicial body, a president, and a defense corps. Whether EU officials must begin again from square one remains to be seen. The French rejection will impact the Euros training in the short term and doesn't bode well for French President Jacques Chirac's chances for re-election. Voting day also today in Lebanon, where the transition from Syria's long influence took a big step. It was the first of four rounds of parliamentary elections and the first election in Lebanon since February's assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. In fact, Hariri's son now leads his father's party, largely expected to sweep the 19 seats to be filled in the Beirut district. The voting nationwide was largely without incident. In the meantime, residents of a northwest Ohio community tonight are coming to grips with what's being called the worst tragedy ever in their town. Police found two housefuls of victims this morning in Bellefontaine. So let's go there now for what details are available right now. Patrick Preston from our Columbus affiliate WDNS is there right now. Patrick, scant details...</s>PATRICK PRESTON, WDNS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Carol...</s>LIN: ...many victims. Tell us what you know.</s>PRESTON: Well, Carol, six people are dead tonight from gunshot wounds. A lone survivor, a 15-year old female, is in critical condition at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus. The Logan County Sheriff's Department says their early assessment is that this was a murder suicide. And tonight, they and the rest of the community are still looking for answers.</s>PRESTON (voice-over): Six dead, one survivor found alongside multiple firearms this morning in two separate houses west of Bellefontaine, both homes owned by the same family. In one, four bodies on two different floors. Two bodies in the other. Logan County sheriff says the teenaged survivor had the strength to get to the phone.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got a call via cellular phone from a sister or a friend of one of the victims.</s>MICHAEL HENRY, SHERIFF, LOGAN COUNTY, OHIO: She received a phone call from the victim that is still alive, saying that she needed help.</s>PRESTON: The sheriff's department is still notifying families of the painful news tonight, and is yet to release the relationship between the victims.</s>CHUCK STOUT, LT. SHERIFF, LOGAN COUNTY, OHIO: We have a lot of work to do at two crime scenes to put a lot of facts together. And when we get those facts, you'll have them, but right now, we don't have them all together yet.</s>PRESTON: Just down the road from the crime scenes, neighbors Iris and Roy Angle know the family and can't believe what's happened.</s>IRIS ANGLE, NEIGHBOR: It's really a tragedy. I just can't explain it. Such a shock. Very nice people. Nice neighbors. Just can't imagine what they're going through.</s>PRESTON: The Angles say this small community has been in the news before, but never for a reason as horrific as this.</s>ANGLE: We've seen some tragedies. We've seen an airplane land out in the road and hit a car and someone killed. And we've seen several accidents out here, but this is -- this shooting is really tragic.</s>PRESTON: Tonight, the Angles will pray, the community will mourn, and the sheriff's department will continue to piece together what happened.</s>STOUT: Anytime several victims die like this, it is a -- it's not technically a massacre. It's very sad is what it is.</s>PRESTON: And at least one of those teenagers who was killed today was scheduled to graduate from high school today. I spoke to a local veteran of law enforcement here. 35 years, he's been in this area, been part of law enforcement. He said the most homicides he can remember in a single year is five. They surpassed that in one day today -- Carol?</s>LIN: Patrick, when they say murder-suicide, that means that the suspect is in that house, one of the bodies. Do they have any idea? Was it any of the teenagers, the adults? What was the relationship between these people? There must be some hint.</s>PRESTON: Well, they're not disclosing any hints. Certainly the community is talking about that at this point. Sheriff's Department is withholding that information until they can say with certainty that this was in fact a murder-suicide. That's why I said the early theory, the early assessment is it was a murder-suicide and that one of the people in the home where the rifle was discovered were the home of four bodies were discovered, was in fact the suspect in this.</s>LIN: All right, Patrick Preston, thank you very much. At least authorities are saying that they're not looking for a suspect outside of the crime scene, at least not yet. Well, back now to the reason that we celebrate this holiday weekend. Memorial Day is about our war dead, but it's for those who won't let their memories die. CNN'S Catherine Callaway found the place in nearly every American town where war veterans speak the language of fond remembrance.</s>CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Walk into a VFW, and you'll find a million war stories. But what the vets find at this post is a kinship.</s>UNIDENTFIED MALE: Meet friends. And some people that we had something in common.</s>CALLAWAY: Their combat experience spans from the Gulf War, to Vietnam, to Korea, and World War II. Darrell Duncan was in Nuremberg, one of only two active World War II vets left in this post.</s>DARRELL DUNCAN, VETERAN, WW II: We have lost a lot of friends, my comrades and you know, but we are very happy to, you know, to be as well as we are today.</s>CALLAWAY: Their war memories are sometimes unspeakable. Just ask Jay Donald Williams about his memories of the Battle of the Bulge.</s>JAY DONALD WILLIAMS ,VETERAN, WW II: Who -- when I go out and talk to some of these schools, I say there are some questions I can't answer and some that I won't answer.</s>CALLAWAY: The wars they fought were very different, but they're united in the need for their sacrifices and those of their comrades to be appreciated.</s>WILLIAMS: That's the reason they have had people to say thank you. And that means a lot.</s>CALLAWAY: Just a simple word?</s>WILLIAMS: Yes.</s>CALLAWAY: It's at fundraisers like this one, the public has the chance to acknowledge their service.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My grandfather was a World War I vet. So I do remember. I'm going to cry now.</s>CALLAWAY: Vietnam vet Ronald McClindon says kind words from strangers go a long way in healing old war wounds.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really appreciate it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks. That's the best thing that they can say is just thanks. It just -- I don't know, you talk about me being emotional. It gets me.</s>CALLAWAY: Catherine Callaway, CNN, Atlanta.</s>LIN: Well, we have a lot ahead, including the story of a man finally free after 35 long years.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he lost 35 years of his life for a relatively minor crime.</s>LIN: Behind bars, sentenced to life. He's out now, but wait 'til you hear his story about why he spent half of his life behind bars. Plus, trapped with water rushing into your car. What would you do? Could you survive? A vital story you'll only see right here on CNN. And responding to the rumors. Was she responsible for a superstar's split? Angelina Jolie talks to our own Richard Quest. You're watching CNN SUNDAY NIGHT.