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Editor's Note: Welcome to American Morning's LIVE Blog where you can discuss the "most news in the morning" with us each week day. Join the live chat during the show by adding your comments below. It's your chance to share your thoughts on the day's headlines. You have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules: 1) Keep it brief 2) No writing in ALL CAPS 3) Use your real name (first name only is fine) 4) No links 5) Watch your language (that includes $#&*) 6) Stay relevant to the topic.
Western defense source: 9 killed in Afghanistan crash were Americans
(CNN) – Nine American service members died in a helicopter crash Tuesday in southern Afghanistan, where an international coalition has stepped up efforts against the Taliban, according to a Western defense source.
The source spoke on condition of anonymity when revealing the nationalities of the nine, who've added to the grim toll for Operation Enduring Freedom.
According to a CNN tally last updated Monday, 517 coalition troops had been killed in Afghanistan this year, including 341 Americans.
Even without the inclusion of the latest numbers, the figures make 2010 the deadliest year for Operation Enduring Freedom since it began nine years ago. FULL STORY
Iranian president to speak at UN summit
(CNN) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is among the world leaders scheduled to speak in Tuesday at a United Nations summit on global goals to fight poverty, hunger and disease.
Government leaders and heads of state are discussing the Millennium Development Goals, which they agreed to a decade ago. The goals have a deadline of 2015 and include a target for halving extreme poverty
Ahmadinejad is on a public relations offensive this week in New York, addressing the session on tackling world poverty, giving interviews and speaking Thursday in the assembly's general debate. FULL STORY
Sound off: We want to hear from you this morning. Add your comments to the LIVE Blog below and we'll read some of them on the show.
Reporter's Notebook: Weather Warriors
By Rob Marciano, CNN Meteorologist
(CNN) – George Washington’s troops suffered through a brutal winter in 1776, crossing the Delaware for a turning point battle through ice, wind, and snow. That previous summer he used fog to his advantage in Brooklyn and Manhattan. One more reason to love the original GW and the boys in blue! Throughout history weather has played a huge role in warfare. Whether it's a covert operation or a D-Day type invasion, an accurate forecast is critical. During World War II the United States formed a unique fighting force – special ops warriors who are also weather experts. Rambo meets rocket scientist. Love it. Sorry Kid Rock, but in my mind these guys are the real All American Bad A**.
I’d heard about this unit over the years but never read or saw anything about them. That’s the idea. Most of the missions these weathermen perform are those you don’t read about in newspapers. Often classified and always dangerous, their mission is to go into “politically sensitive” or “hostile” areas. That’s where you’ll find the Air Force’s 10th Combat Weather Squadron and their Special Operations Weather Team (SOWT). There are fewer than 100 SOWTs in the Air Force. From World War II to Afghanistan, they’ve had one of the highest deployment ratios in the armed forces. Working with the likes of the Army Rangers, Navy Seals and other special forces, their weather calls and environmental recon are key to a mission's success.
I may be a meteorologist, but that's where our similarities end.
Allen: Well is dead, but much Gulf Coast work remains
(CNN) – The ruptured Macondo well, a mile under the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, has been pronounced dead following the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, but that doesn't mean work associated with the spill is complete, the government's point man for the disaster response said Monday.
"It's going to go on as long as it takes to get the marshes and the beaches clean," retired Adm. Thad Allen told CNN's "American Morning. "We have detailed plans that we've negotiated with the states and the parishes in Louisiana to determine, if you will, how clean is clean."
In some areas, such as Louisiana's Barataria Bay, "we're going to stay with this for quite a while," he said. At some point, officials may decide they have done all they can, "but for right now, we're still at it."
Although authorities say testing does not show high levels of oil remaining in the water, some researchers insist the oil has settled to the sea floor and infiltrated the bottom, where it could affect ecosystems. Asked about those reports, Allen said, "I don't think we can know too much about the Gulf of Mexico and the presence of hydrocarbons in the water column."
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