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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Terror Alert: Cargo Aircraft Concerns; U.S. Embassy, Consulates Temporarily Closing in Saudi Arabia

Aired November 07, 2003 - 19:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): Warning signs: the U.S. closes it's embassy in Saudi Arabia.

A budget battle royale: democracy in action?

The brainwashing defense: fact or fiction?

Caught on tape: police hold kids at gunpoint in a school drug raid. Have revelations in court shown a damaging new side of Rosie O'Donnell.

And the 50 funniest scenes in movie history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening. Thanks for joining us on 360.

We have breaking news to bring you right now about how terrorists may be trying to attack targets in the U.S. and with what kind of weapons. We go right now to CNN national security correspondent, David Ensor.

David, what can you tell us?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, U.S. officials are confirming that there is recent intelligence suggesting that terrorists may be plotting to use cargo planes as weapons to attack targets in the United States. Now, that basically is all we know about this story.

Law enforcement officials have been saying for some time now that there was a concern that cargo planes might be attempted to be used. The security, of course, is pretty tight around passenger aircraft ever since 9/11. There have been concerns that the security needed to be tightened up around passenger -- around cargo aircraft, and it has been done to some extent.

In any case, U.S. officials saying they have recent evidence, recent intelligence suggesting that terrorists may be plotting to use cargo aircraft as terrorist weapons inside the United States -- Anderson.

COOPER: Now David, I know this is breaking news. There is still a lot we do not know. I now we have a number people of working on it closely right now. But as far as you know at this point, no specific credible threat at this point?

ENSOR: That's correct. No specific information about time or place or how, when or who. Just evidence that this particular type of weapon, or approach, has been talked about by terrorists who are taken seriously by the United States.

COOPER: All right. David Ensor, as you said, this is breaking news. We are working the story on several fronts. We'll bring you any updates throughout our program the next hour as warranted. David, thanks very much tonight.

More in our terror watch tonight. Americans abroad on alert. The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia are shutting down temporarily because of fears of an imminent attack.

CNN's Andrea Koppel has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The warning to Americans in the Saudi kingdom was stark. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom.

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: In light of the seriousness of this existing threat, the embassy in Riyadh and the U.S. consulates (UNINTELLIGIBLE) will close on Saturday, November 8th, in order to review their security posture.

KOPPEL: Another State Department official told CNN the embassy and consulates would remain closed until at least the Veteran's Day holiday next week.

Terror threats against Americans in Saudi Arabia are not new. In 1996, suicide bombers killed 19 Americans and wounded hundreds more at the Khobar Towers military complex in Dhahran. For years, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden used the U.S. military presence in the kingdom -- now significantly reduced -- to justify jihad against Americans.

Saudi Arabia is custodian of Mecca and Medina, two of Islam's holiest sites. Most recently, al Qaeda is believed responsible for the May 12th suicide bombings of three Western housing facilities in Riyadh.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And Andrea Koppel joins us now.

Now Andrea, do U.S. officials have any sense, or are they saying how imminent these attacks might be? And are they even indicating at all where the intelligence came from?

KOPPEL: Well, Anderson, they're getting intelligence from all sorts of sources. But they say that a lot of it is coming from chatter on various Web sites, and even from some al Qaeda leaders themselves, including Osama bin Laden in recently released audiotapes.

As far as how soon, they're saying that they believe it is going to be soon. Unfortunately, that is how -- just how specific they can be, or unspecific.

In terms of timing and target, they say they don't know. But they also know that this is the holy month of Ramadan. And so they believe it could happen at any time if it does -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Ominous news that. Andrea Koppel, thanks very much..

In Iraq today, the news was not good. Another U.S. helicopter went down. Six more Americans dead. The cause, unconfirmed, one possibility is deeply troubling.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Tikrit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As U.S. helicopters fly guard above the downed Black Hawk, another helicopter swoops onto the dusty riverbank where the impact occurred. Debris spread over a large area beneath the ridgeline, indicating a high-speed impact. Residents in the densely populated housing overlooking the crash claim missiles were fired at the helicopter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We still don't know what caused the helicopter to go down, whether it was mechanical or whether it was caused by hostile action. We have to wait for the results of the investigation to come by to be sure of that.

ROBERTSON: At the main coalition base in Tikrit, barely two miles, three kilometers from the crash, intense interest by troops. This, the third helicopter downed in two weeks.

On Sunday, at least 16 U.S. troops died when their Chinook transport helicopter was apparently hit by a surface-to-air missile. And on the 25th of October, another Black Hawk near Tikrit downed by a rocket-propelled grenade, injuring one soldier.

(on camera): Coalition officials say that any speculation that they may be facing a new offensive against helicopters is just that, speculation. Nevertheless, to have had three helicopters crash in the last two weeks is a development that some coalition troops here find troubling.

(voice-over): Both vehicle and foot patrols continue as normal. And although they'll examine helicopter procedures, officials here think it unlikely they'll be making significant changes in the near future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And in the last few hours, Anderson, we've learned that the accompanying -- on board the accompanying Black Hawk helicopter, next to the one that may have been shot down, was a very senior U.S. military official visiting Iraq, Major General Thomas Ramig (ph), the judge general -- judge advocate general visiting Iraq. And in the last five hours, we've seen a major show of force by the troops based here in Tikrit.

Dozens of artillery shells have been raining down on the area where the helicopter was shot down. Some from a mortar position right behind me. And a little earlier in the evening, two F-16s flew low over the area, dropping 500-pound bombs close to where the helicopter was downed -- Anderson.

COOPER: A difficult day. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson, thanks very much, live from Tikrit tonight.

It has been an extremely bloody week for U.S. troops in Iraq. The bloodiest, in fact, for Americans since the fall of Baghdad. A fast fact: 34 American troops have been killed in Iraq in the first seven days of November. In the entire month of October, there were 42 U.S. casualties. This includes both combat and noncombat fatalities.

In all, 394 troops have died in Iraq since the war began.

Well, there was word today that Turkey will not contribute about 10,000 troops to the reconstruction effort. Washington had been anticipating the help, but in Iraq, there was fierce opposition, especially among Kurds. They of course don't want anything do with the Turkish military, fearing it would threaten their self-rule in the north.

On the U.S. economic front, positive news. President Bush is hailing the drop in the unemployment rate, which is now at 6 percent, down from 6.1 percent the month before. That is after government figures show businesses added 126,000 workers to their payrolls last month. President Bush told a crowd in North Carolina today -- you see him talking the crowd there -- that his tax cuts and business incentives are sparking the economy, and he says he will not rest until everyone who wants to work can find a job.

Well, in the D.C. sniper trial, a 1990 Chevy Caprice took center stage today. Prosecutors say that accused suspect John Allen Muhammad and his alleged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, used the car's trunk as a shooting platform during last year's wave of attacks.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve is covering the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Shrouded in a brown tarp, the car investigators have called a killing machine was hauled to and from the court complex so jurors could get a look, despite defense objections that no evidence shows fatal shots were fired from it. Jurors paid particular attention to the alleged gun port replicated in this FBI model of the trunk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a jagged notch. With the trunk closed, it was about 3.5 to 4 inches wide, and it simply looked like a defect in the car. It did not look like anything particularly unusual.

MESERVE: Remember the Tacoma, Washington tree stump hauled away by investigators? Robert Holmes testified that Muhammad used it to test a home-made noise suppressor after saying to Holmes, "Imagine the damage you can do if you shoot with a silencer."

Holmes testified Muhammad introduced Lee Malvo saying, "He is a sniper." When he heard the D.C.-area shootings might involve a Bushmaster rifle and perhaps a team, Holmes called the FBI.

Holmes described Muhammad as a "good father." And Al Archer (ph) did the same. The pastor of a mission where Muhammad once lived, Archer (ph) choked back tears as he described the care and attention Muhammad gave his three children and how upset he was at losing custody.

(on camera): When the children were mentioned, Muhammad appeared to struggle with his emotions for the first time since his life or death trial began.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, Malvo's defense team is alleging brainwashing by Muhammad. But is that even possible? Coming up, we'll talk with and expert on cults and mind control. That just shortly.

But we are following a number of stories right now "Cross Country."

Washington, D.C.: subpoena expected. The 9/11 Commission on Capitol Hill has voted to issue a subpoena to the Pentagon to get records. It says it has faced serious delays in trying to get the documents.

Also in Washington, anthrax fears. Mail delivery to the House of Representatives is put on hold as a precaution. And 11 post offices in the Washington area are closed after preliminary tests show possible anthrax contamination at a U.S. Navy mail sorting office.

Now, tests so far show no sign of anthrax at the facility. Final test results are expected tomorrow.

Washington: court-martial. The U.S. Air Force says this man, a translator who worked at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, will face charges of spying and aiding al Qaeda. But it says airman Ahmed al- Halabi (ph) will not be sentenced to death if convicted. Al-Halabi (ph) says he is not guilty. Palestine, West Virginia: "I'm no hero." That's what former Iraq captive Jessica Lynch says in an upcoming interview with ABC's "Primetime Live." The former Army private says the military overdramatized her rescue and she is simply a survivor. She says her rescuers are the real heroes.

And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Rosie O'Donnell's $100 million battle. They were laughing and clapping in court today when she took the stand. We'll tell you why.

Also, high school drug raid. Look at these images. Police storm in, guns drawn. Parents are outraged.

And the royal scandal that can't be discussed. Hear why mum is the world at the palace.

First tonight, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Rosie O'Donnell was back on the stand today in a bitter fight over who is to blame for her magazine's failure. Today, she talked about clashing with the publisher over editorial vision and came clean about a lie and even got a couple of laughs.

Here is CNN's Maria Hinojosa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN URBAN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rosie O'Donnell in the lawsuit of a lifetime...

ROSIE O'DONNELL, FMR. TALK SHOW HOST: It felt unlike anything I've ever felt in my life.

HINOJOSA: ... testifying in a trial with $100 million at stake, yet making light of all the fuss.

O'DONNELL: I don't read the papers, but I promise you, when it's done, I'll make many, many pieces of art with all of the papers.

HINOJOSA: In her last day of testimony, Rosie the witness made it clear she wanted "Rosie" the magazine, to guard her essence. The fight between O'Donnell and her editors came to a head when they wanted a cover of O'Donnell with the women of "The Sopranos."

O'Donnell said no. "Having me on the cover is not what I'm about," she testified. I made my fortune by celebrating other people. And she admitted saying, "It's not what we do. I am not in the center with my f-ing face and my f-ing ugly stomach."

She said she told the editors she wanted to publish the kind of magazine with no air brushed, size four perfectly made up celebrities on the cover. In court, O'Donnell said the new editor brought in to increase sales wanted the cover to show off Billy Joel just out of rehab or Sharon Osbourne battling cancer.

O'Donnell said, "Celebrities in crisis is not what I want on my cover." But outside court, she could have been one of those celebrities in crisis.

O'DONNELL: Needless to say, it is a very emotional thing when a corporate giant says they will ruin you and then proceed to drag you through the mud for 16 months. And then you have to defend yourself on the stand. It's not exactly the best way to spend a year off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HINOJOSA: Now on cross-examination, Rosie O'Donnell admitted to lying under oath about a statement she made about lying. O'Donnell admitted saying to Cindy Spengler (ph) that "If you lie, you'll get cancer." But today it was O'Donnell who was caught in a lie -- Anderson.

COOPER: Now, Maria, I understand there was some laughter in the courtroom today while she was on the stand. What happened?

HINOJOSA: It's hard to believe, Anderson. There were moments of such seriousness, but early in the morning there was a conversation about "I'm the boss," "Who is the boss?" This was Rosie O'Donnell on the stand.

She was kind of going back and forth and the attorneys objected. There was a silence then. And then O'Donnell turns to the judge and says, "You're the boss of me." People started laughing and applauding, Anderson, in the courtroom. Pretty strange.

COOPER: All right. Maria Hinojosa, thanks very much.

We're going to have more on the clash of the titans, the fight between O'Donnell and her former publisher, coming up with "Court TV" anchor Lisa Bloom in a few moments from now.

We're following a number of international stories, however, tonight. Let's check the "UpLink."

Manila, Philippines: a deadly airport takeover. A former aviation chief and two armed men are dead after they tried to seize a control tower. There it is.

They died in a firefight with airport security. Now, the man who took over the tower said the raid was designed to bring attention to what they called corruption in the Philippine government.

Caracas, Venezuela: political punches. Take a look at this. A fistfight breaks out on the floor of Venezuela's congress. Two lawmakers from different parties went after each other during a debate.

Now, this is pretty tame, however, compared to a fight that broke out between politicians in Taiwan. You won't believe this video. We're going to show you that a little bit later on. Take you now to Indonesia. Animals MIA. After flash floods, the fate of six orangutans who lived on a reserve is uncertain. Their caregivers had to abandon them. More than 110 people died in last week's flash floods there.

And that is a look at tonight's "UpLink."

A story now about two American troops serving in Iraq, both caught between what the military demands of them and what they say as human beings they can simply have to endure. CNN's Bob Franken reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By military thinking, the dangerous uncertainty of Iraq demonstrates the imperative of strict discipline. Adlibbing can be catastrophic. Order must be maintained, orders followed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll call you in a little bit.

FRANKEN: An officer under the life and death pressures of combat can justify leveling the devastating charge of cowardice against Sergeant George Pogany. And Pogany says he was hit by a panic attack.

RICHARD TRAVIS, POGANY'S ATTORNEY: The stigma that comes with being charged as a coward is rather high.

FRANKEN: It's a structure that led to action taken against specialist Simone Holcomb, mother of seven, when she told her superiors she couldn't follow orders to return to Iraq.

SPC. SIMONE HOLCOMB, ARMY MEDIC: They said, get on a plane or we're kicking you out of the Army.

FRANKEN: The often-stark rules of the military are shaped by the stark rules of survival and combat that have developed over centuries.

EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW EXPERT: What's interesting is how you apply a provision that goes so very far back in our Anglo-American legal tradition to conduct in a post-Freudian era.

FRANKEN: In modern times, military and civilian sensibilities can collide. For instance, publicity over the cowardice charges against Sergeant Pogany quickly led to a reduction in those charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think people might be a little more hesitant before they charge cowardice again.

FRANKEN (on camera): Hesitation and reflection, the military would argue, are luxuries reserved for those far removed from the immediate dangers of the battlefield.

Bob Franken, CNN, Ft. Carson, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Well, a drug raid at a high school sparking parent outrage. Why police storm in with guns drawn. And why is the principal not sorry?

Also tonight, a budget battle brouhaha. Politicians who don't pull any punches. Literally.

And a little later, the sniper suspects and mind control? We'll have the truth about brainwashing.

And that gets us to today's "Buzz." What do you think? Did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over teenage sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo?

His attorneys say perhaps. Vote now. Cnn.com/360. Let us know what you think. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, as one D.C. sniper trial continues in Virginia Beach -- we told you about that earlier -- another is set to start in nearby Chesapeake. Jury selection begins next week in the trial of Lee Boyd Malvo.

Now, his lawyers are expected to argue the teenager was essentially brainwashed by John Allen Muhammad. As CNN's Sean Callebs reports, it is not the first time such a defense strategy has been used.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The two, Lee Boyd Malvo and 42-year-old John Allen Muhammad, have been in the same courtroom but only for a short time. If Malvo looked frightened, almost confused, and not making eye contact with Muhammad, the teen's counsel could be setting the stage for a brainwashing case, according to one attorney.

LEONARD LEVINE, FMR. PROSECUTOR: If in fact there is this brainwashing that you believe occurred, this terror, this almost robotic action, then you would want the person to react that way when he saw the person who allegedly was terrorizing him.

CALLEBS: It's nothing new. The most celebrated case of indoctrination is Patty Hearst. Abducted my members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, she eventually helped the group rob a bank. What people may not remember Hearst was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Then there is Charlie Mansion, the members of Heaven's Gate who committed mass suicide, and recently Elizabeth Smart, the Utah teenager kidnapped and eventually reunited with her family. Public sympathy for her, but she did not commit a crime.

LEVINE: The sympathy seems to end when you take actions which clearly are criminal in nature and which people end up holding you responsible for.

CALLEBS: It may be easy to try and show the younger Malvo was manipulated by Muhammad. But defense attorneys say the greater hurdle comes trying to convince a jury that the teen didn't know right from wrong.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: That's a fascinating subject. Our next guest knows quite a bit about mind control. Steven Hassan was a member of the Unification Church in the '70s. He describes it as a cult and he says it took a family intervention for him to leave.

He's now a cult counselor, specializing in mind control, and author of the book "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves." Steven Hassan joins me now from Boston.

Steven, good to meet you. You make a distinction between mind control and brainwashing. What's the difference?

STEVEN HASSAN, CULT COUNSELOR: Basically, mind control is a much more subtle, sophisticated process that involves deception, where the agent of influence is perceived as a benign influence or a positive influence, as opposed to a brainwashing situation, where you know the person who is manipulating you is the enemy, at least at the beginning.

COOPER: Well, we think about Jonestown, we think about the Heaven's Gate cult. And those would be instances of brainwashing?

HASSAN: I certainly believe that when people got to Guyana, and, in fact, were about to celebrate -- not celebrate, but commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 913 people who died at hands of Jim Jones, I think once they got to Guyana, it was clearly more of a total coercive holding people against their will situation, whereas when he was recruiting in San Francisco and other places in the United States, I would say it was much more of a deception-mind control paradigm.

COOPER: And the Heaven's Gate, how do you see that?

HASSAN: I see that as a mind control. Basically, it's breaking down of a person's personality and reprogramming them with a new identity that has new beliefs, new language, new authority figures. And in the mind of the person who is being mind controlled, they actually perceive the authority figure as a benign or positive thing.

In the cult I was in, I thought that the leader was the messiah and I thought that the world was coming to an end in 1977. And I was prepared to even kill on command if necessary.

COOPER: When you look at relationship, or at least what's known about the relationship between these two alleged snipers, do you think there is some sort of an element of I guess mind control? HASSAN: Well, if you look at what reports are about Malvo's previous identity before Muhammad came into his life, and then you look at things like the sleep deprivation, the dietary manipulation, the isolation from other family and friends, the complete dependency, the inculcation of a totalistic belief system about a race war, I think the defense could draw some real substance here in terms of citing an undue influence relationship.

COOPER: And reportedly, that is what at least part of their defense is going to be. Jury selection starts next week in Malvo's case. So we'll be following that.

Steven Hassan, appreciate you joining us. Thank you very much.

That leads us to today's "Buzz Question." Did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over teenage sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo? You just heard one person's opinion.

Vote now: cnn.com/360. We'd like to hear yours. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Caught on tape. Cops play hardball at school.

Putting down a mysterious royal rumor.

And the funniest scenes in movie history.

We'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And welcome back. Time for "The Reset."

New terror worry. U.S. officials say there is concern terrorists may use cargo planes to attack targets here in the United States. These officials say recent intelligence suggests such a plan. It's a story we just broke half an hour ago.

Terror concerns overseas now. The U.S. embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia are closed, at least until Monday. The order to shut them came after U.S. officials received credible information suggesting al Qaeda may be planning another attack inside the kingdom.

North Korea appears to have built one or two nuclear weapons. It could be confident would work even without a test nuclear blast. That is what the CIA has told Congress, according to a story reported tonight by Reuters.

Out of this world. Get ready for a celestial spectacular. A lunar eclipse will be visible to stargazers across North America tomorrow night as the moon passes through Earth's shadow. Everything will be perfectly lined up for the full moon to dim at 8:06 p.m. Eastern Time. And that is a look at the reset tonight.

Now ,when you hear a high school principal is getting tough on drugs, you might think, Hey, more power to him. But watch these pictures from a drug raid by police at one South Carolina school and then decide if getting tough has perhaps gone too far.

The story from Heather Hamel of CNN affiliate WCSC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was like a real-life situation yesterday. This was not a drill.

HEATHER HAMEL, WCSC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police officers with guns drawn screaming for kids to get on the floor so their bags could be searched for drugs.

PRINCIPAL GEORGE MCCRACKIN, STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL: Stratford High School has always had a reputation of being a safe, clean school. And I'll utilize whatever forces that I deem necessary to keep this campus safe and clean.

HAMEL: But some parents were furious, saying it went too far.

LATONIA SIMMONS, PARENT: Mow why did he have to take all that force? You know, there were innocent kids. They were just minding their own business getting ready for class.

HAMEL: The police say not everyone is innocent. A lot of drug activity has been seen in this very hall. But some say pointing loaded weapons at kids isn't the answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, that was just enough to frustrate any parent.

LT. DAVE AARONS, GOOSE CREEK POLICE: Some of the officers had their weapons drawn at a low ready position, which is not pointing at faces or heads of students. It was down in a position where, should somebody who has drugs on them and fears that -- of getting caught and for some reason if they made a poor decision and decided to use a weapon for means of escape, then, you know, we were able to address that.

HAMEL: Officers say it was for everyone's safety. They did handcuff several students who wouldn't get down.

MCCRACKIN: I don't think it was an overreaction on our part. I'm sure it was an inconvenience to those individuals who were on that hallway. But I think there is a valuable experience there.

HAMEL: A canine officer did smell drugs in 12 bookbags, but nothing was actually found. But police aren't discouraged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've sent a message to the folks distributing drugs at the school that, you know, we know you're doing that. We have no hesitation to come in and address it.

HAMEL: As for repeating this shocking scene?

MCCRACKIN: If we have to, we will.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, we're joined now by Latonia Simmons and her daughter, Shnikqua, who says she was one of the students held at gunpoint by police during that raid. They join us from Charleston tonight.

Appreciate both you being with us.

Shnikqua, the moment you saw police in the hallway they started screaming. What happened? What went through your mind?

SHNIKQUA SIMMONS, STRATFORD HIGH STUDENT: I was just scared. I didn't know what to do. All I know is that I turned around, and I just saw a gun pointed in my face, and they said, "Get down." And I just got down.

COOPER: How long did you stay down? How long did the whole thing last?

S. SIMMONS: It lasted about a good 30, 45 minutes.

COOPER: We got a statement from the Goose Creek Police Department. I want to read it. They said -- quote -- "there was no use of force in the operation conducted at Stratford High School. At no time was the police dog allowed too close to any students."

Shnikqua, you were there. What did you see? Do you agree with that?

S. SIMMONS: No, sir. Because they -- the dog was really close to my face and I was really scared. And it was just barking and barking and barking. And I was scared it might -- it might -- get too close to my face and just trying to bite me.

COOPER: Now Latonia, you were at work. I know Shnikqua called you. When you first heard about this, what did you think?

L. SIMMONS: I was -- I was shocked. Couldn't believe it. Because I was a graduate from Stratford High School, and we never -- I've never seen anything or experienced nothing like this before in my life.

When she called me, I thought maybe -- I said, Huh? Are you -- I had to have her repeat it to me again because I was just unbelief in what had happened.

COOPER: Well, the principal says, Look, there's a drug problem. We got to take, you know, strong measures. This is a strong measure.

We got a statement also, Latonia, I want to read to you from the school supervisor. He said this -- quote -- "Mr. McCrackin" -- that's the principal -- "protects the interests of his school as a parent protects the interests of a family. Any time he's made the call to as for local law enforcement assistance, that call has been in the best interests of his school and students."

Latonia, what do you think? What this in the student's best interest?

L. SIMMONS: No, I don't think so. I think he put the students more at danger than anything. It could have been handled in a much more better way. The way they conduct that raid was very harmful.

They have civilian cameras in that school. Mr. McCrackin knows the students who was dealing that drugs. If they had a surveillance for four days, I'm sure they know who students were.

Now these were innocent kids that were approached, didn't know what was going on. So the tactic they used was harmful and it could have been deadly.

COOPER: All right.

L. SIMMONS: He also -- go ahead.

COOPER: No, I hear what you're saying. I appreciate you coming in. Latonia and Shnikqua Simmons, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

We'll see -- we'll see how this story resolves. Could not be the last we hear about this.

Now, "Justice Served."

As we told you a little while ago, Rosie O'Donnell was back on the stand today in the trial over her now defunct "Rosie" magazine.

Joining me for a look at the latest developments in the dispute is Court TV anchor, Lisa Bloom.

Who do you think is going to win this?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: You know, it's a tough call, Anderson. I read over the contract and I wonder what is all of this queen of nice stuff have to do with the contract dispute? Nowhere does she promise to be nice. We've heard a lot of testimony about how awful she was.

She wanted creative control. And surprisingly, that's not in the contract either, as to who had creative control.

COOPER: Well, and essentially, this is a contract dispute. I mean, that's what it boils down it.

BLOOM: It's a breach of contract case.

COOPER: Right. BLOOM: And she says she had the right to opt out if the financials got below a certain level. She says G & G cooked the books. So ultimately, I think the case will probably turn on that rather dry issue that the judge will have to decide, putting aside all of this more salacious tabloidy stuff that we've all been hearing about.

COOPER: You know, a lot of times when you hear about, you know, people clapping in the courtroom and making an extemporaneous comments, the question is always, How does that affect the jury?

But this is not a jury trial. We got to keep in mind. This is just a judge, and a very experienced judge at that. How do you think that changes what may happen?

BLOOM: Well, typically, when there's no jury, there's a little bit more leeway in the courtroom for people to make little snide remarks. Rosie O'Donnell is, after all, a comedienne It's not surprising that she makes little remarks.

What's interesting is outside the courtroom, sometimes she'll be responding to testimony. For example, last week she said, I never used the phrase "as a lesbian" when a witness said that she did use that phrase. So she's sort of using the P.R. system in press conferences to respond outside the courtroom. There's no bar on the judge reading the papers, watching this program, seeing what's going on.

COOPER: But the judge is far less likely -- I mean, I'm assuming -- to be influenced by, you know, what Rosie O'Donnell says on the courthouse steps than by the nuts and bolts of the contract.

BLOOM: Well, we certainly hope so. And judges are not barred from reading newspapers and watching television in the way juries are.

But judges are human beings as well. And when she gets a chance to respond outside the courtroom without being cross examined, I think that's very interesting.

COOPER: Hmmm. All right. We'll see what happens. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks.

COOPER: Court TV's.

All right. Still to come this evening, these guys know how to rumble. Things get very hairy in the Taiwan legislature. Unbelievable video.

Also, a royal denial before the allegation is even made public? The prince and an incident that is shrouded in mystery. We'll talk about it.

And a little later, the funniest movie scenes in history as decided by the cheeky lads at "Maxim" magazine. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Send us an e-mail any time. You can log on, cnn.com/360. Try to respond as often as I can. Teresa in Illinois thanks for you e-mail.

We came up with an idea for a new action-packed series, were calling it when Taiwanese politicians attack. We don't know what is about the Taiwanese legislature that gets middle aged politicians so riled up. You want a budget fight? This is a budget fight. Let's go to the videotape. In Taiwan, negotiations for fiscal 2004 hit a snag, and this is how some in the ruling party and the opposition decided to settle it. Keep an eye on the woman in the pink suit. She's scrapper than she looks. And watch out for this guy when his viral comes charging for him, looks like he's saying, you know, don't be hating, but he's a fighter too. He's swinging back and swinging back hard.

At this point you know this guy's wife is thinking, why?

Why did you have to get into a brawl broadcast around the globe and be wearing white socks?

After a few over the top smacks, it comes down to the most dramatic most of the fight. The head lock on the desk, and then the over the top right hook uppercut to the head. For reference, the two parties duking it out here are called the Democratic Progressive Party and People-First Party. Sometimes we don't even have to make this stuff up. When Taiwanese politicians attack. Tough crowd.

A different battle now. The prince versus the press. Prince Charles is denying an alleged incident that hasn't even been made public yet. Confusing? Here is CNN's Gavin Morris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GAVIN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On royal duty in Oman, business is usual for the heir to the British thrown. But Prince Charles has issued a most unusual statement, that he is the senior royal being rumored about in an alleged incident which some court watchers could shake the monarchy to the core. For legal reasons, no one here can report or even state publicly what the allegation is. That didn't stop the prince's private secretary intervening in an attempt to end the speculation.

SIR MICHAEL PEAT, SENIOR ROYAL AIDE: Others are discussing it. And the allegations were becoming common currency. It's the subject of much speculation and innuendo. And I just want to make it entirely clear, even though I can't refer to the specifics of the allegation, that it's totally untrue and without a shred of substance.

MORRIS: Britain's royals have grown accustomed to this. Whether outloud or in whisper, scandal always encourages speculation about the effect on the future of this ancient institution.

ROBERT JOBSON, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: I think this is potentially a very damaging allegation if it comes out. But the reality of it is, Prince Charles has made it quite clear that he says there is no foundation in it whatsoever in any of these allegations being made against him, if indeed they ever surface.

MORRIS, (on camera): If they don't surface, some observers say the prince may have miscalculated. But here at Prince Charles' officials residence, Clarence House, the strategy of speaking out early is designed to avoid the embarrassment of recent royal (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like the trial of former Princess Diana Butler, Paul Burrell. It's case of mounting a defense before the attack has begun.

Gavin Morris, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Time to check on tonight's "Current." "People Magazine" reports that a new British dating reality show has been shelved. It was called "There is something about Miriam. " And featured men courting Miriam, who you see here. But the men threatened to sue after the show airs after they found out Miriam is what doctors call a preoperative transsexual. Or in laymen's terms, a man with a penis.

Jessica Simpson is reportedly in the running for the movie version of a popular old TV show. The "New York Post" says Simpson is up for the lead role in "I Dream of Jeanie." The movie apparently part of an effort to give Simpson a more serious image.

Bob Guccione has resigned as chairman and CEO of "Penthouse Magazine's" parent company. "Penthouse" circulation plummeted recently as more men mastered the skill of surfing the Internet alone in the dark.

Christina Aguilera and Pink are keeping their feud, you know what I am talking about -- are keeping their feud alive. Pink refused to be emcee along with Aguilera at last night's MTV Europe Music Awards. She's also scheduled to try to block Aguilera's very next U.N. resolution.

Coming up next on "360" -- she doesn't have a U.N. resolution coming up.

Will Farrell makes his debut as a, leading, sort of man, kind of.

Plus does the new list of the 50 funniest movie scenes in history include your favorite?

Find out what's number one when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome, prime minister. This is Natalie (ph).

Hello, David. I mean sir.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 20 years ago you've have been just his type.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Oh, British comedy. As part of our "Weekender" segment today we're going to look at the 50 funniest movie scenes in history according to the cheeky Maxim (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

But first, in case you want to know what's new on the entertainment horizon, what's new this weekend, we've got our weekly wrap-up for you, starting with the arrival of a new contender for funniest scene ever. Maybe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, people. Santa is coming to town.

COOPER (voice-over): In movies, "Elf" is out. Will Farrell is, you guessed it, a human raised by elves. "Elf" is Farrell's first leading role, and the comedy is aimed at kids.

HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: Being prime minister, I could just have him murdered.

COOPER: Hugh Grant aims slightly higher, with "Love Actually." Grant's romantic woes anchor a movie full of funny but also familiar moments.

LAURA LINNEY, ACTRESS: Would you excuse me for one second?

COOPER: And if it's drama you want, there is also "The Matrix Revolutions." It's playing just about everywhere.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: I am a machine.

COOPER: On DVD, if you're not tired of science fiction stories about a futuristic war pitting men against machines, you can always rent next week's big release, "Terminator 3."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my gosh, she's not wearing underwear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, how dorky is that? I'm wearing two pair right now.

COOPER: And if you can't get enough of sequels, "Dumb and Dumberer" is making its DVD debut.

In music, Bruce Springsteen is just one of the big names on what the industry called super Tuesday. Releases include rarities from Springsteen and Pearl Jam, and new offerings from Pink, Stone Temple Pilots, Kid Rock and "Newlyweds'" Nick Lachey, who may have been using the album as an excuse to get out of the house.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right, joining us tonight to share and defend a new list of the 50 allegedly funniest movie scenes in history, we have Charles Coxe, executive editor of the upcoming issue of "Maxim Goes to the Movies," which ranks the funniest scenes. Now, you've picked a lot of movies. We're going to just talk about the top three.

I take it, you picked these movies, there was some alcohol involved in picking these movies.

CHARLES COXE, EXEC. DIRECTOR, MAXIM GOES TO THE MOVIES: There was a fair amount, yeah. We ended up talking about this pretty much all night long and debating it. So that will be my defense for anything you disagree with. We had way too much to drink.

COOPER: Number three, the third funniest movie scene of all times, it's from "Fish Called Wanda." Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN KLINE, ACTOR: What do the English usually eat with chips to make them more interesting? Wait a moment! It's fish. Isn't it?

Here, boy.

Down the hatch. Delicious!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: OK. That's kind of sick funny.

COXE: I'd just like to point out that Kevin Kline won as Oscar for that, for emptying an entire aquarium. So.

COOPER: Well, we're not going to play a full one of the second one. The second one, though, is the scene from "The Blues Brothers." Why did you pick this? And we'll show it. But why did you pick this scene?

COXE: This was actually a big debate over which should be number one, and "Blues Brothers" this was close. This scene is just -- this whole movie is hysterical, but this scene in particular where they convince Mr. Fabulous to rejoin the band, it's just the greatest example I've ever seen of blackmailing a friend to do something you want.

COOPER: A lot of the movies you picked are not really recent movies, they're sort of from the '80s, really.

COXE: Right. We were worried at first that we may be doing a disservice to our readers by not having that many recent movies, but then we looked back, and there aren't that many hysterically funny recent movies, and we did an online poll, and our readers seem to prefer the classics, like "Caddyshack," "Animal House," that sort of thing.

COOPER: All right. Let's take a look. This is what you say is the number one funniest scene of all time, space and dimension.

COXE: All time. All time. COOPER: We want to warn our viewers, it might get a little gross, if I remember it correctly. Let's take a look.

All right, that was the scene from "The Meaning of Life," according to guys at "Maxim," the number one funniest scene ever.

COXE: This is very scientific investigative journalism. We went to great lengths to determine these.

COOPER: All right, it's in the new edition of "Maxim." Thanks very much for being with us.

COXE: Thanks for having me.

COOPER: All right. Next up on "360," the story that made America cry and then weep for joy. Now it's one TV movie that you must not miss.

Plus Sunday, if you missed the forum that generated headlines, you can see it for yourself Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Eastern, "America Rocks the Vote." Eight presidential candidates faced off with me trapped right in the middle. That is Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

And today's buzz, did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over teenage sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo? Vote now, cnn.com/360. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: As we asked you, did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over the teenage sniper suspect as his attorneys may allege? The case rests on what a jury thinks, but here is how you voted. Fifty-five percent said yes, 45 percent voted no. Not a scientific poll, of course, just your buzz.

Tonight, taking TV movies to "The Nth Degree." As you may know, this is sweeps, when networks air their finest programming so they can use the ratings to set their ad rates. It's great for viewers, because the networks are motivated to put unique, distinctive material on the air. In fact, there are so many special shows on, sometimes it's hard to choose what to watch.

This Sunday at 9:00, though, the choice is clear. I refer, of course, to the docudrama-TV movie about a corn-fed, blonde teenage girl's abduction and the duly dramatic rescue that lifted America's hearts. That's right, it's the singular story of Jessica Lynch/Elizabeth Smart. Even though it's authorized/unauthorized, this movie has it all. A plucky heroine the audience can root for, as portrayed in unparallel fashion by Laura Regan/Amber Marshall. Exotic locales, such as Nasariyah/Salt Lake City. Villainous bad guys serving a perverted ideology. And of course, your obligatory bureaucratic officials. And the classic American maverick hero, Mohammed Al-Rehaief/John Walsh. Granted, some critics say the movie trots out the standard, sentimentalized cliches, and some even say that it manipulates the truth and doesn't answer all the questions about what really happened. But you can decide for yourself. And remember, even if you want to watch something else that's on at the same time, there's always your TiVo/VCR.

That wraps up our show tonight. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Consulates Temporarily Closing in Saudi Arabia>


Aired November 7, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): Warning signs: the U.S. closes it's embassy in Saudi Arabia.

A budget battle royale: democracy in action?

The brainwashing defense: fact or fiction?

Caught on tape: police hold kids at gunpoint in a school drug raid. Have revelations in court shown a damaging new side of Rosie O'Donnell.

And the 50 funniest scenes in movie history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening. Thanks for joining us on 360.

We have breaking news to bring you right now about how terrorists may be trying to attack targets in the U.S. and with what kind of weapons. We go right now to CNN national security correspondent, David Ensor.

David, what can you tell us?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, U.S. officials are confirming that there is recent intelligence suggesting that terrorists may be plotting to use cargo planes as weapons to attack targets in the United States. Now, that basically is all we know about this story.

Law enforcement officials have been saying for some time now that there was a concern that cargo planes might be attempted to be used. The security, of course, is pretty tight around passenger aircraft ever since 9/11. There have been concerns that the security needed to be tightened up around passenger -- around cargo aircraft, and it has been done to some extent.

In any case, U.S. officials saying they have recent evidence, recent intelligence suggesting that terrorists may be plotting to use cargo aircraft as terrorist weapons inside the United States -- Anderson.

COOPER: Now David, I know this is breaking news. There is still a lot we do not know. I now we have a number people of working on it closely right now. But as far as you know at this point, no specific credible threat at this point?

ENSOR: That's correct. No specific information about time or place or how, when or who. Just evidence that this particular type of weapon, or approach, has been talked about by terrorists who are taken seriously by the United States.

COOPER: All right. David Ensor, as you said, this is breaking news. We are working the story on several fronts. We'll bring you any updates throughout our program the next hour as warranted. David, thanks very much tonight.

More in our terror watch tonight. Americans abroad on alert. The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia are shutting down temporarily because of fears of an imminent attack.

CNN's Andrea Koppel has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The warning to Americans in the Saudi kingdom was stark. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom.

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: In light of the seriousness of this existing threat, the embassy in Riyadh and the U.S. consulates (UNINTELLIGIBLE) will close on Saturday, November 8th, in order to review their security posture.

KOPPEL: Another State Department official told CNN the embassy and consulates would remain closed until at least the Veteran's Day holiday next week.

Terror threats against Americans in Saudi Arabia are not new. In 1996, suicide bombers killed 19 Americans and wounded hundreds more at the Khobar Towers military complex in Dhahran. For years, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden used the U.S. military presence in the kingdom -- now significantly reduced -- to justify jihad against Americans.

Saudi Arabia is custodian of Mecca and Medina, two of Islam's holiest sites. Most recently, al Qaeda is believed responsible for the May 12th suicide bombings of three Western housing facilities in Riyadh.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And Andrea Koppel joins us now.

Now Andrea, do U.S. officials have any sense, or are they saying how imminent these attacks might be? And are they even indicating at all where the intelligence came from?

KOPPEL: Well, Anderson, they're getting intelligence from all sorts of sources. But they say that a lot of it is coming from chatter on various Web sites, and even from some al Qaeda leaders themselves, including Osama bin Laden in recently released audiotapes.

As far as how soon, they're saying that they believe it is going to be soon. Unfortunately, that is how -- just how specific they can be, or unspecific.

In terms of timing and target, they say they don't know. But they also know that this is the holy month of Ramadan. And so they believe it could happen at any time if it does -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Ominous news that. Andrea Koppel, thanks very much..

In Iraq today, the news was not good. Another U.S. helicopter went down. Six more Americans dead. The cause, unconfirmed, one possibility is deeply troubling.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Tikrit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As U.S. helicopters fly guard above the downed Black Hawk, another helicopter swoops onto the dusty riverbank where the impact occurred. Debris spread over a large area beneath the ridgeline, indicating a high-speed impact. Residents in the densely populated housing overlooking the crash claim missiles were fired at the helicopter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We still don't know what caused the helicopter to go down, whether it was mechanical or whether it was caused by hostile action. We have to wait for the results of the investigation to come by to be sure of that.

ROBERTSON: At the main coalition base in Tikrit, barely two miles, three kilometers from the crash, intense interest by troops. This, the third helicopter downed in two weeks.

On Sunday, at least 16 U.S. troops died when their Chinook transport helicopter was apparently hit by a surface-to-air missile. And on the 25th of October, another Black Hawk near Tikrit downed by a rocket-propelled grenade, injuring one soldier.

(on camera): Coalition officials say that any speculation that they may be facing a new offensive against helicopters is just that, speculation. Nevertheless, to have had three helicopters crash in the last two weeks is a development that some coalition troops here find troubling.

(voice-over): Both vehicle and foot patrols continue as normal. And although they'll examine helicopter procedures, officials here think it unlikely they'll be making significant changes in the near future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And in the last few hours, Anderson, we've learned that the accompanying -- on board the accompanying Black Hawk helicopter, next to the one that may have been shot down, was a very senior U.S. military official visiting Iraq, Major General Thomas Ramig (ph), the judge general -- judge advocate general visiting Iraq. And in the last five hours, we've seen a major show of force by the troops based here in Tikrit.

Dozens of artillery shells have been raining down on the area where the helicopter was shot down. Some from a mortar position right behind me. And a little earlier in the evening, two F-16s flew low over the area, dropping 500-pound bombs close to where the helicopter was downed -- Anderson.

COOPER: A difficult day. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson, thanks very much, live from Tikrit tonight.

It has been an extremely bloody week for U.S. troops in Iraq. The bloodiest, in fact, for Americans since the fall of Baghdad. A fast fact: 34 American troops have been killed in Iraq in the first seven days of November. In the entire month of October, there were 42 U.S. casualties. This includes both combat and noncombat fatalities.

In all, 394 troops have died in Iraq since the war began.

Well, there was word today that Turkey will not contribute about 10,000 troops to the reconstruction effort. Washington had been anticipating the help, but in Iraq, there was fierce opposition, especially among Kurds. They of course don't want anything do with the Turkish military, fearing it would threaten their self-rule in the north.

On the U.S. economic front, positive news. President Bush is hailing the drop in the unemployment rate, which is now at 6 percent, down from 6.1 percent the month before. That is after government figures show businesses added 126,000 workers to their payrolls last month. President Bush told a crowd in North Carolina today -- you see him talking the crowd there -- that his tax cuts and business incentives are sparking the economy, and he says he will not rest until everyone who wants to work can find a job.

Well, in the D.C. sniper trial, a 1990 Chevy Caprice took center stage today. Prosecutors say that accused suspect John Allen Muhammad and his alleged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, used the car's trunk as a shooting platform during last year's wave of attacks.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve is covering the trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Shrouded in a brown tarp, the car investigators have called a killing machine was hauled to and from the court complex so jurors could get a look, despite defense objections that no evidence shows fatal shots were fired from it. Jurors paid particular attention to the alleged gun port replicated in this FBI model of the trunk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a jagged notch. With the trunk closed, it was about 3.5 to 4 inches wide, and it simply looked like a defect in the car. It did not look like anything particularly unusual.

MESERVE: Remember the Tacoma, Washington tree stump hauled away by investigators? Robert Holmes testified that Muhammad used it to test a home-made noise suppressor after saying to Holmes, "Imagine the damage you can do if you shoot with a silencer."

Holmes testified Muhammad introduced Lee Malvo saying, "He is a sniper." When he heard the D.C.-area shootings might involve a Bushmaster rifle and perhaps a team, Holmes called the FBI.

Holmes described Muhammad as a "good father." And Al Archer (ph) did the same. The pastor of a mission where Muhammad once lived, Archer (ph) choked back tears as he described the care and attention Muhammad gave his three children and how upset he was at losing custody.

(on camera): When the children were mentioned, Muhammad appeared to struggle with his emotions for the first time since his life or death trial began.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, Malvo's defense team is alleging brainwashing by Muhammad. But is that even possible? Coming up, we'll talk with and expert on cults and mind control. That just shortly.

But we are following a number of stories right now "Cross Country."

Washington, D.C.: subpoena expected. The 9/11 Commission on Capitol Hill has voted to issue a subpoena to the Pentagon to get records. It says it has faced serious delays in trying to get the documents.

Also in Washington, anthrax fears. Mail delivery to the House of Representatives is put on hold as a precaution. And 11 post offices in the Washington area are closed after preliminary tests show possible anthrax contamination at a U.S. Navy mail sorting office.

Now, tests so far show no sign of anthrax at the facility. Final test results are expected tomorrow.

Washington: court-martial. The U.S. Air Force says this man, a translator who worked at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, will face charges of spying and aiding al Qaeda. But it says airman Ahmed al- Halabi (ph) will not be sentenced to death if convicted. Al-Halabi (ph) says he is not guilty. Palestine, West Virginia: "I'm no hero." That's what former Iraq captive Jessica Lynch says in an upcoming interview with ABC's "Primetime Live." The former Army private says the military overdramatized her rescue and she is simply a survivor. She says her rescuers are the real heroes.

And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Rosie O'Donnell's $100 million battle. They were laughing and clapping in court today when she took the stand. We'll tell you why.

Also, high school drug raid. Look at these images. Police storm in, guns drawn. Parents are outraged.

And the royal scandal that can't be discussed. Hear why mum is the world at the palace.

First tonight, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Rosie O'Donnell was back on the stand today in a bitter fight over who is to blame for her magazine's failure. Today, she talked about clashing with the publisher over editorial vision and came clean about a lie and even got a couple of laughs.

Here is CNN's Maria Hinojosa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN URBAN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rosie O'Donnell in the lawsuit of a lifetime...

ROSIE O'DONNELL, FMR. TALK SHOW HOST: It felt unlike anything I've ever felt in my life.

HINOJOSA: ... testifying in a trial with $100 million at stake, yet making light of all the fuss.

O'DONNELL: I don't read the papers, but I promise you, when it's done, I'll make many, many pieces of art with all of the papers.

HINOJOSA: In her last day of testimony, Rosie the witness made it clear she wanted "Rosie" the magazine, to guard her essence. The fight between O'Donnell and her editors came to a head when they wanted a cover of O'Donnell with the women of "The Sopranos."

O'Donnell said no. "Having me on the cover is not what I'm about," she testified. I made my fortune by celebrating other people. And she admitted saying, "It's not what we do. I am not in the center with my f-ing face and my f-ing ugly stomach."

She said she told the editors she wanted to publish the kind of magazine with no air brushed, size four perfectly made up celebrities on the cover. In court, O'Donnell said the new editor brought in to increase sales wanted the cover to show off Billy Joel just out of rehab or Sharon Osbourne battling cancer.

O'Donnell said, "Celebrities in crisis is not what I want on my cover." But outside court, she could have been one of those celebrities in crisis.

O'DONNELL: Needless to say, it is a very emotional thing when a corporate giant says they will ruin you and then proceed to drag you through the mud for 16 months. And then you have to defend yourself on the stand. It's not exactly the best way to spend a year off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HINOJOSA: Now on cross-examination, Rosie O'Donnell admitted to lying under oath about a statement she made about lying. O'Donnell admitted saying to Cindy Spengler (ph) that "If you lie, you'll get cancer." But today it was O'Donnell who was caught in a lie -- Anderson.

COOPER: Now, Maria, I understand there was some laughter in the courtroom today while she was on the stand. What happened?

HINOJOSA: It's hard to believe, Anderson. There were moments of such seriousness, but early in the morning there was a conversation about "I'm the boss," "Who is the boss?" This was Rosie O'Donnell on the stand.

She was kind of going back and forth and the attorneys objected. There was a silence then. And then O'Donnell turns to the judge and says, "You're the boss of me." People started laughing and applauding, Anderson, in the courtroom. Pretty strange.

COOPER: All right. Maria Hinojosa, thanks very much.

We're going to have more on the clash of the titans, the fight between O'Donnell and her former publisher, coming up with "Court TV" anchor Lisa Bloom in a few moments from now.

We're following a number of international stories, however, tonight. Let's check the "UpLink."

Manila, Philippines: a deadly airport takeover. A former aviation chief and two armed men are dead after they tried to seize a control tower. There it is.

They died in a firefight with airport security. Now, the man who took over the tower said the raid was designed to bring attention to what they called corruption in the Philippine government.

Caracas, Venezuela: political punches. Take a look at this. A fistfight breaks out on the floor of Venezuela's congress. Two lawmakers from different parties went after each other during a debate.

Now, this is pretty tame, however, compared to a fight that broke out between politicians in Taiwan. You won't believe this video. We're going to show you that a little bit later on. Take you now to Indonesia. Animals MIA. After flash floods, the fate of six orangutans who lived on a reserve is uncertain. Their caregivers had to abandon them. More than 110 people died in last week's flash floods there.

And that is a look at tonight's "UpLink."

A story now about two American troops serving in Iraq, both caught between what the military demands of them and what they say as human beings they can simply have to endure. CNN's Bob Franken reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By military thinking, the dangerous uncertainty of Iraq demonstrates the imperative of strict discipline. Adlibbing can be catastrophic. Order must be maintained, orders followed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll call you in a little bit.

FRANKEN: An officer under the life and death pressures of combat can justify leveling the devastating charge of cowardice against Sergeant George Pogany. And Pogany says he was hit by a panic attack.

RICHARD TRAVIS, POGANY'S ATTORNEY: The stigma that comes with being charged as a coward is rather high.

FRANKEN: It's a structure that led to action taken against specialist Simone Holcomb, mother of seven, when she told her superiors she couldn't follow orders to return to Iraq.

SPC. SIMONE HOLCOMB, ARMY MEDIC: They said, get on a plane or we're kicking you out of the Army.

FRANKEN: The often-stark rules of the military are shaped by the stark rules of survival and combat that have developed over centuries.

EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW EXPERT: What's interesting is how you apply a provision that goes so very far back in our Anglo-American legal tradition to conduct in a post-Freudian era.

FRANKEN: In modern times, military and civilian sensibilities can collide. For instance, publicity over the cowardice charges against Sergeant Pogany quickly led to a reduction in those charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think people might be a little more hesitant before they charge cowardice again.

FRANKEN (on camera): Hesitation and reflection, the military would argue, are luxuries reserved for those far removed from the immediate dangers of the battlefield.

Bob Franken, CNN, Ft. Carson, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Well, a drug raid at a high school sparking parent outrage. Why police storm in with guns drawn. And why is the principal not sorry?

Also tonight, a budget battle brouhaha. Politicians who don't pull any punches. Literally.

And a little later, the sniper suspects and mind control? We'll have the truth about brainwashing.

And that gets us to today's "Buzz." What do you think? Did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over teenage sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo?

His attorneys say perhaps. Vote now. Cnn.com/360. Let us know what you think. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, as one D.C. sniper trial continues in Virginia Beach -- we told you about that earlier -- another is set to start in nearby Chesapeake. Jury selection begins next week in the trial of Lee Boyd Malvo.

Now, his lawyers are expected to argue the teenager was essentially brainwashed by John Allen Muhammad. As CNN's Sean Callebs reports, it is not the first time such a defense strategy has been used.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The two, Lee Boyd Malvo and 42-year-old John Allen Muhammad, have been in the same courtroom but only for a short time. If Malvo looked frightened, almost confused, and not making eye contact with Muhammad, the teen's counsel could be setting the stage for a brainwashing case, according to one attorney.

LEONARD LEVINE, FMR. PROSECUTOR: If in fact there is this brainwashing that you believe occurred, this terror, this almost robotic action, then you would want the person to react that way when he saw the person who allegedly was terrorizing him.

CALLEBS: It's nothing new. The most celebrated case of indoctrination is Patty Hearst. Abducted my members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, she eventually helped the group rob a bank. What people may not remember Hearst was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Then there is Charlie Mansion, the members of Heaven's Gate who committed mass suicide, and recently Elizabeth Smart, the Utah teenager kidnapped and eventually reunited with her family. Public sympathy for her, but she did not commit a crime.

LEVINE: The sympathy seems to end when you take actions which clearly are criminal in nature and which people end up holding you responsible for.

CALLEBS: It may be easy to try and show the younger Malvo was manipulated by Muhammad. But defense attorneys say the greater hurdle comes trying to convince a jury that the teen didn't know right from wrong.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: That's a fascinating subject. Our next guest knows quite a bit about mind control. Steven Hassan was a member of the Unification Church in the '70s. He describes it as a cult and he says it took a family intervention for him to leave.

He's now a cult counselor, specializing in mind control, and author of the book "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves." Steven Hassan joins me now from Boston.

Steven, good to meet you. You make a distinction between mind control and brainwashing. What's the difference?

STEVEN HASSAN, CULT COUNSELOR: Basically, mind control is a much more subtle, sophisticated process that involves deception, where the agent of influence is perceived as a benign influence or a positive influence, as opposed to a brainwashing situation, where you know the person who is manipulating you is the enemy, at least at the beginning.

COOPER: Well, we think about Jonestown, we think about the Heaven's Gate cult. And those would be instances of brainwashing?

HASSAN: I certainly believe that when people got to Guyana, and, in fact, were about to celebrate -- not celebrate, but commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 913 people who died at hands of Jim Jones, I think once they got to Guyana, it was clearly more of a total coercive holding people against their will situation, whereas when he was recruiting in San Francisco and other places in the United States, I would say it was much more of a deception-mind control paradigm.

COOPER: And the Heaven's Gate, how do you see that?

HASSAN: I see that as a mind control. Basically, it's breaking down of a person's personality and reprogramming them with a new identity that has new beliefs, new language, new authority figures. And in the mind of the person who is being mind controlled, they actually perceive the authority figure as a benign or positive thing.

In the cult I was in, I thought that the leader was the messiah and I thought that the world was coming to an end in 1977. And I was prepared to even kill on command if necessary.

COOPER: When you look at relationship, or at least what's known about the relationship between these two alleged snipers, do you think there is some sort of an element of I guess mind control? HASSAN: Well, if you look at what reports are about Malvo's previous identity before Muhammad came into his life, and then you look at things like the sleep deprivation, the dietary manipulation, the isolation from other family and friends, the complete dependency, the inculcation of a totalistic belief system about a race war, I think the defense could draw some real substance here in terms of citing an undue influence relationship.

COOPER: And reportedly, that is what at least part of their defense is going to be. Jury selection starts next week in Malvo's case. So we'll be following that.

Steven Hassan, appreciate you joining us. Thank you very much.

That leads us to today's "Buzz Question." Did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over teenage sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo? You just heard one person's opinion.

Vote now: cnn.com/360. We'd like to hear yours. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Caught on tape. Cops play hardball at school.

Putting down a mysterious royal rumor.

And the funniest scenes in movie history.

We'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And welcome back. Time for "The Reset."

New terror worry. U.S. officials say there is concern terrorists may use cargo planes to attack targets here in the United States. These officials say recent intelligence suggests such a plan. It's a story we just broke half an hour ago.

Terror concerns overseas now. The U.S. embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia are closed, at least until Monday. The order to shut them came after U.S. officials received credible information suggesting al Qaeda may be planning another attack inside the kingdom.

North Korea appears to have built one or two nuclear weapons. It could be confident would work even without a test nuclear blast. That is what the CIA has told Congress, according to a story reported tonight by Reuters.

Out of this world. Get ready for a celestial spectacular. A lunar eclipse will be visible to stargazers across North America tomorrow night as the moon passes through Earth's shadow. Everything will be perfectly lined up for the full moon to dim at 8:06 p.m. Eastern Time. And that is a look at the reset tonight.

Now ,when you hear a high school principal is getting tough on drugs, you might think, Hey, more power to him. But watch these pictures from a drug raid by police at one South Carolina school and then decide if getting tough has perhaps gone too far.

The story from Heather Hamel of CNN affiliate WCSC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was like a real-life situation yesterday. This was not a drill.

HEATHER HAMEL, WCSC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police officers with guns drawn screaming for kids to get on the floor so their bags could be searched for drugs.

PRINCIPAL GEORGE MCCRACKIN, STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL: Stratford High School has always had a reputation of being a safe, clean school. And I'll utilize whatever forces that I deem necessary to keep this campus safe and clean.

HAMEL: But some parents were furious, saying it went too far.

LATONIA SIMMONS, PARENT: Mow why did he have to take all that force? You know, there were innocent kids. They were just minding their own business getting ready for class.

HAMEL: The police say not everyone is innocent. A lot of drug activity has been seen in this very hall. But some say pointing loaded weapons at kids isn't the answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, that was just enough to frustrate any parent.

LT. DAVE AARONS, GOOSE CREEK POLICE: Some of the officers had their weapons drawn at a low ready position, which is not pointing at faces or heads of students. It was down in a position where, should somebody who has drugs on them and fears that -- of getting caught and for some reason if they made a poor decision and decided to use a weapon for means of escape, then, you know, we were able to address that.

HAMEL: Officers say it was for everyone's safety. They did handcuff several students who wouldn't get down.

MCCRACKIN: I don't think it was an overreaction on our part. I'm sure it was an inconvenience to those individuals who were on that hallway. But I think there is a valuable experience there.

HAMEL: A canine officer did smell drugs in 12 bookbags, but nothing was actually found. But police aren't discouraged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've sent a message to the folks distributing drugs at the school that, you know, we know you're doing that. We have no hesitation to come in and address it.

HAMEL: As for repeating this shocking scene?

MCCRACKIN: If we have to, we will.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, we're joined now by Latonia Simmons and her daughter, Shnikqua, who says she was one of the students held at gunpoint by police during that raid. They join us from Charleston tonight.

Appreciate both you being with us.

Shnikqua, the moment you saw police in the hallway they started screaming. What happened? What went through your mind?

SHNIKQUA SIMMONS, STRATFORD HIGH STUDENT: I was just scared. I didn't know what to do. All I know is that I turned around, and I just saw a gun pointed in my face, and they said, "Get down." And I just got down.

COOPER: How long did you stay down? How long did the whole thing last?

S. SIMMONS: It lasted about a good 30, 45 minutes.

COOPER: We got a statement from the Goose Creek Police Department. I want to read it. They said -- quote -- "there was no use of force in the operation conducted at Stratford High School. At no time was the police dog allowed too close to any students."

Shnikqua, you were there. What did you see? Do you agree with that?

S. SIMMONS: No, sir. Because they -- the dog was really close to my face and I was really scared. And it was just barking and barking and barking. And I was scared it might -- it might -- get too close to my face and just trying to bite me.

COOPER: Now Latonia, you were at work. I know Shnikqua called you. When you first heard about this, what did you think?

L. SIMMONS: I was -- I was shocked. Couldn't believe it. Because I was a graduate from Stratford High School, and we never -- I've never seen anything or experienced nothing like this before in my life.

When she called me, I thought maybe -- I said, Huh? Are you -- I had to have her repeat it to me again because I was just unbelief in what had happened.

COOPER: Well, the principal says, Look, there's a drug problem. We got to take, you know, strong measures. This is a strong measure.

We got a statement also, Latonia, I want to read to you from the school supervisor. He said this -- quote -- "Mr. McCrackin" -- that's the principal -- "protects the interests of his school as a parent protects the interests of a family. Any time he's made the call to as for local law enforcement assistance, that call has been in the best interests of his school and students."

Latonia, what do you think? What this in the student's best interest?

L. SIMMONS: No, I don't think so. I think he put the students more at danger than anything. It could have been handled in a much more better way. The way they conduct that raid was very harmful.

They have civilian cameras in that school. Mr. McCrackin knows the students who was dealing that drugs. If they had a surveillance for four days, I'm sure they know who students were.

Now these were innocent kids that were approached, didn't know what was going on. So the tactic they used was harmful and it could have been deadly.

COOPER: All right.

L. SIMMONS: He also -- go ahead.

COOPER: No, I hear what you're saying. I appreciate you coming in. Latonia and Shnikqua Simmons, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

We'll see -- we'll see how this story resolves. Could not be the last we hear about this.

Now, "Justice Served."

As we told you a little while ago, Rosie O'Donnell was back on the stand today in the trial over her now defunct "Rosie" magazine.

Joining me for a look at the latest developments in the dispute is Court TV anchor, Lisa Bloom.

Who do you think is going to win this?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: You know, it's a tough call, Anderson. I read over the contract and I wonder what is all of this queen of nice stuff have to do with the contract dispute? Nowhere does she promise to be nice. We've heard a lot of testimony about how awful she was.

She wanted creative control. And surprisingly, that's not in the contract either, as to who had creative control.

COOPER: Well, and essentially, this is a contract dispute. I mean, that's what it boils down it.

BLOOM: It's a breach of contract case.

COOPER: Right. BLOOM: And she says she had the right to opt out if the financials got below a certain level. She says G & G cooked the books. So ultimately, I think the case will probably turn on that rather dry issue that the judge will have to decide, putting aside all of this more salacious tabloidy stuff that we've all been hearing about.

COOPER: You know, a lot of times when you hear about, you know, people clapping in the courtroom and making an extemporaneous comments, the question is always, How does that affect the jury?

But this is not a jury trial. We got to keep in mind. This is just a judge, and a very experienced judge at that. How do you think that changes what may happen?

BLOOM: Well, typically, when there's no jury, there's a little bit more leeway in the courtroom for people to make little snide remarks. Rosie O'Donnell is, after all, a comedienne It's not surprising that she makes little remarks.

What's interesting is outside the courtroom, sometimes she'll be responding to testimony. For example, last week she said, I never used the phrase "as a lesbian" when a witness said that she did use that phrase. So she's sort of using the P.R. system in press conferences to respond outside the courtroom. There's no bar on the judge reading the papers, watching this program, seeing what's going on.

COOPER: But the judge is far less likely -- I mean, I'm assuming -- to be influenced by, you know, what Rosie O'Donnell says on the courthouse steps than by the nuts and bolts of the contract.

BLOOM: Well, we certainly hope so. And judges are not barred from reading newspapers and watching television in the way juries are.

But judges are human beings as well. And when she gets a chance to respond outside the courtroom without being cross examined, I think that's very interesting.

COOPER: Hmmm. All right. We'll see what happens. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks.

COOPER: Court TV's.

All right. Still to come this evening, these guys know how to rumble. Things get very hairy in the Taiwan legislature. Unbelievable video.

Also, a royal denial before the allegation is even made public? The prince and an incident that is shrouded in mystery. We'll talk about it.

And a little later, the funniest movie scenes in history as decided by the cheeky lads at "Maxim" magazine. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Send us an e-mail any time. You can log on, cnn.com/360. Try to respond as often as I can. Teresa in Illinois thanks for you e-mail.

We came up with an idea for a new action-packed series, were calling it when Taiwanese politicians attack. We don't know what is about the Taiwanese legislature that gets middle aged politicians so riled up. You want a budget fight? This is a budget fight. Let's go to the videotape. In Taiwan, negotiations for fiscal 2004 hit a snag, and this is how some in the ruling party and the opposition decided to settle it. Keep an eye on the woman in the pink suit. She's scrapper than she looks. And watch out for this guy when his viral comes charging for him, looks like he's saying, you know, don't be hating, but he's a fighter too. He's swinging back and swinging back hard.

At this point you know this guy's wife is thinking, why?

Why did you have to get into a brawl broadcast around the globe and be wearing white socks?

After a few over the top smacks, it comes down to the most dramatic most of the fight. The head lock on the desk, and then the over the top right hook uppercut to the head. For reference, the two parties duking it out here are called the Democratic Progressive Party and People-First Party. Sometimes we don't even have to make this stuff up. When Taiwanese politicians attack. Tough crowd.

A different battle now. The prince versus the press. Prince Charles is denying an alleged incident that hasn't even been made public yet. Confusing? Here is CNN's Gavin Morris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GAVIN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On royal duty in Oman, business is usual for the heir to the British thrown. But Prince Charles has issued a most unusual statement, that he is the senior royal being rumored about in an alleged incident which some court watchers could shake the monarchy to the core. For legal reasons, no one here can report or even state publicly what the allegation is. That didn't stop the prince's private secretary intervening in an attempt to end the speculation.

SIR MICHAEL PEAT, SENIOR ROYAL AIDE: Others are discussing it. And the allegations were becoming common currency. It's the subject of much speculation and innuendo. And I just want to make it entirely clear, even though I can't refer to the specifics of the allegation, that it's totally untrue and without a shred of substance.

MORRIS: Britain's royals have grown accustomed to this. Whether outloud or in whisper, scandal always encourages speculation about the effect on the future of this ancient institution.

ROBERT JOBSON, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: I think this is potentially a very damaging allegation if it comes out. But the reality of it is, Prince Charles has made it quite clear that he says there is no foundation in it whatsoever in any of these allegations being made against him, if indeed they ever surface.

MORRIS, (on camera): If they don't surface, some observers say the prince may have miscalculated. But here at Prince Charles' officials residence, Clarence House, the strategy of speaking out early is designed to avoid the embarrassment of recent royal (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like the trial of former Princess Diana Butler, Paul Burrell. It's case of mounting a defense before the attack has begun.

Gavin Morris, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Time to check on tonight's "Current." "People Magazine" reports that a new British dating reality show has been shelved. It was called "There is something about Miriam. " And featured men courting Miriam, who you see here. But the men threatened to sue after the show airs after they found out Miriam is what doctors call a preoperative transsexual. Or in laymen's terms, a man with a penis.

Jessica Simpson is reportedly in the running for the movie version of a popular old TV show. The "New York Post" says Simpson is up for the lead role in "I Dream of Jeanie." The movie apparently part of an effort to give Simpson a more serious image.

Bob Guccione has resigned as chairman and CEO of "Penthouse Magazine's" parent company. "Penthouse" circulation plummeted recently as more men mastered the skill of surfing the Internet alone in the dark.

Christina Aguilera and Pink are keeping their feud, you know what I am talking about -- are keeping their feud alive. Pink refused to be emcee along with Aguilera at last night's MTV Europe Music Awards. She's also scheduled to try to block Aguilera's very next U.N. resolution.

Coming up next on "360" -- she doesn't have a U.N. resolution coming up.

Will Farrell makes his debut as a, leading, sort of man, kind of.

Plus does the new list of the 50 funniest movie scenes in history include your favorite?

Find out what's number one when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome, prime minister. This is Natalie (ph).

Hello, David. I mean sir.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 20 years ago you've have been just his type.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Oh, British comedy. As part of our "Weekender" segment today we're going to look at the 50 funniest movie scenes in history according to the cheeky Maxim (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

But first, in case you want to know what's new on the entertainment horizon, what's new this weekend, we've got our weekly wrap-up for you, starting with the arrival of a new contender for funniest scene ever. Maybe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, people. Santa is coming to town.

COOPER (voice-over): In movies, "Elf" is out. Will Farrell is, you guessed it, a human raised by elves. "Elf" is Farrell's first leading role, and the comedy is aimed at kids.

HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: Being prime minister, I could just have him murdered.

COOPER: Hugh Grant aims slightly higher, with "Love Actually." Grant's romantic woes anchor a movie full of funny but also familiar moments.

LAURA LINNEY, ACTRESS: Would you excuse me for one second?

COOPER: And if it's drama you want, there is also "The Matrix Revolutions." It's playing just about everywhere.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: I am a machine.

COOPER: On DVD, if you're not tired of science fiction stories about a futuristic war pitting men against machines, you can always rent next week's big release, "Terminator 3."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my gosh, she's not wearing underwear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, how dorky is that? I'm wearing two pair right now.

COOPER: And if you can't get enough of sequels, "Dumb and Dumberer" is making its DVD debut.

In music, Bruce Springsteen is just one of the big names on what the industry called super Tuesday. Releases include rarities from Springsteen and Pearl Jam, and new offerings from Pink, Stone Temple Pilots, Kid Rock and "Newlyweds'" Nick Lachey, who may have been using the album as an excuse to get out of the house.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right, joining us tonight to share and defend a new list of the 50 allegedly funniest movie scenes in history, we have Charles Coxe, executive editor of the upcoming issue of "Maxim Goes to the Movies," which ranks the funniest scenes. Now, you've picked a lot of movies. We're going to just talk about the top three.

I take it, you picked these movies, there was some alcohol involved in picking these movies.

CHARLES COXE, EXEC. DIRECTOR, MAXIM GOES TO THE MOVIES: There was a fair amount, yeah. We ended up talking about this pretty much all night long and debating it. So that will be my defense for anything you disagree with. We had way too much to drink.

COOPER: Number three, the third funniest movie scene of all times, it's from "Fish Called Wanda." Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN KLINE, ACTOR: What do the English usually eat with chips to make them more interesting? Wait a moment! It's fish. Isn't it?

Here, boy.

Down the hatch. Delicious!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: OK. That's kind of sick funny.

COXE: I'd just like to point out that Kevin Kline won as Oscar for that, for emptying an entire aquarium. So.

COOPER: Well, we're not going to play a full one of the second one. The second one, though, is the scene from "The Blues Brothers." Why did you pick this? And we'll show it. But why did you pick this scene?

COXE: This was actually a big debate over which should be number one, and "Blues Brothers" this was close. This scene is just -- this whole movie is hysterical, but this scene in particular where they convince Mr. Fabulous to rejoin the band, it's just the greatest example I've ever seen of blackmailing a friend to do something you want.

COOPER: A lot of the movies you picked are not really recent movies, they're sort of from the '80s, really.

COXE: Right. We were worried at first that we may be doing a disservice to our readers by not having that many recent movies, but then we looked back, and there aren't that many hysterically funny recent movies, and we did an online poll, and our readers seem to prefer the classics, like "Caddyshack," "Animal House," that sort of thing.

COOPER: All right. Let's take a look. This is what you say is the number one funniest scene of all time, space and dimension.

COXE: All time. All time. COOPER: We want to warn our viewers, it might get a little gross, if I remember it correctly. Let's take a look.

All right, that was the scene from "The Meaning of Life," according to guys at "Maxim," the number one funniest scene ever.

COXE: This is very scientific investigative journalism. We went to great lengths to determine these.

COOPER: All right, it's in the new edition of "Maxim." Thanks very much for being with us.

COXE: Thanks for having me.

COOPER: All right. Next up on "360," the story that made America cry and then weep for joy. Now it's one TV movie that you must not miss.

Plus Sunday, if you missed the forum that generated headlines, you can see it for yourself Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Eastern, "America Rocks the Vote." Eight presidential candidates faced off with me trapped right in the middle. That is Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

And today's buzz, did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over teenage sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo? Vote now, cnn.com/360. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: As we asked you, did John Allen Muhammad have mind control over the teenage sniper suspect as his attorneys may allege? The case rests on what a jury thinks, but here is how you voted. Fifty-five percent said yes, 45 percent voted no. Not a scientific poll, of course, just your buzz.

Tonight, taking TV movies to "The Nth Degree." As you may know, this is sweeps, when networks air their finest programming so they can use the ratings to set their ad rates. It's great for viewers, because the networks are motivated to put unique, distinctive material on the air. In fact, there are so many special shows on, sometimes it's hard to choose what to watch.

This Sunday at 9:00, though, the choice is clear. I refer, of course, to the docudrama-TV movie about a corn-fed, blonde teenage girl's abduction and the duly dramatic rescue that lifted America's hearts. That's right, it's the singular story of Jessica Lynch/Elizabeth Smart. Even though it's authorized/unauthorized, this movie has it all. A plucky heroine the audience can root for, as portrayed in unparallel fashion by Laura Regan/Amber Marshall. Exotic locales, such as Nasariyah/Salt Lake City. Villainous bad guys serving a perverted ideology. And of course, your obligatory bureaucratic officials. And the classic American maverick hero, Mohammed Al-Rehaief/John Walsh. Granted, some critics say the movie trots out the standard, sentimentalized cliches, and some even say that it manipulates the truth and doesn't answer all the questions about what really happened. But you can decide for yourself. And remember, even if you want to watch something else that's on at the same time, there's always your TiVo/VCR.

That wraps up our show tonight. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Consulates Temporarily Closing in Saudi Arabia>