Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
Women Still Earnling Less Than Men; NATO To Help Train Iraqi Security Force After Handover; Will Michael Moore's New Movie Effect Presidential Election?
Aired June 27, 2004 - 16:00 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Coming up on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, the handover in Iraq edges closer and violence escalates. We'll go live to Baghdad.
Plus, a former president's new book and Michael Moore's new movie have people talking. Is there any room left in the spotlight for the presidential candidates?
And an American in Paris showing harmony can be possible in U.S./Franco relations. All of that straight ahead.
But first a look at the headlines.
President Bush is in Istanbul to attend a crucial NATO summit that starts tomorrow. Mr. Bush hopes to convince the international body to train Iraqi forces after the handover on Wednesday.
Iraq's interim prime minister says he expects his new government to take legal custody of Saddam Hussein later this month, but U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. may retain physical custody the deposed dictator.
Emergency responders count about 30 Israeli casualties from an explosion in a settlement block in Gaza. The blast reportedly came from a tunnel dug beneath an Israeli military outpost. Israel is not confirming a Palestinian report that 2 Palestinian suicide attackers and 5 Israeli soldiers are dead.
Let's begin in Iraq where the handover to sovereignty is just 3 days away, but there's no letup in the tensions or violence there. Islamic militants are threatening to behead the latest hostage, a Pakistani man, if the U.S. does not release all Iraqi prisoners within 3 days. Let's go to our Baghdad Bureau Chief, Jane Arraf for more -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Fredricka, the latest known hostage is Amjed Yusef, Pakistani truck driver. In the video, first aired by an Arabic language TV station, his captors say that if the coalition does not release Iraqi prisoners, they will behead him 3 days from now.
In the tape, Yusef speaks in Urdu on it, please save me, he says. He says he came from Kuwait to work for a contractor for the U.S. military, and if he lives, he will leave and never come back here again. He appeals to the Pakistani president to stop Pakistanis from coming here.
The group holding him captive, which calls itself the Iraqi Islamic Resistance, is a different organization than the one connected to Abu Musab al-Zawahiri which has claimed responsibility for holding and beheading other hostages. Most recently it has taken 3 Turkish prisoners, threatening to behead them if their demands are not met.
In Baghdad, Fredricka, a rocket on a base here has killed a U.S. soldier. Small arms fire on a transport plane has also resulted in the death of an American national. That C-130 had taken off from the Baghdad Airport when it was hit by small arms fire. It returned safely, but the man onboard died of his wounds.
In Mosul, police say that they have made a breakthrough, though, in connection with the wave of bombings that killed about 60 people on Thursday. Coalition officials says Iraqi police have arrested five people, including some members of Ansar al Islam, a group linked to Abu Musab al-Zawahiri and ceased 2 vehicles they say were rigged to carry explosives as possible car bombs -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Jane, there were a series of explosions taking place in Baghdad earlier today. Do we have a better understanding of the source of those explosions?
ARRAF: I wish we did, Fredricka. The only thing I can tell you about some of them is they landed quite close to this hotel complex where we and a and a lot of journalists and western people are based. Military sources say what we heard here is huge booms, which shook part of the hotel, were two rockets that landed about 500 meters from here. No indication of casualties.
It's quite hard to get out and see what's going on, quite hard to get out in the evening. And a bit unwise to go out in the evening. We're still trying to confirm when there were Iraqi casualties when those rockets landed, apparently near the river -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Jane Arraf in Baghdad. Thanks very much.
Well, the handover of power in Iraq was the driving force behind the Sunday talk shows here in the states. Kathleen Koch has a wrap- up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More attacks on Baghdad's green zone and U.S. forces in Iraq. U.S. officials now no longer describing the violence as the random acts of killers and thugs, but instead as an orchestrated campaign.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: There certainly is a level of coordination in my judgment, and hopefully we can penetrate whatever system is operating there, whatever command and control system is at work.
KOCH: Iraq's incoming prime minister reveals the new government's initial strategy will be to offer amnesty to resistance fighters without blood on their hands.
AYAD ALLAWI, INCOMING IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: Provided they come forward and give information about the hard-core people or the people whom they have assisted. This is a possibility that my government is looking at.
KOCH: But Iraq's new defense minister vowed no mercy for the remaining insurgents, telling "Newsweek" magazine, quote, "we have different laws than you do, we will cut off their hands and behead them." A troubling development, say some U.S. lawmakers.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD, (D) CONNECTICUT: Certainly this isn't exactly what we were hoping we were going to set up here. When we talked about going in and creating a new Iraq.
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL, (R) NEBRASKA: It is difficult, it is tough, but this is their world, and if they're going to make something of their world, then they're going to have to not only win it, but then frame it in their way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Also of concern that among other things, to crack down on the insurgency, the new government plans to bring back what it calls, decent members of Saddam Hussein's army and police force. Though clearly sorting the good from the bad will not be easy -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Kathleen, there was a high level U.S. delegation that was hoping to witness the handover come Wednesday. What's happened to that trip? It's been canceled. Why?
KOCH: Well, what we've learned, CNN from a variety of sources, among them an aide for Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, is that this trip throughout the Middle East had been planned, but now the Iraqi leg of the trip has been canceled for security reasons, prompting some of the Senators planning to go to say that they will no longer attend, since that was their main focus, to witness the turnover.
But I spoke a little while ago to a coalition spokesperson in Iraq who said they have had over the lst two weeks, three separate high-level congressional delegations led by people like Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist, and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and they've been able to provide them security. This coalition spokesperson, though, would not confirm the cancellation of the other trip.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen Koch from Washington, thanks very much.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
WHITFIELD: Well, this breaking story we're following for you out the Middle East. Palestinian sources say at least 5 Israeli soldiers were killed after two suicide attackers targeted an Israeli army post in Gaza. Israeli defense forces have not confirmed the number, at least 30 Israelis are wounded in that massive explosion. John Vause is following the story from Jerusalem and joins us with more details -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, all we can tell you is what we're learning now from Israeli medical sources and emergency crews that are initially saying at least 30 Israeli soldiers were wounded in this massive blast under an Israeli military outpost in the Gaza Strip. They've scaled that back to between 5 and 10 Israeli soldiers wounded. But there's a great deal of chaos there right now. No one knows for sure exactly what is going on.
But what we have learned, what we know, it appears that this explosion was -- came from a tunnel which had been dug underneath this military outpost near the Jewish settlement block of Gushkatef (ph). A short time ago the militant groups Hamas as well as the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for this attack.
Right now, we're waiting for some kind of Israeli response in Gaza. Usually that comes within the next few hours, quite often in the form of an air strike or something like that.
But right now, what we know is that the Israeli emergency responses are saying that it appears that 5 to 10 Israeli soldiers were wounded. No word if any have been killed in this massive blast, which it appears has destroyed a large part of the military base in the Gaza Strip -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And John, you said Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is claiming responsibility. Is there any explanation, or anything coming from that group saying this is in any way related to the upcoming handover in Iraq?
VAUSE: Nothing along those lines, Fredricka. But it was also -- Hamas is also claiming responsibility, it's a joint claim of responsibility. We've seen this thing before. I would be very surprised if it has anything to do with Iraq.
If there is a reason behind this it is more with the assassination of the two leaders of Hamas earlier this year. The militant groups in Gaza have been vowing revenge for some time. They've been frustrated in their attempts. Israeli intelligence have told CNN, over the last few weeks, they've stopped dozens and dozens of terrorist attacks -- attempted terrorist attacks inside Israel.
Gaza, of course, is a different situation. There;s 7,500 Jewish settlers living in Gaza surrounded by 1.3 million Palestinians. They're very vulnerable, that's what the Israeli government says. So this attack is likely to be in retaliation for the assassination of the 2 Hamas leaders earlier this year, Fredricka.
WHITIFELD: All right. John Vause from Jerusalem, thanks very much for that report.
Well, President Bush is in Turkey in advance of tomorrow's NATO summit meeting. The president wants NATO to help train Iraqi troops after the handover of power this coming Wednesday in Iraq. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with Mr. Bush, and she joins us live from the Turkish city of Istanbul -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Really, this is a critical time for the Bush administration. This is on the eve of that 2 day NATO summit in Istanbul. The president receiving some support from key allies on the Iraq mission. The big question here, of course is whether or not violence on the ground in Iraq and also the protests here will undermine those efforts.
But earlier today, it really was a picture of unity. President Bush, as well as the NATO alliance, together there. We are told from senior administration officials that those NATO members are preparing to offer a statement, an agreement perhaps as early as tomorrow to help train Iraqi troops.
Now, this is a far cry from the peacekeeping force that the Bush administration had initially envisioned in Iraq, but it is a symbolic victory nevertheless. While Mr. Bush did not specifically mention this NATO deal earlier today, he did thank the secretary-general of NATO, and gently suggested, however, that an expanded role for the alliance is necessary in fighting terror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to work together to help make sure NATO is configured militarily to meet the threats of the 21st Century.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, senior administration official says, of course, this is in response to the interim Iraqi prime minister's letter requesting the technical assistance of the organization, the alliance, as well as helping to train those Iraqi forces.
We have been told that this agreement really would be a mix, it would allow countries like Germany and France, for instance, who have rejected sending their own troops to Iraq to actually allow them to help train within their own countries.
There is also going to be a second statement within that agreement, that really leaves the door open for other possible ways that NATO can help and expand its role inside of Iraq, including possible peacekeeping operations in the future -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Suzanne Malveaux in Istanbul. Thanks very much for that report.
Well, the U.S. secretary of defense shares his thoughts on the Iraqi handover and what it means for U.S. troops. That's straight ahead.
Plus, President Bush and his efforts to win European support. Could that help him gain popularity here at home?
And later on, one American who could teach the president a lesson or two about diplomacy. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Will President Bush's gamble on Iraq help lead him to reelection or retirement? That's the first topic for today's political roundtable. And in our Washington bureau are Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for Washingtonpost.com. And Liz Marlantes, staff writer with the Christian Science Monitor. Good to see both of you.
TERRY NEAL, WASHINGTONPOST.COM: Thanks for having us.
LIZ MARLANTES, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right, well Liz, let me begin with you. Iraq is requesting NATO's help, as is President Bush. How do you see this plan helping or possibly hurting President Bush in terms of his world perception?
MARLANTES: Well, obviously it's been very, very difficult thing. The administration, I think, is going to be gratified by the help that they get from NATO, but it's not, to be honest, as much help as they were originally hoping for.
I think in terms of Bush's overall -- the perception in the rest of the world of Bush, it's still obviously very rocky. We saw recently that interview he had with an Irish reporter, talking about how the rest of the world has had a lot of trouble...
WHITFIELD: A rather combative interview.
MARLANTES: Yes, a very combative interview. And I think it, once again, it has reminded people that this has been a very controversial president on the world stage. I do think NATO's involvement may start to soften some of those perceptions a little bit. It's going to get the ball rolling in the right direction. But again, it's not the kind of -- the full involvement that they were really hoping for. I think they're sort of making the best of it, and seeing it as a promising start.
WHITFIELD: Well Terry, do you see the NATO involvement as possibly softening those perceptions? I mean, certainly President Bush has been met, whether it be in Ireland or in Turkey by very vocal, emotional protests.
NEAL: Well, it's an important symbolic victory for the president. It falls, however, falls short of what they really wanted, which was some sort of commitment of troops, but what they got was sort of a commitment of helping to train the Iraqi troops. John Kerry...
WHITFIELD: Is that enough? NEAL: It's not going to be enough for John Kerry. John Kerry saying the president should work much harder to get more significant involvement among NATO. But the president was not going to expend the political capital to do something that was probably not going to happen. I mean, the underlying principle of NATO is that an attack on one is an attack on all. And the president doesn't -- no one argues there was an attack on the United States. It was a preemptive war on the United States' part.
So they understand it was going to be almost impossible to get a serious commitment of troops from the NATO countries. Although many of them are already involved in some level or another with the effort, with the allied effort.
WHITFIELD: Well, aside from Kerry then, how do you believe Americans might accept this rather softer approach from NATO's commitment? Not necessarily giving troops, but instead training.
NEAL: Well, you know, look, anything that can help the president sort of rebut this image that he's this go it alone, unilateralist cowboy, anything like that will certainly help them. There are a lot of people who are concerned about the image of the United States abroad.
This will be, I believe, a key issue. Usually foreign policy issues like this are not a key issue, but in this particular case this is a key issue. The president has been moving more towards an internationalist approach. Which will make it more difficult for John Kerry to draw distinctions between him and the president during the campaign.
WHITFIELD: Well, world perception is certainly important, but President Bush made it clear himself, he really wants to know what Americans are thinking come November 2. And let's look at a recent CNN Poll that shows that the more recent numbers indicate that more than 50 percent of Americans polled now say that the U.S. made a mistake sending troops into Iraq. What would have to change to perhaps change this attitude, Liz, come November?
MARLANTES: Well, obviously I think, you know, the White House says that those numbers are a direct result of the violence, which I think makes sense. I think a lot of Americans are pretty much basing their assessments of the situation in Iraq on the reports they hear every day on the nightly news, of more violence, more instability.
If things get better, I think those poll numbers might shift a little bit. They might start to improve, if the situation on the ground in Iraq gets better and, you know, Americans can start to come home, reduce the troop presence over there, I think that might improve public opinion a little bit.
However, obviously this has been sort of going in one direction. It's been getting worse, not better, in terms of how most Americans see the situation over there. And there probably will come a point where people will feel like they've sort of made up their minds. It will be before the election, where people will start to feel like, this was not the right thing to do, or, well, okay, it was hard, but we feel good about it now.
WHITFIELD: Well you know, it's interesting, this CNN -- most recent CNN poll, there are real contradictions here, Terry. Maybe you can help make sense of it as well. Bush's argument for going to war has certainly been discredited based on several arguments in recents months, over the past 15 months in fact: no finding of WMD, admissions of bad intelligence, the failure of the Chalabi relationship with the U.S. So how do you make sense of this poll saying that 56 percent of Americans believe war with Iraq made the U.S. safer from terrorism?
NEAL: Well, look, the president has made a case, and I think a lot of people believe that Saddam Hussein was a threat. If he didn't have these weapons, he was seeking to get these weapons. There has been bipartisan agreement on that. John Kerry said the same thing, Hillary Clinton said the same thing before the election.
I think it's been driven home to people that Saddam Hussein, you know, was a bad guy. If he hadn't done anything yet, he was planning on doing it. And his removal, they believe, has made America safer.
Now, there are a lot of people who disagree with that, too. That will be a key issue and a key debate in this election this year.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, stick around for a second. Terry and Liz, we're going to take a short break. When we come back, we're talk about the Michael Moore "Fahrenheit 9/11" factor as our "Political Roundup" continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're used to seeing political campaigns battled out on television, but now a film openly aimed at souring voters on President Bush is playing in movie theaters. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" is drawing big crowds at its first weekend. The film challenges the Bush administration's motives for the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq and the war on terror overall. And its execution of them. Moore's cold wit targets the White House's supporters on Capitol Hill as well. Here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: Congressman, I'm Michael Moore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Michael, how are you doing? I'm good.
MOORE: Nice to meet you. Very nice to meet you. Do you have kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MOORE: Any way we can get them to enlist and go over there and help out with the effort, Congressman? Michael Moore. How are you doing? Trying to get members of Congress to get their kids to enlist in the army. And go over to Iraq. Congressman? Congressman? Congressman Castle? Congressman? Congressman Doolittle, Michael Moore. I'm wondering if... (voice-over): Of course, not a single member of Congress wanted to sacrifice their child for the war in Iraq. And who could blame them. Who would want to give up their child. Would you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, let's bring back our political roundtable guests, Liz Marlantes, staff writer with the Christian Science Monitor, and Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for Washingtonpost.com.
All right. Glad you guys could stick around. "Fahrenheit 9/11" did very well this weekend. No. 1 movie at the box office, more than $20 million. There's an awful lot being written about whether even if you don't go see the movie, these ads of the movie that we're seeing on television are really tantamount to being political ads. Terry, do you agree with that?
NEAL: Well, I'd rather not express my personal opinion on it. But I think the group that made the complaint, which is a conservative group, called Citizens United, has latched on to an interesting -- what is going to be a very sort of interesting legal interpretation of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law that passed.
It's interesting, however, that they made this or gumt, because essentially they're saying that these ads are political ads and thus would need to stop running a month before the Republican Convention, which starts on August 30. Which is a month from now. In a month from now, the issue will be essentially moot. So it seems to me more a sort of a symbolic stand than a literal stand to accomplish anything. And FEC probably won't even get to it until after the convention, they move very slowly.
WHITFIELD: Do you see, Liz, this movie really making an impact in this race at all? Wouldn't it appeal mostly to anti-Bush folks anyway? And perhaps, you know, those who don't like him are going to see the movie. And they still leave the movie not liking President Bush. It doesn't really change much, would it?
MARLANTES: I think for the most part, the people who are lining up around the block to go see that movie, yes, I think those are probably people who already have decided that they're not fans of President Bush. And that's the reason that they're excited to go see this movie.
However, I don't know, I think you might also get, at least on the margins, some people out there who are undecided, don't have strong opinions right now, or aren't really sure what to make of President Bush, or Iraq. And I think if those people see this movie, they might come out with a less positive impression. I think it could work to sour some people's opinions.
Now, it is still a long ways away until November. And so I think it won't have the impact that it might, if, say, the election were held next month. But I do think art can be very powerful. In many ways it can be more powerful than a political speech. I think, the average undecided voter who sees this movie versus hears a speech by John Kerry actually might be more moved by this movie.
Moore does some very clever things in the movie. He uses other people to make his arguments for him occasionally. There's a very powerful story line with a mother who lost her son in Iraq. And some very, very emotional and moving scenes with her. And I do think that those scenes could have an impact on certain viewers.
WHITFIELD: Election day about five months away. Here's another poll number for you, Bush and Kerry, at least during this poll, looking like they're in a dead heat. Only one percentage point, that would make the difference. Ralph Nader was apparently going to be a factor, but now the Green Party is not using him as their nominee. Do you think Ralph Nader is even an issue? Or even independent voters overall or Green Party voters? The alternative voters, so to speak? Terry?
NEAL: Well, you know, there's a current sort of conventional wisdom line of thinking among Democrats. They're not going to say this openly. They don't want to fire up Nader supporters. But they think he's going to be less a factor than people were probably once thinking. Mainly for a real technical reason, which is that by not being on a party ballot, it's going to make it more difficult for him to get ballot access. Which means that he may not be on the ballot in crucial states. And he's already missed some deadlines in states where he could really be a factor, places like Oregon. So he may be less of a factor than people once thought.
WHITFIELD: All right. Terry Neal, Liz Marlantes, thanks very much lady and gentleman for joining us from Washington. Appreciate it.
NEAL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Politics as entertainment. It is not just for the big screen, politics also provide endless material for TV's late night funnymen. And here's a sample.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "TONIGHT SHOW:" John Kerry has called for an increase in the minimum wage. He said people out there are struggling. And you can't always fix the problem by marrying a rich woman.
JON STEWART, TALK SHOW HOST: I love handing over sovereignty. I prefer to hand it over knowing whom I'm giving it to. But I like the way this administration is doing it. They're just saying, we're just handing it over. Maybe it will be a raffle. Maybe it will be the eighth caller.
BEN STILLER, ACTOR: In lieu of debates this year, what if the two candidates took a whistle stop tour of the country, playing one- on-one sudden death dodge ball with each other. It would be more exciting to watch. And they would both have their different styles. Bush would probably come on with a lot of firepower, not really backed up by accuracy. And of course, Kerry would be very hard to hit because he's always changing positions. LENO: Yes, yes, right.
STILLER: It makes for a good game.
LENO: That would be a good one.
STEWART: And Nader would probably be the last guy picked.
LENO: Well that is the way it is now.
DAVID LETTERMAN, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN:" Ralph Nader announced his presidential running mate for the election. In a related story, a tree fell in a forest, and no one was there to hear it.
LENO: You know why I told that joke? Because I could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Here are the latest headlines at this hour. The latest on the kidnapping of international workers in Iraq. Straight ahead.
President Bush arrived tonight with other leaders at a formal dinner as the NATO Summit meeting began in Turkey. The president got some good news. Member states issued a draft declaration promising training for Iraqi security forces after the handover of power on Wednesday.
Small arms fire hit a U.S. military transport plane today as it took off from Baghdad's International Airport. One passenger on the flight was killed by the gunfire. The victim's identity has not been released.
Two car bombs exploded near a mosque in the southern Iraqi city of Hillah Saturday night, 23 people were killed. Hillah is mainly a Shiite Muslim town and is near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.
Turkish hostages taken in Iraq on the eve of a NATO summit hosted in their homeland. We'll have reaction from Turkey on how the government plans to deal with that crisis.
Plus why a dollar is only worth 77 cents if you are a woman. More on the gender salary gap.
And later on a phone in your finger or sewn into you're clothing. No it is not a movie, just the latest trick. Cell phone makers have up their sleeve. We will have details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Another kidnapping seems to be aimed at strong-arming the U.S. into changing its tactics in Iraq. A videotape provided to CNN shows a Pakistani sub contractor who is apparently is being held hostage by Iraqi insurgents in a taped statement. One of the kidnappers threatens to behead the man in three days unless the U.S. agrees to release all of its prisoners that are being held.
Turkey is standing firm, refusing to bow to pressure from terrorists threatening to behead three of its citizens. Our Alphonso Van Marsh has reaction from Ankara.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Turkish nationals held captive and under threat in Iraq. Militants claiming links to Musab al Zarqawi saying they'll behead the Turkish men if Turkey does not pull its companies out of Iraq. The Turkish security experts say the militants' threat to kill within 72 hours and while world leaders are gathered in Turkey is a clever strategy.
AIJ NIHAT OZCAN, TURKISH DEFENSE ANALYST, (through translator): While all the world is focused on the NATO Summit, the timing of the ultimatum is brilliant and shows how well they planned the program.
VAN MARSH: U.S. President George W. Bush is in Istanbul pushing NATO leaders for help in rebuilding Iraq. The Turkish foreign ministry says since May it's helped bring at least ten Turkish nationals kidnapped in Iraq back home safe. But Turkey's defense minister says this time it's different.
VECOI GONUL, TURKISH DEFESE MINISTER: Turkey's fighting with terrorist activity. More than 20 years. They demand several times, and several things. We never consider that we have to work with them.
VAN MARSH: Despite terrorists targeting contractors, businessmen and drivers in Iraq, the head of Turkey's business union says his people won't give up.
RIFAT HISARCIKIOGLU, TURKISH UNIONS PRESIDENT, (TRANSLATOR): If these kidnappers really want U.S. troops out of Iraq, the Iraqi people should increase, and Turkish businessmen are working for this.
VAN MARSH: That's one reason why Turkish leaders want more details on U.S. plans for Iraq. Many of the consumer goods sold in Iraq are made in Turkey. An estimated $1 billion a year market, most of it delivered by road. At a park in Ankara, some fear the beheading deadline will come and go without much Turkish government interest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, (through translator): To be frank, I don't think they'll emphasize the kidnappings too much.
VAN MARSH (on camera): Whether they are Americans, Turks or Koreans, they are human beings. They must be respected. With the world's attention on NATO some Turks here hope that Turkish authorities are not distracted by the global summit and will do their best to bring the Turkish captives home alive.
Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN, Ankara.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The White House says the United States is doing everything possible to ensure the hostages' safe release. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says accused terror mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zargawi (ph) and his followers will not succeed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Iraqi people just want to be left in peace so that later this week. They can see the full transfer of sovereignty and be responsible for their own destiny. Mr. Al-Zawahiri (ph) and other evil terrorists such as him are trying to keep that from happening. And they're taking innocent Turkish civilians in this case as a way to make their case. And they will not succeed. We cannot yield to this kind of terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The same militant group believed responsible for holding the Turkish hostages is also blamed for the beheading of American Nicholas Berg and South Korean Kim Sun-Il. You can learn more on the situation in Turkey by logging onto our Web site, CNN.com/world for more.
News across America now begins with unprecedented changes to the annual gay rights parade in San Francisco today. Drag queens and kings are nothing new. But this year, the marchers include same-sex newlyweds. Many were married in historic same-sex ceremonies earlier this year. Similar marches are taking place at cities around the country.
Two people were killed and three others wounded after a helicopter crashed in central Oklahoma. All of the wounded are in critical condition. The pilot was reportedly giving rides to birthday party guests last night when the chopper went down. NTSB officials are investigating the crash.
Accepting the guilt, but not the blame. Ken Lay tells "The New York Times" the fall of Enron is his responsibility. But the former CEO says he committed no crimes. Lay blames Andrew Fastow, Enron's accounting officer, for the collapse on the company.
Women paid the same as men for equal work? Still not a universal reality. 40 years after federal legislation, the gender gap is very real for women in the workplace. CNN's Kathleen Hays explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN HAYS, ECONOMIC CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Equal pay for equal work, Congress passed the law more than 40 years ago. But the problem of unequal pay persists. According to the Census Bureau women earn on average just 77 cents per every $1 earned by men.
DEBRA SMITH, EQUAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES: It's really awful the statistics are awful that women are still so far behind men.
HAYS: Just released, figures based on salaries in 1999. Female doctors earned $88,000, while men made $140,000. Female lawyers did somewhat better, earning $66,000, versus men's $90,000. Men and women wash dishes the same way, but even here paychecks differ, women dishwashers earned an average of $12,000, men earned $14,000. So why is this still a problem?
SMITH: It's a societal problem. Women are in the work force to stay, and we need to correct that situation.
HAYS: Experts say proving gender discrimination in the courts is tough, because men and women doing the same jobs often have different work histories, different experience and different levels of education. And it's tough to take on the company alone. Many women just live with it. But some have banded together to take legal action, like at Boeing, Calpine, and the freight related company C.H. Robinson.
MARY STILL, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: I think you're going to start seeing some change from some of these discrimination suits, where people are suing, and there are some pretty large settlements. And I think that's going to be a big motivator for organizations to start really training sort of supervisors and managers, not to say the things like, well, he has a family to support and that's why he's earning more pay. Not only to say that, but not to factor that into the equation when they're considering whom to promote.
HAYS: Lawyers say the sex discrimination case against Wal-Mart is a clarion called to companies big and small to take a look at how they hire, pay and promote women. The sex discrimination suit against Wal-Mart shows that women are no longer willing to settle for a smaller piece of the pie.
Kathleen Hays, CNN, New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
WHITFIELD: This breaking story we're following for you. The Arab network Al Jazeera is reporting that a U.S. marine has been taken hostage in Iraq. CNN is working hard to try to confirm these details. And when we get them, we'll bring them to you as soon as possible.
We're going to take a short break right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Here's what's happening around the world this weekend. Palestinian militants are threatening vengeance for Israel's killing of seven armed men in the West Bank City of Nablus yesterday. Some 20,000 angry people marched through the city in today's funeral. One of the seven was a founder of the violent Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
Hundreds of thousands marched in Mexico City today to protest to failure of law enforcement to combat kidnapping and violent crime. The demonstration was the largest in recent Mexican history.
An independent monitor's group says a pro-westerner performer beat a hard line nationalist in the presidential runoff election in Serbia. Morris to Dicks win suggests Serbs want closer ties with the European Union, and NATO, instead of a return to the nationalist isolation that Mark dictators Slobodan Milosevic's regime.
You can use them to snap pictures, text message or even surf the net. Now cell phone makes are testing the next wave of technology, one that would make cell phones an extension of your mind and body. CNN's Atika Shubert reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN REPORTER: Tokyo is mobile phone central: phones that snap pictures, surf the web are almost everywhere. Now Japan's top phone producers want the gadgets to be an extension of your mind and body.
Phones of the future will not only be smaller, they'll actually use your body as an extension of the phone. I'm wearing the Finger Whisper. That's a wearable phone in development and it sends vibrations up your finger to make and receive calls. So when the phone rings, click your fingers to answer the phone and stick your finger in your ear and you'll actually be able to hear the person on the other end of the line.
Inventer Isaki Fukumoto shows us how it works. The key is a microphone and receiver placed on the tendon in your wrist. The vibrations travel up your finger and echo in your ear canal so it's the only sound you here.
ISAKI FUKUMOTO, INVENTOR: Hello.
SCHUBERT: Hi.
FUKUMOTO: How do you do?
SCHUBERT: I'm doing very well thank you.
FUKUMOTO: I think my voice needs to be sounding into your head. How do you hear?
SCHUBERT: It is. It is resounding into my head but it feels good.
FUKUMOTO: Thank you. This is bone conduction.
SCHUBERT: I feel like I've stepped into the future for a few minutes.
Japan's leading phone producer, NTT DoCoMo, envisions a world where video phones are sewn into your clothing, or used for an impromptu medical examination on the road.
Godo Irukayama shows us what will hit the markets next: a phone to keep an eye on your home while you're away. Closing curtains, turning on lights at the touch of a button: all monitored by video on your phone. It also tells you when an intruder has broken into your home so you can send him a message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who are you? GODO IRUKAYAMA, INVENTOR (through translator): The phone can be a computer (ph) or a part and it will even control the functions in your home. In a few years, all you will need when you leave the house is your phone and the honk at you.
SCHUBERT: Irukayama insists the new phones won't just benefit humans. In consumer tests, feeding your pet through the phone was one of the most popular uses. But if you want a machine that just makes calls, well you're barking up the wrong tree. Atika Schubert, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: What's next, so hard to keep up.
Well charming the French: as he leaves one of their most dear institutions, a look at special American in Paris. Up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Injecting too much personality into your work can be a risky thing, especially if you're an American in Paris. But a charismatic New Yorker is serving up an earful to the French opera world. Our Jim Bitterman introduces us to the man who makes his living in the pit. And to him, there is no higher honor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It is a musical icon, a cultural crown jewel in a country not short on artistry. But at the National Opera of Paris, the man in charge of the music for the past nine years has been a New Yorker, James Conlon, and an American who seduced the Europeans on their own turf.
JAMES CONLON, NATIONAL OPERA OF PARIS: They rightfully feel that they created a lot of this music and created the institutions. After all, this orchestra is actually the orchestra that was formed in the court of Louis the 14th. Someone once said to me, in America, they prefer foreigners. And in foreign countries they prefer foreigners. He said, and you will have to work twice as hard to get half as far as an American in your profession.
BITTERMAN: Conlon and Hugh Gall the opera director inherited a shambles when they took over the opera two performing halls in 1995. The newest a half billion-dollar house was falling apart physically and musically. With strikes, conflicts and usually more drama off- stage than on.
But the duo managed to turn things around at both new and old opera houses. Attendance soared to near sell-out audiences most nights, 900,000 people a year come to see opera here, making it among the best attended in the world.
CONLON: I don't like pre attention. I don't like snobbery. I think these are all elements that have traditionally gotten in the way. Classical artists have a job to do also in communicating the passion and the enthusiasm we feel for classical music.
BITTERMAN: Conlon, who will soon move back to New York, found passion served him well at directing outside the U.S. Especially before his toughest critics, the members of his orchestra.
CONLON: I was surprised to discover in many cases in Europe that you roll up your sleeves in a way you never have to in America. Why? Because they have to decide whether you're worth doing the job for.
BITTERMAN: A worth even the French president recognized when he presented Conlon with France's highest civilian award for his work at the opera.
ALAIN DUAULT, MUSIC CRITIC, (TRANSLATOR): The opera's success of the last nine years would have been impossible without James Conlon. He is not someone who puts himself forward easily, but his discreet and tenacious work has borne fruit and in the end he has managed to convert the skeptics.
BITTERMAN: And so, at a time when some of the world might be wary of following U.S. leadership, in the opera world in Paris, the departure of the American in charge is already bringing calls for encores. Jim Bitterman, CNN, France.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That's it for us. Headlines straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 27, 2004 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Coming up on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, the handover in Iraq edges closer and violence escalates. We'll go live to Baghdad.
Plus, a former president's new book and Michael Moore's new movie have people talking. Is there any room left in the spotlight for the presidential candidates?
And an American in Paris showing harmony can be possible in U.S./Franco relations. All of that straight ahead.
But first a look at the headlines.
President Bush is in Istanbul to attend a crucial NATO summit that starts tomorrow. Mr. Bush hopes to convince the international body to train Iraqi forces after the handover on Wednesday.
Iraq's interim prime minister says he expects his new government to take legal custody of Saddam Hussein later this month, but U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. may retain physical custody the deposed dictator.
Emergency responders count about 30 Israeli casualties from an explosion in a settlement block in Gaza. The blast reportedly came from a tunnel dug beneath an Israeli military outpost. Israel is not confirming a Palestinian report that 2 Palestinian suicide attackers and 5 Israeli soldiers are dead.
Let's begin in Iraq where the handover to sovereignty is just 3 days away, but there's no letup in the tensions or violence there. Islamic militants are threatening to behead the latest hostage, a Pakistani man, if the U.S. does not release all Iraqi prisoners within 3 days. Let's go to our Baghdad Bureau Chief, Jane Arraf for more -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Fredricka, the latest known hostage is Amjed Yusef, Pakistani truck driver. In the video, first aired by an Arabic language TV station, his captors say that if the coalition does not release Iraqi prisoners, they will behead him 3 days from now.
In the tape, Yusef speaks in Urdu on it, please save me, he says. He says he came from Kuwait to work for a contractor for the U.S. military, and if he lives, he will leave and never come back here again. He appeals to the Pakistani president to stop Pakistanis from coming here.
The group holding him captive, which calls itself the Iraqi Islamic Resistance, is a different organization than the one connected to Abu Musab al-Zawahiri which has claimed responsibility for holding and beheading other hostages. Most recently it has taken 3 Turkish prisoners, threatening to behead them if their demands are not met.
In Baghdad, Fredricka, a rocket on a base here has killed a U.S. soldier. Small arms fire on a transport plane has also resulted in the death of an American national. That C-130 had taken off from the Baghdad Airport when it was hit by small arms fire. It returned safely, but the man onboard died of his wounds.
In Mosul, police say that they have made a breakthrough, though, in connection with the wave of bombings that killed about 60 people on Thursday. Coalition officials says Iraqi police have arrested five people, including some members of Ansar al Islam, a group linked to Abu Musab al-Zawahiri and ceased 2 vehicles they say were rigged to carry explosives as possible car bombs -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Jane, there were a series of explosions taking place in Baghdad earlier today. Do we have a better understanding of the source of those explosions?
ARRAF: I wish we did, Fredricka. The only thing I can tell you about some of them is they landed quite close to this hotel complex where we and a and a lot of journalists and western people are based. Military sources say what we heard here is huge booms, which shook part of the hotel, were two rockets that landed about 500 meters from here. No indication of casualties.
It's quite hard to get out and see what's going on, quite hard to get out in the evening. And a bit unwise to go out in the evening. We're still trying to confirm when there were Iraqi casualties when those rockets landed, apparently near the river -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Jane Arraf in Baghdad. Thanks very much.
Well, the handover of power in Iraq was the driving force behind the Sunday talk shows here in the states. Kathleen Koch has a wrap- up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More attacks on Baghdad's green zone and U.S. forces in Iraq. U.S. officials now no longer describing the violence as the random acts of killers and thugs, but instead as an orchestrated campaign.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: There certainly is a level of coordination in my judgment, and hopefully we can penetrate whatever system is operating there, whatever command and control system is at work.
KOCH: Iraq's incoming prime minister reveals the new government's initial strategy will be to offer amnesty to resistance fighters without blood on their hands.
AYAD ALLAWI, INCOMING IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: Provided they come forward and give information about the hard-core people or the people whom they have assisted. This is a possibility that my government is looking at.
KOCH: But Iraq's new defense minister vowed no mercy for the remaining insurgents, telling "Newsweek" magazine, quote, "we have different laws than you do, we will cut off their hands and behead them." A troubling development, say some U.S. lawmakers.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD, (D) CONNECTICUT: Certainly this isn't exactly what we were hoping we were going to set up here. When we talked about going in and creating a new Iraq.
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL, (R) NEBRASKA: It is difficult, it is tough, but this is their world, and if they're going to make something of their world, then they're going to have to not only win it, but then frame it in their way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Also of concern that among other things, to crack down on the insurgency, the new government plans to bring back what it calls, decent members of Saddam Hussein's army and police force. Though clearly sorting the good from the bad will not be easy -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Kathleen, there was a high level U.S. delegation that was hoping to witness the handover come Wednesday. What's happened to that trip? It's been canceled. Why?
KOCH: Well, what we've learned, CNN from a variety of sources, among them an aide for Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, is that this trip throughout the Middle East had been planned, but now the Iraqi leg of the trip has been canceled for security reasons, prompting some of the Senators planning to go to say that they will no longer attend, since that was their main focus, to witness the turnover.
But I spoke a little while ago to a coalition spokesperson in Iraq who said they have had over the lst two weeks, three separate high-level congressional delegations led by people like Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist, and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and they've been able to provide them security. This coalition spokesperson, though, would not confirm the cancellation of the other trip.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen Koch from Washington, thanks very much.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
WHITFIELD: Well, this breaking story we're following for you out the Middle East. Palestinian sources say at least 5 Israeli soldiers were killed after two suicide attackers targeted an Israeli army post in Gaza. Israeli defense forces have not confirmed the number, at least 30 Israelis are wounded in that massive explosion. John Vause is following the story from Jerusalem and joins us with more details -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, all we can tell you is what we're learning now from Israeli medical sources and emergency crews that are initially saying at least 30 Israeli soldiers were wounded in this massive blast under an Israeli military outpost in the Gaza Strip. They've scaled that back to between 5 and 10 Israeli soldiers wounded. But there's a great deal of chaos there right now. No one knows for sure exactly what is going on.
But what we have learned, what we know, it appears that this explosion was -- came from a tunnel which had been dug underneath this military outpost near the Jewish settlement block of Gushkatef (ph). A short time ago the militant groups Hamas as well as the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for this attack.
Right now, we're waiting for some kind of Israeli response in Gaza. Usually that comes within the next few hours, quite often in the form of an air strike or something like that.
But right now, what we know is that the Israeli emergency responses are saying that it appears that 5 to 10 Israeli soldiers were wounded. No word if any have been killed in this massive blast, which it appears has destroyed a large part of the military base in the Gaza Strip -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And John, you said Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is claiming responsibility. Is there any explanation, or anything coming from that group saying this is in any way related to the upcoming handover in Iraq?
VAUSE: Nothing along those lines, Fredricka. But it was also -- Hamas is also claiming responsibility, it's a joint claim of responsibility. We've seen this thing before. I would be very surprised if it has anything to do with Iraq.
If there is a reason behind this it is more with the assassination of the two leaders of Hamas earlier this year. The militant groups in Gaza have been vowing revenge for some time. They've been frustrated in their attempts. Israeli intelligence have told CNN, over the last few weeks, they've stopped dozens and dozens of terrorist attacks -- attempted terrorist attacks inside Israel.
Gaza, of course, is a different situation. There;s 7,500 Jewish settlers living in Gaza surrounded by 1.3 million Palestinians. They're very vulnerable, that's what the Israeli government says. So this attack is likely to be in retaliation for the assassination of the 2 Hamas leaders earlier this year, Fredricka.
WHITIFELD: All right. John Vause from Jerusalem, thanks very much for that report.
Well, President Bush is in Turkey in advance of tomorrow's NATO summit meeting. The president wants NATO to help train Iraqi troops after the handover of power this coming Wednesday in Iraq. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with Mr. Bush, and she joins us live from the Turkish city of Istanbul -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Really, this is a critical time for the Bush administration. This is on the eve of that 2 day NATO summit in Istanbul. The president receiving some support from key allies on the Iraq mission. The big question here, of course is whether or not violence on the ground in Iraq and also the protests here will undermine those efforts.
But earlier today, it really was a picture of unity. President Bush, as well as the NATO alliance, together there. We are told from senior administration officials that those NATO members are preparing to offer a statement, an agreement perhaps as early as tomorrow to help train Iraqi troops.
Now, this is a far cry from the peacekeeping force that the Bush administration had initially envisioned in Iraq, but it is a symbolic victory nevertheless. While Mr. Bush did not specifically mention this NATO deal earlier today, he did thank the secretary-general of NATO, and gently suggested, however, that an expanded role for the alliance is necessary in fighting terror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to work together to help make sure NATO is configured militarily to meet the threats of the 21st Century.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, senior administration official says, of course, this is in response to the interim Iraqi prime minister's letter requesting the technical assistance of the organization, the alliance, as well as helping to train those Iraqi forces.
We have been told that this agreement really would be a mix, it would allow countries like Germany and France, for instance, who have rejected sending their own troops to Iraq to actually allow them to help train within their own countries.
There is also going to be a second statement within that agreement, that really leaves the door open for other possible ways that NATO can help and expand its role inside of Iraq, including possible peacekeeping operations in the future -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Suzanne Malveaux in Istanbul. Thanks very much for that report.
Well, the U.S. secretary of defense shares his thoughts on the Iraqi handover and what it means for U.S. troops. That's straight ahead.
Plus, President Bush and his efforts to win European support. Could that help him gain popularity here at home?
And later on, one American who could teach the president a lesson or two about diplomacy. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Will President Bush's gamble on Iraq help lead him to reelection or retirement? That's the first topic for today's political roundtable. And in our Washington bureau are Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for Washingtonpost.com. And Liz Marlantes, staff writer with the Christian Science Monitor. Good to see both of you.
TERRY NEAL, WASHINGTONPOST.COM: Thanks for having us.
LIZ MARLANTES, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right, well Liz, let me begin with you. Iraq is requesting NATO's help, as is President Bush. How do you see this plan helping or possibly hurting President Bush in terms of his world perception?
MARLANTES: Well, obviously it's been very, very difficult thing. The administration, I think, is going to be gratified by the help that they get from NATO, but it's not, to be honest, as much help as they were originally hoping for.
I think in terms of Bush's overall -- the perception in the rest of the world of Bush, it's still obviously very rocky. We saw recently that interview he had with an Irish reporter, talking about how the rest of the world has had a lot of trouble...
WHITFIELD: A rather combative interview.
MARLANTES: Yes, a very combative interview. And I think it, once again, it has reminded people that this has been a very controversial president on the world stage. I do think NATO's involvement may start to soften some of those perceptions a little bit. It's going to get the ball rolling in the right direction. But again, it's not the kind of -- the full involvement that they were really hoping for. I think they're sort of making the best of it, and seeing it as a promising start.
WHITFIELD: Well Terry, do you see the NATO involvement as possibly softening those perceptions? I mean, certainly President Bush has been met, whether it be in Ireland or in Turkey by very vocal, emotional protests.
NEAL: Well, it's an important symbolic victory for the president. It falls, however, falls short of what they really wanted, which was some sort of commitment of troops, but what they got was sort of a commitment of helping to train the Iraqi troops. John Kerry...
WHITFIELD: Is that enough? NEAL: It's not going to be enough for John Kerry. John Kerry saying the president should work much harder to get more significant involvement among NATO. But the president was not going to expend the political capital to do something that was probably not going to happen. I mean, the underlying principle of NATO is that an attack on one is an attack on all. And the president doesn't -- no one argues there was an attack on the United States. It was a preemptive war on the United States' part.
So they understand it was going to be almost impossible to get a serious commitment of troops from the NATO countries. Although many of them are already involved in some level or another with the effort, with the allied effort.
WHITFIELD: Well, aside from Kerry then, how do you believe Americans might accept this rather softer approach from NATO's commitment? Not necessarily giving troops, but instead training.
NEAL: Well, you know, look, anything that can help the president sort of rebut this image that he's this go it alone, unilateralist cowboy, anything like that will certainly help them. There are a lot of people who are concerned about the image of the United States abroad.
This will be, I believe, a key issue. Usually foreign policy issues like this are not a key issue, but in this particular case this is a key issue. The president has been moving more towards an internationalist approach. Which will make it more difficult for John Kerry to draw distinctions between him and the president during the campaign.
WHITFIELD: Well, world perception is certainly important, but President Bush made it clear himself, he really wants to know what Americans are thinking come November 2. And let's look at a recent CNN Poll that shows that the more recent numbers indicate that more than 50 percent of Americans polled now say that the U.S. made a mistake sending troops into Iraq. What would have to change to perhaps change this attitude, Liz, come November?
MARLANTES: Well, obviously I think, you know, the White House says that those numbers are a direct result of the violence, which I think makes sense. I think a lot of Americans are pretty much basing their assessments of the situation in Iraq on the reports they hear every day on the nightly news, of more violence, more instability.
If things get better, I think those poll numbers might shift a little bit. They might start to improve, if the situation on the ground in Iraq gets better and, you know, Americans can start to come home, reduce the troop presence over there, I think that might improve public opinion a little bit.
However, obviously this has been sort of going in one direction. It's been getting worse, not better, in terms of how most Americans see the situation over there. And there probably will come a point where people will feel like they've sort of made up their minds. It will be before the election, where people will start to feel like, this was not the right thing to do, or, well, okay, it was hard, but we feel good about it now.
WHITFIELD: Well you know, it's interesting, this CNN -- most recent CNN poll, there are real contradictions here, Terry. Maybe you can help make sense of it as well. Bush's argument for going to war has certainly been discredited based on several arguments in recents months, over the past 15 months in fact: no finding of WMD, admissions of bad intelligence, the failure of the Chalabi relationship with the U.S. So how do you make sense of this poll saying that 56 percent of Americans believe war with Iraq made the U.S. safer from terrorism?
NEAL: Well, look, the president has made a case, and I think a lot of people believe that Saddam Hussein was a threat. If he didn't have these weapons, he was seeking to get these weapons. There has been bipartisan agreement on that. John Kerry said the same thing, Hillary Clinton said the same thing before the election.
I think it's been driven home to people that Saddam Hussein, you know, was a bad guy. If he hadn't done anything yet, he was planning on doing it. And his removal, they believe, has made America safer.
Now, there are a lot of people who disagree with that, too. That will be a key issue and a key debate in this election this year.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, stick around for a second. Terry and Liz, we're going to take a short break. When we come back, we're talk about the Michael Moore "Fahrenheit 9/11" factor as our "Political Roundup" continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're used to seeing political campaigns battled out on television, but now a film openly aimed at souring voters on President Bush is playing in movie theaters. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" is drawing big crowds at its first weekend. The film challenges the Bush administration's motives for the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq and the war on terror overall. And its execution of them. Moore's cold wit targets the White House's supporters on Capitol Hill as well. Here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: Congressman, I'm Michael Moore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Michael, how are you doing? I'm good.
MOORE: Nice to meet you. Very nice to meet you. Do you have kids?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MOORE: Any way we can get them to enlist and go over there and help out with the effort, Congressman? Michael Moore. How are you doing? Trying to get members of Congress to get their kids to enlist in the army. And go over to Iraq. Congressman? Congressman? Congressman Castle? Congressman? Congressman Doolittle, Michael Moore. I'm wondering if... (voice-over): Of course, not a single member of Congress wanted to sacrifice their child for the war in Iraq. And who could blame them. Who would want to give up their child. Would you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, let's bring back our political roundtable guests, Liz Marlantes, staff writer with the Christian Science Monitor, and Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for Washingtonpost.com.
All right. Glad you guys could stick around. "Fahrenheit 9/11" did very well this weekend. No. 1 movie at the box office, more than $20 million. There's an awful lot being written about whether even if you don't go see the movie, these ads of the movie that we're seeing on television are really tantamount to being political ads. Terry, do you agree with that?
NEAL: Well, I'd rather not express my personal opinion on it. But I think the group that made the complaint, which is a conservative group, called Citizens United, has latched on to an interesting -- what is going to be a very sort of interesting legal interpretation of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law that passed.
It's interesting, however, that they made this or gumt, because essentially they're saying that these ads are political ads and thus would need to stop running a month before the Republican Convention, which starts on August 30. Which is a month from now. In a month from now, the issue will be essentially moot. So it seems to me more a sort of a symbolic stand than a literal stand to accomplish anything. And FEC probably won't even get to it until after the convention, they move very slowly.
WHITFIELD: Do you see, Liz, this movie really making an impact in this race at all? Wouldn't it appeal mostly to anti-Bush folks anyway? And perhaps, you know, those who don't like him are going to see the movie. And they still leave the movie not liking President Bush. It doesn't really change much, would it?
MARLANTES: I think for the most part, the people who are lining up around the block to go see that movie, yes, I think those are probably people who already have decided that they're not fans of President Bush. And that's the reason that they're excited to go see this movie.
However, I don't know, I think you might also get, at least on the margins, some people out there who are undecided, don't have strong opinions right now, or aren't really sure what to make of President Bush, or Iraq. And I think if those people see this movie, they might come out with a less positive impression. I think it could work to sour some people's opinions.
Now, it is still a long ways away until November. And so I think it won't have the impact that it might, if, say, the election were held next month. But I do think art can be very powerful. In many ways it can be more powerful than a political speech. I think, the average undecided voter who sees this movie versus hears a speech by John Kerry actually might be more moved by this movie.
Moore does some very clever things in the movie. He uses other people to make his arguments for him occasionally. There's a very powerful story line with a mother who lost her son in Iraq. And some very, very emotional and moving scenes with her. And I do think that those scenes could have an impact on certain viewers.
WHITFIELD: Election day about five months away. Here's another poll number for you, Bush and Kerry, at least during this poll, looking like they're in a dead heat. Only one percentage point, that would make the difference. Ralph Nader was apparently going to be a factor, but now the Green Party is not using him as their nominee. Do you think Ralph Nader is even an issue? Or even independent voters overall or Green Party voters? The alternative voters, so to speak? Terry?
NEAL: Well, you know, there's a current sort of conventional wisdom line of thinking among Democrats. They're not going to say this openly. They don't want to fire up Nader supporters. But they think he's going to be less a factor than people were probably once thinking. Mainly for a real technical reason, which is that by not being on a party ballot, it's going to make it more difficult for him to get ballot access. Which means that he may not be on the ballot in crucial states. And he's already missed some deadlines in states where he could really be a factor, places like Oregon. So he may be less of a factor than people once thought.
WHITFIELD: All right. Terry Neal, Liz Marlantes, thanks very much lady and gentleman for joining us from Washington. Appreciate it.
NEAL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Politics as entertainment. It is not just for the big screen, politics also provide endless material for TV's late night funnymen. And here's a sample.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "TONIGHT SHOW:" John Kerry has called for an increase in the minimum wage. He said people out there are struggling. And you can't always fix the problem by marrying a rich woman.
JON STEWART, TALK SHOW HOST: I love handing over sovereignty. I prefer to hand it over knowing whom I'm giving it to. But I like the way this administration is doing it. They're just saying, we're just handing it over. Maybe it will be a raffle. Maybe it will be the eighth caller.
BEN STILLER, ACTOR: In lieu of debates this year, what if the two candidates took a whistle stop tour of the country, playing one- on-one sudden death dodge ball with each other. It would be more exciting to watch. And they would both have their different styles. Bush would probably come on with a lot of firepower, not really backed up by accuracy. And of course, Kerry would be very hard to hit because he's always changing positions. LENO: Yes, yes, right.
STILLER: It makes for a good game.
LENO: That would be a good one.
STEWART: And Nader would probably be the last guy picked.
LENO: Well that is the way it is now.
DAVID LETTERMAN, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN:" Ralph Nader announced his presidential running mate for the election. In a related story, a tree fell in a forest, and no one was there to hear it.
LENO: You know why I told that joke? Because I could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Here are the latest headlines at this hour. The latest on the kidnapping of international workers in Iraq. Straight ahead.
President Bush arrived tonight with other leaders at a formal dinner as the NATO Summit meeting began in Turkey. The president got some good news. Member states issued a draft declaration promising training for Iraqi security forces after the handover of power on Wednesday.
Small arms fire hit a U.S. military transport plane today as it took off from Baghdad's International Airport. One passenger on the flight was killed by the gunfire. The victim's identity has not been released.
Two car bombs exploded near a mosque in the southern Iraqi city of Hillah Saturday night, 23 people were killed. Hillah is mainly a Shiite Muslim town and is near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.
Turkish hostages taken in Iraq on the eve of a NATO summit hosted in their homeland. We'll have reaction from Turkey on how the government plans to deal with that crisis.
Plus why a dollar is only worth 77 cents if you are a woman. More on the gender salary gap.
And later on a phone in your finger or sewn into you're clothing. No it is not a movie, just the latest trick. Cell phone makers have up their sleeve. We will have details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Another kidnapping seems to be aimed at strong-arming the U.S. into changing its tactics in Iraq. A videotape provided to CNN shows a Pakistani sub contractor who is apparently is being held hostage by Iraqi insurgents in a taped statement. One of the kidnappers threatens to behead the man in three days unless the U.S. agrees to release all of its prisoners that are being held.
Turkey is standing firm, refusing to bow to pressure from terrorists threatening to behead three of its citizens. Our Alphonso Van Marsh has reaction from Ankara.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Turkish nationals held captive and under threat in Iraq. Militants claiming links to Musab al Zarqawi saying they'll behead the Turkish men if Turkey does not pull its companies out of Iraq. The Turkish security experts say the militants' threat to kill within 72 hours and while world leaders are gathered in Turkey is a clever strategy.
AIJ NIHAT OZCAN, TURKISH DEFENSE ANALYST, (through translator): While all the world is focused on the NATO Summit, the timing of the ultimatum is brilliant and shows how well they planned the program.
VAN MARSH: U.S. President George W. Bush is in Istanbul pushing NATO leaders for help in rebuilding Iraq. The Turkish foreign ministry says since May it's helped bring at least ten Turkish nationals kidnapped in Iraq back home safe. But Turkey's defense minister says this time it's different.
VECOI GONUL, TURKISH DEFESE MINISTER: Turkey's fighting with terrorist activity. More than 20 years. They demand several times, and several things. We never consider that we have to work with them.
VAN MARSH: Despite terrorists targeting contractors, businessmen and drivers in Iraq, the head of Turkey's business union says his people won't give up.
RIFAT HISARCIKIOGLU, TURKISH UNIONS PRESIDENT, (TRANSLATOR): If these kidnappers really want U.S. troops out of Iraq, the Iraqi people should increase, and Turkish businessmen are working for this.
VAN MARSH: That's one reason why Turkish leaders want more details on U.S. plans for Iraq. Many of the consumer goods sold in Iraq are made in Turkey. An estimated $1 billion a year market, most of it delivered by road. At a park in Ankara, some fear the beheading deadline will come and go without much Turkish government interest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, (through translator): To be frank, I don't think they'll emphasize the kidnappings too much.
VAN MARSH (on camera): Whether they are Americans, Turks or Koreans, they are human beings. They must be respected. With the world's attention on NATO some Turks here hope that Turkish authorities are not distracted by the global summit and will do their best to bring the Turkish captives home alive.
Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN, Ankara.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The White House says the United States is doing everything possible to ensure the hostages' safe release. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says accused terror mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zargawi (ph) and his followers will not succeed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Iraqi people just want to be left in peace so that later this week. They can see the full transfer of sovereignty and be responsible for their own destiny. Mr. Al-Zawahiri (ph) and other evil terrorists such as him are trying to keep that from happening. And they're taking innocent Turkish civilians in this case as a way to make their case. And they will not succeed. We cannot yield to this kind of terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The same militant group believed responsible for holding the Turkish hostages is also blamed for the beheading of American Nicholas Berg and South Korean Kim Sun-Il. You can learn more on the situation in Turkey by logging onto our Web site, CNN.com/world for more.
News across America now begins with unprecedented changes to the annual gay rights parade in San Francisco today. Drag queens and kings are nothing new. But this year, the marchers include same-sex newlyweds. Many were married in historic same-sex ceremonies earlier this year. Similar marches are taking place at cities around the country.
Two people were killed and three others wounded after a helicopter crashed in central Oklahoma. All of the wounded are in critical condition. The pilot was reportedly giving rides to birthday party guests last night when the chopper went down. NTSB officials are investigating the crash.
Accepting the guilt, but not the blame. Ken Lay tells "The New York Times" the fall of Enron is his responsibility. But the former CEO says he committed no crimes. Lay blames Andrew Fastow, Enron's accounting officer, for the collapse on the company.
Women paid the same as men for equal work? Still not a universal reality. 40 years after federal legislation, the gender gap is very real for women in the workplace. CNN's Kathleen Hays explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN HAYS, ECONOMIC CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Equal pay for equal work, Congress passed the law more than 40 years ago. But the problem of unequal pay persists. According to the Census Bureau women earn on average just 77 cents per every $1 earned by men.
DEBRA SMITH, EQUAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES: It's really awful the statistics are awful that women are still so far behind men.
HAYS: Just released, figures based on salaries in 1999. Female doctors earned $88,000, while men made $140,000. Female lawyers did somewhat better, earning $66,000, versus men's $90,000. Men and women wash dishes the same way, but even here paychecks differ, women dishwashers earned an average of $12,000, men earned $14,000. So why is this still a problem?
SMITH: It's a societal problem. Women are in the work force to stay, and we need to correct that situation.
HAYS: Experts say proving gender discrimination in the courts is tough, because men and women doing the same jobs often have different work histories, different experience and different levels of education. And it's tough to take on the company alone. Many women just live with it. But some have banded together to take legal action, like at Boeing, Calpine, and the freight related company C.H. Robinson.
MARY STILL, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: I think you're going to start seeing some change from some of these discrimination suits, where people are suing, and there are some pretty large settlements. And I think that's going to be a big motivator for organizations to start really training sort of supervisors and managers, not to say the things like, well, he has a family to support and that's why he's earning more pay. Not only to say that, but not to factor that into the equation when they're considering whom to promote.
HAYS: Lawyers say the sex discrimination case against Wal-Mart is a clarion called to companies big and small to take a look at how they hire, pay and promote women. The sex discrimination suit against Wal-Mart shows that women are no longer willing to settle for a smaller piece of the pie.
Kathleen Hays, CNN, New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
WHITFIELD: This breaking story we're following for you. The Arab network Al Jazeera is reporting that a U.S. marine has been taken hostage in Iraq. CNN is working hard to try to confirm these details. And when we get them, we'll bring them to you as soon as possible.
We're going to take a short break right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Here's what's happening around the world this weekend. Palestinian militants are threatening vengeance for Israel's killing of seven armed men in the West Bank City of Nablus yesterday. Some 20,000 angry people marched through the city in today's funeral. One of the seven was a founder of the violent Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
Hundreds of thousands marched in Mexico City today to protest to failure of law enforcement to combat kidnapping and violent crime. The demonstration was the largest in recent Mexican history.
An independent monitor's group says a pro-westerner performer beat a hard line nationalist in the presidential runoff election in Serbia. Morris to Dicks win suggests Serbs want closer ties with the European Union, and NATO, instead of a return to the nationalist isolation that Mark dictators Slobodan Milosevic's regime.
You can use them to snap pictures, text message or even surf the net. Now cell phone makes are testing the next wave of technology, one that would make cell phones an extension of your mind and body. CNN's Atika Shubert reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN REPORTER: Tokyo is mobile phone central: phones that snap pictures, surf the web are almost everywhere. Now Japan's top phone producers want the gadgets to be an extension of your mind and body.
Phones of the future will not only be smaller, they'll actually use your body as an extension of the phone. I'm wearing the Finger Whisper. That's a wearable phone in development and it sends vibrations up your finger to make and receive calls. So when the phone rings, click your fingers to answer the phone and stick your finger in your ear and you'll actually be able to hear the person on the other end of the line.
Inventer Isaki Fukumoto shows us how it works. The key is a microphone and receiver placed on the tendon in your wrist. The vibrations travel up your finger and echo in your ear canal so it's the only sound you here.
ISAKI FUKUMOTO, INVENTOR: Hello.
SCHUBERT: Hi.
FUKUMOTO: How do you do?
SCHUBERT: I'm doing very well thank you.
FUKUMOTO: I think my voice needs to be sounding into your head. How do you hear?
SCHUBERT: It is. It is resounding into my head but it feels good.
FUKUMOTO: Thank you. This is bone conduction.
SCHUBERT: I feel like I've stepped into the future for a few minutes.
Japan's leading phone producer, NTT DoCoMo, envisions a world where video phones are sewn into your clothing, or used for an impromptu medical examination on the road.
Godo Irukayama shows us what will hit the markets next: a phone to keep an eye on your home while you're away. Closing curtains, turning on lights at the touch of a button: all monitored by video on your phone. It also tells you when an intruder has broken into your home so you can send him a message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who are you? GODO IRUKAYAMA, INVENTOR (through translator): The phone can be a computer (ph) or a part and it will even control the functions in your home. In a few years, all you will need when you leave the house is your phone and the honk at you.
SCHUBERT: Irukayama insists the new phones won't just benefit humans. In consumer tests, feeding your pet through the phone was one of the most popular uses. But if you want a machine that just makes calls, well you're barking up the wrong tree. Atika Schubert, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: What's next, so hard to keep up.
Well charming the French: as he leaves one of their most dear institutions, a look at special American in Paris. Up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Injecting too much personality into your work can be a risky thing, especially if you're an American in Paris. But a charismatic New Yorker is serving up an earful to the French opera world. Our Jim Bitterman introduces us to the man who makes his living in the pit. And to him, there is no higher honor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It is a musical icon, a cultural crown jewel in a country not short on artistry. But at the National Opera of Paris, the man in charge of the music for the past nine years has been a New Yorker, James Conlon, and an American who seduced the Europeans on their own turf.
JAMES CONLON, NATIONAL OPERA OF PARIS: They rightfully feel that they created a lot of this music and created the institutions. After all, this orchestra is actually the orchestra that was formed in the court of Louis the 14th. Someone once said to me, in America, they prefer foreigners. And in foreign countries they prefer foreigners. He said, and you will have to work twice as hard to get half as far as an American in your profession.
BITTERMAN: Conlon and Hugh Gall the opera director inherited a shambles when they took over the opera two performing halls in 1995. The newest a half billion-dollar house was falling apart physically and musically. With strikes, conflicts and usually more drama off- stage than on.
But the duo managed to turn things around at both new and old opera houses. Attendance soared to near sell-out audiences most nights, 900,000 people a year come to see opera here, making it among the best attended in the world.
CONLON: I don't like pre attention. I don't like snobbery. I think these are all elements that have traditionally gotten in the way. Classical artists have a job to do also in communicating the passion and the enthusiasm we feel for classical music.
BITTERMAN: Conlon, who will soon move back to New York, found passion served him well at directing outside the U.S. Especially before his toughest critics, the members of his orchestra.
CONLON: I was surprised to discover in many cases in Europe that you roll up your sleeves in a way you never have to in America. Why? Because they have to decide whether you're worth doing the job for.
BITTERMAN: A worth even the French president recognized when he presented Conlon with France's highest civilian award for his work at the opera.
ALAIN DUAULT, MUSIC CRITIC, (TRANSLATOR): The opera's success of the last nine years would have been impossible without James Conlon. He is not someone who puts himself forward easily, but his discreet and tenacious work has borne fruit and in the end he has managed to convert the skeptics.
BITTERMAN: And so, at a time when some of the world might be wary of following U.S. leadership, in the opera world in Paris, the departure of the American in charge is already bringing calls for encores. Jim Bitterman, CNN, France.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That's it for us. Headlines straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
