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CNN Live Sunday

New Drug Shows Promising Weight Loss Potential; Miami Police Taser 2 Children; Catholic Church Begins Annual Conference Of Bishops

Aired November 14, 2004 - 18:00 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.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. These are the headlines this hour. A U.S. Marine general says Falluja is under U.S. control. Forces are still going door to door searching for any remnants of the insurgency.
And former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas escaped unharmed after a gun fight broke out at a gathering of mourners in Gaza. Two security guards were killed, at least ten others were injured during the five-minute shootout. Palestinians had gathered there to mourn the death of Yasser Arafat.

And Iran agrees to suspend its uranium enrichment program after talks between Iranian officials of France, Britain and Germany. The Bush adiministration believes Iran was enriching uranium to secretly build nuclear weapons.

Good evening. I'm Carol Lin, and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Police used stun guns on children. Was it justified? Is it ever? Hear from the 12-year-old who was shot.

Plus, the touching and courageous story of veterans helping brothers with something only they understand. How to live your life after losing an arm or leg in service to your country.

Well right now, we are going to begin with the hunt for the last remaining insurgents in Falluja whom U.S. military officials say will fight to the death.

In the words of a general, troops have no choice but to accommodate. So by all appearances, the U.S. and Iraqi forces have control of Falluja. U.S. Marines are going house to house to root out any militants. The military says as many as 2,000 insurgents have already been killed. 38 American troops and 6 Iraqi forces died as well.

CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with U.S. soldiers outside Falluja. She says recent operations focused on what's underneath the city.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Military commanders on the ground in Falluja tell us they have defeated the last of the organized insurgency. Overnight, we were with an army unit, Task Force 22 of the 1st Infantry Division, that rolled into the last part of their sector in southeast Falluja, thought to be an insurgent stronghold. And what they found there, a series of immense underground bunkers, storage facilities and tunnels leading to them. In fact, one of the tanks we were with actually fell through into a tunnel. It was recovered and no one was hurt.

Overnight they dropped four 2,000-pound bombs on that complex. And they say there were 45 minutes of secondary explosions, indicating that there had been weapons or explosives stored there.

One of the marine officials, Major General Richard Nitensky (ph) tells us that even though there are insurgents active in other cities, primarily right now Mosul and other parts of Iraq, the fact that they have defeated the insurgency in a formal sense in Falluja certainly lessens their ability to operate.

LT. GEN. JOHN SATTLER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I think having taken down fallujah, they no longer have a base of operations. This was their sanctuary. The location they could rearm, refit, rest, and then operate anywhere around the Sunni Triangle, out west, up north. They no longer have that luxury.

So, if they do go into places like Mosul or Ramadi, we're waiting for them. We're going to chase them down. Now they no longer have a place to run to.

ARRAF: As for civilians in Falluja, they are just starting to come out of their homes. A marine colonel tells us that they are tentatively leaving their homes and approaching Iraqi forces who are going deeper into the city, in the center of Falluja. He says that they are approaching in small groups and saying they need food, water and medicine.

Aid is slowly getting through to them. But many civilians in Falluja still inside their homes. And many parts of the city have been empty of civilians for weeks. Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Falluja.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Still a lot of questions when it comes down to this battle, the fighting is winding down, but what has the coalition exactly gained from the fight? I'm going to talk with CNN military analyst, retired Major General Terry Murray. That's going to be coming up in about 30 minutes.

Also some other problems to report. Amnesty International released a statement. It's very concerned about how civilians have been treated during this fight. It's concerned about shortages of food and water inside that city. No aid has reached civilians since the battle began.

Now, U.S. forces today kept trucks carrying aid waiting on the edge of the city. CNN's Karl Penhaul has more on the Iraqis caught in this crossfire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORREPSONDENT (voic-over): Through the lens of a TV camera, the fight for Falluja looks like a war movie: Apocalypse Now, Platoon or Full Metal Jacket. You hear the sound of the shooting, but you're sparred the sound of the sobbing. Of innocents trapped in the crossfire.

The sobbing of women like Saham Mohammed Abdullah (ph). She says her mother was killed, her cousin and uncle wounded and that she took bullets to her arm and leg.

UNIDENTIIFED FEMALE (throuth translato)r: We left the house around 2:30 p.m. with a car to go to my uncle's house near Abdullah Aziz Mosque. We thought it would be safer there, but when we reached the area, U.S. snipers started shooting. I was wounded. My mother stopped breathing. My mother died.

PENHAUL: 23-year-old Saha (ph) says her family sheltered in their home at first, but tried to flee when fighting engulfed their neighborhood.

Prior to the assault, coalition forces dropped leaflets ordering Falluja civilians not to drive in an attempt to defend against suicide car bombs. U.S. troops have occupied some of Falluja's mosques, but the U.S. military was not immediately able to confirm Saha's (ph) account. The U.S. troops opened fire from Abdul Aziz Mosque.

It's clear, though, the Americans were first on the scene to give her family first aid.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They lay us down on the ground. My uncle and my cousin were bleeding. Then the Americans carried us inside and put us in the mosque. I told them I want my mother. But they refused. I told them even if she died, just bring her body inside. But they did not tell me if she was dead or alive.

PEHNAUL: U.S. troops shuttled them by Humvees and ambulances to this Baghdad hospital. The Iraqi Health Ministry has given no consolidated figures on the civilain toll in Falluja. The doctors here at Baghdad's medical city say they've so far treated at least 25 wounded civilians. Staff at a U.S. military hospital said they treated 30 others.

This Iraqi aid convoy has so far been unable to enter the city, because it's still too dangerous.

As soon as Sahar (ph) is fit enough, she says she will head back to Falluja. She must search for her elderly grandparents to see if they survived. And comb the battlefield for her mother's body that was left behind. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And then there is the ultimate fallout from this war. Almost 300 Americans have been wounded in the battle of Falluja so far. And many have been sent to the Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany that treats patients from usually Afghanistan, Iraq, around the Middle East. They average about 50 patients a day, but the commander of the main U.S. military hospital in Europe, Colonel Rhanda Cornum says casualties have doubled as a result of the battle of Falluja. And since that battle began, they're now averaging almost 70 patients a day. And a vast majority of them, 95 percent, have come from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COL. RHONDA CORNUM, CMDR. LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CTR: I am constantly amazed at the good attitude that these soldiers have. The soldiers that come and the people that come from their rear detachment units that come to meet them, I am constantly that they're strong and they're highly motivated, and you're just proud to be one of them. And you just want to do the best you can for them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: She also said it's been the busiest week for the hospital since April, which is, of course as you might recall, the last time U.S. forces tried to take Falluja.

I want to move now to the Middle East. An attack that we have been keeping an eye on, because it's a matter of dissecting what it all means. An attack in Gaza today is raising concerns that a violent Palestinian power struggle could actually be beginning now that Yasser Arafat is gone.

Gunmen opened fire in a tent where Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, had gathered with others to mourn Arafat. Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem with more details.

Matthew, we have been mincing words all day, or parcing words all day. The bottom line, was this an assassination attempt?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carol, it doesn't seem to have been an assassination attempt as such. Although, it clearly shows how dark is the shadow of violence that looms over the political process for Palestinian politicians.

Gunmen burst into that mourning tent for Yasser Arafat in the Gaza Strip, where Abu Mazen was paying his respects to Yasser Arafat, along with thousands of other people.

Firing into the air. We understand that at least 2 people were killed in the chaos that ensued. Abu Mazen was taken away to safety.

But it was a precedent which is -- it's come as a big setback for those Palestinians who had been urging restraint and unity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Abu Mazen was in Gaza to pay his respects to Yasser Arafat. He's already been appointed his successor as head of the PLO and is tipped as favorite for president as well. But these are dangerous times for anyone seeking the mantle of Palestinian leader. A column of armed militants enters the crowd, firing into the air. Members of Fatah, Abu Mazen own party, here to object to his presence. Abu Mazen is an agent of America, they shout.

In the chaos, more shots are fired and terrified mourners scramble for cover. Abu Mazen is whisked away safely, later playing down what happened here.

ABU MAZEN, PLO LEADER (through translator): As a result of the outbreak of emotion because of Yasser Arafat's death, there was overcrowding and firing in the air, which meant we had to leave. And we left.

CHANCE: But finding a successor to Yasser Arafat is now a pressing need. In Ramallah, Palestinian officials announced leadership elections will be held on January 9, 60 days after the death of their first president, and time enough for chaos to mar the choosing of a second.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Carol, Yasser -- rather, Palestinian politics has long been fractured. A new guard of political figures has emerged to challenge the old one. And with Yasser Arafat not there to sort of bridge the gap, there are very real concerns that this political process, that the Palestinians are currently engaged in to choose a successor to Yasser Arafat, could descend into more and more violence like what we saw in Gaza.

LIN: All right. Matthew, thank you very much. Matthew Chance reporting live in Jerusalem.

We're going to stay in the Middle East right now. Take a look at Iran and what it is up to. It's doing a nuclear about-face, so it seems. Today it agreed to meet a key command from the international community announcing it would suspend its uranium enrichment program. Reporter Kasra Naji, joins me now on the telephone from Tehran with the latest on that.

Kasra, it's been widely speculated and reported that Iran was being aggressive about its nuclear program, because the United States was bogged down in Iraq. Why would it make an about-face now?

KASRA NAJI, REPORTER (via telephon): Well, because there is going to be a report by the chief of the IAEA on Monday, and he's going to summarize the activities and the inspection, the result of the inspections of the IAEA over the last 2 years in Iran. And Iran wanted to make sure that it would be in that report, saying that they have stopped enrichment, because otherwise, Iran would be referred to the Security Counsel for possible sanctions. That's why.

So this is an 11-hour break-through, an agreement Iran says it has decided to suspend its nuclear enrichment activities. It has informed the IAEA of this. And they're saying that the suspension will continue as long as the talks with Europe will continue over a package of incentives that the EU is offering in return for Iran's suspending its nuclear activities.

LIN: Kasra, though, it could be a stall tactic. Does anybody really know how far along their nuclear program is right now?

NAJI: Not really. Iranians are adamant, and they keep saying that their nuclear plan is peaceful. But indications we have here by the -- you know, judging by the statements of the officials here, that they are pretty close in getting there in terms of enrichment. How far they can enrich, whether they can enrich uranium to the degree that is needed for nuclear weapons, that is very much an open question -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Sounds like the need for inspectors. Thank you very much, Kasra Naji, reporting on the telephone from Tehran.

Well, still ahead tonigh, the wounds of war struggling to carry on after life on the battlefield. Hear the remarkable story of a wounded war veteran helping today's troops cope without limbs. That is up next.

And then healing of a different kind. Will the Catholic Church ever overcome the priest abuse scandal. That debate is heating up this coming week.

And later tonight, a pill that sheds pounds. An unprecedented experiment in weight loss could impact generations to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The troops injured on the front lines, the battle scars often remain, even when the wounds heal. Well, this is especially true for those who lose a limb. Our Alina Cho reports they're getting help, though, from an older generation of war wounded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in his life, Sean Carroll is learning to walk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just walked 20 feet.

CHO: His grandmother is nearby, so is Don Sioss, Vietnam War Veteran, fellow amputee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to take a while, but you're a Marine, you're up to it.

CHO: Sioss is part cheerleader...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's progress every little day.

CHO: ...part counselor, lending an empathetic ear, comparing notes with soldiers learning how to live again after losing a limb.

(on camera): So up and down. What's harder, up or down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably down is a little harder.

CHO: Sioss lost his leg 33 years ago, but remembers what he was feeling like it was yesterday.

DON SIOSS, VIETNAM WAR AMPUTEE: I woke up and I didn't really know. And I was kind of afraid to open the sheet and really see what happened.

They're lying in the hospital, they're saying, can I drive a car? Will I date? Will I be attractive to women? Will women date me because they feel sorry for me?

CHO: And you tell them what?

SIOSS: You tell them, listen, everything's going to be OK.

CHO: Sioss, now a husband and father of 4, is part of a group of war veterans, amputees who travel routinely to Walter Reed Medical Center.

Sioss was inspired by the man who mentored him, Julius Wagman, World War II veteran, also an amputee.

JULIUS WAGMAN, WORLD WAR II AMPUTEE: They see a fellow like Don walking in, and having a job and driven from New York. And well, if he can do it, I can do it.

SIOSS: What happened?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: RPG. I was in my Bradley.

CHO: Lonnie Moore lost his leg on April 6 in Ramadi. He plans to stay in the Army.

LONNIE MOORE, IRAQ WAR AMPUTEE: It's really refreshing to see their outtake on life and to see that they've been successful, and no reason why we can't.

CHO: Hilbert Caesar lost his leg in Baghdad. He wants to be an X-ray technician. And like Sioss, is also from Queens.

SIOSS: I was with the 101st airborne in Vietnam.

HILBERT CAESAR, IRAQ WAR AMPUTEE: Thank you for your service.

SIOSS: No, thank you. You guys are doing a good job over there.

CAESAR: They're just giving us inspiration. I mean this is great that you guys are taking time off to come visit us and show us that there's more out there, than just sitting around here. There's a lot we can do.

SIOSS: We're just looking to give them some counsel. Some advice.

CHO: At the hospital, at the driving range, even over a meal. CAESAR: I don't know what to tell my wife. How to talk to her. Or how do I -- how do I hug my kids, man. I don't know what to do.

CHO: Sioss says time is the greatest healer.

(on camera): Is it possible that you get as much out of this as they do?

SIOSS: I probably get more out of it than they do. I really think that.

CHO (voice-over): Sean Carroll, the 19-year-old soldier who was just learning to walk again, disputes that.

CARROLL: Things can always get worse. And I've learned that. But, you know, just talking to him, you know, things do get better.

CHO: With the help of those who understand.

SIOSS: Good to see you, Sean.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, they meet tomorrow for their annual conference. So can bishops regain what they lost after the sex abuse scandals that rocked the Catholic Church.

And later, Miami police on the defense after they taser a 12- year-old girl. Now that little girl speaks out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The nation's Catholic bishops meet this week in Washington. And on the primary, and at least the preliminary agenda, the explosive issue of sexual abuse involving priests.

Now, efforts are under way to provide some healing. But some Catholics believe the church hierarchy must be held more accountable before that can happen. CNN's Tom Foreman has the story from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost nine out of ten Catholics believe the most serious issue in their church today is sexual abuse by priests. That, in a new nationwide survey by researchers at the Catholic University of America and Purdue who found the next worst problem is the perceived cover-up by bishops.

DAVID O'BRIEN, CATHOLIC STUDIES PROFESSOR: Certainly the anger of the Catholic people is as much out of the secrecy and hypocrisy of the bishops, moving of priests around the -- and the unwillingness to deal with victims openly, using adversarial techniques and not really telling people the truth about their priests for so long. FOREMAN: As Catholic bishops meet this week in Washington, a proposal to track new cases of abuse is being considered. But church activists are gathering, too, and they want more, more involvement by church members in handling these cases, more honesty.

JANET PATTERSON, MOTHER OF ALLEGED VICTIM: I think the No. 1 solution is truth.

FOREMAN: The story of Janet Patterson's son, Eric, is the kind that has created bitterness. She says when Eric was 12, he was sexually abused by Father Robert Larson, who later confessed to abusing others.

Larson has denied sexual involvement with Eric, and the accusation cannot be proven now. Eight months after telling his family about the alleged abuse, Eric committed suicide. The church has apologized to all its members in that diocese, but Janet Patterson is not satisfied.

PATTERSON: I consider not that I have left the church, but that the church has left me, because I don't see this legitimate heartache among the bishops and priests and fellow laity at what has happened.

FOREMAN: Many parishes have tried to heal, even holding special services to admit the church's mistakes to its members.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they have been grateful for the opportunity to come and to pray, to hear a message that says, we want you to be healed. We ask you to forgive us for anything wrong we've done.

FOREMAN: But other Catholics clearly believe their bishops must be more accountable before forgiveness can follow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): Certainly the bishops take this all very seriously. Not just because they want to be close to their congregation, that's also a very important part of this, probably the most important part, but also in a practical sense. This has cost the church millions of dollars. Some diocese have gone bankrupt and others are expected to follow suit -- Carol.

LIN: But Tom, do you expect any news to be made at tomorrow's meeting?

FOREMAN: It is very unlikely. That is not the Catholic Church works, not the bishops. If you follow the bishops over a long period of time, you realize this is a very slow process of rebuilding trust. They don't like to make headlines with this. They like to have discussions. They will likely issue some sort of statement that reaffirms the process going on. But that's the most you'll see.

The question is, is that enough for Catholics out there who have said, they need to be more involved. It needs to be less about the hierarchy, more about the membership. That doesn't seem that likely to happen right now. And can they be satisfied otherwise is the big question.

LIN: Could be an evolution in these relationships. No pun intended. Thanks very much, Tom Foreman.

Well Gay Christians began a vigil outside the Catholic bishop's conference tonight. Members of the interfaith group So Course (ph) are protesting what they're calling Catholic Church spiritual violence against gays and lesbians. They say the violence is perpetuated by church policies and teachings.

Well, it is orientation time in Washington for a different sort of group. Newly elected members of Congress are in town to check out Capitol Hill. Their work begins in January.

Meanwhile, the current Senate and House are, well, are to come in Tuesday for a lame duck session. Lawmakers have a lot of pressing work to tackle, including spending bills for the fiscal year that began last month.

Vice President Dick Cheney's wife says he's ready to go to work tomorrow. One day after Cheney experienced shortness of breath, Lynne Cheney says he's feeling fine, but suffering from a cold. The vice president underwent several hours of tests as a precaution. Aides say they showed no problems with his heart. But Mrs. Cheney also denied speculation that her husband may run for president in 2008.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNNE CHENEY, VICE PRES. CHENEY'S WIFE: He said from the beginning that his goal was to serve this president. And he didn't want to have another agenda. He makes every decision in terms of this president's welfare. And I think that's a very good way for things to be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, consider his health history. I mean, Dick Cheney has had four heart attacks. His most recent was in 2000, just before he assumed the vice presidency.

Well, is the CIA shaking it up? And is it a shakeup in making? The deputy director announces his retirement. Now many are asking if even more change is ahead.

Plus, did police go too far? Two children tasered by Miami police have parents and an entire community asking why.

And some are ready to call it a miracle pill. The results of a new weight loss drug shock the medical field. I've got the study's lead investigator. Let's hear about this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. Here's a quick look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

The Arabic language television network Al-Jazeera reports kidnappers have released two women relatives of Iraq's prime minister, Ayad Allawi. But a male cousin remains in their custody.

Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas escapes injury in a shootout at the crowded mourning ceremony in Gaza. Two security guards were killed and at least 10 other people wounded. Abbas downplayed the shooting, but witnesses say the gunmen were members of a group opposed to him.

Meanwhile, the timetable is in place for electing a new Palestinian Authority president. The election is set for January 9. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat is asking the international community to monitor the election, but does not want NATO to send in troops.

Are office and partisan politics affecting the CIA and the fight against terrorism? Some published reports citing former CIA officials are raising those questions. CNN's Elaine Quijano is live now at the White House with more on this story.

Elaine, what's going on over there?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Carol

Well, this has to do with the announcement on Friday of the number two man retiring. That is, John McLaughlin announcing his retirement.

Now, insiders say the announcement is not really a surprise. They say this was long planned. But others are raising questions about the environment at the agency.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): It's no set secret there are tensions at the CIA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is quite a soap opera even by Washington politics standards.

QUIJANO: But what's causing them and whether they'll affect the agency's ability to fight terrorism remains up for debate. "The Washington Post" reports some longtime officers are threatening to resign over staff changes. And like everything in Washington, opinions fall along party lines. Some Democrats are honing in on the president's choice to head the CIA.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: Well, I think that Porter Goss apparently carried out a few things in a heavy-handed way or precipitous way. And if that's the fact, then that would have been part of the cause here.

QUIJANO: Porter Goss during his days as the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee was harshly critical of the CIA's clandestine service. During his confirmation hearings he vowed to lead the agency in a nonpartisan way. But the former '60s-era intelligence officer also hinted at his style.

PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: My attitude towards the intelligence community, and I guess my alma mater, the CIA, is one of tough love.

QUIJANO: Some Republicans see that tough love as exactly the answer to preventing future CIA failures, like the flawed intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Somebody needs to deal with the dynamic that led us to being so wrong. And if you have to hurt some feelings, so be it.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This is an organization full of very good and decent people, but is dysfunctional and is not providing the intelligence information necessary for the president to conduct the war on terror.

QUIJANO: Yet the ranking Democratic on the House Intelligence Committee says the problem's not Director Goss but those he's brought with him, now clashing with career CIA officers.

REP. JANE HARMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: The agency seems in free-fall in Washington. And that is a very, very bad omen in middle of a war.

QUIJANO: Those who have been in Goss's position say changes in the agency are bound to cause friction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a certain amount of natural tension if a new director brings in senior people. So even bringing in three or four people is something of a departure, particularly for the old hands at the agency.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, as we said at the outset, the reports of discord at the CIA coincide with this announcement on Friday that John McLaughlin, the deputy director, will be retiring in December. Now, in a written statement, McLaughlin said that the move was a purely personal decision, and a CIA spokesman denies that any other factors, Carol, played into that decision -- Carol.

LIN: That's right. He emphasized the word "retirement." Thanks very much. Elaine Quijano live at the White House.

Well, after a week of fighting in Falluja, the U.S. military says the Iraqi city is now liberated from insurgents. But pockets of militants remain. And will Falluja stay under control?

Joining me now is CNN military analyst, retired Major General Terry Murray, who's been along with us for analysis throughout this battle.

General Murray, good evening.

MAJ. GEN. TERRY MURRAY, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good evening, Carol.

LIN: How do you assess the situation so far? It's surrounded. It's not necessarily secured, though.

MURRAY: No. The conventional phase of the battle, what I would call the conventional phase, where roughly 14,000 coalition troops attacked a city that had been evacuated of the great majority of civilians, the conventional phase is almost done. And I would think that the outcome here was predictable.

You had maybe 1,000 to 2,000 insurgents that went toe-to-toe with coalition forces that out-manned them and out-gunned them, probably on a ratio of roughly six to one. Consequently, what we think is occurring as we speak is that there are small pockets in the southern part off the city, and in some cases in the northern part of the city that coalition forces are still trying to root out.

LIN: Small pockets, because perhaps many of them fled. I mean, take a look at the full screen here.

CNN took a look at the big picture across Iraq. And while U.S. forces are battling these small pockets, take a look at all the trouble across the country. Violence breaking out, Iraqi police being killed, a U.S. soldier dead near Baghdad. These are just some of the examples of today alone.

MURRAY: It's likely, Carol, that some of the insurgent forces that were inside Falluja, that they might have moved to Mosul or Ramadi or Samarra, Baji. These are some of the cities where insurgent activity has been quite active over the last few -- few days.

So we estimated that the high might have been up to 6,000 insurgents that had occupied Falluja. What is important is that the coalition forces have taken down Falluja. I think that was a necessity, both militarily and politically.

LIN: Right. So one down, eight to go, some people might say.

If you're really going to control the situation in Iraq, and prepare this country for elections, it sounds like U.S. forces have to occupy en masse every single one of those cities: Baquba, Mosul, Samarra. The list goes on.

MURRAY: I don't know that they need to occupy all of those cities, or that this model will be applied elsewhere. It would be very difficult to do this in a city of two million people, which is roughly what you have in Mosul, and in Baghdad probably six million people.

LIN: So what was gained here then?

MURRAY: Pardon me?

LIN: I mean, what was gained here then?

MURRAY: What was... LIN: They now have Falluja, "under control," but there's still violence breaking out across the country.

MURRAY: What was gained here, Carol, is that Falluja was arguably the command and control center for activities that were going on throughout Iraq. I think if for no other reason than strategically, this city needed to be taken down in preparation for elections in January. That was the first step.

You ask a very relevant question. In those other cities around Iraq, as we have watched in the last week, where insurgent activities seem to have increased, do we have to apply the same model? Do coalition forces have to apply the same model elsewhere in order to -- to reduce this insurgency? And I think that's to be determined.

LIN: General, I know it's frustrating. You know, because there are battles won, and then battles lost. And it's -- we're just trying to get a handle on exactly, when we talk about so many American lives at stake, what the U.S. is getting out of this. And we're going to find out.

Thank you very much

MURRAY: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: General Murray.

Well, scientists say it can help you stop smoking. We're moving on to a really interesting health story, because this pill, a pill, could actually help you shed pounds. But it might even do more than that. So up next, I'm going to talk to the man in charge of an extensive new study on what some are calling the super pill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Using stun guns on children, a practice that has come under intense scrutiny since it was recently revealed. Miami-Dade police used Tasers to subdue two children. One incident involved a 12-year- old girl, and she is now speaking out.

CNN's Susan Candiotti has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The second Taser incident involving a child was publicly revealed only after CNN first reported on a 6-year-old being jolted, even though both cases were known to authorities. This 12-year-old girl was also Tasered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It felt like I couldn't breathe when he was putting it on. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I was like nervous and I was scared at the same time.

CANDIOTTI: Police say she was playing hooky from school, drinking and swimming with friends in a pool. After breaking it up, an officer gave chase. According to a police report, he advised her to stop several times, but she didn't, to the point of starting to run into lanes of traffic. About two weeks earlier, this first-grader was Tasered at school. He was holding a piece of broken glass, allegedly about to cut his leg. Police insist two officers and other there had no other choice.

DET. JUAN DEL CASTILLO, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: We're happy that we're here talking about this as opposed to an injury that he might have caused to himself with that piece of glass.

CANDIOTTI: After the quick 50,000-volt jolt, the boy's family says he threw up.

KATHY ALLEN, MOTHER: It is three officers. It's nothing to tell a 6-year-old holding a glass if you feel threatened, "Hey, here is a piece of candy. Hey, here's a piece of toy." You know, "Let the glass go."

CANDIOTTI: Both incidents have created an outcry. Florida's governor was asked about it.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I don't know the circumstances of why adults couldn't control a 6-year-old.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): While Miami-Dade police defend using a Taser on a 6-year-old boy, they question using a Taser on a child playing hooky. However, they refused to answer any more questions until Monday.

(voice-over): Community activists are calling for a meeting with police.

GEORGIA AYERS, ACTIVIST: There needs to be more in-depth study on using the Taser on children. Paragraph ended.

CANDIOTTI: Miami police chief John Timoney has questions about his sister agency's Taser policy and says he's uncomfortable about using Tasers on children, especially in school.

CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: You're arming them just to deal with unruly students. I mean, that's...

CANDIOTTI: Taser International says more than 5,000 police agencies nationwide use their product and insist it is tested safe for anyone weighing at least 60 pounds. Yet, Tasers on children remain controversial, and in south Florida policies on their use are under review.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Is it ever justified in those situations? That's going to be our hot topic at 10:00 tonight. But right now, I want to get to this really interesting medical story. Some are ready to actually call this pill the super pill that millions of Americans have been waiting for. A new experimental pill that helps people lose weight and quit smoking.

Well, Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer is the principal investigator studying the drug. He joins me live now to talk about how it works.

Dr. Pi-Sunyer, the principal investigator, what exactly does that mean? Were you hired by the drug company developing this pill to investigate this drug?

DR. XAVIER PI-SUNYER, ENDOCRINOLOGIST: This was a clinical trial that was done in North America, in the U.S. and Canada. It was done by individual investigators, 72 centers around the U.S. and Canada. It was funded by the drug company because they needed to have the trial to get approval for the drug from the Food and Drug Administration.

LIN: The name of the drug, the commercial name I have is Accomplia. Is that right?

PI-SUNYER: That's correct.

LIN: All right. So this drug, I read that it actually works on the system in a similar manner as marijuana. And by all accounts, marijuana makes you a lot hungrier. So how does this drug actually work?

PI-SUNYER: Well, what happens is people who are overweight and obese have an overactivity of the system called the endocrinovanoid (ph) system, and the drug modulates the system downs toward normal. So the people begin to eat less, and they eat -- as they eat less, they lose weight. Their central obesity improves and they're able to maintain the weight loss over time.

LIN: Now, you had different test groups. And in one particular group they were able to shed an average of 19 pounds, and they kept the weight off for two years, right?

PI-SUNYER: That's correct.

LIN: All right. But still a lot is not known about the actual side effects. But there are some?

PI-SUNYER: There are some side effects. They tend to get better over time.

The side effects include some nausea at the beginning, and also some increased irritability and anxiety. And these drop away over the first year. In the second year there isn't any difference between if you're taking the drug or you're taking a placebo. That is a dummy pill.

LIN: Now, to a lot of people, doctor, especially in the post- phen-phen days, this sounds like a miracle drug, because apparently not only can it help you lose weight and keep it off, but it might even help some people stop smoking. Is it that big of a deal, this drug, do you think?

PI-SUNYER: Well, the drug is not a miracle drug, but it is a drug that works for serious conditions. And the two serious conditions it works for is overweight and obesity, and people who smoke -- are more likely to be able to quit if they're taking the drug.

The drug works by dropping this overactivity of the system that tends to allow people to eat more and also have more pleasure from their smoking. They're able to quit smoking more easily. But to lose weight, you need not only to take a pill, but you also need to intervene yourself. You need to have a diet program and increased physical activity.

LIN: Right. So self-control.

Right. I mean, some lifestyle changes, some self-control. And a pill can't really do that for someone. Is there a danger that by developing this kind of pill, that it's once again that instant fix, that instant solution?

PI-SUNYER: I don't think that the danger is an instant solution. The danger is that we really haven't had success in trying to get people to lose weight and keep it off.

They need to do dietary programs, physical activity. We're extremely sedentary. But they can also get help from medication which is safe and will be able to help them keep the weight off over time. People tend to be able to lose weight, but then they regain it very quickly over six months to a year.

LIN: Right. When do you think this drug will hit the market, if at all?

PI-SUNYER: I think it will be in probably early 2006.

LIN: Early 2006?

PI-SUNYER: Yes. It needs to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

LIN: Yes, a lot of scrutiny. But, you know, interesting to hear about it now. Dr. Pi-Sunyer, thank you very much.

PI-SUNYER: Thank you.

LIN: Up next tonight, the life of a leader. CNN's Jeanne Moos looks back at the years of Yasser Arafat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, no matter how you felt about Yasser Arafat, he was a man who definitely left an impression from his military fatigues to his black and white headdress. His memory will likely cast a big shadow for sometime to come.

Our Jeanne Moos takes a trip down memory lane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It won't be easy to follow in Yasser Arafat's headdress. We grew up with Arafat, knew him from the time he walked on the world stage with a firm step, a fiery voice...

YASSER ARAFAT, FMR. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY LEADER: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC).

MOOS: ... until he was reduced to speaking for the Palestinians with trembling lips.

ARAFAT: OK.

MOOS: Always a personality who seemed split, like some puckish smiling, genial uncle figure who many figured to be a...

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Murderer, murderer!

MOOS: For some, shaking hands with Arafat was a dicey proposition. You could almost feel Israelis hesitate. But if he had blood on his hands, it wasn't visible when he was handed the Nobel Peace Prize.

Arafat's diplomatic dance extended to doorways. Whether it was the U.S. secretary-general, or Israel's prime minister, Arafat said, "You first."

This door dilemma finally solved by opening the other side and going in together. The headdress, the kafia (ph) Arafat wore, was also a symbol. He liked to fold it in the shape of historical Palestine.

Can't quite see it? Maybe this will help. One cartoonist labeled it Arafat's legacy.

He always sounded optimistic when asked about the chances of finally getting a Palestinian state.

ARAFAT: No one can hide his (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fingers. It is coming.

MOOS: But the sun set first on Arafat. The larger than life figure and the kafia (ph) shriveled down until his hat was too big for his head. Frail of body, but still the embodiment of Palestinian dreams carried off by mourners who got carried away. No resting in peace at this sendoff.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A story as only Jeanne can tell.

That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," Yasser Arafat and Scott and Laci Peterson.

And at 8:00 Eastern, "CNN PRESENTS," "The Fight Over Faith: Evangelicals in America Today."

At 9:00, "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Larry's guest tonight, Martha Stewart's daughter, Alexis.

And I'm going to be back at 10:00 Eastern. Tonight, CNN's Nic Robertson inside Falluja brings us a day in the life of Charlie Company, a very personal take.

The hour's headlines when I come back, and then "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

(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 November 14, 2004 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. These are the headlines this hour. A U.S. Marine general says Falluja is under U.S. control. Forces are still going door to door searching for any remnants of the insurgency.
And former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas escaped unharmed after a gun fight broke out at a gathering of mourners in Gaza. Two security guards were killed, at least ten others were injured during the five-minute shootout. Palestinians had gathered there to mourn the death of Yasser Arafat.

And Iran agrees to suspend its uranium enrichment program after talks between Iranian officials of France, Britain and Germany. The Bush adiministration believes Iran was enriching uranium to secretly build nuclear weapons.

Good evening. I'm Carol Lin, and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Police used stun guns on children. Was it justified? Is it ever? Hear from the 12-year-old who was shot.

Plus, the touching and courageous story of veterans helping brothers with something only they understand. How to live your life after losing an arm or leg in service to your country.

Well right now, we are going to begin with the hunt for the last remaining insurgents in Falluja whom U.S. military officials say will fight to the death.

In the words of a general, troops have no choice but to accommodate. So by all appearances, the U.S. and Iraqi forces have control of Falluja. U.S. Marines are going house to house to root out any militants. The military says as many as 2,000 insurgents have already been killed. 38 American troops and 6 Iraqi forces died as well.

CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with U.S. soldiers outside Falluja. She says recent operations focused on what's underneath the city.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Military commanders on the ground in Falluja tell us they have defeated the last of the organized insurgency. Overnight, we were with an army unit, Task Force 22 of the 1st Infantry Division, that rolled into the last part of their sector in southeast Falluja, thought to be an insurgent stronghold. And what they found there, a series of immense underground bunkers, storage facilities and tunnels leading to them. In fact, one of the tanks we were with actually fell through into a tunnel. It was recovered and no one was hurt.

Overnight they dropped four 2,000-pound bombs on that complex. And they say there were 45 minutes of secondary explosions, indicating that there had been weapons or explosives stored there.

One of the marine officials, Major General Richard Nitensky (ph) tells us that even though there are insurgents active in other cities, primarily right now Mosul and other parts of Iraq, the fact that they have defeated the insurgency in a formal sense in Falluja certainly lessens their ability to operate.

LT. GEN. JOHN SATTLER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I think having taken down fallujah, they no longer have a base of operations. This was their sanctuary. The location they could rearm, refit, rest, and then operate anywhere around the Sunni Triangle, out west, up north. They no longer have that luxury.

So, if they do go into places like Mosul or Ramadi, we're waiting for them. We're going to chase them down. Now they no longer have a place to run to.

ARRAF: As for civilians in Falluja, they are just starting to come out of their homes. A marine colonel tells us that they are tentatively leaving their homes and approaching Iraqi forces who are going deeper into the city, in the center of Falluja. He says that they are approaching in small groups and saying they need food, water and medicine.

Aid is slowly getting through to them. But many civilians in Falluja still inside their homes. And many parts of the city have been empty of civilians for weeks. Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Falluja.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Still a lot of questions when it comes down to this battle, the fighting is winding down, but what has the coalition exactly gained from the fight? I'm going to talk with CNN military analyst, retired Major General Terry Murray. That's going to be coming up in about 30 minutes.

Also some other problems to report. Amnesty International released a statement. It's very concerned about how civilians have been treated during this fight. It's concerned about shortages of food and water inside that city. No aid has reached civilians since the battle began.

Now, U.S. forces today kept trucks carrying aid waiting on the edge of the city. CNN's Karl Penhaul has more on the Iraqis caught in this crossfire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORREPSONDENT (voic-over): Through the lens of a TV camera, the fight for Falluja looks like a war movie: Apocalypse Now, Platoon or Full Metal Jacket. You hear the sound of the shooting, but you're sparred the sound of the sobbing. Of innocents trapped in the crossfire.

The sobbing of women like Saham Mohammed Abdullah (ph). She says her mother was killed, her cousin and uncle wounded and that she took bullets to her arm and leg.

UNIDENTIIFED FEMALE (throuth translato)r: We left the house around 2:30 p.m. with a car to go to my uncle's house near Abdullah Aziz Mosque. We thought it would be safer there, but when we reached the area, U.S. snipers started shooting. I was wounded. My mother stopped breathing. My mother died.

PENHAUL: 23-year-old Saha (ph) says her family sheltered in their home at first, but tried to flee when fighting engulfed their neighborhood.

Prior to the assault, coalition forces dropped leaflets ordering Falluja civilians not to drive in an attempt to defend against suicide car bombs. U.S. troops have occupied some of Falluja's mosques, but the U.S. military was not immediately able to confirm Saha's (ph) account. The U.S. troops opened fire from Abdul Aziz Mosque.

It's clear, though, the Americans were first on the scene to give her family first aid.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They lay us down on the ground. My uncle and my cousin were bleeding. Then the Americans carried us inside and put us in the mosque. I told them I want my mother. But they refused. I told them even if she died, just bring her body inside. But they did not tell me if she was dead or alive.

PEHNAUL: U.S. troops shuttled them by Humvees and ambulances to this Baghdad hospital. The Iraqi Health Ministry has given no consolidated figures on the civilain toll in Falluja. The doctors here at Baghdad's medical city say they've so far treated at least 25 wounded civilians. Staff at a U.S. military hospital said they treated 30 others.

This Iraqi aid convoy has so far been unable to enter the city, because it's still too dangerous.

As soon as Sahar (ph) is fit enough, she says she will head back to Falluja. She must search for her elderly grandparents to see if they survived. And comb the battlefield for her mother's body that was left behind. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And then there is the ultimate fallout from this war. Almost 300 Americans have been wounded in the battle of Falluja so far. And many have been sent to the Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany that treats patients from usually Afghanistan, Iraq, around the Middle East. They average about 50 patients a day, but the commander of the main U.S. military hospital in Europe, Colonel Rhanda Cornum says casualties have doubled as a result of the battle of Falluja. And since that battle began, they're now averaging almost 70 patients a day. And a vast majority of them, 95 percent, have come from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COL. RHONDA CORNUM, CMDR. LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CTR: I am constantly amazed at the good attitude that these soldiers have. The soldiers that come and the people that come from their rear detachment units that come to meet them, I am constantly that they're strong and they're highly motivated, and you're just proud to be one of them. And you just want to do the best you can for them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: She also said it's been the busiest week for the hospital since April, which is, of course as you might recall, the last time U.S. forces tried to take Falluja.

I want to move now to the Middle East. An attack that we have been keeping an eye on, because it's a matter of dissecting what it all means. An attack in Gaza today is raising concerns that a violent Palestinian power struggle could actually be beginning now that Yasser Arafat is gone.

Gunmen opened fire in a tent where Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, had gathered with others to mourn Arafat. Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem with more details.

Matthew, we have been mincing words all day, or parcing words all day. The bottom line, was this an assassination attempt?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carol, it doesn't seem to have been an assassination attempt as such. Although, it clearly shows how dark is the shadow of violence that looms over the political process for Palestinian politicians.

Gunmen burst into that mourning tent for Yasser Arafat in the Gaza Strip, where Abu Mazen was paying his respects to Yasser Arafat, along with thousands of other people.

Firing into the air. We understand that at least 2 people were killed in the chaos that ensued. Abu Mazen was taken away to safety.

But it was a precedent which is -- it's come as a big setback for those Palestinians who had been urging restraint and unity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Abu Mazen was in Gaza to pay his respects to Yasser Arafat. He's already been appointed his successor as head of the PLO and is tipped as favorite for president as well. But these are dangerous times for anyone seeking the mantle of Palestinian leader. A column of armed militants enters the crowd, firing into the air. Members of Fatah, Abu Mazen own party, here to object to his presence. Abu Mazen is an agent of America, they shout.

In the chaos, more shots are fired and terrified mourners scramble for cover. Abu Mazen is whisked away safely, later playing down what happened here.

ABU MAZEN, PLO LEADER (through translator): As a result of the outbreak of emotion because of Yasser Arafat's death, there was overcrowding and firing in the air, which meant we had to leave. And we left.

CHANCE: But finding a successor to Yasser Arafat is now a pressing need. In Ramallah, Palestinian officials announced leadership elections will be held on January 9, 60 days after the death of their first president, and time enough for chaos to mar the choosing of a second.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Carol, Yasser -- rather, Palestinian politics has long been fractured. A new guard of political figures has emerged to challenge the old one. And with Yasser Arafat not there to sort of bridge the gap, there are very real concerns that this political process, that the Palestinians are currently engaged in to choose a successor to Yasser Arafat, could descend into more and more violence like what we saw in Gaza.

LIN: All right. Matthew, thank you very much. Matthew Chance reporting live in Jerusalem.

We're going to stay in the Middle East right now. Take a look at Iran and what it is up to. It's doing a nuclear about-face, so it seems. Today it agreed to meet a key command from the international community announcing it would suspend its uranium enrichment program. Reporter Kasra Naji, joins me now on the telephone from Tehran with the latest on that.

Kasra, it's been widely speculated and reported that Iran was being aggressive about its nuclear program, because the United States was bogged down in Iraq. Why would it make an about-face now?

KASRA NAJI, REPORTER (via telephon): Well, because there is going to be a report by the chief of the IAEA on Monday, and he's going to summarize the activities and the inspection, the result of the inspections of the IAEA over the last 2 years in Iran. And Iran wanted to make sure that it would be in that report, saying that they have stopped enrichment, because otherwise, Iran would be referred to the Security Counsel for possible sanctions. That's why.

So this is an 11-hour break-through, an agreement Iran says it has decided to suspend its nuclear enrichment activities. It has informed the IAEA of this. And they're saying that the suspension will continue as long as the talks with Europe will continue over a package of incentives that the EU is offering in return for Iran's suspending its nuclear activities.

LIN: Kasra, though, it could be a stall tactic. Does anybody really know how far along their nuclear program is right now?

NAJI: Not really. Iranians are adamant, and they keep saying that their nuclear plan is peaceful. But indications we have here by the -- you know, judging by the statements of the officials here, that they are pretty close in getting there in terms of enrichment. How far they can enrich, whether they can enrich uranium to the degree that is needed for nuclear weapons, that is very much an open question -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Sounds like the need for inspectors. Thank you very much, Kasra Naji, reporting on the telephone from Tehran.

Well, still ahead tonigh, the wounds of war struggling to carry on after life on the battlefield. Hear the remarkable story of a wounded war veteran helping today's troops cope without limbs. That is up next.

And then healing of a different kind. Will the Catholic Church ever overcome the priest abuse scandal. That debate is heating up this coming week.

And later tonight, a pill that sheds pounds. An unprecedented experiment in weight loss could impact generations to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The troops injured on the front lines, the battle scars often remain, even when the wounds heal. Well, this is especially true for those who lose a limb. Our Alina Cho reports they're getting help, though, from an older generation of war wounded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the second time in his life, Sean Carroll is learning to walk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just walked 20 feet.

CHO: His grandmother is nearby, so is Don Sioss, Vietnam War Veteran, fellow amputee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to take a while, but you're a Marine, you're up to it.

CHO: Sioss is part cheerleader...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's progress every little day.

CHO: ...part counselor, lending an empathetic ear, comparing notes with soldiers learning how to live again after losing a limb.

(on camera): So up and down. What's harder, up or down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably down is a little harder.

CHO: Sioss lost his leg 33 years ago, but remembers what he was feeling like it was yesterday.

DON SIOSS, VIETNAM WAR AMPUTEE: I woke up and I didn't really know. And I was kind of afraid to open the sheet and really see what happened.

They're lying in the hospital, they're saying, can I drive a car? Will I date? Will I be attractive to women? Will women date me because they feel sorry for me?

CHO: And you tell them what?

SIOSS: You tell them, listen, everything's going to be OK.

CHO: Sioss, now a husband and father of 4, is part of a group of war veterans, amputees who travel routinely to Walter Reed Medical Center.

Sioss was inspired by the man who mentored him, Julius Wagman, World War II veteran, also an amputee.

JULIUS WAGMAN, WORLD WAR II AMPUTEE: They see a fellow like Don walking in, and having a job and driven from New York. And well, if he can do it, I can do it.

SIOSS: What happened?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: RPG. I was in my Bradley.

CHO: Lonnie Moore lost his leg on April 6 in Ramadi. He plans to stay in the Army.

LONNIE MOORE, IRAQ WAR AMPUTEE: It's really refreshing to see their outtake on life and to see that they've been successful, and no reason why we can't.

CHO: Hilbert Caesar lost his leg in Baghdad. He wants to be an X-ray technician. And like Sioss, is also from Queens.

SIOSS: I was with the 101st airborne in Vietnam.

HILBERT CAESAR, IRAQ WAR AMPUTEE: Thank you for your service.

SIOSS: No, thank you. You guys are doing a good job over there.

CAESAR: They're just giving us inspiration. I mean this is great that you guys are taking time off to come visit us and show us that there's more out there, than just sitting around here. There's a lot we can do.

SIOSS: We're just looking to give them some counsel. Some advice.

CHO: At the hospital, at the driving range, even over a meal. CAESAR: I don't know what to tell my wife. How to talk to her. Or how do I -- how do I hug my kids, man. I don't know what to do.

CHO: Sioss says time is the greatest healer.

(on camera): Is it possible that you get as much out of this as they do?

SIOSS: I probably get more out of it than they do. I really think that.

CHO (voice-over): Sean Carroll, the 19-year-old soldier who was just learning to walk again, disputes that.

CARROLL: Things can always get worse. And I've learned that. But, you know, just talking to him, you know, things do get better.

CHO: With the help of those who understand.

SIOSS: Good to see you, Sean.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, they meet tomorrow for their annual conference. So can bishops regain what they lost after the sex abuse scandals that rocked the Catholic Church.

And later, Miami police on the defense after they taser a 12- year-old girl. Now that little girl speaks out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The nation's Catholic bishops meet this week in Washington. And on the primary, and at least the preliminary agenda, the explosive issue of sexual abuse involving priests.

Now, efforts are under way to provide some healing. But some Catholics believe the church hierarchy must be held more accountable before that can happen. CNN's Tom Foreman has the story from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost nine out of ten Catholics believe the most serious issue in their church today is sexual abuse by priests. That, in a new nationwide survey by researchers at the Catholic University of America and Purdue who found the next worst problem is the perceived cover-up by bishops.

DAVID O'BRIEN, CATHOLIC STUDIES PROFESSOR: Certainly the anger of the Catholic people is as much out of the secrecy and hypocrisy of the bishops, moving of priests around the -- and the unwillingness to deal with victims openly, using adversarial techniques and not really telling people the truth about their priests for so long. FOREMAN: As Catholic bishops meet this week in Washington, a proposal to track new cases of abuse is being considered. But church activists are gathering, too, and they want more, more involvement by church members in handling these cases, more honesty.

JANET PATTERSON, MOTHER OF ALLEGED VICTIM: I think the No. 1 solution is truth.

FOREMAN: The story of Janet Patterson's son, Eric, is the kind that has created bitterness. She says when Eric was 12, he was sexually abused by Father Robert Larson, who later confessed to abusing others.

Larson has denied sexual involvement with Eric, and the accusation cannot be proven now. Eight months after telling his family about the alleged abuse, Eric committed suicide. The church has apologized to all its members in that diocese, but Janet Patterson is not satisfied.

PATTERSON: I consider not that I have left the church, but that the church has left me, because I don't see this legitimate heartache among the bishops and priests and fellow laity at what has happened.

FOREMAN: Many parishes have tried to heal, even holding special services to admit the church's mistakes to its members.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they have been grateful for the opportunity to come and to pray, to hear a message that says, we want you to be healed. We ask you to forgive us for anything wrong we've done.

FOREMAN: But other Catholics clearly believe their bishops must be more accountable before forgiveness can follow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): Certainly the bishops take this all very seriously. Not just because they want to be close to their congregation, that's also a very important part of this, probably the most important part, but also in a practical sense. This has cost the church millions of dollars. Some diocese have gone bankrupt and others are expected to follow suit -- Carol.

LIN: But Tom, do you expect any news to be made at tomorrow's meeting?

FOREMAN: It is very unlikely. That is not the Catholic Church works, not the bishops. If you follow the bishops over a long period of time, you realize this is a very slow process of rebuilding trust. They don't like to make headlines with this. They like to have discussions. They will likely issue some sort of statement that reaffirms the process going on. But that's the most you'll see.

The question is, is that enough for Catholics out there who have said, they need to be more involved. It needs to be less about the hierarchy, more about the membership. That doesn't seem that likely to happen right now. And can they be satisfied otherwise is the big question.

LIN: Could be an evolution in these relationships. No pun intended. Thanks very much, Tom Foreman.

Well Gay Christians began a vigil outside the Catholic bishop's conference tonight. Members of the interfaith group So Course (ph) are protesting what they're calling Catholic Church spiritual violence against gays and lesbians. They say the violence is perpetuated by church policies and teachings.

Well, it is orientation time in Washington for a different sort of group. Newly elected members of Congress are in town to check out Capitol Hill. Their work begins in January.

Meanwhile, the current Senate and House are, well, are to come in Tuesday for a lame duck session. Lawmakers have a lot of pressing work to tackle, including spending bills for the fiscal year that began last month.

Vice President Dick Cheney's wife says he's ready to go to work tomorrow. One day after Cheney experienced shortness of breath, Lynne Cheney says he's feeling fine, but suffering from a cold. The vice president underwent several hours of tests as a precaution. Aides say they showed no problems with his heart. But Mrs. Cheney also denied speculation that her husband may run for president in 2008.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNNE CHENEY, VICE PRES. CHENEY'S WIFE: He said from the beginning that his goal was to serve this president. And he didn't want to have another agenda. He makes every decision in terms of this president's welfare. And I think that's a very good way for things to be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, consider his health history. I mean, Dick Cheney has had four heart attacks. His most recent was in 2000, just before he assumed the vice presidency.

Well, is the CIA shaking it up? And is it a shakeup in making? The deputy director announces his retirement. Now many are asking if even more change is ahead.

Plus, did police go too far? Two children tasered by Miami police have parents and an entire community asking why.

And some are ready to call it a miracle pill. The results of a new weight loss drug shock the medical field. I've got the study's lead investigator. Let's hear about this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. Here's a quick look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

The Arabic language television network Al-Jazeera reports kidnappers have released two women relatives of Iraq's prime minister, Ayad Allawi. But a male cousin remains in their custody.

Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas escapes injury in a shootout at the crowded mourning ceremony in Gaza. Two security guards were killed and at least 10 other people wounded. Abbas downplayed the shooting, but witnesses say the gunmen were members of a group opposed to him.

Meanwhile, the timetable is in place for electing a new Palestinian Authority president. The election is set for January 9. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat is asking the international community to monitor the election, but does not want NATO to send in troops.

Are office and partisan politics affecting the CIA and the fight against terrorism? Some published reports citing former CIA officials are raising those questions. CNN's Elaine Quijano is live now at the White House with more on this story.

Elaine, what's going on over there?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Carol

Well, this has to do with the announcement on Friday of the number two man retiring. That is, John McLaughlin announcing his retirement.

Now, insiders say the announcement is not really a surprise. They say this was long planned. But others are raising questions about the environment at the agency.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): It's no set secret there are tensions at the CIA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is quite a soap opera even by Washington politics standards.

QUIJANO: But what's causing them and whether they'll affect the agency's ability to fight terrorism remains up for debate. "The Washington Post" reports some longtime officers are threatening to resign over staff changes. And like everything in Washington, opinions fall along party lines. Some Democrats are honing in on the president's choice to head the CIA.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: Well, I think that Porter Goss apparently carried out a few things in a heavy-handed way or precipitous way. And if that's the fact, then that would have been part of the cause here.

QUIJANO: Porter Goss during his days as the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee was harshly critical of the CIA's clandestine service. During his confirmation hearings he vowed to lead the agency in a nonpartisan way. But the former '60s-era intelligence officer also hinted at his style.

PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: My attitude towards the intelligence community, and I guess my alma mater, the CIA, is one of tough love.

QUIJANO: Some Republicans see that tough love as exactly the answer to preventing future CIA failures, like the flawed intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Somebody needs to deal with the dynamic that led us to being so wrong. And if you have to hurt some feelings, so be it.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This is an organization full of very good and decent people, but is dysfunctional and is not providing the intelligence information necessary for the president to conduct the war on terror.

QUIJANO: Yet the ranking Democratic on the House Intelligence Committee says the problem's not Director Goss but those he's brought with him, now clashing with career CIA officers.

REP. JANE HARMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: The agency seems in free-fall in Washington. And that is a very, very bad omen in middle of a war.

QUIJANO: Those who have been in Goss's position say changes in the agency are bound to cause friction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a certain amount of natural tension if a new director brings in senior people. So even bringing in three or four people is something of a departure, particularly for the old hands at the agency.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, as we said at the outset, the reports of discord at the CIA coincide with this announcement on Friday that John McLaughlin, the deputy director, will be retiring in December. Now, in a written statement, McLaughlin said that the move was a purely personal decision, and a CIA spokesman denies that any other factors, Carol, played into that decision -- Carol.

LIN: That's right. He emphasized the word "retirement." Thanks very much. Elaine Quijano live at the White House.

Well, after a week of fighting in Falluja, the U.S. military says the Iraqi city is now liberated from insurgents. But pockets of militants remain. And will Falluja stay under control?

Joining me now is CNN military analyst, retired Major General Terry Murray, who's been along with us for analysis throughout this battle.

General Murray, good evening.

MAJ. GEN. TERRY MURRAY, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good evening, Carol.

LIN: How do you assess the situation so far? It's surrounded. It's not necessarily secured, though.

MURRAY: No. The conventional phase of the battle, what I would call the conventional phase, where roughly 14,000 coalition troops attacked a city that had been evacuated of the great majority of civilians, the conventional phase is almost done. And I would think that the outcome here was predictable.

You had maybe 1,000 to 2,000 insurgents that went toe-to-toe with coalition forces that out-manned them and out-gunned them, probably on a ratio of roughly six to one. Consequently, what we think is occurring as we speak is that there are small pockets in the southern part off the city, and in some cases in the northern part of the city that coalition forces are still trying to root out.

LIN: Small pockets, because perhaps many of them fled. I mean, take a look at the full screen here.

CNN took a look at the big picture across Iraq. And while U.S. forces are battling these small pockets, take a look at all the trouble across the country. Violence breaking out, Iraqi police being killed, a U.S. soldier dead near Baghdad. These are just some of the examples of today alone.

MURRAY: It's likely, Carol, that some of the insurgent forces that were inside Falluja, that they might have moved to Mosul or Ramadi or Samarra, Baji. These are some of the cities where insurgent activity has been quite active over the last few -- few days.

So we estimated that the high might have been up to 6,000 insurgents that had occupied Falluja. What is important is that the coalition forces have taken down Falluja. I think that was a necessity, both militarily and politically.

LIN: Right. So one down, eight to go, some people might say.

If you're really going to control the situation in Iraq, and prepare this country for elections, it sounds like U.S. forces have to occupy en masse every single one of those cities: Baquba, Mosul, Samarra. The list goes on.

MURRAY: I don't know that they need to occupy all of those cities, or that this model will be applied elsewhere. It would be very difficult to do this in a city of two million people, which is roughly what you have in Mosul, and in Baghdad probably six million people.

LIN: So what was gained here then?

MURRAY: Pardon me?

LIN: I mean, what was gained here then?

MURRAY: What was... LIN: They now have Falluja, "under control," but there's still violence breaking out across the country.

MURRAY: What was gained here, Carol, is that Falluja was arguably the command and control center for activities that were going on throughout Iraq. I think if for no other reason than strategically, this city needed to be taken down in preparation for elections in January. That was the first step.

You ask a very relevant question. In those other cities around Iraq, as we have watched in the last week, where insurgent activities seem to have increased, do we have to apply the same model? Do coalition forces have to apply the same model elsewhere in order to -- to reduce this insurgency? And I think that's to be determined.

LIN: General, I know it's frustrating. You know, because there are battles won, and then battles lost. And it's -- we're just trying to get a handle on exactly, when we talk about so many American lives at stake, what the U.S. is getting out of this. And we're going to find out.

Thank you very much

MURRAY: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: General Murray.

Well, scientists say it can help you stop smoking. We're moving on to a really interesting health story, because this pill, a pill, could actually help you shed pounds. But it might even do more than that. So up next, I'm going to talk to the man in charge of an extensive new study on what some are calling the super pill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Using stun guns on children, a practice that has come under intense scrutiny since it was recently revealed. Miami-Dade police used Tasers to subdue two children. One incident involved a 12-year- old girl, and she is now speaking out.

CNN's Susan Candiotti has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The second Taser incident involving a child was publicly revealed only after CNN first reported on a 6-year-old being jolted, even though both cases were known to authorities. This 12-year-old girl was also Tasered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It felt like I couldn't breathe when he was putting it on. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I was like nervous and I was scared at the same time.

CANDIOTTI: Police say she was playing hooky from school, drinking and swimming with friends in a pool. After breaking it up, an officer gave chase. According to a police report, he advised her to stop several times, but she didn't, to the point of starting to run into lanes of traffic. About two weeks earlier, this first-grader was Tasered at school. He was holding a piece of broken glass, allegedly about to cut his leg. Police insist two officers and other there had no other choice.

DET. JUAN DEL CASTILLO, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: We're happy that we're here talking about this as opposed to an injury that he might have caused to himself with that piece of glass.

CANDIOTTI: After the quick 50,000-volt jolt, the boy's family says he threw up.

KATHY ALLEN, MOTHER: It is three officers. It's nothing to tell a 6-year-old holding a glass if you feel threatened, "Hey, here is a piece of candy. Hey, here's a piece of toy." You know, "Let the glass go."

CANDIOTTI: Both incidents have created an outcry. Florida's governor was asked about it.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I don't know the circumstances of why adults couldn't control a 6-year-old.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): While Miami-Dade police defend using a Taser on a 6-year-old boy, they question using a Taser on a child playing hooky. However, they refused to answer any more questions until Monday.

(voice-over): Community activists are calling for a meeting with police.

GEORGIA AYERS, ACTIVIST: There needs to be more in-depth study on using the Taser on children. Paragraph ended.

CANDIOTTI: Miami police chief John Timoney has questions about his sister agency's Taser policy and says he's uncomfortable about using Tasers on children, especially in school.

CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: You're arming them just to deal with unruly students. I mean, that's...

CANDIOTTI: Taser International says more than 5,000 police agencies nationwide use their product and insist it is tested safe for anyone weighing at least 60 pounds. Yet, Tasers on children remain controversial, and in south Florida policies on their use are under review.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Is it ever justified in those situations? That's going to be our hot topic at 10:00 tonight. But right now, I want to get to this really interesting medical story. Some are ready to actually call this pill the super pill that millions of Americans have been waiting for. A new experimental pill that helps people lose weight and quit smoking.

Well, Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer is the principal investigator studying the drug. He joins me live now to talk about how it works.

Dr. Pi-Sunyer, the principal investigator, what exactly does that mean? Were you hired by the drug company developing this pill to investigate this drug?

DR. XAVIER PI-SUNYER, ENDOCRINOLOGIST: This was a clinical trial that was done in North America, in the U.S. and Canada. It was done by individual investigators, 72 centers around the U.S. and Canada. It was funded by the drug company because they needed to have the trial to get approval for the drug from the Food and Drug Administration.

LIN: The name of the drug, the commercial name I have is Accomplia. Is that right?

PI-SUNYER: That's correct.

LIN: All right. So this drug, I read that it actually works on the system in a similar manner as marijuana. And by all accounts, marijuana makes you a lot hungrier. So how does this drug actually work?

PI-SUNYER: Well, what happens is people who are overweight and obese have an overactivity of the system called the endocrinovanoid (ph) system, and the drug modulates the system downs toward normal. So the people begin to eat less, and they eat -- as they eat less, they lose weight. Their central obesity improves and they're able to maintain the weight loss over time.

LIN: Now, you had different test groups. And in one particular group they were able to shed an average of 19 pounds, and they kept the weight off for two years, right?

PI-SUNYER: That's correct.

LIN: All right. But still a lot is not known about the actual side effects. But there are some?

PI-SUNYER: There are some side effects. They tend to get better over time.

The side effects include some nausea at the beginning, and also some increased irritability and anxiety. And these drop away over the first year. In the second year there isn't any difference between if you're taking the drug or you're taking a placebo. That is a dummy pill.

LIN: Now, to a lot of people, doctor, especially in the post- phen-phen days, this sounds like a miracle drug, because apparently not only can it help you lose weight and keep it off, but it might even help some people stop smoking. Is it that big of a deal, this drug, do you think?

PI-SUNYER: Well, the drug is not a miracle drug, but it is a drug that works for serious conditions. And the two serious conditions it works for is overweight and obesity, and people who smoke -- are more likely to be able to quit if they're taking the drug.

The drug works by dropping this overactivity of the system that tends to allow people to eat more and also have more pleasure from their smoking. They're able to quit smoking more easily. But to lose weight, you need not only to take a pill, but you also need to intervene yourself. You need to have a diet program and increased physical activity.

LIN: Right. So self-control.

Right. I mean, some lifestyle changes, some self-control. And a pill can't really do that for someone. Is there a danger that by developing this kind of pill, that it's once again that instant fix, that instant solution?

PI-SUNYER: I don't think that the danger is an instant solution. The danger is that we really haven't had success in trying to get people to lose weight and keep it off.

They need to do dietary programs, physical activity. We're extremely sedentary. But they can also get help from medication which is safe and will be able to help them keep the weight off over time. People tend to be able to lose weight, but then they regain it very quickly over six months to a year.

LIN: Right. When do you think this drug will hit the market, if at all?

PI-SUNYER: I think it will be in probably early 2006.

LIN: Early 2006?

PI-SUNYER: Yes. It needs to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

LIN: Yes, a lot of scrutiny. But, you know, interesting to hear about it now. Dr. Pi-Sunyer, thank you very much.

PI-SUNYER: Thank you.

LIN: Up next tonight, the life of a leader. CNN's Jeanne Moos looks back at the years of Yasser Arafat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, no matter how you felt about Yasser Arafat, he was a man who definitely left an impression from his military fatigues to his black and white headdress. His memory will likely cast a big shadow for sometime to come.

Our Jeanne Moos takes a trip down memory lane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It won't be easy to follow in Yasser Arafat's headdress. We grew up with Arafat, knew him from the time he walked on the world stage with a firm step, a fiery voice...

YASSER ARAFAT, FMR. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY LEADER: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC).

MOOS: ... until he was reduced to speaking for the Palestinians with trembling lips.

ARAFAT: OK.

MOOS: Always a personality who seemed split, like some puckish smiling, genial uncle figure who many figured to be a...

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Murderer, murderer!

MOOS: For some, shaking hands with Arafat was a dicey proposition. You could almost feel Israelis hesitate. But if he had blood on his hands, it wasn't visible when he was handed the Nobel Peace Prize.

Arafat's diplomatic dance extended to doorways. Whether it was the U.S. secretary-general, or Israel's prime minister, Arafat said, "You first."

This door dilemma finally solved by opening the other side and going in together. The headdress, the kafia (ph) Arafat wore, was also a symbol. He liked to fold it in the shape of historical Palestine.

Can't quite see it? Maybe this will help. One cartoonist labeled it Arafat's legacy.

He always sounded optimistic when asked about the chances of finally getting a Palestinian state.

ARAFAT: No one can hide his (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fingers. It is coming.

MOOS: But the sun set first on Arafat. The larger than life figure and the kafia (ph) shriveled down until his hat was too big for his head. Frail of body, but still the embodiment of Palestinian dreams carried off by mourners who got carried away. No resting in peace at this sendoff.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A story as only Jeanne can tell.

That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS," Yasser Arafat and Scott and Laci Peterson.

And at 8:00 Eastern, "CNN PRESENTS," "The Fight Over Faith: Evangelicals in America Today."

At 9:00, "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Larry's guest tonight, Martha Stewart's daughter, Alexis.

And I'm going to be back at 10:00 Eastern. Tonight, CNN's Nic Robertson inside Falluja brings us a day in the life of Charlie Company, a very personal take.

The hour's headlines when I come back, and then "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

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