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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

U.S. Sends a Louder Message to Ukraine Over Their Recent Elections; Coalition Forces in Iraq Begin Operation Plymouth Rock

Aired November 24, 2004 - 17:00   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, live in Chicago a Midwest mess moving east. Has the snow snarled traffic?
Overseas, tug of war, a live picture as crowds storm a European capital. The U.S. sends a louder message to Russia's neighbor.

Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Rain, snow and tornadoes, the weather couldn't be much worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, all the power lines broke loose and fire was erupting everywhere. And then the building started tearing loose.

WOODRUFF: All on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Don't you wish you were this man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I was amazed. I came an hour and a half early and not one person in line.

WOODRUFF: Crisis in Ukraine. The pro-Western candidate loses a disputed election.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We cannot accept this result as legitimate.

WOODRUFF: Can the Iron Curtain come back in this former Soviet state?

Bin Laden's brother-in-law. They were best friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many people really love Osama.

WOODRUFF: He'll tell you what happened.

Bad for business. He's lost his salary, now an NBA brawler may be losing endorsements.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Wednesday, November 24, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Hello. I'm Judy Woodruff. Wolf is off today. You name it and travelers on this Thanksgiving eve are having to deal with it. In the South, thunderstorms and deadly tornadoes. So far at least four people have been killed. Traffic on many highways has been bumper to bumper most of the day.

In Kansas City, Missouri and other parts of the Midwest, travelers are being slowed by heavy snow, and the storm that caused it is moving east. AAA is predicting that more than 30 million Americans will travel somewhere this holiday weekend. And for those who are flying, the severe weather is causing long delays at many airports. We have several reports on what it's like beginning with our Deborah Feyerick who is at New York's Laguardia Airport.

Hello, Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Judy. Well, you know, the delays are really happening once you get back past the security checkpoint. But here, at the ticket counters the biggest surprise to passengers who have been in and out all day is that there are no lines. Everything is running pretty smoothly. The airports and the airlines brought in extra workers. The e-tickets -- the electronic tickets made people get through the system very, very quickly. All of this an effort to make the day a little bit easier for people, but still as you say, many headaches out there because of the weather.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): People traveling for Thanksgiving started feeling the pain. And wait they did at Laguardia Airport in New York, the Lorne (ph) de la Cruz families arrived three hours early, not because their plane was late. They were taking no chances.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We tried to make it easier for us, we leave early. We have children. So we have a lot of entertainment to do but at least we can come here and relax.

FEYERICK: At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the day began well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're shocked by what's -- you know, by all of the absence of crowds and disasters.

FEYERICK: But the weather turned and so did the mood. Weather in Georgia grounding planes. In the early afternoon, delays began snowballing from airport to airport.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I drove over here, I could already hear air traffic control doing ground stops at various cities because of the weather.

FEYERICK: Those who chose not to fly caught break in Pennsylvania. Toll collectors went on strike. The drive certainly cheaper and a little bit faster. (END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Now getting back to the airports, one official told us that he expected the situation to get worse over the coming hours and that's because those delays that you see at other airports are going to begin to snowball really significantly, so what's going to happen is is that people will be delayed, they will miss flights, they will not be able to get on flights that perhaps they could have gotten onto had they left a little bit earlier.

And so the issue is, is that one delay at one airport really means other delays and that's what's going to be the hardest. So they're hoping that when the day ends they can sort of clean up, tie up the loose ends and start fresh tomorrow morning. Some people who thought they would arrive tonight are going to have to bunk down for the evening -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thank you, Deborah. One of those days when keeping a sense of humor would help. Deborah Feyerick, thanks a lot.

The severe weather of course is causing hazardous driving conditions in many parts of the country. Snow is already falling in Chicago where thousands are on the move. Our Chris Lawrence is live just outside the Windy City in Shiller Park (ph).

Hello, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Judy, I can tell you if it feels bad sitting in an airport terminal, it's a whole lot worse out here. The weather here in the Midwest has gone from bad to worse really quickly, literally just a few hours ago it was completely bare. And you can see down here, I mean, look how fast this snow is piling up.

We take a look now on the highway. This is one of the most congested urban areas in the country and traffic is now going to almost a crawl. A lot of people trying to get home from work. An equal number trying to get out of town, get a jump on that holiday traffic. It is not going well here in the Midwest with this snow.

In all, nationally, as we look around the country, about 30 million of us are expected to be on the road this holiday season, and AAA says they have not seen that kind of traffic volume on a Thanksgiving since September 11th.

A lot of people trying to get out, of course, here in the Midwest this is what we're dealing with right now. And we expect that this will continue throughout the night, which is really going to put a crimp in a lot of people's travel plans that they were trying to get somewhere tonight. It is slow going out there -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Chris, thanks very much. It's very interesting that people feel safe enough, so many of them, to be on the move. Chris Lawrence, thank you.

Those holiday travelers not going by car, bus or plane, are hitting the rails. Amtrak says that 80 percent more passengers are expected today than on a usual Wednesday. And in a bid to ease crowding, it is adding 60 trains on the Northeast Corridor for the holiday weekend and it's boosting the capacity of the regularly scheduled trains.

For the latest on the weather and what you can expect tomorrow and through the holiday weekend, CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is live at the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta. Hi, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Judy. A number of things to talk about weather wise this afternoon. We have snow which you saw pictures of delaying some road travel across the Midwest, also creating some problems, moreso in the visibility department across Chicago O'Hare where we have delays there over an hour or two in some spots.

And if you're sitting in an airport, I don't need to tell you. But look at the size of this storm, all the way from the border of Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico. It's a big one, it's not moving all that quick quickly. And these red watches indicate there's some rough weather.

And yesterday we had 50 reports of tornadoes touching down. Already today over six reports of tornadoes and we've already had some injuries. So snow, wet weather, and also rough weather in the form of wind and destructive tornadoes. This thing is going to roll to the east slowly and affect people not only tonight but tomorrow as well.

Through the Northeast tonight, just wet weather up the I-95 corridor from Philly to New York to Boston. But there are travel delays at the airports there. We slide it back across Detroit, through Cadillac, Michigan, Flynt, down to Chicago, some snows. Most of of the accumulating snow have been across central Illinois, upwards four to five inches of snow. We don't expect that to be a huge, huge issue.

And then one other spot across the Pacific Northwest, some snows in some of the higher elevations across the Cascades and the Bitterroots of Idaho.

Overnight lows tonight in Chicago 23, that snow that does fall will be -- a little bit will stick. Judy, we'll keep you updated throughout the evening tonight. Back over to you.

WOODRUFF: All right, Rob Marciano, thank you very much.

And to our viewers we want to give you a chance to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: Is your holiday being affected by the weather? Of course if you're staying home we already may know what you think about this. But in any event you can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

A winner has been declared, but that is only fueling the unease in Ukraine. We're going to have the latest on the country's contested election. Also this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He cannot organize anything. I am the one who is leading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson's exclusive interview with Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law.

Plus, will the NBA brawl mean the end of endorsement deals for the players involved?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Tens of thousands of people are in the streets of Ukraine's capital protesting a presidential election which international observers are calling a fraud. As chaos looms in the former Soviet Republic, the United States is issuing a warning amid echoes of the Cold War. We begin with CNN's Jill Dougherty who is on the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A chilling point in the standoff over the Ukrainian presidential elections as thousands of people rallied in the streets of Kiev supporting the opposition candidate. The Central Election Commission of Ukraine came out and said that the government-backed candidate, Mr. Yanokovych, is the winner.

The initial results a couple days ago had said that he had won by three points, 3 percentage points. And again today, the commission coming out and saying that he, indeed, has won by approximately 3 percent of the vote.

That is news that the opposition is not going to be happy about. They have maintained all along that this election had massive irregularities and falsifications. In fact, in an interview with CNN, the opposition candidate, Mr. Yushchenko, said that they actually had proof of that. And he pointed to the -- the decision by the international sectors who had found many violations. So the question now is, where do they go?

The opposition has suggested that there might be some legal steps that could be taken, perhaps an investigation of those allegations. The United States certainly wanted that. They had urged there be an investigation. But it's unclear whether there will be that investigation or any other steps that might change things.

Finally, the question now, what do the people on the streets of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities do? The opposition supporters are going to be disappointed. So far things have been peaceful but it is unpredictable how all of this could play out and how they could react to the news. Jill Dougherty, CNN, Kiev, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Thank you, Jill.

The Bush administration responded almost immediately to the election results with an expression of anger and dismay from its top diplomat. Our White House correspondent Susan Malveaux is live from Crawford, Texas, near the president's ranch. Hello, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. Well the White House, as you know, is keeping a very close eye on the developments in the Ukraine. And while President Bush was largely out of sight today, his secretary of state, Colin Powell made it very clear the U.S. position that these election results are not acceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): A jovial President Bush hosted Spain's king and queen for a turkey feast at his Crawford ranch, while his secretary of state Colin Powell back in Washington publicly decried Ukraine's elections as a fraud.

POWELL: The Central Election Commission has just announced official results and declared the current prime minister the winner. We cannot accept this result as legitimate.

MALVEAUX: The Bush administration says it is deeply disturbed over fraud in Ukraine's elections. It views it as a blow to democracy in that region.

With Russia and the Ukrainian authorities declaring its candidate the winner. And the U.S., Europeans and Ukrainian people supporting an alternate candidate. The Bush administration is putting pressure on the Ukrainian government to investigation the election results and cooperate with international observers.

POWELL: If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly there will be consequences.

MALVEAUX: Tuesday, the White House issued a statement condemning the Ukrainian authorities for the election crisis. And said the U.S. stood by the Ukrainian people.

U.S. authorities are also concerned with Russia's role in the former Soviet state, which they say has exacerbated increasing tensions between the United States and Russia. It was just last Saturday President Bush met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Chile at the APEC Summit, where senior administration officials say Mr. Bush expressed his concerns about Russia's recent retreat from Democratic reforms as well as Putin's move to limit the free press and centralized power.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (on camera): And Judy, Secretary Powell talked about those consequences. I spoke with Bush administration official involved in the talks. They said that most likely the administration would not consider cutting ties with the former Soviet state, but would possibly consider imposing sanctions -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: And Suzanne, just to clarify, no statement from the White House itself on this yet?

MALVEAUX: No statement on the White House today, but certainly yesterday a very strongly worded statement from the White House saying that they were disturbed by what they saw as evidence of fraud in the elections, that they called for calm and for peace, for this to be handled in a nonviolent way. And they also said very clearly that the U.S. stands behind the Ukrainian people.

WOODRUFF: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you very much. Reporting from Crawford.

Well, many people in this country may not realize it, but the United States has a significant stake in what is happening in Ukraine. CNN's Tim Lister reports on what the crisis means for Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM LISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The protests on the freezing streets of Kiev mark a crucial moment for a country that straddles a political fault line. Will Ukraine emerge from this election facing west, toward free markets, membership in the European Union and NATO? Or north towards Russia, which has dominated life here for so long? Or will it emerge badly split, a fresh source of instability in an already volatile region.

13 years ago Ukrainians poured on to the streets of the capital to demand independence as the Soviet Union imploded. Next to Russia, this country of nearly 50 million has the greatest economic potential of the former Soviet states. It is rich in resources, with huge coal fields and agricultural land that provided much of the Soviet Union's grain. And it enjoys a vital strategic position sitting astride the route from Energy rich Central Asia to Europe.

In the Soviet era, the Black Sea fleet was based in Ukrainian ports. And nuclear missile silos dotted its landscape. Those are gone. The United States has provided nearly $700 million to help dismantle what, 10 years ago, was the world's third largest nuclear arsenal. But there's plenty of nuclear experience here. Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986 is on Ukrainian soil. Today, the Ukrainians are looking to expand their nuclear power program.

There's also a long history of building weapons in Ukraine. Two years ago, Washington accused the current president Kuchma of involvement in a plan to sell advance radar to Iraq. Kuchma denied it.

Ukraine's position and potential make it Russia's most important neighbor after China. And Moscow still sees the country very much within its sphere of influence.

President Putin has openly backed the government's candidate, Victor Yanukovych, who has proposed making Russian an official language.

President Bush's envoy monitoring the elections, Senator Luger, has said that with Democratic forces under threat in Russia and neighboring Belarus, this vote marks a true turning point for the entire region. To some political analysts, the crisis could even tear the country apart.

DMITRI TREMIN, CARNEGIE MOSCOW CENTER: I think that this is the first time when the political leaders, political forces in Ukraine and outside of Ukraine who have been very actively involved in this election, are putting the country toward the brink of a real split which will serve no one's interest.

LISTER: As one official in Washington put it, I don't think there's any doubt this is going to be a big test for us and the Russians.

Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: From Ukraine to Iraq, and a new offensive with a name tied to America's Thanksgiving holiday.

Plus, a CNN exclusive: An interview with Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law.

Also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure. It was a harsh decision, I think and I'm not sure what's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: As punishments are handed down in the NBA brawl, will prize endorsements be taken away from the players involved?

And later, startling statistics of an unexpected group at risk. How HIV is affecting people over 50.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: It is called "Operation Plymouth Rock." It has nothing do with pilgrims and everything to do with hunting down Iraq's insurgents.

Lets go live now to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Hi, Barbara. BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy. As you say, a new operation under way about 50 miles south of Baghdad, and more insurgents under arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): As new Iraqi troops join the ranks, elections in their violent racked country are just 10 weeks away. Top U.S. military officials say they must decide in the next several days whether to order more troops from the U.S. to go to Iraq to ensure security.

LT. GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. ARMY: While everyone recognizes that it will be a fight to the elections in those provinces where the insurgents are active.

STARR: In the so-called triangle of death south of Baghdad, the British Black Watch has joined the U.S. and Iraqi forces in "Operation Plymouth Rock." It involves sweeps through several towns. Five thousand troops tightening the noose around remaining insurgent elements. The entire area has been full of criminal activity for months. Convoy attacks, kidnapings and outright murders according to experts. This operation is very different from the assault on Fallujah.

CAPT. DAVID NEVERS, U.S. ARMY: Iraqi security forces, U.S. Marines, their British allies are conducting a multitude of operations aimed at capturing or killing those who are violently opposing Iraq's path to peace and democracy and freedom.

STARR: Unlike Fallujah where the U.S. telegraphed its punch ahead of time.

NEVERS: What we're doing here is developing intelligence, patiently and persistently going after targets in a very focused way. You're going to see in the coming days a lot of precision raids, house-to-house searches, but the activity is going -- is going to experience periods of hot and cold. The insurgents are not going to know when we're coming.

e (END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: No decision yet, Judy, about sending more U.S. troops into Iraq, but we're told that decision could come very quickly after the Thanksgiving Holiday -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: So, Barbara, how much of a dent do they really believe they can make in these insurgents?

STARR: Well, the idea now is to shut down the areas where they've been operating. Basically deny them sanctuary and move them into tighter and tighter areas. The less places they can operate the more likely they hope they are to be able to catch these people and shut down their operations in the weeks ahead before that election takes place.

WOODRUFF: Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon thanks very much.

Two American soldiers were killed and another wounded in Afghanistan today. The casualties came when a bomb ripped through a patrol 250 miles southwest of Kabul. The area has been the scene of frequent fighting between U.S. forces and Taliban holdouts.

He was Osama bin Laden's best friend, and later became his brother-in-law. They studied together and fought the Soviets together in Afghanistan. Now Jamal Khalifa runs a fish restaurant near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

That's where CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson found him for this exclusive interview on the roots of al Qaeda.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As the Afghan war against the Soviet occupation raged, he says bin Laden's military commander and others were already selecting recruits for al Qaeda's global campaign. Bin Laden, he says, become a figure head leader.

JAMAL KHALIFA, SPENT YEARS WITH BIN LADEN: He is a wealthy man. He has very good connections. Many people really love Osama.

ROBERTSON: Charismatic but disorganized, says Khalifa. So much so that while Khalifa believes bin Laden is responsible for the 9/11 attacks, he doesn't think Osama actually organized them.

KHALIFA: He cannot organize anything. I am the one who is leading. I am the one who was leading him in the prayer and I am the one who is leading him for an outing, for picnic, for riding horses.

ROBERTSON: Exactly, when and where, Khalifa chose a different path from Osama bin Laden is open to question. From the Afghan Jihad, Khalifa moved to the Philippines, setting up another Islamic charity, opening more religious schools, eventually triggering an investigation by Philippine authorities who believed he was on a mission for bin Laden.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Fascinating interview. And you can see the complete exclusive interview "Terror in the Family" tonight on "PAULA ZAHN NOW" at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

A case of mistaken identity turns deadly. Why a large mob took to the streets for hours after killing two people.

Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GREEN, ACCUSED CUP THROWER: The guy's a thug. He's going to pay the price of what happens to him. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: He has paid part of the price by losing his salary and now big endorsements are on the line. The fallout of this basket brawl ahead.

And more rain and snow may put a wrinkle in your holiday travel plans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Welcome back.

The fallout to the NBA brawl, an update on who may face penalty charges and how this incident is affecting one professional football team.

But, first, a quick check of other stories that are now in the news.

A federal judge today denied John Hinckley's request that he be allowed to visit his parents in southeast Virginia without outside supervision. Hinckley was committed to a mental hospital after shooting President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

A deadly case of mistaken identity in Mexico City. A huge mob killed two undercover Mexican government agents, apparently mistaking them for kidnappers trying to abduct children from a local school. A third agent was critically injured.

More than three weeks after the November elections, the latest recount in the Washington governor's race shows Republican Dino Rossi winning by just 42 votes out of over 2.8 million cast. This was the second recount. Democrats are expected to demand a third recount by hand.

Travelers beginning Thanksgiving trips are being confronted by major storms in several parts of the country. There have been long waits at many airports, with some delays lasting as long as three hours.

Police say they are following up some tips as they continue their investigation into the brawl at last Friday's Detroit Pistons/Indiana Pacers basketball game. While no criminal charges have been filed so far, judgments are being rendered in the court of public opinion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Michigan prosecutors continue to consider possible misdemeanor charges against the players and fans implicated in last week's brawl.

But authorities say the only person facing a possible felony charge is the fan who threw a chair, and that suspect hasn't been identified yet. The brawl started on the court, then escalated when a cup thrown from the stands hit Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest. The fan suspected of throwing that cup has not admitted to doing so, and says no matter what happened, Artest was wrong to charge into the stands.

JOHN GREEN, PISTONS FAN: A cup hitting somebody, I don't think should be -- constitute somebody going on a rampage and beating people. You know, the guy's a thug. I mean, so he's going to pay the price of what happens to him.

WOODRUFF: Two fans who say they were injured during the brawl have filed suit against the Indiana Pacers, Artest and two other players, accusing them of gross negligence. NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Artest for the season and suspended teammates Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal for 30 games and 25 games, respectively.

But the Players Union is fighting the suspensions. Artest says his suspension is excessive.

RON ARTEST, NBA PLAYER: It was a harsh decision, I think, and I'm not sure what's going to happen. I'm working out, staying in shape, and I'm ready to -- I want to come back so we can have some more wins.

WOODRUFF: As Artest made the rounds of radio and television stations in Indianapolis to promote a C.D. he's produced, he got plenty of support.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We support him 100 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's the best defensive player in the NBA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether he's right or wrong, I'm not really one to comment on him, but I know that he still needs support from his fans, his fan base and this whole town.

WOODRUFF: Two members of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts showed their support for Artest by wearing Pacers jerseys during a practice session.

MIKE DOSS, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: I think that's kind of a harsh penalty for Artest to take, so I just wanted to let him know I support him and I like his game and I want to see him play.

WOODRUFF: The Colts are scheduled to play in Detroit tomorrow, but the players say they aren't expecting any trouble from the fans.

MARCUS POLLARD, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: I don't think so. I think, you know, what happened in the basketball game was just that. I don't think it's going to have any bearing on a football game. They can't get close enough to the field and that kind of stuff.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Everybody knows pro sports is big business, and an incident like the brawl that took place in Michigan last week can have a big effect on the bottom line.

Our Mary Snow has that story from New York.

Hello, Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Judy.

And for players like Ron Artest, these endorsement deals can be icing on the cake. Artest makes $6 million a year. He's going to have to forfeit most of that this year because he's sitting out the rest of the season. But that may be not the only thing he's losing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): Just days after being suspended for the rest of the season, Ron Artest was in Indianapolis yesterday pitching his company's first C.D. under the label True Warrior. But Artest's warrior-like behavior on the court Friday night may mean he won't be pinching business for anyone else.

L.A. Gear says it's now reviewing the endorsement deal it signed with Artest three months ago, saying in a statement: "Our signing of Artest to an endorsement contract was based on the best aspects of Ron's performance on the basketball court. We apologize to any fans or consumers who might be offended by the ads in light of current circumstances."

Artest's run-ins on the court cost him a contract last year with the small upstart DApparel, when the company's founder says he couldn't afford Artest's tarnished image to hurt his sales.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're not a recognized brand and just trying to get our name out there and having a player or someone involved that has a negative image can really be damaging.

SNOW: Artest was to be featured in an NBA spot directed by Spike Lee for TNT. But a spokesperson for Turner Sports says at this point it has no plans to air the Ron Artest spot. For athletes, a tarnished image and lost endorsements can be expensive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're a marketable athlete you can make a healthy seven-figure income and live off of that income and put the money you make on the field in the bank, so it's really a very lucrative business.

SNOW: Rape accusations against Kobe Bryant cost him lucrative contracts with McDonald's and Nutella. But so far, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has not lost endorsements after his recent arrest for DWI. Marketing experts say companies may nowadays think twice before hitching their product to a star and if they do they are almost certain to make a good behavior clause central to the deal, rather than footnote.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And some predict you could see more endorsement deals with retired players since they're a safer bet. And, on a separate note, proving that someone is always trying to make money, on eBay, there was an auction of a blue cup, the cup said to be the one thrown at Artest Friday night. Of course, there's no way to verify that. There are some ridiculous bids. One going up to as much as $100 million generated a lot of interest; eBay, of course, pulling that auction -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Hmm, $100 million, we'll see about that.

Mary Snow, thank you very much.

Well, now for more on the legal implications of last Friday's fight, we are joined by Larry Dubin. He's a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Professor Dubin, should criminal charges be filed against anybody involved here, the players, the fans or anybody?

LAWRENCE DUBIN, UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT: Well, I think this is going to be the big question for our local prosecutor. Prosecutors normally exercise a certain amount of discretion in determining who they should charge with crimes, and here you have a riot that broke out at a basketball game, not only with fans, but with players.

You had the obvious, I think, characters in this scenario, the person who threw the chair, the man who initially threw the cup of either beer or water. But what about all the people who threw things from the stands when the players were leaving the court going into their locker? They're on video. The prosecutor could charge them with simple assault charges.

So I think it's an enormous task for this prosecutor to review all of the videos and to see potentially 20,000 witnesses to this horrendous occurrence and figure out what to do.

WOODRUFF: So you're explaining why it's taking so long. I think some people would ask, well, there it is on television, on video. Why haven't there been any charges filed so far, but your point is there's a lot of video to look at.

DUBIN: A lot of video to look at, a lot of witnesses to talk to. This was in the stands, where you have a lot of season ticket holders. They know who those individuals are. They can contact them and get witness statements.

I'm sure the prosecutor here wants to really use his discretion as wisely as he can and charge the principal players in this in this incident and then determine how wide the scope of the investigation should go. So I would think within a week or two the prosecutor should pretty well know who the charges will be brought against.

WOODRUFF: What sort of charges do you think the players might face here?

DUBIN: Well, I think it's likely that they will face misdemeanor assault charges, which can be punishable up to slightly over 90 days in jail. That doesn't mean that they would get jail time if they're convicted.

I think it's unlikely that they would be charged with a high misdemeanor, a year in prison, or a felony, because I don't think their intent would support it, nor do I think that any injuries would show an aggravated nature to their assault. I think they're very lucky. These big men could seriously injure people. I think they're very lucky that someone wasn't hurt more seriously.

Now, as to the person who threw the chair, I think that individual throwing a chair into a crowd shows an intent to possibly cause serious injury, so that may be the charge that would be in the felony range.

WOODRUFF: So that's a possible felony.

Already, Professor Dubin, though, there have been several civil suits filed by people who say that they were injured. Should we expect more of those?

DUBIN: Oh, indeed. I think that there will be a number of civil lawsuits. When the players went into the stands, they were just throwing punches in a wild manner. And they were hitting people and threatening people as a result of what they were doing. This gives the opportunity to a number of those individuals to bring a legitimate lawsuit.

Now, they have to prove damages, so that that may limit the number, but I'm sure we're going to see more than the two suits that have already been filed.

WOODRUFF: Professor Larry Dubin, he's a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Professor, thank you very much for talking with me.

DUBIN: Thank you, Judy.

WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.

An opportunity for peace in Sudan. Will the end of one war ease the tensions of another conflict?

And later:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE FOWLER, HIV POSITIVE: What I want to say to everyone is, any age, you do not know the sexual history of anybody else, only yourself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Are you over 50 and dating? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines HIV and the 50-plus population.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Sudan may be on the verge of ending one long-running conflict, a civil war in one area. But violence continues to rage in the Darfur region, where Arab militias are engaged in what the U.S. considers genocide.

CNN's Zain Verjee reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war in southern Sudan has gone on for 21 years and caused the deaths of some two million people. Now it may finally be over. But will that help end another war in western Sudan, one that's killed up to 70,000 and displaced many more in the past two years? The United States sees a window of opportunity.

JOHN DANFORTH, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: We can use the conclusion of the north/south peace process as a springboard to end the suffering in Darfur.

VERJEE: And for once, Sudanese officials agree with Washington.

KHIDIR HAROUN AHMED, SUDANESE AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES: It will serve as a model to tackle and to redress grievances in other parts of the country, definitely, yes.

DANFORTH: This extraordinary meeting...

VERJEE: Meeting in Nairobi, the U.N. Security Council dangled the prospect of aid and reconstruction money if the government and southern rebels clinch a deal by year's end. Critics say the council should be tougher on Sudan because of ongoing atrocities in Darfur, mass rape, mass murder allegedly carried out by government-backed militias.

EMIRA WOODS, INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES: It's been again more and more promises to help bring about an end to the crisis, but those promises are really empty words at the moment, as innocent people continue to die.

VERJEE: The Security Council's approach is more carrot than stick. To some observers, that doesn't work.

JOHN PRENDERGAST, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Every time we have offered incentives to the government of Sudan, they've pocketed those incentives and continued on with their policies.

VERJEE: They say it's time to wield a big stick in the form of sanctions, like an arms embargo, travel bans on specific government officials suspected of war crimes, freezing of assets. Khartoum says: "The NGOs prefer to dwell on the negatives. And it's time to turn the page."

AHMED: People should give us a chance. We also respect so much our commitments with respect to the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) agreement, with all our cease-fire, cessation of hostilities with the south for the last 18 months. That should be -- serve as a testimony that this government is trustworthy.

VERJEE: Khartoum insists the U.N. should actually be wielding a stick against the two rebel groups operating in Darfur.

AHMED: If the United Nations, if the international community would pressure these two groups enough, we would have peace in the entire region by tomorrow.

VERJEE (on camera): But while diplomats and NGOs trade blame, 1.5 million people in Darfur remain homeless and live under the constant threat of attack.

Zain Verjee, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: An unlikely group affected by the AIDS scare.

Coming up, alarming concern for those over 50.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: More people than ever are infected with HIV, according to a United Nations report released ahead of World AIDS Day next week. It says that more than 39 million people worldwide are living with the virus, up more than a million from last year.

All this week, we've been looking at the new reality of AIDS in this country, today, a group you might not associate with the disease, those over age 50.

CNN senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins us from New York with the story.

Hello, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good evening, Judy.

Yes, the numbers do continue to grow, but the demographics are changing. Twenty-three years into this pandemic, people still think of HIV/AIDS as a young, gay, white man's disease. But would you be surprised if I introduced you to grandmothers who are contracting this virus in their 50s, 60s, even 70s?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Jane Fowler is 69 and does what many grandmothers like to do, spoil her grandkids. She's also single, divorced now for over 20 years.

FOWLER: I had my career as a journalist. What I didn't have was the social life that I had enjoyed as half a couple.

GUPTA: So, at age 48, she reentered the dating scene. Seven years later, she received a disturbing letter from a life insurance company.

FOWLER: I got a kind of form letter saying that I could not be insured. The company would not insure me because my blood test had shown a significant abnormality.

GUPTA: And that's how she found out she had HIV. She was 55 years old.

FOWLER: I was devastated.

GUPTA: AIDS is rarely thought of as a disease affecting middle- aged heterosexuals, but Fowler's story is becoming increasingly common.

In areas like South Florida, where a lot of single seniors live, the rate of infection is stunning. In Broward County, one in seven over the age of 50 is infected with HIV. And in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, the HIV rate is one in six.

Then there's another amazing part of the equation. Among South Floridian seniors, there's only one man for every seven women. At age 78, after losing two husbands, Evelyn Gross-Brien never thought she would feel like a teenager again. But look at her now.

EVELYN GROSS-BRIEN, FLORIDA SENIOR CITIZEN: You just sort of get excited. You get a second wind when you get to be our age. There's a new adventure.

GUPTA: Especially when the golden years are spent in self- contained communities, kind of like college dormitories, with thousands of people your own age.

JOLENE MULLINS, BROWARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT: And with the advent of medications like Viagra and Cialis and Levitra, the ones that enhance male potency, people's life as far as their sexual stamina has certainly expanded into 60, 70, 80, 90 years old.

GUPTA: Evelyn is HIV-negative, but has seen the devastation caused by the virus. She wants to be safe, but says convincing men of her generation to wear condoms is a tough sell, but an important one, as HIV takes an unlikely toll among seniors in the sun.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And, obviously, you're focusing on South Florida there, Judy. But across the United States, it's estimated that about 10 percent of the HIV-positive population is now above the age of 50. It could be even higher, though, because doctors don't look for it in this population. Sometimes, the early signs of HIV/AIDS can mimic aging as well. So that makes it a little bit more confusing, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Boy, is that an eye-opening report.

GUPTA: Yes.

WOODRUFF: Sanjay, thank you very much. GUPTA: Thank you, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, tomorrow, the series continues. Dr. Gupta talks with Bill Clinton, who is making fighting AIDS a priority of his post- presidential career.

And be sure to watch this Sunday when Dr. Gupta is joined by Richard Gere, Ashley Judd and Magic Johnson for a look at AIDS and its reemergence in unlikely places and unexpected faces, "Are You Positive?" It airs Sunday at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, only on CNN.

Results of our Web question of the day, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Here's how you are weighing in our Web question of the day. Is the weather causing you to change your travel plans? Ten percent of you say yes; 90 percent say no. This is not a scientific poll.

Well, before you grab a second piece of pumpkin pie tomorrow, consider our picture of the day, heavyweights from around the country in New York for this pumpkin pie eating contest. The winner managed to down four whole pies, plus three more slices, in just six minutes. He won $750.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

Happy eating.

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 24, 2004 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, live in Chicago a Midwest mess moving east. Has the snow snarled traffic?
Overseas, tug of war, a live picture as crowds storm a European capital. The U.S. sends a louder message to Russia's neighbor.

Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Rain, snow and tornadoes, the weather couldn't be much worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, all the power lines broke loose and fire was erupting everywhere. And then the building started tearing loose.

WOODRUFF: All on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Don't you wish you were this man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I was amazed. I came an hour and a half early and not one person in line.

WOODRUFF: Crisis in Ukraine. The pro-Western candidate loses a disputed election.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We cannot accept this result as legitimate.

WOODRUFF: Can the Iron Curtain come back in this former Soviet state?

Bin Laden's brother-in-law. They were best friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many people really love Osama.

WOODRUFF: He'll tell you what happened.

Bad for business. He's lost his salary, now an NBA brawler may be losing endorsements.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Wednesday, November 24, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Hello. I'm Judy Woodruff. Wolf is off today. You name it and travelers on this Thanksgiving eve are having to deal with it. In the South, thunderstorms and deadly tornadoes. So far at least four people have been killed. Traffic on many highways has been bumper to bumper most of the day.

In Kansas City, Missouri and other parts of the Midwest, travelers are being slowed by heavy snow, and the storm that caused it is moving east. AAA is predicting that more than 30 million Americans will travel somewhere this holiday weekend. And for those who are flying, the severe weather is causing long delays at many airports. We have several reports on what it's like beginning with our Deborah Feyerick who is at New York's Laguardia Airport.

Hello, Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Judy. Well, you know, the delays are really happening once you get back past the security checkpoint. But here, at the ticket counters the biggest surprise to passengers who have been in and out all day is that there are no lines. Everything is running pretty smoothly. The airports and the airlines brought in extra workers. The e-tickets -- the electronic tickets made people get through the system very, very quickly. All of this an effort to make the day a little bit easier for people, but still as you say, many headaches out there because of the weather.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): People traveling for Thanksgiving started feeling the pain. And wait they did at Laguardia Airport in New York, the Lorne (ph) de la Cruz families arrived three hours early, not because their plane was late. They were taking no chances.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We tried to make it easier for us, we leave early. We have children. So we have a lot of entertainment to do but at least we can come here and relax.

FEYERICK: At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the day began well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're shocked by what's -- you know, by all of the absence of crowds and disasters.

FEYERICK: But the weather turned and so did the mood. Weather in Georgia grounding planes. In the early afternoon, delays began snowballing from airport to airport.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I drove over here, I could already hear air traffic control doing ground stops at various cities because of the weather.

FEYERICK: Those who chose not to fly caught break in Pennsylvania. Toll collectors went on strike. The drive certainly cheaper and a little bit faster. (END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Now getting back to the airports, one official told us that he expected the situation to get worse over the coming hours and that's because those delays that you see at other airports are going to begin to snowball really significantly, so what's going to happen is is that people will be delayed, they will miss flights, they will not be able to get on flights that perhaps they could have gotten onto had they left a little bit earlier.

And so the issue is, is that one delay at one airport really means other delays and that's what's going to be the hardest. So they're hoping that when the day ends they can sort of clean up, tie up the loose ends and start fresh tomorrow morning. Some people who thought they would arrive tonight are going to have to bunk down for the evening -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thank you, Deborah. One of those days when keeping a sense of humor would help. Deborah Feyerick, thanks a lot.

The severe weather of course is causing hazardous driving conditions in many parts of the country. Snow is already falling in Chicago where thousands are on the move. Our Chris Lawrence is live just outside the Windy City in Shiller Park (ph).

Hello, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Judy, I can tell you if it feels bad sitting in an airport terminal, it's a whole lot worse out here. The weather here in the Midwest has gone from bad to worse really quickly, literally just a few hours ago it was completely bare. And you can see down here, I mean, look how fast this snow is piling up.

We take a look now on the highway. This is one of the most congested urban areas in the country and traffic is now going to almost a crawl. A lot of people trying to get home from work. An equal number trying to get out of town, get a jump on that holiday traffic. It is not going well here in the Midwest with this snow.

In all, nationally, as we look around the country, about 30 million of us are expected to be on the road this holiday season, and AAA says they have not seen that kind of traffic volume on a Thanksgiving since September 11th.

A lot of people trying to get out, of course, here in the Midwest this is what we're dealing with right now. And we expect that this will continue throughout the night, which is really going to put a crimp in a lot of people's travel plans that they were trying to get somewhere tonight. It is slow going out there -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Chris, thanks very much. It's very interesting that people feel safe enough, so many of them, to be on the move. Chris Lawrence, thank you.

Those holiday travelers not going by car, bus or plane, are hitting the rails. Amtrak says that 80 percent more passengers are expected today than on a usual Wednesday. And in a bid to ease crowding, it is adding 60 trains on the Northeast Corridor for the holiday weekend and it's boosting the capacity of the regularly scheduled trains.

For the latest on the weather and what you can expect tomorrow and through the holiday weekend, CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is live at the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta. Hi, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Judy. A number of things to talk about weather wise this afternoon. We have snow which you saw pictures of delaying some road travel across the Midwest, also creating some problems, moreso in the visibility department across Chicago O'Hare where we have delays there over an hour or two in some spots.

And if you're sitting in an airport, I don't need to tell you. But look at the size of this storm, all the way from the border of Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico. It's a big one, it's not moving all that quick quickly. And these red watches indicate there's some rough weather.

And yesterday we had 50 reports of tornadoes touching down. Already today over six reports of tornadoes and we've already had some injuries. So snow, wet weather, and also rough weather in the form of wind and destructive tornadoes. This thing is going to roll to the east slowly and affect people not only tonight but tomorrow as well.

Through the Northeast tonight, just wet weather up the I-95 corridor from Philly to New York to Boston. But there are travel delays at the airports there. We slide it back across Detroit, through Cadillac, Michigan, Flynt, down to Chicago, some snows. Most of of the accumulating snow have been across central Illinois, upwards four to five inches of snow. We don't expect that to be a huge, huge issue.

And then one other spot across the Pacific Northwest, some snows in some of the higher elevations across the Cascades and the Bitterroots of Idaho.

Overnight lows tonight in Chicago 23, that snow that does fall will be -- a little bit will stick. Judy, we'll keep you updated throughout the evening tonight. Back over to you.

WOODRUFF: All right, Rob Marciano, thank you very much.

And to our viewers we want to give you a chance to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: Is your holiday being affected by the weather? Of course if you're staying home we already may know what you think about this. But in any event you can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

A winner has been declared, but that is only fueling the unease in Ukraine. We're going to have the latest on the country's contested election. Also this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He cannot organize anything. I am the one who is leading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson's exclusive interview with Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law.

Plus, will the NBA brawl mean the end of endorsement deals for the players involved?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Tens of thousands of people are in the streets of Ukraine's capital protesting a presidential election which international observers are calling a fraud. As chaos looms in the former Soviet Republic, the United States is issuing a warning amid echoes of the Cold War. We begin with CNN's Jill Dougherty who is on the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A chilling point in the standoff over the Ukrainian presidential elections as thousands of people rallied in the streets of Kiev supporting the opposition candidate. The Central Election Commission of Ukraine came out and said that the government-backed candidate, Mr. Yanokovych, is the winner.

The initial results a couple days ago had said that he had won by three points, 3 percentage points. And again today, the commission coming out and saying that he, indeed, has won by approximately 3 percent of the vote.

That is news that the opposition is not going to be happy about. They have maintained all along that this election had massive irregularities and falsifications. In fact, in an interview with CNN, the opposition candidate, Mr. Yushchenko, said that they actually had proof of that. And he pointed to the -- the decision by the international sectors who had found many violations. So the question now is, where do they go?

The opposition has suggested that there might be some legal steps that could be taken, perhaps an investigation of those allegations. The United States certainly wanted that. They had urged there be an investigation. But it's unclear whether there will be that investigation or any other steps that might change things.

Finally, the question now, what do the people on the streets of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities do? The opposition supporters are going to be disappointed. So far things have been peaceful but it is unpredictable how all of this could play out and how they could react to the news. Jill Dougherty, CNN, Kiev, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Thank you, Jill.

The Bush administration responded almost immediately to the election results with an expression of anger and dismay from its top diplomat. Our White House correspondent Susan Malveaux is live from Crawford, Texas, near the president's ranch. Hello, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. Well the White House, as you know, is keeping a very close eye on the developments in the Ukraine. And while President Bush was largely out of sight today, his secretary of state, Colin Powell made it very clear the U.S. position that these election results are not acceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): A jovial President Bush hosted Spain's king and queen for a turkey feast at his Crawford ranch, while his secretary of state Colin Powell back in Washington publicly decried Ukraine's elections as a fraud.

POWELL: The Central Election Commission has just announced official results and declared the current prime minister the winner. We cannot accept this result as legitimate.

MALVEAUX: The Bush administration says it is deeply disturbed over fraud in Ukraine's elections. It views it as a blow to democracy in that region.

With Russia and the Ukrainian authorities declaring its candidate the winner. And the U.S., Europeans and Ukrainian people supporting an alternate candidate. The Bush administration is putting pressure on the Ukrainian government to investigation the election results and cooperate with international observers.

POWELL: If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly there will be consequences.

MALVEAUX: Tuesday, the White House issued a statement condemning the Ukrainian authorities for the election crisis. And said the U.S. stood by the Ukrainian people.

U.S. authorities are also concerned with Russia's role in the former Soviet state, which they say has exacerbated increasing tensions between the United States and Russia. It was just last Saturday President Bush met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Chile at the APEC Summit, where senior administration officials say Mr. Bush expressed his concerns about Russia's recent retreat from Democratic reforms as well as Putin's move to limit the free press and centralized power.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (on camera): And Judy, Secretary Powell talked about those consequences. I spoke with Bush administration official involved in the talks. They said that most likely the administration would not consider cutting ties with the former Soviet state, but would possibly consider imposing sanctions -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: And Suzanne, just to clarify, no statement from the White House itself on this yet?

MALVEAUX: No statement on the White House today, but certainly yesterday a very strongly worded statement from the White House saying that they were disturbed by what they saw as evidence of fraud in the elections, that they called for calm and for peace, for this to be handled in a nonviolent way. And they also said very clearly that the U.S. stands behind the Ukrainian people.

WOODRUFF: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you very much. Reporting from Crawford.

Well, many people in this country may not realize it, but the United States has a significant stake in what is happening in Ukraine. CNN's Tim Lister reports on what the crisis means for Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM LISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The protests on the freezing streets of Kiev mark a crucial moment for a country that straddles a political fault line. Will Ukraine emerge from this election facing west, toward free markets, membership in the European Union and NATO? Or north towards Russia, which has dominated life here for so long? Or will it emerge badly split, a fresh source of instability in an already volatile region.

13 years ago Ukrainians poured on to the streets of the capital to demand independence as the Soviet Union imploded. Next to Russia, this country of nearly 50 million has the greatest economic potential of the former Soviet states. It is rich in resources, with huge coal fields and agricultural land that provided much of the Soviet Union's grain. And it enjoys a vital strategic position sitting astride the route from Energy rich Central Asia to Europe.

In the Soviet era, the Black Sea fleet was based in Ukrainian ports. And nuclear missile silos dotted its landscape. Those are gone. The United States has provided nearly $700 million to help dismantle what, 10 years ago, was the world's third largest nuclear arsenal. But there's plenty of nuclear experience here. Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986 is on Ukrainian soil. Today, the Ukrainians are looking to expand their nuclear power program.

There's also a long history of building weapons in Ukraine. Two years ago, Washington accused the current president Kuchma of involvement in a plan to sell advance radar to Iraq. Kuchma denied it.

Ukraine's position and potential make it Russia's most important neighbor after China. And Moscow still sees the country very much within its sphere of influence.

President Putin has openly backed the government's candidate, Victor Yanukovych, who has proposed making Russian an official language.

President Bush's envoy monitoring the elections, Senator Luger, has said that with Democratic forces under threat in Russia and neighboring Belarus, this vote marks a true turning point for the entire region. To some political analysts, the crisis could even tear the country apart.

DMITRI TREMIN, CARNEGIE MOSCOW CENTER: I think that this is the first time when the political leaders, political forces in Ukraine and outside of Ukraine who have been very actively involved in this election, are putting the country toward the brink of a real split which will serve no one's interest.

LISTER: As one official in Washington put it, I don't think there's any doubt this is going to be a big test for us and the Russians.

Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: From Ukraine to Iraq, and a new offensive with a name tied to America's Thanksgiving holiday.

Plus, a CNN exclusive: An interview with Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law.

Also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure. It was a harsh decision, I think and I'm not sure what's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: As punishments are handed down in the NBA brawl, will prize endorsements be taken away from the players involved?

And later, startling statistics of an unexpected group at risk. How HIV is affecting people over 50.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: It is called "Operation Plymouth Rock." It has nothing do with pilgrims and everything to do with hunting down Iraq's insurgents.

Lets go live now to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Hi, Barbara. BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy. As you say, a new operation under way about 50 miles south of Baghdad, and more insurgents under arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): As new Iraqi troops join the ranks, elections in their violent racked country are just 10 weeks away. Top U.S. military officials say they must decide in the next several days whether to order more troops from the U.S. to go to Iraq to ensure security.

LT. GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. ARMY: While everyone recognizes that it will be a fight to the elections in those provinces where the insurgents are active.

STARR: In the so-called triangle of death south of Baghdad, the British Black Watch has joined the U.S. and Iraqi forces in "Operation Plymouth Rock." It involves sweeps through several towns. Five thousand troops tightening the noose around remaining insurgent elements. The entire area has been full of criminal activity for months. Convoy attacks, kidnapings and outright murders according to experts. This operation is very different from the assault on Fallujah.

CAPT. DAVID NEVERS, U.S. ARMY: Iraqi security forces, U.S. Marines, their British allies are conducting a multitude of operations aimed at capturing or killing those who are violently opposing Iraq's path to peace and democracy and freedom.

STARR: Unlike Fallujah where the U.S. telegraphed its punch ahead of time.

NEVERS: What we're doing here is developing intelligence, patiently and persistently going after targets in a very focused way. You're going to see in the coming days a lot of precision raids, house-to-house searches, but the activity is going -- is going to experience periods of hot and cold. The insurgents are not going to know when we're coming.

e (END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: No decision yet, Judy, about sending more U.S. troops into Iraq, but we're told that decision could come very quickly after the Thanksgiving Holiday -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: So, Barbara, how much of a dent do they really believe they can make in these insurgents?

STARR: Well, the idea now is to shut down the areas where they've been operating. Basically deny them sanctuary and move them into tighter and tighter areas. The less places they can operate the more likely they hope they are to be able to catch these people and shut down their operations in the weeks ahead before that election takes place.

WOODRUFF: Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon thanks very much.

Two American soldiers were killed and another wounded in Afghanistan today. The casualties came when a bomb ripped through a patrol 250 miles southwest of Kabul. The area has been the scene of frequent fighting between U.S. forces and Taliban holdouts.

He was Osama bin Laden's best friend, and later became his brother-in-law. They studied together and fought the Soviets together in Afghanistan. Now Jamal Khalifa runs a fish restaurant near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

That's where CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson found him for this exclusive interview on the roots of al Qaeda.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As the Afghan war against the Soviet occupation raged, he says bin Laden's military commander and others were already selecting recruits for al Qaeda's global campaign. Bin Laden, he says, become a figure head leader.

JAMAL KHALIFA, SPENT YEARS WITH BIN LADEN: He is a wealthy man. He has very good connections. Many people really love Osama.

ROBERTSON: Charismatic but disorganized, says Khalifa. So much so that while Khalifa believes bin Laden is responsible for the 9/11 attacks, he doesn't think Osama actually organized them.

KHALIFA: He cannot organize anything. I am the one who is leading. I am the one who was leading him in the prayer and I am the one who is leading him for an outing, for picnic, for riding horses.

ROBERTSON: Exactly, when and where, Khalifa chose a different path from Osama bin Laden is open to question. From the Afghan Jihad, Khalifa moved to the Philippines, setting up another Islamic charity, opening more religious schools, eventually triggering an investigation by Philippine authorities who believed he was on a mission for bin Laden.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Fascinating interview. And you can see the complete exclusive interview "Terror in the Family" tonight on "PAULA ZAHN NOW" at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

A case of mistaken identity turns deadly. Why a large mob took to the streets for hours after killing two people.

Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GREEN, ACCUSED CUP THROWER: The guy's a thug. He's going to pay the price of what happens to him. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: He has paid part of the price by losing his salary and now big endorsements are on the line. The fallout of this basket brawl ahead.

And more rain and snow may put a wrinkle in your holiday travel plans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Welcome back.

The fallout to the NBA brawl, an update on who may face penalty charges and how this incident is affecting one professional football team.

But, first, a quick check of other stories that are now in the news.

A federal judge today denied John Hinckley's request that he be allowed to visit his parents in southeast Virginia without outside supervision. Hinckley was committed to a mental hospital after shooting President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

A deadly case of mistaken identity in Mexico City. A huge mob killed two undercover Mexican government agents, apparently mistaking them for kidnappers trying to abduct children from a local school. A third agent was critically injured.

More than three weeks after the November elections, the latest recount in the Washington governor's race shows Republican Dino Rossi winning by just 42 votes out of over 2.8 million cast. This was the second recount. Democrats are expected to demand a third recount by hand.

Travelers beginning Thanksgiving trips are being confronted by major storms in several parts of the country. There have been long waits at many airports, with some delays lasting as long as three hours.

Police say they are following up some tips as they continue their investigation into the brawl at last Friday's Detroit Pistons/Indiana Pacers basketball game. While no criminal charges have been filed so far, judgments are being rendered in the court of public opinion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Michigan prosecutors continue to consider possible misdemeanor charges against the players and fans implicated in last week's brawl.

But authorities say the only person facing a possible felony charge is the fan who threw a chair, and that suspect hasn't been identified yet. The brawl started on the court, then escalated when a cup thrown from the stands hit Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest. The fan suspected of throwing that cup has not admitted to doing so, and says no matter what happened, Artest was wrong to charge into the stands.

JOHN GREEN, PISTONS FAN: A cup hitting somebody, I don't think should be -- constitute somebody going on a rampage and beating people. You know, the guy's a thug. I mean, so he's going to pay the price of what happens to him.

WOODRUFF: Two fans who say they were injured during the brawl have filed suit against the Indiana Pacers, Artest and two other players, accusing them of gross negligence. NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Artest for the season and suspended teammates Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal for 30 games and 25 games, respectively.

But the Players Union is fighting the suspensions. Artest says his suspension is excessive.

RON ARTEST, NBA PLAYER: It was a harsh decision, I think, and I'm not sure what's going to happen. I'm working out, staying in shape, and I'm ready to -- I want to come back so we can have some more wins.

WOODRUFF: As Artest made the rounds of radio and television stations in Indianapolis to promote a C.D. he's produced, he got plenty of support.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We support him 100 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's the best defensive player in the NBA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether he's right or wrong, I'm not really one to comment on him, but I know that he still needs support from his fans, his fan base and this whole town.

WOODRUFF: Two members of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts showed their support for Artest by wearing Pacers jerseys during a practice session.

MIKE DOSS, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: I think that's kind of a harsh penalty for Artest to take, so I just wanted to let him know I support him and I like his game and I want to see him play.

WOODRUFF: The Colts are scheduled to play in Detroit tomorrow, but the players say they aren't expecting any trouble from the fans.

MARCUS POLLARD, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: I don't think so. I think, you know, what happened in the basketball game was just that. I don't think it's going to have any bearing on a football game. They can't get close enough to the field and that kind of stuff.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Everybody knows pro sports is big business, and an incident like the brawl that took place in Michigan last week can have a big effect on the bottom line.

Our Mary Snow has that story from New York.

Hello, Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Judy.

And for players like Ron Artest, these endorsement deals can be icing on the cake. Artest makes $6 million a year. He's going to have to forfeit most of that this year because he's sitting out the rest of the season. But that may be not the only thing he's losing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): Just days after being suspended for the rest of the season, Ron Artest was in Indianapolis yesterday pitching his company's first C.D. under the label True Warrior. But Artest's warrior-like behavior on the court Friday night may mean he won't be pinching business for anyone else.

L.A. Gear says it's now reviewing the endorsement deal it signed with Artest three months ago, saying in a statement: "Our signing of Artest to an endorsement contract was based on the best aspects of Ron's performance on the basketball court. We apologize to any fans or consumers who might be offended by the ads in light of current circumstances."

Artest's run-ins on the court cost him a contract last year with the small upstart DApparel, when the company's founder says he couldn't afford Artest's tarnished image to hurt his sales.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're not a recognized brand and just trying to get our name out there and having a player or someone involved that has a negative image can really be damaging.

SNOW: Artest was to be featured in an NBA spot directed by Spike Lee for TNT. But a spokesperson for Turner Sports says at this point it has no plans to air the Ron Artest spot. For athletes, a tarnished image and lost endorsements can be expensive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're a marketable athlete you can make a healthy seven-figure income and live off of that income and put the money you make on the field in the bank, so it's really a very lucrative business.

SNOW: Rape accusations against Kobe Bryant cost him lucrative contracts with McDonald's and Nutella. But so far, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has not lost endorsements after his recent arrest for DWI. Marketing experts say companies may nowadays think twice before hitching their product to a star and if they do they are almost certain to make a good behavior clause central to the deal, rather than footnote.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And some predict you could see more endorsement deals with retired players since they're a safer bet. And, on a separate note, proving that someone is always trying to make money, on eBay, there was an auction of a blue cup, the cup said to be the one thrown at Artest Friday night. Of course, there's no way to verify that. There are some ridiculous bids. One going up to as much as $100 million generated a lot of interest; eBay, of course, pulling that auction -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Hmm, $100 million, we'll see about that.

Mary Snow, thank you very much.

Well, now for more on the legal implications of last Friday's fight, we are joined by Larry Dubin. He's a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Professor Dubin, should criminal charges be filed against anybody involved here, the players, the fans or anybody?

LAWRENCE DUBIN, UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT: Well, I think this is going to be the big question for our local prosecutor. Prosecutors normally exercise a certain amount of discretion in determining who they should charge with crimes, and here you have a riot that broke out at a basketball game, not only with fans, but with players.

You had the obvious, I think, characters in this scenario, the person who threw the chair, the man who initially threw the cup of either beer or water. But what about all the people who threw things from the stands when the players were leaving the court going into their locker? They're on video. The prosecutor could charge them with simple assault charges.

So I think it's an enormous task for this prosecutor to review all of the videos and to see potentially 20,000 witnesses to this horrendous occurrence and figure out what to do.

WOODRUFF: So you're explaining why it's taking so long. I think some people would ask, well, there it is on television, on video. Why haven't there been any charges filed so far, but your point is there's a lot of video to look at.

DUBIN: A lot of video to look at, a lot of witnesses to talk to. This was in the stands, where you have a lot of season ticket holders. They know who those individuals are. They can contact them and get witness statements.

I'm sure the prosecutor here wants to really use his discretion as wisely as he can and charge the principal players in this in this incident and then determine how wide the scope of the investigation should go. So I would think within a week or two the prosecutor should pretty well know who the charges will be brought against.

WOODRUFF: What sort of charges do you think the players might face here?

DUBIN: Well, I think it's likely that they will face misdemeanor assault charges, which can be punishable up to slightly over 90 days in jail. That doesn't mean that they would get jail time if they're convicted.

I think it's unlikely that they would be charged with a high misdemeanor, a year in prison, or a felony, because I don't think their intent would support it, nor do I think that any injuries would show an aggravated nature to their assault. I think they're very lucky. These big men could seriously injure people. I think they're very lucky that someone wasn't hurt more seriously.

Now, as to the person who threw the chair, I think that individual throwing a chair into a crowd shows an intent to possibly cause serious injury, so that may be the charge that would be in the felony range.

WOODRUFF: So that's a possible felony.

Already, Professor Dubin, though, there have been several civil suits filed by people who say that they were injured. Should we expect more of those?

DUBIN: Oh, indeed. I think that there will be a number of civil lawsuits. When the players went into the stands, they were just throwing punches in a wild manner. And they were hitting people and threatening people as a result of what they were doing. This gives the opportunity to a number of those individuals to bring a legitimate lawsuit.

Now, they have to prove damages, so that that may limit the number, but I'm sure we're going to see more than the two suits that have already been filed.

WOODRUFF: Professor Larry Dubin, he's a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Professor, thank you very much for talking with me.

DUBIN: Thank you, Judy.

WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.

An opportunity for peace in Sudan. Will the end of one war ease the tensions of another conflict?

And later:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE FOWLER, HIV POSITIVE: What I want to say to everyone is, any age, you do not know the sexual history of anybody else, only yourself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Are you over 50 and dating? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines HIV and the 50-plus population.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Sudan may be on the verge of ending one long-running conflict, a civil war in one area. But violence continues to rage in the Darfur region, where Arab militias are engaged in what the U.S. considers genocide.

CNN's Zain Verjee reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war in southern Sudan has gone on for 21 years and caused the deaths of some two million people. Now it may finally be over. But will that help end another war in western Sudan, one that's killed up to 70,000 and displaced many more in the past two years? The United States sees a window of opportunity.

JOHN DANFORTH, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: We can use the conclusion of the north/south peace process as a springboard to end the suffering in Darfur.

VERJEE: And for once, Sudanese officials agree with Washington.

KHIDIR HAROUN AHMED, SUDANESE AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES: It will serve as a model to tackle and to redress grievances in other parts of the country, definitely, yes.

DANFORTH: This extraordinary meeting...

VERJEE: Meeting in Nairobi, the U.N. Security Council dangled the prospect of aid and reconstruction money if the government and southern rebels clinch a deal by year's end. Critics say the council should be tougher on Sudan because of ongoing atrocities in Darfur, mass rape, mass murder allegedly carried out by government-backed militias.

EMIRA WOODS, INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES: It's been again more and more promises to help bring about an end to the crisis, but those promises are really empty words at the moment, as innocent people continue to die.

VERJEE: The Security Council's approach is more carrot than stick. To some observers, that doesn't work.

JOHN PRENDERGAST, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Every time we have offered incentives to the government of Sudan, they've pocketed those incentives and continued on with their policies.

VERJEE: They say it's time to wield a big stick in the form of sanctions, like an arms embargo, travel bans on specific government officials suspected of war crimes, freezing of assets. Khartoum says: "The NGOs prefer to dwell on the negatives. And it's time to turn the page."

AHMED: People should give us a chance. We also respect so much our commitments with respect to the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) agreement, with all our cease-fire, cessation of hostilities with the south for the last 18 months. That should be -- serve as a testimony that this government is trustworthy.

VERJEE: Khartoum insists the U.N. should actually be wielding a stick against the two rebel groups operating in Darfur.

AHMED: If the United Nations, if the international community would pressure these two groups enough, we would have peace in the entire region by tomorrow.

VERJEE (on camera): But while diplomats and NGOs trade blame, 1.5 million people in Darfur remain homeless and live under the constant threat of attack.

Zain Verjee, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: An unlikely group affected by the AIDS scare.

Coming up, alarming concern for those over 50.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: More people than ever are infected with HIV, according to a United Nations report released ahead of World AIDS Day next week. It says that more than 39 million people worldwide are living with the virus, up more than a million from last year.

All this week, we've been looking at the new reality of AIDS in this country, today, a group you might not associate with the disease, those over age 50.

CNN senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joins us from New York with the story.

Hello, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good evening, Judy.

Yes, the numbers do continue to grow, but the demographics are changing. Twenty-three years into this pandemic, people still think of HIV/AIDS as a young, gay, white man's disease. But would you be surprised if I introduced you to grandmothers who are contracting this virus in their 50s, 60s, even 70s?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Jane Fowler is 69 and does what many grandmothers like to do, spoil her grandkids. She's also single, divorced now for over 20 years.

FOWLER: I had my career as a journalist. What I didn't have was the social life that I had enjoyed as half a couple.

GUPTA: So, at age 48, she reentered the dating scene. Seven years later, she received a disturbing letter from a life insurance company.

FOWLER: I got a kind of form letter saying that I could not be insured. The company would not insure me because my blood test had shown a significant abnormality.

GUPTA: And that's how she found out she had HIV. She was 55 years old.

FOWLER: I was devastated.

GUPTA: AIDS is rarely thought of as a disease affecting middle- aged heterosexuals, but Fowler's story is becoming increasingly common.

In areas like South Florida, where a lot of single seniors live, the rate of infection is stunning. In Broward County, one in seven over the age of 50 is infected with HIV. And in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, the HIV rate is one in six.

Then there's another amazing part of the equation. Among South Floridian seniors, there's only one man for every seven women. At age 78, after losing two husbands, Evelyn Gross-Brien never thought she would feel like a teenager again. But look at her now.

EVELYN GROSS-BRIEN, FLORIDA SENIOR CITIZEN: You just sort of get excited. You get a second wind when you get to be our age. There's a new adventure.

GUPTA: Especially when the golden years are spent in self- contained communities, kind of like college dormitories, with thousands of people your own age.

JOLENE MULLINS, BROWARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT: And with the advent of medications like Viagra and Cialis and Levitra, the ones that enhance male potency, people's life as far as their sexual stamina has certainly expanded into 60, 70, 80, 90 years old.

GUPTA: Evelyn is HIV-negative, but has seen the devastation caused by the virus. She wants to be safe, but says convincing men of her generation to wear condoms is a tough sell, but an important one, as HIV takes an unlikely toll among seniors in the sun.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And, obviously, you're focusing on South Florida there, Judy. But across the United States, it's estimated that about 10 percent of the HIV-positive population is now above the age of 50. It could be even higher, though, because doctors don't look for it in this population. Sometimes, the early signs of HIV/AIDS can mimic aging as well. So that makes it a little bit more confusing, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Boy, is that an eye-opening report.

GUPTA: Yes.

WOODRUFF: Sanjay, thank you very much. GUPTA: Thank you, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, tomorrow, the series continues. Dr. Gupta talks with Bill Clinton, who is making fighting AIDS a priority of his post- presidential career.

And be sure to watch this Sunday when Dr. Gupta is joined by Richard Gere, Ashley Judd and Magic Johnson for a look at AIDS and its reemergence in unlikely places and unexpected faces, "Are You Positive?" It airs Sunday at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, only on CNN.

Results of our Web question of the day, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Here's how you are weighing in our Web question of the day. Is the weather causing you to change your travel plans? Ten percent of you say yes; 90 percent say no. This is not a scientific poll.

Well, before you grab a second piece of pumpkin pie tomorrow, consider our picture of the day, heavyweights from around the country in New York for this pumpkin pie eating contest. The winner managed to down four whole pies, plus three more slices, in just six minutes. He won $750.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

Happy eating.

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