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CNN Live Sunday

Profile Of 13-year-old Amputee Artist Ali Abbas; Several Marines Injured In Car Bomb Attack; A Look At Golden Globe Contenders

Aired December 12, 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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Here's what's happening now in the news. Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko says he's happy to be alive after learning dioxin poisoning disfigured his face. At a Vienna hospital today, Yushchenko thanked the Austrian doctors who pulled him through.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it and another group carried out the attack that killed four Israeli troops today at a checkpoint in Gaza. Israeli military sources say an explosion went off in a tunnel under the checkpoint. Mortar shelling and gunfire followed. Israelis killed one of the attackers.

CNN has learned NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe will announce his resignation on Monday. Source inside NASA say O'Keefe is taking a better paying job, chancellor of Louisiana State University. The Louisiana native came to NASA in 2001 from the Office of Management and Budget.

Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Carol Lin is off tonight.

Ahead, more on the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko, the whodunit. We'll talk to a former FBI agent on tracking the poison that could have killed him.

And soldiers in Iraq home for the holidays if only for a few minutes. We'll show you a new program that's reuniting families.

We begin with questions over what went wrong with the nomination of Bernard Kerik. It's been two days since he withdrew his name from consideration to head homeland security but the fallout from the vetting process that allowed him to be tapped in the first place is far from over. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us with details. Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Fredricka. The White House is defending that vetting process and blaming Bernard Kerik for not earlier disclosing the legal programs that sunk his nomination, but they're also breathing a sigh of relief here at the White House that this all happened now and not later in what would likely have been a bruising confirmation process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): The president at church, heard a sermon about Christmas, the date his aides are using as a goalpost for finding a new candidate to run the Homeland Security Department. But the hand wringing still isn't over about what went wrong with the first Bush choice, Bernard Kerik.

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D) NORTH DAKOTA: There is something wrong when you announce the head of I think one of the most important agencies in our government to protect this country against terrorism and discover that you've missed the significant piece of the vetting process.

BASH: The White House dropped the ball, say some Democrats, by not knowing its pick to oversee immigration had a nanny with questionable legal status. Embarrassed, even annoyed Bush officials denied rushing to appoint the street cop turned 9/11 hero, insisting Kerik was asked if he had problems like this.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R) GOVT. AFFAIRS CHAIRWOMAN: It is disturbing that apparently there was information in his background that was not shared with the White House. I know for certainty that there are questions asked about domestic employees, financial matters, and legal disputes.

BASH: The president's moving on, say top aides, who suggest he's taking another look at candidates considered the first time around, like the department's head of border security, Asa Hutchinson, EPA Commissioner Mike Leavitt and the president's homeland security adviser Frances Townsend. Some say Mr. Bush should consider someone with broader experience. And one senator, a Democrat, is passing many Washington lips.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you wanted to go to the other side, go to Joe Lieberman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Lieberman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Lieberman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Lieberman.

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D) DELAWARE: Joe would be great, but I'd like to find a Republican from a blue state. Maybe we could pick up a seat.

BASH: All kidding aside, Republican sources do say the president has considered asking Lieberman to join his administration. A source close to the Democratic senator noted he's been careful not to openly criticize the White House recently and he'd likely take a job if he's asked.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: The only other post open still is the Health and Human Services secretary. White House officials tell CNN that that is likely going to be announced as early as tomorrow by the president. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Dana Bash at the White House, thanks so much. Now to the middle east, an explosion, a tunnel and a hail of gunfire made it a deadly day for Israeli troops in Gaza. Israel says the attack by Palestinian militants jeopardizes attempts to reach peace in the region. CNN's John Vause joins us now from Jerusalem with more on that, John?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, four Israeli soldiers have been killed, at least 10 others have been wounded, some of them seriously during an attack at an Israeli checkpoint. The question now, how will Israel respond and what impact will that have on the upcoming Palestinian elections?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE (voice-over): By all accounts the attack was well planned and deadly. According to the militant Islamic group Hamas, more than a ton of explosives was packed into a tunnel half a mile long, which took four months to dig. The target, an Israeli checkpoint where Palestinians cross from Gaza into Egypt. Moments after the blast, as rescue crews try to evacuate the wounded, militants opened fire with automatic weapons and mortars.

Hamas said this was a joint operation with the Fattah Hawks (ph), a military offshoot of the Fattah political party which was founded by the late Yasser Arafat. In a video released within hours of the attack, Hamas promised there would be no letup in the violence, saying it remains committed to the destruction of Israel.

TRANSLATOR: We will continue in the resistance until we expel the occupation from our land and teach the Zionist enemy that Hamas and the Palestinian people will not stand by with these crimes that are being committed daily.

VAUSE: Earlier in the day, Palestinian doctors say eight children were hurt when an Israeli tank shell exploded in a school yard in central Gaza. In the month since the death of Yasser Arafat, it had been relatively quiet. Hopes were higher that the Israelis and Palestinians were working towards a lasting peace.

HAANAH GISSIN, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: It is clear that the effort here was to scuttle in any way the normalization process that the Palestinian authority is trying to institute. And it teaches us one important lesson, that when the new leadership is elected, the first business of the day, their first mission would be to tackle the terrorist organization.

VAUSE: Controlling the militant groups is the biggest challenge for the next president of the Palestinian authority. Mahmoud (ph) Abbas is the front runner in next month's elections and his chances of winning have dramatically improved. His closest challenger Marwan Barghouti (ph) has pulled out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Barghouti is currently serving five life sentences for direct involvement on attacks on Israelis. Now ever since he announced that he was running, he's been under pressure from senior Palestinian officials to withdraw so Mahmoud Abbas could have a clear run for the top job. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And John, was it ever taken seriously that Barghouti would actually have a chance at winning, given that he is serving out these five life sentences?

VAUSE: It was taken very, very seriously, Fredricka. In fact all the polls that were coming out especially last week had him neck and neck with Mahmoud Abbas at least amongst Palestinians. He's a very popular figure. And there was some talk that he could be this Nelson Mandela-like leader, leading the Palestinians from the jail cell and that looks like that certainly won't be happening. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. John Vause in Jerusalem, thanks so much.

An explosion also rocked a crowd at outdoor market in the southern Philippines. It happened in General Santos city, site of previous bombings blamed on Islamist terrorist groups. The blast comes as the country is recovering from devastating landslides and floods. CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us now via videophone from Manila with developments on both those fronts. Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka good evening to you. The death toll from that blast still at at least 14, including a 7- year-old child. The number wounded hovering around 60. As you say, the bomb taking place at the busiest market, outdoor market in that city. The population there is about half a million people, the majority of whom are Christians, so as you can you imagine the holiday season, there was quite a crowd out shopping there.

There has been no claim of responsibility yet. The government is cautioning this investigation is just beginning, but it is very important to note that this city is on Mindanow (ph) Island in southern Philippines. This is the location that has long been familiar with both separatist and terrorist violence alike.

There are many groups operating there, but the two most notable include MILF, an Islamic separatist organization with whom the government has a very tenuous cease-fire with at the moment and Aba Sayyaf, a terrorist organization labeled so both by the Philippine and U.S. groups among others. Both groups have years long links to Jamal Islamiyah (ph) which is al Qaeda's regional arm in southeast Asia.

The government tough is saying that we shouldn't jump to any sort of conclusion yet but given the scale of the bomb and the number injured, it is likely we could see some sort of claim of responsibility. If it was MILF, experts say, it's unlikely they would come forward given that cease-fire. Abu Sayyaf's latest attack took place earlier this year when 100 people were killed on a Manila ferry and they claimed responsibility right away. Now this attack could not have come at a worse time for this country Fredricka. It is still reeling from devastating storms that hit the eastern provinces about two weeks ago and now coming back into the spotlight is a familiar issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): Rising from the wreckage of the eastern Philippines a decade's old debate. With rampant illegal logging and deforestation key reasons behind the devastation, the Philippine government is demanding action.

MICHAEL DEFENSOR, ENVIRON & NAT. RESOURCES SECY: In one month we have to prosecute these people, including not only the legal loggers, those who are involved in the community and even local government officials who are involved.

RAMAN: Officials have also suspended logging, legal or otherwise, until investigations are complete, but is it time for a complete ban? The question first surfaced over 10 years ago after 8,000 people died in the town of Ormuck (ph) of a similar fate. At the time environmentalist Orly Mercado was a senator.

ORLY MERCADO, FORMER PHILIPPINES SENATOR: 1991 Ormuck happened and people wee telling me, Orly, it is impossible for people not to see the logic. Here it is. Thousands have died. We're burying them in mass graves. After the media attention, I had difficulty again. I could not get the total ban on logging passed.

RAMAN: Cynics feel the same might happen this time around. There are still significant hurtles.

DEFENSOR: In the case of the economic side of the problem, that's a different question altogether.

RAMAN: Legal logging is a $300 million industry in the Philippines providing jobs for poor villagers. And even though this time a new president, Gloria Arroyo, is behind the notion, doubts remain.

MERCADO: I'm afraid, we might get a ban on logging after all the trees are gone and we are buried in mud.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: And Fredricka, obviously the people here hope that will not be the case.

WHITFIELD: And Aneesh, what about aid, international aid, coming for all these people who are left homeless, who are certainly in trouble as a result of all these weather related problems?

RAMAN: That's right, there are about half a million people in these affected areas that are still without clean water or food. We went there over the weekend, along with some 600 U.S. Marines that have just arrived who were based out of Japan. There is a lot of aid that is here, the government still needs more. The cost of this damage is estimated at $55 million. The government only has about $12 million. But the problem is the weather. The roads are still flooded. Bridges are completely destroyed. The only way in or out is by helicopter, but the minute there are clouds, there is no visibility, the aid can't get in. So that's a struggle they'll have to deal with as we go forward. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Aneesh Raman in Manila, Philippines, thanks so much.

Intercepted phone calls and eavesdropping - it sounds like a movie thriller, but it's reportedly what's happening to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency. The "Washington Post" reports Mohammed (ph) ElBaradei is under heavy scrutiny by the Bush administration. The newspaper says officials have intercepted dozens of his phone conversations with Iranian diplomats in an effort to oust him from his job. Baradei has questioned Washington's actions in Iraq and on the Iran nuclear issue. Source tell the "Washington Post" the intercepts haven't produced any evidence of wrongdoing, but the report says some Bush administration officials believe the calls show ElBaradei lacks impartiality when it comes to Iran.

A new military operation is starting in Afghanistan. "Financial Times" reporter Victoria Burnet (ph) tells CNN it involves thousands of U.S. soldiers based in the southern part of that country near the border with Pakistan. That's where Taliban loyalists and al Qaeda militants remain action. Burnet says the goal of the operation is to secure the countryside in time for parliamentary elections scheduled for April.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has updated CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: It's very difficult to say where he is hiding. He cannot be away from this region. He definitely is in this region. Specific to say he is on the border or in Afghanistan or (INAUDIBLE) would not be the proper thing for me to say. But we can say definitely that he is around this region, and that he can't run forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mr. Karzai is also tackling other problems in his country. He said he's alarmed by Afghanistan's booming drug industry.

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko spoke in public today for the first time about his brush with death. In these photographs, the one on the right is the most recent one. You can see the devastating effects of the dioxin poisoning. Today he thanked his doctors in Austria for saving his life. CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His doctors by his side, his American born wife Katerina acting as interpreter, Viktor Yushchenko gave no details about how he thought he was poisoned with dioxin or who might have done it.

TRANSLATOR: I am very happy to be alive in this world today and I thank these people for this. DOUGHERTY: But one of his physicians shed new light saying the poison was not detectible in routine forensic tests and thanking his medical colleagues around the world for working on a complex case.

DR. MICHAEL ZIMPFER, RUDOLPHINERHAUS HOSPITAL: Regardless of any political backgrounds who were helping us, who were consulting us to, again, to clarify the difficult Yushchenko illness, it has not been observed anywhere else beforehand.

DOUGHERTY: Yushchenko fell ill in September as he was beginning his presidential election campaign. A team of doctors in Vienna said Saturday, there is no doubt he was poisoned with the toxic chemical dioxin, that it was likely administered orally in food or a liquid like soup, or most likely by an unnamed third party.

Yushchenko supporters believe he may have been poisoned at a dinner with the leadership of the Ukrainian security service and claim the plot may have been carried out with help from outside Ukraine but have provided no evidence. As he left the Vienna clinic, Yushchenko said his orange revolution had already turned Ukraine into a different country and the regime in power for 14 years is now, quote, living its last days.

TRANSLATOR: We hadn't seen anything like that for the past 100 years. I think it would be appropriate to compare this to the fall of the Soviet Union or the fall of the Berlin wall.

DOUGHERTY: Yushchenko now returns to Ukraine for the repeat of the runoff election that was canceled by Ukraine's supreme court because of massive fraud. Doctors say he is recovering from the poisoning but could encounter physical problems down the road. However, his face may take years to return to normal. Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: How do you investigate a poisoning crime? Coming up in about 20 minutes, we'll hear what a former FBI agent has to say about Yushchenko case.

Is it a case of bah-humbug, perhaps? A retail giant finds itself the target of some Christmastime criticism. And some say the homeless are paying the price.

And which blockbuster has the buzz? The Golden Globe nominees are announced tomorrow. But why wait? We'll have your sneak peek right here.

And later, many of us remember the Iraqi boy named Ali who lost his arms during the Iraq war. Ahead, his amazing story of recovery in his own words and through his art. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some stories across America now. In Santa Barbara, California, Michael Jackson's attorney has no comment on reports that the pop star's fingerprints and those of the boy he's accused of molesting turned up on porn magazines. The prosecution and the defense in Jackson's upcoming trial are under gag orders.

Friends of a comatose Florida woman at the center of a right to die controversy celebrated her 41st birthday today at a rally in Panellas (ph) Park, Florida. Terry Shivo's (ph) husband is in an ongoing legal battle to save or to rather have her feeding tube disconnected.

University of Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart is this year's Heisman trophy winner. Leinart gets a chance to help his team win the national title at the Orange Bowl and that's scheduled for January 4th.

In this season of giving, a decision by one major retailer to ban the Salvation Army's red kettles from its stores and it's making it the target of criticism now. But like the adage says, when one door closes, a window opens. In this case it could be a window of opportunity. Our Denise Bellgrave reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELLGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flap over Target's decision to ban the red kettles from the front of its store is continuing to simmer.

MAJOR KENNETH JOHNSON, SALVATION ARMY: Well obviously, the decision that was made by Target was a real disappointment to the Salvation Army, and yet, when we think about it, we have to recognize that the Target Corporation has been very kind to allow the Salvation Army to ring for so many years.

BELLGRAVE: Shoppers and retailers are critical of the move and some have even taken some action. With nationwide chains BJ's Warehouse and Books A Million responded to this news by inviting the bell ringers to their store fronts and New Jersey's acting governor opened all rest areas on the state's highways, hoping to recover the $200,000 New Jersey shoppers donated at Target stores last year.

In a letter to Target's chairman, the acting governor said, at a time when the humanitarian services are most needed, I appeal to your sense of morale responsibility. CNN requested an on camera interview with Target, but the company declined. In a statement the company said if it allowed the Salvation Army to continue, to would also have to permit solicitation by organizations whose causes or behavior may be unacceptable to its guests.

The statement also said the decision in no way diminishes the company's commitment to its communities, noting that Target donates more than $2 million per week for charity. But for Alicia Brown Cook, an Atlanta shelter manager, the decision still rankles. Brown Cook's a graduate of the shelter's drug rehab program and she has a request for Target's general manager.

ALICIA BROWN COOK, ATLANTA SHELTER MANAGER: To give it another thought, just to forget about all the people that have - all the children that have lots and lots of toys, all the men and women that do have jobs. Think about the people that don't.

BELLGRAVE: Denise Bellgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still ahead tonight, computers and combat. See how new technology is allowing soldiers in Iraq to see and speak with their families in real time.

And a race against time. U.S. military rushes to supply armored protection for the thousands of vehicles in Iraq. But is time running out? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On the front lines tonight, easing the burden of separations with extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. soldiers are experiencing a tremendous amount of stress. But freedom calls made via web cams are bridging the miles. A video and audio feed may not make up for being there, but it does help. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we're going to be connecting about, what looks like about 30 family members to about six Marines out at camp Falluja.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's been there since September, around the second week of September and we miss him dearly, first of all, and he's expected to be back home around March.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We miss you deeply, but we're supporting everything that you do.

DOUG DANGREMOND, SBC COMMUNICATIONS: The opportunity really started out as a small couple people who wanted to do a video call-in, so we started to do this in the larger audience and we've done about five or six of these now across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's not just representing his family. He's representing all of the country, so you can't beat that. This is (INAUDIBLE) so we're not new at how we have to handle this. We have to be strong because that's what he would want us to do.

DANGREMOND: I think it's just a great opportunity for us to show and the community to show support to the soldiers in Iraq, and remember that it's not just about the soldiers but their families and the hardships that they endure along with him.

We can't wait to hug (INAUDIBLE) American grounds and stay this time.

CRYSTAL HOLLINGSWORTH, SOLDIER'S COUSIN: This is Christmas, this is the 25th right here. I don't think we could have received a better gift than this.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: If you'd like more information about freedom calls network, you can check out their website online. That address is www.freedomcalls.org.

And here now are our top stories. In Spain, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of about 75,000 soccer fans from the stadium in Madrid. The threat was made in the name of the Basque separatist group Eta. No bomb however was found.

Marwan Barghouti (ph) a popular Palestinian figure jailed by Israel, dropped out of the race for president of the Palestinian authority. The move is seen as good news for presidential hopeful and former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Barghouti was seen by some in Abbas' Fattah movement as a possible spoiler candidate.

Recently inaugurated Afghan President Hamid Karzai says luck will play a part in finding Osama bin Laden. Appearing on late edition with wolf Blitzer today, Karzai nevertheless said bin Laden will be caught sooner or later.

And if you still want a flu shot, you might not have to wait in line. Public health officials say demand is dwindling. Officials hope it's because people who needed the vaccine got it, but they also fear frustration and apathy may be playing a role as well.

The U.S. defense secretary found himself on the defensive after troops gearing up for Iraq complained about a lack of proper armor last week. Now, the mad scrambles on to get proper protection.

Plus, poisonous politics. Is a political foe behind the dioxin that transformed Viktor Yushchenko? I'll speak with an FBI expert on tracking the crime.

And later, which film is the talk of the town? We'll have your Golden Globe previews straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Iraq, the U.S. death toll continues to grow. Violence has flared up again in the tent city of Mosul. And Iraqi authorities have a grisly task on their hands. CNN's Karl Penhaul has details on the latest developments from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): U.S. Marine commanders say Sunday one marine was killed in fighting in western al Anbar Province. They gave no further details how the Marine died. But al Anbar province is home to the restive towns of Fallujah and Ramadi where there have been spikes in insurgent activity despite the recent offensive on the city of Fallujah.

Also Sunday, U.S. military spokesman reporting attacks that occurred across the weekend, especially in the northern city of Mosul.

In Mosul, a suicide car bomber drove a vehicle into an armored striker, armored personnel carrier. Seven soldiers were wounded in that attack, none were kill there. There was a firefight after, that and in that 10 insurgents at least were killed.

About the same time, also in Mosul on Saturday, insurgents tried to take a police station. But we're told there that the police managed to repel that attack.

And finally in two locations, one south of Baghdad, the other north of Baghdad. A total of five headless bodies have been found. No clue, so far, as to who the victims were, or who their attackers may have been. In the past, though, insurgents have used these methods to attack Iraqi security forces and intimidate others from joining their ranks. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Here now is the look at growing death toll in Iraq. 1,290 U.S. troops have now been killed since the war began in March of 2003. In all, a total of 1,436 coalition troops have lost their lives since that same date.

And tomorrow marks a year since the capture of Saddam Hussein. The former Iraqi dictator was found hiding in a spider hole near Tikrit. This famous video showed U.S. troops examining him after he was taken into custody. In the months since then, he was settled into existence behind bars in a secret location, Hussein's trial is not expected to begin until the beginning of 2006.

In the growing backlash over a lack of armor plating for U.S. military vehicles in Iraq, lawmakers lashed out at U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today. Condemnations are coming from both sides of the aisle.

While the finger-pointing continues, U.S. troops scavenge for spare parts, but U.S. companies say they shouldn't have to. Here's our Aaron Brown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The military says it's working as hard and as fast as it can to provide the increased armored protection for the thousands and thousands of vehicles, which are now in Iraq.

JAMES POOR, DEP. CMDR. ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT: Since december of last year, the collective output of the army, arsenals and depots is approximatly 10,000 Humvee door kits.

BROWN: Here at the Army's arms depot in Anniston, Alabama, workers are racing to supply so-called armor kits: hardened steel doors and frames for the ubiquitous Humvees. They are fitted to the vehicles in staging areas in Kuwait and in Iraq itself, where Humvees won't be fully armored, according to the Pentagon, until March of next year.

Meanwhile, the complaints keep coming. Soldiers in the Oregon National Guard who are in Baghdad are telling their families that they've been forced to extraordinary lengths to beef up their Humvees and other vehicles.

REP. DARLENE ROOLEY, (D) OREGON: You have members out looking in, finding metal to put in the vehicles between the plywood and the sand bags. So they're out scavenging metal from anyplace from heaps of old vehicles, and some of those are Russian vehicles, and some are those are Iraqi vehicles. They're trying to do everything they can to make themselves safe by doing that.

BROWN: And then there is this, a plant near Phoenix called Armor Works. It also produces protection kits for 1200 Army vehicles this year, but these use a ceramic base, not steel. It's lighter, but it's more expensive.

And now the company is laying people off, because its contract with the military runs out in January and hasn't been renewed.

MATT SALMON, PRESIDENT ARMOR WORKS: The steel technology which is being employed on so many of the vehicles over there has been around since World War II. It's time to move forward with the best technologies that we have, so that we can save lives and make our equipment function properly. It's, to me, it's a no-brainer.

BROWN: The Pentagon so far is not commenting. But it does admit that planners were not prepared for the kind of attacks that are now routine. The improvised explosive devices that kill and maim so many.

LT. GEN. H. STEPHEN BLUM, CHIEF. NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU: There was a lot of vehicles and rolling stock in Iraq and Afghanistan. And none of them had armor when we went in, so we're playing catch-up as fast as we can.

BROWN: Small comfort, perhaps, for the soldiers and marines on duty day and night, in an extraordinarily dangerous environment.

HOOLEY: We're asking these guys to put their lives on the line every single day. I mean, no matter what they're doing, the minute they go on patrol, their lives are in danger.

BROWN: Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up, at 10:00 Eastern we'll talk with "Newsweek" editor Michael Hirsch about the dangers U.S. troops face as they search for those spare parts in Iraq.

News around the world now, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is touring parts of the Arab world trying to smooth over bad feelings caused by the late Yasser Arafat's leadership. Abbas apologized to Kuwait today for Palestinian support of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1990-91 Gulf War. That war start after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Abbas is a front-runner in the January 9 elections to replace Arafat. The Romainian presidential runoff is today. And both candidates claim victory. Preliminary exit polls show a dead heat between the governoring Social Democratic prime minister and the opposition candidate, the mayor of Bucharest.

The United Arab Emirates is the first Middle Eastern country committing to take part in a U.S. container security initiative. UAE has agreed to prescreen all cargo bound for the U.S. through the port of Dubai.

Fans of TV shows like CSI, know a police investigation begins with surveying the crime scene. Well, in the poisoning case of Ukrainian opposition presidential cnadidate Viktor Yushchenko, he is the crime scene. Just look at these pictures of before and after.

But how do you track the culprit behind something like in this? I'm going to take that up with Don Clark, a former lead investigator for the FBI. He's joining us from Orlando, Florida. Good to see.

DON CLARK, FRM. FBI LEAD INVESTIGATOR: Good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, if this investigation is being launched what is believe to be about 3 months after his poisoning, how did they get started?

CLARK: I tell you, Fredricka, 3 months afterwards makes it very, very tough. But there are some critical things that you look at.

First of all, people who are involved in the investigation have got to make assumptions what they think may have taken place, then they've kind of got to develop a strategy about that. More importantly, they've got to assemble a team, and it can't be just an investigator, you've got to have investigators, doctors, scientists and other specialists that can work with you on something like.

Because this, I can tell that you an investigator in and of themselves is not going to know much about dioxin, where it came from, the availability of it or things of that nature.

And the thing about this dioxin it really is a compilation of various chemicals that are easily accessible. So trying to pinpoint who might have access to any of these chemical compounds seems like a mammoth undertaking?

It's an absolutely mammoth undertaking. I mean, what you've got to do is try your best to confine this, if you can, to a particular area, because you work yourself out of space.

I mean investigations have to move themselves until they narrow to a point a getting to evidence so that can you pin evidence to individuals to a particular crime. And one of the most significant things about this that they've got to work with is that there is no particular crime scene. In fact, the crime scene started walking around. And that is Mr. Yushchenko himself. And where else the crime scene may be has yet to be determined, to my knowledge.

WHITFIELD: And it's believed at least from Yushchenko, he believes -- that there was a state dinner. There was some sort of formal dinner that he attended in September where someone may have slipped something into his food. If you -- as investigators know that as a potential site, might that help pinpoint some of the potential suspects, who you start asking questions, to you know, involving all these people who were there from workers to invited guests?

CLARK: Clearly, Fredricka, you make a good investigator, because that's where you got to start. I mean, you've got to go to where somebody can identify where this activity may have started from. That's a good start point. And then you've got to have great interviews and interviewers.

And I want to stress that it is important to have really experienced interview interview agents and investigators in a case like this, because they just can't go in and ask the simple questions, they have to really delve into questions and really be able to read some type of body language and so forth to get additional leads in the case, because that's going to help them solve it.

WHITFIELD: And explain the art of really talking to people, whether they be at the dinner or people who are close to Yushchenko, so as to not to alienate them from the investigation, or not unnecessarily deem them a suspect because they're being asked questions.

CLARK: Yes. And you know, the investigators have to make sure that while you're being questioned, that you are not necessarily a suspect. However Fredricka, in reality, everybody who was there, or maybe who had some contact with Yushchenko is, in fact, a suspect until they can talk to them and start to eliminate suspects and hopefully get to an individual or individuals who may have been involved.

But again, Fredricka, very, very difficult. We all remember anthrax case. Still ongoing.

WHITFIELD: And what's your gut feeling whether they will get to the bottom who may have poisoned him?

CLARK: Yes. I think it's going to be very, very difficult unless, that all of a sudden there is a tremendous intelligence collection of sources, human sources of information. And if it's a conspiracy of more than one person, obviously a conspiracy is of more than one person, then likelihood would be a little bit greater. But if it's one person, it's going to be very, very difficult.

WHITFIELD: Don Clark, former FBI lead investigator. Thanks so much for joining us from Orlando.

CLARK: Pleasure. WHITFIELD: And happy holidays.

CLARK: Thank you. Same to you.

WHITFIELD: Well, Hollywood is abuzz. And speculation abounds, the Golden Globe nominees are announced tomorrow. But you might be surprised which two blockbuster don't even qualify.

And later, battling back, he may have lost his limbs, but he hasn't lost his passion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a girl that knows how to pour. What's your name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stephanie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephanie. Nice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Los Angeles Film Critics Association HAS named "Sideways" the year's best film. "Sideways" tells the story of two men searching for love in California's wine country. And Clint Eastwood's boxing movie "Million Dollar Baby" is apparently the runner up.

The picks come just ahead of nominations for the widely watched Golden Globe Awards. And they help narrow the list of competitors for the top film awards in the U.S., the Oscars, that's in February.

Well, what Hollywood will movie worldwide critics love most this year? The one about billionaire flying ace Howard Hughes, or the story of a wise old boxing trainer, or maybe even the writer who created Peter Pan. Hollywood is awaiting tomorrow's announcement for the coveted Golden Globes, here is CNN's Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Aviator."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You must call these people.

VARGAS: "Hotel Rwanda."

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: I will be extremely honored if you allow me the use of your name for one of the characters.

VARGAS: And "Finding Neverland," just some of the movies with buzz that might earn drama nominations. And they're all biopics.

TOM O'NEIL, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER: Normally biopics don't do well at box office or really these awards, but this year they have paid off on both fronts.

VARGAS: Stars of those films should factor in the best drama race. Among them, Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Howard Hughes in "The Aviator, Liam Neeson as Alfred Kinsey, Don Cheadle as a real life Rwandan hero in "Hotel Rwanda."

O'NEIL: You've got a lot of heavyweight contenders here: "Finding Neverland" starring Johnny Depp as the author of Peter Pan.

(SINGING)

VARGAS: Then there's the Foxx factor. Jamie Foxx could earn best actor nomination in the comedy/musical category for the biopic, "Ray." And that's not all, he could be recognized for his supporting work in "Collateral" and for the TV movie "Redemption" the Stan "Tookie" Williams Story.

And what about the ladies?

O'NEIL: The leaders for best actress are a surprise this year. Hillary Swank is back. And she's really coming out swinging as a wanna-be boxer in "Million Dollar Baby." And she's really good.

VARGAS: And look for Annette Bening in "Being Julia." And Imelda Staunton in "Vera Drake." But two films that won't factor into the major categories are among the most talked about of the year.

O'NEIL: "Passion of the Christ" is a foreign language film, so that has to go in that category. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a documentary. It doesn't qualify for best drama picture.

VARGAS: And what about television?

O'NEIL: Globe voters tend to overlook departed shows, even great ones. So don't expect "Fasier," "Friends" and "Sex and the City" to be nominated in the top awards.

VARGAS: But expect to see newer hits "Desperate Housewifes" and "Lost" to garner some nominations. Housewives in the comedy category, "Lost" for drama.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And up next this evening, his passion is painting, and despite the loss of two limbs, that passion only grows.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Ali Abbas lost both arms in a bomb blast last year in Iraq. At there time, there was lots of media coverage which showed Abbas suffering in a Baghdad hospital. But now, thanks to a worldwide outpouring of sympathy, Abbas has a new lease on life and new calling. ITN's Jasmine Lowson explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASMINE LOWSON, ITN REPOERTER (voice-over): Steady brush control and competent design: the remarkable work of a 13-year-old boy painting with his foot. Ali Abbas lost both his arms in a bomb blast in Iraq last year, now he's learning to express himself through images remembered.

ALI ABBAS, 13-YEAR-OLD PAINTER: Was near to my house. The mosque. I used to go and pray there. There is my park.

LOWSON: Pictures of Ali helpless in hospital in Baghdad, moved the world. Donation flooded in and enabled him to be brought to Britain for treatment be and to be fitted with false arms which can be removed which he likes to remove to paint.

ZAPAR KHAN, LIMBLESS ASSN. CHAIRMAN: His arms are controlled electronically. And he has got movement which is this and that movement. For art, he needs fine kind of movement.

ABBAS: Left both hospitals in Iraq to help lots of people in Iraq.

LOWSON: Ali now feels he can repay some of the kindness he's received. Sales from his pictures will now go to help some more children in Iraq. Jasmine Lowson, ITV news.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that's all the time we have for right now. Coming up next, "People in the News."

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 December 12, 2004 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Here's what's happening now in the news. Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko says he's happy to be alive after learning dioxin poisoning disfigured his face. At a Vienna hospital today, Yushchenko thanked the Austrian doctors who pulled him through.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it and another group carried out the attack that killed four Israeli troops today at a checkpoint in Gaza. Israeli military sources say an explosion went off in a tunnel under the checkpoint. Mortar shelling and gunfire followed. Israelis killed one of the attackers.

CNN has learned NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe will announce his resignation on Monday. Source inside NASA say O'Keefe is taking a better paying job, chancellor of Louisiana State University. The Louisiana native came to NASA in 2001 from the Office of Management and Budget.

Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Carol Lin is off tonight.

Ahead, more on the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko, the whodunit. We'll talk to a former FBI agent on tracking the poison that could have killed him.

And soldiers in Iraq home for the holidays if only for a few minutes. We'll show you a new program that's reuniting families.

We begin with questions over what went wrong with the nomination of Bernard Kerik. It's been two days since he withdrew his name from consideration to head homeland security but the fallout from the vetting process that allowed him to be tapped in the first place is far from over. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us with details. Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Fredricka. The White House is defending that vetting process and blaming Bernard Kerik for not earlier disclosing the legal programs that sunk his nomination, but they're also breathing a sigh of relief here at the White House that this all happened now and not later in what would likely have been a bruising confirmation process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): The president at church, heard a sermon about Christmas, the date his aides are using as a goalpost for finding a new candidate to run the Homeland Security Department. But the hand wringing still isn't over about what went wrong with the first Bush choice, Bernard Kerik.

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D) NORTH DAKOTA: There is something wrong when you announce the head of I think one of the most important agencies in our government to protect this country against terrorism and discover that you've missed the significant piece of the vetting process.

BASH: The White House dropped the ball, say some Democrats, by not knowing its pick to oversee immigration had a nanny with questionable legal status. Embarrassed, even annoyed Bush officials denied rushing to appoint the street cop turned 9/11 hero, insisting Kerik was asked if he had problems like this.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R) GOVT. AFFAIRS CHAIRWOMAN: It is disturbing that apparently there was information in his background that was not shared with the White House. I know for certainty that there are questions asked about domestic employees, financial matters, and legal disputes.

BASH: The president's moving on, say top aides, who suggest he's taking another look at candidates considered the first time around, like the department's head of border security, Asa Hutchinson, EPA Commissioner Mike Leavitt and the president's homeland security adviser Frances Townsend. Some say Mr. Bush should consider someone with broader experience. And one senator, a Democrat, is passing many Washington lips.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you wanted to go to the other side, go to Joe Lieberman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Lieberman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Lieberman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Lieberman.

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D) DELAWARE: Joe would be great, but I'd like to find a Republican from a blue state. Maybe we could pick up a seat.

BASH: All kidding aside, Republican sources do say the president has considered asking Lieberman to join his administration. A source close to the Democratic senator noted he's been careful not to openly criticize the White House recently and he'd likely take a job if he's asked.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: The only other post open still is the Health and Human Services secretary. White House officials tell CNN that that is likely going to be announced as early as tomorrow by the president. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Dana Bash at the White House, thanks so much. Now to the middle east, an explosion, a tunnel and a hail of gunfire made it a deadly day for Israeli troops in Gaza. Israel says the attack by Palestinian militants jeopardizes attempts to reach peace in the region. CNN's John Vause joins us now from Jerusalem with more on that, John?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, four Israeli soldiers have been killed, at least 10 others have been wounded, some of them seriously during an attack at an Israeli checkpoint. The question now, how will Israel respond and what impact will that have on the upcoming Palestinian elections?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE (voice-over): By all accounts the attack was well planned and deadly. According to the militant Islamic group Hamas, more than a ton of explosives was packed into a tunnel half a mile long, which took four months to dig. The target, an Israeli checkpoint where Palestinians cross from Gaza into Egypt. Moments after the blast, as rescue crews try to evacuate the wounded, militants opened fire with automatic weapons and mortars.

Hamas said this was a joint operation with the Fattah Hawks (ph), a military offshoot of the Fattah political party which was founded by the late Yasser Arafat. In a video released within hours of the attack, Hamas promised there would be no letup in the violence, saying it remains committed to the destruction of Israel.

TRANSLATOR: We will continue in the resistance until we expel the occupation from our land and teach the Zionist enemy that Hamas and the Palestinian people will not stand by with these crimes that are being committed daily.

VAUSE: Earlier in the day, Palestinian doctors say eight children were hurt when an Israeli tank shell exploded in a school yard in central Gaza. In the month since the death of Yasser Arafat, it had been relatively quiet. Hopes were higher that the Israelis and Palestinians were working towards a lasting peace.

HAANAH GISSIN, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: It is clear that the effort here was to scuttle in any way the normalization process that the Palestinian authority is trying to institute. And it teaches us one important lesson, that when the new leadership is elected, the first business of the day, their first mission would be to tackle the terrorist organization.

VAUSE: Controlling the militant groups is the biggest challenge for the next president of the Palestinian authority. Mahmoud (ph) Abbas is the front runner in next month's elections and his chances of winning have dramatically improved. His closest challenger Marwan Barghouti (ph) has pulled out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Barghouti is currently serving five life sentences for direct involvement on attacks on Israelis. Now ever since he announced that he was running, he's been under pressure from senior Palestinian officials to withdraw so Mahmoud Abbas could have a clear run for the top job. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And John, was it ever taken seriously that Barghouti would actually have a chance at winning, given that he is serving out these five life sentences?

VAUSE: It was taken very, very seriously, Fredricka. In fact all the polls that were coming out especially last week had him neck and neck with Mahmoud Abbas at least amongst Palestinians. He's a very popular figure. And there was some talk that he could be this Nelson Mandela-like leader, leading the Palestinians from the jail cell and that looks like that certainly won't be happening. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. John Vause in Jerusalem, thanks so much.

An explosion also rocked a crowd at outdoor market in the southern Philippines. It happened in General Santos city, site of previous bombings blamed on Islamist terrorist groups. The blast comes as the country is recovering from devastating landslides and floods. CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us now via videophone from Manila with developments on both those fronts. Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka good evening to you. The death toll from that blast still at at least 14, including a 7- year-old child. The number wounded hovering around 60. As you say, the bomb taking place at the busiest market, outdoor market in that city. The population there is about half a million people, the majority of whom are Christians, so as you can you imagine the holiday season, there was quite a crowd out shopping there.

There has been no claim of responsibility yet. The government is cautioning this investigation is just beginning, but it is very important to note that this city is on Mindanow (ph) Island in southern Philippines. This is the location that has long been familiar with both separatist and terrorist violence alike.

There are many groups operating there, but the two most notable include MILF, an Islamic separatist organization with whom the government has a very tenuous cease-fire with at the moment and Aba Sayyaf, a terrorist organization labeled so both by the Philippine and U.S. groups among others. Both groups have years long links to Jamal Islamiyah (ph) which is al Qaeda's regional arm in southeast Asia.

The government tough is saying that we shouldn't jump to any sort of conclusion yet but given the scale of the bomb and the number injured, it is likely we could see some sort of claim of responsibility. If it was MILF, experts say, it's unlikely they would come forward given that cease-fire. Abu Sayyaf's latest attack took place earlier this year when 100 people were killed on a Manila ferry and they claimed responsibility right away. Now this attack could not have come at a worse time for this country Fredricka. It is still reeling from devastating storms that hit the eastern provinces about two weeks ago and now coming back into the spotlight is a familiar issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): Rising from the wreckage of the eastern Philippines a decade's old debate. With rampant illegal logging and deforestation key reasons behind the devastation, the Philippine government is demanding action.

MICHAEL DEFENSOR, ENVIRON & NAT. RESOURCES SECY: In one month we have to prosecute these people, including not only the legal loggers, those who are involved in the community and even local government officials who are involved.

RAMAN: Officials have also suspended logging, legal or otherwise, until investigations are complete, but is it time for a complete ban? The question first surfaced over 10 years ago after 8,000 people died in the town of Ormuck (ph) of a similar fate. At the time environmentalist Orly Mercado was a senator.

ORLY MERCADO, FORMER PHILIPPINES SENATOR: 1991 Ormuck happened and people wee telling me, Orly, it is impossible for people not to see the logic. Here it is. Thousands have died. We're burying them in mass graves. After the media attention, I had difficulty again. I could not get the total ban on logging passed.

RAMAN: Cynics feel the same might happen this time around. There are still significant hurtles.

DEFENSOR: In the case of the economic side of the problem, that's a different question altogether.

RAMAN: Legal logging is a $300 million industry in the Philippines providing jobs for poor villagers. And even though this time a new president, Gloria Arroyo, is behind the notion, doubts remain.

MERCADO: I'm afraid, we might get a ban on logging after all the trees are gone and we are buried in mud.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: And Fredricka, obviously the people here hope that will not be the case.

WHITFIELD: And Aneesh, what about aid, international aid, coming for all these people who are left homeless, who are certainly in trouble as a result of all these weather related problems?

RAMAN: That's right, there are about half a million people in these affected areas that are still without clean water or food. We went there over the weekend, along with some 600 U.S. Marines that have just arrived who were based out of Japan. There is a lot of aid that is here, the government still needs more. The cost of this damage is estimated at $55 million. The government only has about $12 million. But the problem is the weather. The roads are still flooded. Bridges are completely destroyed. The only way in or out is by helicopter, but the minute there are clouds, there is no visibility, the aid can't get in. So that's a struggle they'll have to deal with as we go forward. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Aneesh Raman in Manila, Philippines, thanks so much.

Intercepted phone calls and eavesdropping - it sounds like a movie thriller, but it's reportedly what's happening to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency. The "Washington Post" reports Mohammed (ph) ElBaradei is under heavy scrutiny by the Bush administration. The newspaper says officials have intercepted dozens of his phone conversations with Iranian diplomats in an effort to oust him from his job. Baradei has questioned Washington's actions in Iraq and on the Iran nuclear issue. Source tell the "Washington Post" the intercepts haven't produced any evidence of wrongdoing, but the report says some Bush administration officials believe the calls show ElBaradei lacks impartiality when it comes to Iran.

A new military operation is starting in Afghanistan. "Financial Times" reporter Victoria Burnet (ph) tells CNN it involves thousands of U.S. soldiers based in the southern part of that country near the border with Pakistan. That's where Taliban loyalists and al Qaeda militants remain action. Burnet says the goal of the operation is to secure the countryside in time for parliamentary elections scheduled for April.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has updated CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: It's very difficult to say where he is hiding. He cannot be away from this region. He definitely is in this region. Specific to say he is on the border or in Afghanistan or (INAUDIBLE) would not be the proper thing for me to say. But we can say definitely that he is around this region, and that he can't run forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mr. Karzai is also tackling other problems in his country. He said he's alarmed by Afghanistan's booming drug industry.

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko spoke in public today for the first time about his brush with death. In these photographs, the one on the right is the most recent one. You can see the devastating effects of the dioxin poisoning. Today he thanked his doctors in Austria for saving his life. CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His doctors by his side, his American born wife Katerina acting as interpreter, Viktor Yushchenko gave no details about how he thought he was poisoned with dioxin or who might have done it.

TRANSLATOR: I am very happy to be alive in this world today and I thank these people for this. DOUGHERTY: But one of his physicians shed new light saying the poison was not detectible in routine forensic tests and thanking his medical colleagues around the world for working on a complex case.

DR. MICHAEL ZIMPFER, RUDOLPHINERHAUS HOSPITAL: Regardless of any political backgrounds who were helping us, who were consulting us to, again, to clarify the difficult Yushchenko illness, it has not been observed anywhere else beforehand.

DOUGHERTY: Yushchenko fell ill in September as he was beginning his presidential election campaign. A team of doctors in Vienna said Saturday, there is no doubt he was poisoned with the toxic chemical dioxin, that it was likely administered orally in food or a liquid like soup, or most likely by an unnamed third party.

Yushchenko supporters believe he may have been poisoned at a dinner with the leadership of the Ukrainian security service and claim the plot may have been carried out with help from outside Ukraine but have provided no evidence. As he left the Vienna clinic, Yushchenko said his orange revolution had already turned Ukraine into a different country and the regime in power for 14 years is now, quote, living its last days.

TRANSLATOR: We hadn't seen anything like that for the past 100 years. I think it would be appropriate to compare this to the fall of the Soviet Union or the fall of the Berlin wall.

DOUGHERTY: Yushchenko now returns to Ukraine for the repeat of the runoff election that was canceled by Ukraine's supreme court because of massive fraud. Doctors say he is recovering from the poisoning but could encounter physical problems down the road. However, his face may take years to return to normal. Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: How do you investigate a poisoning crime? Coming up in about 20 minutes, we'll hear what a former FBI agent has to say about Yushchenko case.

Is it a case of bah-humbug, perhaps? A retail giant finds itself the target of some Christmastime criticism. And some say the homeless are paying the price.

And which blockbuster has the buzz? The Golden Globe nominees are announced tomorrow. But why wait? We'll have your sneak peek right here.

And later, many of us remember the Iraqi boy named Ali who lost his arms during the Iraq war. Ahead, his amazing story of recovery in his own words and through his art. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some stories across America now. In Santa Barbara, California, Michael Jackson's attorney has no comment on reports that the pop star's fingerprints and those of the boy he's accused of molesting turned up on porn magazines. The prosecution and the defense in Jackson's upcoming trial are under gag orders.

Friends of a comatose Florida woman at the center of a right to die controversy celebrated her 41st birthday today at a rally in Panellas (ph) Park, Florida. Terry Shivo's (ph) husband is in an ongoing legal battle to save or to rather have her feeding tube disconnected.

University of Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart is this year's Heisman trophy winner. Leinart gets a chance to help his team win the national title at the Orange Bowl and that's scheduled for January 4th.

In this season of giving, a decision by one major retailer to ban the Salvation Army's red kettles from its stores and it's making it the target of criticism now. But like the adage says, when one door closes, a window opens. In this case it could be a window of opportunity. Our Denise Bellgrave reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELLGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flap over Target's decision to ban the red kettles from the front of its store is continuing to simmer.

MAJOR KENNETH JOHNSON, SALVATION ARMY: Well obviously, the decision that was made by Target was a real disappointment to the Salvation Army, and yet, when we think about it, we have to recognize that the Target Corporation has been very kind to allow the Salvation Army to ring for so many years.

BELLGRAVE: Shoppers and retailers are critical of the move and some have even taken some action. With nationwide chains BJ's Warehouse and Books A Million responded to this news by inviting the bell ringers to their store fronts and New Jersey's acting governor opened all rest areas on the state's highways, hoping to recover the $200,000 New Jersey shoppers donated at Target stores last year.

In a letter to Target's chairman, the acting governor said, at a time when the humanitarian services are most needed, I appeal to your sense of morale responsibility. CNN requested an on camera interview with Target, but the company declined. In a statement the company said if it allowed the Salvation Army to continue, to would also have to permit solicitation by organizations whose causes or behavior may be unacceptable to its guests.

The statement also said the decision in no way diminishes the company's commitment to its communities, noting that Target donates more than $2 million per week for charity. But for Alicia Brown Cook, an Atlanta shelter manager, the decision still rankles. Brown Cook's a graduate of the shelter's drug rehab program and she has a request for Target's general manager.

ALICIA BROWN COOK, ATLANTA SHELTER MANAGER: To give it another thought, just to forget about all the people that have - all the children that have lots and lots of toys, all the men and women that do have jobs. Think about the people that don't.

BELLGRAVE: Denise Bellgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still ahead tonight, computers and combat. See how new technology is allowing soldiers in Iraq to see and speak with their families in real time.

And a race against time. U.S. military rushes to supply armored protection for the thousands of vehicles in Iraq. But is time running out? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On the front lines tonight, easing the burden of separations with extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. soldiers are experiencing a tremendous amount of stress. But freedom calls made via web cams are bridging the miles. A video and audio feed may not make up for being there, but it does help. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we're going to be connecting about, what looks like about 30 family members to about six Marines out at camp Falluja.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's been there since September, around the second week of September and we miss him dearly, first of all, and he's expected to be back home around March.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We miss you deeply, but we're supporting everything that you do.

DOUG DANGREMOND, SBC COMMUNICATIONS: The opportunity really started out as a small couple people who wanted to do a video call-in, so we started to do this in the larger audience and we've done about five or six of these now across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's not just representing his family. He's representing all of the country, so you can't beat that. This is (INAUDIBLE) so we're not new at how we have to handle this. We have to be strong because that's what he would want us to do.

DANGREMOND: I think it's just a great opportunity for us to show and the community to show support to the soldiers in Iraq, and remember that it's not just about the soldiers but their families and the hardships that they endure along with him.

We can't wait to hug (INAUDIBLE) American grounds and stay this time.

CRYSTAL HOLLINGSWORTH, SOLDIER'S COUSIN: This is Christmas, this is the 25th right here. I don't think we could have received a better gift than this.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: If you'd like more information about freedom calls network, you can check out their website online. That address is www.freedomcalls.org.

And here now are our top stories. In Spain, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of about 75,000 soccer fans from the stadium in Madrid. The threat was made in the name of the Basque separatist group Eta. No bomb however was found.

Marwan Barghouti (ph) a popular Palestinian figure jailed by Israel, dropped out of the race for president of the Palestinian authority. The move is seen as good news for presidential hopeful and former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Barghouti was seen by some in Abbas' Fattah movement as a possible spoiler candidate.

Recently inaugurated Afghan President Hamid Karzai says luck will play a part in finding Osama bin Laden. Appearing on late edition with wolf Blitzer today, Karzai nevertheless said bin Laden will be caught sooner or later.

And if you still want a flu shot, you might not have to wait in line. Public health officials say demand is dwindling. Officials hope it's because people who needed the vaccine got it, but they also fear frustration and apathy may be playing a role as well.

The U.S. defense secretary found himself on the defensive after troops gearing up for Iraq complained about a lack of proper armor last week. Now, the mad scrambles on to get proper protection.

Plus, poisonous politics. Is a political foe behind the dioxin that transformed Viktor Yushchenko? I'll speak with an FBI expert on tracking the crime.

And later, which film is the talk of the town? We'll have your Golden Globe previews straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Iraq, the U.S. death toll continues to grow. Violence has flared up again in the tent city of Mosul. And Iraqi authorities have a grisly task on their hands. CNN's Karl Penhaul has details on the latest developments from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): U.S. Marine commanders say Sunday one marine was killed in fighting in western al Anbar Province. They gave no further details how the Marine died. But al Anbar province is home to the restive towns of Fallujah and Ramadi where there have been spikes in insurgent activity despite the recent offensive on the city of Fallujah.

Also Sunday, U.S. military spokesman reporting attacks that occurred across the weekend, especially in the northern city of Mosul.

In Mosul, a suicide car bomber drove a vehicle into an armored striker, armored personnel carrier. Seven soldiers were wounded in that attack, none were kill there. There was a firefight after, that and in that 10 insurgents at least were killed.

About the same time, also in Mosul on Saturday, insurgents tried to take a police station. But we're told there that the police managed to repel that attack.

And finally in two locations, one south of Baghdad, the other north of Baghdad. A total of five headless bodies have been found. No clue, so far, as to who the victims were, or who their attackers may have been. In the past, though, insurgents have used these methods to attack Iraqi security forces and intimidate others from joining their ranks. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Here now is the look at growing death toll in Iraq. 1,290 U.S. troops have now been killed since the war began in March of 2003. In all, a total of 1,436 coalition troops have lost their lives since that same date.

And tomorrow marks a year since the capture of Saddam Hussein. The former Iraqi dictator was found hiding in a spider hole near Tikrit. This famous video showed U.S. troops examining him after he was taken into custody. In the months since then, he was settled into existence behind bars in a secret location, Hussein's trial is not expected to begin until the beginning of 2006.

In the growing backlash over a lack of armor plating for U.S. military vehicles in Iraq, lawmakers lashed out at U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today. Condemnations are coming from both sides of the aisle.

While the finger-pointing continues, U.S. troops scavenge for spare parts, but U.S. companies say they shouldn't have to. Here's our Aaron Brown.

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AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The military says it's working as hard and as fast as it can to provide the increased armored protection for the thousands and thousands of vehicles, which are now in Iraq.

JAMES POOR, DEP. CMDR. ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT: Since december of last year, the collective output of the army, arsenals and depots is approximatly 10,000 Humvee door kits.

BROWN: Here at the Army's arms depot in Anniston, Alabama, workers are racing to supply so-called armor kits: hardened steel doors and frames for the ubiquitous Humvees. They are fitted to the vehicles in staging areas in Kuwait and in Iraq itself, where Humvees won't be fully armored, according to the Pentagon, until March of next year.

Meanwhile, the complaints keep coming. Soldiers in the Oregon National Guard who are in Baghdad are telling their families that they've been forced to extraordinary lengths to beef up their Humvees and other vehicles.

REP. DARLENE ROOLEY, (D) OREGON: You have members out looking in, finding metal to put in the vehicles between the plywood and the sand bags. So they're out scavenging metal from anyplace from heaps of old vehicles, and some of those are Russian vehicles, and some are those are Iraqi vehicles. They're trying to do everything they can to make themselves safe by doing that.

BROWN: And then there is this, a plant near Phoenix called Armor Works. It also produces protection kits for 1200 Army vehicles this year, but these use a ceramic base, not steel. It's lighter, but it's more expensive.

And now the company is laying people off, because its contract with the military runs out in January and hasn't been renewed.

MATT SALMON, PRESIDENT ARMOR WORKS: The steel technology which is being employed on so many of the vehicles over there has been around since World War II. It's time to move forward with the best technologies that we have, so that we can save lives and make our equipment function properly. It's, to me, it's a no-brainer.

BROWN: The Pentagon so far is not commenting. But it does admit that planners were not prepared for the kind of attacks that are now routine. The improvised explosive devices that kill and maim so many.

LT. GEN. H. STEPHEN BLUM, CHIEF. NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU: There was a lot of vehicles and rolling stock in Iraq and Afghanistan. And none of them had armor when we went in, so we're playing catch-up as fast as we can.

BROWN: Small comfort, perhaps, for the soldiers and marines on duty day and night, in an extraordinarily dangerous environment.

HOOLEY: We're asking these guys to put their lives on the line every single day. I mean, no matter what they're doing, the minute they go on patrol, their lives are in danger.

BROWN: Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

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WHITFIELD: Coming up, at 10:00 Eastern we'll talk with "Newsweek" editor Michael Hirsch about the dangers U.S. troops face as they search for those spare parts in Iraq.

News around the world now, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is touring parts of the Arab world trying to smooth over bad feelings caused by the late Yasser Arafat's leadership. Abbas apologized to Kuwait today for Palestinian support of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1990-91 Gulf War. That war start after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Abbas is a front-runner in the January 9 elections to replace Arafat. The Romainian presidential runoff is today. And both candidates claim victory. Preliminary exit polls show a dead heat between the governoring Social Democratic prime minister and the opposition candidate, the mayor of Bucharest.

The United Arab Emirates is the first Middle Eastern country committing to take part in a U.S. container security initiative. UAE has agreed to prescreen all cargo bound for the U.S. through the port of Dubai.

Fans of TV shows like CSI, know a police investigation begins with surveying the crime scene. Well, in the poisoning case of Ukrainian opposition presidential cnadidate Viktor Yushchenko, he is the crime scene. Just look at these pictures of before and after.

But how do you track the culprit behind something like in this? I'm going to take that up with Don Clark, a former lead investigator for the FBI. He's joining us from Orlando, Florida. Good to see.

DON CLARK, FRM. FBI LEAD INVESTIGATOR: Good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, if this investigation is being launched what is believe to be about 3 months after his poisoning, how did they get started?

CLARK: I tell you, Fredricka, 3 months afterwards makes it very, very tough. But there are some critical things that you look at.

First of all, people who are involved in the investigation have got to make assumptions what they think may have taken place, then they've kind of got to develop a strategy about that. More importantly, they've got to assemble a team, and it can't be just an investigator, you've got to have investigators, doctors, scientists and other specialists that can work with you on something like.

Because this, I can tell that you an investigator in and of themselves is not going to know much about dioxin, where it came from, the availability of it or things of that nature.

And the thing about this dioxin it really is a compilation of various chemicals that are easily accessible. So trying to pinpoint who might have access to any of these chemical compounds seems like a mammoth undertaking?

It's an absolutely mammoth undertaking. I mean, what you've got to do is try your best to confine this, if you can, to a particular area, because you work yourself out of space.

I mean investigations have to move themselves until they narrow to a point a getting to evidence so that can you pin evidence to individuals to a particular crime. And one of the most significant things about this that they've got to work with is that there is no particular crime scene. In fact, the crime scene started walking around. And that is Mr. Yushchenko himself. And where else the crime scene may be has yet to be determined, to my knowledge.

WHITFIELD: And it's believed at least from Yushchenko, he believes -- that there was a state dinner. There was some sort of formal dinner that he attended in September where someone may have slipped something into his food. If you -- as investigators know that as a potential site, might that help pinpoint some of the potential suspects, who you start asking questions, to you know, involving all these people who were there from workers to invited guests?

CLARK: Clearly, Fredricka, you make a good investigator, because that's where you got to start. I mean, you've got to go to where somebody can identify where this activity may have started from. That's a good start point. And then you've got to have great interviews and interviewers.

And I want to stress that it is important to have really experienced interview interview agents and investigators in a case like this, because they just can't go in and ask the simple questions, they have to really delve into questions and really be able to read some type of body language and so forth to get additional leads in the case, because that's going to help them solve it.

WHITFIELD: And explain the art of really talking to people, whether they be at the dinner or people who are close to Yushchenko, so as to not to alienate them from the investigation, or not unnecessarily deem them a suspect because they're being asked questions.

CLARK: Yes. And you know, the investigators have to make sure that while you're being questioned, that you are not necessarily a suspect. However Fredricka, in reality, everybody who was there, or maybe who had some contact with Yushchenko is, in fact, a suspect until they can talk to them and start to eliminate suspects and hopefully get to an individual or individuals who may have been involved.

But again, Fredricka, very, very difficult. We all remember anthrax case. Still ongoing.

WHITFIELD: And what's your gut feeling whether they will get to the bottom who may have poisoned him?

CLARK: Yes. I think it's going to be very, very difficult unless, that all of a sudden there is a tremendous intelligence collection of sources, human sources of information. And if it's a conspiracy of more than one person, obviously a conspiracy is of more than one person, then likelihood would be a little bit greater. But if it's one person, it's going to be very, very difficult.

WHITFIELD: Don Clark, former FBI lead investigator. Thanks so much for joining us from Orlando.

CLARK: Pleasure. WHITFIELD: And happy holidays.

CLARK: Thank you. Same to you.

WHITFIELD: Well, Hollywood is abuzz. And speculation abounds, the Golden Globe nominees are announced tomorrow. But you might be surprised which two blockbuster don't even qualify.

And later, battling back, he may have lost his limbs, but he hasn't lost his passion.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a girl that knows how to pour. What's your name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stephanie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stephanie. Nice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Los Angeles Film Critics Association HAS named "Sideways" the year's best film. "Sideways" tells the story of two men searching for love in California's wine country. And Clint Eastwood's boxing movie "Million Dollar Baby" is apparently the runner up.

The picks come just ahead of nominations for the widely watched Golden Globe Awards. And they help narrow the list of competitors for the top film awards in the U.S., the Oscars, that's in February.

Well, what Hollywood will movie worldwide critics love most this year? The one about billionaire flying ace Howard Hughes, or the story of a wise old boxing trainer, or maybe even the writer who created Peter Pan. Hollywood is awaiting tomorrow's announcement for the coveted Golden Globes, here is CNN's Sibila Vargas.

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SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Aviator."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You must call these people.

VARGAS: "Hotel Rwanda."

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: I will be extremely honored if you allow me the use of your name for one of the characters.

VARGAS: And "Finding Neverland," just some of the movies with buzz that might earn drama nominations. And they're all biopics.

TOM O'NEIL, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER: Normally biopics don't do well at box office or really these awards, but this year they have paid off on both fronts.

VARGAS: Stars of those films should factor in the best drama race. Among them, Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Howard Hughes in "The Aviator, Liam Neeson as Alfred Kinsey, Don Cheadle as a real life Rwandan hero in "Hotel Rwanda."

O'NEIL: You've got a lot of heavyweight contenders here: "Finding Neverland" starring Johnny Depp as the author of Peter Pan.

(SINGING)

VARGAS: Then there's the Foxx factor. Jamie Foxx could earn best actor nomination in the comedy/musical category for the biopic, "Ray." And that's not all, he could be recognized for his supporting work in "Collateral" and for the TV movie "Redemption" the Stan "Tookie" Williams Story.

And what about the ladies?

O'NEIL: The leaders for best actress are a surprise this year. Hillary Swank is back. And she's really coming out swinging as a wanna-be boxer in "Million Dollar Baby." And she's really good.

VARGAS: And look for Annette Bening in "Being Julia." And Imelda Staunton in "Vera Drake." But two films that won't factor into the major categories are among the most talked about of the year.

O'NEIL: "Passion of the Christ" is a foreign language film, so that has to go in that category. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a documentary. It doesn't qualify for best drama picture.

VARGAS: And what about television?

O'NEIL: Globe voters tend to overlook departed shows, even great ones. So don't expect "Fasier," "Friends" and "Sex and the City" to be nominated in the top awards.

VARGAS: But expect to see newer hits "Desperate Housewifes" and "Lost" to garner some nominations. Housewives in the comedy category, "Lost" for drama.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

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WHITFIELD: And up next this evening, his passion is painting, and despite the loss of two limbs, that passion only grows.

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WHITFIELD: Ali Abbas lost both arms in a bomb blast last year in Iraq. At there time, there was lots of media coverage which showed Abbas suffering in a Baghdad hospital. But now, thanks to a worldwide outpouring of sympathy, Abbas has a new lease on life and new calling. ITN's Jasmine Lowson explains.

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JASMINE LOWSON, ITN REPOERTER (voice-over): Steady brush control and competent design: the remarkable work of a 13-year-old boy painting with his foot. Ali Abbas lost both his arms in a bomb blast in Iraq last year, now he's learning to express himself through images remembered.

ALI ABBAS, 13-YEAR-OLD PAINTER: Was near to my house. The mosque. I used to go and pray there. There is my park.

LOWSON: Pictures of Ali helpless in hospital in Baghdad, moved the world. Donation flooded in and enabled him to be brought to Britain for treatment be and to be fitted with false arms which can be removed which he likes to remove to paint.

ZAPAR KHAN, LIMBLESS ASSN. CHAIRMAN: His arms are controlled electronically. And he has got movement which is this and that movement. For art, he needs fine kind of movement.

ABBAS: Left both hospitals in Iraq to help lots of people in Iraq.

LOWSON: Ali now feels he can repay some of the kindness he's received. Sales from his pictures will now go to help some more children in Iraq. Jasmine Lowson, ITV news.

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WHITFIELD: And that's all the time we have for right now. Coming up next, "People in the News."

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