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CNN Sunday Morning

Leaders of Syria, Lebanon to Meet Tomorrow; Wounded Italian Journalist Tells of Escape From Iraq

Aired March 06, 2005 - 09:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "I heard his last breath as he was dying on me," that from a freed Italian journalist as she tells the world about her escape from Iraq and about the man who died protecting her.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is March 6th. Good morning everyone, I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris, 9:00 a.m. here in the East, 3:00 p.m. in Rome. Thank you for being with us. Let's get started with the morning's headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

NGUYEN: Much more to come this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

They've lost a limb but they haven't lost heart, some war-scarred veterans are getting back in the race.

Also, they were average citizens with average jobs but now they are taking on the biggest military mission of their lives. We'll take you to Iraq to meet them.

And if you think hitting that delete key will erase your computer files, well you better think again. We'll introduce you to a cyber detective.

HARRIS: We lead our coverage this morning with new developments out of the Mid East. The leaders of Syria and Lebanon will hold a key meeting tomorrow, the topic a pullback of Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon.

Let's go straight to Beirut and CNN's Senior International Correspondent Brent Sadler -- Brent, good morning.

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

This is going to be an absolutely crucial meeting between the leaders of the Syrian country next door to Lebanon, Bashar al-Assad and Emile Lahoud, the Lebanese president.

Why are they meeting? Well to push forward the announcement that was made some 24 hours ago by the Syrian president that there would be a two-stage withdrawal, redeployment of Syrian troops first to two places in Lebanon, first the Bekaa Valley, closer to Syria, and then across the border itself but no time table was set for that pullout from Lebanon itself, raising some concerns in the White House.

Now when these two leaders get together with military chiefs they may well be able to announce a clearer picture of the mechanics and a possible time table of a pullout as demanded by the international community and many Arab leaders but by no means at this stage is that a done deal.

Now, in another development here in the past hour or so, the head of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah has said that on Tuesday there will be a call for a massive demonstration of so-called patriotic forces.

These are groups, political parties supportive of Syria, this a separate agenda emerging aside from the Syrian troop withdrawal issue of Hezbollah's resistance position, as it calls itself, within Lebanon towards U.N. Security Council resolution 1559 that effectively calls for the disarmament, the disbanding of Hezbollah. So, this whole crisis here now not only political on the Lebanese page but getting into the business of Middle East peace as a whole -- Tony.

HARRIS: Brent Sadler in Beirut for us this morning, Brent we appreciate it thank you.

NGUYEN: And the situation there relates to our e-mail question this morning. As the U.S. pushes Syria to pull troops out of Lebanon what do you think? How should the U.S. deal with Syria? That's our question. E-mail us at wam@cnn.com. We are reading your replies all morning long.

HARRIS: Turning now to a blaring newspaper headline in Italian, "La mia verita." In English it simply means my truth. That's how Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena titles the story of her kidnapping and rescue in Iraq, a nightmare that should have ended when she became freed but it did not. She writes about it in her newspaper "Il Manifesto" today.

CNN's Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci joins us with more -- good morning, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning to you Tony and good Italian indeed.

Let me show you that front page of "Il Manifesto" which is the Communist newspaper for which Giuliana Sgrena has filed dozens of articles from Baghdad, all of them very critical of the U.S. military operation over there, "La mia verita" as you said, "my truth."

In this article, Giuliana Sgrena basically is disputing the account that the United States military has given about how the accident has happened and, in particular, she is saying that the car was not driving fast and that the U.S. military did not call for the car to stop.

She also writes in this article that the shooting was "unjustified" and she says also she says as the car approached those military the only thing she can remember was a hail of bullets.

She also gives a pretty wrenching account of the final moments of the Italian intelligence officer, who only moments earlier had negotiated her release. His name is Nicola Calipari.

And she writes, "The driver started yelling that we were Italians. We are Italians. We are Italians," she writes. "Nicola Calipari threw himself on me to protect me and immediately" she writes "I repeat, immediately, I heard his last breath as he was dying on me," very strong words here recounting the last few moments of Nicola Calipari in that car.

Nicola Calipari, his body arrived last night at the airport in Ciampino, was welcomed by the highest authorities in this country, the president, the Italian prime minister.

Today the body is lying in state at the Tomb of the unknown soldier in downtown Rome. Thousands of people offering their last respects to a man everybody here today calls a hero. And tomorrow indeed there will be a state funeral. The autopsy shows that Nicola Calipari was hit by a single bullet to his head -- Tony.

HARRIS: Alessio, I have to ask you in the lead to you just a moment ago I used the word rescue but was this, in fact, a rescue or was it a negotiated release?

VINCI: It was a negotiated release, Tony. Nicola Calipari was an experienced negotiator who had worked through several hostage crises involving Italian citizens in Baghdad and, in fact, a leading Italian newspaper this morning (UNINTELLIGIBLE) even mentions a ransom paid between six and eight million Euros. That's about $8 million to $10 million, if you want.

Of course the Italian government is not commenting on this. There's no confirmation, no independent confirmation of whether or not a ransom was paid but Nicola Calipari was there because there was a negotiated release and not a military operation, not a rescue.

HARRIS: OK, Alessio Vinci in Rome for us this morning, Alessio thank you.

NGUYEN: Meanwhile in Iraq, a possible plot against Turkish truck drivers. Four of them have been killed in the last three days. All the killings happened near Mosul, the latest incident just this morning. One of the Turkish drivers was killed yesterday and his truck was so badly burned that it took firefighters hours just to put it out.

"Across America" this morning, Navy and marine experts are checking to see if a submarine sonar is what causes dozens of dolphins to beach themselves. About 70 dolphins stranded themselves in the Florida Keys. More than 20 have already died. The Navy won't say if sonar was used during a sub's training exercise in the area. Some scientists though say loud bursts of sonar may disorient or even scare marine mammals. Well, a toddler survived after a train slammed into the car he was riding in. That crash killed his mother, baby sister and a family friend. The sheriff's office says the train began signaling about a quarter mile down the track. Then the driver accelerated over the tracks and was hit broadside.

HARRIS: Reggie Jackson is out of the hospital after an accident in Tampa, Florida. The baseball Hall of Famer was rear-ended at a red light and both vehicles flipped. The other driver is in critical condition.

It is a first for slugger Sammy Sosa. He got himself bounced, tossed out of a spring training game. Sosa got into it with the second base umpire, an exchange of words and then the old heave-ho. Sammy Sosa to the showers.

NGUYEN: At spring training (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

HARRIS: See you, wouldn't want to be you.

NGUYEN: Oh, tempers flaring early on in the season all right.

HARRIS: That's old school isn't it, see you, wouldn't want to be you, that's old.

NGUYEN: Yes, that's way back, Tony.

All right, just ahead this Sunday morning, he thought he was going to be a weekend warrior but got much more than he bargained for. Our "Soldier Story" this week focuses on National Guard troops now on full time war duty.

HARRIS: And later, we'll get a rare look inside the life of the man police say is the BTK killer.

Good morning, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning Tony and Betty.

You guys mentioned spring training. Well you're going to need the umbrella today for all the Cactus league games. We'll let you know when it's going to dry up in the southwest coming up with today's weather report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And time now to check in on some of the other major world developments this Sunday morning.

NGUYEN: And, for that, let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN International desk, hi Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hey, good morning from me. Some big developments in the Middle East this morning. Syria says it's going to redeploy some of its troops in Lebanon. Here's what we know so far.

The pullback will take place in two stages. First, all 14,000 troops in Lebanon will move to the Bekaa Valley and in the second phase troops will move to the border.

In the last hour, we spoke to Syria's ambassador to Britain Sami Khiyami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMI KHIYAMI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO BRITAIN: Syria longs to leave Lebanon, wants to leave Lebanon and most of the Lebanese today accept this fact because everybody is complying with the Taif Accord. However, the Israeli agenda does not only call for the withdrawal of Syrian troops, and I think these gatherings that would be expected, will express friendship to Syria after its withdrawal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NAIDOO: A top level meeting between the Syrian and Lebanese presidents is scheduled for tomorrow. That will take place in Damascus and they'll work out the time table for that withdrawal.

Now onto our security watch. New this morning this in from Pakistan, forces there killed two suspected al Qaeda members and arrest eleven others near the Afghan border. Two other people, including an army captain and a woman were injured. Pakistani officials say those arrested include foreigners.

Those arrests in Pakistan coming as a former British police chief warns that there are 100-plus al Qaeda operatives in Britain. Sir John Stevens, former head of London's Metropolitan Police says there's a very real chance of new attacks and he says that in view of this he's backing a very controversial new anti-terrorist legislation that the British government is planning to introduce in Parliament.

That is it for me this morning, more developments as they happen here at CNN. Stay with us. For now let's send it back to Tony.

NGUYEN: Thank you.

HARRIS: Anand, thank you.

And updating your top stories this morning, the Italian journalist who was held hostage in Iraq, then wounded by U.S. troops after she was freed is recounting her ordeal. Giuliana Sgrena writes in an Italian newspaper that she was celebrating her freedom when her car was hit by a rain of bullets.

Pope John Paul II was back at his hospital window in Rome this Sunday morning. The 84-year-old pope waved and gave a silent blessing to hundreds of pilgrims below.

And, in Iraq, four Iraqi civilians were injured when a bomb hit their car on a main road in east Mosul.

Now, if you think hitting delete kills your computer files, wrong, think again and then stick around. A cyber sleuth tells all about your hard drive coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Iraq has changed everything for members of the Army National Guard who used to joke about being citizen soldiers and weekend warriors. Today's "Soldier Story" is from the legendary 42nd Infantry Division, also known as the Rainbow Division. The unit was recently deployed to Iraq, the first time a National Guard division headquarters has been mobilized to a combat zone since the Korean conflict.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ricchiazzi and Sergeant First Class Scott Langley join us now from Tikrit, Iraq to tell us about their mission.

Lieutenant Colonel Ricchiazzi, let's start with you. Tell us about what you have been doing in Iraq.

LT. COL. JOSEPH RICCHIAZZI, 42ND INFANTRY DIVISION: I am the provost marshal for the division and basically I take care of the detainee operations here.

NGUYEN: All right. And, Sergeant Langley this is your first deployment. What have you experienced so far? Have you seen any live combat?

RICCHIAZZI: This is actually my second deployment and the operations have been going pretty well here.

NGUYEN: Yes, actually, I was speaking to Lieutenant Langley. This is his first deployment correct?

SFC SCOTT LANGLEY, 42ND INFANTRY DIVISION: Yes, ma'am it is.

NGUYEN: All right, I'm sorry Sergeant Langley.

LANGLEY: Things are going well. I've seen a little bit but things have been fine so far.

NGUYEN: All right. And tell me a little bit about what you've seen so far while you're there in Iraq. A lot of family and friends back home want to know what you've been through, what you've seen. Tell us.

LANGLEY: I've seen a different lifestyle here. I guess the biggest thing I've seen is the difference in lifestyles from the Americans to the Iraqis. As far as any type of combat, I haven't really been in much at all.

NGUYEN: What's been the toughest part of this mission for you?

LANGLEY: The toughest part of the mission for me definitely leaving my family at home, leaving my loved ones, being separated for so long. NGUYEN: Actually, we have a picture of you with your fiancee Lisa. We're going to try to put that up on the screen. Do you get to speak with them very much?

LANGLEY: I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't hear that. Could you say it again?

NGUYEN: We have a picture up right now with you and your fiancee Lisa. You're engaged to be married. Do you get to speak with her very much? And, also tell us when are you expected to walk down the aisle with Lisa?

LANGLEY: I believe that we're expecting to walk down the aisle in September of 2006 but it's up to her I'm sure.

NGUYEN: Yes, the bride usually takes control when it comes to weddings. I hear you there. All right, Lieutenant Colonel Ricchiazzi, if you would talk to me a little bit about the 42nd Infantry Division, the Rainbow Division, this division has a really long and storied history. Tell us a little bit about that.

RICCHIAZZI: Well, the division was formed back in World War I and that's where it got its name the Rainbow Division. Douglas MacArthur was the first chief of staff and he stated that the troops from the division come from across America like a rainbow. So, we picked up the motto of the Rainbow Division from Douglas MacArthur.

NGUYEN: Is this...

RICCHIAZZI: The division was in World War II and -- I'm sorry.

NGUYEN: I was going to ask you is this the first time that a full Guard division in its entirety has been deployed to combat since the Korean War that's what we introduced you as? Is that the case?

RICCHIAZZI: Yes, it is. We're very proud to be part of the division. It's quite an honor. It's a real honor for a National Guard division to be validated like this, to be picked to come here. It means a lot. I know the soldiers are all pretty proud about being here and we're all committed to doing a very good job.

NGUYEN: As a National Guard unit, do you have direct command over Army troops there?

RICCHIAZZI: Yes, actually. I'm the chief of the military police here. We have military policemen all fall underneath me and I control them for tactics and how they operate.

NGUYEN: Let me ask you the same question that I asked Sergeant Langley. What's been the toughest part for you so far?

RICCHIAZZI: Definitely leaving the family. You really can't do this without a great family. My wife Julie, my boys Joe and John, without their support you really can't do this and I know they are a great inspiration to me and all my soldiers with their families back home it really helps. NGUYEN: And I'm sure your family is just delighted. Hopefully, they're watching to be able to see you today. When you do come home, what are you going to tell them about this experience?

RICCHIAZZI: I'm going to say thank God you're an American and that you live in the U.S. of A. We have so many freedoms and so many things we take for granted. You know, it's hard to describe but you just got to be happy for what we got.

NGUYEN: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ricchiazzi and Sergeant Scott Langley we appreciate your time. Come home safely.

LANGLEY: Thank you.

RICCHIAZZI: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Tony.

HARRIS: Hang ten times four dude. Dude. We're taking a ride on the world's largest surfboard when CNN SUNDAY MORNING RETURNS.

NGUYEN: First, though, a CNN Extra, narrow roads, sharp curves, pavement drop-offs and roadside hazards make rural roads the deadliest places to drive in America. Fifty-two percent of traffic deaths between 1999 and 2003 happened on non-interstate roads and highways.

And, according to the Road Information Program, the traffic there accounted for only 28 percent of travel. And you'll want to check this out as well. About 60 million people live in rural communities. This accounts for 21 percent of the country's population.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning Chicago. Look at this pretty shot of downtown. In the top left-hand corner of your screen there's a little flag there. It kind of tells you how windy the windy city is today, not too bad on this Sunday.

HARRIS: Jacqui Jeras, the folks in Chicago can look forward to what, another six months of winter?

JERAS: Actually, it's going to be feeling a lot more like spring today in Chicago believe it or not.

HARRIS: Well that's really good, good.

NGUYEN: That's good news.

JERAS: Fifty-seven degrees.

HARRIS: Now that's going.

NGUYEN: Yes, not bad no. That's not what we're getting right?

JERAS: Pardon me?

NGUYEN: Are we getting something around there?

JERAS: Sixty-four for Atlanta.

NGUYEN: Fifty-seven, 64, close to the same.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

HARRIS: OK, Jacqui, thank you.

NGUYEN: We got it covered.

HARRIS: That's for sure.

Well it is a key you use all the time when you're on the computer but cyber cops say delete doesn't mean what you think it does. The details when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So, who is the man suspected of being the BTK serial killer?

Welcome back everyone to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

An unusual first person account that is coming up on that story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So who is the man suspected of being the BTK serial killer?

Welcome back everyone to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. An unusual first person account that is coming up on that story. But first, here's what's happening right now in the news.

Wounded Italian Journalist Giuliana Sgrena is contradicting the U.S. military's version of the shooting in Iraq that killed an Italian intelligence agent.

Sgrena says the car carrying her was not speeding and the shooting did not occur at a check point. Sgrena had just been released by kidnappers in Iraq and was on her way to the Baghdad airport.

We could get details on Syria's pull back of troops from Lebanon as early as Monday. Leaders of the two countries are meeting tomorrow.

Now yesterday Syrian President Bashar Assad announced a two stage redeployment to the Bekaa Valley, then to an area near the Syrian/Lebanese border. The newly elected Iraqi national assembly will meet March 16 to begin forming a transitional government. The date was set by the Shiite and Kurdish alliances, the big winders in the elections, as you recall. They had met with Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani who reportedly told them to stop haggling and get down to business.

Also today BTK suspect Dennis Rader was arrested, not today last week, after an electronic finger print on a sloppy disk that was traced back to his church, of all places.

Now it's nearly impossible to eliminate such identifying marks. As we bring you another look at the best of CNN prime-time from the past week, technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg shows you how it all works.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The oldest rule in the book for cyber sleuths is delete doesn't mean gone. It's John Mallory's mantra. Part of his job as a computer forensics consultant is to make technical stuff understandable.

JOHN MALLORY, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY EXPERT: You have a library, and for those of you that remember, card catalogues. If you take a card out of the card catalogue the book is still on the shelf. When you delete a file the print goes away, the data still stays there. It can stay there for five seconds, it can stay there for years. It stays there until the operating system decides to write over that deleted file with new data.

SIEBERG: Having lived in Kansas for 17 years, Mallory is familiar with the BTK case. Press reports say data on a floppy disk was critical for investigators. Mallory gives me a rudimentary but effective demonstrative of how deleted data can be recovered.

MALLORY: We'll look at the floppy here. In this case you have a deleted word document. I'm going to scroll down and what you're looking at here is the contents of this deleted work document. There's additional information added to the file when you create a document. So, the user name can often be added to that document, the company name, the computer name, the original location.

In the BTK case that might have been what helped law enforcement track this person down.

SIEBERG: So if I delete something is it gone?

MALLORY: If you just delete something no, it is not gone.

SIEBERG: If I empty the recycle bin?

MALLORY: It's not gone.

SIEBERG: And if I format the hard drive?

MALLORY: It's not game. SIEBERG (on-camera): This is basically what the hard drive on your computer might look like. And believe it or not, you could take a sledge hammer to it and you still may not destroy everything that's on it. Even a fire may not do it. In fact, forensics experts say the only way to guarantee that all the information is gone is to shred, smelt, or pulverize it.

(voice-over): Any time you turn on a computer, open a file, type a key, send a message there's a record.

MALLORY: The only safe computer is one that you never turn and you bury in the ground, six feet under ground.

SIEBERG: Daniel Sieberg, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Now that is an eye opener.

Well tonight on CNN be sure to come back for more "PRIME CUTS" hosted by Anderson Cooper for the best of what CNN brings you each week. We'll look at Martha Stewart's release along with exclusive video of her in prison, a woman living in fear of the BTK killer, and a pre-dawn raid with U.S. marshals in Chicago. That's CNN "PRIME CUTS" tonight at 10 p.m. eastern.

HARRIS: We are getting a rare account of the suspect in the BTK serial killers this morning. Dennis Rader's lawyers talked to "Time" magazine in an exclusive interview. They say Rader complains about sleepless nights in jail and a growing depression.

Joining us now from New York is "Time" correspondent Jeff Chu who wrote, "Was the Killer Next Door?" The article offers a revealing glimpse of the killing that terrorized a Kansas community.

Jeff, good to see you.

JEFF CHU, TIME: Good morning.

HARRIS: Let me just ask you. Why do you think the attorney's decided to talk to "Time?"

CHU: I think we showed up at their door and they really didn't have a choice at that point. They said hello and we hello and we asked our questions.

HARRIS: You know I was curious if it was in some way to try to get their side of the story on the record after that extraordinary press event last week announcing the arrest of Dennis Rader.

CHU: I think it was important for us to get Rader's side of the story. A lot of people are worried that he's not going to be able to get a fair trial because the police chief came out and announced BTK is arrested.

That assumes that he is BTK and that kind of thing has the fear of prejudicing the case.

HARRIS: You think they're going to ask for -- this is probably an easy question to answer. Do you think they're going to ask for a change of venue?

CHU: The lawyers have told us about something they are considering.

HARRIS: OK. What did you learn about Dennis Rader?

CHU: We learned that he obviously for someone who is being accused of murder, isn't feeling so great right now in jail. He's having a hard time getting used to the prison food. He complains to his lawyers about finding a pebble in his potatoes, but he joked that it might be extra protein for him.

He spends some time exercising every day. He spends a few hours with his lawyers every day chatting about the case, trying to get them caught up, giving his side of the story. He's also spending a lot of time reading. And interestingly, he's reading a detective novel.

HARRIS: Is he really? OK. How long has he been married?

CHU: He's been married since 1971.

HARRIS: So he is accused of committing these crimes at the time when presumably he was a loving father and husband?

CHU: The crimes extend from 1974 until 1991. So during that time he was taking his kids camping and fishing. He was active at church. He was spending a lot of time being a normal family man.

HARRIS: Has his family spoken to him or seen him?

CHU: His lawyers tell us that he has not spoken to his family and they have not spoken to him, but he ask after them all the time.

HARRIS: Jeff, has Rader confessed to these numbers?

CHU: You know there have been reports that he has confessed to the murders, but his lawyers will not confirm those accounts.

HARRIS: OK. Do we know where those stories came from?

CHU: Those stories came from unconfirmed sources and the local papers in Kansas.

HARRIS: Jeff, what's been the reaction to the arrest of Dennis Rader by the community, shock surprise and probably a whole list of other emotions?

CHU: I think from the people who knew him there's a lot of sadness, and from people who didn't know him, who were terrorized by the thought that there was a serial killer on the loose, it's a lot of relief actually.

HARRIS: And what is, if you know, the key piece of evidence or some of the key pieces of evidence against him?

CHU: We do not know what the key pieces of evidence are. You've already talked about the computer disk that was connected to the church computer. We know that his daughter's medical records were subpoenaed and we also know that police have saved forensic evidence from the scenes of the crimes over the years.

So we're assuming that they've compared that forensic evidence with DNA technology that wasn't available back in the '70s.

HARRIS: Jeff Chu, thank you. We appreciate it.

CHU: Thank you.

HARRIS: The piece is "Was the Killer Next Door?" We learn a lot about the suspected BTK killer, Dennis Rader. Jeff, thank you.

CHU: Thanks.

HARRIS: And time now to look ahead to some of the stories we'll be covering this week.

Monday the Supreme Court examines the federal governments power to override state laws on the use of medical marijuana. Since 1996 ten states have legalized marijuana for medical use.

Wednesday the man who called the 2004 election, " shakier than cafeteria Jell-O" is stepping down. Dan Rather will draw the curtain on 24 years as anchor of the "CBS Evening News. " Rather will continue to report for "60 Minutes.

Also on Wednesday a new twist on three letters that shake some high schoolers to the bone. The SAT test rolls out with revamped math and verbal sections and a new writing portion. In addition to the 35 minute multiple choice questions students will have to write an essay in 25 minutes.

NGUYEN: Essay in 25 minutes. I remember taking the SAT. don't want to do it again though I'll tell you that, Tony. We are surfing the Web for the most popular stories online. Hang tens for what's making waves on cnn.com. That's next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And today on "LATE EDITION," as Syria talks about withdrawing troops from Lebanon you'll get the Bush administration's response when counselor to the president, Dan Bartlett, to Wolf Blitzer. That's coming up at noon eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: For members of the military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere the scars can be mental and physical, lasting and deep. But one program is trying to help them heal. It starts with medical treatment then motivation.

Here's CNN's Kathleen Koch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it running 101, a class for those who've lost a leg.

Many soldiers and Marines like 22 year old Jeff Sanders injured six months ago by a roadside bomb near Baghdad. He's had a new prosthetic leg for just a week and never expected to learn how to run this soon.

JEFF SANDERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It felt good. I mean it's hard to deal with all the losses of things you take for granted, and to get one of those things back. And it's not like it's one of those little things it's about as big as it gets.

KOCH: Twenty two year old Nick Tario decided to join the class at Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital in Rockville, Maryland. He's a Marine too and served in Afghanistan until a roadside bomb blew apart his left foot. Nick wants advice on improving the use of his leg designed especially for running.

NICK THERAULT, U.S. MARINE: It pulls and it pushes me back and it sends one hip forward and it's a lot of muscle control.

KOCH (on-camera): This program is not just about instructing, but motivating amputees. Many who's losses were very recent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Often they come in demoralized feeling that this loss is so devastating that they will not achieve.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't no pain no gain. Pain is not good.

KOCH: Seeing others succeed say those teaching and supporting them can make all the difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know if he can do it, I can do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially for amputees that come -- just lost their leg they get to see what the future is. They get to see the possibilities.

KOCH: Nick, who went turkey hunting on crushes just months after his injury, is motivated. He says the other key to moving ahead is acceptance.

THERAULT: it's what you got I mean you don't have a choice. You can either sit in your room and cry about it for the rest of your life or you can put a leg on and look just like everybody else and go out there and live just like everybody else.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN Rockville, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: Here's a quick story of our top stories now. An Italian journalist, who was wounded by American troops in Iraq, denies her car was speeding, as it approached a Baghdad check point.

Giuliana Sgrena writes in an Italian newspaper that the intelligence agent killed by U.S. military fire was trying to protect her.

The leaders of Syria and Lebanon will hold a key meeting tomorrow. They'll map out the nuts and bolts of Syria's plan to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

And Pope John Paul II still isn't talking much after having throat surgery, but he did appear at his hospital window again today. He waived and blessed hundreds of pilgrims below with the sign of the cross.

I want to say good morning Chicago. Here's a lovely look at down. at the windy city.

HARRIS: It looks like a post card.

NGUYEN: It is. That is a beautiful post card. Jacqui Jeras is here with a complete Sunday forecast. That's coming up in just a bit.

HARRIS: Got to tell you with so much to read on CNN.com you could get carpal tunnel just scrolling through the first page. So what stories are getting the most attention on line this Sunday morning. Let's find out from cnn.com's Christina Park.

Christina if the Sgrena story isn't on that list anywhere something is wrong.

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it's number one.

HARRIS: It's number one?

PARK: The story that Betty just told us, the Italian journalist. She's telling her story now. But we're following other stories on cnn.com and another one of our most clicked on stories right now has to do with America's favorite past time, baseball.

As you know, spring training is going on. This weekend the Baltimore Orioles played the Washington Nationals for the first time since 1971. But the most memorable highlight or low light, Oriole Sammy Sosa getting ejected from the game while playing outfield.

No one is telling what exactly was said during the disputed call, but it ended with Sosa throwing down his glove and walking off the field. Washington won, by the way nine to six.

Also hot on CNN.com make no bones about it, a fossil find in Ethiopian could be the first bi-pedal human ancestor. A team of U.S. and Ethiopian scientist believe they found human kind's first walking ancestor and this could be a hominid that lived in the human grasslands of the horn of Africa some four million years ago. Those bones could help explain the evolutionary history of human kind, even showing how walking upright occurred.

Finally a story that's making waves both online and offline more than tank ten.

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

PARK: More than 40 surfers cruised into the record books by riding a giant surfboard off an Australia beach. The 40 foot three meter wide surfboard required more than 20 people to carry into the water and more than 100 people to slick down with a bucket of wax. The board will now make it to the U.S. as part of a global fund- raising tour to raise some money for tsunami victims.

Now for the rest of our most popular stories, all you have to do is log on to cnn.com/most popular or go to our site, cnn.com and click on the upper right hand side of our site. It's updated every 20 minutes, so you've got to keep checking.

HARRIS: Right, right. And it is a tool.

PARK: A necessary tool.

HARRIS: it is not to replace watching CNN day and night.

PARK: Absolutely not.

HARRIS: It is to supplement.

PARK: It's your cliff notes to CNN TV.

HARRIS: Beautiful, Christine.

PARK: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Thank you very much.

PARK: Thank you very much.

NGUYEN: All right. There's way too much love going on over here. OK, now that we know you are surfing the Web why don't you answer our e-mail question of day. Here it is. How do you think the U.S. should deal with Syria? We've been asking it all morning long. We'll read your replies when we come back. That is at wam@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Hey and good morning once again. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Boy it looks great this morning. Jacqui Jeras will have your forecast. I'm hearing about 54 degrees and mostly sunny today.

NGUYEN: Imagine that for Chicago.

HARRIS: We'll check in with Jacqui in just a couple of minutes. NGUYEN: Right now though we want to check in with Kathleen Hays in Washington for the latest on this story.

Good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather is also quite beautiful here where we're on the story in Washington going to New York, California and western Iraq.

I'll be talking about Martha Stewart, how well she balanced the publicity after her release from prison.

Dana Bash talks about why President Bush is talking about Osama bin Laden again.

Maria Hinojosa interviews a crusader against hip hop images of women.

And we're going to go to California for how the first week ended in the Michael Jackson trail. That's all coming up, all on "THE STORY." Betty and Tony back to you.

NGUYEN: Look forward to it. Thank you, Kathleen.

Want to get to an e-mail question today?

HARRIS: Yes. All morning long we've been asking for your thoughts on Syria. What should we do? How should the U.S. deal with Syria? Here's our first e-mail response. This (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from Michael. "When the U.S. positioned troops at the Iraqi border no one expected Hussein to say bring it on. Now he is in jail. If we position troops at the Syrian border their leaders will comply with U.S. demands or face the same demise as Saddam Hussein. My guess is they will cooperate."

NGUYEN: Well, Joe from Atlanta has a little bit of a different take on this. Joe says, "The U.S. should encourage the Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon by announcing that we" meaning the U.S., "will start withdrawing our troops from Iraq."

We thank you for all of your responses all morning long to our e- mail question today. We'll have another one for you next weekend.

HARRIS: And quickly now let's get to Jacqui Jeras for a final check of the nation's weather.

Good morning, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: That's it. That's all of our time this morning.

NGUYEN: But we'll see you back here next weekend. On "THE STORY" is next.

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 March 6, 2005 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "I heard his last breath as he was dying on me," that from a freed Italian journalist as she tells the world about her escape from Iraq and about the man who died protecting her.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is March 6th. Good morning everyone, I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris, 9:00 a.m. here in the East, 3:00 p.m. in Rome. Thank you for being with us. Let's get started with the morning's headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

NGUYEN: Much more to come this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

They've lost a limb but they haven't lost heart, some war-scarred veterans are getting back in the race.

Also, they were average citizens with average jobs but now they are taking on the biggest military mission of their lives. We'll take you to Iraq to meet them.

And if you think hitting that delete key will erase your computer files, well you better think again. We'll introduce you to a cyber detective.

HARRIS: We lead our coverage this morning with new developments out of the Mid East. The leaders of Syria and Lebanon will hold a key meeting tomorrow, the topic a pullback of Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon.

Let's go straight to Beirut and CNN's Senior International Correspondent Brent Sadler -- Brent, good morning.

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

This is going to be an absolutely crucial meeting between the leaders of the Syrian country next door to Lebanon, Bashar al-Assad and Emile Lahoud, the Lebanese president.

Why are they meeting? Well to push forward the announcement that was made some 24 hours ago by the Syrian president that there would be a two-stage withdrawal, redeployment of Syrian troops first to two places in Lebanon, first the Bekaa Valley, closer to Syria, and then across the border itself but no time table was set for that pullout from Lebanon itself, raising some concerns in the White House.

Now when these two leaders get together with military chiefs they may well be able to announce a clearer picture of the mechanics and a possible time table of a pullout as demanded by the international community and many Arab leaders but by no means at this stage is that a done deal.

Now, in another development here in the past hour or so, the head of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah has said that on Tuesday there will be a call for a massive demonstration of so-called patriotic forces.

These are groups, political parties supportive of Syria, this a separate agenda emerging aside from the Syrian troop withdrawal issue of Hezbollah's resistance position, as it calls itself, within Lebanon towards U.N. Security Council resolution 1559 that effectively calls for the disarmament, the disbanding of Hezbollah. So, this whole crisis here now not only political on the Lebanese page but getting into the business of Middle East peace as a whole -- Tony.

HARRIS: Brent Sadler in Beirut for us this morning, Brent we appreciate it thank you.

NGUYEN: And the situation there relates to our e-mail question this morning. As the U.S. pushes Syria to pull troops out of Lebanon what do you think? How should the U.S. deal with Syria? That's our question. E-mail us at wam@cnn.com. We are reading your replies all morning long.

HARRIS: Turning now to a blaring newspaper headline in Italian, "La mia verita." In English it simply means my truth. That's how Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena titles the story of her kidnapping and rescue in Iraq, a nightmare that should have ended when she became freed but it did not. She writes about it in her newspaper "Il Manifesto" today.

CNN's Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci joins us with more -- good morning, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning to you Tony and good Italian indeed.

Let me show you that front page of "Il Manifesto" which is the Communist newspaper for which Giuliana Sgrena has filed dozens of articles from Baghdad, all of them very critical of the U.S. military operation over there, "La mia verita" as you said, "my truth."

In this article, Giuliana Sgrena basically is disputing the account that the United States military has given about how the accident has happened and, in particular, she is saying that the car was not driving fast and that the U.S. military did not call for the car to stop.

She also writes in this article that the shooting was "unjustified" and she says also she says as the car approached those military the only thing she can remember was a hail of bullets.

She also gives a pretty wrenching account of the final moments of the Italian intelligence officer, who only moments earlier had negotiated her release. His name is Nicola Calipari.

And she writes, "The driver started yelling that we were Italians. We are Italians. We are Italians," she writes. "Nicola Calipari threw himself on me to protect me and immediately" she writes "I repeat, immediately, I heard his last breath as he was dying on me," very strong words here recounting the last few moments of Nicola Calipari in that car.

Nicola Calipari, his body arrived last night at the airport in Ciampino, was welcomed by the highest authorities in this country, the president, the Italian prime minister.

Today the body is lying in state at the Tomb of the unknown soldier in downtown Rome. Thousands of people offering their last respects to a man everybody here today calls a hero. And tomorrow indeed there will be a state funeral. The autopsy shows that Nicola Calipari was hit by a single bullet to his head -- Tony.

HARRIS: Alessio, I have to ask you in the lead to you just a moment ago I used the word rescue but was this, in fact, a rescue or was it a negotiated release?

VINCI: It was a negotiated release, Tony. Nicola Calipari was an experienced negotiator who had worked through several hostage crises involving Italian citizens in Baghdad and, in fact, a leading Italian newspaper this morning (UNINTELLIGIBLE) even mentions a ransom paid between six and eight million Euros. That's about $8 million to $10 million, if you want.

Of course the Italian government is not commenting on this. There's no confirmation, no independent confirmation of whether or not a ransom was paid but Nicola Calipari was there because there was a negotiated release and not a military operation, not a rescue.

HARRIS: OK, Alessio Vinci in Rome for us this morning, Alessio thank you.

NGUYEN: Meanwhile in Iraq, a possible plot against Turkish truck drivers. Four of them have been killed in the last three days. All the killings happened near Mosul, the latest incident just this morning. One of the Turkish drivers was killed yesterday and his truck was so badly burned that it took firefighters hours just to put it out.

"Across America" this morning, Navy and marine experts are checking to see if a submarine sonar is what causes dozens of dolphins to beach themselves. About 70 dolphins stranded themselves in the Florida Keys. More than 20 have already died. The Navy won't say if sonar was used during a sub's training exercise in the area. Some scientists though say loud bursts of sonar may disorient or even scare marine mammals. Well, a toddler survived after a train slammed into the car he was riding in. That crash killed his mother, baby sister and a family friend. The sheriff's office says the train began signaling about a quarter mile down the track. Then the driver accelerated over the tracks and was hit broadside.

HARRIS: Reggie Jackson is out of the hospital after an accident in Tampa, Florida. The baseball Hall of Famer was rear-ended at a red light and both vehicles flipped. The other driver is in critical condition.

It is a first for slugger Sammy Sosa. He got himself bounced, tossed out of a spring training game. Sosa got into it with the second base umpire, an exchange of words and then the old heave-ho. Sammy Sosa to the showers.

NGUYEN: At spring training (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

HARRIS: See you, wouldn't want to be you.

NGUYEN: Oh, tempers flaring early on in the season all right.

HARRIS: That's old school isn't it, see you, wouldn't want to be you, that's old.

NGUYEN: Yes, that's way back, Tony.

All right, just ahead this Sunday morning, he thought he was going to be a weekend warrior but got much more than he bargained for. Our "Soldier Story" this week focuses on National Guard troops now on full time war duty.

HARRIS: And later, we'll get a rare look inside the life of the man police say is the BTK killer.

Good morning, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning Tony and Betty.

You guys mentioned spring training. Well you're going to need the umbrella today for all the Cactus league games. We'll let you know when it's going to dry up in the southwest coming up with today's weather report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And time now to check in on some of the other major world developments this Sunday morning.

NGUYEN: And, for that, let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN International desk, hi Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hey, good morning from me. Some big developments in the Middle East this morning. Syria says it's going to redeploy some of its troops in Lebanon. Here's what we know so far.

The pullback will take place in two stages. First, all 14,000 troops in Lebanon will move to the Bekaa Valley and in the second phase troops will move to the border.

In the last hour, we spoke to Syria's ambassador to Britain Sami Khiyami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMI KHIYAMI, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO BRITAIN: Syria longs to leave Lebanon, wants to leave Lebanon and most of the Lebanese today accept this fact because everybody is complying with the Taif Accord. However, the Israeli agenda does not only call for the withdrawal of Syrian troops, and I think these gatherings that would be expected, will express friendship to Syria after its withdrawal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NAIDOO: A top level meeting between the Syrian and Lebanese presidents is scheduled for tomorrow. That will take place in Damascus and they'll work out the time table for that withdrawal.

Now onto our security watch. New this morning this in from Pakistan, forces there killed two suspected al Qaeda members and arrest eleven others near the Afghan border. Two other people, including an army captain and a woman were injured. Pakistani officials say those arrested include foreigners.

Those arrests in Pakistan coming as a former British police chief warns that there are 100-plus al Qaeda operatives in Britain. Sir John Stevens, former head of London's Metropolitan Police says there's a very real chance of new attacks and he says that in view of this he's backing a very controversial new anti-terrorist legislation that the British government is planning to introduce in Parliament.

That is it for me this morning, more developments as they happen here at CNN. Stay with us. For now let's send it back to Tony.

NGUYEN: Thank you.

HARRIS: Anand, thank you.

And updating your top stories this morning, the Italian journalist who was held hostage in Iraq, then wounded by U.S. troops after she was freed is recounting her ordeal. Giuliana Sgrena writes in an Italian newspaper that she was celebrating her freedom when her car was hit by a rain of bullets.

Pope John Paul II was back at his hospital window in Rome this Sunday morning. The 84-year-old pope waved and gave a silent blessing to hundreds of pilgrims below.

And, in Iraq, four Iraqi civilians were injured when a bomb hit their car on a main road in east Mosul.

Now, if you think hitting delete kills your computer files, wrong, think again and then stick around. A cyber sleuth tells all about your hard drive coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Iraq has changed everything for members of the Army National Guard who used to joke about being citizen soldiers and weekend warriors. Today's "Soldier Story" is from the legendary 42nd Infantry Division, also known as the Rainbow Division. The unit was recently deployed to Iraq, the first time a National Guard division headquarters has been mobilized to a combat zone since the Korean conflict.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ricchiazzi and Sergeant First Class Scott Langley join us now from Tikrit, Iraq to tell us about their mission.

Lieutenant Colonel Ricchiazzi, let's start with you. Tell us about what you have been doing in Iraq.

LT. COL. JOSEPH RICCHIAZZI, 42ND INFANTRY DIVISION: I am the provost marshal for the division and basically I take care of the detainee operations here.

NGUYEN: All right. And, Sergeant Langley this is your first deployment. What have you experienced so far? Have you seen any live combat?

RICCHIAZZI: This is actually my second deployment and the operations have been going pretty well here.

NGUYEN: Yes, actually, I was speaking to Lieutenant Langley. This is his first deployment correct?

SFC SCOTT LANGLEY, 42ND INFANTRY DIVISION: Yes, ma'am it is.

NGUYEN: All right, I'm sorry Sergeant Langley.

LANGLEY: Things are going well. I've seen a little bit but things have been fine so far.

NGUYEN: All right. And tell me a little bit about what you've seen so far while you're there in Iraq. A lot of family and friends back home want to know what you've been through, what you've seen. Tell us.

LANGLEY: I've seen a different lifestyle here. I guess the biggest thing I've seen is the difference in lifestyles from the Americans to the Iraqis. As far as any type of combat, I haven't really been in much at all.

NGUYEN: What's been the toughest part of this mission for you?

LANGLEY: The toughest part of the mission for me definitely leaving my family at home, leaving my loved ones, being separated for so long. NGUYEN: Actually, we have a picture of you with your fiancee Lisa. We're going to try to put that up on the screen. Do you get to speak with them very much?

LANGLEY: I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't hear that. Could you say it again?

NGUYEN: We have a picture up right now with you and your fiancee Lisa. You're engaged to be married. Do you get to speak with her very much? And, also tell us when are you expected to walk down the aisle with Lisa?

LANGLEY: I believe that we're expecting to walk down the aisle in September of 2006 but it's up to her I'm sure.

NGUYEN: Yes, the bride usually takes control when it comes to weddings. I hear you there. All right, Lieutenant Colonel Ricchiazzi, if you would talk to me a little bit about the 42nd Infantry Division, the Rainbow Division, this division has a really long and storied history. Tell us a little bit about that.

RICCHIAZZI: Well, the division was formed back in World War I and that's where it got its name the Rainbow Division. Douglas MacArthur was the first chief of staff and he stated that the troops from the division come from across America like a rainbow. So, we picked up the motto of the Rainbow Division from Douglas MacArthur.

NGUYEN: Is this...

RICCHIAZZI: The division was in World War II and -- I'm sorry.

NGUYEN: I was going to ask you is this the first time that a full Guard division in its entirety has been deployed to combat since the Korean War that's what we introduced you as? Is that the case?

RICCHIAZZI: Yes, it is. We're very proud to be part of the division. It's quite an honor. It's a real honor for a National Guard division to be validated like this, to be picked to come here. It means a lot. I know the soldiers are all pretty proud about being here and we're all committed to doing a very good job.

NGUYEN: As a National Guard unit, do you have direct command over Army troops there?

RICCHIAZZI: Yes, actually. I'm the chief of the military police here. We have military policemen all fall underneath me and I control them for tactics and how they operate.

NGUYEN: Let me ask you the same question that I asked Sergeant Langley. What's been the toughest part for you so far?

RICCHIAZZI: Definitely leaving the family. You really can't do this without a great family. My wife Julie, my boys Joe and John, without their support you really can't do this and I know they are a great inspiration to me and all my soldiers with their families back home it really helps. NGUYEN: And I'm sure your family is just delighted. Hopefully, they're watching to be able to see you today. When you do come home, what are you going to tell them about this experience?

RICCHIAZZI: I'm going to say thank God you're an American and that you live in the U.S. of A. We have so many freedoms and so many things we take for granted. You know, it's hard to describe but you just got to be happy for what we got.

NGUYEN: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ricchiazzi and Sergeant Scott Langley we appreciate your time. Come home safely.

LANGLEY: Thank you.

RICCHIAZZI: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Tony.

HARRIS: Hang ten times four dude. Dude. We're taking a ride on the world's largest surfboard when CNN SUNDAY MORNING RETURNS.

NGUYEN: First, though, a CNN Extra, narrow roads, sharp curves, pavement drop-offs and roadside hazards make rural roads the deadliest places to drive in America. Fifty-two percent of traffic deaths between 1999 and 2003 happened on non-interstate roads and highways.

And, according to the Road Information Program, the traffic there accounted for only 28 percent of travel. And you'll want to check this out as well. About 60 million people live in rural communities. This accounts for 21 percent of the country's population.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning Chicago. Look at this pretty shot of downtown. In the top left-hand corner of your screen there's a little flag there. It kind of tells you how windy the windy city is today, not too bad on this Sunday.

HARRIS: Jacqui Jeras, the folks in Chicago can look forward to what, another six months of winter?

JERAS: Actually, it's going to be feeling a lot more like spring today in Chicago believe it or not.

HARRIS: Well that's really good, good.

NGUYEN: That's good news.

JERAS: Fifty-seven degrees.

HARRIS: Now that's going.

NGUYEN: Yes, not bad no. That's not what we're getting right?

JERAS: Pardon me?

NGUYEN: Are we getting something around there?

JERAS: Sixty-four for Atlanta.

NGUYEN: Fifty-seven, 64, close to the same.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

HARRIS: OK, Jacqui, thank you.

NGUYEN: We got it covered.

HARRIS: That's for sure.

Well it is a key you use all the time when you're on the computer but cyber cops say delete doesn't mean what you think it does. The details when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So, who is the man suspected of being the BTK serial killer?

Welcome back everyone to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

An unusual first person account that is coming up on that story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So who is the man suspected of being the BTK serial killer?

Welcome back everyone to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. An unusual first person account that is coming up on that story. But first, here's what's happening right now in the news.

Wounded Italian Journalist Giuliana Sgrena is contradicting the U.S. military's version of the shooting in Iraq that killed an Italian intelligence agent.

Sgrena says the car carrying her was not speeding and the shooting did not occur at a check point. Sgrena had just been released by kidnappers in Iraq and was on her way to the Baghdad airport.

We could get details on Syria's pull back of troops from Lebanon as early as Monday. Leaders of the two countries are meeting tomorrow.

Now yesterday Syrian President Bashar Assad announced a two stage redeployment to the Bekaa Valley, then to an area near the Syrian/Lebanese border. The newly elected Iraqi national assembly will meet March 16 to begin forming a transitional government. The date was set by the Shiite and Kurdish alliances, the big winders in the elections, as you recall. They had met with Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani who reportedly told them to stop haggling and get down to business.

Also today BTK suspect Dennis Rader was arrested, not today last week, after an electronic finger print on a sloppy disk that was traced back to his church, of all places.

Now it's nearly impossible to eliminate such identifying marks. As we bring you another look at the best of CNN prime-time from the past week, technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg shows you how it all works.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The oldest rule in the book for cyber sleuths is delete doesn't mean gone. It's John Mallory's mantra. Part of his job as a computer forensics consultant is to make technical stuff understandable.

JOHN MALLORY, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY EXPERT: You have a library, and for those of you that remember, card catalogues. If you take a card out of the card catalogue the book is still on the shelf. When you delete a file the print goes away, the data still stays there. It can stay there for five seconds, it can stay there for years. It stays there until the operating system decides to write over that deleted file with new data.

SIEBERG: Having lived in Kansas for 17 years, Mallory is familiar with the BTK case. Press reports say data on a floppy disk was critical for investigators. Mallory gives me a rudimentary but effective demonstrative of how deleted data can be recovered.

MALLORY: We'll look at the floppy here. In this case you have a deleted word document. I'm going to scroll down and what you're looking at here is the contents of this deleted work document. There's additional information added to the file when you create a document. So, the user name can often be added to that document, the company name, the computer name, the original location.

In the BTK case that might have been what helped law enforcement track this person down.

SIEBERG: So if I delete something is it gone?

MALLORY: If you just delete something no, it is not gone.

SIEBERG: If I empty the recycle bin?

MALLORY: It's not gone.

SIEBERG: And if I format the hard drive?

MALLORY: It's not game. SIEBERG (on-camera): This is basically what the hard drive on your computer might look like. And believe it or not, you could take a sledge hammer to it and you still may not destroy everything that's on it. Even a fire may not do it. In fact, forensics experts say the only way to guarantee that all the information is gone is to shred, smelt, or pulverize it.

(voice-over): Any time you turn on a computer, open a file, type a key, send a message there's a record.

MALLORY: The only safe computer is one that you never turn and you bury in the ground, six feet under ground.

SIEBERG: Daniel Sieberg, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Now that is an eye opener.

Well tonight on CNN be sure to come back for more "PRIME CUTS" hosted by Anderson Cooper for the best of what CNN brings you each week. We'll look at Martha Stewart's release along with exclusive video of her in prison, a woman living in fear of the BTK killer, and a pre-dawn raid with U.S. marshals in Chicago. That's CNN "PRIME CUTS" tonight at 10 p.m. eastern.

HARRIS: We are getting a rare account of the suspect in the BTK serial killers this morning. Dennis Rader's lawyers talked to "Time" magazine in an exclusive interview. They say Rader complains about sleepless nights in jail and a growing depression.

Joining us now from New York is "Time" correspondent Jeff Chu who wrote, "Was the Killer Next Door?" The article offers a revealing glimpse of the killing that terrorized a Kansas community.

Jeff, good to see you.

JEFF CHU, TIME: Good morning.

HARRIS: Let me just ask you. Why do you think the attorney's decided to talk to "Time?"

CHU: I think we showed up at their door and they really didn't have a choice at that point. They said hello and we hello and we asked our questions.

HARRIS: You know I was curious if it was in some way to try to get their side of the story on the record after that extraordinary press event last week announcing the arrest of Dennis Rader.

CHU: I think it was important for us to get Rader's side of the story. A lot of people are worried that he's not going to be able to get a fair trial because the police chief came out and announced BTK is arrested.

That assumes that he is BTK and that kind of thing has the fear of prejudicing the case.

HARRIS: You think they're going to ask for -- this is probably an easy question to answer. Do you think they're going to ask for a change of venue?

CHU: The lawyers have told us about something they are considering.

HARRIS: OK. What did you learn about Dennis Rader?

CHU: We learned that he obviously for someone who is being accused of murder, isn't feeling so great right now in jail. He's having a hard time getting used to the prison food. He complains to his lawyers about finding a pebble in his potatoes, but he joked that it might be extra protein for him.

He spends some time exercising every day. He spends a few hours with his lawyers every day chatting about the case, trying to get them caught up, giving his side of the story. He's also spending a lot of time reading. And interestingly, he's reading a detective novel.

HARRIS: Is he really? OK. How long has he been married?

CHU: He's been married since 1971.

HARRIS: So he is accused of committing these crimes at the time when presumably he was a loving father and husband?

CHU: The crimes extend from 1974 until 1991. So during that time he was taking his kids camping and fishing. He was active at church. He was spending a lot of time being a normal family man.

HARRIS: Has his family spoken to him or seen him?

CHU: His lawyers tell us that he has not spoken to his family and they have not spoken to him, but he ask after them all the time.

HARRIS: Jeff, has Rader confessed to these numbers?

CHU: You know there have been reports that he has confessed to the murders, but his lawyers will not confirm those accounts.

HARRIS: OK. Do we know where those stories came from?

CHU: Those stories came from unconfirmed sources and the local papers in Kansas.

HARRIS: Jeff, what's been the reaction to the arrest of Dennis Rader by the community, shock surprise and probably a whole list of other emotions?

CHU: I think from the people who knew him there's a lot of sadness, and from people who didn't know him, who were terrorized by the thought that there was a serial killer on the loose, it's a lot of relief actually.

HARRIS: And what is, if you know, the key piece of evidence or some of the key pieces of evidence against him?

CHU: We do not know what the key pieces of evidence are. You've already talked about the computer disk that was connected to the church computer. We know that his daughter's medical records were subpoenaed and we also know that police have saved forensic evidence from the scenes of the crimes over the years.

So we're assuming that they've compared that forensic evidence with DNA technology that wasn't available back in the '70s.

HARRIS: Jeff Chu, thank you. We appreciate it.

CHU: Thank you.

HARRIS: The piece is "Was the Killer Next Door?" We learn a lot about the suspected BTK killer, Dennis Rader. Jeff, thank you.

CHU: Thanks.

HARRIS: And time now to look ahead to some of the stories we'll be covering this week.

Monday the Supreme Court examines the federal governments power to override state laws on the use of medical marijuana. Since 1996 ten states have legalized marijuana for medical use.

Wednesday the man who called the 2004 election, " shakier than cafeteria Jell-O" is stepping down. Dan Rather will draw the curtain on 24 years as anchor of the "CBS Evening News. " Rather will continue to report for "60 Minutes.

Also on Wednesday a new twist on three letters that shake some high schoolers to the bone. The SAT test rolls out with revamped math and verbal sections and a new writing portion. In addition to the 35 minute multiple choice questions students will have to write an essay in 25 minutes.

NGUYEN: Essay in 25 minutes. I remember taking the SAT. don't want to do it again though I'll tell you that, Tony. We are surfing the Web for the most popular stories online. Hang tens for what's making waves on cnn.com. That's next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And today on "LATE EDITION," as Syria talks about withdrawing troops from Lebanon you'll get the Bush administration's response when counselor to the president, Dan Bartlett, to Wolf Blitzer. That's coming up at noon eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: For members of the military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere the scars can be mental and physical, lasting and deep. But one program is trying to help them heal. It starts with medical treatment then motivation.

Here's CNN's Kathleen Koch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it running 101, a class for those who've lost a leg.

Many soldiers and Marines like 22 year old Jeff Sanders injured six months ago by a roadside bomb near Baghdad. He's had a new prosthetic leg for just a week and never expected to learn how to run this soon.

JEFF SANDERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It felt good. I mean it's hard to deal with all the losses of things you take for granted, and to get one of those things back. And it's not like it's one of those little things it's about as big as it gets.

KOCH: Twenty two year old Nick Tario decided to join the class at Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital in Rockville, Maryland. He's a Marine too and served in Afghanistan until a roadside bomb blew apart his left foot. Nick wants advice on improving the use of his leg designed especially for running.

NICK THERAULT, U.S. MARINE: It pulls and it pushes me back and it sends one hip forward and it's a lot of muscle control.

KOCH (on-camera): This program is not just about instructing, but motivating amputees. Many who's losses were very recent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Often they come in demoralized feeling that this loss is so devastating that they will not achieve.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't no pain no gain. Pain is not good.

KOCH: Seeing others succeed say those teaching and supporting them can make all the difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know if he can do it, I can do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially for amputees that come -- just lost their leg they get to see what the future is. They get to see the possibilities.

KOCH: Nick, who went turkey hunting on crushes just months after his injury, is motivated. He says the other key to moving ahead is acceptance.

THERAULT: it's what you got I mean you don't have a choice. You can either sit in your room and cry about it for the rest of your life or you can put a leg on and look just like everybody else and go out there and live just like everybody else.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN Rockville, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: Here's a quick story of our top stories now. An Italian journalist, who was wounded by American troops in Iraq, denies her car was speeding, as it approached a Baghdad check point.

Giuliana Sgrena writes in an Italian newspaper that the intelligence agent killed by U.S. military fire was trying to protect her.

The leaders of Syria and Lebanon will hold a key meeting tomorrow. They'll map out the nuts and bolts of Syria's plan to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

And Pope John Paul II still isn't talking much after having throat surgery, but he did appear at his hospital window again today. He waived and blessed hundreds of pilgrims below with the sign of the cross.

I want to say good morning Chicago. Here's a lovely look at down. at the windy city.

HARRIS: It looks like a post card.

NGUYEN: It is. That is a beautiful post card. Jacqui Jeras is here with a complete Sunday forecast. That's coming up in just a bit.

HARRIS: Got to tell you with so much to read on CNN.com you could get carpal tunnel just scrolling through the first page. So what stories are getting the most attention on line this Sunday morning. Let's find out from cnn.com's Christina Park.

Christina if the Sgrena story isn't on that list anywhere something is wrong.

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it's number one.

HARRIS: It's number one?

PARK: The story that Betty just told us, the Italian journalist. She's telling her story now. But we're following other stories on cnn.com and another one of our most clicked on stories right now has to do with America's favorite past time, baseball.

As you know, spring training is going on. This weekend the Baltimore Orioles played the Washington Nationals for the first time since 1971. But the most memorable highlight or low light, Oriole Sammy Sosa getting ejected from the game while playing outfield.

No one is telling what exactly was said during the disputed call, but it ended with Sosa throwing down his glove and walking off the field. Washington won, by the way nine to six.

Also hot on CNN.com make no bones about it, a fossil find in Ethiopian could be the first bi-pedal human ancestor. A team of U.S. and Ethiopian scientist believe they found human kind's first walking ancestor and this could be a hominid that lived in the human grasslands of the horn of Africa some four million years ago. Those bones could help explain the evolutionary history of human kind, even showing how walking upright occurred.

Finally a story that's making waves both online and offline more than tank ten.

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

PARK: More than 40 surfers cruised into the record books by riding a giant surfboard off an Australia beach. The 40 foot three meter wide surfboard required more than 20 people to carry into the water and more than 100 people to slick down with a bucket of wax. The board will now make it to the U.S. as part of a global fund- raising tour to raise some money for tsunami victims.

Now for the rest of our most popular stories, all you have to do is log on to cnn.com/most popular or go to our site, cnn.com and click on the upper right hand side of our site. It's updated every 20 minutes, so you've got to keep checking.

HARRIS: Right, right. And it is a tool.

PARK: A necessary tool.

HARRIS: it is not to replace watching CNN day and night.

PARK: Absolutely not.

HARRIS: It is to supplement.

PARK: It's your cliff notes to CNN TV.

HARRIS: Beautiful, Christine.

PARK: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Thank you very much.

PARK: Thank you very much.

NGUYEN: All right. There's way too much love going on over here. OK, now that we know you are surfing the Web why don't you answer our e-mail question of day. Here it is. How do you think the U.S. should deal with Syria? We've been asking it all morning long. We'll read your replies when we come back. That is at wam@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Hey and good morning once again. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Boy it looks great this morning. Jacqui Jeras will have your forecast. I'm hearing about 54 degrees and mostly sunny today.

NGUYEN: Imagine that for Chicago.

HARRIS: We'll check in with Jacqui in just a couple of minutes. NGUYEN: Right now though we want to check in with Kathleen Hays in Washington for the latest on this story.

Good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather is also quite beautiful here where we're on the story in Washington going to New York, California and western Iraq.

I'll be talking about Martha Stewart, how well she balanced the publicity after her release from prison.

Dana Bash talks about why President Bush is talking about Osama bin Laden again.

Maria Hinojosa interviews a crusader against hip hop images of women.

And we're going to go to California for how the first week ended in the Michael Jackson trail. That's all coming up, all on "THE STORY." Betty and Tony back to you.

NGUYEN: Look forward to it. Thank you, Kathleen.

Want to get to an e-mail question today?

HARRIS: Yes. All morning long we've been asking for your thoughts on Syria. What should we do? How should the U.S. deal with Syria? Here's our first e-mail response. This (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from Michael. "When the U.S. positioned troops at the Iraqi border no one expected Hussein to say bring it on. Now he is in jail. If we position troops at the Syrian border their leaders will comply with U.S. demands or face the same demise as Saddam Hussein. My guess is they will cooperate."

NGUYEN: Well, Joe from Atlanta has a little bit of a different take on this. Joe says, "The U.S. should encourage the Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon by announcing that we" meaning the U.S., "will start withdrawing our troops from Iraq."

We thank you for all of your responses all morning long to our e- mail question today. We'll have another one for you next weekend.

HARRIS: And quickly now let's get to Jacqui Jeras for a final check of the nation's weather.

Good morning, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: That's it. That's all of our time this morning.

NGUYEN: But we'll see you back here next weekend. On "THE STORY" is next.

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