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CNN Live Sunday

Condoleezza Rice Visits Baghdad; Newsweek Retracts Explosive Guantanamo Bay Prison Story; Dave Chappelle Will Return

Aired May 15, 2005 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A surprise visit to Iraq from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Her message to the U.S. troops and Iraqis. A subtle warning as well to Iran.
Also, "Newsweek" magazine says it may have made a big mistake. An error about U.S. soldiers desecrating the Koran and the fallout caused riots overseas.

And Dave Chappelle is the hottest comedian going, but the big question has been, where has he gone? He's surfaced. And he's finally doing some explaining. It is may 15 and you're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. To our top story in just a moment. But first, these are the stories making news as well right now.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist appears ready to trigger a rule changing -- or possibly stopping filibusters against President Bush's judicial nominees. If that happens, Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid says his party will use parliamentary procedures to slow Senate business to a crawl.

Animal rights activists are protesting a series of deaths at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. About 150 demonstrators turned out today. Three rare monkeys, two elephants, two gorillas and a camel have died at the zoo since October. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating.

And a new poll shows half of Americans disapprove of same-sex marriage. The "Boston Globe" survey indicates 37 percent are OK with gay and lesbian marriage and 11 percent are neutral. 50 percent also do not want their states to recognize same-sex marriages from Massachusetts.

Our top story tonight, though. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pay as surprise visit to Iraq on the heels of a particularly bloody week in the region. Now under tight security, Rice met with Iraq's interim prime minister, Ibrahim al Jaafari. And urged patience from Iraqis fed up with the escalating violence. CNN's senior Baghdad correspondent, Jane Arraf, has more on today's visit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As President Bush's security adviser, Condoleezza Rice helped draft the war on Iraq. As secretary of state, this was her first look at the sovereign country.

Crucial in this political equation of a united Iraq are the Kurds. touching down in the north she met Kurdish leader Musad Barzani.

In Baghdad, Rice thanked State Department staff and U.S. troops.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a tough environment sometimes, maybe all the time. But I want you to stay focused on what it is that we're doing here.

ARRAF: What they're doing is trying to create a stable, secure Iraq. One, Rice said, where the insurgency would be defeated by political as well as military means.

U.S. officials have expressed concern that the Shi'a dominated government, moving towards drafting a constitution, isn't doing everything it can to include Sunni Arabs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will make sure that our Sunni brothers will participate in this process.

ARRAF: Political sources said Jaafari had agreed to find a way to incorporate more Sunnis into the drafting committee. So far, there are only two.

And while Rice was the first senior foreign official to visit Baghdad since the new government was formed last month, Iraqi officials said the Iranian foreign minister, due here in a few days, will be a close second. The secretary of State had a thinly veiled warning to Iran about meddling here.

RICE: They need to be transparent, neighborly relations, not relations that to try somehow to have undue influence in the country through means that are not transparent. But we would hope that Iran will understand the importance of a stable, Democratic Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Our thanks to Jane Arraf.

In the meantime, Condoleezza Rice was visiting. The U.S. is trying to confirm a report that Iraq's most wanted terrorist has been seriously wounded. London's "Sunday Times" reports that Abu Musab al Zarqawi arrived at a hospital Wednesday bleeding heavily. A doctor from a Ramadi hospital says he tried to persuade al Zarqawi to stay, but he refused.

At least 34 men have been found shot and beheaded and otherwise killed in Iraq this weekend. Ten were Iraqi soldiers found yesterday in Ramadi. Police discovered the bodies of 11 farm workers in two trucks south of Baghdad. The truck drivers were arrested. 13 other men wearing only underwear were found in a garbage dump in Baghdad today.

Also today, an aide to spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani was killed in Baghdad. The Shiite cleric and his nephew were gunned down in a drive-by shooting.

Well, Senator John McCain is coming to the Bush administration's defense over the work in Iraq. McCain said today he doesn't believe intelligence and facts were being fixed to support the war. Well before President Bush and his British counterpart, Tony Blair, broached the subject with lawmakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Was it a massive intelligence failure, should people be held responsibility responsible? Yes. But I do not believe that the Bush administration decided that they would set up a scenario that gave us the rational for going into Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, the allegations surfaced after a secret memo from a high level British meeting was published in a London newspaper earlier this month.

Now, more trouble could be brewing with Iran. Iran's parliament instructed the government today to develop a nuclear fuel cycle. Well, that would require Tehran to resume uranium enrichment, a move opposed by Washington and feared as a step towards the development of nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes only -- to generate electricity.

Now, Mexican President Vicente Fox is on the defensive after making controversial comments about African-Americans. During a meeting Friday with U.S. business leaders in Mexico, Fox said Mexican immigrants in the U.S. are quote, "doing jobs that not even blacks want to do."

Fox's office has issued a statement saying the president regrets that his comments were misinterpreted. Fox says he has enormous respect for minorities, whatever their racial, ethnic and religious origins. And the purpose of his comments was to stress the importance that Mexican workers have in development and progress of U.S. society.

Well, civil rights activist, the Reverend Al Sharpton, has something to say about President Fox's remarks. He has been a supporter of U.S./Mexican relations. So, I'm going to be interviewing him, getting his reaction on "CNN SUNDAY NIGHT" at a special time tonight, 11:00 p.m. Eastern.

Got some news around the world right now. Violence appears to be abating in Eastern Uzbekistan. This, after two days of clashes between Uzbek soldiers and anti-government protesters left as many as 450 people dead. Hundreds have fled.

Palestinians mark one of the darkest days in their history with a solemn march in Ramallah. It was 57 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were uprooted with the founding of Israel. Israel marks the anniversary in celebration.

The wait is over for die-hard "Star Wars" fans. The sixth and final episode of the series premiered tonight at the Cannes Film Festival in France. "Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith" ends the mystery of how Jedi Knight Skywalker is tempted over to the dark side.

And honoring the sacrifices of those who serve and protect. President Bush expressed his admiration and gratitude today to the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. 153 officers from the federal, state and local levels were killed just in the last year. Well, Mr. Bush praised each for serving the call of justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're a nation built on the rule of law. And the men and women who enforce those laws uphold America's role as a beacon for fairness and peace. And today, we honor 415 new names added to the memorial wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, in Denver a call to justice of a different kind. Police are demanding that a suspected cop killer turn himself in. so far, he's not been receptive, causing the manhunt for him to shift across state lines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN (voice-over) A public plea for help in the hunt for a cop killer and a direct appeal to the prime suspect.

DEP. CHIEF DAVE FISHER, DENVER POLICE: All law enforcement officers throughout this country, at the local, state and federal levels, are aware of this terrible crime. And Raul Garcia Gomez, turn yourself in, because we're not going to give up.

LIN: Denver detective Donnie Young was shot to death in an apparent ambush May 8. Another officer, Jack Bishop, was wounded. Both officers shot from behind.

Angered and upset, police took to the streets in search of leads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see this guy and you have any information, would you please give us a call?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll sure do it.

LIN: It took police 48 hours to name a suspect. At an unusual 3:00 a.m. press conference, police named 19-year-old Raul Garcia Gomez, saying he was living illegally in Denver working at this restaurant owned by Mayor John Hickenlooper. They say Gomez used a false Social Security number to get the job.

On Wednesday, news from California that the suspect's car had been found in Los Angeles. Now, a national manhunt. Police hope to prevent it from spilling over the border into Mexico. Denver police have even traveled to California to help search for the suspect. More than 1,000 mourners bid farewell to the Navy veteran and father of three on Friday. The killing has left a deep mark in the Denver police department.

SGT. DAVE MARKER, DENVER POLICE: It's just very hard, because, like, there's a hole. We have to keep going, and we have to keep doing our job every day, but you just know that he's not going to be here to be a part of it.

LIN: Donnie Young now joins 59 fellow Denver police officers killed in the line of duty. A fact not lost on his fellow officers, who continue the hunt for his killer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Authorities are offering $100,000 reward for information that leads to Gomez's arrest.

Well, the allegations sparked a rash of riots across the Muslim world. A report that U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo desecrated the Koran. But was it true? Straight ahead, a possible gaffe for "Newsweek" magazine. I'm going to talk with the magazine's Washington bureau chief about how this happened.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We recognized the rims on the car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE; Did you know instantly that it was Michael's car?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I absolutely did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Fear on the freeways of Southern California: A dozen random shootings since March. As police search for suspects, this family searches for answers.

and from comedy accident to vanishing act, where in the world is Dave Chappelle? And why did he leave so suddenly?

You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY. And we're back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In our weekly frontlines stories, we like to bring you the more personal stories from the front lines. And one in particular really struck us. A young woman: She is described as a young woman who lived life with absolute gusto. As an American activist in Iraq, Marla Ruzicka not only lived her life on the front lines, she helped others living in harm's way. And now her courage and dedication are being remembered. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) VERMONT: We want to recognize thanks for Marla's tenaciousness that civilian casualties need to be counted. Only by doing so can we know the true cost of war. And we can properly dignify and honor each person killed or wounded as an individual, as a father, a son, a daughter or a mother, not just as collateral damage. And that's Marla's legacy.

SEN. DIANEE FEINSTEIN, (D) CALIFORNIA: It's just the instant that we occupy that we know about. And so what we do with that instant is all important. And here was really a young woman who lived her instant to the fullest.

PETER BERGEN, JOURNALIST: Where else in the world is a government helping the civilians they harm in conflict? Marla was very proud of this fact. And then a final e-mail, "we're helping lots of kids with medical care" -- this is the on the day Marla died -- "This place continues to break my heart. I need to get out of here. But it's hard."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Marla Ruzicka was only 28-years-old.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: "Newsweek" magazine is backing off its story that sparked deadly violence across the Muslim world. The magazine says there may have been errors in its story that U.S. interrogators desecrated copies of the Koran at the prison on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Pentagon says the report put U.S. forces in danger.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins me live from Washington with more reaction. Suzanne, we're going to hear from the Washington bureau chief for "Newsweek" magazine in a moment. But what are you hearing from administration sources?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Carol, of course, this is a story that had dramatic repercussions. It was two weeks ago that "Newsweek" magazine reported interrogators at Guantanamo Bay Prison had actually flushed the Koran, the Muslim's holy book, the Koran, down the toilet to rattle terror suspects there. And that this report was quickly picked up in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. It was a report that was written by Michael Isikoff and John Berry.

Now, once that happened, that it picked up in those newspapers, riots spread across the Middle East. We're talking just within the last couple of weeks or so. It left 15 dead in Afghanistan. There were scores of people who were wounded.

And, of course, U.S. officials vow to get to the bottom of this. We heard throughout the week, we heard Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, we heard from the press secretary, both of them saying that the U.S. would not tolerate the desecration of the Holy Koran, that they would look into it.

We also heard from Pentagon officials. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Richard Myers saying that there was no corroboration of "Newsweek's" report that, in fact, that the Koran was being desecrated at Guantanamo Bay.

Well, turns out now, Carol, that the Pentagon was right and "Newsweek" was wrong. That is what we're learning there "Newsweek" itself, who has written an article, basically, explaining how all of this happened.

I'm going to read a couple of graphs here. This coming directly from "Newsweek," this week's issue. It says on Saturday Isikoff, that is one of the reporters of the article, spoke to his original source, "the senior government official who said he clearly recalled reading investigative reports about mishandling the Koran, including a toilet incident. But the official, still speaking anonymously, could no longer be sure that these concerns had surfaced in the southern command report."

"Now told of what the "Newsweek" source said," this again in "Newsweek" "defense department spokesman Larry Dirita exploded people are dead because of when this son of a B said. How could he be credible now?"

Now, Dirita has also confirmed to CNN that in fact that quote in "Newsweek" is true. He added this to CNN, saying that "people are dying. They are burning American flags. Our forces are in danger because of this."

And finally, a "Newsweek" editor, Mark Whitaker, put out a public apology for this whole fiasco, saying "we regret that we got any part of this story wrong, and extend our sympathies to the victims of violence and the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst." Carol, quite a confusion here.

Earlier today, National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, was not aware of the admission from "Newsweek" was asked on "LATE EDITION" about the investigation. And he said that he believed the political damage was already done -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Suzanne Malveaux live the White House.

Now, for more on "Newsweek's" side of the story. The magazine's Washington bureau chief, Dan Klaidman joins me live from Washington, D.C.

Dan, how is it that your magazine got the story so wrong?

DAN KLAIDMAN, NEWSWEEK: Well, that's something we've been looking into. And we've have written an extensive story in the magazine, both acknowledging that we made a mistake and strange to explain what happened. Trying to be as transparent as we can.

We relied on a source a senior government official, who we've relied on in the past. And he's been reliable. He's gotten -- helped us get stories that were accurate. And in this particular case, we think not all the facts were right.

He maintains that he read these allegations in government reports, but is not sure they were in the southern command report, as we said in the magazine.

LIN: So is he hedging? He is saying that it very well may be true, it just may not actually be in the final report?

KLAIDMAN: Well, that's what our source believes. But we reported that it was in the southern command report. And that military investigators had confirmed this. And we can't establish that to be true.

We're continuing to report, the military is continuing to investigate. And we just felt it was important to acknowledge whatever mistakes we did make, and explain to the best of our ability by reporting and explaining what happened.

LIN: But Dan, Michael Isikoff is no rookie. I mean, he's one of the best and brightest correspondents. He continues to work on this story. But how is it that anybody, including people within the administration, are to believe anything that "Newsweek" reports now, especially about what comes out of the Guantanamo Bay and the Iraq war?

KLAIDMAN: Because "Newsweek" has a long and distinguished record of reporting on important stories, breaking important stories. And they've turned out to be true and very accurate. And we will continue to report, we will report aggressively but carefully. And I think...

LIN: As opposed to what happened this past time? I mean, how would you describe the reporting now, if not aggressively, certainly? Were you careless then? Is that what you're saying?

KLAIDMAN: No, I'm not. You know, we did go through the usual vetting that we do for even sensitive stories like this. As our story points out, first we relied on a source that has always been reliable in the past, someone highly placed, knowledgeable official. And we ran it by a public affairs person at southern command who wouldn't comment, because it was a pending investigation.

But we went much further, we actually provided the story to a very senior, knowledgeable Pentagon official, who took issue with one aspect of the story. We asked if it was accurate. He took issue with one aspect, which we took out of the story, changed. But did not take issue with any of the other parts of the story that we ultimately published.

So, this is an honest mistake. We are obviously not very happy about it. And we're trying to deal with it as openly as we can.

LIN: All right Dan. So when the Pentagon spokesman goes public with pretty vitriolic language about "Newsweek." I mean, personally blaming the magazine, saying that people are dead as a result of this reporting -- 15 people dead after violent rioting in Afghanistan, as well as other Islamic countries. I mean, the magazine has apologized, but do you think that the magazine feels personally responsible for the deaths? And if so, what should come out of this? How do you think the magazine should compensate going forward?

KLAIDMAN: Look, we extend our sympathies to the victims here. And we think it's a terribly unfortunate. There are powerful forces, different forces at work here that caused a riot like this. I think there's -- I think it's clear that people seized on the "Newsweek" report to advance their own agendas. And that that was part of it.

But I also think that there's an enormous amount of pent-up, and not so pent-up, anti-American rage and sentiment in that region in that part of the world. There are a lot of people who think that our war on terror and our war in Iraq is a much wider war against Islam. And, you know, I think this was -- this played into all of that tragically.

LIN: Dan Klaidman, thank you very much. Dan Klaidman, "Newsweek" bureau chief up there in Washington, D.C.

In fact, the point that Dan's making, we're going to have much more on this in our primetime show at 11:00, playing into the hatred of America. The dynamic of the media and what's happening out there in the Islamic world.

In the meantime, straight ahead, from medical examiner to one of the most influential women in Hollywood. Behind the scenes with the brains behind America's top rated television franchise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Senators from both sides of the aisle are working on a compromise to avoid a battle over filibusters. If negotiations fail, that showdown will likely come this week when one of President Bush's judicial nominees comes up for a vote. Republicans threaten to try to ban the use of filibusters for judicial nominees.

And Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is due to testify tomorrow before the Military Base Closings Commission. The Pentagon wants to close 33 major facilities. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers will defend the plan. Many communities plan to fight the proposal.

Motorists toughing out the Los Angeles area's notoriously heavy traffic have a new worry. This is, in fact, new video was just seen there. All right. Are we going to go on to the breaking news then?

Let's take a look at new video now of a small plane in the water off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Four people on board that plane, slightly injured.

What we do know is it's near the airport, just outside of Trump Tower. It appears that something happened upon takeoff or landing. As soon as we find out more about the story, we'll be sure to share that with you. But a pretty dramatic picture there that just came into the CNN Center as this plane ran off the runway outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and ended up in the water.

Fortunately, sounds like four people slightly injured but safe.

All right. In the meantime, motorists are toughing it out in the Los Angeles area's notoriously heavy traffic may have a new worry. Freeway shootings have left four people dead Southern California in recent months. Careen Wynter has one victim's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was the afternoon of March 29th, on the crowded 110 Freeway in southern California. A 20-year-old college student was behind the wheel of a shiny sports car. When he had for only a few months, a gift from dad. Michael Livingston wrapped up classes that day and headed to a friend's house in Los Angeles. But, he never made it.

Michael was minutes away from his exit when someone fired several shots into his car, killing him. Christina and Dennis Livingston was nowhere near the scene. In fact they were 70 miles away, here inside their San Bernardino County home. But it wasn't long before they had to start grappling with the horror of their son's death and it wasn't police who broke the news.

CHRISTINA LIVINGSTON, MOTHER: I just happen to walk past the television, which was on, and I saw the breaking news alert.

WYNTER: Michael's cherished '98 Chevy Camera, the one he polished with such care, was now a twisted piece of metal on the side of the freeway. Police say he was shot several times and lost control of his car, which smashed into the center divider.

C. LIVINGSTON: We recognized the rims on the car.

WYNTER: Did you know that it was Michael's car?

C. LIVINGSTON: I absolutely did.

WYNTER: But at the time, the Livingston's didn't know this was just the beginning of a rash of random freeway shootings.

DENNIS LIVINGSTON, FATHER: Mike was ripped from our lives I mean he was just taken. And, it's not going to bring him back but at the same time --

C. LIVINGSTON: Wait a minute.

D. LIVINGSTON: OK.

C. LIVINGSTON: He was ripped from our lives. That's what makes it so difficult and the reality of that moment is earth shattering.

WYNTER: These parents hadn't buried their son when they turned their anger to action hitting the streets ignoring warnings from Los Angeles police the Livingston's searched for Michael's killer. The family handed out information to the public; police have no solid leads in any of the shootings. Officials say statistically they have about the same number of shootings this year as last year and that these cases are not unusual.

D. LIVINGSTON: That statistic doesn't matter much.

C. LIVINGSTON: Our son was killed. And, those statistics don't offer us any comfort.

WYNTER: The Livingston's say what does ease the pain are pictures, precious memories of their son's short life. His infectious smile.

C. LIVINGSTON: Birthday parties. First trip to the beach.

WYNTER: Which blossomed into a love for the water. This is one of Michael's favorite places you said to be just out here in the back yard by the pool?

D. LIVINGSTON: Correct. It would be back here swimming in the pool with his friends. And his sister would be on the patio watching. And, I'll be barbecuing. There were a lot of good times back here.

WYNTER: Echoes of laughter replaced by this. A mother, sister and father grieve in silence.

D. LIVINGSTON: It is times like these I think Michael's with me. Going to knock on the door and walk in there.

C. LIVINGSTON: Running out the back door to go to the pool.

WYNTER: The Livingston's say it's hard to imagine life without Michael but what makes it worse is his case remains unsolved.

C. LIVINGSTON: I'm almost begging if for that one person out there that knows something would come forward.

WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, there have been more than a dozen highway shoot in question Southern California this year alone.

A man accused of killing a 13-year-old Florida girl faces more charges. David Lee Onstott is accused of trying to escape from jail in Tampa. Detectives say Onstott confessed to strangling Sarah Lundy during an argument. Lundy's bodies turned up in a pond last month.

Officials in Philadelphia say a pow -- or actually a rower who died after finishing a race apparently suffered a heart attack. But an autopsy has been ordered. The Boston College team member collapsed yesterday during a regatta. Animal rights activists in Chicago are demanding to know why so many deaths are occurring at Lincoln Park Zoo. Three monkeys died last week, two elephants, two gorillas and a camel have died since October. The Department of Agriculture is now investigating.

Well, she used to be a medical examiner, now Liz Devine is one of the most influential women in Hollywood. As supervising producer and technical adviser for "CSI: Miami" Devine bridges television fiction and the real world of crime scene investigation.

CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quick rehearsal. Mark. And action!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, man. What the hell are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Been lying to me for months. Don't be stupid. Put the gun down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Here's what a day on the job looks like for Elizabeth Devine. In the middle of the Florida Everglades followed by a CNN news crew. For this show, the "CSI" crew set fires to the Everglades. A controlled burn with real firefighters standing by. They go to great heights to get the shot. And airboats race by below. Check out the finished product. The chase scene. The story is fictional drama. The serial killer on the loose, but parts of it inspired by real life. And Devine's days as a top notch criminalist.

ELIZABETH DEVINE: OK good.

GUPTA: She works closely with the director and the actors giving them advice from the field.

DEVINE: I want to seem like that guy's going to be the problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And cutting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next.

GUPTA: The labs on "CSI" and "CSI Miami" are modeled on this. The LA county sheriffs crime lab.

DEVINE: So this is my old stomping ground.

GUPTA: For 15 years, Elizabeth worked on some high profile and often grizzly cases.

DEVINE: This was a bloodstain on his shirt. And I was able to prove that it was the victim's handprint and the victim grabbed his shirt while she was still alive. Grabbed it and grabbed it like that. GUPTA: Blood splatter in the case?

DEVINE: Yes, yes.

GUPTA: She says that while she doesn't miss dealing with the tragedies or the long hours, the adrenaline rush was hard to give up.

DEVINE: You get out there and you find the key piece of evidence. So exciting because you know this is it. This is -- this is the piece of evidence going to tell me who did it.

GUPTA: A lot of "CSI" the originals "CSI" are based on some of the stuff you worked on here and you saw here in the crime lab here.

DEVINE: My whole life is on that show. Everything that happened to me, you know, I just would talk to the writers and we would somehow incorporate little bits, sometimes the whole case into episodes.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tonight, Sanjay goes behind the scenes of TV's hit franchise, "CSI" for an inside look at forensic science. Its kicks off crime week right here at CNN. "Anatomy of a Murder: Crime Scene Investigation" premieres at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

All right, could labor unions be pushing new political leaders to the forefront? Ahead tonight, Carlos Watson gives us his fresh take on the burgeoning power of labor.

And the run away comic. Comedian Dave Chappelle walks away from $50 million and a new hit show. He's found, but why he went away remains a mystery. So, I'm going to try to get to the bottom of it a little later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week, CNN LIVE SUNDAY previews the stories that you're going to be talking about in the week ahead. We give you a fresh take. That's what we like to call it, because it's CNN's Carlos Watson's idea. And he's always been working the sources through the week for the most innovative stuff that's going on out there. He's live from New York today. Hey, Carlos.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Carol, how you doing?

LIN: I'm doing just fine.

I hear you hear some drum beating when it comes to local politics, that things on the ground are changing in terms of who is getting elected and the money and power behind them.

WATSON: Something very interesting, Carol. You know that on Tuesday, there's a runoff in Los Angeles, the second largest city, to determine who will be the next mayor. And a lot of the talk that we're going to hear is will an incumbent be returned into office, an incumbent who has frankly struggled in the polls, or will we have the first Hispanic mayor since 1872.

I think the bigger story, though, the quiet story if the will, is that if Antonio Villaraigosa, a Latino city council member is elected as the next mayor of Los Angeles, it really will emphasize how important unions have been as a stepping stone, if you will, for a number of Latino politicians in California. Indeed, if Villaraigosa wins, he'll be one of maybe four prominent Latino politicians who currently hold office who 10 years ago, were union organizers.

LIN: Is that a positive, Carlos? I mean, hasn't it been fodder for Republicans that unions, or the special interest groups are the Democratic party?

WATSON: Yes and no. Although a lot of things over the years unions have advocated for, everything from minimum wage to shorter hours or at least clearer hours -- 40-hour work weeks, pensions, healthcare. A lot of that is accept by both sides of the aisle today.

And whether you're talking about Villaraigosa who may become the next mayor. Cindy Chavez, who may be the next mayor of San Jose year, we'll see. The speaker of the California assembly, Fabio Nunez, or one of the prominent new members of Congress, a woman named Linda Sanchez of Los Angeles. It's intriguing that not all of them are not just Latino, but really cut their teeth in union organizing. It's not something you hear very much whether you're a Republican or a Democrat.

LIN: No. And it really could change the social position as these move up the ladder, maybe even all the way to Washington and the White House.

WATSON: Very much so. Whether you're talking about Wal-Mart, or talking about gas prices or the Social Security debate.

LIN: In the meantime, there's another debate that's raging out there is the healthcare debate. You know, 40 million Americans without healthcare. But what you're also hearing is technology, science, is actually getting ahead of the public policy debate, that there may be options out there for poor people, people who don't have health insurance.

WATSON: Carol, you know what is interesting? So often when we talk about politics, we think about the beltway, we think about the president and Congress maybe the Supreme Court. But this is one of these beyond the beltway stories, where a very important public policy debate -- in this case healthcare -- may not only be influenced by what happens in Congress or state Capitols, but maybe by technology.

And in particular, right now, when we have something wrong with et us, often people will turn to X-rays or MRIs in order to try and get a bead on what's going on. But as you talk to doctors and scientists at Stanford, at Johns Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic and other places, they're increasingly working on smaller and more powerful forms of diagnostic images. LIN: Like what?

WATSON: Well, here's a thought. That over the next ten years, you mate mite be able to do a much smaller, simpler test to figure out whether or not you've got precancerous cells, or whether or not for example, there are blocked arteries in your heart. And that may not only save costs, but frankly may increase access for people who are in rural areas who aren't able to go in and take advantage of an expensive X-ray machine.

Now, doesn't mean that MRIs and X-rays won't be important, but just like we saw from the '70s and '80s, where once upon a time the only computers were big rooms filled with mainframes, all of a sudden in the mid '80s, we started to see personalized computers, Macs and PCs. We might see something similar when it comes to diagnostic tests. A world where you've got both.

LIN: We have to leave it there. But -- and this may be a poor example of it, but I think of the pregnancy test where you go to the drug store and pay ten bucks, versus you know 100 bucks for the doctors visit perhaps not so long ago that you would have had to pay to do the same procedure. So, let's hope there are some cheaper solutions out there for folks.

WATSON: Very well could be.

LIN: Thanks, Carlos.

WATSON: Good to see you.

LIN: All right. You too. "Fresh Take."

In the meantime, out of sight but not out of mind. Funny man Dave Chappelle is finally talking about his big disappearing act. So, we're going to dispel the rumors and find out what really -- why he really took off. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: He may be one of today's richest comedians, yet Dave Chappelle walked out on his TV show and a $50 million contract. And everyone wants to know why.

Well, in the new issue of "Time" magazine, Chappelle is finally talking. "Time's" Christopher John Farley joins me from New York with this exclusive report.

You had the privilege of talking with the man throughout this whole crisis. Chris, he could make $50 million. All he had to do was show up for work for a couple of seasons.

CHRSTOPHER JOHN FARLEY, TIME: Yeah, I know. It's tough work, somebody's got to do it.

But he had to make a very tight deadline. The show was supposed to air on May 31. He felt it wasn't ready. It wasn't up to his very exacting standards. He felt he was being pushed by Comedy Central, something that Comedy Central denies. And he took off to South Africa to sort of renew himself spiritually.

LIN: Well let me ask you this. Let's backtrack a little bit, because you also write that his coworkers said the pressure and the success of the show got to him. How does that happen? I mean, this is a guy who, you know, has been a hit for a couple of years. And then he gets this huge contract. If that's not validation, what is?

FARLEY: Well, I talked to him, the $50 million contract, he admits, did play with his head somewhat. It did play with the heads of the people around him. But he's a guy, I think, who took control of what was going on around him.

LIN: What was going on around him?

FARLEY: Well, he felt shot wasn't up to his standards. They hadn't filmed the entire amount of skits to fill out the season yet. There's a lot more work to do. He took a look at the tapes, didn't think they were funny enough, didn't think they quite met -- quite represented his voice. And so he figured the way to get the show done, was to take a break and come back at it.

LIN: Did he have an emotional breakdown or a mental breakdown?

FARLEY: I don't think he had an emotional breakdown, I don't think he had a mental breakdown. I think he just wanted to take a break.

You know, it was funny, I was talking to him this whole time when all these stories were running, saying he's partying too hard, that maybe he's in a mental institution, and here he was on the phone talking to me, saying none of this stuff is true.

And we also had a reporter in South Africa go and talk to him in person, face-to-face, Simon Robinson, is the reporter there, our bureau chief in Johannesburg just to verify, more to see how how the guy doing. And he did not find the guy who was a mental case, he found a guy who was very sharp, still very funny and now raring to get back in the game and back to the states.

LIN: Well, it sounds like he was trying to make a statement, then, to his producer. You can pay me $50 million, but you can't buy me. You can't make me do what I don't want to do.

FARLEY: Exactly. And that's the kind of guy he is. His idols are Richard Prior and Eddie Murphy. He wants to be a guy who goes against the grain, who maybe upsets some apple carts. That's the kind of comedy he does. That's the kind of life he leads.

So it doesn't mean that much to him to take a break like this, mystify people, anger some people. Because that's the kind of personality he has and that's what makes him such a terrific comment.

LIN: But do you think it's going to leave his fans thinking that he's a little weird -- I mean, that he's on this spiritual journey in South Africa.

FARLEY: Hey, you know -- again, his idols are Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. These are guys who had their own personal problems. These are guys who turned they're personal problems into great comedy. I think Dave Chappelle is going to take this experience. And you're going to see it in his skits, you're going to see it in his stand-up.

LIN: So, he's going to coming back?

FARLEY: Yeah, his fans are still going to run out and buy his DVD that comes out on May 24.

LIN: But is he going to come back to his show?

FARLEY: That's a little up in the air. He says he'd like to. The guys at Comedy Central say sure we're upset, but he's a great comedic talent. We'd love to work with him. So, think there's so much money at stake here, they're going to work things out. That's my feeling from it.

LIN: All right. And what does that? And what does it mean that he calls the shots long distance until he feels that he gets what he wants?

FARLEY: Well, it's Chappelle's show. It isn't somebody else's show, it's Chappelle's show. So, of course he calls the shots. So when he gets back, we'll see how they work things out.

When the show comes on again, that's up in the air. But will Chappelle be back with a bang somewhere, it's hard to keep that much talent down.

LIN: You bet. And first season's DVD sold 2.8 million copies. That's nothing to laugh at. So, I think Comedy Central's got a good investment out there they want to protect.

FARLEY: I think so. I think so.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Chris.

FARLEY: Great. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

LIN: Well, that's all the time we for this hour.

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 May 15, 2005 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A surprise visit to Iraq from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Her message to the U.S. troops and Iraqis. A subtle warning as well to Iran.
Also, "Newsweek" magazine says it may have made a big mistake. An error about U.S. soldiers desecrating the Koran and the fallout caused riots overseas.

And Dave Chappelle is the hottest comedian going, but the big question has been, where has he gone? He's surfaced. And he's finally doing some explaining. It is may 15 and you're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. To our top story in just a moment. But first, these are the stories making news as well right now.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist appears ready to trigger a rule changing -- or possibly stopping filibusters against President Bush's judicial nominees. If that happens, Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid says his party will use parliamentary procedures to slow Senate business to a crawl.

Animal rights activists are protesting a series of deaths at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. About 150 demonstrators turned out today. Three rare monkeys, two elephants, two gorillas and a camel have died at the zoo since October. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating.

And a new poll shows half of Americans disapprove of same-sex marriage. The "Boston Globe" survey indicates 37 percent are OK with gay and lesbian marriage and 11 percent are neutral. 50 percent also do not want their states to recognize same-sex marriages from Massachusetts.

Our top story tonight, though. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pay as surprise visit to Iraq on the heels of a particularly bloody week in the region. Now under tight security, Rice met with Iraq's interim prime minister, Ibrahim al Jaafari. And urged patience from Iraqis fed up with the escalating violence. CNN's senior Baghdad correspondent, Jane Arraf, has more on today's visit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As President Bush's security adviser, Condoleezza Rice helped draft the war on Iraq. As secretary of state, this was her first look at the sovereign country.

Crucial in this political equation of a united Iraq are the Kurds. touching down in the north she met Kurdish leader Musad Barzani.

In Baghdad, Rice thanked State Department staff and U.S. troops.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a tough environment sometimes, maybe all the time. But I want you to stay focused on what it is that we're doing here.

ARRAF: What they're doing is trying to create a stable, secure Iraq. One, Rice said, where the insurgency would be defeated by political as well as military means.

U.S. officials have expressed concern that the Shi'a dominated government, moving towards drafting a constitution, isn't doing everything it can to include Sunni Arabs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will make sure that our Sunni brothers will participate in this process.

ARRAF: Political sources said Jaafari had agreed to find a way to incorporate more Sunnis into the drafting committee. So far, there are only two.

And while Rice was the first senior foreign official to visit Baghdad since the new government was formed last month, Iraqi officials said the Iranian foreign minister, due here in a few days, will be a close second. The secretary of State had a thinly veiled warning to Iran about meddling here.

RICE: They need to be transparent, neighborly relations, not relations that to try somehow to have undue influence in the country through means that are not transparent. But we would hope that Iran will understand the importance of a stable, Democratic Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Our thanks to Jane Arraf.

In the meantime, Condoleezza Rice was visiting. The U.S. is trying to confirm a report that Iraq's most wanted terrorist has been seriously wounded. London's "Sunday Times" reports that Abu Musab al Zarqawi arrived at a hospital Wednesday bleeding heavily. A doctor from a Ramadi hospital says he tried to persuade al Zarqawi to stay, but he refused.

At least 34 men have been found shot and beheaded and otherwise killed in Iraq this weekend. Ten were Iraqi soldiers found yesterday in Ramadi. Police discovered the bodies of 11 farm workers in two trucks south of Baghdad. The truck drivers were arrested. 13 other men wearing only underwear were found in a garbage dump in Baghdad today.

Also today, an aide to spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani was killed in Baghdad. The Shiite cleric and his nephew were gunned down in a drive-by shooting.

Well, Senator John McCain is coming to the Bush administration's defense over the work in Iraq. McCain said today he doesn't believe intelligence and facts were being fixed to support the war. Well before President Bush and his British counterpart, Tony Blair, broached the subject with lawmakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Was it a massive intelligence failure, should people be held responsibility responsible? Yes. But I do not believe that the Bush administration decided that they would set up a scenario that gave us the rational for going into Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, the allegations surfaced after a secret memo from a high level British meeting was published in a London newspaper earlier this month.

Now, more trouble could be brewing with Iran. Iran's parliament instructed the government today to develop a nuclear fuel cycle. Well, that would require Tehran to resume uranium enrichment, a move opposed by Washington and feared as a step towards the development of nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes only -- to generate electricity.

Now, Mexican President Vicente Fox is on the defensive after making controversial comments about African-Americans. During a meeting Friday with U.S. business leaders in Mexico, Fox said Mexican immigrants in the U.S. are quote, "doing jobs that not even blacks want to do."

Fox's office has issued a statement saying the president regrets that his comments were misinterpreted. Fox says he has enormous respect for minorities, whatever their racial, ethnic and religious origins. And the purpose of his comments was to stress the importance that Mexican workers have in development and progress of U.S. society.

Well, civil rights activist, the Reverend Al Sharpton, has something to say about President Fox's remarks. He has been a supporter of U.S./Mexican relations. So, I'm going to be interviewing him, getting his reaction on "CNN SUNDAY NIGHT" at a special time tonight, 11:00 p.m. Eastern.

Got some news around the world right now. Violence appears to be abating in Eastern Uzbekistan. This, after two days of clashes between Uzbek soldiers and anti-government protesters left as many as 450 people dead. Hundreds have fled.

Palestinians mark one of the darkest days in their history with a solemn march in Ramallah. It was 57 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were uprooted with the founding of Israel. Israel marks the anniversary in celebration.

The wait is over for die-hard "Star Wars" fans. The sixth and final episode of the series premiered tonight at the Cannes Film Festival in France. "Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith" ends the mystery of how Jedi Knight Skywalker is tempted over to the dark side.

And honoring the sacrifices of those who serve and protect. President Bush expressed his admiration and gratitude today to the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. 153 officers from the federal, state and local levels were killed just in the last year. Well, Mr. Bush praised each for serving the call of justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're a nation built on the rule of law. And the men and women who enforce those laws uphold America's role as a beacon for fairness and peace. And today, we honor 415 new names added to the memorial wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, in Denver a call to justice of a different kind. Police are demanding that a suspected cop killer turn himself in. so far, he's not been receptive, causing the manhunt for him to shift across state lines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN (voice-over) A public plea for help in the hunt for a cop killer and a direct appeal to the prime suspect.

DEP. CHIEF DAVE FISHER, DENVER POLICE: All law enforcement officers throughout this country, at the local, state and federal levels, are aware of this terrible crime. And Raul Garcia Gomez, turn yourself in, because we're not going to give up.

LIN: Denver detective Donnie Young was shot to death in an apparent ambush May 8. Another officer, Jack Bishop, was wounded. Both officers shot from behind.

Angered and upset, police took to the streets in search of leads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see this guy and you have any information, would you please give us a call?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll sure do it.

LIN: It took police 48 hours to name a suspect. At an unusual 3:00 a.m. press conference, police named 19-year-old Raul Garcia Gomez, saying he was living illegally in Denver working at this restaurant owned by Mayor John Hickenlooper. They say Gomez used a false Social Security number to get the job.

On Wednesday, news from California that the suspect's car had been found in Los Angeles. Now, a national manhunt. Police hope to prevent it from spilling over the border into Mexico. Denver police have even traveled to California to help search for the suspect. More than 1,000 mourners bid farewell to the Navy veteran and father of three on Friday. The killing has left a deep mark in the Denver police department.

SGT. DAVE MARKER, DENVER POLICE: It's just very hard, because, like, there's a hole. We have to keep going, and we have to keep doing our job every day, but you just know that he's not going to be here to be a part of it.

LIN: Donnie Young now joins 59 fellow Denver police officers killed in the line of duty. A fact not lost on his fellow officers, who continue the hunt for his killer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Authorities are offering $100,000 reward for information that leads to Gomez's arrest.

Well, the allegations sparked a rash of riots across the Muslim world. A report that U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo desecrated the Koran. But was it true? Straight ahead, a possible gaffe for "Newsweek" magazine. I'm going to talk with the magazine's Washington bureau chief about how this happened.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We recognized the rims on the car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE; Did you know instantly that it was Michael's car?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I absolutely did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Fear on the freeways of Southern California: A dozen random shootings since March. As police search for suspects, this family searches for answers.

and from comedy accident to vanishing act, where in the world is Dave Chappelle? And why did he leave so suddenly?

You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY. And we're back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In our weekly frontlines stories, we like to bring you the more personal stories from the front lines. And one in particular really struck us. A young woman: She is described as a young woman who lived life with absolute gusto. As an American activist in Iraq, Marla Ruzicka not only lived her life on the front lines, she helped others living in harm's way. And now her courage and dedication are being remembered. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) VERMONT: We want to recognize thanks for Marla's tenaciousness that civilian casualties need to be counted. Only by doing so can we know the true cost of war. And we can properly dignify and honor each person killed or wounded as an individual, as a father, a son, a daughter or a mother, not just as collateral damage. And that's Marla's legacy.

SEN. DIANEE FEINSTEIN, (D) CALIFORNIA: It's just the instant that we occupy that we know about. And so what we do with that instant is all important. And here was really a young woman who lived her instant to the fullest.

PETER BERGEN, JOURNALIST: Where else in the world is a government helping the civilians they harm in conflict? Marla was very proud of this fact. And then a final e-mail, "we're helping lots of kids with medical care" -- this is the on the day Marla died -- "This place continues to break my heart. I need to get out of here. But it's hard."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Marla Ruzicka was only 28-years-old.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: "Newsweek" magazine is backing off its story that sparked deadly violence across the Muslim world. The magazine says there may have been errors in its story that U.S. interrogators desecrated copies of the Koran at the prison on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Pentagon says the report put U.S. forces in danger.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins me live from Washington with more reaction. Suzanne, we're going to hear from the Washington bureau chief for "Newsweek" magazine in a moment. But what are you hearing from administration sources?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Carol, of course, this is a story that had dramatic repercussions. It was two weeks ago that "Newsweek" magazine reported interrogators at Guantanamo Bay Prison had actually flushed the Koran, the Muslim's holy book, the Koran, down the toilet to rattle terror suspects there. And that this report was quickly picked up in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. It was a report that was written by Michael Isikoff and John Berry.

Now, once that happened, that it picked up in those newspapers, riots spread across the Middle East. We're talking just within the last couple of weeks or so. It left 15 dead in Afghanistan. There were scores of people who were wounded.

And, of course, U.S. officials vow to get to the bottom of this. We heard throughout the week, we heard Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, we heard from the press secretary, both of them saying that the U.S. would not tolerate the desecration of the Holy Koran, that they would look into it.

We also heard from Pentagon officials. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Richard Myers saying that there was no corroboration of "Newsweek's" report that, in fact, that the Koran was being desecrated at Guantanamo Bay.

Well, turns out now, Carol, that the Pentagon was right and "Newsweek" was wrong. That is what we're learning there "Newsweek" itself, who has written an article, basically, explaining how all of this happened.

I'm going to read a couple of graphs here. This coming directly from "Newsweek," this week's issue. It says on Saturday Isikoff, that is one of the reporters of the article, spoke to his original source, "the senior government official who said he clearly recalled reading investigative reports about mishandling the Koran, including a toilet incident. But the official, still speaking anonymously, could no longer be sure that these concerns had surfaced in the southern command report."

"Now told of what the "Newsweek" source said," this again in "Newsweek" "defense department spokesman Larry Dirita exploded people are dead because of when this son of a B said. How could he be credible now?"

Now, Dirita has also confirmed to CNN that in fact that quote in "Newsweek" is true. He added this to CNN, saying that "people are dying. They are burning American flags. Our forces are in danger because of this."

And finally, a "Newsweek" editor, Mark Whitaker, put out a public apology for this whole fiasco, saying "we regret that we got any part of this story wrong, and extend our sympathies to the victims of violence and the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst." Carol, quite a confusion here.

Earlier today, National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, was not aware of the admission from "Newsweek" was asked on "LATE EDITION" about the investigation. And he said that he believed the political damage was already done -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Suzanne Malveaux live the White House.

Now, for more on "Newsweek's" side of the story. The magazine's Washington bureau chief, Dan Klaidman joins me live from Washington, D.C.

Dan, how is it that your magazine got the story so wrong?

DAN KLAIDMAN, NEWSWEEK: Well, that's something we've been looking into. And we've have written an extensive story in the magazine, both acknowledging that we made a mistake and strange to explain what happened. Trying to be as transparent as we can.

We relied on a source a senior government official, who we've relied on in the past. And he's been reliable. He's gotten -- helped us get stories that were accurate. And in this particular case, we think not all the facts were right.

He maintains that he read these allegations in government reports, but is not sure they were in the southern command report, as we said in the magazine.

LIN: So is he hedging? He is saying that it very well may be true, it just may not actually be in the final report?

KLAIDMAN: Well, that's what our source believes. But we reported that it was in the southern command report. And that military investigators had confirmed this. And we can't establish that to be true.

We're continuing to report, the military is continuing to investigate. And we just felt it was important to acknowledge whatever mistakes we did make, and explain to the best of our ability by reporting and explaining what happened.

LIN: But Dan, Michael Isikoff is no rookie. I mean, he's one of the best and brightest correspondents. He continues to work on this story. But how is it that anybody, including people within the administration, are to believe anything that "Newsweek" reports now, especially about what comes out of the Guantanamo Bay and the Iraq war?

KLAIDMAN: Because "Newsweek" has a long and distinguished record of reporting on important stories, breaking important stories. And they've turned out to be true and very accurate. And we will continue to report, we will report aggressively but carefully. And I think...

LIN: As opposed to what happened this past time? I mean, how would you describe the reporting now, if not aggressively, certainly? Were you careless then? Is that what you're saying?

KLAIDMAN: No, I'm not. You know, we did go through the usual vetting that we do for even sensitive stories like this. As our story points out, first we relied on a source that has always been reliable in the past, someone highly placed, knowledgeable official. And we ran it by a public affairs person at southern command who wouldn't comment, because it was a pending investigation.

But we went much further, we actually provided the story to a very senior, knowledgeable Pentagon official, who took issue with one aspect of the story. We asked if it was accurate. He took issue with one aspect, which we took out of the story, changed. But did not take issue with any of the other parts of the story that we ultimately published.

So, this is an honest mistake. We are obviously not very happy about it. And we're trying to deal with it as openly as we can.

LIN: All right Dan. So when the Pentagon spokesman goes public with pretty vitriolic language about "Newsweek." I mean, personally blaming the magazine, saying that people are dead as a result of this reporting -- 15 people dead after violent rioting in Afghanistan, as well as other Islamic countries. I mean, the magazine has apologized, but do you think that the magazine feels personally responsible for the deaths? And if so, what should come out of this? How do you think the magazine should compensate going forward?

KLAIDMAN: Look, we extend our sympathies to the victims here. And we think it's a terribly unfortunate. There are powerful forces, different forces at work here that caused a riot like this. I think there's -- I think it's clear that people seized on the "Newsweek" report to advance their own agendas. And that that was part of it.

But I also think that there's an enormous amount of pent-up, and not so pent-up, anti-American rage and sentiment in that region in that part of the world. There are a lot of people who think that our war on terror and our war in Iraq is a much wider war against Islam. And, you know, I think this was -- this played into all of that tragically.

LIN: Dan Klaidman, thank you very much. Dan Klaidman, "Newsweek" bureau chief up there in Washington, D.C.

In fact, the point that Dan's making, we're going to have much more on this in our primetime show at 11:00, playing into the hatred of America. The dynamic of the media and what's happening out there in the Islamic world.

In the meantime, straight ahead, from medical examiner to one of the most influential women in Hollywood. Behind the scenes with the brains behind America's top rated television franchise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Senators from both sides of the aisle are working on a compromise to avoid a battle over filibusters. If negotiations fail, that showdown will likely come this week when one of President Bush's judicial nominees comes up for a vote. Republicans threaten to try to ban the use of filibusters for judicial nominees.

And Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is due to testify tomorrow before the Military Base Closings Commission. The Pentagon wants to close 33 major facilities. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers will defend the plan. Many communities plan to fight the proposal.

Motorists toughing out the Los Angeles area's notoriously heavy traffic have a new worry. This is, in fact, new video was just seen there. All right. Are we going to go on to the breaking news then?

Let's take a look at new video now of a small plane in the water off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Four people on board that plane, slightly injured.

What we do know is it's near the airport, just outside of Trump Tower. It appears that something happened upon takeoff or landing. As soon as we find out more about the story, we'll be sure to share that with you. But a pretty dramatic picture there that just came into the CNN Center as this plane ran off the runway outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and ended up in the water.

Fortunately, sounds like four people slightly injured but safe.

All right. In the meantime, motorists are toughing it out in the Los Angeles area's notoriously heavy traffic may have a new worry. Freeway shootings have left four people dead Southern California in recent months. Careen Wynter has one victim's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was the afternoon of March 29th, on the crowded 110 Freeway in southern California. A 20-year-old college student was behind the wheel of a shiny sports car. When he had for only a few months, a gift from dad. Michael Livingston wrapped up classes that day and headed to a friend's house in Los Angeles. But, he never made it.

Michael was minutes away from his exit when someone fired several shots into his car, killing him. Christina and Dennis Livingston was nowhere near the scene. In fact they were 70 miles away, here inside their San Bernardino County home. But it wasn't long before they had to start grappling with the horror of their son's death and it wasn't police who broke the news.

CHRISTINA LIVINGSTON, MOTHER: I just happen to walk past the television, which was on, and I saw the breaking news alert.

WYNTER: Michael's cherished '98 Chevy Camera, the one he polished with such care, was now a twisted piece of metal on the side of the freeway. Police say he was shot several times and lost control of his car, which smashed into the center divider.

C. LIVINGSTON: We recognized the rims on the car.

WYNTER: Did you know that it was Michael's car?

C. LIVINGSTON: I absolutely did.

WYNTER: But at the time, the Livingston's didn't know this was just the beginning of a rash of random freeway shootings.

DENNIS LIVINGSTON, FATHER: Mike was ripped from our lives I mean he was just taken. And, it's not going to bring him back but at the same time --

C. LIVINGSTON: Wait a minute.

D. LIVINGSTON: OK.

C. LIVINGSTON: He was ripped from our lives. That's what makes it so difficult and the reality of that moment is earth shattering.

WYNTER: These parents hadn't buried their son when they turned their anger to action hitting the streets ignoring warnings from Los Angeles police the Livingston's searched for Michael's killer. The family handed out information to the public; police have no solid leads in any of the shootings. Officials say statistically they have about the same number of shootings this year as last year and that these cases are not unusual.

D. LIVINGSTON: That statistic doesn't matter much.

C. LIVINGSTON: Our son was killed. And, those statistics don't offer us any comfort.

WYNTER: The Livingston's say what does ease the pain are pictures, precious memories of their son's short life. His infectious smile.

C. LIVINGSTON: Birthday parties. First trip to the beach.

WYNTER: Which blossomed into a love for the water. This is one of Michael's favorite places you said to be just out here in the back yard by the pool?

D. LIVINGSTON: Correct. It would be back here swimming in the pool with his friends. And his sister would be on the patio watching. And, I'll be barbecuing. There were a lot of good times back here.

WYNTER: Echoes of laughter replaced by this. A mother, sister and father grieve in silence.

D. LIVINGSTON: It is times like these I think Michael's with me. Going to knock on the door and walk in there.

C. LIVINGSTON: Running out the back door to go to the pool.

WYNTER: The Livingston's say it's hard to imagine life without Michael but what makes it worse is his case remains unsolved.

C. LIVINGSTON: I'm almost begging if for that one person out there that knows something would come forward.

WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, there have been more than a dozen highway shoot in question Southern California this year alone.

A man accused of killing a 13-year-old Florida girl faces more charges. David Lee Onstott is accused of trying to escape from jail in Tampa. Detectives say Onstott confessed to strangling Sarah Lundy during an argument. Lundy's bodies turned up in a pond last month.

Officials in Philadelphia say a pow -- or actually a rower who died after finishing a race apparently suffered a heart attack. But an autopsy has been ordered. The Boston College team member collapsed yesterday during a regatta. Animal rights activists in Chicago are demanding to know why so many deaths are occurring at Lincoln Park Zoo. Three monkeys died last week, two elephants, two gorillas and a camel have died since October. The Department of Agriculture is now investigating.

Well, she used to be a medical examiner, now Liz Devine is one of the most influential women in Hollywood. As supervising producer and technical adviser for "CSI: Miami" Devine bridges television fiction and the real world of crime scene investigation.

CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quick rehearsal. Mark. And action!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, man. What the hell are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Been lying to me for months. Don't be stupid. Put the gun down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Here's what a day on the job looks like for Elizabeth Devine. In the middle of the Florida Everglades followed by a CNN news crew. For this show, the "CSI" crew set fires to the Everglades. A controlled burn with real firefighters standing by. They go to great heights to get the shot. And airboats race by below. Check out the finished product. The chase scene. The story is fictional drama. The serial killer on the loose, but parts of it inspired by real life. And Devine's days as a top notch criminalist.

ELIZABETH DEVINE: OK good.

GUPTA: She works closely with the director and the actors giving them advice from the field.

DEVINE: I want to seem like that guy's going to be the problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And cutting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next.

GUPTA: The labs on "CSI" and "CSI Miami" are modeled on this. The LA county sheriffs crime lab.

DEVINE: So this is my old stomping ground.

GUPTA: For 15 years, Elizabeth worked on some high profile and often grizzly cases.

DEVINE: This was a bloodstain on his shirt. And I was able to prove that it was the victim's handprint and the victim grabbed his shirt while she was still alive. Grabbed it and grabbed it like that. GUPTA: Blood splatter in the case?

DEVINE: Yes, yes.

GUPTA: She says that while she doesn't miss dealing with the tragedies or the long hours, the adrenaline rush was hard to give up.

DEVINE: You get out there and you find the key piece of evidence. So exciting because you know this is it. This is -- this is the piece of evidence going to tell me who did it.

GUPTA: A lot of "CSI" the originals "CSI" are based on some of the stuff you worked on here and you saw here in the crime lab here.

DEVINE: My whole life is on that show. Everything that happened to me, you know, I just would talk to the writers and we would somehow incorporate little bits, sometimes the whole case into episodes.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tonight, Sanjay goes behind the scenes of TV's hit franchise, "CSI" for an inside look at forensic science. Its kicks off crime week right here at CNN. "Anatomy of a Murder: Crime Scene Investigation" premieres at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

All right, could labor unions be pushing new political leaders to the forefront? Ahead tonight, Carlos Watson gives us his fresh take on the burgeoning power of labor.

And the run away comic. Comedian Dave Chappelle walks away from $50 million and a new hit show. He's found, but why he went away remains a mystery. So, I'm going to try to get to the bottom of it a little later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week, CNN LIVE SUNDAY previews the stories that you're going to be talking about in the week ahead. We give you a fresh take. That's what we like to call it, because it's CNN's Carlos Watson's idea. And he's always been working the sources through the week for the most innovative stuff that's going on out there. He's live from New York today. Hey, Carlos.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Carol, how you doing?

LIN: I'm doing just fine.

I hear you hear some drum beating when it comes to local politics, that things on the ground are changing in terms of who is getting elected and the money and power behind them.

WATSON: Something very interesting, Carol. You know that on Tuesday, there's a runoff in Los Angeles, the second largest city, to determine who will be the next mayor. And a lot of the talk that we're going to hear is will an incumbent be returned into office, an incumbent who has frankly struggled in the polls, or will we have the first Hispanic mayor since 1872.

I think the bigger story, though, the quiet story if the will, is that if Antonio Villaraigosa, a Latino city council member is elected as the next mayor of Los Angeles, it really will emphasize how important unions have been as a stepping stone, if you will, for a number of Latino politicians in California. Indeed, if Villaraigosa wins, he'll be one of maybe four prominent Latino politicians who currently hold office who 10 years ago, were union organizers.

LIN: Is that a positive, Carlos? I mean, hasn't it been fodder for Republicans that unions, or the special interest groups are the Democratic party?

WATSON: Yes and no. Although a lot of things over the years unions have advocated for, everything from minimum wage to shorter hours or at least clearer hours -- 40-hour work weeks, pensions, healthcare. A lot of that is accept by both sides of the aisle today.

And whether you're talking about Villaraigosa who may become the next mayor. Cindy Chavez, who may be the next mayor of San Jose year, we'll see. The speaker of the California assembly, Fabio Nunez, or one of the prominent new members of Congress, a woman named Linda Sanchez of Los Angeles. It's intriguing that not all of them are not just Latino, but really cut their teeth in union organizing. It's not something you hear very much whether you're a Republican or a Democrat.

LIN: No. And it really could change the social position as these move up the ladder, maybe even all the way to Washington and the White House.

WATSON: Very much so. Whether you're talking about Wal-Mart, or talking about gas prices or the Social Security debate.

LIN: In the meantime, there's another debate that's raging out there is the healthcare debate. You know, 40 million Americans without healthcare. But what you're also hearing is technology, science, is actually getting ahead of the public policy debate, that there may be options out there for poor people, people who don't have health insurance.

WATSON: Carol, you know what is interesting? So often when we talk about politics, we think about the beltway, we think about the president and Congress maybe the Supreme Court. But this is one of these beyond the beltway stories, where a very important public policy debate -- in this case healthcare -- may not only be influenced by what happens in Congress or state Capitols, but maybe by technology.

And in particular, right now, when we have something wrong with et us, often people will turn to X-rays or MRIs in order to try and get a bead on what's going on. But as you talk to doctors and scientists at Stanford, at Johns Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic and other places, they're increasingly working on smaller and more powerful forms of diagnostic images. LIN: Like what?

WATSON: Well, here's a thought. That over the next ten years, you mate mite be able to do a much smaller, simpler test to figure out whether or not you've got precancerous cells, or whether or not for example, there are blocked arteries in your heart. And that may not only save costs, but frankly may increase access for people who are in rural areas who aren't able to go in and take advantage of an expensive X-ray machine.

Now, doesn't mean that MRIs and X-rays won't be important, but just like we saw from the '70s and '80s, where once upon a time the only computers were big rooms filled with mainframes, all of a sudden in the mid '80s, we started to see personalized computers, Macs and PCs. We might see something similar when it comes to diagnostic tests. A world where you've got both.

LIN: We have to leave it there. But -- and this may be a poor example of it, but I think of the pregnancy test where you go to the drug store and pay ten bucks, versus you know 100 bucks for the doctors visit perhaps not so long ago that you would have had to pay to do the same procedure. So, let's hope there are some cheaper solutions out there for folks.

WATSON: Very well could be.

LIN: Thanks, Carlos.

WATSON: Good to see you.

LIN: All right. You too. "Fresh Take."

In the meantime, out of sight but not out of mind. Funny man Dave Chappelle is finally talking about his big disappearing act. So, we're going to dispel the rumors and find out what really -- why he really took off. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: He may be one of today's richest comedians, yet Dave Chappelle walked out on his TV show and a $50 million contract. And everyone wants to know why.

Well, in the new issue of "Time" magazine, Chappelle is finally talking. "Time's" Christopher John Farley joins me from New York with this exclusive report.

You had the privilege of talking with the man throughout this whole crisis. Chris, he could make $50 million. All he had to do was show up for work for a couple of seasons.

CHRSTOPHER JOHN FARLEY, TIME: Yeah, I know. It's tough work, somebody's got to do it.

But he had to make a very tight deadline. The show was supposed to air on May 31. He felt it wasn't ready. It wasn't up to his very exacting standards. He felt he was being pushed by Comedy Central, something that Comedy Central denies. And he took off to South Africa to sort of renew himself spiritually.

LIN: Well let me ask you this. Let's backtrack a little bit, because you also write that his coworkers said the pressure and the success of the show got to him. How does that happen? I mean, this is a guy who, you know, has been a hit for a couple of years. And then he gets this huge contract. If that's not validation, what is?

FARLEY: Well, I talked to him, the $50 million contract, he admits, did play with his head somewhat. It did play with the heads of the people around him. But he's a guy, I think, who took control of what was going on around him.

LIN: What was going on around him?

FARLEY: Well, he felt shot wasn't up to his standards. They hadn't filmed the entire amount of skits to fill out the season yet. There's a lot more work to do. He took a look at the tapes, didn't think they were funny enough, didn't think they quite met -- quite represented his voice. And so he figured the way to get the show done, was to take a break and come back at it.

LIN: Did he have an emotional breakdown or a mental breakdown?

FARLEY: I don't think he had an emotional breakdown, I don't think he had a mental breakdown. I think he just wanted to take a break.

You know, it was funny, I was talking to him this whole time when all these stories were running, saying he's partying too hard, that maybe he's in a mental institution, and here he was on the phone talking to me, saying none of this stuff is true.

And we also had a reporter in South Africa go and talk to him in person, face-to-face, Simon Robinson, is the reporter there, our bureau chief in Johannesburg just to verify, more to see how how the guy doing. And he did not find the guy who was a mental case, he found a guy who was very sharp, still very funny and now raring to get back in the game and back to the states.

LIN: Well, it sounds like he was trying to make a statement, then, to his producer. You can pay me $50 million, but you can't buy me. You can't make me do what I don't want to do.

FARLEY: Exactly. And that's the kind of guy he is. His idols are Richard Prior and Eddie Murphy. He wants to be a guy who goes against the grain, who maybe upsets some apple carts. That's the kind of comedy he does. That's the kind of life he leads.

So it doesn't mean that much to him to take a break like this, mystify people, anger some people. Because that's the kind of personality he has and that's what makes him such a terrific comment.

LIN: But do you think it's going to leave his fans thinking that he's a little weird -- I mean, that he's on this spiritual journey in South Africa.

FARLEY: Hey, you know -- again, his idols are Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. These are guys who had their own personal problems. These are guys who turned they're personal problems into great comedy. I think Dave Chappelle is going to take this experience. And you're going to see it in his skits, you're going to see it in his stand-up.

LIN: So, he's going to coming back?

FARLEY: Yeah, his fans are still going to run out and buy his DVD that comes out on May 24.

LIN: But is he going to come back to his show?

FARLEY: That's a little up in the air. He says he'd like to. The guys at Comedy Central say sure we're upset, but he's a great comedic talent. We'd love to work with him. So, think there's so much money at stake here, they're going to work things out. That's my feeling from it.

LIN: All right. And what does that? And what does it mean that he calls the shots long distance until he feels that he gets what he wants?

FARLEY: Well, it's Chappelle's show. It isn't somebody else's show, it's Chappelle's show. So, of course he calls the shots. So when he gets back, we'll see how they work things out.

When the show comes on again, that's up in the air. But will Chappelle be back with a bang somewhere, it's hard to keep that much talent down.

LIN: You bet. And first season's DVD sold 2.8 million copies. That's nothing to laugh at. So, I think Comedy Central's got a good investment out there they want to protect.

FARLEY: I think so. I think so.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Chris.

FARLEY: Great. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

LIN: Well, that's all the time we for this hour.

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