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Stem Cell Research Controversy; Web Site Reports Zarqawi Wounded

Aired May 24, 2005 - 11:30   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Supporters of stem cell research say it holds tremendous promise in treating a wide range of diseases. Opponents, though, say destroying embryos for research is morally wrong. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more on the science and the controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're perhaps the most controversial frontier in modern medicine. Many scientists believe these tiny cells hold the potential to treat diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and even spinal cord injuries. Celebrity sufferers have beaten the drum for exploiting stem cells.

MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: I'm one of a million involuntary experts on Parkinson's Disease in the United States, battling its destructive nature as we wait for a cure.

CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR: It's a miracle. It's something that has unlimited potential for curing people.

COHEN: The search for a cure became the life work of actor Christopher Reeve before he died in 2004. Embryonic stem cells are unspecified or blank cells. Scientists hope they can manipulate these cells into becoming any type of cell.

For example, with some spinal cord injuries, broken vertebrae cut the bundle of nerves behind them. Many researchers believe stem cells could be grown into tissue to close the gap in the damaged nerves.

DR. BARTH GREEN, NEUROSURGEON: Stem cells not only can replace damaged cells, but they can help repair.

COHEN: There's been some progress with animals. These rats were given a severe spinal cord injury and then injected with stem cells. Six weeks later, their hind legs were functioning again.

DR. JOHN GEARHART, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: We're well on our way in some of these areas, but we still have work to do.

COHEN: But there's a bitter ethical dispute about the use of embryonic stem cells, which many believe are the most promising for research. The embryos usually come from fertility clinics. They belong to parents who've decided not to use them to start a pregnancy. Using embryos for scientific research angers some groups. JUDIE BROWN, AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE: Human embryos, who are people, are being reduced to property and products, and they are literally being marketed to the scientific community so that their spare parts, so-called, can be used in research.

COHEN: Others say why not use the embryos for research that may be life-saving? The other option? Adult stem cells. They don't come from embryos. Instead, they're derived from a variety of sources, such as bone marrow or the umbilical cords of newborn babies. But some scientists say they're not as easy to manipulate as embryonic cells.

Three years ago, President George W. Bush limited federal funding of embryonic stem cell research to a specified group of existing stem cell lines. Researchers say this limited funding, coupled with possible contamination of the selected lines, has slowed progress in the U.S., while other countries have moved ahead with research.

In an effort to speed the progress, states like California are taking matters into their hands. They're devoting millions of taxpayer dollars to embryonic stem cell research. No one can predict what, if any, dividend will come from that research.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, there's a new poll out showing most Americans favor expanded stem cell research, a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll. 53 percent of respondents say that they support fewer restrictions on government funding of the research, 43 percent say they do not.

For more on the moral and ethical debate over stem cell research, let's bring in Art Caplan, director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. Art, good to see you again.

ART CAPLAN, BIOETHICIST: Hey, how are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing good. Fascinating issue here because people see it so differently. First of all, proponents of stem cell research say these type of embryos are not the type that if you put into a woman that would make a baby. I didn't know there were different types of embryos out there.

CAPLAN: There are different types of embryos. Probably the least likely to make a baby, though, are the ones that come by cloning. The reason those are unlikely to turn into babies is the DNA that's used comes from body cells, your cheek or your skin. It's beat up, it's old and it probably won't develop into a normal animal. It's hard to get that done in cows and sheep and pigs. People are pretty skeptical that it would produce a healthy adult. Other embryos like you have at infertility clinics, which are proposed as sources for embryonic stem cell research, they clearly do have the potential to become babies and people.

KAGAN: Let's talk about the issue of federal funding. President Bush comes out and says I'm not saying I'm against stem cell research, just don't put taxpayer dollars that direction. And yet, when you look at the advances from South Korea, they were able to go ahead because they do have so much federal funding from that government.

CAPLAN: Federal funding is a must in this kind of area. If we're going to do it, it's going to have to be with federal funds. Private companies in the United States are not going to go near this research. It's still too far away from knowing that your investment is going to pay off. That's what the federal government usually has to underwrite.

Also, if you're an academic scientist, a young person, you're trying to make your career, you don't want to go out and try and recruit private investors to support your research. The gold standard is to have national institutes of health money. If you don't have that, if that's not available, then young scientists in this country, they're just not going to pick that area to work in.

So the president, in a sense, is saying, look, the private sector can do it, but in reality, unless the government gets involved here, the private sector isn't going to do it.

KAGAN: So long term, let's see where this could possibly go. We look at advances in South Korea. And again, we're so many years away from any human application here, even if this does work. But down the line, those opportunities are probably going to come to the people who are living in those countries rather than Americans.

CAPLAN: Well, I think that's the toughest issue for opponents to wrestle with. If the Koreans, or people in Singapore, China, India, Britain, move forward, as they are, with this kind of research, would we say we're going to prohibit the importation of cures for spinal cord injury or diabetes, for somebody who has some type of Parkinsonism from coming into this country? I can't imagine that that would be possible. So if -- unless we get in this game, too, we're going to wind up paying, if the research works and it's not clear that it will. But if it does, we're going to wind up sending all this money overseas to buy back cures from countries like Korea.

KAGAN: Art Caplan, Univerity of Pennsylvania. Thank you. Interesting talk, as always.

Interesting to talk about women's rights, as well, especially when it comes to Afghanistan. That country's slowly transitioning into a democracy. There have been some big steps taking toward equality for women, but as that take place, what is the reality for women there right now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: This latest news concerns the most wanted terror suspect in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. The militant group al Qaeda posting on an Internet site today a request for Muslims around the world to pray for Zarqawi, saying that he has been injured and wants Muslims to pray for his recovery.

We do have to say the statement's authenticity cannot be verified at this point, but it is posted on a Web site that is known for its militant content. Once again, al Zarqawi is the most wanted terror suspect in Iraq. He has a $25 million bounty on his head. No word on this Web site on how or when al Zarqawi would have been injured.

Now let's get you up-to-date on what's happening -- what else is happening in Iraq today. It is the third day of what they're calling Operation Squeeze Play in Baghdad. The U.S. military says it has rounded up more than 400 suspected terrorists since Sunday. The crackdown is aimed at former Baathists and Zarqawi operatives.

Still in Baghdad today, car bomb attacks killed three American soldiers and six Iraqi civilians. A fourth American soldier was killed in a drive-by shooting at his observation post. And in northwestern Iraq, car bombers killed at least 15 people and wounded another 50. The attack happened at the home of a shaikh. He was throwing a party to celebration surviving an assassination attempt a few days ago.

Let's go back to our story on al Zarqawi and the statement that's been posted on this Web site requesting for Muslims around the world to pray for Zarqawi, saying that he has been injured. Not saying how or when that would have happened.

I want to put this in perspective for you instead of just telling you about it, and for that we have our Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr with us now. Hello.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Hi.

KAGAN: It's good to have you here. Now, we have heard allegations before or suggestions before that Zarqawi has been injured.

NASR: Right, we did hear that. And nothing on those Web sites. You know, we monitor these Web sites on a regular basis. They have postings all the time about attacks against coalition forces, U.S. forces and so forth.

Today it was a bit surprising, because there's one message that is posted. It bears the marks of the Zarqawi group. It has the same language and also they use the source on there, the information as Abu Musab al Iraqi. This name has become very familiar for us when we monitor these Islamist Web sites. Every time this person posts messages, usually they turn out to be true. He does seem to speak in the name of the al Qaeda in Iraq, the group led by Zarqawi.

Today, what this man said, apparently, is that Zarqawi has been injured. He doesn't go into details of how he's been injured or how serious the injury is. He just says that he has been injured and he asks the brothers, as he calls them, to pray for his health and to pray that God will protect him. He does also say that they see this injury as an honor, as a mark of honor.

And there was a little threat there in that message, threatening what they call the enemy. That is, of course, the U.S. forces. And he says the more attacks they will get, the more deadly they will become as a resistance. They call themselves a resistance. So there is a message. it's on the Islamist Web sites. It bears the marks of the al Qaeda in Iraq. It doesn't have the logo. I'm always curious about that, because these groups, they're interesting in the sense that they're quick on their toes. They have video of their attacks, usually. They produce them, they add a logo, add music and sound effects. This one is kind of basic. It has just a message. What makes us believe that it could be authentic, -- again, CNN cannot authenticate the message -- what makes us believe it could be authentic is the name there as the source, Abu Musab al Iraqi, and the language that sounds very much like al Qaeda.

Again, it doesn't give much details about it, but for people like myself who monitor these sites on a regular basis, you have to believe that the injury, if indeed there is an injury, the injury is serious enough for them to feel that they have to announce it publicly so that in case of death, it won't be a total shock. So they could be -- if it is indeed true, if he is injured, it could be just a prelude to announcing something even more serious.

KAGAN: Fascinating. Once again, we're talking about the most wanted terror suspect in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Octavia, thank you.

Other news happening all over the world.

To Santa Maria, California, comedian Jay Leno. You saw him walk in within the last hour. Well, we're getting word from the courtroom there in the Michael Jackson child molestation case that he has just been called to the stand. He is expected to testify, he's been called by the defense, to talk about a phone call he received from Jackson's teenaged accuser. And in his opening argument to the jury, lead defense attorney Thomas Mesereau said that call, which included a request for money, so alarmed Jay Leno that the host contacted the Santa Monica Police Department. We will see a little bit later what exactly Jay Leno does have to say on the stand.

Moving back now to world news, some women in democratic Afghanistan are shedding the burka. But for some, this new idealism carries a deadly price. Our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel has a case in point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Before she was murdered last week, 24-year-old Shaima Rezayee had hosted this MTV-like music program in Afghanistan. During the show, called "Hop," Rezayee's fans watched her mingle openly with men. In a country where most women are still hidden behind burkas, a small sign of progress.

But Afghanistan's religious leaders condemned Rezayee's Western style clothing and her program as un-Islamic, eventually pressuring the TV station to fire her in March. Two months later, Rezayee was shot in the head at her home. Afghan police now reportedly suspect Rezayee's family in carrying out an honor killing.

ZAINAB SALBI, WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL: What it says about the Afghan society is a lot of the measurements that were used by Talibans, in terms of traditional sharia laws, in terms of women's behavior being public discussion and not protected by the legal code, are still issues that are running in Afghanistan.

KOPPEL: Three-and-a-half years after the U.S. overthrew the Taliban, there are signs life for Afghan women is still a work in progress. More girls are in school than before and following last October's election, President Hamid Karzai's cabinet now has three women ministers.

At the White House, where he hosted Afghanistan's president, Mr. Bush sounded optimistic about the future for Afghan women.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A shift of opinion is taking place in Afghanistan, where now women are equal partners in society.

KOPPEL: But some women's advocacy groups say, not so fast. They point to the recent kidnapping of Italian aide worker Clementina Cantoni (ph) as another troubling sign of the return of fundamentalist attacks on women.

SALBI: If we do not pay attention, and if we do not respond quick enough for this, it may impact other women in a larger scale.

KOPPEL (on camera): In the case of Shaima Rezayee, she was also considered a journalist, and according to the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, was the first journalist to be killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban fell. The group is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into her murder.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Kind of strange story ahead, could four deaths be linked to a household pet? A cute, furry hamster. Details next in our "Daily Dose" segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In our "Daily Dose" of health news, a possible advance in treating the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The company Genentech says a drug it developed significantly improved the eyesight of patients in clinical trials. The "New York Times" says it's the first time a drug for macular degeneration was able to improve and not just preserve vision.

A rare rodent virus is blamed for the death of three transplant patients. Health officials in Rhode Island say the organ donor had a rodent-born infection she may have contracted from a pet hamster. The donor died of unrelated causes. Officials with the CDC were testing the dead hamster, which was purchased at a Rhode Island pet store.

And now a follow-up on a story we brought you about sex offenders getting free Viagra, courtesy of your tax dollars. The government is moving fast on this one. Medicaid has started notifying states they do not have to pay for Viagra for convicted sex offenders. This comes just one day after New York's controller's office announced it had uncovered that very practice.

For your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY THE TIGER: They're grrreat! The flakes are grrreat!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You probably don't know his real name, but Thurl Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger for more than 50 years. The man behind that rumbling commercial growl has died at the age of 91. Ravenscroft also did voice-over work for Disney films, including "Cinderella," "Jungle Book"and "Mary Poppins."

Speaking of grrreat, let's check in with Wolf Blitzer to see what's coming at the top of hour. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Daryn. I was sure you were going to say from a tiger to a wolf, you didn't. But I said it. Thanks for that. We'll have a lot of news coming up on "NEWS FROM CNN."

My interview about the relationship between the United States and Syria with the Syrian ambassador Imad Mustafa. That relationship has gone from bad to worse. We'll hear how he responds to U.S. accusations that Syria simply is not doing enough to keep insurgents out of Iraq. I spoke with him just a few moments ago.

Also, the compromise in the Senate. Some of President Bush's judicial nominees will get a vote after all. The most controversial will be voted up or down. We'll break down the political drama and look ahead. What happens next?

Watch for those stories, lots more, at the top of the hour on "NEWS FROM CNN." Daryn, in the meantime, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, thank you, Wolf.

A check of weather and business news coming up, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Back to a bit of business news, personal business. You got money? Looking for somewhere to stash it? That's a good problem to have. The dot-com desk has some tips before you head to the bank.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: If you're tired of stashing your cash under a mattress, or in your piggy bank, log onto CNNmoney.com for a lesson in money 101. These 10 tips on banking and saving could help you tremendously.

The first tip, use a federally insured bank account. It's likely your safest bet, because your funds are insured for up to $100,000 by the U.S. government.

When shopping for a bank account options may appear limitless. In order to pick the right one, ask yourself these four questions. How much money will you put in the bank? How many checks do you plan to write? How many related banking services will you need? And how many different types of accounts will you want to set up?

Plus, see if you're making the grade when it comes to Money 101 with an online quiz.

Last but not least, now that you've got money in a safe place find out how fast it will grow with the savings calculator.

You can find it all online at CNNmoney.com/101. From the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that's going to wrap it up for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll be right back with you here tomorrow morning. For now, Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C. Hi, Wolf.

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 24, 2005 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Supporters of stem cell research say it holds tremendous promise in treating a wide range of diseases. Opponents, though, say destroying embryos for research is morally wrong. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more on the science and the controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're perhaps the most controversial frontier in modern medicine. Many scientists believe these tiny cells hold the potential to treat diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and even spinal cord injuries. Celebrity sufferers have beaten the drum for exploiting stem cells.

MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: I'm one of a million involuntary experts on Parkinson's Disease in the United States, battling its destructive nature as we wait for a cure.

CHRISTOPHER REEVE, ACTOR: It's a miracle. It's something that has unlimited potential for curing people.

COHEN: The search for a cure became the life work of actor Christopher Reeve before he died in 2004. Embryonic stem cells are unspecified or blank cells. Scientists hope they can manipulate these cells into becoming any type of cell.

For example, with some spinal cord injuries, broken vertebrae cut the bundle of nerves behind them. Many researchers believe stem cells could be grown into tissue to close the gap in the damaged nerves.

DR. BARTH GREEN, NEUROSURGEON: Stem cells not only can replace damaged cells, but they can help repair.

COHEN: There's been some progress with animals. These rats were given a severe spinal cord injury and then injected with stem cells. Six weeks later, their hind legs were functioning again.

DR. JOHN GEARHART, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: We're well on our way in some of these areas, but we still have work to do.

COHEN: But there's a bitter ethical dispute about the use of embryonic stem cells, which many believe are the most promising for research. The embryos usually come from fertility clinics. They belong to parents who've decided not to use them to start a pregnancy. Using embryos for scientific research angers some groups. JUDIE BROWN, AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE: Human embryos, who are people, are being reduced to property and products, and they are literally being marketed to the scientific community so that their spare parts, so-called, can be used in research.

COHEN: Others say why not use the embryos for research that may be life-saving? The other option? Adult stem cells. They don't come from embryos. Instead, they're derived from a variety of sources, such as bone marrow or the umbilical cords of newborn babies. But some scientists say they're not as easy to manipulate as embryonic cells.

Three years ago, President George W. Bush limited federal funding of embryonic stem cell research to a specified group of existing stem cell lines. Researchers say this limited funding, coupled with possible contamination of the selected lines, has slowed progress in the U.S., while other countries have moved ahead with research.

In an effort to speed the progress, states like California are taking matters into their hands. They're devoting millions of taxpayer dollars to embryonic stem cell research. No one can predict what, if any, dividend will come from that research.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, there's a new poll out showing most Americans favor expanded stem cell research, a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll. 53 percent of respondents say that they support fewer restrictions on government funding of the research, 43 percent say they do not.

For more on the moral and ethical debate over stem cell research, let's bring in Art Caplan, director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. Art, good to see you again.

ART CAPLAN, BIOETHICIST: Hey, how are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing good. Fascinating issue here because people see it so differently. First of all, proponents of stem cell research say these type of embryos are not the type that if you put into a woman that would make a baby. I didn't know there were different types of embryos out there.

CAPLAN: There are different types of embryos. Probably the least likely to make a baby, though, are the ones that come by cloning. The reason those are unlikely to turn into babies is the DNA that's used comes from body cells, your cheek or your skin. It's beat up, it's old and it probably won't develop into a normal animal. It's hard to get that done in cows and sheep and pigs. People are pretty skeptical that it would produce a healthy adult. Other embryos like you have at infertility clinics, which are proposed as sources for embryonic stem cell research, they clearly do have the potential to become babies and people.

KAGAN: Let's talk about the issue of federal funding. President Bush comes out and says I'm not saying I'm against stem cell research, just don't put taxpayer dollars that direction. And yet, when you look at the advances from South Korea, they were able to go ahead because they do have so much federal funding from that government.

CAPLAN: Federal funding is a must in this kind of area. If we're going to do it, it's going to have to be with federal funds. Private companies in the United States are not going to go near this research. It's still too far away from knowing that your investment is going to pay off. That's what the federal government usually has to underwrite.

Also, if you're an academic scientist, a young person, you're trying to make your career, you don't want to go out and try and recruit private investors to support your research. The gold standard is to have national institutes of health money. If you don't have that, if that's not available, then young scientists in this country, they're just not going to pick that area to work in.

So the president, in a sense, is saying, look, the private sector can do it, but in reality, unless the government gets involved here, the private sector isn't going to do it.

KAGAN: So long term, let's see where this could possibly go. We look at advances in South Korea. And again, we're so many years away from any human application here, even if this does work. But down the line, those opportunities are probably going to come to the people who are living in those countries rather than Americans.

CAPLAN: Well, I think that's the toughest issue for opponents to wrestle with. If the Koreans, or people in Singapore, China, India, Britain, move forward, as they are, with this kind of research, would we say we're going to prohibit the importation of cures for spinal cord injury or diabetes, for somebody who has some type of Parkinsonism from coming into this country? I can't imagine that that would be possible. So if -- unless we get in this game, too, we're going to wind up paying, if the research works and it's not clear that it will. But if it does, we're going to wind up sending all this money overseas to buy back cures from countries like Korea.

KAGAN: Art Caplan, Univerity of Pennsylvania. Thank you. Interesting talk, as always.

Interesting to talk about women's rights, as well, especially when it comes to Afghanistan. That country's slowly transitioning into a democracy. There have been some big steps taking toward equality for women, but as that take place, what is the reality for women there right now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: This latest news concerns the most wanted terror suspect in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. The militant group al Qaeda posting on an Internet site today a request for Muslims around the world to pray for Zarqawi, saying that he has been injured and wants Muslims to pray for his recovery.

We do have to say the statement's authenticity cannot be verified at this point, but it is posted on a Web site that is known for its militant content. Once again, al Zarqawi is the most wanted terror suspect in Iraq. He has a $25 million bounty on his head. No word on this Web site on how or when al Zarqawi would have been injured.

Now let's get you up-to-date on what's happening -- what else is happening in Iraq today. It is the third day of what they're calling Operation Squeeze Play in Baghdad. The U.S. military says it has rounded up more than 400 suspected terrorists since Sunday. The crackdown is aimed at former Baathists and Zarqawi operatives.

Still in Baghdad today, car bomb attacks killed three American soldiers and six Iraqi civilians. A fourth American soldier was killed in a drive-by shooting at his observation post. And in northwestern Iraq, car bombers killed at least 15 people and wounded another 50. The attack happened at the home of a shaikh. He was throwing a party to celebration surviving an assassination attempt a few days ago.

Let's go back to our story on al Zarqawi and the statement that's been posted on this Web site requesting for Muslims around the world to pray for Zarqawi, saying that he has been injured. Not saying how or when that would have happened.

I want to put this in perspective for you instead of just telling you about it, and for that we have our Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr with us now. Hello.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR: Hi.

KAGAN: It's good to have you here. Now, we have heard allegations before or suggestions before that Zarqawi has been injured.

NASR: Right, we did hear that. And nothing on those Web sites. You know, we monitor these Web sites on a regular basis. They have postings all the time about attacks against coalition forces, U.S. forces and so forth.

Today it was a bit surprising, because there's one message that is posted. It bears the marks of the Zarqawi group. It has the same language and also they use the source on there, the information as Abu Musab al Iraqi. This name has become very familiar for us when we monitor these Islamist Web sites. Every time this person posts messages, usually they turn out to be true. He does seem to speak in the name of the al Qaeda in Iraq, the group led by Zarqawi.

Today, what this man said, apparently, is that Zarqawi has been injured. He doesn't go into details of how he's been injured or how serious the injury is. He just says that he has been injured and he asks the brothers, as he calls them, to pray for his health and to pray that God will protect him. He does also say that they see this injury as an honor, as a mark of honor.

And there was a little threat there in that message, threatening what they call the enemy. That is, of course, the U.S. forces. And he says the more attacks they will get, the more deadly they will become as a resistance. They call themselves a resistance. So there is a message. it's on the Islamist Web sites. It bears the marks of the al Qaeda in Iraq. It doesn't have the logo. I'm always curious about that, because these groups, they're interesting in the sense that they're quick on their toes. They have video of their attacks, usually. They produce them, they add a logo, add music and sound effects. This one is kind of basic. It has just a message. What makes us believe that it could be authentic, -- again, CNN cannot authenticate the message -- what makes us believe it could be authentic is the name there as the source, Abu Musab al Iraqi, and the language that sounds very much like al Qaeda.

Again, it doesn't give much details about it, but for people like myself who monitor these sites on a regular basis, you have to believe that the injury, if indeed there is an injury, the injury is serious enough for them to feel that they have to announce it publicly so that in case of death, it won't be a total shock. So they could be -- if it is indeed true, if he is injured, it could be just a prelude to announcing something even more serious.

KAGAN: Fascinating. Once again, we're talking about the most wanted terror suspect in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Octavia, thank you.

Other news happening all over the world.

To Santa Maria, California, comedian Jay Leno. You saw him walk in within the last hour. Well, we're getting word from the courtroom there in the Michael Jackson child molestation case that he has just been called to the stand. He is expected to testify, he's been called by the defense, to talk about a phone call he received from Jackson's teenaged accuser. And in his opening argument to the jury, lead defense attorney Thomas Mesereau said that call, which included a request for money, so alarmed Jay Leno that the host contacted the Santa Monica Police Department. We will see a little bit later what exactly Jay Leno does have to say on the stand.

Moving back now to world news, some women in democratic Afghanistan are shedding the burka. But for some, this new idealism carries a deadly price. Our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel has a case in point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Before she was murdered last week, 24-year-old Shaima Rezayee had hosted this MTV-like music program in Afghanistan. During the show, called "Hop," Rezayee's fans watched her mingle openly with men. In a country where most women are still hidden behind burkas, a small sign of progress.

But Afghanistan's religious leaders condemned Rezayee's Western style clothing and her program as un-Islamic, eventually pressuring the TV station to fire her in March. Two months later, Rezayee was shot in the head at her home. Afghan police now reportedly suspect Rezayee's family in carrying out an honor killing.

ZAINAB SALBI, WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL: What it says about the Afghan society is a lot of the measurements that were used by Talibans, in terms of traditional sharia laws, in terms of women's behavior being public discussion and not protected by the legal code, are still issues that are running in Afghanistan.

KOPPEL: Three-and-a-half years after the U.S. overthrew the Taliban, there are signs life for Afghan women is still a work in progress. More girls are in school than before and following last October's election, President Hamid Karzai's cabinet now has three women ministers.

At the White House, where he hosted Afghanistan's president, Mr. Bush sounded optimistic about the future for Afghan women.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A shift of opinion is taking place in Afghanistan, where now women are equal partners in society.

KOPPEL: But some women's advocacy groups say, not so fast. They point to the recent kidnapping of Italian aide worker Clementina Cantoni (ph) as another troubling sign of the return of fundamentalist attacks on women.

SALBI: If we do not pay attention, and if we do not respond quick enough for this, it may impact other women in a larger scale.

KOPPEL (on camera): In the case of Shaima Rezayee, she was also considered a journalist, and according to the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, was the first journalist to be killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban fell. The group is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into her murder.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

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KAGAN: Kind of strange story ahead, could four deaths be linked to a household pet? A cute, furry hamster. Details next in our "Daily Dose" segment.

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KAGAN: In our "Daily Dose" of health news, a possible advance in treating the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The company Genentech says a drug it developed significantly improved the eyesight of patients in clinical trials. The "New York Times" says it's the first time a drug for macular degeneration was able to improve and not just preserve vision.

A rare rodent virus is blamed for the death of three transplant patients. Health officials in Rhode Island say the organ donor had a rodent-born infection she may have contracted from a pet hamster. The donor died of unrelated causes. Officials with the CDC were testing the dead hamster, which was purchased at a Rhode Island pet store.

And now a follow-up on a story we brought you about sex offenders getting free Viagra, courtesy of your tax dollars. The government is moving fast on this one. Medicaid has started notifying states they do not have to pay for Viagra for convicted sex offenders. This comes just one day after New York's controller's office announced it had uncovered that very practice.

For your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY THE TIGER: They're grrreat! The flakes are grrreat!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You probably don't know his real name, but Thurl Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger for more than 50 years. The man behind that rumbling commercial growl has died at the age of 91. Ravenscroft also did voice-over work for Disney films, including "Cinderella," "Jungle Book"and "Mary Poppins."

Speaking of grrreat, let's check in with Wolf Blitzer to see what's coming at the top of hour. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Daryn. I was sure you were going to say from a tiger to a wolf, you didn't. But I said it. Thanks for that. We'll have a lot of news coming up on "NEWS FROM CNN."

My interview about the relationship between the United States and Syria with the Syrian ambassador Imad Mustafa. That relationship has gone from bad to worse. We'll hear how he responds to U.S. accusations that Syria simply is not doing enough to keep insurgents out of Iraq. I spoke with him just a few moments ago.

Also, the compromise in the Senate. Some of President Bush's judicial nominees will get a vote after all. The most controversial will be voted up or down. We'll break down the political drama and look ahead. What happens next?

Watch for those stories, lots more, at the top of the hour on "NEWS FROM CNN." Daryn, in the meantime, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, thank you, Wolf.

A check of weather and business news coming up, right after this.

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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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KAGAN: Back to a bit of business news, personal business. You got money? Looking for somewhere to stash it? That's a good problem to have. The dot-com desk has some tips before you head to the bank.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: If you're tired of stashing your cash under a mattress, or in your piggy bank, log onto CNNmoney.com for a lesson in money 101. These 10 tips on banking and saving could help you tremendously.

The first tip, use a federally insured bank account. It's likely your safest bet, because your funds are insured for up to $100,000 by the U.S. government.

When shopping for a bank account options may appear limitless. In order to pick the right one, ask yourself these four questions. How much money will you put in the bank? How many checks do you plan to write? How many related banking services will you need? And how many different types of accounts will you want to set up?

Plus, see if you're making the grade when it comes to Money 101 with an online quiz.

Last but not least, now that you've got money in a safe place find out how fast it will grow with the savings calculator.

You can find it all online at CNNmoney.com/101. From the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that's going to wrap it up for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll be right back with you here tomorrow morning. For now, Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C. Hi, Wolf.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com