Return to Transcripts main page

CNN LIVE SATURDAY

Camden, New Jersey Boys Found Dead; Deadly Ambush in Fallujah; President Bush Preparing to Address the Nation

Aired June 25, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a moment that the families and a city had hoped and prayed we would never have to face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A tragic ending to the search for three children in Camden, New Jersey. Their bodies discovered in the trunk of an abandoned car. This hour, we're live with latest on the investigation.

Also, a U.S. military convoy comes under attack in Fallujah. At least three women Marines are among the dead, a live report from the Pentagon straight ahead.

And a major setback this week for a private property owners following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. This hour, how it might affect you.

Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN center in Atlanta. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Those stories ahead, but first a look at the headlines.

In Aruba, the five suspects in the disappearance of American teen Natalee Holloway are scheduled to make a court appearance a short time from now. The judge will decide whether the suspects will remain in custody another eight days. Along with that development, a team of search specialists from Texas is in Aruba looking for Holloway. The Alabama teen disappeared May 30.

In Iran, the hard line conservative mayor of Tehran is celebrating a landslide victory in yesterday's presidential runoff election. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner today with more than 61 percent of the vote. Former Iranian President Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani finished with 36 percent.

Pummeled by age and illness, the reverend Billy Graham has opened his final American crusade. The 86-year-old Graham is holding a three-day crusade in New York. Last night, about 60,000 people turned out to see him.

Experience the power of CNN video on your computer. Log on to CNN.com, click on the video link and browse for the videos you want to see. Watch what you want, whenever you want, free at CNN.com. We begin with the tragedy in Camden, New Jersey. These missing boys were found dead in the trunk of a car. Just last hour authorities ruled out foul play in their deaths and instead called the tragedy a horrible accident. Now police are trying to figure out why the boys were not found sooner. CNN's Mary Snow is live from Camden, New Jersey, with the very latest -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the Camden County prosecutor and police chief saying, just a short time ago, that the medical examiner determined that the three boys died of suffocation and that they had been in a car trunk since Wednesday when they were reported missing. Their bodies were found last night by one of the fathers of the three boys. Police are calling this a tragic accident. Now, police had searched that car before and now the prosecutor says the question is, why didn't the police find them earlier?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINCENT SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR: There are questions that remain with respect to how the search and rescue matter mission was really conducted. There are issues that remain with respect to the trunk, why the trunk was not looked into. And we want to obtain answers to those questions. Want to...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Now, there had been an extensive search over the past two days. The police chief says that the police were initially called about three hours after the boys were reported missing on Wednesday night and he says the police were first on the scene at around 8:35. The question is, how long might have those boys lived? At this point, the prosecutor says the medical examiner cannot determine the time of death. And when asked if there were any signs of a struggle, the prosecutor said that that was too sensitive a topic to talk about in front of the cameras and out of respect for the privacy of the families, he didn't really want to answer the question.

Now, the next step is there's going to be a review of this police action. The police chief as it will take about 30 days. He says it's too early to say, right now, what kind of action will be taken -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Mary Snow, thanks so much for the update from Camden, New Jersey.

Well, checking some other stories making news across America now. British lab tests confirm a second case of mad cow disease in the United States, but government officials say the animal did not make it into the food chain. Secretary of agriculture says American beef is safe.

Out West, the battle against several big wildfires continues this weekend. Lightning-sparked fires have swept across tens of thousands of acres in Arizona, California, and Nevada. This blaze, northeast of Phoenix, has scorched at least 60,000 and destroyed nearly a dozen homes. Flames are also spreading in southern California where tens of thousands of acres have been burned. One of those fires has destroyed at least a half a dozen homes in the Morongo Valley.

Investigators in Missouri are trying to determine the cause of a huge fire yesterday that swept through the Praxair distribution plant in St. Louis. No injuries were reported.

The biggest civil rights group in the United States is getting ready to pick a new president. The NAACP board of director is meeting in Atlanta today. The group's chairman, Julian Bond, said he wants someone with the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s articulation.

In Iraq, women troops in the line of fire. New details are emerging in Thursday's deadly ambush on a truck carrying American military personnel. The suicide bombing in Fallujah killed at least four Marines, including three women, another Marine and a Sailer are still unaccounted for. The attack also wounded 13 U.S. Marines, 11 of them women. CNN's Ed Henry brings us latest details from the Pentagon -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. That's right, the U.S. military is still sorting through the difficult and painful process of identifying those who've died in that attack and notifying the next of kin. Officials here have confirmed the identity of one male Marine. He is Corporal Carlos Pineda of Los Angeles, 23 years old. Separately, the parents of Corporal Chad Powell, 22, of Louisiana have called the "News Star" newspaper, in northern Louisiana, that their son was also killed in this attack. Corporal Powell leaves behind a widow and 3-year-old child.

But as you mentioned, the majority of the Marines killed and wounded were women in this attack and the military has identified, so far, one female Marine killed, she is Lance Corporal Holly Charette, just 21 from Cranston, Rhode Island. Back in May she was profiled on the official Marines' website. She was a mail clerk in Iraq who talked about the joy she felt when she brought letters from home to her colleagues serving there in Iraq when she returned -- she was planning to return to the United States next year, she was hoping to get a job in the United States Postal Service. Obviously, that dream cut short.

And this incident is highlighting just how difficult it is to keep female troops out of the line of fire in Iraq. As you know, current Pentagon policy bars female troops from serving in direct combat units, such as Special Forces or infantry, but in Iraq given, the strength of the insurgency it's hard for women to stay out of the line of fire, and in fact, sources here say that many of the Marines who were killed and wounded in this battle were, in fact, part of the so-called "Lioness Team," they are female troops who specifically try to help sort through and search some of the female Iraqi civilians at various checkpoints to show sensitivity to Muslim traditions. Overall, officials here say that about eight percent of U.S. military population in Iraq is female -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Ed, how will the military try to conduct the investigation of trying to probe as to whether the women in this convoy unit were actually targeted?

HENRY: Well, that's something that they are sorting through hour by hour. In fact, at this hour, we've been talking to Pentagon officials who say it's been a very difficult process to piece together the investigation, but also to try to, in fact, identify some of the bodies, it was such a terrible firefight. There was, in fact, a suicide bomber that came up to this convoy, but then there was also small arms fire that killed some of those troops who were there. So, they're sorting through it piece by piece -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Henry from the Pentagon, thanks for that update.

Well, the issue of women serving in a war zone stirs strong emotions, here in the United States. In a CNN/"USA Today" Gallup poll, 44 percent of the respondents favor women in the military serving as combat troops, 54 percent oppose; 67 percent are in favor of women as support troops, a third of the respondents oppose that idea, and 72 percent are in favor of women serving anywhere in Iraq with 27 percent opposed.

Right now just over 11,000 American women are serving in the military in Iraq and as of last Wednesday, 36 women have been killed in Iraq since 2003, 24 of them were killed by hostile fire.

Among the women serving in Iraq, Lieutenant Commander Lisa Kelty, with the U.S. Navy. She describes her experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. CMDR. LISA KELTY, U.S. NAVY: This has been one of most incredible experiences in my life. Initially, I was somewhat fearful about coming over here, but now that I've been here and evaluated and treated the injured Marines, I -- it's something I'll have and take home with me for the rest of my life and I'm truly grateful that I was able to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Coming up at the half hour, the story of an American woman who recently served a U.S. Army interrogator in Afghanistan.

Straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY:

Will President Bush's planned speech on Iraq Tuesday help reinvigorate his support? Our political analysts will weigh in.

Plus:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're supposed to have our own little castle, that's the American dream. We lost ours. It went bust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Property rights at risk. Could you lose your castle, too?

And searching for Natalee Holloway, a special team hunlts for answers. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm robbing Marciano in the CNN Weather Center, here's a look at your allergy report and forecast for the next couple of days. Out West, things are still cranking out there. Cedar, juniper trees are getting into the act. In the drier climates, the sagebrush is pollinating. And almost over the entire U.S., grass is still an issue, although some relief across the Great Lakes and at least the southeast. Hope you're feeling well today and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Aruba, the search for missing teen, Natalee Holloway, grows more intense. A team from Texas brings dogs and divers in an all-out hunt for the girl. Meanwhile, a judge and four other suspects in the case are scheduled to make a court appearance today. CNN's Chris Lawrence is live from Palm Beach, Aruba, with the latest details.

And Chris, are these going to be separate hearings or will all five suspects appear in court together?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Separate, as they've been doing from get-go. They go one right after another. And the judges that are hearing all of these cases are brought in from other islands like Curacao to make sure that everything looks as impartial as possible. Now, while that plays out inside the courtroom, that search team is already out there in the field trying to find some evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): A team of American volunteers is on the ground in Aruba, already involved in the search for Natalee Holloway.

TIM MILLER, Texas EQUUSEARCH: And we've got the green light to do whatever we need to do for one reason and that's to take Natalee home. I feel very, very optimistic that we are going to take Natalee back to Alabama, where she belongs.

LAWRENCE: Texas EquuSearch is trying to cover as much ground as possible, on an island roughly the size of Washington, D.C.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are these areas that have been searched?

LAWRENCE: They're working with Aruban investigators trying to find anything that may have been missed. Natalee's friends last saw her leaving this bar, four weeks ago. She drove off with a Dutch teenager and his two friends, Joran van der Sloot and brothers Satish and Deepak Kalpoe. They all told police they dropped her off back at the Holiday Inn, but now they've changed their stories. The Kalpoe's mother says Satish admitted they made it up to protect their friend Joran and actually dropped Natalee and Joran at a beach down the road.

NADIRA RAMIREZ, SUSPECT'S MOTHER: So I asked my son, where you guys really put off her? You said the Holiday Inn. He said, "no, mom. That he asked to leave him somewhere by the beach there by the Marriott with her."

LAWRENCE: Joran van der Sloot's mother now says Joran told her he also lied, but did not hurt Natalee.

ANITA VAN DER SLOOT, SUSPECT'S MOTHER: "Mum, I dropped the girl at the beach. I walk with her. I left her because she wanted to stay there. I left and I don't know what happened."

LAWRENCE: Police turned up the pressure on the family Thursday, when they arrested Paul van der Sloot, Anita's husband and Joran's father.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: Now, Mr. Van der Sloot is a deputy judge, but he'll be in court this afternoon as one of the suspects. We saw Anita van der Sloot, his wife, coming to the jail just a few hours ago. She appeared to be dropping off some fresh towels and shirts, but as we understand, she was not allowed to visit her husband -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And now, what about Natalee Holloway's family members that are down there, what are they saying about how this investigation is advancing?

LAWRENCE: Well, they were pretty excited yesterday about the search team coming in. They felt like it was a jolt of energy, just new faces a new look at things and they are thankful for any help at all they can get at this point.

WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Lawrence in Palm Beach, Aruba, thanks so much.

Straight ahead, women in the military, they can play a vital role in the war on terror, our Peter Viles explains.

And then, Billy Graham, at 86, he says good-bye this weekend with a farewell crusade. We'll go live to New York later for that story.

CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A U.S. congressional delegation is getting a firsthand look today at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Fifteen U.S. representatives, led by House Armed Services chairman, Duncan Hunter, left this morning for the prison. They're scheduled to receive a typical detainee lunch within the next 20 minutes or so about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, we're going to go through the -- how they're treated, and we're going to go through interrogation, the food that they eat, the menus that they get, the times when called to prayer during the day, the treatment of our facility and how we allow them to pray, how we -- what we supply to them in terms of religious materials, and how they're treated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Amnesty International compared gitmo to soviet era gulags and the criticism has prompted some lawmakers to call for the facility to be shut down.

A new CNN/"USA Today" Gallop poll shows a dramatic decline in U.S. support for the war in Iraq. The survey shows support for the war at just 39 percent, down from 47 percent in March, and 71 percent in 2003. It comes at a time when the president's approval rating continues to hover below 50 percent.

Perhaps feeling the time is right, the president is preparing to address the nation on America's policy in Iraq on Tuesday night. Here to talk about that and other issues stirring the political stew in Washington, CNN political analyst, Ron Brownstein.

And Ron, this address will be very different, before a military audience. Is this a setting primarily to send a message to the television audience or more pointedly to the military guest there's?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It's a really good question, I think I can answer some of both. Certainly the military, as we have seen, the people on the front line are some of those who are the most spsupportive of this war and so it's a very effective backdrop for the president, but as you suggested in your lead in, he is giving this speech in a period of some duress for him. Under the war we've seen support erode significantly this spring amid continuing violence in Iraq. It's actually now, not only in the CNN poll, but in most national polls, at the lowest ebb it has ever been, even lower than in the immediate aftermath of the Abu Ghraib scandal last year. So there is a lot of work for the president to do and a very difficult job in changing that kind of public opinion.

WHITFIELD: Wow, so how specific does the president need to be about current operations in Iraq and the future plan there, as well?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, the balancing act is very difficult, as we saw yesterday when he appeared with the Iraqi Prime Minister Jaafari. On the one hand, the president wants to say things are getting better, that there is a long-term prognosis for victory. He argues very -- he argued very, I thought, clearly yesterday, and most likely will again on Tuesday, that the ultimate answer to the security problem is a political solution, that the Iraqis continue to move toward developing a constitution and a government under that constitution and that ultimately the legitimacy of government will be the best weapon against the insurgency. The problem he has with that argument is that political progress over the last year, from the installation of the temporary -- of the interim government last summer to the very, very widely praised election last January, has not reduced the violence and ultimately that violence seems to be weighing more on public opinion than the political gains.

WHITFIELD: And while publicly, the president has not given a withdrawal date, do you think privately he may have done so with Jaafari during that meeting?

BROWNSTEIN: I don't know. I mean, he was clear yesterday in that press conference, there are no timetables and I think that...

WHITFIELD: Does he owe it, though, to the Iraqi government, at least to help them feel a little bit more empowered, aleast among their people to know that they're going to have control over their country by a certain time and date?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, there's that -- you know, the question is whether they have control or whether America leaving would be in control would be really affectively in the hands of the insurgency. It's a difficult political balancing act. On the one hand, many people in both countries would say if you set a date for the withdrawal of American troops, you merely encourage the insurgence to hold out longer. On the other hand, as you suggest, a sovereign Iraqi government, after this next round of elections, may feel a great deal of domestic political pressure to begin removing American troops, not to mention the pressure that's developing in the U.S. In your last poll, 60 percent of Americans said they wanted to see at least some of the troops withdrawn. That's also the highest number it's ever been.

WHITFIELD: All right, onto now to the supreme court in the United States. It's possible, at least there are rumors around Washington, that the chief justice, William Rehnquist, may possibly resign on Monday. If that is indeed the case, what does that do for the focus of the White House?

BROWNSTEIN: Can you spell Armageddon? When you think back to the controversies over Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas and then think in your mind, for a moment, how much the political landscape has changed since those two fights in the late '80 and early '90s, the amount of money that now goes into outside groups, the amount of advertising, organizing, the explosion of media. This would be a political fight potentially, depending on who the president picked, of enormous magnitude. There are a lot of republicans who are hoping that if the chief justice resigns he doesn't do it right away because they don't want to see the president under pressure to pick a nominee very early. They don't want a nominee out there on the shelf all summer, and interestingly, Fredricka, the democrats, I think, face a very difficult choice here, too, because as a conservative, if Rehnquist steps down replacing him with another conservative would not change balance of power on the court. And after this big fight over the filibuster, this spring, they will have a decision to make whether to filibuster a nominee, should it come to that, who doesn't change the balance of power on the court.

WHITFIELD: All right, well we will be watching and waiting and listening and probably listening to you again next week, as well.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Ron Brownstein thanks so much.

Well, President Bush will outline the future of U.S. involvement, at least that's the plan, in Iraq, in a special address to the nation Tuesday at 8:00 Eastern time. CNN will carry his remarks live from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home to the Army's 82nd Airborne which has troops in Afghanistan.

The convoy attack in Iraq is an example of how women in the military are increasingly coming in harm's way. One military woman serving in Afghanistan explains how her gender helps in the mission. We'll explain.

And destroying a lifetime of memories: Home owns run the risk of having their dreams crushed and taken away. Are you at risk?

CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.

WHITFIELD: A check of what's happening now in the news. Authorities in Camden, New Jersey, say there was no foul play in the deaths of three missing boys. The father of one of the boys found the bodies in the trunk of a car last night. Their deaths have been ruled accidental.

Natalee Holloway who has been missing in Aruba since last month. A team from Texas is searching the island with its own dogs and divers. Meanwhile, five suspects being held in the case are expected to appear before a judge today.

Taiwan is renewing its ban on imported U.S. beef, after the U.S. confirmed a second case of mad cow disease. The agriculture secretary says, at this point, there is no evidence the infected cow was imported. The secretary adds, U.S. beef is safe. And the cow did not enter the food supply. It's the second U.S. case of mad cow since December 2003.

And remember, you can view more CNN reports online. Visit CNN.com and click on watch for free video. And you can check out the most popular stories, as well.

As we mentioned earlier in the show, the deaths of three American female marines in Iraq underscores the danger women in the armed services face, even though they are not in direct combat units. Thursday's suicide bombing in Fallujah killed at least four marines, including three women. Another marine and a sailor are still unaccounted for. The attack also wounded 13 U.S. marines, 11 of them women.

American women are also risking their lives in another tense area: Afghanistan. CNN's Peter Viles has the story of a California woman who served her country as an Army interrogator in that country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was an interrogator for the army in Afghanistan, valued in part because she is a woman.

DIANE GILLIAM, FRM. ARMY INTERROGATOR: A female, because of the culture, they will not talk to male interrogators because it is not their family member.

VILES: So, if the American military wants to question women in Afghanistan or conduct searches of women in Iraq, it often needs women to do the job. Diane Gilliam says she was recruited by special forces which might have meant exposure to combat.

GILLIAM: I laughed at him in my girlie way. And I said, but I'm a girl. That's exactly what we want, your a female interrogator, you're a necessity, you're an asset.

I was like, aw.

VILES: Once inside the interrogation booth, she said she could be as tough as the next guy.

GILLIAM: I separated myself from who I was in the interrogation booth to who I was outside. I would be downright just evil in my voice. The second I stepped out I was like, hey, what's up.

VILES: Under official Pentagon policy, women do not serve in combat units.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The policy, generally, is that women are not on the front lines but in these wars...

GILLIAM: There's no front lines. You walk down the street, you don't know if that person is the enemy.

VILES: In Afghanistan, Pentagon policy did not protect Diane Gilliam. The helicopter she was riding in crashed, five Americans died. She was seriously injured and was discharged in May.

GILLIAM: It is unfortunate that anybody has to die in a war. But it is a war, people are going to die. We die for our country. Freedom is not free. So, why should it just be the men putting their lives on the line?

VILES: And in these wars, every one who puts on a uniform puts their life on the line.

Peter Viles for CNN, Huntington Beach, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: He is 86 now and in frail health, but the Reverend Billy Graham is due on stage tonight in New York. It's the second sermon of his farewell crusade. CNN's Alina Cho joins me now from Flushing Meadows, Corona Park -- Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, Dr. Graham will be delivering his second of three sermons tonight, each of them about 30 minutes long. It will be essentially the same message. You know, there was a huge turnout last night, as many as 70,000 people. And there is every reason to believe that the crowd will be just as big tonight.

Now, Dr. Graham said he will stick to scripture and stay away from politics. But he said nothing about staying away from sports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. BILLY GRAHAM, 417th CRUSADE: Did you watch the game on Tuesday night, the Yankees playing Tampa Bay? Did you ever hear of 13 runs in the eighth inning? I never heard of such. I'm sure the Mets are trying to decide what to do about that incident and the Yankees. But the Yanks are not doing too well. And they and the Mets both need your prayers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: This morning there was a youth rally here, hundreds of kids and their parents braved the heat to see the star of this show, which was not Billy Graham, but "Bible Man" a Christian action hero who fights evil by quoting scripture. We spoke to some parents who talked about what it's like to be here in person for Billy Graham's last crusade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH MORALES, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN: It's bittersweet, but at the same time we honor him and we respect him. And we know that his family will continue on with the message. So, it's a happy moment, but it's also a sad moment to see him go.

BETTY GAGNOW, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN: I think he's had a wonderful time that he's gotten to see so many people and send that message out to so many people. And I know that there are others that are going to carry on. The message never dies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: A lot has been said about Dr. Graham's health. He is 86- years-old, quite frail. He suffers from not only Parkinson's disease, but also prostate cancer. But last night, he did not talk about his health. He talked about being out of practice -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alina Cho, thanks so much for the update coming out of Flushing Meadows, where the crowds will be huge this evening.

The American dream -- ahead, why it might be crushed for many homeowners. And is your private property safe?

Plus, actor Tom Cruise gone too far in his comments? Or is it a publicity stunt? That and more when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The Supreme Court is dramatically changing the landscape of your property rights. The justices, in a 5-4 decision this week, say cities can seize homes, even if the homeowner doesn't want to sell. Government has always been able to do this under eminent domain to make room for a road or highway. Well now the court has expanded public use to be mean something less tangible, economic development that benefits the community as a whole.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa looks at the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Susette Kelo has a stunning water view, it goes along with her equally charming Victorian cottage.

SUSETTE KELO, HOMEOWNER: The best way to describe this place is when I came in with the real estate agent to look at this house, it was almost like I'd been here all my life. It was just so warm and inviting, I guess.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; We made a cathedral ceiling in this room and we put the fireplace in.

HINOJOSA: Susette's neighbor, Matt Derry (ph), has lived in his home for almost 20 years. It was a wedding gift from his grandmother, and is part of property that has been in his family for more than a century.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're on a first name basis with every piece of wood in this house.

HINOJOSA: But five years ago, the city of New London decided to clear out Matt and Susette's tranquil neighborhood house by house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would reach in and grab the rafters, sort of like disemboweling. Kind of like watching a cheetah eat a wildebeast or something. They drive the bulldozer on top of it to let you know that yours may be next.

KELO: They were pretty rough on us down here. I mean really, they wanted us to go. And they made it as difficult and as miserable and as unhabitable as you can possibly ever imagine.

HINOJOSA: What brought about this state of siege? In 1998 pharmaceutical giant Pfizer built a major research facility next to Matt and Susette's neighborhood. Two years later, the city decided to seize the properties in the area and lease them to a commercial developer.

KELO: They had these articles where they were going to turn New London into a hip little city. And to me, hip little city means higher income people. They wanted higher income people here, a better class of people.

HINOJOSA: But first, the city had to condemn and then tear down more than 100 homes and buildings, using a legal tool called eminent domain. Traditionally that's meant building public projects, such as roads or schools. What makes this case controversial is the fact that the property will be leased to a private developer for profit.

SCOTT BULLOCK, ATTORNEY FOR HOMEOWNERS: This is a gross misuse of eminent domain power, and a terrible violation of people's constitutional rights.

HINOJOSA: But Wesley Horton, attorney for New London, says the city desperately needs the money. And that economic development is a legitimate public use.

WESLEY HORTON, ATTORNEY: What we're saying is that developing property, in order to bring back a depressed city, that's producing jobs and producing taxes and doing what cities are supposed to be doing is no different from building a road or being a school or building a courthouse.

HINOJOSA: But Susette Kelo, Matt Derry (ph) and several of their neighbors, disagree.

New London is not the only city where the use of eminent domain is being questioned. Carl and Joy Gamble (ph) lived in the same house in Norwood, Ohio for 35 years. And were planning to spend their golden years in the place they loved most.

CARL GAMBLE, FORMER NORWOOD, OHIO HOMEOWNER: Well, I worked for 48 years. And then we quit, and was going to do a lot of things in life. And a couple of days later, we hear that our home was going to be taken away from us for a shopping center.

HINOJOSA: Back in 2002, the city of Norwood and a local developer announced plans to transform the Gamble's modest, middle class neighborhood into a business and residential complex. Carl and Joy fought to stay in their home, but finally moved out earlier this year, after the city, using eminent domain, transferred the title to their home to the developer.

GAMBLE: I got mad. I'm still mad.

HINOJOSA (on camera): Is it only mad or are you hurt?

GAMBLE: It hurt to walk out of the house. There are a lot of feelings here. You know...

HINOJOSA: Joy, when you see your husband so upset.

JOY GAMBLE, WIFE: He loved the house just as much as I love it.

HINOJOSA (voice-over): And yet, many of their neighbors supported the new project.

MAYOR THOMAS WILLIAMS, NORWOOD, OHIO: The neighborhood had deteriorated, the noise and traffic and everything else. And 95 percent of the people over there said, let's move on. I'm ready.

HINOJOSA: But at least one family wasn't ready.

J. GAMBLE: Our home was not for sale. It still isn't for sale. You're not supposed to have to sale something in this country if you don't want to. We're supposed to have our own little castle. That's the American dream. We lost ours. It went bust.

WILLIAMS: Do I see their point of view? I guess I do. But there again, we go back to the same thing, what's my responsibility? This was something that would be beneficial to the city financially and aesthetically.

HINOJOSA: Not all property owners agree with that, certainly not Matt Derry (ph), back in New London.

(on camera): The city of New London is saying, what we can do with this land is going to bring a lot more good to everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be better if I leave? I don't buy that. My personal property rights, guaranteed by the constitution, are not to be sacrificed. I don't care if it's just for the 25,000 people in New London, I don't care if it was going to benefit 25 million people. The rights of those 25 million do not trump the rights of the one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The Supreme Court decision has the potential to impact any property holder in the U.S. Let's talk about your rights with law professor Jonathan Turley. He teaches at George Washington University. Good to see you again, professor.

JOHNATHAN TURLEY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So, at what rate of speed do you see more New London, Connecticut, more Norwood, Ohios, taking place?

TURLEY: Quite frankly, I think this is going to be open season on neighborhoods that can be, quote, improved to deepen a tax base or bring in more jobs.

I mean, this is an enormously important decision and a very troubling one. You know, it is a departure from what eminent domain used to be. It used to be that you would in some few circumstances have to condemn people's homes to put in a road or to put in a hospital. Those are things that are operated by the city, or built by the city and used by the public. This is an enormous departure from that. And I think that it could spell trouble for property rights in this country.

WHITFIELD: Why did the Supreme Court, in your view, think that this was right? An example among the Connecticut homeowners that was part of the case brought to the Supreme Court, a 78-year-old woman who was born in the very home that she was living and as of a couple of years ago was forced to move out. Why did the Supreme Court feel that this exemplified why the city, a jurisdiction, would see that the use could be better used economically?

TURLEY: Well, that is exactly the type of case that shows the nightmarish application of eminent domain in the circumstance. Many people have refused the market value for a house, because it's more than a house. It's an extension of their family. Many of these people refused twice, three times, five times the market value. And then the city comes in and forces you to take one-fifth of the price you turned down previously and bulldoze your family home.

WHITFIELD: And you really can't try to get more out of them, can you? There really is very little negotiating power that you, as a homeowner, have?

TURLEY: Well, that's absolutely right. As long as the city is doing it. What the majority said is that we're not going to second guess city officials on what's best for their city. Well unfortunately, the city officials are motivated to keep taxes down and to bring jobs in. And they're willing to sacrifice areas.

But the people who are on the bubble here are not going to be people in my neighborhood, they're not going to come into my neighborhood and bulldoze a houses, they're too expensive. They are going to low income areas, they're going to go to minority areas and they're going to say, look, we can do better with your property, we think you have a fine pizzeria, but we think we can put a laboratory here or maybe a Starbucks.

The court says, we're not going to referee that. But the problem is, if you don't, you really leave these segments of our population naked to this type of decisionmaker.

WHITIFELD: But doesn't the municipality or even the state still have discretion? They can say, no, we want to leave this neighborhood intact, even though this particular big business is trying to convince us that a whole lot of money can be made?

TURLEY: Well, they do. The problem is, as you saw in the Connecticut case, many people in the city actually supported, it's not their house being torn down. And they're going to get you know a deeper tax base. They're promised tacks will go down, maybe they'll get a job. And I hate to be cold about this, but I think many people are willing to sacrifice a certain number of neighbors for that.

WHITFIELD: So, what can a homeowner do or say to try to better protect their home against this sort of ruling impacting them?

TURLEY: There two things. One, the most important thing are for people in states like Ohio, or Connecticut, and other states go to the state legislature and pass laws that prohibit eminent domain being used for private development. The other thing they can do is to organize, as fast as possible, as soon as they hear these types plans and you can see your house is in that area they need to organize.

These are politicians. And they will bow down to political pressure. But they won't do it unless you get out there in the field and show that you've got friends and neighbors who will stand with you.

WHITFIELD: Professor Jonathan Turley at George Washington University, thanks so much for being with us. TURLEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, here's a question for you, is Tom Cruise out of control? His latest episode has raised some eyebrows out there. We'll have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tom Cruise hop scotching the globe to promote his new movie "War of the Worlds." Well, what a long, strange trip it's been. Here's our Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Tom Cruise has always seemed, well, controlled. Smooth with the media. Maybe a little scripted.

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I love Spielberg.

I love Spielberg.

COOPER: Friday on "The Today Show," however, the script got thrown out.

CRUISE: I'm asking you a question. Matt, I'm asking you a question.

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "TODAY SHOW": I understand there's abuse of all of these things.

CRUISE: Now, you see, here is the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.

COOPER: What was supposed to be an interview promoting Cruise's new film "War of the Worlds," turned into a war of words over his Scientology beliefs and psychiatry.

In case you were wondering, Scientologists don't exactly approve of psychotropic drugs.

CRUISE: Do you know what Adderall is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?

COOPER: They even got into Cruise's recent comments criticizing Brooke Shields for saying anti-depressants helped her deal with postpartum depression.

CRUISE: The thing that I'm saying about Brooke is that there is misinformation. OK? And she doesn't understand the history of psychiatry.

COOPER: A theme began to emerge. Matt Lauer and Brooke Shields don't know the history of psychiatry; Tom Cruise does.

But we don't want to sound glib.

LAUER: But aren't there examples where it works?

CRUISE: Matt, Matt, you don't even -- you're glib.

Am I in focus? Am I in focus?

COOPER: Is Tom coming unglued? Maybe the grueling promotional tour is getting to him. After all, in 10 days, he's flown from Tokyo to Berlin to Paris and Marseille, Madrid, London, then New York. Maybe he should have taken something for jet lag, but we know how he feels about drugs.

CRUISE: You're a jerk!

COOPER: Or maybe getting squirted with water at the London premiere was the last straw. Which brings us to last night, and the movie's premiere here in New York. A goon squad kept a close eye on the crowds.

CRUISE: I can't restrain myself.

I try to restrain myself, but I can't.

COOPER: Or maybe the giddiness of a new love finally sent him over the edge. Or maybe it was just Matt Lauer.

CRUISE: You should be a little bit more responsible.

COOPER: But the weekend is here. Tom, take a breath, if not a chill pill. You're due to face the media at another premiere in L.A. on Monday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHTIFIELD: And coming up, we'll have your latest weather forecast.

And a tragic end to the search for three missing boys. We'll have an update with all of the headlines straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, time now for a check of national weather outlook. For that, we go to meteorologist Bonnie Schneider in the CNN weather center. And Bonnie, it's hot out there. Is there any place that isn't right now?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. Can't wait for that. Thanks a lot, Bonnie.

Still much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY.

In a few moment "IN THE MONEY." And at 2:00 Eastern, we'll speak with an expert about child safety and how stranger danger may not be the best approach for everyone.

At 3:00 Eastern, it's "CNN PRESENTS: Nuclear Terror." Is the threat of nuclear terrorism on the increase?

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