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CNN Live Sunday
Attorney Daniel Horowitz's Wife Found Dead In Home; Warehouse Fire In Detroit Forces Evacuations
Aired October 16, 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: Firefighters are battling a massive fire at a warehouse complex in Southwest Detroit. We're told several vacant warehouses are burning. A massive pillar of smoke can be seen for 50 miles. About 40 people have been evacuated.
Two astronauts on China's second manned space flight have just returned safely to Earth. They have been in orbit for five days before touching down in the Gobi Desert. Two years ago, China sent its first astronaut into space.
Now, to our top story. Anxious and waiting in Iraq. Ballots are being counted from yesterday's historic constitutional referendum. And results are expected this week.
Now voting day, while relatively peaceful at the polls, was lethal for U.S. troops. Military officials say five soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb blew up their vehicle near Ramadi. Near Fallujah, a U.S. marine died when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
So joining us now with the very latest from Baghdad, CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour -- Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, indeed, the deaths of those U.S. soldiers and that marine bring the total deaths of American forces in Iraq since the war to about 1,980, around that figure. And though they did die on Saturday, election day, it was one of the days where the violence was actually at its lowest because of the massive U.S. clampdown on all movement.
All the borders were closed. No traffic was allowed. Huge blast walls were put up around the polls. And millions did go to the polls and cast their votes.
They believe right now, although we have no official figures yet, but U.N. officials and local officials who are doing all the counting believe that the constitution has most likely passed. And that even though the Sunnis who reject the constitution have perhaps managed to get a no vote in two provinces that is not yet enough to defeat the constitution. So many people, certainly the Iraqi government, pleased that that has been the case.
What many are saying is that they are very afraid of potential civil war and further fragmentation, ethnic and factional fighting. They hope that they will have a proper permanent political structure to put this country more on the path of stability and to try to dampen the insurgency. Even U.S. force commanders here say it will take a long time for that insurgency to be broken, but they're hoping that they will at least be able to start after this referendum -- Carol.
LIN: Christiane, how optimistic are people you are talking to there, the Iraqis, how optimistic are they that this election will make a difference in their lives?
AMANPOUR: Carol, it really does depend on which part of the country and what factions you're talking to, because in the south and in the north, the majority Shiites and the Kurds believe that this constitution is extremely good for them and for their interests, that it grants them the kind of political power and potential autonomy that they have not had in the past. And grants them a huge amount of wealth, because they sit on the massive oil resources of this country.
It's the central part of the country, the Sunnis, who believe that they stand to lose the most if this constitution goes through, which is why many of them either didn't turn out or many of those who did turn out voted no.
An attempt to draw them into the political process did guarantee a higher level of turnout than would have been. But many are very afraid. And in fact, I talked to a family in Baghdad who are very afraid about the future and who see the constant violence in their daily life as offsetting any advantage to the removal of Saddam Hussein and the attempt to bring democracy. Of course, we'll hear more about this later in this hour.
LIN: You bet. All right. Christiane Amanpour, thank you very much.
Well, President Bush is congratulating the Iraqi people for their country's referendum. He says it's a major milestone that will be a foundation for peace for future generations. And he insists building a democracy in Iraq will help fight terrorism in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're making progress toward peace. We're making progress toward an ally that will join us in the war on terror, that had prevent al Qaeda from establishing safe haven in Iraq. And a country that will serve as an example to others who aspire to live in freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Now, the president isn't happy that one of his closest advisers may face criminal charge. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken right now at the White House -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I always have to say, Carol maybe, maybe not. And it might be one or more of the president's top advisers, may be somebody else. I have to be so vague about that because everything right now is speculation.
But we certainly here at the White House one big distraction. FRANKEN (voice-over): The president along with so many others is waiting. Will the man who for so long has accompanied him on his political ride soon have to cope with legal difficulties? Does Karl Rove's fourth appearance before the grand jury Friday portend a high level indictment or not at Rove's level or that of the vice president's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby? Speculation about what might happen is running rampant.
JOSEPH DIGENOVA, FRM. U.S. ATTORNEY: If they are indicted, well then obviously they're going to have to resign from the White House because a sitting president cannot have indicted individuals working on his staff.
FRANKEN: In her long waited article, "New York Times" reporter Judith Mill who spent 85 days in jail writes about speaking to Libby in the days before the public exposure of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Plame was the wife of harsh administration critic Joseph Wilson. "Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald," she writes, "questioned her closely about Libby."
ROBERT BENNETT, JUDITH MILLER'S ATTORNEY: Mr. Fitzgerald is putting together a big puzzle, and Judy may very well have provide him a piece of the puzzle which is not obvious to me.
FRANKEN: In her article, Miller on the one hand says "Mr. Libby told me that Mr. Wilson's wife may have worked on unconventional weapons at the CIA." But then she goes on to write, "my notes do not show that Mr. Libby identified Mr. Wilson's wife by name."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: There was very little insight into the intentions of Mr. Fitzgerald. But the grand jury's term expires in less than two weeks. Perhaps, we'll have a better idea pretty soon, Carol, about what it's intentions are.
LIN: The clock is ticking. Bob Franken, thank you very much.
Well, up in the northeast, finally the skies are clearing. But the damage is already done. There's been more than a week of rain in places like northern Massachusetts. The flooding killed at least 12 people. Hundreds had to evacuate. Dozen of evacuees from Fairfield, New Jersey, are coming home today. And CNN's Jennifer Westhoven is there with them.
Jennifer, what are they coming home to?
JENNIFER WESTHOVEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Carol. Well, you can see behind me about 100 homes here are now sitting practically in the Passaic River. People coming back. Some of them did stay in their homes throughout the floods here. But we caught up with one family earlier today to see how they coped with yet another flood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WESTHOVEN (voice-over): Renata and Robert Wagemann live here on Camp Lane in Fairfield, New Jersey for the beautiful view of the Passaic River behind their home. Now their home looks like it's in the middle of that river after storms dumped even more rain here than Hurricane Rita did on the South. Their son, Peter, grew up in this house and now lives down the street with his wife Peggy. They came over to lend a hand.
PETER WAGEMANN, FAIRFIELD RESIDENT: There's about three-and-a- half feet of water in here.
WAGEMANN: It came down. It came down that much overnight.
I wonder if the lights still work. Hey. Got electricity.
WESTHOVEN: They carried things upstairs before the waters came in. They Wagemanns and their neighbors are used to bailing out their homes because this street floods once a year. Everyone in the neighborhood has flood insurance, but the state would like them to eventually move to higher ground. So it's offered to buy them out.
MAYOR ROCCO PALMIERI, FAIRFIELD, NEW JERSEY: It's not mandatory, so there are quite a number of people who still want to stay here, because as I say, when the water is down, this is a beautiful area to be in.
WESTHOVEN: And Renata and her husband say they will stay in this serene and leafy spot where they've been for almost 40 years.
RENATE WAGEMANN, FAIRFIELD RESIDENT: Did you see our backyard? It's all woods on the other side wildlife. We have a lot of benefits when we're not flooded. So when it's flooded comes as a package.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WESTHOVEN: Now, she says she's staying because she loves it here. Some of the other people we talk to say they're only not moving because they can't really afford to move out of here. Other places in New Jersey have very high prices for real estate.
All the neighbors, though, are now facing the big task of cleaning up. Right now they're in their homes. They've been scrubbing things down. They're worried that this water has got some sewage in it. Township officials, though, say it will take a full week for their cleanup to start. That's because they say they want at least a week for the waters to start to recede. Then it will be two weeks of getting things back together. So it will be into November before things are back to normal -- Carol.
LIN: Jennifer, it is expensive to move, but it is also expense to stay. They've got to rebuild. We'll see what happens. Jennifer Westhoven, thank you very much in Fairfield.
Well, just as forecasters feared, another tropical depression is churning in the Caribbean. And it could be heading straight for the Gulf Coast, like they need it. Let's go to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.
Dave, gosh I just really hope that the forecasts are wrong. Can you imagine?
DAVE HENNEN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly.
LIN: It would be the third storm to hit the Gulf Coast region.
HENNEN: Yes. And we're approaching record territory, too. This -- if it gets a name, will tie the record of 21 named storms that was set back before they even named storms back in 1933. And it looks like this is going to turn into Tropical Storm Wilma.
Not very impressive on the satellite through this afternoon. But we think as we head through time, and as the system continues to track into the Western Caribbean, the water temperatures are very warm here. There's very little sheer which is what you need to form a hurricane. That means very light winds throughout the atmosphere. And that is the case. So that is the forecast.
And let's take a look now at what we call our spaghetti map here in the weather center. This is the 14 different computer models that are run by the supercomputers. And you get an idea of the track of what each of the models wants to do.
The official forecast takes the storm system in this direction. This is from the national hurricane center. And notice, this is why we run all these computer models to give us a better idea. And notice, this is pretty much right in the middle of what we call the guidance envelope which extends from Cuba all the way back down into the Yucatan. So, right up through the middle, up through the Yucatan Channel, not a good scenario, either. It doesn't run into any land which means it has more time to strengthen.
Current statistics, winds 35 miles per hour. If you're plotting it, that's the latitude and longitude. And here's our forecast track as we go through time. As we head into Tuesday, it becomes a hurricane. And it moves rather slowly. It's going to take till Wednesday or Thursday to even get out of the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico.
And our cone of uncertainty of where it could hit, anywhere from Florida all the way back over to Texas at this point. Remember, we are five days away, so it's going to be a while before we can determine.
But notice the wind speed on this forecast, Carol. Up to a category two just one mile per hour short of a criteria of a category 3 and another major hurricane. Something that if you live in the Gulf Coast you certainly need to keep a close eye on.
LIN: You bet.
Hey Dave, did you hear about an earthquake off the coast of California?
HENNEN: I do. Let me show exactly you where this was centered. Here is San Clemente Island. 17 miles south of that, about 73 miles away from San Diego about a 4.6 magnitude occurred just about an hour ago. 4.6 magnitude not capable of causing much in the way of damage. We have seen no reports of damage. So it looks pretty good at this point, Carol. Just kind of a minor tremor. Not capable either of producing tsunamis. That was a concern as well.
LIN: You bet.
And something that veteran Californians are used to, you know, those little tremors off the coast.
All right. Thanks very much, Dave Hennen.
Still to come, the investigation of a Wisconsin bus crash that killed five people.
A murder mystery in an upscale San Francisco suburb. A defense attorney involved in a controversial murder trial finds his wife dead in their secluded home.
And ladies, the NFL wants you. How the National Football League is trying to recruit women.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: All right. Right now you are looking at live pictures out of southwest Detroit. A warehouse fire. It really looks like the gates of hell right now. As about 40 people have been evacuated. And more than 100 firefighters are fighting on this scene. So far no injuries reported, but there is a big concern that there are chemicals burning in that warehouse fire.
According to a fire chief, which told CNN one of them has some 50 gallon drums stored in there. They don't know what is being stored in those 50 gallon drums so they're just being cautious about that evacuation. We're going to stay on top of this developing story.
In the meantime, a Wisconsin community is mourning today after a deadly bus crash. Five people were killed this morning on interstate 94 including an 11-year-old girl. The bus was carrying high school students returning from a marching band competition. Allen Constantini from affiliate KARE is in the hometown of those students -- Chippewa Falls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN CONSTANTINI, KARE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the middle of a clear and cold night just west of the Wisconsin exit off I-94. The school bus was returning the Chippewa Falls marching band from a competition in Whitewater. Just after 2:00 a.m., the high school outing turned to disaster when the driver of a Whole Foods Market Group tractor trailer from Munster, Indiana in front of the lead bus apparently lost control and rolled off the right shoulder on to the grass. The driver tried to compensate.
CAPT. DOUG NOTBOHM, WISCONSIN POLICE: Overcorrected. And in an attempt to control his vehicle, jackknifed the vehicle across the westbound lane. A motor coach that was also westbound collided with the semi unit.
CONSTANTINI: In the darkness, the Chippewa Trails Bus slammed into the dark undercarriage of the semi trailer. Killed by the impact was 78-year-old veteran bus driver Paul Rasmuss and three other adults, two men and a woman. Also killed was an 11-year-old girl. Names of the other victims are not yet available.
Seven medevac helicopters removed 30 injuried to five hospitals in Wisconsin and Region's Hospital in St. Paul. The Indiana man who was driver of the semi truck survived the crash and was treated at an area hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would just say that he's had some excited utterances that early on to the first trooper on the scene and he will be interviewed further to lock down his story.
CONSTATINI: The city of Chippewa Falls was stunned, of course, especially the students and staff at the high school where district officials rallied community leaders and opened the schools to anxious families of students and staff who were on the band bus trip.
It was hours after the accidents when those who had not been physically injured began arriving here.
As the kids came back when we talked to them, we let them have access to counselor. And medical folks took a look at them one more time before they were released.
CONSTANTINI: One on the bus was 17-year-old senior Tanya Richter who suffered a bruised shoulder. She says most on the bus were asleep at the time of the impact.
TANYA RICHTER, CHIPPEWA FALLS STUDENT: I was mostly in the back. I was a few seats from the back. And I had to crawl out of -- we opened up one of the windows. There was a rescue person down there. He had a ladder. And we had to climb out of the window and down the ladder to get out. Everybody had to have shoes on because there was diesel fuel and glass and all sorts of stuff on the ground everywhere.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Such a sad, sad story. Our thanks to our affiliate KARE for bringing us that report from the field.
Well, remember the big story we showed you from yesterday, this a big riot in Toledo, Ohio. A curfew is still in effect in that city. The police chief of that town, Toledo, says he was prepared for trouble when a group of neo-Nazis decided to walk through town but not for what erupted yesterday. The chief says that he was told days ago gangs were planning to descend on the neo-Nazis. But the protest grew uglier than expected. The crowd vandalized stores and hurled rocks and bricks at police.
Toledo's mayor said today that the city is taking steps to defuse the matter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JACK FORD, TOLEDO, OHIO: We've already convened a group that met yesterday for a time. Some of you saw the thoughts and comments coming out of that pressconference. The mixture of pastors, nonprofit directors, leadership in the NAACP, and we're going to be going into the community talking with folks that live directly there and answer any just what the width and the depth of the concerns.
It seems to me there were a couple things. One, the young men and young women in particular were highly angry over the idea that someone outside the community could come in and essentially insult them on their turf. I heard that repeatedly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Well, yes, because the neo-Nazis say they were protesting black crime. Now, more than 100 people were arrested, many of those were curfew violations tonight. A curfew once again remains in force tonight.
All right. We want to take you back to Southwest Detroit. These pictures here, so dramatic. A warehouse fire. It is hard to believe that a warehouse fire could produce this much smoke and flames. But the fire department is telling CNN that there are 50 gallon drums stored in that warehouse. They don't know what's inside, whether there are chemical burns or whether there is nothing at all.
But as a precaution, 40 people have been evacuated from their homes as firefighters, more than 100 of them right now on the scene, are trying to get hold of this fire and put it out.
Look at that picture. It almost looks like a tornado. It's a very dramatic picture out of Southwest Detroit.
All right. In the meantime, we want to talk more about a California murder mystery. The wife of a prominent defense attorney is found slain in her San Francisco area home.
And later, the U.S. is pressuring Iran to stop its nuclear program. But does a country in our hemisphere pose a larger threat?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: The lead attorney in a sensational murder trial now dealing with a murder close to home. The wife of Daniel Horowitz was found dead in the entryway to their home in San Francisco last night. Horowitz, as you might recall, was a legal commentator for CNN on a number of high profile cases. Peter Viles has more on that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sheriff's department in Contra Costa County says defense attorney Daniel Horowitz called Saturday evening to report that his wife was dead and that the body of 52-year-old Pamela Vitaly was found in the couple's remote home in the hills of Lafayette which is east of Oakland. JIMMY LEE, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SHIEFFIS DEPT: We had Lafayette police officers respond to the scene. They arrived. They found a deceased 52-year-old female at that location. We do have our homicide investigators on scene right now. We're treating this case as a homicide.
VILES: The sheriff's department won't say how the woman was killed. A spokesman telling CNN no one is in custody and no one has been identified as a suspect. Horowitz told the "San Francisco Chronicle" quote, "I can't talk. I can't. It's beyond words."
Horowitz has appeared often as an unpaid legal analyst on cable TV commenting on high profail cases including the Scott Peterson murder trial.
DANIEL HOROWITZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He's in prison for the rest of his life.
VILES: As a defense attorney he's been involved in numerous high profile cases currently defending Susan Polk who is accused of murder in the stabbing death of her husband, a case closely watched in the bay area.
Last year he helped defend the former prime minister of Ukraine Hasel Assarenko (ph) who was convicted in federal court in San Francisco on numerous counts of financial fraud.
Local news reports indicate Horowitz's wife was a former marketing executive and worked for him at his law firm.
The sheriff's department says that 20 investigators are working the case. An autopsy will be performed Monday.
Peter Viles for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOATAPE)
LIN: Well, attorney Ann Bremner has crossed paths with Daniel Horowitz many times and met his late wife. She joins me now to talk about the couple and the case.
This has to be shocking. Because you cover these stories all the time. But never someone you actually know.
ANN BREMNER, ATTORNEY: It's just stunning. And Daniel's one of us, not just lawyers but also legal analysts and part of the press on so many of these cases. He's such a gentle, kind man. And somebody that I've gotten to know through the Michael Jackson case and the Scott Peterson case.
And they have no suspects. And it's ironic that with him helping so many people in the criminal justice system that he now is a crime victim himself and his wife.
LIN: Obviously a man who's not at a loss for words. He's opinionated, he's public. He's now involved in this controversial trial about this woman who murdered her 70-year-old husband.
BREMNER: Yes.
LIN: An ugly family story. Two sons are testifying, at least for the prosecution, right?
BREMNER: That's right, Carol.
LIN: Any chance that this case has something to do with this murder?
BREMNER: There's been no public statement about that. There are two who are testifying against the mother and suing her for wrongful death of their father. And then there's one son on her side. It's very acrimonious.
But Then also he's had so many other cases. You know, we could speculate -- and rember the Charles Manson case one of the attorneys named Ronald Hughes who represented Leslie Van Houghton was murdered during the trial. The Chicago judge with her family members that were murdered.
You don't know if it's from his job. It could be from a random intruder, a burgler or from a case he's handling right now. But it's such a tragedy.
LIN: Did he ever express to you any fear of being such a public figure or taking on these controversial cases?
BREMNER: No. Never. He is somebody that's so inclusive and so -- he's been a mentor to me in many ways and kind of a cheerleader or other lawyers who are doing this kind of work. He gave me details about the Polk case, looking for ideas. He's very inclusive, well thought of. Just a wonderful man. And I just can't imagine why this happened, how it happened and who could have done such a terrible thing.
LIN: And she, Pamela, they were close. They worked together.
BREMNER: She worked at his law office. And I met her at the Peterson trial, because she was very supportive of him as well. But no, he never ever, ever said anything like that he was worried for his own safety or the safety of his wife or family.
LIN: All right. Well, we keep our fingers crossed for the investigation and hope that they catch this killer.
BREMNER: Yes.
LIN: In the meantime, I have to ask you what you think about that dramatic videotaped beating. New Orleans Police Department take on a 64-year-old man. They claim that he was drunk and disorderly, resisting arrest. No toxicology reports done on this guy.
BREMNER: No, none. And the thing is, is the police said they thought he was drunk. And in the French Quarter. You know, Margaret Thatcher had said, civilization is a thin veneer. And that police are out there as the thin blue line, they often say between lawlessness, crime and violence and our safety. But in this case we saw a really horrible footage.
LIN: And this footage will be a big part of the trial. Any chance that the defense attorneys can get it kicked out.
BREMNER: I think about zero, Carol.
LIN: Really?
BREMNER: Yes. And I think the only way to deal with it is how it was dealt with in the Rodney King case where defense attorneys played it over and over again so that it kind of -- that the jurors were numb to the violence. And, you know, their argument is that there had been some type of violence that preceded the video that justified the police use of force.
LNI: There were eyewitnesses on the scene. Plenty of people to talk about what happened there.
BREMNER: I know. It's just horrible.
LIN: All right. Ann, thanks very much. Nice to see at the CNN world headquarters.
BREMNER: It is wonderful to be here.
LIN: And good to meet your family as well.
BREMNER: Thanks so much. Thanks for bringing all of us.
In the meatntime, we want to tell you more about the news that's coming up. The earthquake death toll over in Pakistan is jumping as the weather complicates an already difficult aid mission.
Plus, a soldier's mother questions her son's mission. CNN's John King travels to Ohio trying to find out why America is so divided on the war in Iraq.
And even with gas prices around $3 a gallon, you may want to burn a little more to go buy a powerball ticket. The record breaking jack pot, well that number up next. You watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.
LIN: Hey there. A quick look now at what's happening in the news.
"A positive day for the Iraqi people." President Bush describing Iraq's relatively calm election day. There was a large turnout and only some violence. World leaders and the United Nations are happy it was not worse.
Food and medicine moving again to the injured people in South Asia. Day of dreadful weather conditions halted relief flights and ground transportation. Officials in Pakistan now believe more than 50,000 people died in the massive earthquake. And can I interest anyone in $340 million? That is the estimated jackpot for Wednesday's multi-state Powerball lottery after last night's drawing produced no winners. Now, if your numbers don't come up, well f they do, don't forget your friends at CNN.
Now we want to report more on Iraq, where votes from yesterday's constitutional referendum are being tallied. Official results are expected this week. Many Iraqis believe a "yes" vote on the constitution will help stabilize the country and help fight insurgent violence. Others aren't so sure.
CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour talks to a Sunni Shia family who voted against the referendum fearing it had lead to even more violence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMANPOUR: Amira al-Salami (ph) and her family live in one of Baghdad's big apartment blocks. She's a secondary school teacher. And her husband works, Dr. Monjad al-Naeb works at the Ministry of Science and Technology. A middle class family whose high hopes had are all but extinguished.
MONJAD AL-NAEB, BAGHDAD RESIDENT: It's bad, bad.
AMANPOUR: The al Naeb family expected America to change Iraq from dictatorship to democracy, to bring jobs and opportunity. What they never expected was the violence and mayhem that still rules their lives two and a half years after the war and leaves little room for optimism.
M. AL-NAEB: It is very hard to say that because we don't know what will happen tomorrow. It's very, very hard to say that. Because every situation now doesn't appear that there is a small light in this darkness.
AMANPOUR: It doesn't take long for Amira's pent-up tears to start falling. "I'm crying for Iraq. They destroyed its past and its future," she says. "Now those dirty terrorists who come from outside want to destroy it completely."
The frustration and hopelessness of the parents is filtering down to their children, the very generation of educated secular middle class people Iraq's future depends on. Twenty-two-year-old Omar studies medical technology at university, but he's worried about finding a job.
OMAR AL-NAEB, BAGHDAD RESIDENT: (through translator): The students who graduated from my college last year are still sitting at home waiting.
AMANPOUR: Twenty-year-old Mohammed (ph) studies mathematics. Like his whole family and many of their friends, he wants to leave Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I want to ask you whether you could say five or 10 years here. There is no reason for me to stay, no jobs, not even electricity or running water.
AMANPOUR: Indeed, two and a half years after the war, basic services remain sporadic. This family's most treasured possession is still their small generator.
M. AL-NAEB: Check the oil is the most important thing.
AMANPOUR: Instead of having fun, going out to play sports and youthful clubbing, life for these young people is all about curfews, gasoline lines, road blocks and explosions.
O. AL-NAEB: Me as a young man I should live like young men in other countries who spend their nights out, but now I can't. My family starts calling me around 7:30 p.m. to come home.
AMANPOUR: This family, who hoped America would bring them a better future, was further shaken when Monjad says he was arrested two years ago by American forces and kept without charge for 50 days before being released. He says they were looking for weapons.
M. AL-NAEB: I don't know why they are punishing the people. What I have done to them? I don't know. Until now, I don't know why.
AMANPOUR: Monjad lodged a complaint with the U.S. military but he's most afraid of the religious militias and the insurgents.
Amira says she lives in constant fear, hovering at her balcony every day, waiting for her husband to come back from work, her children to return from school.
"Before, we used to visit our families, attend celebrations and go to restaurants. We walked about until late. What kind of life are we living now just eating and drinking? Is this a life?"
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Be sure to stay tuned for CNN PRESENTS. At 7:00 Eastern, CNN takes a look at progress in the war in Iraq. And at 8:00 Eastern, CNN's John King brings it back home to talk to Americans about why they're so divided over the war. All coming up right after this program.
Now, with 156,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq, we have a vested interest in what goes on there, but a country more famous for supermodels and Carnival could actually have more impact on everything from treating AIDS to nuclear proliferation. That's right, folks. It is time to get a fresh take on what we might be missing, from our political analyst Carlos Watson.
Carlos, tell us the news. I mean, what could be more important than the war on terror in a sense?
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey Carol, I tell you what, while there's good reason to pay attention to what's happening in Iraq and even Iran, a part of the world we often don't look at, namely South America and particularly Brazil, may, as you said, have as much impact an impact on how much you pay for AIDS drugs in San Francisco, what kind of hybrid car you can buy in order to beat three- dollar gas in Florida and frankly, whether or not you've got a worry about nuclear power falling into the hands of the wrong people.
That's right. Brazil, South America's largest country is a being a major player on all of these and is a place to watch over the next couple of years.
They're debating, for example, whether to increase from two nuclear reactors to 10. And so if they do that over the next couple of years, it won't be just Iran that looks at doing that, but a lot of other countries that say, heck, if Brazil can do it, we can do it as well.
And suddenly with cutting the cost of AIDS drugs in half, that certainly has put pressure on pharmaceutical companies here in the U.S. And then last but not least, believe it or not, Carol, what's selling the most overseas in terms of cars are not your typical cars that run mainly on oil and oil derivatives but these so-called sugar ethanol cars.
Flexible fuel cars which now two-thirds of the cars that are purchased in Brazil use this cheaper form of energy in order to run.
LIN: All right. I didn't know I had to look south to see what's around the corner. Carlos, I want to show people some video here. This is not exactly a picture of what I would call the forefront of social reform. The newest trendsetter in American politics, with all due respect to the seniors. This is, I think, Phoenix, Arizona.
WATSON: Carol, you know it. Look, we're always reminded this is a big world and not everything takes place in Washington, DC and that there are other places that impact the policies and politics, whether you live in Minnesota or whether you live in California. Although we typically think of big states like California and New York driving things, and when you think of Arizona, you think of people kind of hanging out around the pool, you think of senior citizens or maybe desert and cactus, one of the new trendsetters in the public policy arena is actually that southwestern state of almost 6 million people, Arizona.
LIN: Such as?
WATSON: Well, I think of two big things. Maybe I'll throw a third in. One of the question of immigration which may be one of the few big debates that Congress has this fall besides, obviously, the Harriet Miers debate. Where are you going to get a lot of the new ideas on whether or not to offer benefits to illegal immigrants, whether or not to step up border enforcement? Those ideas are coming out of Arizona.
Interestingly enough not just from Republicans like John McCain and Jon Kyl, the two Republican Senators, but one of the loudest voices, one of the voices that will be in Washington this Wednesday talking about it is the Democratic governor, Janet Napolitano.
LIN: All right. Someone who might be named vice president someday, or at least a vice presidential running mate.
WATSON: No two ways about it. She is certainly a name. And typically when you think about Arizona, you only think about John McCain. But they've got three or four folks including Janet Napolitano, the governor who you are likely to hear more about.
The other big issue, by the way, is on what they call school choice. Everything from can you send your kid to a charter school? Will there be a private school voucher? Is there such a thing as open enrollment? Who is the leader in that movement right now? That's the State of Arizona. And again, not a place would you expect.
LIN: Not a -- a surprise indeed. Carlos Watson, you're full of them. Thank you very much.
WATSON: Good to see you.
LIN: All right. A fresh take there.
Now, on the front lines, one mother's story of her soldier son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many times can we cheat death? How many times can we cheat him being wounded over there?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: It is her son's third tour of duty in Iraq. Her questions and worries about the war. CNN's John King with voices from the home front straight ahead.
And the NFL is seeing green when it comes to women and what they can bring to the table. We're going to go inside the latest marketing plan to get more women into the game.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Well, each week we like to bring you some of the more personal stories from the frontlines. And today we are talking about the home front and what it means for parents to have children out on the frontlines fighting this war.
Now, there are those who support the administration and want to sound and feel patriotic about this war. But CNN's John King went to find where the once strong Bush administration support existed is now definitely waning when it comes to the loss of a child.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blue star banner is another symbol of a nation at war. A sign a military mother lives here. In this case, an Ohio mom who has had enough. LYNN STAMM, SON DEPLOYED TO IRAQ: I don't want my son to be in harm's way for nothing. I mean, I want to know why. Why is he there?
KING: Jordan Rex (ph) is in the army's 82nd Airborne Division. And in the early days of his third deployment to Iraq.
STAMM: When he told me he was going to be deployed for a third time, you just feel like you've been hit. It just takes the wind out of you.
Because he's gone there and he's come back twice. He wasn't hurt. And it's like you're so grateful that he came home. And then when he has to go back a third time, it's like, OK, how many times can we cheat death? How many times can we cheat him being wounded over there?
KING: Jordan's mom, Lynn Stamm believes the president deceived the nation about the Iraqi threat to begin with and worries now her son is part of a mission that has failed and lacks a clear exit strategy.
STAMM: Well, it seems kind of ironic to me that you would have to keep people over there to validate the deaths that have already occurred and take chances that more people are going to die.
KING: The yellow ribbon out front says, support the troops, but the sign in the car says bring them home. Stamm, among the military moms taking a more vocal role in the Iraq political debate, with her son's permission.
STAMM: And I asked my son, I said would you be ashamed of me for speaking out what I believe? And he said, mom, he goes, that's why I'm fighting. I'm fighting for freedom of speech. I'm fighting for our freedom.
KING: Stamm lives in one of the modest middle class neighborhoods that make Ohio a bellwether in politics, a heartland state that often delivers a national message.
ANNOUNCER: For once a real choice.
KING: A marine just back from Ramadi and Falluja was this summer's unlikely messenger.
PAUL HACKETT, RAN FOR CONGRESS: I respectfully ask for your vote on August 2nd.
HACKETT: Paul Hackett, running for Congress. Come on out and vote August 2nd.
KING: Paul Hackett was the Democratic candidate in the august special election for Ohio's vacant 2nd congressional district seat. His message, then and now, Iraq is a mess and getting worse.
HACKETT: What Bush should face and realize we're probably about as good as we're going to get. Look at the trend of this war. We've been there for two and a half years. That country has gotten worse.
KING: And perhaps most striking -- a marine just back from war taking scathing personal aim at the commander in chief.
HACKETT: He's the president of the United States. He's not a king, he's not a sovereign. He's a servant to the people. And he owes honest answers to the American people who put him this that office. So to that extent he's not been forthright with the American people.
KING: A tough sell in such conservative territory. The district stretches from Cincinatti to the east. Mr. Bush carried it with 64 percent of the vote just last year. Republicans have held the congressional seat for nearly four decades. Hackett lost, but by just 4,000 votes. An unmistakable red state wake-up call to the president and his Republican Party.
HACKETT: I'm an American. I'm a marine. And I'm willing to fight for my country. I'm willing to do whatever my country wants. My criticism goes to, is this the best use of our military forces? I don't think it is.
KING: It was a question that hit home with people like Jay Purdy, an ex-marine, a self-described Christian conservative and a two-time Bush voter.
JAY PURDY, CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE: It is appearing to me that it is kind of make it up as we go. And I don't know that that's a good plan for a military action.
KING: Cincinnati therapist Jody Grundy opposed the war from the beginning but wrestled with being too active politically because her son is an army doctor in Iraq. And while no fan of the president's, she began the summer at odds with those saying bring the troops home now.
JODY GRUNDY, SON DEPLOYED TO IRAQ: We have an obligation to continue and to stay the course because we've made such a mess of it and we have to clean up our mess, frankly.
KING: But Hackett's firsthand accounts gave her pause.
GRUNDY: I'm no longer in conflict in myself in my own mind about that. I have reached that conclusion. I think that we need to leave. I really do.
KING: She volunteered a few times for Hackett's campaign and believes, even though he lost, it was a stepping stone in a larger political shift.
GRUNDY: We are trying to make something good out of something that went terribly, terribly awry and has cost way too much in money and in lives and in blood. And I lived through Vietnam. Why did we get out of Vietnam finally? Well, it hurt too much.
And finally there was the widespread feeling of enough pain and enough consensus. Common sense says we have to get out. I think we're coming to a common-sense feeling in this country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Well, football as it's played in the NFL is a man's game if you look at who's watching. But the NFL wants women. Or more to the point, the NFL knows who controls the pocketbook at home. Women control more money here in the U.S. than the payrolls of the NFL, the NBA, hockey and baseball combined.
So let's go to West Palm Beach, Florida, to the author of "When the Game Is on the Line." Rick Horrow is a CNN sports analyst. Rick, those are pretty astounding numbers. So we know why the NFL is courting women. Tell us how they're going to do it?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Well, you know women make 85 percent of all the buying decisions. So we do know corporate America loves it. And so does the NFL. About 30 percent of the demographic is women. And they want to get more women and kids in. So clinics, football 101. All of those kinds of things to get more in.
But more important is the retail line. A $3.2 billion NFL business for licensed merchandise. And the NFL women's line has tripled. Philadelphia Eagles even put out 50,000 of these pink caps for the Super Bowl last year. They sold them all out. How does that look? OK?
LIN: Not bad. But it might look better if you were a woman.
HORROW: Gone. There it is.
LIN: All right. So what about women in the front office of the NFL teams?
HORROW: Well, that's key. If this new show with Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief" is any indication, we have a fascination with women in executive positions. Twenty-six million watched that ABC show. And "On Any Given Sunday," the 1999 football movie with Cameron Diaz as an NFL owner bucks that trend. And of course, women are in the front office in real life.
Georgia Frontiere owns the St. Louis Rams. Denise DeBartolo York owns the San Francisco 49ers. There are women being trained for the New Orleans Saints and the Cincinnati Bengals in the family. All of that is very important. And that's women in high stakes NFL positions.
LIN: All right, Rick, you got any picks for this week?
HORROW: Yeah. I'm two for two. Been on a roll. Monday night the Colts and the Rams. The Colts are celebrating their $900 million stadium in Indy. It will be rocking tomorrow night. More important, they're 5-0, great offense, great defense. They should handle the St. Louis Rams with little or no problem, Carol.
LIN: Really. All right. And how many women do you think will be in the audience?
HORROW: Thirty-seven thousand, three-hundred and sixty-one.
LIN: All right. That is going to be the pick that we'll calling on you next week. Thanks so much, Rick Horrow.
HORROW: Thanks, Carol. See you next week.
LIN: All right. That's all the time we have in this hour. But coming up next on CNN PRESENTS, the war in Iraq, an in-depth look at what's working and what's not in the struggle to bring stability to Iraq.
At 9:00 Eastern a "Roseanne" reunion. Larry king catches up with the classic TV sitcom cast.
And then 10:00 Eastern, Dr. Sanjay Gupta gets behind the wheel to examine the athletic strengths of NASCAR drivers in NASCAR, "Driven to Extremes."
In the meantime, the hour's headlines right after this.
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LIN: Good evening. I'm Carol Lin and here's what's happening right now. It was a deadly weekend for U.S. troops in Iraq. Five American soldiers died Saturday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Ramadi and a U.S. marine was killed when his vehicle hit an explosive device northwest of Falluja.
It's going to be several days, though, before we learn whether Iraq's draft constitution has been approved. Yesterday's vote was just one milestone on that country's long path toward democracy.
Up next on CNN PRESENTS, "Progress Report II" an update on what's going right and what's going wrong in Iraq.
And premiering at 8:00 Eastern, CNN's John King visits communities hard-hit by the war in Iraq. John is going to talk to ordinary Americans to hear their views on "Voices from the Home Front."
I'm Carol Lin, more news in 30 minutes. But right now to CNN PRESENTS.
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