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Supreme Court to Rule on Constitutionality of Military Tribunals For Terror Suspects; Congressional Fight Over Iraqi Prewar Intelligence Heats Up; Escaped Texas Death Row Inmate Recaptured; Ancient Church Discovered

Aired November 07, 2005 - 15:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, some scary moments today for students at an elementary school in suburban Washington. It went into lockdown this morning, as police searched for a suspicious man. An officer spotted him near the building wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. School officials say all the children are fine.
Propane tank explosions are apparently to blame for this fire at a Long Island marina. Look at those flames. It damaged at least three boats, but there are no reports of injuries.

And you may not be able to see them from here, but -- yes, you can. They're right there in the middle of the screen. They're up there. The two occupants of the International Space Station are outside the orbiting lab at this hour. And they're preparing the space station for the next phase of construction -- so far, so good. This space walk will last about five-and-a-half-hours.

And President Bush is talking trade in Panama. It is the final stop on his five-day tour of Latin America. Mr. Bush reported progress on a free-trade deal with Panama, but said it may be a hard sell in Congress. He also is urging the country to modernize its famous canal.

Terror suspects detained outside the country, facing trial before a military tribunal -- it is official U.S. policy, but is it constitutional? That is up to the Supreme Court now after today's surprise announcement from Washington.

CNN's justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, joins us live.

So, the Supreme Court is going to take this one?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It is, Betty. And that was a surprise.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case, which was brought by Salim Ahmed Hamdan. Now, he used to be Osama bin Laden's driver. Hamdan has said that his detention is unconstitutional, but the Bush administration says that it has right to detain and try suspected terrorists held overseas.

Now, this case is important because it directly challenges the president's wartime powers. When asked for a reaction, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, "The administration looks forward to presenting its arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court." He says, "We are confident in our position as it has recently been affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals."

Now, the outcome of this case will determine how military commissions proceed and what rights detainees have. And, separately, the case represents the first conflict for Chief Justice John Roberts. He bowed out of the decision on whether to hear the case or not. Now, that's because he ruled on it as an appeals court judge. Back then, he sided with the government.

He may recuse himself going forward as well, Betty. So, we will have to wait and see.

NGUYEN: All right, Kelli Arena, thank you for that update.

We have got another development. We want you to take a listen to this. Today, Pete Rose Jr. has pleaded guilty to charges that he was distributing GBL, which is a drug that is used to -- is a steroid alter -- a steroid alternative, to minor league teammates.

We want to take a listen to what his attorney is saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a tragedy. Anyone that knows this young man knows that he is a very, very fine young man.

The use of this -- this stuff is common. It's used a sleep aid by many -- many people in sports. It was legal. And he got caught in a time warp, because it was legal up until 2000. And he came forward and immediately confessed and accepted his responsibility.

We want to move forward, get this over with, so he can get back to his life. And we will just await the outcome of the judge's sentencing.

Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And there you have it, Pete Rose Jr.'s attorney making some responses to today's plea of guilty by Pete Rose Jr. to charges that he was distributing GBL, which is a steroid alternative.

Now, this is part of a larger investigation. And, under the deal with prosecutors, Rose could be sentenced 21 to 27 months in federal prison, and maybe even fined up to $1 million. We will continue to follow that story.

Now to the war in Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi troops are engaged in house-to-house fighting northwest of Baghdad, near the Syrian border. Some 3,000 American troops and 550 Iraqis are involved in Operation Steel Curtain. It's a bid to wipe out as many insurgents as possible and cut off the flow of foreign fighters crossing into Iraq from Syria. The U.S. military says Iraqi soldiers killed three insurgents dressed in women's clothing. They are among 36 insurgents confirmed killed since the operation began on Saturday. Now, one U.S. Marine has, indeed, died in the fighting. Nine have been wounded.

In action south of Baghdad, four U.S. soldiers died today in a suicide car bomb attack. The military says it happened when the car exploded at a checkpoint manned by those soldiers.

And, in fighting elsewhere, the military reports, a U.S. soldier was killed yesterday north of Baghdad by a roadside bomb. That death, and those today, raises the total number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq to 2,052.

Well, the U.S. military in Baghdad does report, five Army Rangers have been charged with kicking and punching detainees. The abuse allegedly occurred in September, while the prisoners were be waiting to be moved to a detention facility. The soldiers charged are members of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

The dispute between Democrats and Republicans over pre-Iraq war intelligence seems to get more heated with each passing day. The issue: Did the Bush administration distort, manipulate or lie about the intelligence to justify invading Iraq?

For the latest round, let's go to Capitol Hill and congressional correspondent Ed Henry.

It is getting heated.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Betty. In fact, it's getting heated on the Senate floor today.

They're debating the defense bill. You can see Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner -- Democrats pouncing today on a memo that leaked out over the weekend, suggesting that some of the claims about Iraqi connections and al Qaeda were hyped up by an unreliable source that the Bush administration relied upon -- Democrats also jumping on President Bush's comments today that the U.S. does not engage in torture, because that is coming on the same day as a report in "The Washington Post" detailing Vice President Cheney's efforts to water down some anti-torture provisions being authored by Senator John McCain, lobbying here on Capitol Hill against that -- so, Democrats trying to highlight that division in the administration and calling today for a 9/11-style commission to investigate alleged torture by U.S. military personnel.

At a press conference, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid also came out and said that it's time for President Bush to say that he will not pardon Scooter Libby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: I don't know whether we're going to call this Libby-gate or pardon-gate, but I think the president should come forward now -- now -- and say he's not going to pardon any of the people involved in the leaking of classified information. He should do that.

I think that, with his not coming forward to say that, it sends a message to the American people that isn't a very good, positive message -- message. I mean, are there -- I -- this -- I use this in the form of a question, but are people in the White House being told by certain high-ranking officials in the White House not to worry; the president's going to pardon you; don't worry about it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, Republican Senator John Cornyn was just down on the Senate floor a few moments ago, responding directly to Senator Reid, basically holding up a poster board of some comments that Senator Reid made before he voted for the war in Iraq, in which Senator Reid basically said that Saddam Hussein was a major threat -- Senator Cornyn saying, all of these attacks are just about politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: We have even seen the sad occasion of having sustained 2,000 deaths of America's fighting men and women in Iraq, that that has sparked an ill-advised and premature call for withdrawal of our troops by the angry anti-war left.

That call has been picked up, in part, if not in whole, by some politicians, seeking to capitalize on that anger. But merely venting anger without proposing alternative solutions is not the work of serious people. It's a sad commentary on our public discourse when politicians seek to use the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform to advance a political agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, I put that question to the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, a few moments ago: When are you going to craft an alternative for the war in Iraq? He basically said -- quote -- "At some point, but not today" -- Democrats still vulnerable, perhaps, on that question. They're throwing stones, but have not come up with a plan of their own -- Betty.

NGUYEN: That's a plan that a lot of people are waiting for.

Correspondent Ed Henry, thank you.

HENRY: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Illegal drugs and baseball. A famous name gets caught up in the scandal. We have details on what he pleaded guilty -- or why he pleaded guilty. That's ahead on LIVE FROM.

And, later on LIVE FROM, the suburbs of Paris are burning. Will the French government be able to put out the unrest?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, it was a grainy video that horrified a community and the nation -- a man seen snatching an 11-year-old girl as she walked home from a friend's house last year.

Carlie Brucia's body was found just days later. And, today, her alleged killer goes on trial.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti joins us now live from Miami with latest -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.

Throughout the day so far, we have seen the defendant, Joseph Smith, sitting in court, stoically listening as witnesses begin to testify against him. So far, there have been four of them. We can take a look, perhaps, now at a man who is currently on the witness stand. He's a firefighter, talking about search dogs that were used to look for 11-year-old Carlie Brucia.

The others who had testified so far have been Carlie's stepfather, who also talked about looking for her, a police sergeant who talked about the search, as well as the mother at whose house Carlie was staying the night before she was kidnapped.

So many people remember this case because of that surveillance video that was -- that captured Carlie Brucia and, allegedly, the defendant, Joseph Smith, taken at a car wash the day that she disappeared. It was Super Bowl Sunday 2004. Carlie Brucia is seen approached a man, who says something to her -- we don't know what -- and then he leads her away by the wrist.

And she leaves, apparently without a struggle. Now, in opening statements, prosecutors said Smith described what he called was rough sex with the girl in his alleged confession. Then, Smith supposedly said he strangled her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBRA JOHNES RIVA, ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY: You will learn that the perpetrator stood behind her, positioned himself behind her, put that ligature around her neck and squeezed -- squeezed until she stopped breathing, until her heart stopped, until she died.

You will hear that her wrists also had marks showing that she had been restrained. She couldn't use her hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now, the defense, in its opening statement, is questioning the kind of lab analysis that was done, and is also questioning the fact that police say they collected DNA evidence from a top that Carlie Brucia was wearing when her body was discovered. DNA evidence allegedly collected from that top matches Joseph Smith. The defense says, don't buy it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM TEBRUGGE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR JOSEPH SMITH: All I'm asking is this: Please keep an open mind. Approach the evidence with a certain degree of skepticism, and try and take an objective look at everything.

You are the first group of citizens to ever hear all of the evidence in this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: In the -- in the station wagon in which police say Joseph Smith was driving, they say that they also collected hair and fiber evidence that matches Carlie Brucia.

This trial, Betty, is expected to last two to three weeks.

NGUYEN: And we will be watching.

CNN's Susan Candiotti in Miami -- thank you, Susan.

Well, the tornado death toll in Indiana rose to 22 today. Another body was pulled from a lake next to the mobile home park where most of those deaths occurred.

CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us now live from Evansville, Indiana.

Ed, is the search for survivors still going on?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well you know, at this point, there isn't any sense here that a survivor will be found. In fact, they have narrowed down a list that -- we just heard from the sheriff here in the Evansville area, who said the list of people unaccounted for is down -- is now down to about 20.

But that doesn't necessarily mean there are 20 people, either in this area or in the mobile home park area. What that means is that some people might have gotten up and driven themselves out. They just haven't checked in. So, they're -- they're going through that process of narrowing that down.

And part of that process includes emptying out a pond, which is about 300 yards away from where we are at the edge of -- the other edge of the mobile home park. And they're emptying that out because there is a ton of debris that is -- was thrown into -- into the pond.

And, of course, authorities here were worried that perhaps there might be, you know, somebody in there who might have been, you know, blown in there or -- or a victim in there. And that's exactly what has turned out to be the case -- just a short while ago, authorities announcing that there was the -- the body of -- of a man that was discovered there in that pond.

So, they will continue to empty that out. It's about six feet deep, about 100 yards or so wide. They will empty out that water to make sure that there is no one else still left behind there as they continue to -- to whittle that down.

And, of course, here, the -- the -- the main issue has been just the lack of warning. This tornado struck at 2:00 in the morning, when most people were sleeping. And the sense here that is that most people just didn't have a chance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD ELLSWORTH, VANDERBURGH COUNTY, INDIANA, SHERIFF: You know -- you saw how it was to get down here. There is -- we are -- we're basically off the highway. But, you know, with 11 minutes at 2:30 in the morning, most people were in bed. And, so, there would be -- there's really 11 minutes or two minutes. There's -- there's not a lot of escape there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: You know, and this is -- the tornado came from behind beyond -- behind the camera here and blew this way.

You can see, as it -- what it -- what it did is, it tore through this area. This is part of a news conference here that's wrapping up. So, pardon all the people that are there.

But, just beyond this group of people, you see where the mobile homes are. And, if you stand, you know, farther -- further away, you can just see how the tornado came through here and basically clipped off the top of trees and just sent everything launching in -- into this area.

And, from here, the tornado continued another 20 miles or so. So, local officials say they're now asking for federal assistance in helping piece everything together here. There are teams from FEMA already on the ground, beginning to do the assessment. Now, whether or not this area will qualify for federal assistance is still up in the air. That will -- that will probably take several days to determine -- Betty, back to you.

NGUYEN: So much devastation. And you talk about assistance. What about electricity? Has that been turned to on to the thousands who were without it yesterday?

LAVANDERA: We understand that, you know, they're -- they're still working on that.

For -- for example, this particularly area, everything is turned off here. Residents aren't allowed back in, if their homes are still intact. In fact, they say that, until tomorrow, they won't even begin to consider whether or not people will be allowed to come in and start piecing up their belongings. So, this area, power is off. And in other areas, everything is starting to -- to come back on slowly. And -- and that will continue to -- to -- to improve as the -- as the days go forward.

NGUYEN: Yes. No doubt, it's going to take some time.

Ed Lavandera -- thank you for that update, Ed.

LAVANDERA: Sure.

NGUYEN: Well, schools reopened today in two Florida counties hard-hit by Hurricane Wilma.

The storm tore across South Florida two weeks ago today, causing widespread damage in Palm Beach and Broward counties. Many schools were left unusable, not to mention millions of people who lost power. About 175,000 people are still in the dark.

Did your minivan pass the crash test? That's the question. We're driving home the results, ahead on LIVE FROM -- and a rough ride for a baseball player with a famous name who finds himself in legal trouble -- those details after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Want to see something pretty? Take a look at this -- fall foliage surrounding the White House today. People pay a lot of money to travel long distances to see this type of picture. In fact, the president is headed back to Washington tonight -- but the fall foliage in full effect -- what a beautiful sight.

Shopping for a minivan? Well, there is a new test you will want to know about. The Institute for Highway Safety put minivans to its side-impact test for the first time. Two models got best rating, and two models got the worst. The 2006 Toyota Sienna and the Nissan Quest scored highest in their class. The 2006 Ford Freestar and Mazda MPV models without side air bags scored lowest.

All you have to do is go to Money.CNN.com for the full report.

And TiVo really wants to make sure you never miss your favorite shows again, including LIVE FROM.

Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange to tell us about the company's new deal -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

Well, its new deal involves teaming up with Yahoo!. Their collaborative service will let TiVo users program their digital video recorders remotely, from any computer, using the TV listing section of Yahoo!'s Web site. This could help TiVo get an edge over cable and satellite companies that offer their own video recording services.

In coming months, TiVo users will also get access to other Yahoo! services, like traffic, weather and photos -- shares of TiVo up 4 percent on the news.

And, turning to Wall Street, well yes, the markets are up right now -- off their highs for the session, but the Dow industrials gaining 40 points, the Nasdaq adding five points, or a quarter of a percent.

Finally, stun guns have come under fire recently. But Taser hopes a new device will help add another layer of accountability. The company has developed a Taser cam, an audio and video recorder that attaches to the butt of the gun and starts taping when the weapon is turned on. But the cameras won't come standard. They will cost around $400.

Some analysts say the cameras could boost the company's sluggish sales, which have dropped on concerns about the weapon's safety.

And that's the latest from Wall Street -- more LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A convicted killer on the lam for about three days is headed back to death row in Texas. Charles Victor Thompson has waived extradition, after being recaptured a state away.

Our Keith Oppenheim is in Houston, where authorities still have many questions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force is the agency that has been looking for Charles Victor Thompson. And, on Sunday night, they started to get a number of tips that he might be in the Shreveport area.

Sure enough, officers found him in front of a liquor store in Shreveport. He was using a pay phone out in the open. He was intoxicated, officers say, and there was a bicycle next to him, which police say he was using for transportation.

When confronted, he said, "You know who I am." And he was relatively cooperative when he was arrested. Thompson was then taken to the Caddo Parish Jail in Shreveport. And the clear expectation is, he will be brought back to Houston some time in the near future.

Still, some major questions unanswered -- one is, did he get any help in his escape? And the other is, just how did he get from Houston to Shreveport, some 200 miles away?

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Now in the news, a leading developer of Internet software popular for stealing songs and movies apparently is shutting down. The Associated Press reports Grokster Limited has agreed to end operations. Now, the move is intended to settle a landmark piracy case filed by Hollywood and the music industry.

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are wrapping up their U.S. tour today in California. The two visited a school's organic garden in Berkeley and an indoor farmers market in San Francisco. In case you're wondering, the prince is a big supporter of environmentalist causes. He even has his own line of organic food. So, there you know.

President Bush is on his way back to Washington, following a five-day trip to Latin America. Mr. Bush ended his trip a short time ago in Panama. He's returning to Washington, short of his goal of securing a free trade zone of the Americas. But he says the U.S. and Panama are close to completing a free trade pact after a breakdown of talks in February.

And two space walkers are in the midst of a delicate mission outside the International Space Station. You see them there.

The astronaut and cosmonaut are installing a camera and adding new segments to that outpost. Now, the construction project was delayed for about an hour because of de-pressurization trouble. Yes, that could be big trouble. It's expected to last several hours.

More tarnish for a famous name. Pete Rose is baseball's all- times hits leader, but he was banned from the sport for gambling. And then spent five months in prison for filing false tax return.

Well, now Rose's son is in trouble. Pete Rose Jr. is a longtime minor league player. He entered a guilty plea today to charges he distributed a drug called GBL to other players.

Under an agreement with prosecutors, Pete Rose Jr. could face up to 27 months in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million. A sentencing hearing is set for February 20th.

So, GBL, it is used by athletes, who think it will help them improve their performance. It is also sometimes used as a date rape drug.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to talk about it.

Elizabeth, without throwing out too many letters, GBL. Many of us in the news have heard of GHB. Are they interconnected? How does this work?

ELIZABETH COHEN, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: They are. When you take GBL it backs GHB once it's inside your body. So, you're really talking about very similar drugs.

Now, what's interesting is that some people are told if they take this drug that it will build up their muscles, that it will improve their physical performance. Experts tell us that's not really true. So, they're actually being tricked.

So, let's talk a little bit about what this drug is, and what it does do.

GBL stands for gamma butyrolactone, hard to say. And it is actually a sedative and a hypnotic. So, it makes you feel drowsy. But, if you take too much of it, it can lead to overdose. It can lead you to becoming unconscious. It can bring someone actually into a coma, and it can lead to memory problems.

So, that when people are slipped this drug or when they take this drug if there's too much of it, they won't remember what happened for many hours afterwards. And that's one of the things, unfortunately, that makes it an effective date rape drug.

Now, let's talk a little bit about that. Because some people, like apparently Pete Rose's son, was selling it to, allegedly, to his own players. They knew what they were taking. Other folks don't know what they were taking.

When it's used as a date rape drug, sometimes what happens is that it's put into someone's drink. It is invisible when dissolved. It is odorless. So, you can't see. You can't smell it. It's slightly salty, but not enough to taste if it's in a drink that is already, otherwise, has some kind of flavor in it.

And it's metabolized quickly, which, again, means it's hard to detect. If something horrible has happened to someone and let's say she goes to the authorities, it's out of her system.

NGUYEN: Right.

OK, so that being the case, odorless, very hard to detect, how do you know if it's been slipped into your drink?

COHEN: You don't always know. And that really is the problem. The only way you can know, is if it has been slipped into your drink, you take it, and then you pass out and you start feeling woozy, exactly.

NGUYEN: All right and just be careful.

OK. Thank you, Elizabeth, for that.

We want to go now to CNN's Ed Lavandera, who is in Evansville, Indiana with the latest on those or that deadly tornado that ripped through the area. He has an update-- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

Well, just a little while ago, as we were talking to you live, just a while ago, the lieutenant governor and various other state officials arriving here at the scene to talk about what has been left behind here, and part of the cleanup process and the push to get federal assistance here.

And joining us now is the lieutenant governor of Indiana, Becky Skillman.

Lieutenant governor, how do you -- do you feel confident that the federal money might pour in here to help out?

LT. GOV. BECKY SKILLMAN, INDIANA: I do know that President Bush called the governor today, and asked how the federal government could help.

FEMA has been on the scene with us throughout the day. It's been a very good working relationship. We have asked immediately for individual assistance for families, and for disaster assistance from FEMA. I think you can expect within the next two days for the governor to also request public assistance, which means that we would be reimbursed for all of the local efforts here and the state efforts.

LAVANDERA: One of the costs, I imagine, that the state is having to deal with is people who have been left homeless, where do you put them? How is that working out now?

SKILLMAN: You know, every state--not every, but many, many state agencies have been called upon for assistance, whether that be our housing and community development authority, all the way to our Indiana energy group, because so many families are without power at this time.

LAVANDERA: Do they have places to stay? And how are you helping those people out?

SKILLMAN: Well, we're working on that now. We're trying to have a coordinated effort. Our department of homeland security, Dr. Eric Dietz is coordinating the efforts between all of the state agencies.

LAVANDERA: We've talked a lot about, over the last day or so, about the warning system. And quite frankly a lot of people saying that they didn't hear the sirens go off. Is there anything that can be done to maybe improve that? Do you feel that it needs to be improved or as some officials here have said, look, everything was in place, there's nothing else that could have been done?

SKILLMAN: Well, state government has not conducted any inquiry. We will leave that for the local officials to do.

I know it was so unfortunate that this was during the middle of the night. Some residents of these neighborhoods saying they did not hear alarms.

But that won't be a role for state government. We'll let the local government officials determine if their warning systems were working adequately.

It is something that every community can learn from, however.

LAVANDERA: So, you don't think that you might be hearing from some of these, saying, hey, help us out with maybe funding some better system?

SKILLMAN: Oh, yes, indeed. I mean, that happens regularly. We have a number of programs within state government where we do help communities with their early warning alarm systems or other public safety initiatives for their communities.

LAVANDERA: Great.

Thank you very much, Becky Skillman, lieutenant governor of Indiana. Thank you very much.

And, of course, that assessment process will continue for several more days as the FEMA teams go around the various neighborhoods and the counties affected by this storm. And they'll wait and see what kind of help they will be able to get.

Betty, back to you.

NGUYEN: We'll be watching. Ed Lavandera, thank you.

It is now after 9:00 p.m. in Paris. And France faces the grim prospect of a 12th night of rioting.

After starting in Paris, the disturbances have spread to other French cities.

CNN's Becky Anderson is standing by live in Paris.

We've heard about the violence for the past 11 days, Becky. What's being done to stop it?

BECKY ANDERSON, PARIS: Not very much at this point, I'm afraid.

We heard from the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, who says there are 9,500 police out on the streets of Paris. He says they will be firm, but just. He says the rioters are organized criminal networks.

The rioters, themselves, say they are dispossessed. They are excluded, and they are subjugated by the French state. And it's a stalemate, essentially, at this point.

As we move into the 12th night, Paris anxiously waits, as does France, as does other countries or as do other countries across Europe. Some unrest reported in Belgium and in Germany.

And a 61-year-old man died in hospital in France after being beaten in an attack on Friday. He's been in a coma since then. That the first fatality.

And images of the burned out shells of cars really frightening those who live in this part of the world at present.

Dominique de Villepin suggesting earlier that he will not now rule out curfews. He says the police will go in. They will go in with force, and, if necessary, there will be curfews in the towns and cities across this country in order to stamp out this violence--Betty.

NGUYEN: As far as the young people who are carrying out the violence, is it organized or are these small pockets of young people?

ANDERSON: Well, that's the important point at this point.

Dominique de Villepin, as I say, suggests this is organized criminal networks. Many other people you speak to here, say simply this, that those who live in these bonyer (ph), in these low-cost housing areas to the south, northeast, north of Paris, are small pockets of criminals effectively, but gangs. And it's not particularly organized. These are youngsters, some as young as 12, maybe upwards of 21, just going around, creating problems. Four and a half thousand cars have burned. Molotov Cocktail Factories have been found.

But, ultimately, when you ask whether it's organized, there is a sense of organization so far as SMS messages are concerned going between gangs.

Some sense that the Internet is being used between cities, in order to corral people into activity. But nobody is suggesting what Dominique de Villepin seems to be suggesting tonight that these are organized criminal networks. That is what state is saying. That's not what you're hearing on the streets of Paris here--Betty.

NGUYEN: Nonetheless, many people want the violence to stop and they want it to stop soon.

Becky Anderson in Paris.

Thank you, Becky.

Forecasts are the best defense against the deadly power of tornadoes. So, why were those tornado reports once banned? We'll explain next.

And still to come, recovering an ancient piece of Christian history. You have to see this. I'll speak with a religious historian about an amazing find in the Middle East.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Parts of tornado struck Evansville, Indiana are under a state of emergency. Search teams going home by home, or what's left of them, looking for a few remaining missing.

Now another apparently victim was found just hours ago in a retention pond next to the mobile home park that suffered so much damage. Most of the 22 deaths did occur in that mobile home park.

Want to talk to Chad Myers now about the storm. Chad, a lot of people think of tornadoes to happen in the spring time. But this one struck in the middle of the night in fall.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, spring, the warm air tries to push away, the winter air, pushes it back. So you've got warm and cold. Fall now the winter air tries to push the summer air back, warm and cold. So, it's not as big of a season, but there is a peak of severe weather in the fall, just because of the same forces that are acting in the springtime, just not really as usually as severe.

Here's where the tornado went. In fact it started in Indiana. On the other side of this big loop which is the Ohio River there. It came back into parts of Kentucky, across the Ellis Park Racetrack right there and then moved into Indiana. Now Indiana actually starts about there, because of where the river used to be when they drew the lines. That right there, that's the mobile home park that it hit.

Really look at all of this farmland that it hit. If it was 20 miles, 2 miles for that matter farther north so many more people through Evansville would have been affected. But, obviously, the people there affected because when it hits a mobile home, it basically gets torn up. And this could have been an F3 tornado. Don't know yet.

The search teams out there still looking around.

Weather across parts of the Midwest for tomorrow, some rain showers through the plains and also through the upper Midwest. Here we go again, Betty. Look at this, warm, cold. Another cold front.

So, maybe not so much for tomorrow but certainly for Wednesday the potential for more severe weather. It's that clash, hot/cold, hot/cold.

Looking down -- finally down to the tropics, looking for something? Seeing nothing. Great news there. A company of flare-ups and clouds. No organized systems in the Caribbean, in the tropics at all.

NGUYEN: Can I just tell you that brought a smile to my face. I'm so happy to see there's nothing brewing out there.

MYERS: Right.

NGUYEN: Thank you, Chad.

Well, it seems as if had been more weather disasters than usual in the last several months. And we were wondering if tornadoes usually happen in November. Well, here's what we found out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no actual season for tornadoes. They can happen anytime, anywhere, if the conditions are right. That said, the peak season for tornadoes is between May and July for most of the U.S.

A couple more interesting facts you might not know. About a thousand tornadoes touch down in the U.S. each year. Most of them last less than ten minutes.

And here's the biggest surprise we learned. Believe it or not, tornado forecasting used to be banned in the United States. Prior to 1950, the National Weather Bureau strongly discouraged, and at one point forbade forecasters, from using the word tornado. The bureau felt that meteorologists didn't know enough about them and that to report them might cause a panic.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: It's definitely good times have changed that type of thinking with those tornado warnings today.

We're going to be talking about uncovering early roots of Christianity. Look at this, we'll tell you why this find in Israel is causing such a stir. You're watching CNN LIVE FROM.

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NGUYEN: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He is standing by in Washington to tell it's what's coming up at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty, thanks very much. Coming up, President Bush on torture. He says the United States doesn't do it, but he doesn't want a law necessarily banning it. We'll take a closer look at where the White House stands.

Plus, Paris burning. Rioting has already broken out again tonight in France, and now there's talk of imposing curfews. We'll take you there live.

Also, Pete Rose, Jr., busted in a drug sting. We have the story.

And cruise ship pirates. They attacked one luxury liner filled with Americans. But how common are they? We're getting some answers. All that and much more, coming up right at the top of the hour here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Looking forward to it. Thank you, Wolf.

Well, a major discovery in Israel. Archaeologists say they have found the remains of what may be -- listen to this -- it could be the oldest church in the Holy Land. It's on a site that was being cleared for prison expansion. Now, it's located in northern Israel and experts say it may date from the third century, decades before Christianity was legalized in the region.

So joining us now to talk about the discovery is Eric Meyers. He is a professor of religion at Duke University in North Carolina. Mr. Myers, I understand that you have been to the site. Tell me what you know about this church.

ERIC MEYERS, DUKE UNIVERSITY RELIGION PROFESSOR: Well, this church is only recently discovered. I've been to the site of Megiddo, I know the prison site, but this is really not open to the public yet. I've only read about in the papers and on the Web.

NGUYEN: I understand, also from reading, that there have been church mosaics that have been found. Do you know about these? And what do they depict?

MEYERS: The announcement came through earlier today, so I've read probably what most every one of your viewers has seen. And I understand they're dating it to the third century, which is very improvable because of what you said, that Christianity is not yet an official accepted religion in the Eastern Empire until at least 313. And it would be most unusual for this kind of discovery to be dated at this time.

NGUYEN: So is this not a church, then?

MEYERS: No, it surely is a church. The question is whether it dates to the fourth century or later, or possibly earlier. And it's certainly not the oldest church in the Holy Land. We have, for example, at Capernaum. Not a half an hour's drive to the south/southwest of Megiddo, we have the Church of St. Peter, a house church that is certainly from the first century, and one of most important pilgrim shrines in the history of Christianity.

So a bit of hype here. This is a significant, significant discovery. But it's not earth-shaking.

NGUYEN: Yes, and when you look at some of the things that were found, there is a table, remnants of a table that were uncovered between the mosaics. What does that tell you?

MEYERS: I think it's probably referring to a reader's platform, where scripture was read from or something like that. It's not entirely clear, from what I've read, but it sounds like it's kind of impressed onto the mosaic pavement and they're interpreting it to be a table. They haven't found the table itself.

NGUYEN: Does it give you an indication, though, of what era this was from?

MEYERS: Well, they date it to the third century. And they're primarily dating, according to ceramic typology -- that is, what the sherds tell them about the date. I'm a specialist in third century ceramics and there's a fudge factor here. It's not like reading off of a coin the date. It's questionable.

NGUYEN: All right, we were showing some picture just moments ago about the mosaics. Maybe we can put them back up once more. Because you see fish in these mosaics. No, not the cross, but fish. What does that tell you?

MEYERS: Well, this would be a Christian symbol if it would be in the fourth century. We have suggested fish used prior to that time in Christian context. But it's not generally believed that the fish becomes or even the cross, for that matter, becomes a Christian symbol until after Christianity is recognized in the fourth century, after Constantine.

NGUYEN: All right, regardless of which century this dates back to, this an important find. Tell us why.

MEYERS: Well, it certainly tells us of the presence of, and growing presence of Christianity in the land of Israel, in the Holy Land, at a critical time when -- in the development of both Judaism and Christianity. Christianity, in the fourth century, takes off tremendously. If it's in the third century, then it's a spectacular find that says that the Nation Church, the earliest church in the Holy Land, is expanding in a period when Christianity is really just beginning to take its definitive shape.

NGUYEN: Well, it is truly fascinating. I can't wait to see all the information that comes out of this find. Eric Meyers, professor of religion at Duke University, thank you.

MEYERS: You're welcome.

NGUYEN: "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer is up next. Plus, how are the financial markets starting off the work week? We are going to bring you that closing bell, live next. I'm Betty Nguyen.

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