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Reaction to Bush Iraq Speech; Trial of Saddam Hussein

Aired December 07, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: By fighting the terrorists in Iraq, we are confronting a direct threat to the American people, and we will accept nothing less than complete victory.

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HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: On the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. president vows to stay the course in Iraq the same way previous generations faced setbacks on the path to victory.

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Conspicuous in his absence in the courtroom. Saddam Hussein excused from court, but harrowing details of beatings and shock treatments in his prisons are still heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I started to say, "In the name of god, the almighty and merciful," he saw a light around me. And I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Rare insight into the mind of Iran's president and the role Islam plays in his political life.

CLANCY: It is right now 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 12:00 noon in Washington, D.C.

I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.

Welcome to our viewers throughout the world. This is CNN International, and this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

A public relations campaign and response to political pressure at home. U.S. President George W. Bush says it may be uneven, but there is economic progress in parts of Iraq.

CLANCY: That's right. Now, the president says in his view it gives the people of Iraq hope for a democratic future. This the second in a series of speeches that the White House really hopes is going to help counter the critics of the war in the U.S.

GORANI: It is also designed to boost the president's plumting approval ratings. But Democrats say Mr. Bush is out of touch with the reality in Iraq.

CLANCY: Now, in last week's address, the president focused on Iraq's security. This time, Mr. Bush cited specific examples of reconstruction projects. He singled out economic progress in the cities of Najaf and Mosul in the north, two places where headway is being made. The speech comes ahead of Iraqi elections just about a week away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: In two and a half years, the Iraqi people have made amazing progress. They've gone from living under the boot of a brutal tyrant to liberation, to free elections, to a democratic constitution. A week from tomorrow they will go to the polls to elect a fully constitutional government that will lead them for the next four years. By helping Iraqis continue to build their democracy, we will gain an ally in the war on terror.

There is still plenty of work left to be done in Najaf. Like most of Iraq, the reconstruction in Najaf is preceded with fits and starts since liberation. It's been uneven.

Sustaining electric power remains a major challenge. The construction has begun on three new substations to help boost capacity. Because there's a shortage of clean water, new water treatment and sewage units are now being installed.

Security in Najaf has improved substantially, but threats remain. There's still kidnappings, and militias and armed gangs are exerting more influence than they should in a free society.

Local leaders and Iraqi security forces are confronting these problems. And we are helping them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: For more on Mr. Bush's speech, we go now to CNN's Elaine Quijano in Washington.

Now, Elaine, interestingly, George W. Bush said if we don't fight the terrorists in Iraq, basically we would have to fight them elsewhere at home.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. And that's something that we have heard President Bush talk about time and time again, is that Iraq, in the administration's view, has become a central front in the war on terrorism. And we've heard the president say this, that if those terrorists were not out fighting U.S. forces, that they would not be idle. So that has been a primary concern for the administration, that as it has continued to carry out its war on terror, that in fact Iraq may not be the strong democratic stronghold, if you will, in that region if U.S. forces pull out precipitously. So we have continued to hear the administration make that argument that to pull out now would be a mistake.

It is a critical time, as you noted, for the Iraqi people with those upcoming parliamentary elections next week. Mr. Bush, though, laying out once again his view that in fact, terrorism is -- that the war on terror, really, the central front is Iraq.

GORANI: Of course today is December 7, the 64th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. And George Bush there also saying that December 7 was like 9/11 and likening the generation of soldiers who fought during World War II to the generation of soldiers fighting in Iraq.

This an effort to convince those who are skeptical that the war effort is worth it. That indeed, the U.S. effort in Iraq is not in vain.

Is it likely to work?

QUIJANO: Well, unclear. Certainly at this point the administration is facing some tough criticisms on that front.

The poll numbers, as you noted, continue to show the public's falling public support for the president's Iraq policy. But in essence, what you have here is the administration again reminding the American people that on September 11, it was not in fact a time when the United States was in Iraq, that -- that the administration points out that at that time the United States was attacked.

And so the Bush administration, again, really trying to remind the American people about what happened on 9/11, trying to draw some parallels between what happened in World War II, as you mentioned, Pearl Harbor. But we'll have to wait and see whether or not that resonates with the American people.

GORANI: All right. And we will be watching. Thanks very much.

Elaine Quijano at the White House -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq also outlined a blueprint for stabilizing the country's. Zalmay Khalilzad saying his experience in another region, meaning Afghanistan, gives him insight to how successfully you can rebuild Iraq.

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ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I bring with me from my experience in Afghanistan an emphasis on political engagement with various forces, as well the centralized economic development. We had provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan that helped in the development of the provinces of Afghanistan. We are doing the same thing here. We have already had three provincial reconstruction teams that have been established in three different provinces to help with the local government to work with the local people. And as the president said in his speech, we are also doing more decentralized economic reconstruction effort, using more local companies, putting more Iraqi employees to work, and also consulting more with Iraqis, and emphasizing projects that they think is important to them, with an emphasis on quick results so the Iraqi people can see their situation improve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Now we want to get some more perspective on what Mr. Bush was trying to achieve, the problems that he had going into it, and whether he solved any of them this day before the Council on Foreign Relations there in Washington.

Let's go to Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider. He's in Washington.

The president had a credibility problem when he went in here. And he came in on a day, Pearl Harbor Day, burned into the memories of the Americans, conjuring up images of the Arizona going down with billowing clouds of smoke at Pearl Harbor, comparing that to September 11, another sneak attack. But then he said that Saddam Hussein -- implied that Saddam Hussein was responsible for that sneak attack, somehow tying it in that that's the reason that we are in Iraq.

Somehow it didn't seem to work.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he did quote a letter from one of the terrorist leaders, Zawahiri, in which he cited the intention of the terrorists whom the president described as one of the factions supporting the insurgency in Iraq, that the terrorists has in mind using Iraq as a base from which to continue attacks against the United States.

The president's argument to this very sophisticated audience of the foreign policy establishment was, what we are facing in Iraq is the beginning, could be the beginning of a new Cold War unless we put a stop to it. He drew explicit analogies to the Cold War.

He said the Islamic radicals want to establish an empire from Spain to Indonesia. That's the analogy to the old communist empire that the -- it's very much like the fascists tried to challenge to free world during World War II. And we have, of course, already been attacked on 9/11.

The question, of course, is did Saddam Hussein have any connection to those attacks? That has never been established. But certainly some of the Islamic radicals who are trying to gain a foothold in Iraq would use that as a base to continue to threaten and plan attacks against the United States. And that Americans really do recognize as a real threat.

CLANCY: They do recognize it as a threat. I think what the credibility problems comes in is the reason that the U.S. went to war in Iraq...

SCHNEIDER: Yes.

CLANCY: ... the reason that Mr. Bush led us there. That was one of the key points that's not answered.

Also, how much longer are Americans going to be there? No mention of that.

SCHNEIDER: That's right.

CLANCY: Some of the specific questions, I think, Americans want answers to.

SCHNEIDER: The most important one is, when and how are we going to get out of Iraq? And the president's answer to that is we are on the road to victory. We haven't won, and I think they are still trying to get over the "Mission Accomplished" moment back in 2003, because it looked like we won, and Americans have been waiting two and a half years to get out. Americans want to win and get out.

Well, the president is saying in this speech and the one last week, presumably the one -- the two more he'll continue to give, that there is a foreseeable victory in Iraq. The "V" word, "victory," came throughout his speech. It's throughout that document that was released last week that we're on the road to victory. And he denounced Democrats like Howard Dean, who are saying that the United States can't win in Iraq. He regards that as defeatist.

Well, this is all based on a theory. The theory, which comes from a political scientist who's an adviser to the National Security Council, the theory is, if Americans believe that we can succeed, that we can win, they will be willing to tolerate casualties.

So the president is trying to convince the American audience this is a war that can be won, and, in fact, we are winning.

CLANCY: Bill Schneider, that was a tough crowd that he was playing to today. But some believe that the president had to move away from having his captive audience, the commander in chief speaking before his troops.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. This was not particularly a friendly audience or an unfriendly audience. It was the establishment.

Many of them are very critical. It includes Republicans, it includes Democrats. It includes conservatives, all kinds of people who have had a role in foreign policy. That's what -- they are very sophisticated, very widely experienced.

I think what the president did was speak to an audience that wasn't going to continually erupt in applause, that didn't look like a hand-selected staged and invited audience. But on the other hand, he could be pretty sure they would be polite and respectful, if only to the office of the president of the United States. So, while they didn't break into applause except once, it wasn't very tumultuous. But they didn't boo or hiss either. It was a safe audience, I would say.

CLANCY: Bill Schneider, analyzing the president's latest speech on victory in Iraq. As always, Bill, our thanks to you.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

GORANI: Well, the U.S. policy in Iraq is the subject of our question of the day today.

CLANCY: And we are asking this: What would it take for the U.S. to declare victory in Iraq?

E-mail us your thoughts at ywt@CNN.com. Let us know where you are writing from, and please be sure to keep them brief.

GORANI: Right. And don't forget to include your name as well, so we can read that out when we read out a selection of these e-mails.

CLANCY: All right.

In Baghdad, the trial of Saddam Hussein proceeded without the key defendant, as we told you.

GORANI: Coming up, the day's courtroom developments, including more harrowing testimony from hidden witnesses. We'll go live to Baghdad. We'll bring you the latest.

Stay with us. You're with YOUR WORLD TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: An hour of world news on CNN International.

Well, the trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants has been adjourned now until the 21st of December.

GORANI: On Wednesday, a request by Hussein to be excused from court was granted by the presiding judge. But the reason was not made clear.

CLANCY: After hours of delay, the trial resumed without the lead defendant. He had said he had been wearing the same clothes for three days, he wasn't allowed to smoke, wasn't able to get out to exercise and swim.

Meantime, sitting behind a curtain to protect his identity, Witness F, the first to specifically tie one of the defendants to his treatment during detention. He testified that Saddam Hussein's half brother, Barzan Hasan al-Tikriti, was present during his ordeal. He also spoke about his treatment at the Abu Ghraib prison.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): One time, about 10:00 p.m., they would scare the men, the women and the children. That's how -- that's what -- I lived in Abu Ghraib for about -- for the period I lived there, torture, beating. If you don't get beaten one day, for sure you'll be beaten the other day.

Even sleeping, they would not let us sleep. At 2:00 a.m., they would not let you sleep. They would take you out and beat you with cables and so on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Joining us with more details on today's proceedings, Aneesh Raman is in Baghdad -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hala, essentially two threads of what we saw today.

First, in terms of developments on this trial, it has adjourned until December 21. We expected an adjournment of some kind because of the country's upcoming December 15 general elections.

Also, after the trial concluded today, defense attorneys were meeting with the five panels of judges to discuss security. That has been a huge issue for the defense, one they raised on Monday after they walked out of the courtroom. That and the legitimacy of the court.

A huge issue as well for Ramsey Clark, the former U.S. attorney general who is now an adviser to this defense team. So they are -- and we don't know whether that meeting has ended, but they are in fact meeting with the judges on security.

Now, what did we see today in terms of that empty chair? It was a bit of chaos in the morning when the press arrived.

The trial kept getting delayed. And we were told that it was because Saddam Hussein did not want to appear in court. There were talks between the judges and the defense lawyers, the defense lawyers and Saddam Hussein. Essentially negotiation going around.

It was in a closed session that we were not allowed to see or hear. And then the trial did start at around 3:00 p.m.

At that point, the judge acknowledged Saddam Hussein's absence in the courtroom, saying he would be made aware of the court proceedings after they were done. And the chief lawyer for Saddam Hussein, Khalil Dulaimi, stood up and thanked the judge for continuing forward.

Now, afterwards, we were told by a spokesman for the court that what took place during that closed session was Saddam Hussein presented rationale for why he did not want to appear in court today. We were not told what those reasons were. All we were told is that this wasn't a boycott by Saddam. It was the court allowing him to skip this session. Now, it might be a bit of legal semantics there, because the image of that empty chair carries weight, especially after yesterday's outbursts by Saddam saying that he did not want to appear in an unjust court, that he had been in the same clothes for three days, and that he didn't have access to cigarettes, as Jim was mentioning.

So the trial ends. They expect him to be in court on the 21st. But again, this is a trial that's seen many firsts.

Today the first time Saddam Hussein didn't show up. Who know if there's another first that we'll see on the 21st -- Hala.

GORANI: And of course, according to Iraqi law, Saddam Hussein doesn't have to be present at his own trial.

RAMAN: He does not. The court -- and it's even unclear at the moment whether the court has the right to compel him. Clearly, if they think they have the right to excuse him, that also means thef to right to compel him.

But the court can go forward. In the morning part, when we were waiting to find out what was going to happen, negotiations were under way, there was some suggestion that other means were being looked at. Perhaps closed-circuit television so that Saddam could see the proceedings as they were unfolding, maybe some way for him to interject, because in a legal sense he lost some rights today.

He wasn't directly able to directly bring up issues with the witnesses, as we saw from Barzan Hasan, Saddam Hussein's half-brother. But symbolically, clearly, Saddam Hussein yesterday saying he didn't want to show up, today he didn't -- Hala.

GORANI: All right. Aneesh Raman reporting live from Baghdad -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, in other news coming out of Iraq this day, more than a dozen gunmen raided a hospital in the northern city of Kirkuk. They were there trying to free a suspect who had been arrested and detained for allegedly planting explosives in the city.

Iraqi officials say in the gunfight that ensued three policemen were killed, seven others wounded. The suspect was being treated, and he was under guard for a wound that he received as he was captured last month.

GORANI: The British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, says the government cannot meet the demand of kidnappers holding four Western men hostage in Iraq. A Britain, an American, and two Canadians were kidnapped late last month in Baghdad. They were working with a Christian peace group. The Arab network Al-Jazeera broadcast video of the group.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ask Mr. Blair to take British troops out of Iraq and leave the Iraqi people to come to their own decisions on their government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: we are being treated well. We are both well. All of us are well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: An Iraqi group calls itself the Swords of Truth has threatened to kill those hostages unless Iraqi detainees are released by Thursday.

CLANCY: Palestinian sources report an Israeli military helicopter fired a missile at a Palestinian car in Gaza. At least one person was killed, five others were wounded.

Israeli military sources say the target was man who was a senior member of an umbrella group that's made up of radicals from several different factions there in Gaza. They also say he was involved in recent shooting attacks against Israeli military forces.

GORANI: All right. A look at the news in the United States is next for our viewers in the U.S.

CLANCY: And the rest of us are going to hear what is moving financial markets.

Plus, a call by a U.S. diplomat for North Korea calling it a criminal regime. Details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. First, though, a check of stories making headlines here in the U.S.

President Bush says steady progress doesn't always make the headlines, so he himself touted what he says are the administration's achievements in Iraq. Mr. Bush conceded that while reconstruction has sometimes been uneven in Iraq, he says the nation's economy is growing and the war on terror is paving the road to more progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: We will continue to hunt down the terrorists wherever they hide. We will help the Iraqi people so they can build a free society in the heart of a troubled region. And by laying the foundations of freedom in Iraq, and across the broader Middle East, we will lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Democrats were quick to lash out at Mr. Bush's claims of progress in Iraq. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi suggested the president's optimistic view of Iraq is not supported by the facts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: More of the same in Iraq is not making us safer here at home. More of the same in Iraq is not strengthening our military to protect us at home or anywhere in the world where our interests are threatened. And more of the same in Iraq is not bringing stability to that region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Congressman John Murtha sparked a firestorm in Washington when he recently called on the Bush administration to pull American troops out of Iraq. Coming up at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, the Pennsylvania Democrat will respond to President Bush's speech on Iraq.

Stay right here with CNN for live coverage of that.

The committee that's investigating the response to Hurricane Katrina shifted its focus to Mississippi this morning. Governor Haley Barbour testified that more than three months after the storm the infrastructure is still in shambles, and he says the government is still dragging its feet. Barbour called on Congress to approve emergency funding for schools, roads and housing.

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GOV. HALEY BARBOUR (R), MISSISSIPPI: But for us to continue moving forward, Congress has to act. As the "Hattiesburg American" newspaper asked December 1, "Where is the money for highways?": The answer to that is, it's stalled in Congress.

The result is that our state Department of Transportation has had to stop rebuilding roads and bridges, so the reopening of our transportation network's delayed. If people can't get to work, or if they can't get to your store, the private sector can't rebuild our communities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The rebuilding effort in New Orleans is about to get a shot in the arm. Former presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton are in New Orleans today. The two have spearheaded a massive fund- raising effort that's brought in at least 1$100 million.

This afternoon they'll announce how some of that money is going to be spent. Former presidents Bush and Clinton will be Larry King's guests tonight. That's 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

The holidays can be depressing and that kind of a time for some people. Right now maybe especially tough for disaster survivors who lost everything. Today the Department of Health and Human Services will announce a launch of public service spots aimed especially at victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The ads will let people know that there are mental health services available for those feeling overwhelmed by their losses. The department has scheduled a news conference for 2:00 p.m. Eastern. No one knows what next year's hurricane season will be like, but one expert says he has an idea. Colorado State University's William Gray, one of the country's top storm forecasters, predicts there could be nine hurricanes next year, with an 81 percent chance of at least one hitting the U.S.

For the record, one year ago, Gray predicted six hurricanes for 2005, three of them major. In fact, there were 14 hurricanes, and seven of them were intense.

The mayor of Spokane, Washington, will soon be out of his job. Voters yesterday recalled James West in a special election tied to allegations that he offered city jobs and perks to men he met in a gay Internet chat room. West is not charged with any crime, but the FBI is investigating.

You will pay that student loan, whether you like it or not. This morning, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the government can seize your Social Security benefits to pay old student loans. A disabled man had argued he need his entire Social Security check to pay for food and medication.

The survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are among the guests at today's 64th anniversary of the bombing. A U.S. Navy ship and the Hawaii Air National Guard are honoring the veterans and those who died in the surprise attack. Besides the event in Hawaii, remembrances are also being held in the nation's capital.

The world in a glass. Six drinks that changed history, that's on "LIVE FROM" with Kyra Phillips. It begins at the top of the hour.

Meanwhile, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Daryn Kagan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International. I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: And I'm Hala Gorani. Here are some of the top stories we're following for you this hour. The trial of Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants has been adjourned until December 21st, but not without more delays. Proceedings were set back four hours Wednesday after Saddam Hussein asked to be excused from court. The judge granted the request and the trial continued without him in court. Witness F, meantime, testified about beatings, shock treatments, starvation and overcrowded conditions at Abu Ghraib prison during months of detention.

CLANCY: Elsewhere in Iraq, a break-out. Three policemen killed, seven wounded, after gunmen raided a hospital in Kirkuk. Fifteen attackers freed a suspect detained for planting explosives in the city. The man was being treated under guard for wounds received during his capture. U.S. president George W. Bush says Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism and that American forces will not leave without a, quote, complete victory. His comments came in the second of a series of speeches aimed at countering criticism about the American presence in Iraq and domestic pressure as well.

Mr. Bush also highlighted efforts to help Iraqis overhaul their economy and infrastructure. He cited Najaf and Mosul as places where headway in Iraq is being made. Some Democrats have been clamoring for a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal in Iraq.

Senator Jack Reed had this reaction to President Bush's speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK REED, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRAT: I thought it was instructive today that the president reflected on two cities -- Najaf and Mosul, one a Shia city in the south, one a Kurdish city in the north -- that are examples of some success, but he didn't concentrate on the critical battleground areas of the Sunni triangle.

But more than that, he didn't tell the American people how we're going to replicate that success in other parts of Iraq. What resources are necessary? How many more teams of Americans, both military and civilian, need to go into these communities? What it will cost us and will those costs be reflected in the budget he sent to us next year and succeeding years? So we're still waiting. So I think we do think we can succeed. The question is, we need a plan to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: The U.S. policy in Iraq is the subject of our question this day -- Hala.

GORANI: And we are asking, what would it take for the U.S. to declare victory in Iraq? E-mail us your thoughts at ywt@CNN.com.

CLANCY: As always, we remind you, keep your comments brief and don't forget to include your name and where you are writing us from, all right?

GORANI: The U.S. secretary of state is in Belgium on the fourth and final leg of a European tour clouded by controversy. Before heading to Brussels, Condoleezza Rice met with Ukranian president Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev.

And every stop, Rice has been dogged by criticism of U.S. methods in the war against terrorism. Rice has tried to deflect accusations that the U.S. mistreats detainees. And in Kiev, she pressed on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: As a matter of U.S. policy, the United States' obligations under the CAT, which prohibits, of course, cruel and inhumane and degrading treatment -- those obligations extend to U.S. personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the United States or outside of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, also under intense scrutiny abroad, the U.S. practiced the so-called U.S. practice of rendition. That's the process of moving a suspected terrorist from one country to another for interrogation and to avoid extradition. Condoleezza Rice says rendition, quote, "takes terrorists out of action and saves lives," end quote. Part of her mission during her European trip is clarifying that policy with America's allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The practice of rendition, as described by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has been the American policy for many years. We've not had such a situation here, but that has been the American policy for many, many years. It, however, must be applied in accordance with international conventions and I accept entirely her assurance that it has been.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: British Prime Minister Tony Blair there. Now, human rights groups say rendition violates civil rights. That argument is at the heart of a lawsuit being brought by a German man who claims he was the innocent victim of that very policy.

CLANCY: Well, the U.S. also very interested in democracy around the world. And if we're talking about the Middle East, the leader is Egypt, the largest Arab country, also the one that is in the forefront right now in democratic reforms. But two men reported now killed in Egypt's final round of parliamentary voting. They died in clashes with police, which have flared throughout the multi-phase election.

Now government supporters are accused of violence -- using violence to try to prevent a strong showing by the opposition, Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is officially banned, but members of the Brotherhood are tolerated in running so long as they stand as independent candidates. And they seem to have significant popular support, much of it described as a protest vote after so many decades of rule by one man.

Sandra Petrikuosky (ph) explains the group's appeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDRA PETRIKUOSKY (ph), CORRESPONDENT: They run under their banner of "Islam is the solution." And technically, they have said in the past that they do want the constitution based on Sharia, which makes some nervous. However, when we spoke to one of their spokespeople today, he said that the constitution is already based on Sharia. And, actually, they're looking for democracy and for change.

And a lot of people do support the Muslim Brotherhood. Some analysts have said that they support them, not necessarily because they are an Islamic group, because they -- unlike the government, the ruling party -- get things done for people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: The Muslim Brotherhood has already won 76 parliamentary seats. Take this fact into account: that's five times more than it won in the 2000 elections -- Hala.

GORANI: Switching gears now. The South Korean doctor known for his pioneering stem cell research has been hospitalized. Officials say Hwang Woo-suk suffers from extreme stress and won't be returning to work any time soon. He's been the target of an ethics probe. But as Sohn Jie-Ae reports, he's still very popular.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In South Korea, a path of azaleas is a sign of waiting for the return of a loved one. These women want the return of a pioneer in stem cell research: Dr. Hwang Woo-suk, who is in seclusion after apologizing for ethical lapses in his work. Last month, Dr. Hwang admitted his team used eggs donated from scientists in his laboratory, a practice frowned upon because of concerns of coercion.

"We love you, Dr. Hwang!" they shout. These are no empty words. These women are some of the over 1,000 who signed up the past few weeks to donate their eggs to his research. Supplies of human eggs are crucial for the creation of embryonic stem cell lines, which hold the promise of new treatments for many medical conditions.

Thirty-eight year old Pong Myung (ph) is only too eager to donate her eggs. She has a sister battling leukemia. "I keep thinking about people like my sister who are suffering, she says. It would be so wonderful if what I do can help Dr. Hwang help them.

(on camera): For many of these women, their hopes of finding a cure for their loved ones goes hand in hand with their love of country, which is why they carry the national flowers, and their feelings for the man, whose picture they carry.

(voice-over): A Korean TV magazine show questioned the accuracy of Dr. Hyong's research, public outcry resulted in advertises pulling their commercials. The broadcaster issued a public apology after allegations it used coercion to question Hyong's researchers in the United States.

But people like Han Me Yun feel every minute the doctor spends away from his research is a loss of precious time, when none of this controversy is more important than finding cures for loved ones who are ill.

Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: All right. Well, relations between Iran and the U.S. already strained, to say the least. GORANI: Yes, now there's a new wrinkle. Iran's president claims a divine connection. The story ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: An hour of world news right here on CNN International.

Well, European diplomats are criticizing Iran's vow now that it's going to begin uranium enrichment without further negotiations. They say now Europeans may refer to matter to the U.N. Security Council.

GORANI: And now a comment by Iran's president on a completely different topic is raising eyebrows.

Lindsey Hilsum reports on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's devotion to a Shia Muslim saint, and how Iran and the world are reacting to it.

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LINDSEY HILSUM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jamkaran, the shrine to the 12th Iman, the Mahdi, the faithful write their prayers. He is their most revered saint, their only hope. One day, they believe, he'll return to Earth through the world which lies under the post box. In the meantime, they mail him their wishes.

One woman prays the Mahdi he will cure her son's opium addiction.

In the men's section, more prayers -- a terminally ill child, a daughter still unmarried, unemployment, all the problems of poverty. Many mullahs say the Wellen (ph) post box a mere superstition. But thousands of Iranians come to Jamkaran shrine every Tuesday evening. They're looking for a sign that the Mahdi will return soon.

Now it seems the Madhi has become political. Iran's new president says he's a devotee of the 12th Imam and the Jamkaran.

(on camera): One of the first things Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did on becoming president was to allocate $17 million to this shrine for the 12th imam, the Madhi.

All Shias believe that one day the Mahdi will return. But some Iranians are beginning to worry that their new president is reorienting the country's politics toward that day.

Is it that Tony Blair had said that from now on Britain should be preparing for the second coming of Jesus?

(voice-over): Darkness falls. Still the pilgrims come. They're warding off the evil eye. For eight years, Iran was run by reformists who talked of democracy and despair such religiosity, but the new president talks the language of the people. Some have came to praise him, providing they don't have to look a woman journalist in the eye. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Mr. Ahmadinejad is the only president in 28 years who came with the slogan of bringing justice, saying that he is one of us, cut from the same cloth. He proudly invokes the name of god the merciful. And after that, he always prays for the coming of Mahdi. With this sentence, he proves that he and the government he has formed are all lovers of the Mahdi.

HILSUM: He repeated that prayer when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly last September, calling on Gods to hasten the coming of the Mahdi.

A DVD circulating secretly in Tehran and on the Internet shows the president a few days later entering a house with a senior conservative ayatollah. They sit and drink tea in the traditional manner. What he says about his experiences in New York gives a rare insight into how Mr. Ahmadinejad really thinks.

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): For the last day when I was speaking before the assembly, one of our group told me that when I started to say in the name of god, the almighty and merciful, he saw a light around me, and I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself. I felt the atmosphere suddenly change. And for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink, and I say, they didn't bat an eyelid. I'm not exaggerating, because I was looking at them, and they were rapt. It seemed as if a hand was holding them there, and it opened their eyes to receive the message from the Islamic republic.

HILSUM: The reformists are horrified that this is the image of Iran being seen around the world.

REZA KHATAMI, IRANIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN: In the last eight years, the reformists tried to give a very clear sign to the world that Islam in Iran is not so fanatic. And I think the new government, they want to go back three decades. And not only they want to go back themselves, but they want to pull back the country for three decades. So everybody is now worried about the future.

HILSUM: Happy landings. It's the annual day of the Basiege (ph), a paramilitary organization meant to protect the country. Three decades ago, they were the vanguard of the Islamic revolution. Today they are showing off their skills. And their Air Force.

This is Mr. Ahmadinejad's power base, his enforcers amongst the population, although it looks as if not everyone's in step.

We caught up with the president, and asked what he meant when he said Iranians should prepare for the return of the Mahdi. The reply, they must be pure and devout.

Mr. Ahmadinejad shocked western governments when he said Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth. He used Besiege (ph) Day to send another hard line message to Europe and America, to the countries trying to prevent Iran from developing nuclear technology.

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): You, whose arsenals are full of nuclear weapons. You, who have used nuclear weapons this century against defenseless people and nations. You, who used depleted uranium in the Iraq war. You, whose arsenals are full of chemical and biological weapons, who are you to come out and say that you are suspicious of Iran's nuclear program?

HILSUM (on camera): The parades, the parachutes, it's all designed to show that Iran is a force to be reckoned with, and that nuclear power as the president says in every speech, is their inalienable right.

(voice-over): A human chain, symbolically protecting the country. The reformists fear the president's harsh words will lead to Iran being called up in front of the U.N. Security Council on suspicion of making a nuclear weapon.

MOHAMED ALI ABTAHI, FORMER IRANIAN VICE PRESIDENT (through translator): We want nuclear technology to enhance Iran's standing in the world. And if that means we will have to sacrifice the power we already have with -- or even more extreme measures against us, then in reality we will have gained the technology, but we won't have increased our power and influence at all.

HILSUM: The Bright Future Institute has come, devoted to the study of the Mahdi and other messianic cults. They catalog the literature and answer questions from the public sent in by e-mail, phone or letter. The most common query is, how will we know that the Mahdi is about to return?

(on camera): So this is representing Imam Mahdi.

(voice-over): The children's books they design show what a wonderful world it will be afterwards. But just like fundamentalist Christians, Shias believe the messiah's second coming will be heralded by an apocalypse, war and chaos. They don't say it publicly, but some Iranians worry that their new president has no fear of international turmoil. May think it's just a sign from god.

Iranians mourn their Imams, their saints, as if they died yesterday, not centuries ago. They voted out the reformists who talked of democracy and human rights, but brought no real improvement to the lives of the poor.

Iran's new president may alarm the educated elite and western leaders, but the faithful aren't looking for clever diplomacy over nuclear power. They are looking to the president and the Mahdi for a miracle. Lindsey Hilsum, Channel Four News, Tehran.

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CLANCY: Welcome back. Time to open "The Inbox." A lot of e- mail today. The U.S. policy in Iraq the subject of our question of the day.

GORANI: All right. What would it take for U.S. to declare victory in Iraq?

Richard writes from Tennessee, "it's hard to know when you've reached your destination if you never knew for sure where you were going to begin with."

CLANCY: A lot of sarcasm this day. Connie in New York writes: "Do you mean 'victory over Iraq'? I think that victory will be admitting we made a horrendous mistake and having the humility to admit it and pull out."

GORANI: Ken writes from California, "success in Iraq will happen when we have a" -- and more sarcasm here -- "when we have a puppet government running the country."

CLANCY: And James from Tennessee: "How can we declare victory when we can't even get Saddam Hussein to show up in court? It shows we have no control over anything in Iraq whatsoever."

GORANI: All right.

CLANCY: Well, James, actually, the United States is not supposed to dictate who shows up in court.

GORANI: Right.

CLANCY: But that's all the time we have today. Thanks for your opinions.

GORANI: Yes, and this was YOUR WORLD TODAY. And we have another hour of YOUR WORLD TODAY for our international viewers, and for our domestic viewers, back to regular programming.

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