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Your World Today

Saddam Hussein Alleges He's Been Beaten While in Custody; U.S. Spying Dispute; Senate Showdown Over Drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Aired December 21, 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.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Baghdad, bombshell. Saddam Hussein says he was tortured by Americans as his trial resumes in the Iraqi capital.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A stern U.S. president demands the passing of an anti-terrorism bill as the firestorm over a domestic spying program heats up.

VERJEE: And a Chechen mother's desperate search for her son more than five years after he was ordered executed by a Russian general.

It's 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 12:00 noon in Washington.

I'm Zain Verjee.

HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes.

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

Of course, we are going to begin in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein's trial has taken a sensational turn, with him claiming that he and his co-defendants were tortured and beaten while in U.S. custody.

VERJEE: He made the statement during an evening session of his trial, which resumed on Wednesday.

Let's get straight to Aneesh Raman, who is in Baghdad. He's been in the courtroom all day.

Aneesh, some startling allegations from Saddam Hussein.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Zain.

Saddam Hussein saying that he has been beaten in custody. It came at the end of a day during which Saddam was for the most part really sedate.

He entered the courtroom as he always does, the final of the eight defendants. He had boycotted, you'll recall, the last session some two weeks ago.

During the course of the morning he only spoke twice, once to say that he wanted to pray because it was noon local time, another time to question the legitimacy of the prosecution. But the most heated exchange between him and the court came just moments ago.

Again, he alleged that he has been beaten while in custody. He did so to both the judge and the prosecution.

Here's exactly what Saddam Hussein said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SADDAM HUSSEIN, FMR. IRAQI DICTATOR (through translator): Yes, I was beaten on every part of my body. And marks are still on my body. I'm not complaining about Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: Now, it's part of the defense strategy, Zain. They are well aware the world is watching to make this case as much about the defendants and their time in detainment, as it's been than the charges they face, crimes against humanity being the biggest of them.

The prosecutor said he will look into these allegations Saddam Hussein has made. He's made similar allegations earlier, in earlier court appearances.

In terms of his custody though, just to be clear, he is under the custody officially of the Iraqi government. They have asked, though, the U.S. military, the multinational forces, to keep Saddam for his own safety because they are not ready to take on his detainment.

But again, the court now in about a 15-minute recess, we're told. It's unclear whether it will convene and adjourn for the day or whether we will hear from further witnesses -- Zain.

VERJEE: What kind of witness testimony did we hear today, Aneesh, and how credible was it?

RAMAN: Well, we heard dramatic testimony at the start of this session from a witness who did not hide behind that blue curtain that other witnesses have done for the sake of their own security. His name, Ali Hadri (ph), from the village of Dujail, a man that I met some weeks ago when I traveled there.

He spoke in very detailed terms about torture that he suffered while in prison -- he was 14 at the time -- the fact that seven of his brothers were executed, the fact that 43 members of his family were detained.

Here's a little bit of what he testified against Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They took me downstairs, I don't remember how many flights. I arrived to a hallway that had lights. And the doors were different. The doors were different, and the hallway was different. And I hear screams and shouting. After that, suddenly the shouting stopped and a body went out in the...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: Now Zain, when I spoke to him some weeks ago, he said that his brother was involved in the failed assassination attempt. The defense almost explicitly tried to link Ali Hadri (ph) to that assassination plot. Instead, he said it was his brother involved and that his family suffered the revenge and retribution of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Now, we then heard from a second witness, an anonymous witness behind a blue curtain, who again detailed years spent in Abu Ghraib prison and at a desert facility where torture was suffered, abuse as well. And again, we are waiting to find out whether the court will adjourn for the day or whether we will hear from further witnesses -- Zain.

VERJEE: Aneesh, as we were listening to Saddam Hussein speak, there were large gaps in the audio that we were able to hear, suggesting that someone may be pushing some sort of button and controlling what we can hear about what Saddam Hussein is saying. And he was saying it as he was making allegations of torture during his detention.

What more can you tell us about that?

RAMAN: Well, Zain, we should be very clear, the video that comes out of this courtroom is essentially censored. Those of us, as I was this morning, who are inside in the media gallery were aware that at times the microphones are shut off.

Now, we're told it's because of security concerns. They delete anything that could detail where Saddam and the other co-defendants are being held, specifics of their detainment. But they have incredible latitude, the judge as well.

He essentially can rule at any moment if the video should be changed or cut, as well as the audio. And there are also representatives both of the court and of the multinational forces who are helping this process in that courtroom who can decide on their own if security is being breached.

So the video that the world sees is not nearly all of what is taking place inside the courtroom, they say, for security concerns. But at times the diatribes as well are cut out -- Zain.

VERJEE: CNN's Aneesh Raman reporting to us from Baghdad.

Thanks, Aneesh -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right.

Iran wants Saddam Hussein to be charged with ordering poison attacks against Iranian civilians during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Iran's foreign minister made the comments during a visit to veterans undergoing treatment for injuries caused by chemical attacks. He said Tehran has prepared a petition to send the tribunal in Baghdad.

VERJEE: There are growing questions from the U.S. Congress over whether President George W. Bush has restricted American civil liberties as he pursues the war on terror. And the Patriot Act and the secret wiretapping program are at the center of the controversy.

For more on the fallout, we are joined now from the White House by Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Zain.

And really what sparked the controversy was the revelation last week that President Bush authorized a secret domestic spying program, essentially allowing the U.S. government to target the international communications of Americans living inside the United States, Americans suspected of having terrorist ties.

Now, the problems, say some critics, is that these wiretaps did not require a court-issued warrant. The White House, though, maintains that the program is legal under the U.S. Constitution, that the president does have the power to authorize that kind of surveillance. But those questions and concerns over protecting civil liberties are serving as the backdrop now for the debate on Capitol Hill among lawmakers on the Patriot Act.

The clock is ticking on the Patriot Act. Provisions are set to expire at the end of the year. So President Bush today urged the Senate to move forward on reauthorizing the Patriot Act. He calls it a critical tool in fighting the war on terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In order to protect America, the United States Senate must reauthorize the Patriot Act. The terrorists still want to hit us again. There's an enemy that lurks, a dangerous group of people that want to do harm to the American people. And we must have the tools necessary to protect the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: And the Patriot Act would allow agents, has allowed agents, they say, to better carry out the war on terror. But it's interesting to note it is not just members of the opposition party, Democrats, who are remaining firm on this issue of civil liberties. Also joining them, a handful of members of the president's own party, some Republicans.

Nevertheless, as that debate continues, in the meantime, President Bush at this hour is visiting a nearby medical center. He spoke to caregivers there earlier today. He and the first lady, Laura Bush, visiting wounded Marines and their families today. Those Marines injured, we are told, while carrying out their duties in Iraq -- Zain.

VERJEE: Elaine, a federal judge resigned from the court that oversees the surveillance of intelligence cases essentially in protest. Tell us more about that and the White House's response.

QUIJANO: CNN hasn't been able to confirm the details, but according to "The Washington Post," citing unnamed sources, this report said that the U.S. district judge who was a member of that secret court -- it's called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court -- did in fact express misgivings about this program privately to associates.

This article says that the judge did not comment when asked about this. But certainly some see this as fallout, another example they say of some of the fallout as a result of this program being made public. We should point out that this judge, according to "The Washington Post" report, noted this as well, that the judge is a Clinton appointee. But nevertheless, adding to the growing debate over the controversy about this program -- Zain.

VERJEE: At the White House, CNN's Elaine Quijano.

We are going to have more on this in just a few minutes. We will be talking to U.S. Senate Democrat Dianne Feinstein -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right.

We are now going to take you to some live pictures. They're coming from the U.S. Senate.

Now, what is happening here is that a vote was taken to stop debate on a massive defense spending bill and a vote be held. That vote is now taking place.

What makes this interesting is that attached to this defense spending bill is a provision that would essentially allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now, this drilling measure has been bitterly debated in Congress for more than two decades, really. More than 20 years this has been going on. And so a crucial vote, not just on the defense spending, but what it means for a potential of drilling in the 19 million acres or so in northeastern Alaska that includes this Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

We'll let you know how that vote goes, a very, very contentious issue. And it is also the reason that Dick Cheney, the U.S. vice president, cut short a trip in South Asia and the Middle East to come home, perhaps to break a tie.

Another top Bush administration official making the rounds abroad, however. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meeting with President Hamid Karzai during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan. Rumsfeld says an increase in NATO forces in Afghanistan is allowing the U.S. to decrease the number of its troops there from 19,000 to 16,000.

Earlier, Rumsfeld also said the search for Osama bin Laden continues. The U.S. believes the al Qaeda leader may be hiding somewhere along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: If he's alive and functioning, then he's probably spending a major fraction of his time trying to avoid being caught. He -- I have trouble believing that he's able to operate sufficiently to be in a position of major command over a worldwide al Qaeda operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: On Tuesday, Rumsfeld made a stop in Pakistan, where he met with U.S. troops -- Zain.

VERJEE: Michael, the Palestinian Central Electoral Commission says it may cancel parliamentary election slated for January if Israel proceeds with a reported plan to bar Palestinians living in Jerusalem from voting. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been under pressure from his Fatah party to postpone the vote. Fatah is concerned about the growing political power of the Islamic militant group Hamas.

Palestinian officials insist Abbas would not use Israel's threat as a pretext to postpone the vote. And Abbas says he hasn't decided yet whether to delay the election.

A senior senator weighs in on the domestic spying debate in the U.S.

HOLMES: That's right. Just ahead, we will go live to Washington to get the thoughts of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Also...

VERJEE: A mother's quest. Searching as long as it takes to find a son lost in the fog of war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: This nation of ours is facing unbelievable challenges. There is an enemy that still lurks that wants to bring harm to the American people. And we've got to do everything in our power to protect the American people. That is our solemn duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

President Bush there making the case in extraordinary times like these he must do everything he can to protect the American people. All of this, of course, tying into the fight over the anti-terror legislation in the U.S. known as the Patriot Act.

Also, the furor over domestic spying program enacted by President Bush. U.S. Senators from both sides of the aisle are calling for hearings on that issue.

We are joined from Capitol Hill by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California.

I know you're in a hurry. You've got to go vote on this defense spending bill.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Yes.

HOLMES: But I've got to -- I've got to ask you, a strong, forceful defense from the U.S. president, the vice president, Donald Rumsfeld that this is necessary, this is for the security of the country.

Your thoughts?

FEINSTEIN: Well, it may well be necessary, but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't go through the process that the law provides. In 1978, an act was passed. It's the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. And it conditions all electronic surveillance.

And the president has chosen to not follow the law here. And he says he has the power to do it. I don't believe he does.

The law has emergency provisions. He refuses to follow those. If he needs a change in the law, he should come to the Congress on a classified basis and get the changes in the law.

But this raises a lot of questions. It raises the question if there is electronic surveillance or wiretaps going on, on Americans, are there also physical searches without warrants?

I think we need to take a good look at this. And that's why five of us on the Intelligence Committee have asked that there be a joint hearing between Intelligence and Judiciary as soon as possible to see what the grounds for this are, exactly what has happened, the depth and breadth of it, and whether it is in fact within the law.

HOLMES: You know, senators were briefed on a secret basis. Were you one of those who was briefed about what was going on?

FEINSTEIN: No, nor were the majority of the Senate or the majority of the House of Representatives briefed. And I wouldn't call it a briefing.

What happened is the president informs eight members, the leadership, if you will, of both committees and the minority and majority, and says this is what I'm going to do. That isn't oversight.

HOLMES: Right. I know you have to go. I just want to get this in, though. Do you believe that the president, as he claims, has the constitutional and congressional imprimada (ph) to do this despite the court's existence?

FEINSTEIN: I personally do not, because we also have a Fourth Amendment which protects citizens of the United States against illegal search and seizure. And illegal means doing it without warrant. And we have a provision in the law to provide for a court warrant to do it.

The president has just decided not to follow that procedure. I don't believe he has that right.

HOLMES: Far be it for CNN to keep a U.S. senator from voting in a very close vote on the floor.

FEINSTEIN: It is that.

HOLMES: So we are going to have to let you go. Senator Dianne Feinstein, thanks.

She's got about four minutes to get there and vote on this crucial bill in the Senate.

VERJEE: She's going to have to rush in.

HOLMES: Yes.

All right, we are going to take a break. Bundled up for a long commute.

VERJEE: Still to come here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, millions of New Yorkers are hitting the pavement as a mass transit strike continues. We'll bring you the details just 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 on stories making headlines here in the U.S.

First, the latest from the Senate -- a Senate showdown over drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge. The drilling measure is part of a massive defense spending bill.

Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry following developments on Capitol Hill for us.

Hello.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, again, Daryn.

Some high drama in the Senate, as you suggest. Normally a lot of these votes are preordained. The majority leader, Bill Frist, goes into the chamber and knows where the votes are, and then it all plays out, everyone postures and gives their speeches. But they know where it's going to work out.

This is a rare occasion where both sides don't really have a clear idea. On the way into the chamber, Senator Frist told me, "I'm walking in on a razor blade."

You never hear that. He said he didn't know whether he had the 60 votes he needs to break this filibuster over the overall defense spending bill. Democrats leading this filibuster because, as you mentioned, there's a provision that would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration.

I can tell you, on the subway ride over here, I ran into Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy. He said he thinks Democrats have the votes to sustain the filibuster. That would mean that the defense bill would come down for now.

Then Senator Frist would have a decision to make. Does he want to strip out the ANWR provision? If he did that, he may then have a Republican-led filibuster by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, who does not want ANWR taken out.

So, again, some high drama here in the Senate. There's about a minute, just under a minute left in the vote. We'll get the official tally in the next few minutes -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. We will look for that from you.

Ed Henry on Capitol Hill.

Thank you.

CNN has confirmed that a federal judge on a little-known court that authorizes wiretaps has now stepped down. U.S. District Judge James Robertson resigned over concerns that the White House surveillance of Americans might be illegal. The president insists he is within his legal authority to order the eavesdropping by the National Security Agency.

Replacing Robertson on the 11-judge Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court falls to Chief Justice John Roberts.

U.S. Congressman John Murtha continues his war of words with President Bush over the war in Iraq. He called a news conference today to respond to the president's latest push for support of the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Many of the commanders, the commanders on the ground, General Casey has said it may take 10 to 15 years. I don't believe we can sustain this two to three years, let alone 10 to 15 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Murtha made national headlines last month when he called for U.S. troops to be pulled out of Iraq.

To New York politics now. A Republican official telling CNN this hour that Jeanine Pirro is quitting her Senate race. Pirro hoped to challenge Senator Hillary Clinton in November. Instead, the official says that Pirro will run for New York attorney general. There's a report that an official announcement could come tomorrow.

Pirro is the Westchester County district attorney. She struggled to get traction in the Senate campaign. Republican officials urged her to step aside.

Some nervous moments involving a Learjet in St. Louis. Take a look at the landing. We showed it to you live here on CNN.

Airport officials say the plane's landing gear failed to retract after takeoff from a suburban St. Louis airport. The plane landed safely a couple hours later as the pilot held the twisted nose gear off the runway before bringing it down.

And then there was this from last night in Boston. A Midwest Airlines jetliner touching down safely after experiencing landing gear problems. Sparks could be seen beneath the plane, but nobody was hurt.

And now to the search for answers in that fatal seaplane crash off of Miami. Investigators say they have found a stress fracture inside the wing that broke off of the aircraft. The vintage plane plunged into the ocean shortly after takeoff on Monday, killing all 20 people on board.

This morning a crane lifted more mangled wreckage from the water. Yesterday, crews were able to retrieve the wing and the engine and the propeller still attached. Investigators say it's being sent to Washington for further analysis. Officials say they have notified the plane's owner about the latest findings, trying to determine if the rest of the fleet should be grounded.

A spate of crimes involving animals ahead on "LIVE FROM."

First, there are puppies, these puppies. Find out about their role in an international smuggling operation.

And then there's the case of penguin-napping. It has launched a massive search operation in England. You are going to want to stick around for these stories and more.

Meanwhile, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Daryn Kagan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

I'm Zain Verjee.

HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes.

The top stories we are following for you now.

Saddam Hussein claiming that he and his seven co-defendants were beaten and tortured while in U.S. custody. He made those comments during his trial, which resumed Wednesday after a two-week recess.

Two witnesses took the stand to describe beatings and torture they experienced during detention. Both also said that Hussein's half brother, Barzan Hassan Al-Tikriti, was present during some interrogations.

VERJEE: A U.S. federal judge has resigned from a special court, apparently in protest over George W. Bush's authorization of a classified domestic spying program. James Robertson was one of one of 11 jurists serving on a secret court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases.

HOLMES: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he has not decided whether he will postpone elections slated for January. The Palestinian Central Electoral Commission is threatening to cancel the vote if Israel proceeds with a reported plan to bar Palestinians living in Jerusalem from casting ballots.

VERJEE: Committed gay and lesbian couples in Britain are taking advantage of a new law and exchanging vows and civil partnership ceremonies. As Paula Newton reports from Windsor, a crush of spectators clamored along the cobblestoned streets for a view of pop star Elton John and his partner David Furnish.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Elton John stuck to the script that he said he would. He came to a ceremony looking very serious with his partner David Furnish. They certainly were looking very, very happy coming in in their black morning suits. They went inside for about 50 minutes and emerged united in what they call here in Britain civil partnership.

They really did come out looking satisfied. They hammed it up with the crowd. It said that the private ceremony was only attended by about seven people and their dog Arthur. They apparently sealed their union with a kiss at the end of all of it. And we got the sense from some people that this really was an emotional event.

Absent today from all this were the protesters. There had been protesters out in Britain, people opposed to any semblance of gay marriage even though the British government is not calling this gay marriage. But we didn't see any of that today, really a testament to how well-accepted, how embraced Elton John is in this country.

The big thing everyone is waiting for now is the reception this evening. Seven hundred people, star-studded. We expect that the line-up of cars will begin later this evening to get into his estate. It's just outside here in Windsor.

But again, what he has done is really emerge as a role model for homosexuals around the world. He wrote an editorial in a British newspaper saying as much. And while it may be outside the usual role he sees for himself as a pop artist, he definitely felt it important enough to engage in civil partnership on the very first day it was available to him and make sure that he was that role model for people around the world.

Paula Newton, CNN, Windsor, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: In Chechnya, a young man named Murat was one of the many young rebels fighting the Russian army, but his mother is one of a kind.

HOLMES: Ryan Chilcote tells us of a relentless mission she started nearly six years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): February 2nd, 2000. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when a group of Chechen rebels who had just walked through a mine field surrendered to Russian forces, or the conversation here between a wounded prisoner and a Russian general.

The general was angry the prisoner was wearing a Russian uniform, and grew angrier as they argued about who's to blame for the war. "Get him the heck out of here," he told his soldiers, "rub him out, kill him, dammit, that's your entire order. Get him over there, rub him out, shoot him."

The soldiers didn't shoot him there. Instead, he was separated from the other prisoners and taken to an armored personnel carrier. A month later, I found the rebel's family and showed them the tape. They hadn't heard from their son Murat in months. His mother Fatima watched and was left speechless.

Russian forces captured the Chechen capital in the days after Murat's detention and interest in the war in Chechnya faded. I, too, moved on. But Fatima, the rebel's mother, didn't. Five years, ten months later, I caught up with her in Moscow to learn that she'd spent the entire time looking for her son.

FATIMA BAZORKINA, MURAT'S MOTHER (through translator): I did practically all of it on foot. I had callouses on my feet because I was always walking from one village to the next.

CHILCOTE: Fatima's first stop, a prison in Chechnya where many of the detainees had been taken.

BAZORKINA (through translator): I spent three months never leaving the front gates. Once in a while, they'd let prisoners out and I'd talk to them to get information.

CHILCOTE: When that yielded nothing, she went on to look for Murat in one of Chechnya's mass graves, in the village of Kamsamulske (ph). BAZORKINA (through translator): I knew I didn't have much hope of finding him there, because most of the dead had been killed in fighting that took place after his surrender. But you know how they say anything's possible in war. I thought maybe they would have dumped his body.

CHILCOTE: As the war raged on, she also formed a network with other mothers looking for their missing sons.

BAZORKINA (through translator): All of the mothers who were looking for their sons traded pictures and information. If I went to one village, they'd go to another. Everybody in Chechnya probably has a picture of my son.

CHILCOTE: She found another mother's son, but not her own. Nobody else found Murat, either. Now she's appealed to the European Court for Human Rights.

OLE SOLVANG, RUSSIAN JUSTICE INITIATIVE: Unfortunately, Fatima's case is a very typical one in Chechnya. There are literally hundreds and thousands of people that have disappeared since 1999. What is particular about this case is the very strong evidence that we have in it, that we have a film of him being -- of her son being detained. And that we also have film of a Russian general ordering him executed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I declare open the public hearing in the case against Bazorkina against Russia.

CHILCOTE: Fatima's case was heard in the international court's chambers in Straussburg, France; the first case ever to be heard about a disappearance in Chechnya. It could take the court three months to deliberate, but Fatima is used to waiting and watching over and over again the video of her son's detention.

BAZORKINA (through translator): I try to identify the soldiers. I even found the general, but I couldn't get him to see me. I also found one of the guys that was standing next to the bus. That's why I watch it. But it's really painful. Even today when I watch after so much time has passed, it hurts.

CHILCOTE: General Alexander Barado (ph), the man seen on the tape sending Murat off to be shot, went on to receive the hero of Russia award and be promoted. He's now in charge of all forces in the Russian region that includes Chechnya. Fatima says she'll never give up.

BAZORKINA (through translator): You can make peace with everything, but not with losing your child. It's frightening. There's nothing more than not knowing what happened to your child. Burying him would be easier.

CHILCOTE: Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. An hour of International News right here on CNN. Well, some heated moments at the United Nations. The U.N. Secretary General and a journalists sparring over the U.N. Oil-for-Food program. Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us now.

Kofi Annan not a man to usually lose his temper.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN. SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Michael. That's why we're going to just play you this moment end-of- the-year press conference by Kofi Annan. He's usually a very mild- mannered diplomat, but there had been many questions by a particular journalist, James Bone of "The Times of London," about a Mercedes that Koffi Annan's son, Kojo, was able to get into Africa, using a diplomatic discount, and whether -- the question has been asked by some whether the secretary-general gave his blessing to that, though Paul Volcker has not said that is what has occurred. So we hear in the press conference James Bone the issue again after the secretary- general declined to answer my question on the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES BONE, "TIMES OF LONDON": On the Mercedes, before I ask my question, the Volcker Report says that the Mercedes was bought in your name. So as the owner of the car, can you tell us what happened to it and where it is now?

Now my question is, it's true that we missed a lot of stories in the Oil-for-Food scandal, and the U.N. hasn't made it easy, and even your answer today on the Mercedes so far hasn't made it easy. Some of your own stories, your own version of events don't really make sense. I'd like to ask you particularly...

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think you're being very tricky here.

Hold on. Hold on.

Listen, listen, James Bone. You've been behaving like a grown schoolboy in this room for many, many months and years. You are an embarrassment to your colleagues and to your profession. Please stop misbehaving. And, please, let's move on to a more serious. No, move on to a serious agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The backdrop also, Kofi Annan at the beginning of the press conference accused the U.N. press corps of missing the story on Oil-for-Food, for following leaks that weren't always true. The secretary-general at the end of his press conference said he objected to the tone of James Bone's question, but he still has never really sat down for an all-encompassing Oil-for-Food, let's get it down on the table. He has left the final view to Paul Volcker, the independent inquiry chief -- Michael.

HOLMES Richard, a moment at the U.N. Thanks very much. Lucky it wasn't you. Thanks for staying out of trouble.

VERJEE: Michael, Republicans in the U.S. Senate have failed to muster enough votes to keep a measure to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Let's go to Ed Henry, who is on Capitol Hill, to tell us a little bit more about this -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Zain. In fact the Republicans only received 56 votes. They needed 60 to break a filibuster. My understanding what's happening on the floor -- it's still unfolding, is that they probably actually had 57 votes, but then the Majority Leader Bill Frist switched from yes to no, which gives him the procedural option of bringing this back up down the road, a long way of saying it's technically 56 votes that they received, but they really had 57.

So just a handful short, but the point here is that President Bush now loses a legislative battle basically. This is one of his top priorities on the energy front, is to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration. This was led by Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska. That's where the refuge is. He's been fighting for this for a quarter of a century in the United States Senate. Democrats were leading a filibuster, so the Republicans needed 60 votes to break that filibuster, that blocking motion. And this is now a blow to the Republican agenda. Senator Stevens, though, has said that he'll keep fighting, and that is tying things up. The U.S. Senate trying to get home for the Christmas and New Year's holidays. So far, not able to do that -- Zain.

VERJEE: Ed Henry reporting to us from Capitol Hill. Thank, Ed -- Michael.

HOLMES: As we've saying, Zain, they is a very contentious bill, because of this provision that's being tacked onto it about the drilling in what is a very popular wildlife area.

Joe Johns traveled to Anchorage to look into more on the pros and cons of unlocking the nation's largest untapped oil reserves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pristine wilderness or oil-rich wasteland? Depends on who you talk to. Advocates of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge says the vast expanse of tundra at the top of the world could help cut America's dependence on foreign oil.

TED STEVENS, U.S. SENATE MEMBER: This is a matter of national security that I've 25 years tried to support the position taken by the senator of Washington and the senator for Massachusetts, that this area should be open to oil-and-gas exploration.

JOHNS: And for just about as long, opponents of opening the refuge to oil exploration have fought Stevens tooth and nail. They say it's the last untouched wilderness. And to some of the native Alaskans who live nearby, a sacred breeding ground for the caribou. Lucy Beach represents the Gwich'in Nation. They live in villages just south of the refuge, 7,000 strong, subsisting off the land.

(on camera): What does the Gwich'in Nation think of the plans to develop ANWAR?

LUCI BEACH, GWICH'IN NATION: We're extremely concerned. And this has been some of the hardest times that we've ever had in our nation's history. Mostly we are concerned about what this would do to our human rights as a people, that we would not be allowed to continue our way of life since time immemorial, which is similar to what's happened in the lower 48 with the tribes.

JOHNS (voice-over): Allied with the native Alaskans, the state's powerful environmental movement.

ELEANOR HUFFINES, WILDERNESS SOCIETY: What's interesting is that the Department of Energy, the government's own scientists have said just this July, that if you drill in this wildlife refuge, that your gas prices will only go down by about a penny in 20 years. And most Americans know that that's not worth the risk.

JOHNS: But there's another side. Mike Fell, a helicopter pilot from Homer, Alaska who shuttles oil explorers around the north slope of the state. He says the area is a vast barren expanse of tundra, bigger than New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland combined, with easily enough room for the wildlife and responsible exploration.

MIKE FELL, HELICOPTER PILOT: It's not the, in my estimation, the pristine mountainous wildlife preserve that people of America would think it to be, or it has been made out to be. Most of Alaskans take on the oil companies that are up there, they have been taking very good care of the north slope.

JOHNS: It's a classic confrontation. This huge frontier state still figuring out what it wants to be.

(on camera): In Alaska there's a constant tug-of-war between nature and progress. There are cities here, but it's still basically a wilderness. Even here in built-up Anchorage, it's not uncommon to find yourself standing next to a moose.

(voice-over): Beyond the culture clash and the competing visions for Alaska's future, there's the science. ANWAR is a crucial breeding ground for the porcupine caribou herd; 40,000 to 50,000 calves are born every year on the coastal plain, where the oil companies would drill. And there are migratory birds, polar bears and musk oxen all above the ground.

Below it, the government says the coastal plain could produce more oil in a single day than the entire state of Texas. But that's still just a drop in the bucket compared to global-oil production.

As for the oil companies, after two decades of a bruising debate over drilling in the wilderness, the public line... DARE BEAUDO, PB ALASKA: Americans really have to come to a conclusion whether or not they want development in ANWAR. If they decide that they do, then we'll take a look at it and see what the next step might be.

JOHNS: In other words, on the eve of what promises to be a wild political battle, they are leaving it up to the Senate to lead them into the wilderness.

Joe Johns, CNN, Anchorage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Time for a short break here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.

VERJEE: And when we come back, we'll speak to Bill Schneider, our senior political analyst, on the political fallout of a top-secret domestic spy program authorized by the U.S. president.

Stay with us.

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VERJEE: This just in now from Baghdad. Saddam Hussein's trial has been adjourned for the day. It's going to resume tomorrow. CNN will continue to cover it, that trial when it resumes. Saddam Hussein saying today that while in detention, he has been beaten and tortured. The U.S. has said that is utterly bogus.

Back now to a story we've been covering in depth this hour. The political fall-out over President Bush's defense of a top secret domestic eavesdropping program. For some context, we are joined now from Washington by our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Bill, good to see you. What's been the political fall-out here?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the political fall-out is quite serious because this judge, James Robertson, was a member of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the White House typically goes to, the president goes to obtain a warrant when he wants to eavesdrop or wiretap on a suspected terrorist. That's the established procedure.

One reporter indicated yesterday in the president's press conference -- or Monday, that there have been 19,000 requests for wiretap permission. Only 45 have been refused. So the question is, why did the administration want to sidetrack this court and act without warrants? Why did they decide to do that? And that's exactly what Judge Robertson is saying.

In fact, the "Washington Post" reports that he had deep concern that the White House surveillance plan was legally questionable and tainted the work of the court. And they report that is the reason why he resigned.

VERJEE: Over and over again we've heard from the administration that this was necessary. It was necessary to fight al Qaeda. It was necessary for the security of Americans. What do most Americans think? What's their perception of what they are hearing?

SCHNEIDER: We haven't seen any polling specifically on this. But we do know that when we ask people do you think that civil liberties or American civil liberties have to be compromised in order to carry out the work of tracking down and capturing terrorists, Americans by a very decisive margin say no. They think it can be done with respect for civil liberties.

The question here is, there was an established procedure. The procedure was to obtain a warrant. So the question has to be answered why did the White House feel it was necessary to go around, or to simply neglect that procedure?

That is the issue this judge is raising. And I'm not sure we have a suitable answer. The president simply said in his press conference, we had to act rapidly, and therefore, we couldn't bother with the warrant. I'm not sure that's going to satisfy most Americans.

VERJEE: Senators from both parties have demanded an Congressional investigation into this.

SCHNEIDER: They have, and in fact, the Republicans have asked to look into it. Olympia Snowe of Maine, other Republicans have asked that Congress investigate it. That makes it more damaging because it says Congress -- not just Democrats -- but Congress is shocked. They feel it may be an administration that's overstepping its authority and they are going to look into it.

What it means is, this issue, this controversy, is going to go on for some time. If Bush were at the peak of his popularity, then he might be able to get by this without a great setback. But he's not, and the Iraq war is still unpopular. So therefore, this could do some damage, particularly if Congress stretches out the investigation.

VERJEE: CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Always a pleasure to speak to you, Bill. Thank you.

SCHNEIDER: Sure thing.

HOLMES: Well, cold -- very cold weather across much of the world. You really want to be in Australia right now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Good to see you. Thanks very much. I think that'll do it for us. We are out of time.

VERJEE: Yes, we are. This has been YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Zain Verjee.

HOLMES: I'm Michael Holmes. Jon Mann and Hala Gorani are up next.

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