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Your World Today

Building Collapses in Downtown Nairobi; Fate of Kidnapped Journalist Remains Unknown; Trial of Saddam Hussein; Immigration Struggles in Europe

Aired January 23, 2006 - 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: A frenzied scene as rescue workers use crowbars, metal cutters, and even bare hands, racing to free people trapped in a building collapsed in Kenya.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The whole thing about courage comes from poverty. When you are poor and you have nothing, you have to look for anything to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Struggling for survival, hoping for a better like abroad. We are going to be talking with Moroccans who are pinning their hopes for the future on the shores of Europe.

VERJEE: And the U.S. automaker calls it "The Way Forward." But Ford's restructuring plan leaves thousands of workers heading for the unemployment line.

It's 8:00 p.m. in Nairobi, Kenya; 5:00 p.m. in Rabat; and noon in Detroit, Michigan.

I'm Zain Verjee.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. This is CNN International. And this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

A bustling commercial district in downtown Nairobi suddenly became the scene of major chaos and disaster after a five-story building under construction came collapsing down to the ground.

VERJEE: Rescue workers in the Kenyan capital had to get through large crowds of onlookers to reach dozens of people that are still feared trapped under a mound of heavy debris. At least four people have been killed and dozens injured.

CLANCY: Bystanders formed a human chain to carry away chunks of the concrete and the wooden scaffolding, hurling it as quickly as they could to try to reach the trapped people. The lower floors of the building were believed filled with construction workers while the work was ongoing. And they were trying to add additional upper floors. Some are saying this was shoddy construction to blame for the disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LABAN RAQ, KENYA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: This is (INAUDIBLE) and a lot of corruption that the contractors are corrupting. (INAUDIBLE) but they don't come and inspect. (INAUDIBLE) is a clear indication that this building was not allowed to continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: For the latest now, we are joined on the phone by journalist Marie Lora.

What can you tell us about the latest official casualty figures you are getting from officials?

MARIE LORA, REPORTER: Zain, here at the hospital -- I'm at the Kenyatta Hospital. It's the only hospital where the victims were brought after the collapse. And the hospital is saying they have four dead, and about 74 wounded. But 25 only now are still in the hospital.

All the people who were in serious condition have been treated. So now they are moving towards the people who are less severely injured.

So when I got here about an hour and a half ago, there was a crowd and a little bit of confusion. But now the atmosphere is much calmer and they are waiting for more victims to come in.

VERJEE: Are they going to be able to cope with more victims? Kenyatta Hospital doesn't always have a good reputation in terms of the kind of resources it can offer and provide in an emergency situation.

LORA: Well, listen, they are saying that they have the capacity and they have the resources. They called all the off-duty doctors to come in and help. And right now they are very calm, waiting for more people, for more victims to come in.

They are saying they will cope with no problem. They are saying they are very experienced in disaster management.

They took care of the victims of the bomb attack. And they also deal with a lot of road accidents here. So they seem pretty confident.

VERJEE: What details can you tell us, what you are hearing about the rescue operation itself on the scene? Do they have enough digging equipment? Do they have enough lights for the night?

LORA: Oh, from -- here, from what I've heard, it was a little bit confusion. The hospital is coping, as -- you know, as they can. But I've met with one victim was here about to be released, he had no shoes, he didn't know how to come home. No money. Of course he was a little bit lost.

So still a little bit of confusion. But, you know, still trying to cope.

VERJEE: What can you tell us about the problem with building standards in Kenya? I mean, there's so much corruption and oftentimes such shortcuts are taken when constructing buildings, particularly in poor, crowded areas like the one where this building collapsed.

LORA: Yes, the building was really in downtown Nairobi, in an area where a lot of people live and work. It was a very crowded area.

And what I've been told is lately there's been a boom in the construction industry in Kenya because the economy's doing a little better. So a lot of people are trying to make money very quickly. And they might not be careful enough about the materials that they are using. And a lot of people are angry here because of course they want to find somebody to blame for this.

So on the local radio you can hear, you know, rumors saying that they will have sanctions and they are trying to look for who's responsible.

VERJEE: Journalist Marie Lora joining us from Kenyatta Hospital in Nairobi.

Thanks so much for giving us some good perspective on what's happening there tonight -- Jim.

CLANCY: We're going to shift our focus now to Iraq, where the fate of an American journalist kidnapped there remains unknown.

Jill Carroll is a freelancer. She was working for the "Christian Science Monitor." She was kidnapped on the 7th of January. Her captors have issued statements threatening to kill her unless all female Iraqi prisoners are released by the U.S.

Now, U.S. and Iraqi authorities have been conducting joint operations to try to find and free Carroll. Her father appealed for his daughter's release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM CARROLL, JILL CARROLL'S FATHER: Your story is one that can be told by Jill to the whole world. Allowing her to live and releasing her will enable her to do that.

You already know that my daughter is honest, sincere, and of good heart. Her respect for the Iraqi people is evident in her words that she has been reporting. Jill started to tell your story, so please let her finish it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Jill Carroll's father there trying to address those who have kidnapped his daughter. Well, when the trial of Saddam Hussein resumes on Tuesday, there's going to be a new face leading the special tribunal. A Kurdish judge who has been watching the trial as a backup will replace the current chief justice who resigned last week.

Michael Holmes has a preview of what's to come when this trial gets under way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is almost fitting that the restart of the Saddam Hussein trial is mired in courtroom drama, because so were the earlier sessions. Two defense lawyers murdered, a judge quitting, and this: Saddam Hussein and his seven co-defendants appeared to be running the show at various times, leading to criticism of chief Judge Rizgar Amin and his ability to control the proceedings.

Now he has quit, and a court official told CNN he will be replaced when the trial recommences with a new chief judge, Ralf Rasheed Abdul Rahman (ph), a Kurd who has been watching the trial as a member of a backup committee of judges. It is an interim appointment at the moment, perhaps even just for a day while efforts continue to talk Rizgar Amin out of quitting.

According to a Western diplomat, the next phase of the trial could see former members of the Hussein regime appear as witnesses, perhaps even one in U.S. custody.

This trial, and there will be others, concerns events that took place in 1982 in the Shiite village of Dujail. Hussein and his co- defendants charged with ordering a massacre of 142 men in the village following an attempt on the president's life during a visit there.

(on camera): Meanwhile, a Jordanian newspaper has quoted one of Saddam's defense team as saying he met with the former leader in Baghdad Sunday and he is in good health, high spirits, and looking forward to the resumption of the trial.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: Palestinian candidates are winding down their campaigns ahead of Wednesday's legislative elections. The militant group Hamas is expected to make a strong showing against Fatah, the party that's dominated Palestinian politics for decades. Hamas has huge grassroots support for its network of charities and its reputation for stamping out corruption, but its attacks over the years have killed hundreds of Israelis, leading the United States and other nations to label it a terrorist group.

Acting Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert met with top officials on Sunday to discuss how Israel should deal with Hamas members and the Palestinian government. The U.S. acknowledges it has been directing money to promote democratic parties in the election, but it denies its campaign was aimed against Hamas.

One of those Hamas candidates presenting such a challenge to Fatah is the -- is known as the "Mother of Martyrs." As that title suggests, she's got plenty on her mind.

Our Ben Wedeman has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Only women were welcome at a rally for Hamas candidate Mariam Farhat. She's one of the hardest of Hamas' hard-liners, one of 10 women candidates fielded by the radical Islamic group in the hotly-contested Palestinian legislative elections.

In Gaza, she's known as Uma Shu Hada (ph), the "Mother of Martyrs." Three of her sons died fighting the Israelis.

Four years ago, Hamas recorded a video of Farhat with her 19- year-old son Mohammed (ph) before he went off to kill five Israelis in an attack in a settlement. In the video she says if she had a hundred other sons like Mohammed (ph), she'd readily send them all to die for the cause.

Farhat carried machine gun at Mohammed's (ph) funeral.

"I encouraged him to be a martyr," she tells me. "I chose the operation with his brother. Yes, I was sad when he left. But I don't regret it."

At a Hamas rally, mothers primp their young sons on stage. A new generation of recruits learning to march in the footsteps of their elders.

To Mariam Farhat, a mother's love and devotion for her children take a backseat to the struggle. "We sacrifice our children because they are dearest to our hearts," she says. Our sense of sacred duty, the principles of Islam and jihad and god's path, are the ultimate priority. More important than our feelings."

Her solution to this bitter conflict is starkly simple. "They" -- the Israelis, she means -- "should give up all the land. Either they leave alive or they leave in pieces."

The milk of human kindness gone sour.

Some Hamas candidates are taking a more moderate line. But not the woman Palestinians call the "Mother of Martyrs."

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: That is what the campaign looks like on the ground from Ben Wedeman. Let's get a look now from the view of the Palestinian Authority. Nabil Shaath joins us on the line to talk a little bit about the situation.

Nabil, what have you heard in terms of what comes next? Should Hamas win a position? They have enough votes to be a part of the Palestinian Authority government. Have you been advised by the U.S. or Israel that they won't deal with that government?

NABIL SHAATH, PALESTINIAN DEP. PRIME MINISTER: Well, I mean, Hamas cannot be part of that government unless it wins an absolute majority. Short of that, it will be very difficult for us to bring Hamas into a coalition unless Hamas changes drastically its political program.

We -- if the Israelis are willing and the quartet is willing, as soon as these elections are over we should be heading back to negotiations. And if Hamas does not accept that as an operational part of their political plan, it would be very difficult to have Hamas a partner in any coalition government unless they have an absolute majority in the elections, which I think is impossible for them to do.

CLANCY: Do you think it is legitimate that if Hamas were to win 30, 40 percent of the vote, exclude them from the government then? Exclude them from the cabinet?

SHAATH: Absolutely. The cabinet in our system requires just 51 percent support from the legislature. It does not require 70 percent support or two-thirds support or anything like that. And we will be quite willing to bring Hamas into the government if they would change their political program.

Short of that, it would be very difficult to do so. How can you really have a government when half of it wants to go in the peace process and the other half makes everything possible to make that impossible? It won't work.

CLANCY: How about the fact that the government should represent the people and what they want, what the Palestinian people want? The biggest problem they seem to have is corruption from Fatah and with the current members of the Palestinian Authority.

SHAATH: I think this is really -- shows you the weakness of the program. They don't have a program. What they have is just criticism of the government that -- or the government party that ruled for the last 11 years.

Any government that rules for 11 years is bound to make mistakes. I think Fatah was courageous enough to unveil its mistakes, to criticize them from within and to do everything possible to correct them.

I think the issue facing the Palestinian people today is, number one, the political program, i.e., getting back to the political process and abandoning any violence between the parties so long that these elections -- that these negotiations are proceeding hopefully to their objective of creating two states side by side in peace and security, Palestine and Israel.

Number two, the economic program. How is the new government going to push the economy forward to be able to create jobs to absorb the thousands of unemployed people who mostly went to the militias?

And thirdly, the social program, our secular program that deals with women rights and with culture, arts, and the national unity in this government. And people suspect that the Hamas program is contrary to that. And I think these are the issues that will decide the result of the elections the day after tomorrow.

CLANCY: All right. Nabil Shaath, I want to thank you very much, as always, for being with us as.

The deputy prime minister joining us there from Ramallah. And some interesting perspective there -- Zain.

VERJEE: Absolutely.

We want to get your perspective on this. The Palestinian elections is the subject for the question of the day.

CLANCY: We are asking you this: Should Israel and the United States negotiate with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas?

Send us your thoughts. You can e-mail us at YWT@CNN.com. And we are going to read out some of these on the air a little bit later.

VERJEE: One of the world's biggest automakers says it wants to downsize.

CLANCY: Coming up, assembly lines rolling to a halt at a number of Ford plants with at least 25,000 employees set to be laid off. We'll have details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Hello, everyone. And welcome back to CNN International, an hour of world news right here on your television screen in the United States and around the world.

U.S. auto giant Ford has seen some giant losses lately, and now it is making some pretty big cuts in response. This is a story that affects not only the workers in the U.S.; it could have affects on Ford's international operations as well.

Ford announcing it's going to be laying off at least 20 percent of its North American workforce, a huge number in an effort to streamline and become more responsive to the market.

Maggie Lake joins us now from New York with more on today's developments -- Maggie.

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Jim, Ford is going even further than expected with this restructuring. Management says it has no choice. The company has been under intense pressure to change its operations after posting a $1.6 billion loss last year. CEO Bill Ford, the great grandson of founder Henry Ford, says the company needs to make the painful sacrifices to protect Ford's heritage and secure its future.

As part of what it's calling "The Way Forward" plan, Ford will cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs by 2012. That's 20 to 25 percent of Ford's North American workforce. White collar and union workers will both be effected.

Ford says it will idle 14 factories. The list includes facilities in St. Louis, Atlanta, Michigan, Ohio and Ontario.

All told, the cuts will reduce Ford's manufacturing capacity by 26 percent. The massive downsizing is part of Bill Ford's plan to become leaner and more innovative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL FORD, CEO, FORD: Our product plans for too long have been defined by our capacity. We develop vehicles to fill plants, sometimes at the expense of creativity. And that's why we must reduce capacity in North America. From now on, our products will be designed and built to satisfy the customer, not just to fill a factory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAKE: And that's really the cornerstone to Ford's game plan. Bill Ford admits the company was locked into producing cars like big SUVs, even when consumers were indicating a preference for hybrids or smaller crossovers.

Ford says part of the problem has been the labor agreements. Ford has trouble adjusting operations or closing factories or cutting jobs without getting approval from the United Auto Workers.

Now, the UAW is going to have to vote on some of these changes as well. There has been no official response yet from union leadership.

Investors on Wall Street, however, are responding. Ford's stock is rallying.

So very nice if you own Ford stock. A very tough day if you are an employee -- Jim.

CLANCY: All right. Maggie, we are going to have to leave it there. But it's very clear analysts say that it's not just higher fuel prices, but Ford is going to have to build some more exciting cars for the consumers.

LAKE: Better cars, right.

CLANCY: All right.

Maggie Lake there in New York. VERJEE: So how have the markets reacted to Ford's announcement?

CLANCY: We got a little bit of a glimpse there from Maggie. But let's check in right now and find out what investors see as these cuts come up towards recovery or...

VERJEE: We are going to do exactly that after the break. So stay with CNN.

(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, let's check on stories making headlines here in the U.S.

Live pictures there from San Diego. Morning rush hour at a standstill.

It's a commuter's nightmare unfolding. A truck slammed into an overhead road sign on Interstate 805, sending the sign hurdling onto the highway. Northbound lanes are now at a standstill. At least one car was struck by the collapsing sign and one person reportedly sustained major injuries.

So the 805 freeway in San Diego at a stop.

Thousands of anti-abortion advocates are rallying in Washington this hour marking the 33rd anniversary of the Roe versus Wade ruling that legalized abortion. The crowd is gathered near Capitol Hill for what they call a March of Life rally. They hope to pressure Congress and the Supreme Court to reverse the 1973 decision.

President Bush, who was in Kansas today, is expected to speak to the rally in just a few minutes. After the Capitol, the demonstrators plan a march on the Supreme Court.

This hour, President Bush is in the nation's heartland to address the war on terror. His speech at Kansas State University kicks off a week-long offensive to explain the controversial NSA domestic spying program.

CNN will have live coverage of the president's remarks scheduled to begin minutes from now at 12:30 Eastern, 9:30 Pacific.

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will consider whether a prescription diet pill should become available over the counter for purchase that way. Xenical has been available with a prescription for six years. An over-the-counter version would have half the dosage and be called Ally (ph). Both pills block the absorption of fat.

Let's see how things are looking in the weather department. Jacqui Jeras has that for us -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Daryn.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: All right, Jacqui. Thank you very much.

And just minutes from now, President Bush talks about the war on terror. He is in Manhattan, Kansas, today. You'll see that live here on CNN.

I'm Daryn Kagan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. Here are some of the top stories we're following.

CLANCY: You're looking at a live picture that's coming to us now from a collapsed highway near San Diego, California. Now many of you European viewers are just joining us, you're already home after your evening commute. How would you like to be facing this this morning in California?

These people were on their way to work when apparently a government vehicle came along, its load was too high and it hit that. And look at what has happened to the traffic. Zain, it's enough to make you look for a job someplace else in California, some place a little bit closer here. These are all of the people beginning to back up. Because you know what? They are not going anywhere. Now they have a good excuse not to go to the office today to work - Zain.

VERJEE: Right. You know, what happened here also is that highway billboard, as a result of that, basically collapsed onto the freeway ramp and it hit two cars, Jim. Apparently, according to the highway patrol, at least one person was injured. And as you said, traffic there was really at a standstill. There were also some chunks of concrete that came down pretty hard when the sign was hit. That was a little after 7:30 this morning.

CLANCY: OK, that's the aftermath of it. That would have been what, two and half hours ago, something like that? Two hours ago? Out in California.

Rescue workers in Kenya are trying to reach dozens of people that are believed trapped in the rubble of a collapsed Nairobi building. At least four of them are known to have died. Dozens more construction workers are injured. Many of them are being treated in hospital. The multi-story building was under construction in a busy commercial district. Initial reports are blaming poor construction standards for this collapse. The search for some 20 or more others -- nobody knows for sure -- goes on.

VERJEE: The Iraqi chief judge leading the trial of Saddam Hussein and his seven co-defendants has been replaced. Rizgar Mohammed Amin submitted his resignation last week amid complaints that he was too lax with the defendants in the trial. Kurdish judge Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman has been appointed interim chief judge. The trial, scheduled to resume on Tuesday.

CLANCY: With losses mounting and U.S. market shares slipping, Ford Motor Company detailed a major restructuring plan. Ford announced it will lay off at least 25,000 workers, maybe many more, and it will close 14 North American plants by the year 2012. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford called the moves "painful sacrifices that will secure the company's future." Ford's losses last year totalled $1.6 billion.

Well, the European Union is trying to deal with a pressing issue and that is how to integrate millions of immigrants into mainstream society.

VERJEE: Global leaders gathering in Switzerland for the world Economic Forum are sure to tackle the problem.

CLANCY: As part of our coverage on the summit, Karl Penhaul traveled throughout Europe and parts of North Africa looking at the issue from both sides.

VERJEE: In his first report, Karl visits the place where only a fence divides Africa from Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Muslim call to mid-day prayers drifts above the razor wire. On this side of the metal mesh, the town of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northern tip of Africa. On the other side, Morocco.

It's not quite how I'd imagine the gates to paradise, but for thousands of Moroccans and Subsaharan Africans, it is exactly that. Cross this hurdle and while you still may be standing on African soil, politically, you've reached Europe, a land of open borders and the promise of a better life.

Alfonso Cruzado is an officer in Spain's civil guard. His mission, to halt the flood of illegal immigrants.

ALFONSO CRUZADO, SPANISH CIVIL GUARD (through translator): There are two fences six meters tall and five meters apart. There is a system of sensors which activate when the fence is touched and close circuit cameras fix on the point, and that allows us to check if it is a real attempt at a breach.

PENHAUL: The fence snakes eight kilometers over rugged terrain to isolate this peninsula.

I head back to the fence at night, the favorite time for illegal immigrants to chance their luck. It's a very different picture now. The eerie glow of arc lights melts into the silent blackness that is Morocco. A civil guard truck rumbles slowly past from time to time, guards on the look-out.

It was a night like this back in September, with what authorities called an avalanche of illegal immigrants. Homemade ladders to scale this fence and a similar one further along the coast. Spanish security cameras captured these images. Five immigrants were killed by gunfire in Ceuta. Spanish authority say initial investigations indicate the Moroccan guards opened fire. It's estimated as many as 500 attempted to get across. It's not clear how many ultimately made it.

The fence has since been repaired, and tonight it's all quiet on Ceuta's frontier. If immigrants make it over to the Spanish side, they're allowed to stay at least temporarily. They're housed here while their cases are assessed, free food and lodging paid by European Union taxes.

During the day, they leave the center and find odd jobs around town. From the beach here, you can see mainland Europe, just 14 kilometers away. Even if immigrants are deported, there are no direct flights from Ceuta and they must travel to Spain to leave. Authorities admit many simply slip away into borderless Europe.

Down a side street washing cars far few cents tip, I find 22- year-old Amadou Balde from Guinea-Bissau. He was in that human avalanche back in September.

AMADOU BALDE, IMMIGRANT (through translator): They ran to -- was the fence. And the Moroccans and the Spanish begin to shoot. The Moroccans shot real weapons, but the Spanish fire tear gas. Some people were killed and some wounded.

PENHAUL: Balde fell onto Spanish soil, bleeding from cuts after becoming entangled in the razor wire. He shows me his scars. He fled Guinea-Bissau in 1998 after his parents were killed in a military coup.

BALDE (through translator): I saw a bomb falling and I went to see it fell. When it got to my parent's house, I saw a bazooka round heat the house and joined in a fight between the military junta and the government troops.

PENHAUL: He left with his friend Armando Gomez. They say they worked in Mali and walked through the desert to Algeria, drinking stagnant water, always running from the police. Turning back was never an option.

ARMANDO GOMEZ, IMMIGRANT (through translator): If I go back to Guinea-Bissau, it will be very tough. I only think about getting to Europe to earn my future.

PENHAUL: These two friends have applied for political asylum. Their European dream, a steady job as a carpenter or bricklayer. A modest dream, far from the thunder of war, the pangs of hunger.

The next day I cross into Morocco. First stop, Castajeros (ph), an ugly border town whose fortunes are built on commerce and contraband. I head into the nearby hills in search of others still waiting to make their leap into Europe.

This is the camp where Balde and Gomez say they spent months hiding from the police before breaching the fence. Discarded clothing, tree branches twisted into huts and an old chess board to help time past.

(on camera): These huts look much more recent. The plastic looks quite new. Old shoes on the ground. There's buckets here. There's some places, there's charcoal cans of food. There's no sign that anybody's here now. Looks like they've gone, probably not long ago.

(voice-over): I turn up some of the homemade ladders, apparently prepared for an assault on the fence.

(on camera): Let's see how tough these ladders are. But they scrambled down the mountainside as far as the fence. Prop it up against the fence, just like so.

Just try and see how stiff it is. Not very. Yes. Some of the immigrants we saw have multiple cuts from where they fell against the fence cut themselves on the barbed wire. You can see why now. Very flimsy ladders, completely.

(voice-over): This solitary mosque is close to that camp. Imagine you've been walking for months or even years, this would be a sight to stir weary souls. Look just beyond the minurete (ph), a few miles of water, and then the immigrants' El Dorado, Europe.

Back down in Castajeros, a go-between introduces me to these teenagers; working shining shoes, they're trying to save 150 euros for a fake passport. That will get them into Ceuta. From there, they plan to stow away aboard a truck that will take the ferry to mainland Spain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They told me it's good to hide in the namalt (ph) truck, underneath by the space tire, where there's a spare above the driver's cab to hide.

PENHAUL: Moroccan police are on the lookout for teens like these. I'm told I can't be seen talking to them too much. Tariq (ph) already tried stowing away three times in Tangier. For Zacharia (ph), it will be the first time. I asked him where he gets the courage for such a risky undertaking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The whole thing about courage comes from poverty. When you are poor and you have nothing, you have to look for anything to do.

PENHAUL: Back at the gates to paradise, Alfonso Cruzado still stands guard.

CRUZADO (through translator): I'm sure immigrants have their aspirations, illusions and desires. But beyond our personal opinion, we have an obligation.

PENHAUL: That obligation, to defend the fence against the power of other men's dreams.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Ceuta, North Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Tune in on Tuesday. Karl's going to be visiting the Spanish town of Elejado, (ph) in an area that produces many of the vegetables that end up on Europe's dinner tables, and a town that largely relies on immigrants for labor.

Then on Thursday, 2100 Greenwich Meantime, Karl will be looking at the big picture with his documentary, "EUROPE'S IDENTITY CRISIS."

And then at 2200 hours Greenwich Meantime, CNN's Becky Anderson is in Davos for "CNN CONNECTS." World leaders and experts come together to talk about the cultural crisis in Europe and what can be done to the alienation felt by the migrant communities.

VERJEE: Britain is surprised and Russia is suspicious.

CLANCY: To say the least. Coming up here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, espionage and intrigue. Russia is rocked by a spy scandal involving a fake rock, British embassy workers and non-governmental organizations. We are going to try to clear all of that up.

Coming up next for our viewers in the United States, stay tuned, Daryn Kagan will be with you in just a moment.

KAGAN: Thank you, Jim. And we're going to take our viewers live to Manhattan, Kansas. President Bush is speaking there today. It's the beginning of a week-long push to talk about the war on terror, which is what we expect the president to do first.

That obviously not the president.

Also to talk about the domestic eavesdropping program. It's part of the administration's effort to convince Americans that the National Security Agency's communication spying program is necessary to fight terrorism.

So there is President Bush. We expect some comments by him first. And then we expect him to open up to questions and answers with this group in Manhattan, Kansas.

It looks like they have introductions to get through in Manhattan, Kansas. So we'll go back to Kansas when the president begins to speak.

Right now, a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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