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CNN Live Today

Bush News Conference; Hamas Sweeps to Victory in Palestinian Elections; Controversy Continues Over Wiretapping Domestic Calls; Florida Crash Kills Seven Children

Aired January 26, 2006 - 11:01   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush wrapping up what was somewhat of a surprise news conference announced just about an hour before it got started and just days before the State of the Union Address. That's what he's talking about when he says he's looking forward to seeing all the reporters in a few days.
Touching on a number of topics, the State of the Union Address, what he plans to talk about there, the Palestinian elections, where Hamas had great success. The president said that he cannot see being a partner in peace with a party that has an armed wing, as well as declared it is an advocate of the destruction of Israel. Also talking about the NSA domestic spying program and Iraq, and a number of other topics as well.

Our Dana Bash was right there in the room and had a chance to ask him questions herself and joins us live -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Well, you certainly hit on a lot of the headlines here. Probably the most interesting is his reaction to the Palestinian elections, the way he phrased -- the way he phrased his answers and the things he didn't answer in particular, whether he will deal with Hamas if they really do have a lead role in the government beyond the parliament.

He simply wouldn't answer. He said it's too soon to say a hypothetical. But he did say he hopes that President Abbas does stay in place.

And sort of the way he tried to frame it was, this is what happens in a democracy. That if the people think that the current government is corrupt, that that is something he says is a wakeup call to the leadership. So he tried to sort of dance around it, if you will, and tried to put it in perspective, but didn't answer a lot of the key diplomatic questions about what this means for the United States except to say that he believes that peace is never dead.

And as you mentioned, a lot of other questions about the NSA program. The president once again bringing up Osama bin Laden's name without being asked about him, trying to help that -- help use that tape and use him, sort of enemy number one, that every American knows about, to make the case that terrorism is still really a threat. Going on that topic.

But some things he didn't answer. Like, for example, on the Abramoff issue, he talked about his picture. He had sort of a quip ready to go about how he takes pictures with a lot of people, including people here in this room, but wouldn't ask -- answer really specific questions about, well, the people who met with him, not just took pictures with him, met with him, because they have said at the White House that there were some low-level staff meetings.

Well, who are they? And doesn't -- isn't it his responsibility or doesn't it behoove him, even politically, to let people know about that? He wouldn't answer that question -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Dana Bash live from the briefing room of the White House.

Thank you.

Now, this question of Hamas, it came pretty early in the news conference. And we will bring you more information on that. But basically, the Palestinian elections wrapping up, and Hamas claiming huge, huge victories, the majority victory, in fact.

And this is how the president answered questions about whether he would be willing to deal with this Palestinian political party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform. And I know you can't be a partner in peace if you have a -- if your party has got an armed wing. And so the elections just took place. We will watch carefully about the formation of the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And with more on that, let's go to the State Department now. Our Andrea Koppel standing by with what Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice might have had to say about today's elections -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Secretary Rice had some comments at the beginning of her speech that she gave here at the State Department but that was broadcast in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. And you heard her really say a lot of the things that the president touched on.

I think what you're -- what you're seeing right now is the Bush administration trying to telegraph to the Palestinian people what they need to do if they want to continue to get U.S. aid. There are millions of dollars of U.S. aid that is funneled not directly to the Palestinian Authority but through nongovernmental organizations.

They're also saying -- and if you listen to what President Bush said, he said the U.S. does not support political parties that want to destroy our allied state of Israel. What he means by that is that he's -- he's going to talk to the Europeans. Secretary Rice, actually, on his behalf is going to be talking to the Europeans on Monday in London saying, guys, we've got to pull on some purse strings here. We have to turn -- you know, make it very difficult for Hamas to operate in the Palestinian territories.

And they're going to see -- practically speaking, Daryn, they rely on about $580 millions from the Europeans to pay their bills, to get the government running. And they're going to need to have that aid. And President Bush is saying, and Secretary Rice, you guys better renounce violence if you want that money.

KAGAN: Might they get that kind of cooperation from the Europeans, though, Andrea?

KOPPEL: It's going to be very difficult. The Europeans, as you know, have been strong supporters, much to the chagrin of the Bush administration and the Clinton administration, of the Palestinian Authority. So we're going to have to see how the European Union is going to respond now that you have a declared, really, terrorist party that is going to be very, very prominent within the Palestinian Authority now.

KAGAN: Andrea Koppel, live at the State Department.

Thank you.

Let's go live now to Jerusalem and get the latest from that part of the world on these elections. And our Guy Raz standing by -- Guy.

GUY RAZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, it's the biggest political shakeup in Palestinian history. A group widely regarded, of course, as a terrorist organization for the first time in Palestinian history will be taking the reigns of government.

Now, while Hamas is better associated with suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israel abroad, among Palestinians it's essentially associated with its wide network of social services and agencies and its at least publicly stated honest commitment to governance.

Now, voters essentially punished the dominant Fatah movement, the movement founded by the late Yasser Arafat, the movement that has controlled Palestinian politics for decades. They essentially decided to throw Fatah out of government after several allegations of corruption beset that organization.

Now Hamas finds itself in a very, very touchy position. It will have many diplomatic challenges facing it, because, of course, the movement is formally committed to the destruction of Israel, it doesn't recognize a two-state solution. It's considered a terror organization by the U.S., by the European Union, several other countries. And ultimately, it says it has no plans to negotiate with Israel.

Now, for its part, the Israelis are essentially saying, so long as Hamas maintains this hard line position, they have no interest in negotiating with the Palestinian Authority led by Hamas. And what we are likely to see is any kind of negotiations, any kind of peace process between the two sides really going into a deep freeze, at least for the next four years for this Palestinian parliamentary term -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Guy Raz. Guy Raz live in Jerusalem.

Guy, thank you.

The president also asked -- was asked a number of questions about the NSA domestic wiretapping scandal and defended it on many fronts. Basically, he thinks that it is a program that is legal and one that is necessary to protect Americans.

Let's listen to the president on that issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: ... to use technology to protect the American people. Other presidents -- most presidents believe that during their -- during a time of war that we can use our authorities under the Constitution to make decisions necessary to protect us.

Secondly, in this case, there is an act passed by Congress in 2001 which said that I must have the power to conduct this war using the incidence of war. In other words, we believe there's a constitutional power granted to presidents, as well as this case a statutory power. And I'm tending to use that power.

Congress says go ahead and conduct the war, we're not going to tell you how to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And with more on that, let's bring back in David Ensor.

David, what did you hear in the president's answers?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: What was striking, Daryn, was the president's effort to put the onus on civil libertarians. And these are Democrats, but they're also Republicans who believe that the president is not on strong ground legally with this program which involves the surveillance of Americans' communications overseas in the case where one side or the other is thought to be tied to al Qaeda.

The civil libertarians are saying, why not amend the FISA Act, the law under which wiretaps can be authorized with a court involvement? Why not make this all definitely legal? And Mr. Bush saying, look, why -- why tell the enemy what we're doing?

It's a basic problem for democracies, Daryn. How do you conduct top-secret intelligence operations and still have appropriate public debate about what the limits should be. And whether -- whether the opponents who believe the president's program is simply not legal, can figure out a way to do that while he's basically implying -- he thinks if a bill's put before Congress the details will leak out.

And Daryn, a lot of the details are still not out in the public about exactly how this program is conducted. And officials I talk to say if they were, that would really hurt national security -- Daryn.

KAGAN: David Ensor, live in Washington.

Also in Washington, our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

Bill, we talked with you before the news conference. You got to listen to the president. And we'll take the president's cue here. He is looking forward to next week when he has the State of the Union Address.

What did you hear today that gave you clues about what you'll be listening for on Tuesday night?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he did say that he expects that this campaign -- this is a midterm election year -- will be run on the economy. He talked about the strength of the economy. He'll run -- he said the Republicans will run on peace and prosperity.

He made a commitment to campaign for Republicans. Presidents don't always do that for their party, particularly in the second midterm election of a two-term presidency.

But he did indicate that the economy is going to be a strong -- is going to make a strong case for Republicans on that issue. It's a little bit different from what Karl Rove said the other day when he indicated national security would be the centerpiece this year, as it was in the last midterm in 2002.

KAGAN: Bill Schneider, live in Washington.

Thank you for that.

There has been a lot of other news taking place, not only the elections in the Palestinian Authority, but also around the world and around the country. We will get to those stories just ahead.

Right now a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's get to some of the developing stories that have been happening while we were listening in to the president. This one just in to CNN.

A fire at a high school in Hartford, Connecticut. CNN affiliate WTNH is on the scene and reports that a transformer explosion thundered through the building about 9:30 local time. Both students and faculty have safely evacuated the building and crews are snuffing out the last of the flames.

Police tell CNN that two workers with the local power company were injured. They, along with an unidentified third person, are now in the hospital.

We will keep an eye on this developing story. And then also, these images just in to CNN. Drug and Customs agents are calling this the biggest tunnel ever found running into the U.S.

It's 1,255 yards long. It has lighting, cement floors and a pulley system. And it crosses from Tijuana, Mexico, into California. Authorities say they also found about two tons of marijuana inside the tunnel.

And then this from Oprah Winfrey. She's going to make an apology to her viewers. The talk show host says she regrets rushing to the defense of the author James Frey, who wrote "A Million Little Pieces."

He first went on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" to defend his memoir about drug addiction. That came after the Web site The Smoking Gun reported Frey had embellished or even made up some of his material. Winfrey now says her defense of Frey gives the impression that the truth doesn't matter.

Now back to one of our top stories.

President Bush saying that Hamas cannot be a partner in peace while calling for the destruction of Israel. More now about what the Hamas win means for the U.S. and the peace process.

Joining us from Washington, foreign policy analyst Mark Perry. He's the Washington editor of "The Palestine Report" and an author of "A Fire in Zion."

Mark, hello. Thanks for being here with us.

MARK PERRY, "A FIRE IN ZION": My pleasure.

KAGAN: Well, if you hear what President Bush has to say and you see what the Palestinian people have to say, you could say, Hamas, we have a problem here. Because it doesn't look like there's going to be a lot of talking going on.

PERRY: Well, we are at the beginning of a -- of a process. And I did hear what the president said. I think that there's actually some room for maneuver here.

KAGAN: And what would that be?

PERRY: Well, the president made clear last May that he would welcome democratic elections, and he even allowed as how some of those elections might not yield the kind of leadership that we want, but that the United States has to get used to this. This is the result of democracy.

And he pledged that he would talk to democratically-elected leaders no matter how difficult that might be. I think he should follow up on that process. I think we should support him on that.

And I think that there's a lot of room for maneuver. I see in his remarks today some room for maneuver. He wants Hamas to act as a responsible political party, according to his definition. I think that we'll see from them maybe in the next 72 hours some kind of response to that.

KAGAN: And, in fact, he did praise the process before he came in with some of his stronger comments, talking about that democracy works and people spoke, and they clearly weren't satisfied with the kind of representation that they had.

PERRY: This is really a domestic issue in the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian people voted against corruption, they voted against Fatah, and they voted for a political party that is transforming itself from a movement.

This is a group of leaders that have committed themselves to providing constituent services, that have provided it on the ground, that have a clear vision for what they want in a society, they want to strengthen their society. I think this is actually good news in the long term for the peace process.

There will be some difficulties early on in exchange of harsh words, but in the long term, I think this is very good.

KAGAN: Well, and I have to challenge you on this, because they also have an armed wing of their political party. It's not like, you know, the Republicans and Democrats don't get along, but the Republicans done have an armed wing. How do you -- how do you do business with somebody like that?

PERRY: Well, we did. We had an armed wing of our political movement called the Continental Army. The French had it, the English had it. This is what happens in societies during revolutions.

And then, inevitably and eventually, it happened with the PLO. The armed wing gets averted to political necessity, and people become political parties and they begin to listen to their constituents. This is happening slowly to Hamas.

They can't go out on a limb here. They're going to have to represent their constituents. Their constituents want peace and calm. Hamas has committed to that.

I think we're going to see, albeit very slowly, a transformation of Hamas into a real, justified political party that has legitimacy. They won close to 80 percent of the votes.

KAGAN: And then on the Israeli side, how do you see things developing? Elections there March 28. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon clearly in no shape to run.

You have Ehud Olmert in his place right now. And the Kadima party, this new party that was supposed to be down the center. But do you think Israelis might react by going more to the right now because they feel threatened by Hamas?

PERRY: Well, I'm going to punt the answer and say that we will have to wait and see. I think it is going to be 60 days before we're going to see any real movement on the Israeli side.

The Israelis are really concerned not with statements, but with actions on the ground. And if the calm is kept -- and it has been since August of 2004 -- and if the (INAUDIBLE) and the cease-fire are kept, and if the violence is dampened, and if Hamas takes control of their society and ends lawlessness -- and I think they will -- then this will speak louder than any resolution or any words that Hamas can say. And that's what Israel will look at, and I think that's what they'll find.

And if they do, and I think they will, then I think in March and April, after a new government comes into office in Israel, we'll see the slow beginnings of a very solid negotiating process. And that's all to the good.

KAGAN: Mark Perry, live from Washington.

Mark, thank you for your insight today.

PERRY: Thank you.

KAGAN: We will have live coverage of the first official results from the Palestinian elections. That's coming up next hour during "YOUR WORLD TODAY" right here on CNN.

And when we come back, we have some dish about Oprah and the author James Frey. Hear what she's saying about his book now.

We'll also go to Park City, Utah, to give you a taste of how spoiled the stars are at Sundance.

And later, Pierce Brosnan live. I'll have a chance to talk with him just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All this political talk and we haven't even had a chance to check on the markets. Let's fix that and check in with Susan Lisovicz.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Some questions about the Sundance Film Festival. Has it lost its soul while gaining glory around the world? Some say yes. Critics claim that the film festival that was started to give a voice to independent filmmakers has become a victim of its own success.

Our entertainment correspondent, Brooke Anderson, looking at that issue. She is in Park City, Utah.

Hello.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Daryn. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival grew from Robert Redford's dream more than two decades ago to spotlight talented independent filmmakers, but over the years the course of the festival, the face of the festival has changed dramatically. And that has led many people to ask, has Sundance lost its soul?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON (voice over): It's considered the premiere American showcase for independent filmmaking. One hundred twenty are making their debuts at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

(on camera): But besides the screenings, there are plenty of other distractions vying for attention...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There we go.

ANDERSON (voice over): ... from exclusive parties...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This alone is a thousand dollars.

ANDERSON: ... to bags of free stuff known as swag, celebrities, including Lance Bass, Jessica Biel and Shannon Elizabeth, are flocking to dozens of sponsored suites and taking home thousands of dollars in gifts and goodies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Paige, the designer of Paige Premium Denim.

ANDERSON: This commercialization has led to criticism that Sundance has become more about the free stuff than the films.

TONI COLLETE, ACTRESS: It's kind of funny.

ANDERSON (on camera): Has it gotten out of control? Is it too much?

COLLETE: Yes, probably.

ASHLEY JUDD, ACTRESS: It's the reverse of getting mugged, where people throw stuff at you and then they run.

KEVIN SMITH, DIRECTOR: And they're like, let's get some of our products in the hands of famous people and take their pictures. But that has nothing to do with the festival itself.

ANDERSON (voice over): Still, for some performers like Paul Giamatti, who had two films debut at Sundance this year, the spirit of Sundance is still intact.

PAUL GIAMATTI, ACTOR: There's a big layer of the hoopla, but underneath it this thing doesn't actually seem to be that different. There's all kinds of stuff here.

ROBERT REDFORD, SUNDANCE FESTIVAL FOUNDER: There's been a tendency to want judge the festival from the outside, where the parties are, you know, where the celebrities are. They may not even be seeing the films, for all I know.

ANDERSON: Despite that criticism, Sundance founder Robert Redford insists the festival remains true to its original mission.

REDFORD: To be creating an opportunity for all work to be seen, documentaries, shorts, features, that are of a little different order, a little bit off the grid in terms of their points of view, but no less powerful. That's the festival.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Redford is trying to keep the festival true to its original mission. One hundred twenty films will be screened throughout the course of the week, and 59 of those are from first-time filmmakers.

But Daryn, back to the swag, you wouldn't even believe it. I mean, the companies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring their wears and give them to celebrities. I've seen celebrities walk into the luxury gift suites, walk out with shopping bags overflowing with literally tens of thousands of dollars of free items.

It's crazy.

KAGAN: And of course as a CNN journalist, you just watch. You watch them go home with...

ANDERSON: That's right. I walk out empty-handed.

KAGAN: I know. It's a sad story, but it keeps you true to your craft. Thank you, Brooke.

ANDERSON: True.

KAGAN: Brooke Anderson, live in Park City, Utah.

Well, Oprah Winfrey has some apologizing to do today. She says the talk show host will tell viewers that she regrets running to the defense of "A Million Little Pieces" author James Frey. No, you might remember, James Frey first went on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" to defend his memoir about drug addiction. That came after the Web site The Smoking Gun reported Frey had embellished or even made up some of the material.

Winfrey says her defense of Frey gives the impression that the truth doesn't matter. She says, quote -- "A Million Little Pieces" surged in popularity when Oprah Winfrey named it as her book club choice last September.

Still to come, few people know -- truly know -- what Jill Carroll's family is enduring right now, except maybe for the family of Roy Hallums and his loved ones. We're going to hear from him just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're just past the half hour. I'm Daryn. Here's a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

In a news conference that just wrapped up, President Bush addressed a wide range of issues, including the war on terror and the controversial wiretap program. He once again defended the use of wiretaps with warrants as both necessary and legal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You said that I have to circumvent it. There -- wait a minute. That's a -- there's something -- it's like saying, you know, you're breaking the law. I'm not. See, that's what you got to understand.

I am upholding my duty, and at the same time doing so under the law and with the Constitution behind me. That's just very important for you to understand.

Secondly, the FISA law was written in 1978. We're having this discussion in 2006. See, different world. And FISA is still an important tool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The U.S. military says today it released five female detainees in Iraq. They were among more than 400 prisoners set free. Officials insist the move is not linked to the case of kidnapped U.S. reporter Jill Carroll. Her abductors have threatened to kill Carroll unless all female prisoners are released. The U.S. still has four other women in custody.

In Burlington, Vermont, a sex offender has been sentenced to at least three years in prison. The judge in the case agreed to revisit the sentence after coming under harsh criticism two weeks ago for imposing a 60-day sentence. Thirty-four-year-old Mark Hulett pleaded guilty to abusing a young girl for years, beginning when she was just six years old. The judge says he imposed the longer sentence after the state agreed to provide treatment to Hulett while he was behind bars.

First Lady Laura Bush is in hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast country today. She is visiting an elementary school in New Orleans at this hour. Of course, that's video of the White House. Later, she'll visit a school in Chalmette, Louisiana, and one in Kill, Mississippi. All of the schools have reopened after the storm, though some are partially operating out of trailers.

And live pictures from Capitol Hill as the full Senate continues its debate this morning on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. At this stage, the discussion is mostly a formality. It's all but certain that Alito will be confirmed unless Democrats resort to a filibuster, which they seem not inclined to do.

And in rural north Florida, investigators say it does not appear that a semi-trailer even tried to stop before it slammed into a car full of children, pushing it into a school bus. All seven of the children inside that car were killed in yesterday's fiery crash. All were siblings, either through adoption or foster parenting. Yet unbelievably, the family's tragedy does not end there.

Our Rusty Dornin is at Union County High School. That is where two of the teenagers who died were freshmen. Rusty picks up our story from there. Hello.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, at Union County High school, it's a very tough day for students and faculty here. They have grief counselors on campus, of course, just discussing this. It's a very close-knit community, a very small community, as you said, in rural north Florida.

But overnight there was another horrible blow to this family. Now, the mother of these adoptive children -- apparently, when she told her father about the deaths of his grandchildren, he had a massive heart attack and died. So this woman has lost not only all of her children, but her father as well.

Also, we talked to the cousin of one of the teens that attended the high school here, the girl that was believed to be driving the car. She had a learner's permit. Of course, she was supposed to have an adult in the car. We do not know whether her family knew she was driving the car, but her cousin said it was like her to help out to have all the kids in the car.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN (on camera): Was she the type -- I mean, she was driving all the kids. Was she the type, taking care of everybody in the family kind of thing?

TARA BROWN, NICOLE MANN'S COUSIN: I mean, she helped. She cared about the kids and her brothers and sisters and stuff. I mean, she cared a lot. She helped her mom out a lot. I mean, but, her mom cared a lot about them all, too. And, you know, if her mom needed help, then Nicki was there to help. She had no problem helping.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Meantime, the driver of the truck apparently has told police that he wasn't paying attention, as you said. He did not even attempt to stop. There were no skid marks in front of the crash.

Alvin Wilkerson apparently has been cited before for driving a vehicle under unsafe driving conditions. There have been no charges in connection with this incident yet, but they do expect that to happen.

We're going to be having a press conference here right at noon Eastern time with the police and also with school authorities to talk about this horrible crash -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, it would be interesting to learn more, but there are just no words for the amount of tragedy this family, this one single family, has had to sustain. Rusty, thank you. And we will see that news conference live here on CNN in about 25 minutes. Coming up later this hour, he is a little older than those Remington Steele days and he has a new movie out. Pierce -- Pierce Brosnan, I'll speak to the actor in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: There are questions this morning about whether an Iraqi prisoner release may have some positive effect on the fate of American hostage Jill Carroll. The military says that U.S. forces are releasing more than 400 detainees today and tomorrow after a review of their cases. A senior military source says that five female prisoners were among those released today.

Captors holding U.S. journalist Jill Carroll have said they would kill her unless all Iraqi female prisoners are released. Iraqi officials say that today's release is not connected to the hostage taker's demands. Officials say the cases of the women prisoners were already under review when Carroll was abducted on January 7th.

So, there are few people who can identify with what Jill Carroll is going through, but Roy Hallums definitely knows first hand. Hallums was working as a contractor in Iraq when he was kidnapped in November of 2004. He was held for ten months before being rescued by U.S. troops last September. Now Hallums is telling his story and hoping it will bring comfort to Jill Carroll's family.

He spoke with CNN's Randi Kaye for a story that aired last night on CNN's "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Roy Hallums, it may remain a mystery forever. He may never learn all the secrets, who kidnapped him, held him for 10 months, and why. This is how most of us learned about Hallums' role in the horrible story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY HALLUMS, HOSTAGE: My name is Roy Hallums. I'm an American national. Please help me in this situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: It was two years ago, three weeks before Thanksgiving. Hallums, at his computer, working as a contractor in Iraq, was snatched and grabbed. Four masked gunmen burst in, heavily armed. Any resistance, they said, they would kill him.

(on camera): Were you scared?

HALLUMS: Oh, yes, certainly, because, I mean, I had seen the videos before of other people who had been kidnapped and what had happened to them. And I thought, you know, am I going to live the rest of the day or is this it?

KAYE (voice-over): They blindfolded Hallums, drove him to a dark, filthy underground cell. We now know it was in one of the most dangerous areas of Baghdad, known as the Triangle of Death.

And, for three months, it was as if Roy Hallums had simply vanished. For those who love him, it was unimaginably painful. Where was he? What had happened? But there was nothing. His captors remained silent, until this last January.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALLUMS: I'm please asking for help, because my life is in danger, because it has been proved that I work for American forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HALLUMS: They said that they wanted me to be emotional and look upset in the video. And, so, they said, to make me look that way and to help me, they were going to beat me before the video.

KAYE (on camera): And did they?

HALLUMS: And they did, you know? So, yes, it -- you know, it wasn't a good experience to -- to do that, you know?

KAYE (voice-over): Now, precisely one year after he was forced to make that videotape, Roy Hallums is home in Memphis, Tennessee. He invited us here to share the secrets of months as a hostage and the amazing story of his rescue, the fear, the isolation, the abuse, beatings and torture Hallums can't barely bring himself to talk about today. Hallums passed the time underground by planning travel adventures in his mind.

HALLUMS: It would take me one day or two days to plan a trip.

(LAUGHTER)

HALLUMS: And then I would start another one, because, when you stop, then you start having all these negative thoughts.

KAYE: He slept on a concrete slab, always blindfolded and bound with this plastic handcuff. Hallums spent much of his time laying down in the four-foot deep hole. They give him small amounts of cheese and goat meat. Whatever hope he had came from the fact they hadn't killed him yet.

(on camera): What did you go through, not knowing what they might do to you or what might happen to you?

HALLUMS: The first month was the most difficult, because everything, every movement, you don't know what might happen. And you're still thinking that, well, you know, they could do away with me any time.

You sort of become numb after a while. You know, you worry about your life every second of every day. And it just, you know, starts to wear you out.

KAYE (voice-over): The hostage-takers only watched cartoons on their satellite TV. He heard no news, no word of his family, no way to know they were working so hard to find him, that they had set up a Web site and had made public pleas on both Al-Jazeera network and CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When he -- when he mentioned that, you know, about his life, them ending his life, I don't know. We're -- we are just all devastated.

Please, President Bush, he needs your help.

KAYE: Hallums kept track of the days in his head. He knew weeks had turned into months. He listened as his captors poured fresh concrete over his hole to seal it. Hallums thought for sure he would die here.

HALLUMS: After six months, I was starting to question, you know, how long is this going to go on? You know, are they going to keep me a year or -- or two years? There -- there was no way to know. I just know, OK, I have been here six months. There's no end in sight.

KAYE: Then, by pure luck, coalition forces interviewing an Iraqi prisoner were told where Hallums was being held. He will never forget the pounding at the door. Freedom was not far away.

HALLUMS: I thought, well, maybe somebody's here to rescue me, but, you know, it's been 311 days. That would be too good to be true. That can't possibly be what it is. But they kept pounding on the door. And, finally, the door fell down. And a soldier comes in. He's got his fatigues on and everything. And he says, are you Roy? And I said, yes. And he said, come on, we're getting out of here.

KAYE (on camera): You hug him?

HALLUMS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

HALLUMS: Definitely. Definitely.

KAYE (voice-over): By the time he was rescued, September of last year, Hallums had lost 38 pounds. He has gained much of the weight back, but, more importantly, he has gained his freedom, still today, never too far away, this patch given to Hallums by the soldier, then a stranger, today a friend who pulled him out of the darkness, the hole that had become his private hell, which, of course, is why Roy Hallums is telling his story now.

He is home and wants to somehow provide comfort to American hostage Jill Carroll's family.

KAYE (on camera): From the hostage perspective, what -- what do you wish that you could have told your family that you know that Jill Carroll is wishing she could tell her -- her family right now?

HALLUMS: Oh, well, I was just always hope that I could talk to my family and tell them all I loved them and cared for them and, you know, would do whatever I could for them, so they would know that one last time.

KAYE (voice-over): Hallums believes, right now, Carroll is wondering what her captors have planned for her and, like him, how much longer she will be alive, now that Carroll has been featured in her own kidnap tape.

HALLUMS: To me, it's -- the video is a good sign, because the video is number-one proof that she's alive and she's looked well.

KAYE (on camera): What do you think about the fact that, since that videotape aired and the threat of the deadline, 72 hours was made, no word?

HALLUMS: I think the 72 hours, you have to be concerned about it if you're the family, but not -- not overly concerned, because it could easily go longer than that.

KAYE (voice-over): Long enough for the kidnappers to get what they want or, perhaps, as Roy Hallums knows, for their victim to get lucky.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Memphis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Such an emotional story. We followed the story while he was in captivity, but never heard it day by day like that.

Thank you to Randi Kaye for bringing us that story.

Coming up, we're going to lighten things up a little bit. Still, though, a theme of rebirth, this one in Hollywood. Yes, that is Pierce Brosnan with a new movie and a new look. But you can't hide that seductive smile. Pierce Brosnan is my guest, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, you can just forget suave and polished James Bond, who never makes a mistake. Pierce Brosnan's latest project is called "The Matador." It has him playing scruffy, boozing assassin Julian Noble, whose career suddenly crashes and burns when he fails to facilitate a fatality. We'll get to more of that in just a minute, but along the way, he hooks up with ordinary guy Danny, played by Greg Kinnear, and the fun really begins.

Pierce Brosnan here with me now to tell us more about his movie and his life. Pierce, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.

PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: Good morning to you, Daryn. Thank you.

KAGAN: I'll get to the specifics of the movie in a just second. But if you would allow me to get spiritual with you for a moment here. Because when I look at your life and your career, I see a theme of rebirth that continues to happen. And this is the latest round of that. BROSNAN: Well, you could coin it in such a fashion. The Bond era has fallen by the wayside for me. It was a wonderful time in my life, and...

KAGAN: Can I date myself for a second?

BROSNAN: Sorry?

KAGAN: Can I date myself as one of your fans for a second?

BROSNAN: Yes.

KAGAN: Remington Steele. From Remington Steele into James Bond. I remember when it was a big controversy that you could even get into the James Bond role, and yet you persevered and you got that. And now here we are, post-Bond.

BROSNAN: Well, you want to live as many lives as you possibly can in one life. And you want to have as many adventures and experiences and see the world and do everything. And I've had the good fortune to -- as an actor to have employment for all of my years since I've been -- since I -- you know, left drama school.

And this certainly could be viewed as a rebirth, playing this role of Julian Noble in "The Matador." It's a departure, and yet it's something that harks back to my work as a younger actor .

KAGAN: What parts of it? What parts of it do?

BROSNAN: I've played roles like this on the stage when I was younger. But I came to this wonderful country, America, back then in the early '80s, did Remington Steele and kind of created a niche for myself and a style of performance and look that has continued on into James Bond, like you so rightly said.

But there's more to life than that and hopefully you have that bit of talent down there where you can play -- you can do a different performance, give different performance, play character work.

KAGAN: Well, clearly you do. It's a different look, a different character. And your fans will certainly follow you post-Bond. It's called "The Matador." Greg Kinnear, another great actor, in there, as well.

Good luck and thanks for taking time to visit with us today.

BROSNAN: Thanks a million, Daryn. All the best.

KAGAN: Pierce Brosnan. It's called "The Matador."

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Our next story involves persistence by a good samaritan and it led to Alabama police stopping two people suspected of sexually abusing children. It all started with a little girl in a convenience store. Reporter Tony Thomas of our affiliate WAGA has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRACIE LEE DEAN, GOOD SAMARITAN: Every morning I woke up, every night I went to bed, it's all I could think about.

TONY THOMAS, WAGA REPORTER (voice-over): For days, Tracie Dean says all she could think about is the 3-year-old girl she met in this Evergreen, Alabama, convenience store. She says the girl, shown here in the store surveillance, had an emptiness in her eyes and simply acted like something was very wrong.

DEAN: I was thinking of her as like a little butterfly fluttering around the store with that little red cowboy hat. She was really cute. But it was just the fact that she kept coming back around me.

THOMAS: Tracy says she called 911, but was told everything was fine. She continued to drive back to Atlanta, her mind still on the little girl. Over the following days, she kept calling local and state authorities. She searched missing person Web sites, hoping to find a picture of the girl. Eventually, she went back down to south Alabama and looked at the surveillance tape herself. She finally convinced a local sheriff's deputy to look for the child.

(on camera): Did you have any idea what you actually had stumbled upon?

DEAN: Well, I thought I was crazy.

THOMAS (voice-over): Konica County, Alabama, authorities have arrested Jack Lee Wiley, man the child was with in the store and a woman believed to be his wife, Glenna Faye Marshall. They face charges of raping the 3-year-old and sodomizing a 17-year-old boy also found in their home. But it apparently didn't stop there.

TOMMY CHAPMAN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: She did say they picked some up, had sex with them, and would simply -- by what she said -- drop them off at hotels or truck stops and simply leave them.

DEAN: It's scary to think what might be uncovered here. But, I mean, what's scarier is to think that it took me, you know, four days and for me to actually do it myself before anything got done. And I don't understand that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Amazing story. That report from Tony Thomas of our affiliate WAGA right here in Atlanta.

I'm Daryn Kagan. We're going to continue to follow two developing stories. Standing by for a news conference in Florida, where investigators say a truck slammed into a car full of children. All seven of the kids inside of that car were killed. We'll also live coverage of the first -- and that is live coverage, which is live camera, which is why the pictures look like that. We'll also have live coverage of the first official results from the Palestinian elections. It appears the militant group Hamas has won in a landslide. We'll bring both of those stories to you live in the next hour.

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