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CNN Live Sunday

Challenges in Iraq; Senate Hearings On Response to Katrina; Drug Smuggling in U.S./Mexico Tunnel

Aired January 29, 2006 - 18:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It is 6:00 p.m. in the nation's capital, 3:00 p.m. in Los Angeles.
This is CNN SUNDAY. I'm Carol Lin.

Straight ahead in this hour, ABC anchorman Bob Woodruff and his photographer face their greatest challenge. Both wounded by a roadside bombing in Iraq. Details on their condition coming up.

Also, inside the war zone hospital they went to. Meet the doctors, the patients, and see the threats of attack they face each and ever day.

And the massive Mexican drug tunnel uncovered this week, what investigators found inside and how that may lead to bigger arrests and maybe even more secret tunnels.

But first, the headlines.

The Saddam Hussein trial is adjourned for the day. Three of the defendants, including Hussein, walked out of the proceedings after aiming some colorful epithets at the judge. The trial is back in session Wednesday.

The president should make public all of his contacts with Jack Abramoff. That's according to Republican senators who want to distance themselves from the lobbying scandal and the Oval Office. Top Democrats want the special prosecutor on the case.

And Judge Samuel Alito appears headed for confirmation as the next U.S. Supreme Court justice today, more than ever, after several key Democrats conceded that even a threatened filibuster would have little effect.

Now the hour's top story. And a reminder -- not that we need one -- that living and working in Iraq is frighteningly dangerous.

A two-man reporting team from ABC, Bob Woodruff, co-anchor of "World News Tonight," and Doug Vogt, they are both in stable condition following a roadside explosion north of Baghdad. They both needed surgery and neither is out of danger yet.

CNN's Gary Nurenberg is in Washington with the very latest on this.

Gary, the story hits close to home. GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it sure does. You know, beyond that word "stable," Carol, we don't know much about their condition. ABC News president David Westin says the next few days will be "critical."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NURENBERG (voice over): ABC News says anchor Bob Woodruff and photographer Doug Vogt were traveling with an Iraqi army unit in one of its mechanized vehicles when it was struck by an improvised explosive device, an IED. The attack took place Sunday in Taji, near Baghdad.

ABC reports the two men were wearing body armor but received serious injuries in the attack. But the U.S. military says also wounded, an Iraqi national.

CLARENCE PAGE, COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS: Iraq now leads the planet for most journalists killed in the 24 years our organization has been around.

NURENBERG: Columnist Clarence Page is on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists and has just returned from the Middle East. He says Iraq poses particular hazards for reporters.

PAGE: Journalists are being targeted in ways that they were never targeted before.

NURENBERG: American journalist Jill Carroll was kidnapped earlier this month and remains missing.

PAGE: If you kidnap a journalist, naturally you get a lot more attention.

NURENBERG: The host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES," Howard Kurtz, wrote about Woodruff in Sunday's "Washington Post" and interviewed him just before he left the United States last week.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": He was excited. He saw it as part of his job to go places, to get on planes and go to places like Israel and Iraq and Pakistan and be a foreign correspondent in the Peter Jennings mold. And he wasn't worried much about the dangers.

BOB WOODRUFF, ABC ANCHOR: Something that Peter said to me many times over the years is, be careful of wanting to go into a position like this of anchoring, because it's going to take away from what is the greatest things of what we do...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Reporting.

WOODRUFF: ... which is reporting out in field. And he -- and it was his favorite thing to do, and I think it was always a regret that he was not able to get out more as well.

NURENBERG: Woodruff is known as an active reporter, likely not content to stay in the relatively safe environs of Baghdad's protected Green Zone.

PAGE: If you don't get outside the Green Zone, you're missing over 99 percent of that country. And how can we as journalists honestly say we're covering the war, covering what's happening in Iraq if we don't get out and see Iraq.

NURENBERG: That is what Woodruff and Vogt were doing Sunday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NURENBERG: ABC says the two men will be flown to an American hospital in Germany, perhaps as soon as tonight. An indication, Carol, that they are at least stable enough to make that flight.

LIN: Indeed. Gary, we are tracking this story very closely. Any new developments, we're going to be reporting them live on our air.

Thank you.

Now, few place are on earth are more dangerous for journalists than the Iraq combat zone. Since the war began nearly three years ago, 61 men and women dedicated to telling the war's story have been killed because of it, either directly targeted, caught in crossfire, or as revenge for their work. Two of those fatalities are American. But most of them, more than 40, were Iraqi.

Plenty more this hour on the clear and present danger of daily life in Iraq. We are going to go inside the U.S. military hospital that treated Woodruff and Vogt right after they were attacked.

And then, a man who knows all too well the perils of war correspondents. CNN's Michael Holmes, he's escaped insurgent attacks, and he's lost friends to them. The view from Michael's side of the camera coming up.

Our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is in Charleston, South Carolina, this weekend, but keeping on top of the Woodruff and Vogt condition.

Sanjay, good to have you on the phone on this big story.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.

LIN: This is what we know: a serious head injury, there was surgery, and he's going to be transported, flown out of Iraq to Germany.

What do you make of some of these details that tell us what you the condition is of Bob Woodruff and his photographer?

GUPTA: Yes, you know, Carol, when you talk about this sort of thing, you hear about three different waves of injury that occur after an explosion. The first wave, sort of the primary wave, is shrapnel and all the debris sort of associated with the explosion. The second is sort of the concussive injury to the brain. And the third injury is the bodies themselves actually being thrown around.

You know, when you hear about an immediate operation, you imagine that there may have been some bleeding either in or on top of the brain. I think both of them had surgery, if I'm hearing correctly. And getting that blood out is really the key to all that.

You hear that they're stable now. What that typically is referring to is blood pressure and heart rate, things like that. It's not so much an assessment of cognitive ability, of brain function, so to speak. That's obviously going to take a little bit longer to see how that returns.

But, you know, I think Gary mentioned earlier the fact that they're being flown tonight is a good sign in that they're stable enough to actually fly.

LIN: Sanjay, and the fact that they have a facility like the Air Force base in Balad, the Air Force hospital, you've been there, Alex Quade, our reporter there, tells us that it's the best place to be treated for this kind of injury.

GUPTA: Yes, you know, I mean, if you think about it, even though it's this remote setting, you know, sort of built in a desert, a transient setting, a hospital, this is what they do there. They're very good at taking care of these types of injuries, explosion-type injuries.

You know, a lot of doctors that work in the states, typically in a county hospital, for example, may see gunshot wounds. But the sort of improvised explosive device that caused these injuries are just something you don't see very many other places.

LIN: Right.

GUPTA: So this is one of the best places for that.

LIN: Sanjay, we are all hoping for the best of this team of journalists.

Thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

LIN: CNN is going to keep you up to date on their condition throughout the day and night.

In Iraq, the Saddam Hussein trial resumes. And there's a new judge, but not much else changes. More chaos, more walkouts.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It took less than an hour for the trial of Saddam Hussein to once again descend into chaos, sparked this time by a new chief judge with a new set of rules intent on ending the now familiar diatribes of the defendants.

RAQUF ABDEL-RAHMAN, CHIEF JUDGE (through translator): We are not interested in political speeches. This courthouse is not for political speeches. We would like everyone to stick to the rules. As for the accused, any accused who oversteps the line will be thrown out of this court and will be tried in abstention.

RAMAN: In a matter of minutes that exact scenario played out. First, from the dock to speak, Barzan Hassan al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's half brother, explaining he had cancer and has not received adequate medical attention.

But when the judge tried to cut him off, Barzan called the court "the daughter of a whore." The judge then had Barzan forcibly removed from the courtroom. That not shown on the video feed to hide the identity of the guards.

Up on their feet, the defense lawyers screamed in protest. One was ejected and then the rest of them walked out, with the chief judge warning that none would be allowed back. In minutes, new court- appointed defense lawyers were brought in. Saddam Hussein then took center stage, rejecting the lawyers, calling them evil, and berating the judge.

SADDAM HUSSEIN, FMR. IRAQI DICTATOR (through translator): I led you for 35 years. How can you tell them to get me out? Shame on you.

ABDEL-RAHMAN (through translator): I am the judge and you are the...

HUSSEIN (through translator): Shame on you.

ABDEL-RAHMAN (through translator): I am the judge and you are the defendant. And you are disrespecting the rules of the court.

HUSSEIN (through translator): Shame on you. Do not say, "Get him out." I ask to leave.

RAMAN: Saddam then decided he would leave the court. The chief judge said he was removing him anyway, also leaving the former Iraqi vice president and the country's former chief judge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're now going to appeal in the court. He has to apologize to our lawyer. He has to apologize to everyone. If he wants to conduct it, he has to conduct from the proper procedures. He's not impartial, he's not independent. And this procedure is absolutely wrong.

RAMAN (on camera): The previous chief judge stepped down after being criticized for not keeping better order in the court. But this new judge, clearly intent on establishing his authority, has provoked yet another crisis in this long-running trial.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: It is a crucial week for President Bush. Two days -- in two days he delivers his State of the Union Address.

Now, a year ago, the president outlined larger-than-life proposals, such as an overhaul of Social Security. Well, this year, his message is expected to be much different.

Let's go to CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Carol.

2005 was a very challenging year for the Bush White House. Now, of course, the State of the Union Address gives the president a chance to look forward and outline his priorities for the coming year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice over): President Bush will try to strike an optimistic tone in his State of the Union Address, aides say. Not with a laundry list of proposals, but with themes and a focus on issues the White House believes matter to Americans. Among them, energy and gas prices, health care and retirement.

In his first news conference of the year, the president also hinted at a theme he'll likely push.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We live in a competitive world, and so policies must be put in place to recognize the competition of the global economy and prepare our people to be able to continue to compete so America can continue to lead.

QUIJANO: Another issue important to Americans, Iraq. With the American death toll now at more than 2,200, the president will again defend his Iraq strategy. Politically, this year's State of the Union Address is a chance for the president to frame issues for November's midterm congressional elections.

NORM ORNSTEIN, CONGRESSIONAL ANALYST: Republicans are going to be looking at this State of the Union message with a little more intensity than they normally would because it's got some real implications for what lies ahead in the coming year and what they're able to bring to the table when they go to voters in November.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.

QUIJANO: This year, President Bush heads into his State of the Union Address with fewer Americans approving of his job performance compared to one year ago. A new "TIME" magazine poll shows his overall approval rating at 41 percent, down 12 points from last year.

After a tumultuous 2005, the Bush White House is sounding a familiar theme from the '04 campaign, that the president and Republicans are strong on national security and the war on terror. President Bush is already using the argument to defend his Iraq policy and the administration's controversial surveillance program.

He told CBS News...

BUSH: I view this situation we're in as war. And therefore, I must protect the American people with the tools available to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, although the president is expected to propose some new initiatives, aides say they don't expect him to unveil any ambitious programs or goals like last years's push to overhaul Social Security. Aides explain that's because there simply isn't any money for that, and also, they say, the president is trying to reassure fellow Republican who are concerned about looming deficits -- Carol.

LIN: Elaine, thank you.

Of course CNN plans extensive coverage of the State of the Union speech. It starts with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00. We are going to air the speech live at 9:00.

Anderson Cooper will have reaction, followed by analysis with Larry King.

Now, coming up right here, the Katrina chaos. Did the government do enough? CNN obtains new documents that shows the answer could be no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just take a deep breath. You know what you've got to do. Manpower, roll them into the ER.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Bruised and battered on the battlefield. Those injured in Iraq end up here, the Air Force's Balad hospital. ABC newsman Bob Woodruff is there right now. An amazing look inside this hour.

Plus, 85 feet deep and a half-mile long. Who is responsible for this massive drug tunnel? Believe it or not, forensics could shed some light.

You're watching CNN SUNDAY.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Just want to mention an important deadline is looming for evacuees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many are still living in hotels paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and they have until Monday to contact FEMA to receive an authorization code to extend their federally-funded hotel accommodations.

So that number to call is 1-800-621-FEMA. Well, there are Senate hearings that are beginning tomorrow on the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina. And that response has been much criticized, to say the least. Now senators will put it under a microscope.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there was an urgent need for shallow-bottom boats and experienced personnel to do water rescues, for helicopters, heavy equipment and rooms. The Department of Interior had all of that and more and offered it to the Federal Emergency Management Agency immediately after the storm. But FEMA never took Interior up on the offer, according to documents obtained by CNN.

"Although we attempted to provide these assets, we were unable to efficiently integrate and deploy these resources," an Interior official wrote.

The Senate committee investigating the Katrina response...

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: It makes no sense to me. You might be able to understand it if it came from outside government, but this is another federal agency, and the agency that was offering trained personnel and exactly the assets that the federal government needed.

MESERVE: One example, e-mails document FEMA's decision to ground its search and rescue teams three days after Katrina because of security concerns. But the Interior Department had already offered FEMA hundreds of law enforcement officers trained in search and rescue, emergency medical services and evacuation. "The Department of the Interior was not called upon to assist until late September," the Interior official writes.

COLLINS: It is indeed possible that there was additional suffering and maybe even the loss of life that might not have occurred if these assets had been deployed.

MESERVE: A FEMA document also provided to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee indicates many of Interior's resources, which included transportation, communications and engineering, were never integrated into FEMA's planning for a catastrophic hurricane, planning which was still incomplete when Katrina roared ashore.

(on camera): A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes FEMA, says the administration is currently examining how to better utilize the resources in the federal government and elsewhere in the next catastrophe. But, he says, were there federal assets that were not used in Katrina? Of course.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: In other news "Across America," violence on the strip. Fourteen people are arrested after a street fight in Las Vegas. Several people, including police, were injured. Police say those arrested face -- and I'm quoting here -- a bunch of tiny charges.

Now in the dock, the trial of Enron. Founder Ken Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling starts tomorrow. Jury selection will begin four years after the company collapsed. Lay faces seven counts of fraud, Skilling 31 counts. The judge rejected defense attempts to move the trial.

And Clinton slams Bush. Not former President Clinton, but his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. And she's saying she's amazed by the incompetence of the Bush administration.

She was interviewed at a fund-raiser for the Bar Association of San Francisco. Now, she dodged any questions on whether she will actually run for president.

A costly war in Iraq. Questions on the economy. And a Senate split on a Supreme Court nominee. Just some of the issues sure to come up in Tuesday's State of the Union.

Can President Bush sway the public? We'll talk about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: One year later, the nation is still at war, Osama bin Laden is still at large, Social Security and health care reform still on the back burner. So what can we expect on Tuesday in President Bush's State of the Union speech?

Well, former presidential adviser David Gergen joins us.

David, do you think the president is going to be as ambitious as he once was?

DAVID GERGEN, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: I don't think so. But he is -- he's on the offensive rhetorically, and he's making some gains rhetorically.

After all, he was able to overwhelm any Democratic opposition to Judge Alito, who will be confirmed Tuesday, just -- probably just ahead of this speech. And on the eavesdropping case, the president went on the offense, and Democrats seem to have lowered the guns.

So he's -- he's on the offense, but he is weakened. And I think that's really the critical point also.

He's coming off the worst year of his presidency. And his approval numbers now are the lowest of any post-war or any second-term president this time in a post-war period, except Richard Nixon. So he's got his work cut out for him if he wants to retain control of the Congress and retain the capacity to govern.

LIN: So what are the points that you think he should be focusing on?

GERGEN: Well, I think we got a bit of a preview, actually, from Karl Rove the other day. And that is that he's going to be -- I think he's going to go on the rhetorical offense about international affairs.

And I think he's going to make it clear that he thinks we're fighting a war, that we've got a long way to go, we've got some tough things ahead. And then I think he's going to offer what it will sound like, impressive proposals in health care and perhaps in immigration. I think actually they'll be modest but important. But I do think they'll be more modest in large (ph).

But I have to go to the larger point here. He's likely to get a bump out of this speech. That's what happened last year.

But as he found last year, what's going to determine the course of his presidency over the next 12 months is not the speech. It's going to be what happens on the ground in places like Iraq and Iran and among the Palestinians and how he deals and how his party deals with Abramoff. And the Katrina hearings are coming up.

You've got a very restless Republican party right now.

LIN: So what are the points that you think he should avoid?

GERGEN: I think there are two things. He should avoid excessive Pollyanna optimism about the state of the economy, because most Americans don't feel that. He should be -- he should point out statistics, but I understand that a lot of people are still hurting in their lives.

And the other thing is, we have a really serious crisis coming on Iran. And on that one, I think he needs to be firm but not bellicose.

It's -- he's working well with the Europeans right now trying to defuse this, trying to get the Iranians to stop moving forward on their nuclear program. But this is a -- there are a series of connected events now, Iraq, we just -- with Bob Woodruff's injuries today, we're reminded once again how dangerous it is there for our soldiers and other citizens.

Iran, a brewing crisis. The Palestinians, you know, coming up.

This is a tough area of the world. So I don't think the president can spend all his time on domestic issues. In fact, when he goes back to the Oval Office, more than half of his time is going to be on international affairs, in these 12 months.

LIN: We are all going to be watching Tuesday night.

David Gergen, thank you.

GERGEN: Thank you. OK.

LIN: A quick reminder that CNN's primetime coverage of the State of the Union is going to be starting at 7:00 Eastern on Tuesday. That's fold by live coverage of the speech at 9:00 and then reaction with Anderson Cooper and a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" at midnight Eastern.

Now, coming up right here, it is here where ABC newsman Bob Woodruff is being treated for an injury sustained in Iraq. We are going to take you inside Iraq's ER, Balad hospital. That's next.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: These were people we worked with, lived with and joked around with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: ... the casualties of combat and the realities of war. CNN correspondent Michael Holmes on some of those we've lost in Iraq, journalists on that dangerous turf.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. "ABC News" anchor Bob Woodruff and his photographer are out of surgery and in stable condition right now. Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Tuesday, actually today. Now here's the latest this hour from ABC's "World News Tonight."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: From "ABC News" headquarters in New York, this is "World News Tonight."

ELIZABETH VARGAS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Good evening, I'm Elizabeth Vargas. We begin tonight in Iraq as we have on so many nights on this broadcast. But this evening, the story is about two of our colleagues and friends at "ABC News."

My co-anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were on assignment in Iraq with a military convoy near the city of Taji, north of Baghdad, when a roadside bomb exploded. Bob and Doug were hit by shrapnel and both men sustained head injuries.

Bob also suffered injuries to his upper body. Both men have emerged from surgery in serious but stable condition and they are awaiting an airlift to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. The White House said in a statement, quote, "our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Woodruff and Mr. Vogt. We're praying for their speedy..."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: ... So when you are so seriously injured in the middle of a war zone, who can save your life? Well, the ABC crew was traveling with an Iraqi military convoy and ended up at the Balad hospital. CNN's Alex Quade got extraordinary access to this hospital, and says if you are injured in Iraq, this is the place you want to be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the Air Force Theater Hospital, Balad Airbase, Marine Corporal Chris Fezmire (ph) is taken off the medivac. A mine took both his legs. He's rushed into ER. He's conscious. This will be his second operation since wounded just five hours ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Believe it or not, he's quite fortunate to be here with us.

QUADE: In the OR, alarm red, incoming, we're under attack by mortars or rockets, and this is the most frequently attacked base in Iraq. Despite that, surgeons continue working on Chris.

LT. DON JENKINS, SURGEON: We've build up as best we can around those operating theaters with big concrete barriers, sandbags, that sort of thing, so still alarm red. Most folks that aren't scrubbed in, in sterile gear, do have the opportunity if they can get to their gear safely, to put on their helmet and vests. We don't stop what we're doing because the attack is going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris, you're doing great buddy.

QUADE: Chris has been taken to ICU where we meet Lieutenant Colonel Tim Maxwell (ph), who took shrapnel to his head from a mortar attack. He's in critical condition, in and out of consciousness. Alarm red again. Maxwell's nurse stays by his side.

CAPT. DEBRA NICHOLS, ICU NURSE: You can't leave them, because they're critical patients, so you have to stay at the bedside and go ahead and perform your duties just like if you were not in a code red. Yeah, this is heavy and it's hot and I can't wait to get out of it because it hurts my back.

QUADE: Alarm red finally over, but their work here today has just begun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baghdad is bringing two helicopters full.

QUADE: Full of casualties from two bombs exploding in Baghdad's Green Zone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just take a deep breath, do what you got to do, manpower, roll them into the E.R. as we deem it, critical or not critical, and then we'll go from there. Everybody ready? QUADE: The medivacs arrive. Patient after patient, this is what's called a mass casualty. The medivacs bring more. And more, and they race to the E.R. Air Force medic Sergeant Jacqueline Horton tries to ease them.

SGT. JACQUELINE HORTON, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECH: When they come in off the chopper especially, they're disoriented. And we tell them over and over again we're going to stay with you, you're not alone, remind them we're with them, ask if they need something for pain.

We tell them what we're doing to them so there's no surprises because of magnitude of the fear the unknown they're experiencing. That's the only comforting thing that those parents back home have, is to think that somebody is over here talking to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Camp Balad is located about 70 miles north of Baghdad. I want to share more with you about the tragedy in Poland. Dozens killed in a roof collapse. The death toll is now rising. For the details on that and some other of the major world stories, let's go to CNN's Anand Naidoo -- Anand?

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Carol. And here's what we have right now on that roof collapse in southern Poland. At least 66 people have been killed at that exhibition center which is near the southern polish city of Katowice. And local officials there say the death toll could rise even further. They've seen dead bodies that have been sticking out of the rubble. There are about 500 people who are believed to be inside attending a racing pigeon show when that roof caved in.

Now let's go to the Middle East. And after their stunning election victory in the Palestinian election, Hamas leaders are spelling out their vision for the region. One of the group's co- founders, Mahmoud al-Zahar was on CNN's "LATE EDITION" earlier today. He was asked if it's still Hamas policy to destroy Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR, HAMAS LEADER: Ask the Israelis to stop their killing, to stop their detention, to allow the Palestinian people who are living in refugee camps to come back, to live there in their homelands, the lands of their father and grandfather who are living here since many thousand years. Unless that happens, I think no of the Palestinian people will accept the argument of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NAIDOO: That was Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar. He was talking on CNN's "LATE EDITION" and that was broadcast earlier day.

Now to Pakistan, a railway disaster in the eastern part of the country, a passenger train derailed causing six cars to plummet into a ravine that killed at least two people. Officials say another 30 were injured. More than 600 people were onboard that train. The accident happened on the line between two major Pakistani cities of Lahor (ph) and Rabalpendi (ph). Darkness is hindering the recovery efforts right now. And that is it for me, Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Anand.

Well, every week, we like to bring you the more personal stories as well from the front lines. And today, we're going to show you the realities of war as seen through the eyes of one of the journalists covering it, CNN's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES (voice over): It is a sad fact of war coverage that casualties become numbers, compounding the tragedy trivializing the individual. But that's what many victims here have become, numbers

Forty-five killed in this bombing, 80 in that one. They're maimed, their own lives shattered, even if not ended -- are more numbers. With so many deaths, it's impossible to cover the individual stories, the lives of those who perished.

Reporters at work, it's easy to become anesthetized. There's an element of dejavu here sometimes. Another day, another bomb, another attack, another death toll.

(on camera): Many of us, of course, try to stay detached from the actual violence. You'd go crazy if you got emotionally involved in every horror that you see.

But there are always times when we in the media cannot bury it and usually that's when the horror involves you or someone you know.

(voice-over): Many in the media have lost friends and colleagues here. These are photos of just some of them. This week it is two years since we lost two of our own, translator Duraid Mohammed Isa on the left, and one of our drivers Yasser Katab, two vibrant young men whose lives were cut short by insurgent bullets.

We'd been returning from filming a story south of Baghdad when our two cars were attacked by two cars. None of us there will forget the image of gunmen standing up through the sunroofs firing AK-47s, wanting to kill not someone who had become a number, but us. Cameraman Scott McWhinnie was sitting next to me. He was shot in the head, but survived. Yasser and Duraid didn't make it.

(on camera): It changed me, changed all of us in the cars that day, of course, and many people who were not. These were people we worked with, lived with, and joked around with.

(voice-over): Yasser, young, idealistic, came to work for CNN despite his family's constant warning of the dangers. He used to bashfully teach us Arabic swear words on the way to stories.

Duraid, fun, funny, devoted father of two children the same ages as my own. We'd proudly compare photographs and laugh at their latest antics. It's changed, too, how those of us who carry on work here in Iraq, now. Those of us here in the early days would certainly take precautions, but would think little about walking the streets in Baghdad and elsewhere, speaking with locals, getting a firsthand look at the story we're covering. In this case, sitting on Saddam's famous statue before it was removed.

(on camera): This is where we do our live shots from every day, reporting to you. However, most days this is as close as you can get to those in the city behind me.

(voice-over): It is difficult to get out and about. We do, but it is always with great caution. The kidnapping of journalist Jill Carroll is another reminder of the risks involved. Like most of us, she is here because it is a story that needs telling, despite the risks. Just a few photos of those who have died here.

It helps now and then to remind ourselves and those who watch our work that those casualty lists contain more than numbers, Iraqis or coalition forces; they are people.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: So we want to you stay tuned to CNN throughout the night. We have a special "CNN PRESENTS." It is changing its focus to the situation in Iraq. "Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars," will not be seen. But instead, tonight's program focuses on the memorable events in Iraq. CNN correspondents are going to share their stories first hand. See the front lines through their eyes, the eyes of the soldiers and journalists. Visit the overflowing hospitals and go inside the chaotic trial of Saddam Hussein. "CNN PRESENTS Under Fire: Stories from the New Iraq." It starts tonight at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific, only on CNN.

Now right here, coming up, hard to imagine, it was hidden. A lavish tunnel, nearly a mile long discovered on the U.S./Mexico border. Up next, details on the investigation into who made it.

And they usually predict the Oscar winners, so will tonight's Screen Actors Guild Awards serve up any surprises? We're live on the red carpet for a preview. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Much more ahead.

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LIN: It's being called the most sophisticated drug smuggling tunnel ever found along the U.S./Mexico border, and it's out of business now. The tunnel is outfitted with electricity and a ventilation system and is tall enough for a person to stand in. It stretches between Tijuana, Mexico and Otay Mesa, California. Wow.

Joining me now from Washington is Matt Allen, he is deputy assistant director for smuggling and public safety with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Matt, good to have you. Startling to see these pictures. This tunnel is so long. Do you have any more information about who built it and how it was used?

MATT ALLEN, ICE INVESTIGATIONS: Well, that is the focus of our investigation from this point forward. And our goal is to identify the most senior members of the smuggling organizations that are responsible for it.

LIN: Well what led you to the tunnel?

ALLEN: Well like many of these investigations that identify tunnels, the key ingredient is human source information. Individuals that come to us and provide us information about smuggling that's going along the southwest border.

LIN: And do you -- because we understand that the immigration service is warning that lives may be in danger in connection with this tunnel. That the drug cartels may be going after the people who are associated with this tunnel. Tell us more about that.

ALLEN: Well that is a fear of ours. As you can imagine, a tunnel this sophisticated and the organization that's behind it is responsible for the movement of significant quantities of drugs or other contraband into the United States. And like many criminal enterprised, they want to insulate themselves from law enforcement. And one of the ways that they might try and do that after a success like this is to go after those who have knowledge about it.

LIN: And if they do, are you predicting that all hell is going to break loose?

ALLEN: We want to take measures to avoid that, and so we're asking that anybody that is responsible or has knowledge about it come forth and talk with us so that we can make an evaluation about what role they might play in our investigation.

LIN: So do you expect to find more tunnels then?

ALLEN: Well I think it's almost inevitable. The pace has certainly picked up in the next few weeks. We've had both this tunnel and other tunnels that we've discovered along with our partners in Customs and Border Protection. And I would be, I guess, naive to tell you this is going to be the last.

LIN: No, and two tons of marijuana found inside this tunnel?

ALLEN: Yes, primed and ready to be moved from Mexico. On the U.S. side, we found a smaller amount that had already been smuggled into the United States.

LIN: What does that tell you about drug trafficking between the two countries?

ALLEN: Well, I would say that it's still going on. But I would say that this, to a certain extent, is a success in that we have been successful in driving the smugglers below ground, literally in this case. LIN: Literally, indeed. Matt Allen, thank you. Now you can go inside the U.S./Mexico tunnel on CNN's "ANDERSON COOPER 360." It is a CNN exclusive, tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

Now they're gearing up for the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. Here's Sibila Vargas to tell us what's ahead. Sibila?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Well certainly it's Hollywood's biggest lovefest, where actors recognize actors. I'll give you the highlights from the red carpet at the 12th Annual SAG Awards when CNN LIVE SUNDAY continues.

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LIN: The movie "Brokeback Mountain" appears to be the critics favorite going into tonight's SAG Awards. But, we all know anything can happen, anything and everything, when the stars turn out for this particular party. CNN's entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas is on the red carpet and she's live with us in L.A. Hey, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hi there, Carol. You know, it's not just about movies, you're also talking about television. I've got a special guest with us right here, Isaiah Washington from "Grey's Anatomy," the highly popular T.V. show. How are you?

ISAIAH WASHINGTON, ACTOR: I'm doing very well. I'm here with my beautiful wife, we're in Prada, we're having a great time. We have some beautiful women that are escorting us with some wonderful champagne.

VARGAS: According to our audiences, you did the champagne toast, which is opening up the ceremonies?

WASHINGTON: Yes, I did it with these young ladies here. They're very kind and pretty much walked me through it, my first time here. Had a good time with it. I'm glad that I'm here with my peers on the SAG Awards, being nominated as an ensemble with some wonderful cast mates. This is very exciting. I hope we can all walk away with something very heavy in our hands.

VARGAS: This is a very unique award show because it is the actors that give you guys...

WASHINGTON: ... It's our peers, it's our people. And whatever they decide we humbly accept, as they should know.

VARGAS: What's is like being on the other side of the red carpet with all your peers? What are you looking forward to seeing, the big stars?

WASHINGTON: Well, I mean, there's a couple of people here that owe me some money, some tokens. You know, there are a couple of people here that are on some hit shows, I'm not going to say any names, that owe me some tokens. I loaned them some tokens on the A train, you know, back in New York when we were struggling. But, you know, I'm not going to ask on shut shows, I loaned them some tokens back when we were struggling. I'm not going to ask them, you know -- did I say a name?

VARGAS: Yes.

WASHINGTON: No, I'm not going to ask them for my money back.

VARGAS: Let's talk about "Grey's Anatomy," the show that you guys are on. It's just such an incredible, it's done so well in the ratings. I mean, it's critically acclaimed. There was a time where they were only talking about reality television. Now, you know, "Grey's Anatomy" comes onto the scene with all these other shows. What's it like, working on the show and what do you think -- why has it resonated with audiences?

WASHINGTON: Well, Shonda Rhimes has a pretty interesting through line. She pretty much has her fingers on the pulse of humanity and I think it's very clear. I can't really agree with the assessment that people are really tired of reality shows. I think reality shows helped "Grey's Anatomy" and shows like "Lost," only because those reality shows, if you can remember, were very diverse.

You had different kinds of people from all over the nation that looked different shapes and sizes and genders. And I think for those years, America got accustomed to seeing a lot of inter-racial relationship and real people.

So for us to come back behind that, or piggy back on that with diversity, it's not something that you have to force down someone's throat because you have seen these difference kinds of people relating already. And I think it's really more of a subliminal thing, it's accepted because it's not new. You know, only thing we're doing now is just trying to tell some good stories.

VARGAS: You are definitely doing that. Thank you so much. Congratulations and good luck out there. All right, Carol, well, that's the news from here, at least for television.

But you know, it's also about the movies as well. And like you said, "Brokeback Mountain," a lot of people are interested to see what's going to happen there. And they've been talk -- all the critical awards, Golden Globes, they pretty much swept that. And you know, they're on to Oscar, which Oscar nominations are going to be Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if they get nominated for Oscar, but "Brokeback Mountain" certainly a lot of people talking about that. Carol, back to you.

LIN: Well, it's a love story no doubt. Thanks very much, Sibila. Well the annual Sundance Film Festival has picked this year's best independent film and taking the top honors last night were two films about immigrants, "God Grew Tired of Us," and "Quinceanera," I am not saying that well and I apologize.

Despite the wintry weather, Park City, Utah, has been jamming fro the past 11 days with screenings and parties and concerts. And after tonight, Sundance will be a wrap.

Well there's much more straight ahead on CNN this evening. Coming up next, David Mattingly's exclusive interview with this man: Jack Wylie (ph). He was arrested earlier this week and charged with sexually abusing two children living with him.

And at 8:00, "CNN PRESENTS Under Fire: Stories from the new Iraq." And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern tonight. CNN correspondent Michael Holmes joins me live from Baghdad. He is going to give us the latest on injured ABC newsman Bob Woodruff. The hour's headlines when I come back.

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