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CNN Live Today

Angry Protests Across Islamic World Today; Go Red Day Focuses on Heart Disease in Women

Aired February 03, 2006 - 11:32   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Angry protests across the Islamic world today. Muslim are furious over a dozen drawings of the Prophet Mohammed. Now we pixelated these pictures because they are so offensive to so many Muslims. They were first printed by a Danish newspapers. This week, other European papers ran the caricatures to show support for freedom of the press.
Islamic law prohibits any depiction of Mohammed. And for that reason, CNN is blurring the images. One cartoon shows Mohammed with a bomb as a headdress.

A sample of the rage, Iranians hitting the streets of Tehran after Friday prayers. The hardline government is denouncing the drawings of Mohammed as blasphemous.

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, protesters rampaged through the lobby of the building housing the Danish embassy.

In South Asia, demonstrators marched going through the streets of Dhaka, the Capitol of Bangladesh. They chanted, "long live Islam," and "beware corrupt publishers."

There are protests in Great Britain and the Palestinian territories as well this morning.

We have correspondents Adrian Finnegan and John Vause working those stories at those locations.

First to London and Adrian Finnegan.

Adrian, hello.

ADRIAN FINNEGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, hi. Well, what a contrast 90 minutes or so ago where we last spoke. This is the Danish industry here in South Central London just a couple blocks along from the world's famous Harrods store. Now when we last spoke, there were about 150, 200 protesters. To my left, on the other side of the road, the street returning to normality now as dusk falls.

Now shortly after we spoke about 90 minutes ago, those protesters were swelled in numbers, by around 200 or 300 people who had been attending Friday prayers at a large mosque here in North Central London, a couple of miles away. After Friday prayers, they marched here. Now until that point, the demonstration outside the Danish embassy had been noisy, but largely peaceful. Some eggs hit the Danish embassy. The tone of the demonstration became a lot angrier when the numbers of demonstrators were swelled by those extra people. Some of the placards that they were carrying were fairly sinister in tone. Some of the things that were written on them saying, "You ought to take some lessons from 9/11," "Annihilate those who insult Islam," "behead those who insult the prophet."

And then about 20 minutes ago, the protesters decided that they were going to take their protest to the French and Norwegian embassies, so about a mile in that direction, leaving the Danish embassy here.

And so while the demonstrations here have now moved on, it's peaceful again, they're continuing in Central London, outside the French embassy -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Thank you, Adrian Finnegan live in London.

Now, let's go to John Vause who is talking about reaction in Gaza City.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, in Gaza City today, thousands took to the streets to demonstrate after Friday prayers. Many chanted God is great. others held up the Koran. In fact, Gaza has seen some of the most violent protests this week.

Today one Muslim cleric reportedly calling for the severing of heads of those responsible for these cartoons. Also in Gaza overnight, aides workers, diplomats and international news crews packed up and headed back to Israel after gunmen said they would become targets of kidnapping if they did not leave.

And here in Jerusalem, at the Old City, clashes between Israel border police and Muslim worshipers. Police say they had information that a large demonstration was planned. As is routine, men under the age of 45 were banned from praying at the Al Aqsa Mosque. At one stage, stun grenades were used to clear the crowd. And as this outrage continues in the West Bank and Gaza, the Norwegian and Danish governments have closed their offices in the West Bank -- Daryn.

KAGAN: John Vause, live from Jerusalem, thank you.

Bruce Feiler has written extensively about religion. He about the cartoon controversy with Soledad O'Brien's on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE FEILER, RELIGION AUTHOR: It might seem alien to a lot of Americans, this tension with free speech, and yet there is -- think about the flag burning in this country. There's a situation where a majority of Americans, it seems, want to have a constitutional amendment to outlaw burning the flag, which is to say there are some offenses that are so emotional, that it's even acceptable to limit free speech.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Wake up with the news weekdays on AMERICAN MORNING. Miles and Soledad get you started at 6:00 a.m. Eastern. They're our warmup act. We get started at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

And editorial cartoonist is defending his work here in the U.S. It's a Tom Toles cartoon, and it appeared in "The Washington Post" on Sunday. It shows a hospitalized soldier with "Dr." Rumsfeld describing his condition as "battle hardened." The cartoon enraged the joint chiefs of staff. In a letter to the paper, they called the drawing "beyond tasteless" and "reprehensible."

Last night, Toles told CNN's Paula Zahn, the cartoon is not aimed at the troops, rather it's a commentary on Rumsfeld's insistence that U.S. forces are not stretched thin in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM TOLES, "WASHINGTON POST": The way I look at it is this, Secretary Rumsfeld dismissed two serious reports about the damage that has been done to the U.S. Army, and with the expression that it was battle hardened. My feeling was that in light of the damage that has been done to the army and the catastrophic suffering that has happened to a lot of American soldiers, that that expression did not appropriately cover the situation and the cartoon was about my response to his comment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Newsmakers and more week nights with "PAULA ZAHN NOW," 8:00 Eastern on CNN.

Donald Rumsfeld has delivered some jabs of his own. His were aimed at Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whom he compared to Adolph Hitler.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECY.: You've got Chavez in Venezuela with a lot of oil money. He's a person who was elected legally, just as Adolph Hitler was elected legally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Those comments come as Venezuelan President Chavez announced he had banned a U.S. embassy naval attache from returning to his post in Caracas. The Venezuelan leader accuses Captain John Corea (ph) of espionage, saying he tried to get Venezuelan officers to hand over state secrets. U.S. officials deny that spy charge.

Mr. Chavez is in Cuba today to meet with close friend Fidel Castro and accept a UNESCO (ph) award for fighting hunger, poverty and illiteracy in Venezuela. Fidel Castro, by the way, is not happy about an electronic message board at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. It's flashing messages, urging Cubs to oppose the government, and it can be seen from several miles away. Today, the Cuban leader will retaliate when he reveals huge flags on the stage that will block the ticker from view.

Not breast cancer and not car accidents, the number one killer of women in this country is heart disease. Up next I'll speak with a cardiologist about what we can do to fight it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Two developing stories on opposite ends of the country we want to bring you up-to-date on.

First to Florida, to St. Petersburg, Florida. A roof collapse at a Bed, Bath and Beyond store. There are apparent injuries and it's possible -- and this is St. Petersburg, Florida -- it's possible that there are people are trapped inside that store at this hour, and the rescue goes on. So we'll bring you the latest from St. Petersburg as it becomes available.

The other story coming Los Angeles, from the Compton area of Los Angeles. A school shooting apparently at the Robert E. Kennedy Elementary School. The word is that one student had a gun and apparently shot another student on the bus. The condition of those students at this time is not known. Those pictures and information coming to us from our affiliate KTTV.

More on both of those stories as they become available. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Two babies are recovering after a rare and remarkable transplant procedure called a domino transplant. Doctors at Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio gave a 4-month old boy a new set of heart and lungs. His heart was then transplanted into a 3-month old girl. The baby boy was diagnosed with a lung disorder. His heart was healthy, but doctors say it's safer in young children to transplant both the heart and lungs together. The surgeries were performed on January 14th and both babies could go home within a week.

So, did you get the memo? Are you dressed in red today? Because it is National Wear Red Day, a day to give woman a wake-up call to the risk they face from heart disease, the number one killer of women. The Wear Red campaign was launched by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

And just to show you, we have the spirit here at CNN LIVE TODAY. Not just me. Take a look at this. My whole gang back here -- my producers, my technical people and even the back row, they're in red as well. We're feeling the love as we fight heart disease. Joining us to talk about the fight against heart disease in women, Dr. Lori Mosca. She's the director of the Preventative Cardiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Joining me now from Hartford, Connecticut.

Dr. Mosca, good morning.

DR. LORI MOSCA, NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSP.: Good morning.

KAGAN: So did you see all our red?

MOSCA: And thanks for wearing red.

KAGAN: Yes, we're feeling it.

MOSCA: I love it! That's great.

KAGAN: Let's talk about it. Just how serious is heart disease in American women?

MOSCA: Well, it is their leading killer. In fact, every year, about 500,000 women die of heart disease. That's about one every minute. So it's an incredibly important public health problem. But the good news is that we can do a lot about it.

KAGAN: And we're talking prevention. So we can -- as women, we can help ourselves.

MOSCA: That's right. We're really empowered now to take a lot of action to lower our risks. We need to know our numbers. What is our blood pressure, what's our cholesterol? Are we at risk for diabetes? Because all these major risk factors are important and they're modifiable.

KAGAN: Now, what about women's relationships with their doctors, though? I've heard stories of women either going to the emergency room or to the regular doctors and those doctors not picking up on the right kind of signals that women might have trouble.

MOSCA: Yes, that's a great point. In fact, the symptoms of heart disease in women are often different than they are in men. So it's very important that women be tuned into their body and that they really take charge of their own health. Don't say no if you think that there's something wrong. Keep persisting and get yourself checked out.

KAGAN: What are some of the symptoms that are different in women that might show up?

MOSCA: Well, the classic sort of Hollywood heart attack, you know, where you put your first over your chest, does happen in both men and women. But women are more likely than men to have shortness of breath, headaches, stomach upset. So it's really critical that they be educated about both the typical and the atypical symptoms of heart disease.

KAGAN: Give us a Web site where they can get those symptoms and also some prevention measures.

MOSCA: Yes, there's a lot of great Web sites and information for women. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has a Web site. And today, which is National Go Red Day, there's a Web site at the American Heart Association called goredforwomen.org. And education is key because we've recently learned that the more women are aware that it's their leading killer, the more likely they are to take preventative action and improve their life.

KAGAN: Dr. Lori Mosca, thanks for the tips and the information. And go red!

MOSCA: Yes, go red. Thank you.

KAGAN: Thank you, doctor.

And to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

(MARKET REPORT)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: CNN Security Watch goes to Super Bowl XL. Fan frenzy aside, more than 10,000 security people will be in place in, over and around Detroit this Sunday. It's a massive shield in place to protects America's most watched supporting event from terrorists.

Our Brian Todd takes us behind the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When's the last time you saw a helicopter try to steer away a plane in mid flight? Or one speed boat nearly collide with another on the border of U.S. and Canada? This is what awaits terrorists should they attempt to target Super Bowl XL in Detroit.

(on camera): This will give you an idea of the huge security concerns for the Super Bowl. Look how close Ford Field is to the Detroit River. The border of U.S. border to Canada runs right up the middle of that river and then hundreds of miles north to adjoining rivers and lakes.

(voice-over): We flew in joint airspace along with Commander Bob Makowski of the U.S. Coast Guard who explained his challenge heading off pilots who violate airspace.

CMDR. BOB MAKOWSKI, U.S. COAST GUARD: An unfamiliar pilot, we don't know what they're going to do. They don't really know what we're going to do.

TODD: This year, U.S. security officials have partners, coordinating like never before with the Canadian counterparts. Both countries are under North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, that will have fighter jets and helicopters enforcing a 30-mile fright restriction on Super Sunday.

On the water, just for this event, heavily armed American boats can cross into waters. American officers can board Canadian vessels to chase suspects. The Canadians can do the same.

BOATSWAIN 1ST CLASS, CURTIS TAFT, U.S. COAST GUARD: You look for anything out of the usual, such as small vessels traveling at a high rate of speed that don't appear to be, you know, acknowledging that have you a zone in place.

TODD: With the sheer mileage of the open border space on the water, we asked Coast Guard Admiral Robert Papp, coordinator of all U.S. Homeland Security Agencies for the Super Bowl, where the vulnerabilities are.

REAR ADM. ROBERT PAPP, U.S. COAST GUARD: These are the places, though, where you have the biggest challenge, where you have virtually just a couple hundred yards. A boat can get across in five minutes.

TODD: That potential threat is why Homeland Security officials have set up a tight security zone along the Detroit waterfront. That doesn't cover the hundreds of miles of open border over the adjacent river and lakes. But right now, officials tell CNN they have no specific credible threats to the Super Bowl.

Brian Todd, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

In our final seconds of this hour, let's update you on the situation we're watching out of St. Petersburg, Florida, a collapse, a building collapse at a Bed, Bath and Beyond. There was some thought that some people might be stuck inside of that building. There is unstable weather in the area. We're hearing now from police in St. Petersburg that the collapse happened near the cash register area of the store, and that all employees at this Bed, Bath and Beyond there have been accounted for.

As to whether there are any other people still inside, that search goes on.

We will continue to update that story as it becomes available.

I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY."

I'll be back with the latest headlines from around the U.S. in about 20 minutes, or any breaking news as it becomes available.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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