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Your World Today

Khartoum, Main Rebel Faction Agree to Peace Deal; Audience Members Heckle Rumsfeld; Tony Blair Changes Cabinet After Bruising Election; Australian Miners Continue to Await Rescue; Germany Tries To Fix Image For Upcoming World Cup

Aired May 05, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The cabinet reshuffled. British Prime Minister Tony Blair shaking up his government after a bruising defeat.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A significant step forward. Sudan's main rebel groups take a step toward peace.

Then...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY MCGOVERN, FMR. CIA ANALYST: You said you knew where they were.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I did not. I said I knew where suspect sites were. And we were -- just...

MCGOVERN: You said you knew where they were, near Tikrit, near Baghdad, and north, east, south and west of there. Those are your words.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld under fire as he was making a speech.

GORANI: It is 5:00 p.m. in London and in Abuja, Nigeria, as well.

I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

Welcome to our viewers throughout the world and in the United States.

This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

Three deadlines have come and gone as peace deals for Darfur have been amended again and again.

GORANI: But now there is significant progress in talks to end the three-year conflict in western Sudan. Now, the biggest of three rebel factions and the Sudanese government have come to terms on a peace agreement after marathon talks in Abuja, Nigeria. Two smaller factions are still refusing to sign despite changes that strengthen security guarantees.

CLANCY: Now, even the rebel group that guaranteed to the deal says it still has some concerns, especially over whether Khartoum is really going to share power. But it says it is time for everyone involved to try to make peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEIF ELDIN HARUON, SUDAN LIBERATION ARMY SPOKESMAN: We just met some -- a few hours so we can sit down and talk to our (INAUDIBLE) from the other parties. And I believe we will go forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, the United States is one of the countries that sent mediators to Abuja to help broker a deal. U.S. President George Bush says Washington wanted to send a message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America is not silent. The United States is the only country to have called the crimes taking place in Sudan what they are, genocide. And to end, these atrocities...

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: To end these atrocities, we've developed a clear standard. First, there must be a political course. Right now, as we speak, we're negotiating to bring a political settlement so that all sides will lay down their arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Even though the Sudanese Liberation Army, the most significant of the three main rebel groups that are involved in these talks, still have some reservations, there were still some efforts to dot some I's and cross some T's.

Let's go to Abuja now, where CNN's Jeff Koinange is. He is at the venue of the talks, at the apparent signing, if there's going to be one.

Jeff, you tell us, what's the latest?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, after an hour and a half (INAUDIBLE), just a moments ago all parties walked into the signing room. So as we speak, they're all sitting around a table, and it looks like this could be the moment that everyone has been waiting for.

The most important thing out of this, Jim, that two main factions, the Sudanese government and one faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army, have agreed to sign it. Two others have not agreed. Well, at least it's a start -- Jim.

CLANCY: Now, you say all parties walked back in. Do you mean just the SLA, the Sudanese Liberation Army, that main rebel group, as well as a representative of Khartoum? Or are the other rebels there? After all, they could sign up as observers, couldn't they?

KOINANGE: They could sign up as observers. And that's why they're still in that room, as well as African Union officials. There's a very strong contingent from the U.S. led by the Undersecretary of State Robert Zoeller.

They're all in there. As you well know, they've been muscling both sides to at least come out of this with something after months and months of negotiations and a triple deadline delay -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jeff, I think it's important to make clear to our audience that has been watching the tragedy of Darfur described by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as literally "hell on earth," important to describe that this is just a beginning point, isn't it?

KOINANGE: No doubt about it. And a big question that everybody will be asking is, will this deal be worth the paper it's signed on?

Remember, there's three million refugees in Darfur alone. Hundreds of others spread across the country.

The biggest, most important thing is to get peacekeepers on the ground. That could happen as early as September. But after that, hopefully aide workers and aid will pour in.

But again, if something happens and this deal is not signed, well, we're back to square one. And this is what everyone around that table doesn't want to get back to -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jeff Koinange, telling us just moments ago there that this is a deal that is about to be signed. Everybody is in the room. We're going to bring you word of that as soon as it comes in.

GORANI: It's all about implementation now, isn't it?

CLANCY: It really is.

GORANI: Let's turn our attention to London, where the embattled government of Prime Minister Tony Blair is undergoing a major, major overhaul.

CLANCY: And it was an embarrassing defeat for his Labour party, a serious blow in local elections, and that has really been blamed for what's triggering this cabinet reshuffle.

Here's some of the key changes right now. Let's go through them.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is going to become the leader of the House of Commons. His replacement will be the environment minister, Margaret Beckett. That's -- that's a step down, certainly, for Jack Straw. Home Secretary Charles Clark, who was forced to apologize over a prisoner deportation scandal, replaced by the defense minister, John Reid.

GORANI: Those promoted are key allies of Finance Minister Gordon Brown, the presumed successor for Tony Blair before the next general election due by mid 2010.

To help us analyze this cabinet reshuffle and what it will mean politically for Prime Minister Blair, European Political Editor Robin Oakley joins us now live from London.

Robin, does this mean -- Robin, can you hear me? Robin Oakley?

All right. We're having problems with the audio there. We will reconnect with our European political editor.

A major cabinet reshuffle for Tony Blair. Analysis a bit later.

Now, turning to this: Thursday was not exactly Donald Rumsfeld's day. The U.S. defense secretary traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, not too far from here, to make a speech.

CLANCY: That's right. He was heckled and he was challenged by one of the questioners in the audience, a few of the people. He was also cheered on by the majority of the people in the audience.

John Roberts gives a reality check on the secretary's comments now and then.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The first volley came from a woman who brought a banner accusing Rumsfeld of war crimes. As most protesters are in a room full of administration-friendly folks, she lost her banner and was quickly let out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to hear it.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Good for you, Sergeant York.

ROBERTS: The next attack came a short five minutes later, another woman with another banner accusing Rumsfeld of lying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You lied!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You lied that Iraq (INAUDIBLE)! You lied about everything!

ROBERTS: But this one the secretary just couldn't let go.

RUMSFELD: You know that -- that charge is frequently leveled against the president for one reason or another, and it is so wrong.

ROBERTS: In truth, Rumsfeld never said Iraq's oil would pay for the war, but his then-deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, did say it would pay for the aftermath.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: We're dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.

ROBERTS: Hecklers, like the one who stood with his back to the secretary during the speech, couldn't rattle a man with Rumsfeld's steel. But in an extraordinary piece of public theater, Ray McGovern, who claimed to be a former CIA analyst, took Rumsfeld on mano-a-mano over prewar claims Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

RAY MCGOVERN, FMR. CIA ANALYST: You said you knew where they were.

RUMSFELD: I did not. I said I knew where suspect sites were. And we were -- just...

MCGOVERN: You said -- you said you knew where they were, near Tikrit, near Baghdad, and north, east, south and west of there. Those are your words.

RUMSFELD: My words -- my words were that...

ROBERTS: Well, we looked up what his words were, and found that an appearance on ABC's "This Week" three years ago, Rumsfeld said this...

RUMSFELD: We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.

ROBERTS: With what appeared to be the facts on his side, McGovern kept going, an exchange that lasted a full two minutes and 35 seconds.

MCGOVERN: I'd just like an honest answer.

RUMSFELD: I'm giving it to you.

MCGOVERN: We're talking about lies and your allegation that there was bulletproof evidence of ties between al Qaeda and Iraq. Was that a lie or were you misled?

ROBERTS: Hold on. Did Rumsfeld ever say bulletproof? According to "The New York Times," he did, September 27, 2002 in Atlanta. And a month later, he admitted saying it. But a year after that he told the National Press Club, bulletproof? Not me.

RUMSFELD: I did not say that.

ROBERTS: But, back to the action in Atlanta.

RUMSFELD: Why do you think that the men and women in uniform every day when they came out of Kuwait and went into Iraq put on chemical weapon protective suits? Because they liked the style? They honestly believed that there were chemical weapons.

Saddam Hussein had used chemical weapons on his own people previously. He had used them on his neighbor, the Iranians. And they believed he had those weapons. We believed he had those weapons.

ROBERTS: And with that, they declared an end to the face-off. But unlike the other opponents of the war, McGovern took his seat and remained quiet through the rest of the speech.

John Roberts, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: The U.S. and Russia at odds.

GORANI: Coming up, tensions are high as the U.S. vice president harshly criticizes Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of their people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: We'll take a closer look at the war of words.

CLANCY: Also coming up, a traffic accident involving a member of the Kennedy clan. We'll have the latest on that investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Now, this story is just coming in. A loud explosion rocked Gaza City a short time ago. The Associated Press reporting an Israeli aircraft attacked a target in Gaza City on Friday. Palestinian security officials say six Palestinians have been killed. The Israeli military confirming it carried out an air strike but has released no further information on that.

We're going to bring you more information as it becomes available.

GORANI: Now to that -- one of our top stories, and the embattled government of Prime Minister Tony Blair in the United Kingdom, undergoing a major overhaul this day.

His Labour party suffered a serious blow in local election. And that's triggering a cabinet reshuffle.

European Political Editor Robin Oakley joins us now live from London.

What does this mean in terms of what Tony Blair will now do? Does this mean he might step down, as some would like him to do? Or does this mean he plans to hold on?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: No, he's certainly intending to hang on, Hala. What do you do when you're in trouble? You take a few sacrificial victims on your sledge and you throw them to the wolf pack following, in the hoping that you can divert them for a little while. And that's what Tony Blair has been doing with his cabinet reshuffle.

He's gotten rid of Charles Clark, the home secretary, the man responsible for releasing into the community a thousand foreign convicts instead of having them processed for deportation. And, more surprisingly, he's gotten rid of his foreign secretary, Jack Straw, one of the highest profile members of his government, and demoted him to a job leading the House of Commons.

Tony Blair himself, though, is not going to listen to the calls of people in his party who are saying, well, he should now name a firm date for handing over to his almost inevitable successor, Gordon Brown, the chancellor of the Exchequer, because Tony Blair knows full well that his authority has already been diminished by saying that he wouldn't fight the next general election. If he names a date, say for next year, then he becomes a lame duck prime minister almost overnight, with people not really taking much notice of what he says or does from then on -- Hala.

GORANI: Now, this a major overhaul. Does it mean that Tony Blair's government is in major trouble?

OAKLEY: Yes, his government is in severe trouble. They've had really a fortnight of disastrous headlines over ministerial blunders and embarrassments.

Charles Clark's blunder, I mentioned. The health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, was howled down by the Royal College of Nursing. The deputy prime minister, John Prescott, was pictured all over the tabloid newspapers over an affair with his secretary, his diary (ph) secretary.

They've been hideous headlines for the government. And there have been real questions about the government's competence.

That's one of the reasons why the electors have take taken this out in the council elections. In Britain, governments always get punished by electors in council elections with not too much at stake, but this time they've done it in spades. Tony Blair is in political trouble, he's trying to seize back the initiative and make sure that tomorrow morning's headlines are all about his government reshuffle and not about the fact that he's lost 260 seats.

But the opposition conservatives are (INAUDIBLE). They've taken 40 percent of the vote. It gets them in position to do well at the next general election if they keep it up -- Hala.

GORANI: OK. Robin Oakley, our European political editor, live from London -- Jim. CLANCY: Well, the U.S. vice president has turned up the temperature and the tension between Moscow and Washington with remarks that he has made. It was in a speech to eastern European leaders that Dick Cheney accused Russia of improperly restricting human rights. He also said Russia was unfairly using its vast energy riches.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: Other actions by the Russian government have been counterproductive and could begin to affect relations with other countries. No legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Well, as you can imagine, the response from Moscow has been swift, and, yes, it has been harsh. One Russian paper called Cheney's speech the beginning of a second Cold War. It comes just two months before the U.S. president is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart.

GORANI: Joining us now with more on the state of U.S.-Russia relations, Ian Bremmer, founder of the Eurasia Group.

Thank you for being with us, Ian.

The beginning of a second Cold War?

IAN BREMMER, FOUNDER, EURASIA GROUP: That's a little hyperbolic. I mean, it is -- it is no longer the close, cozy relationship that Bush and Putin had after September 11th. That's very clear.

And a little of this is Cheney himself, who in private meetings in the White House in the past month has been increasingly expressing his concern about Russia on a host of fronts. And it's a little bit of real difficulty in the relationship.

Putin is at about 70 percent approval right now. They're making an enormous amount of money internally with $70 oil. They feel very strong. And particularly on the most important U.S. strategic issue out there today, which is Iran, the Russians are proving the most obstreperous power for the Americans to deal with.

So there's no question that the frustration level is high. And the fact that they're making these comments in advance of the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg shows that level of frustration very clearly.

GORANI: What's the strategy behind these comments coming from the vice president, do you think?

BREMMER: I think the strategy is to make the Russians know that they're on notice and they need to be more cooperative. A little of this is about democracy, and we need to recognize that the Bush administration had talked about Belarus as a member of the outpost of tyranny. And the way that President Putin came out in favor of President Lukashenko and Belarus after clearly tainted elections got quite a bit of negative feedback in the Bush administration.

You've also seen in Germany Ms. Merkel calling on the United States to take a more aggressive stand on Russia, especially after cutting off the gas to Ukraine.

So, the fact that the Russians themselves have been taking a more aggressive position vis-a-vis their neighbors, as well has been more difficult to work with on an issue like Iran, has made the United States and the Bush administration feel like they shouldn't be getting a free ride.

So, there still is a lot of cooperation between the two countries on counterterrorist issues, at the working level in terms of intelligence, but strategically the interest of these two very important nations is no longer as aligned as it was, say, six months ago.

GORANI: Now, as you said, with $70-a-barrel oil, Russia is in a different strategic position as well. It's coming from a position of strength right now.

When you have comments like the ones that came from the vice president, is it likely to inflame the situation, or do you think that Russia and officials will be receptive to that kind of criticism?

BREMMER: I don't know if they'll be receptive, but I would say that the situation hasn't been improved very much by the tread softly, softly approach that we've seen by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and to a certain extent, President Bush over the past six months. So they're -- they're shaking it up and they're trying something different.

I think that the initial Russian response that you've gotten was one of incomprehension and ignoring, sort of trying to downplay the statements. But I think they are being put on notice that this -- that they better actually get their act together before the G8 summit, or the G8 summit, which the Russian have wanted to host for a very long time, won't go well.

The Bush administration made some tough statements about China and Hu Jintao before Hu Jintao came to Washington a couple of weeks ago, and the Chinese ended up providing -- were the bearers of quite a few gifts to the Americans before that summit. And I think hope is in the White House that maybe they can get the Russians, who want this G8 summit in St. Petersburg to go well, they can move them in the same direction.

But, you know, the Russians don't need the Americans the way they did a couple of years ago. And the perception of that is very much the case within Russia. So it may be a tougher -- I mean, this may be a tougher nut to crack.

GORANI: Right. And we're going to be looking at how relations and conversations and discussions go at that G8 summit in St. Petersburg.

Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group, thank you so much for being with us.

BREMMER: It's a pleasure.

CLANCY: Well, it's time for us to take a little bit of a break here, Hala.

GORANI: All right. But coming up, an expectant mother in Britain is delighted about her pregnancy.

CLANCY: It normally wouldn't be news, except this mom -- and get this -- she's 63 years old.

GORANI: Understandably, she's the subject of much fascination and criticism.

CLANCY: It's Friday. We want to get your take on this. Our inbox question today...

GORANI: What do you think of a 63-year-old woman having a baby? E-mail us at ywt@cnn.com.

CLANCY: Be sure to include your name and where you're writing to us from.

YOUR WORLD TODAY continues right after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. First, though, a check on stories making headlines here in the U.S.

A minor accident raises major questions. New details today about the crash involving Congressman Patrick Kennedy. The questions, what exactly happened and did he get special treatment?

CNN has received a copy of the police report. The congressman says he was disoriented from prescription medication, that he had not been drinking. Police say he appeared intoxicated.

What exact does the report say? Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash live from Capitol Hill.

Dana, the news of the little box that were checked?

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And these are the little box. Don't even try to read them from there. But the most important thing on that issue is what you were just talking about, whether or not the congressman was drinking.

According to this report, on the issue of sobriety, there were two options for the police officers on the scene to check, whether he had not been drinking or he had been drinking. They checked that he had been drinking. Under the degrees of which he was perhaps under the influence, it says that his ability was impaired. So this is the first time we have seen from the officers on the scene, from what we were told by law enforcement officials yesterday, is that they did seem to think that he was under the influence. Now, we know that Patrick Kennedy says that it was not alcohol. He denies that he was drinking. In fact, it was a combination of prescription drugs that made him disoriented, and that caused the accident. But the issue here is that we might not ever know because there was apparently no sobriety test taken on the ground there because, we're told, a lieutenant, the higher up, if you will, said that they should instead just take the congressman home.

Now, other issues in this report, the contributing circumstances to the incident read as follows: speed, alcohol influence, wrong side of the street, driver inattention. The police report shows also that Kennedy was cited for three infractions. They are failure to keep a proper lane, unreasonable speed, the failure to give full time and attention to the operation of a vehicle. And also, the responding officer observed, according to this report, that the congressman's eyes were red and watery, speech was slightly slurred, and upon exiting his vehicle his balance was unsure.

It also says that at the time the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed in a construction zone, and it was swerving and in the wrong lane.

So this is information coming from this report.

We do not have a reaction from the congressman's office since we have seen this report, nor do we have really an official statement from the Capital Police, Daryn, except that they are conducting multiple -- or two, I should say, investigations.

KAGAN: All right. Dana Bash live on Capitol Hill.

Dana, thank you.

It is all about the evidence. The government has it. Lawyers for Lewis "Scooter" Libby want it.

The evidence is the focus of a federal court hearing today in the CIA leak case. Lawyers for the vice president's former chief of staff want to get a look at documents that may be used against Libby. They say it's necessary for a trial.

Libby is charged with lying to the FBI and grand jury investigating the CIA leak. The leak exposed covert CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Tourists get rolling again in the Orlando, Florida, area. Authorities in Orange and Brevard counties have reopened parts of Interstate 95 and the BeachLine Expressway. They were closed today because of smoke from a brushfire. Zero visibility led to several car crashes.

Let's see how things look in Florida and around the country today. Reynolds Wolf has that information for us. Hi, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hello there, Daryn.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: A scaffolding accident this morning in Bethesda, Maryland. It's the scene outside of the National Naval Medical Center. There are reports of two injuries, but no one is trapped under that debris. The scaffolding was four, maybe five stories high. No word yet on what brought that down.

One man's unceasing battle against the right. Comedian talk show host Al Franken joins Tony Harris on "LIVE FROM" at the top of the hour.

Meanwhile, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Daryn Kagan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy, and these are the headlines right now.

The Israeli military says the Air Force carried out a strike in Gaza targeting a training facility, the popular resistance committees. Officials say that training operation center was hit. Palestinian medical source say five Palestinians were killed, all of them militants.

GORANI: Also in the headlines this hour, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is out. His replacement, environment minister Margaret Beckett. It's all part of a major cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Tony Blair the U.K. His Labor party took huge losses in local elections Wednesday. Blair's deputy prime minister, John Prescott, will remain in his post, but he's being stripped of most of his responsibilities.

CLANCY: A speech by the U.S. vice president is drawing harsh criticism from Moscow. On Thursday, Dick Cheney accused Russia of using its energy reserves as a tool of intimidation. He also said Moscow was improperly restricting human rights. The Kremlin calls the comments "subjective and inaccurate." One Russian paper said this: "The beginning of a second Cold War."

GORANI: A deal to end three years of conflict in Sudan's Darfur region could be signed within hours. The biggest of three rebel factions and the Sudanese government have come to terms on an agreement after marathon talks in Abuja, Nigeria. Two smaller rebel factions are still refusing to sign, despite changes that strengthen security guarantees.

CLANCY: The United Nations Security Council meets behind closed doors Friday to further discuss Iran's disputed nuclear program. On the table, of course, that draft resolution introduced Wednesday that calls on Tehran to stop enriching uranium. If approved, the resolution would make mandatory a previous Security Council demand for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment. Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated Tehran's claim that its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only. He spoke at a regional economic summit in Azerbaijan.

GORANI: Thousands of Palestinians marched Friday throughout the West Bank and Gaza in support of the Hamas-led government. Palestinian officials have warned that the economy could collapse within months as Israel and Western countries keep up pressure on the Palestinian Authority. The West has cut direct aid, while Israel has stopped tax transfers. Despite the pressure, Hamas has not yielded to demands that it recognizes Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.

CLANCY: Meantime, tens of thousands of Israelis living in the West Bank face an uncertain future now.

GORANI: Yes, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has vowed to define his country's borders within the next four years.

CLANCY: And that, he says, means that some of the smaller, illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank are going to have to go.

More from John Vause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Small, isolated, and on the wrong side of Israel's West Bank area. And that means the Jewish settlement of Beit El is likely to be high on the list for evacuation.

SHARI HELLER, BEIT EL SETTLER: I love Beit El.

VAUSE: Shari Heller, originally from the United States moved here 17 years ago, raised eight children. All still live at home and often spend their spare time planting olive trees on the wind-swept hills around the settlement. All of them, along with the 6,000 other residents of this community, face an uncertain future. But they're not convinced the new Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will make good on his plan to give up their settlement.

HELLER: We don't know that it's going to happen. And I wouldn't assume that it is going to happen. That's his plan. So what?

VAUSE: Beit El means "House of God." It's built on occupied Palestinian land. But here, tradition has it the Lord told Jacob that all of the land belongs to the Jews. And that's good enough for Shari Heller.

HELLER: All the Arabs can stay in this country as they are, but they have to abide by our rules.

VAUSE (on camera): Ehud Olmert also believes that God promised all of the West Bank to the Jews. Only now, he says, that belief is not enough to ensure Israel's survival as both a Jewish and a democratic state. To do that, he says, Israel must separate as much as possible from the Palestinians, and settlements like this one and many others will have to go.

(voice-over): He's put a former settler leader in charge: Othneil Schneller, now an elected member Olmert's Kadima party.

OTHNEIL SCHNELLER, KADIMA LEGISLATOR: I can tell you only one thing. Most of the settlers, we stay as existing today. Most of the settlements will stay where they are existing today.

VAUSE: He says it won't be like the Gaza disengagement last year, all over in just a week, with many settlers still living in temporary accommodations.

SCHNELLER: We will plan, we will build the new neighbor and then they will move from A to B.

VAUSE: It could take years, enough time, says Yedidya Atlas, a commentator for settler radio, for Ehud Olmert's Kadima party to implode.

YEDIDYA ATLAS, ISRAEL NEWS NETWORK: When it gets down to it, it's not a party that has a long life. Because when major issues are going to have to be decided, you're going to see a lot of in-fighting.

VAUSE: But now, with the new Israeli government sworn in, the end to settlements like Beit El is now a little closer.

John Vause, CNN, Beit El, in the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Getting closer. Rescue teams in Australia are still trying to reach two miners trapped deep underground. On Friday, some home-cooked soup and the drone of a giant drill provided some comfort.

Eddy Meyer reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EDDY MEYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every hour of every day, Beaconsfield miners are fighting each other for a place at the front of a rescue mission. They eat and work in the dark, and that work is paying off. And it's not lost on Todd Russell and Brant Webb.

MATTHEW GILL, MINE MANAGER: These guys know we're doing everything possible, and that's what we're doing.

MEYER: The raised bore machine began drilling last night, taking 12 hours to move two meters through tough rock. By this afternoon, progress had extended to five and a half meters, a sign they were meeting less resistance. And the large drill making its presence felt. Paramedics talking to the trapped men say they are well aware of it. GREG EDSALL, PARAMEDIC: They can hear the grinding of the drilling machine on the wall, and the longer that goes on, it's an indication that they're that closer to getting out.

MEYER: Also fostering a repoire with the men in their cabin, paramedic Karen Pendrey. She describes them as cheeky and happy to talk for hours about everything from family to football, even about the moment that trapped them.

KAREN PENDREY, PARAMEDIC: All they said was that they -- it was very quick and they didn't have any warning. So, yes, they didn't know it was going to happen.

MEYER: Concrete and piping was taken into the shaft to be used either to shore up the 16-meter tunnel or as part of backup plans.

BILL SHORTEN, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS' UNION: Even if the drill bore becomes unsuccessful as a method -- so please understand, if something doesn't work, we're satisfied they have other options.

MEYER (on camera): For the men working below ground in this rescue, some comforting news. Given the mine is under administration, managers have guaranteed their pay for the next month so they can worry less about their financial future and more about their work.

(voice-over): Mine manager Matthew Gill went back below ground today. The last time, the men were sleeping. Today, they were awake, and he could speak to them.

GILL: They wanted to know whether we were appreciative of their conditions. They call where they are a two-star hotel. They're the two stars.

MEYER: Family members had briefings with mine management, discussing what's happening now and what will happen when their loved ones are finally freed.

In Bakersfield, Eddy Meyer, 10 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Thousands of people are fleeing the capital of East Timor again, driven by rumors that violence between former soldiers and police could re-ignite. Rioting a week ago in Deli (ph) left four people dead, dozens more wound. That sent an initial wave of fearful residents to seek safety outside the city. It all comes after nearly 600 soldiers were fired in March for going on strike over working conditions and alleged discrimination.

GORANI: Well it's a name well known in America, even around the world.

CLANCY: Now some say a member of the famous political family may have gotten preferential treatment to get out of some legal hot water.

GORANI: Coming up, we'll have all sides of the controversy swirling around U.S. lawmaker Patrick Kennedy.

Stay with us.

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GORANI: The Mexican town of San Salvador Atanko (ph) is now under police control. Thousands of state police descended on the town Thursday and freed officers being held hostage. The 11 officers were taken on Wednesday when a riot erupted after authorities tried to eject unlicensed venders from a market. A teenage boy was killed.

Well, turning to legal news in the United States. A U.S. congressman's car crash has sparked not just one, but two investigations in Washington.

Well the reason it's making news is because of his name.

CLANCY: That's right. Democratic House member Patrick Kennedy, the son of Edward Kennedy, allegedly drove his car into a police barricade in the early morning hours of Capitol Hill Thursday.

GORANI: Well, no one was hurt, but many are raising questions about how police handled the incident.

Brian Todd has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Reporters catch up to Representative Patrick Kennedy at the end of a traumatic day.

REP. PATRICK KENNEDY, (D) RHODE ISLAND: I'm sorry to keep you up so late.

TODD: Congressional and law enforcement sources tell CNN, early Thursday morning, Capitol Hill Police observed a car, driven by Congressman Kennedy, crash into a barricade at this intersection on Capitol Hill. These sources say Patrick Kennedy was the only person in the vehicle and was not injured.

CNN sources, in contact with police officials who had spoken to officers on the scene, says the officers observed that Kennedy's car was swerving before the crash. A police union official says, according to officers on the scene, Kennedy's car almost hit a police vehicle.

CNN sources say the officers believed Kennedy appeared to be intoxicated. The head of the D.C. Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, who got information from police officials, gave this account to Wolf Blitzer.

LOU CANNON, D.C. FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE: The officers believed they detected an odor of alcohol about him based on his appearance, based on their experience.

TODD: Late Thursday, Kennedy issued a statement saying he'd earlier gotten a prescription for an anti-nausea medication, Phenergan, which can cause drowsiness. Kennedy's statement reads in part, "following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien, which was also prescribed by the attending physician some time ago and I occasionally take to fall asleep. Some time around 2:45 a.m., I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote. Apparently I was disoriented from the medication. At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol."

There are also questions about the handling of the incident by the Capitol Hill police. A letter from a top Capitol Hill Police union official to the acting chief, a document seen by a CNN producer, say the responding patrol officers were ordered to leave the scene by superior officers and were not allowed to give Kennedy a sobriety test. In his statement, Kennedy says the officers drove him home.

The letter from Officer Greg Baird reads in part, "these circumstances call the integrity of our organization into question, creating the appearance of special favor for someone perceived as privileged and powerful."

Late Thursday night, Kennedy said this to reporters as he left his office.

KENNEDY: I never asked for any preferential treatment.

QUESTION: Did you receive it, do you think?

KENNEDY: That's up for the police to decide. And I'm going to cooperate fully with them.

TODD: A senior congressional official tells CNN there will be two investigations connected to this affair -- a basic police investigation of Kennedy's crash and an internal Capitol Hill Police probe of how they handled it.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Now an Armavia Airbus similar to the one that crashed in the Black Sea recently has been destroyed by fire at a Belgian Airport. Officials say three people were injured after the Airbus A320 caught fire in a hangar early Friday morning. No word yet on what caused this massive blaze. Wednesday, 113 people were kill an Armavia A320 plunged into the Black Sea while trying to land at a Russian resort city in bad weather.

A lot more after a break. Your with YOUR WORLD TODAY.

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MICHELLE WIE, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER (through translator): It's just wonderful as I pass the cut. Great. I feel really, really happy. Now I want to play well tomorrow. It's not over yet. CLANCY: 16-year-old golf sensation Michelle Wie thrilled about making the cut in a professional men's tournament for the very first time. The SK Telecom Open is Wie's eighth start in a men's pro event. She's the youngest woman ever to make the cut when playing with the guys.

GORANI: Good for her. With the World Cup only a month away, host country Germany is making sure everything is ready to go.

CLANCY: But in addition to planning for the security and prepping the venues, it's also launching a media campaign to try to spruce up the country's image. Chris Burns that story from Berlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the heart of Berlin, a Walk of Ideas. At Brandenburg Gate, a huge sculpture of Germany's industrial pride and joy. Giant shoes, made by Adidas, recall how West Germany won the 1954 World Cup.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to Germany, land of ideas.

BURNS: Harnessing supermodel and other star power, Germany, land of ideas, is using the World Cup to try to give the country a creative hit image. A friendly one, as it rolls out the red carpet to the world and tries to fix some misperceptions.

GERHARD BOOMGARTEN, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: Our surveys found out that the image of Germany is sometimes a bit antiquated and one- sided, antiquated in the sense that there's sometimes a very romantic view of Germany.

BURNS (on camera): Not always so romantic either, some see Germany stuck in a World War II movie, a land of some very bad ideas like Zyklon-B gas, V rockets, book burnings. Needless to say the Holocaust Memorial is not on the Walk of Ideas.

(voice-over): But the campaign does aim to break a stereotype that still haunts Germans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people think the Germans are not so good because of the past.

BURNS: Facing up to that past, organizers unveiled a giant plastic sculpture in the same Berlin square where the Nazis burned books. It celebrates Germany's greatest writers, some of whose books wound up in those Third Reich bonfires.

MIKE DE VRIES, "LAND OF IDEAS" SPOKESMAN: We think that it fits perfect also to make a memory to what happened in the past.

BURNS: The campaign can seem tongue-in-cheek too. A giant pill boasts the country's medical inventions, like aspirin. It's been placed outside is the Reichstag, a place prone to some big, legislative headaches. One British P.R. consultant says the campaign won't convince everyone. NICK LIDDELL, INTERBRAND: Your average football fan in the U.K., probably not. But if you cast your net a bit wider, than I think for most people, they appreciate that Germany has a very strong cultural heritage.

BURNS: It's also been the world's export king in recent years. Companies like Audi, Adidas, Bayer and Lufthansa, who are sponsoring the campaign, want to reinforce that.

LIDDELL: And they have also had one eye on people within their country, and they're trying to raise a bit of national pride.

BURNS: On the one hand, there are a lot of ideas, but they have to come out looking positive, he says. For a Germany long in the doldrums with high unemployment, the World Cup and this campaign are a badly needed boost for self-esteem.

Chris Burns, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Well, you know, this is a story of the battle with the bottled baby bear. You all remember "Winnie the Pooh," the children's story? The bear was always getting his head stuck in the honey pot.

GORANI: Right, that was in the beloved children's tale. Well, so call this an unbearable case of life imitating art. Unbearable, get it? In the mountains of Slovakia, a young bear got his got his -- gosh, he is cute, even with the bottle stuck.

CLANCY: And he's a baby. This is a baby bear. Right?

GORANI: Somehow.

CLANCY: Look at -- I don't know how he got in that plastic container.

GORANI: Yes, that's the thing. He must have squeezed it right in there and somehow his head re-expanded once it was in the container. Anyway, he was breathing through a hole in the bottom apparently.

CLANCY: Finally, now, let's see the next clip here. Enter the man from Slovakia, who is going to try to save him. There he is.

GORANI: Oh dear.

CLANCY: Slovenia -- isn't it? Look at this. Oh, he has to battle with this little fellow. Look a that. He got it off. Now, you want to see a happy bear?

GORANI: There's a happy bear for you.

CLANCY: It is Slovakia.

GORANI: A little disoriented but making his way down the hill. CLANCY: No doubt. Very happy. Right into the water. Great story, love it.

GORANI: All right. Now it's time to open our "Inbox." We've been asking you for your thoughts about an unusual pregnancy.

CLANCY: Our question was, what do you think of a 63-year-old woman having a baby?

GORANI: Jared says, "I'm a physician, and I think it's irresponsible of the medical community to offer fertility assistance to women over the age of 60."

CLANCY: Gladys from Ontario, Canada had this to say: "Having a baby at age 63 is one of the most selfish things she could do for her child. How long does she intend to mother this baby?"

GORANI: Anne writes from the U.S. state of Ohio, "I think it's great! Many her age are chasing around grandchildren anyway."

CLANCY: And finally, Samuel from Sweden tells us, "If the mother likes it, why not? She's free to do whatever she wants with her body. It is a free world."

GORANI: And, Jim, we got a few of these.

CLANCY: Be honest, we got more than a few.

GORANI: "What do I think of the 63-year-old pregnant woman? I think she's going to have a baby. What else do you want me to say? No big deal, it's not news.

CLANCY: Some people didn't think that it was -- you know, they wanted a more serious question. On Fridays though sometimes ...

GORANI: We're letting our hair down. We're relaxing with the question of the day. But we did get many answers, so it is creating debate. Well, that's it for this hour from us.

CLANCY: "LIVE FROM" is up next for our viewers in the United States.

GORANI: And for viewers elsewhere, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a short break. I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. Stay with CNN.

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