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Your World Today

Six Powers Agree on New Offer for Tehran; Indonesia Earthquake; U.S. Troops Face More Allegations of Misconduct

Aired June 02, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The international community needs to know whether negotiation is a real option or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: An olive branch for Iran? Will a package of incentives break a nuclear impasse?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: He says he was beaten to a pulp, the high price an Egyptian man paid for a pro-democracy protests.

GORANI: And World Cup worries? Plans to protect the U.S. team dominates security in Hamburg.

HOLMES: Hello, everyone. It's 7:30 p.m. in Tehran, 6:00 p.m. in Hamburg.

I'm Michael Holmes.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.

Welcome to our viewers throughout the world and North America.

This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

The proverbial carrots and the sticks and words of caution. France now is urging Iraq not to act in haste and carefully consider an international package of rewards designed to encourage it to freeze uranium enrichment.

HOLMES: But, so far, from Tehran, more insistence on its right to nuclear technology and more insistence that its program is for peaceful purposes only.

GORANI: Now, the White House also is urging Iran to take more time before responding.

Suzanne Malveaux joins us now live from the White House with the latest from there -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala and Michael, of course the White House is making it very clear that this is in Iran's hands, whether it's going to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face possible sanctions to the U.N. Security Council. There is a bit of confidence here from U.S. officials and other because they feel that they have the strong backing of Russia and China, at least when it comes to going along with those possible sanction.

Also making it very clear at the White House is that one thing that is not negotiable here, carrots and sticks aside, is that Iran must abandon and suspend its programs, its activities that are associated with building -- what the U.S. believes is building some sort of nuclear weapon before the United States will go before those joint talks with Iran. The White House press secretary, Tony Snow, making it also very clear today as well that they are ignoring Iranian officials who are basically rejecting this offer outright, simply saying that they need more time here.

Tony Snow saying, "I think it's fair to give the government of Iran an opportunity to review carefully everything in the package. We understand people may make statements, but we want to give them time to study this."

It should also be noted, however, that that time is limited. We heard from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said they want a response from Iran not months, but within weeks -- Hala, Michael.

GORANI: Suzanne, let's talk a bit about the politics and the strategy, the diplomatic strategy behind all of this. By making the freezing of uranium enrichment a precondition for a discussion between the two sides, isn't there -- wasn't there the sense then that they were going to get a "no" from Iran? And what happens now if the "no" does materialize from Tehran?

MALVEAUX: Well, you're absolutely right, Hala. It certainly was part of the political calculation here, is that U.S. officials suspected, others, as well, of course, in negotiations, suspected that Iran was going to come out and say no. They've said no to this precondition many other times.

It puts a lot of pressure on Iran, however, but it gives the United States and these other allies political cover, if you will, to say we did everything in our power that we could to bring about a diplomatic solution. That's why it was so important to get Russia and China on board with possible sanctions.

GORANI: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

HOLMES: Well, nearly one week after that massive earthquake ripped through Indonesia, the island nation is still mourning its dead and also working to feed and shelter the living.

GORANI: Now, international aid pledges are pouring in, but reaching those in need remains a daunting task.

HOLMES: Aid groups have yet to reach some remote areas on the island of Java. The United Nations says $100 million is urgently needed to address the most immediate of needs.

GORANI: Officials estimate the quake destroyed some 135,000 houses, and some 650,000 people are homeless.

HOLMES: Hospitals overwhelmed with patients. International medical teams have joined scores of Indonesian doctors.

GORANI: Friday, the Islamic day of prayer, provided some solace for some of the survivors. Thousands gathered in mosques amid the rubble of their homes to pray.

HOLMES: It was, of course, a massive earthquake. It was 6.3 magnitude, and it struck just before dawn nearly a week ago. Killed more than 6,200 people.

GORANI: Now, more than 30,000 were injured, many in the ancient city of Yogyakarta.

Now CNN's Hugh Riminton has more from what was a popular tourist town.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It still looks like bedlam. This is place you don't want to be. Depending on who you listen to, this past week has either seen a textbook response to a complex disaster or a disaster in itself, a coordination failure that left some people waiting days for their first sign of aid while newly homeless children were left begging in the streets.

So what are the facts? Well, thousands died within minutes of the quake. The early priority, tens of thousands of injured, overwhelming local hospitals.

Early in the week we met Jumacim (ph). She had a broken hip, but all they could offer was the hospital car park. Today we tracked her down. It's not much, but at least she's inside.

"I'm better now," she says. "I feel calm, much better than what I came in, so afraid." But her doctor tells us there's bad news.

(on camera): Right. So her hip is looking better, but she may have a problem with the spine?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Maybe...

RIMINTON: Maybe a fractured spine?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe a fractured spine.

RIMINTON (voice over): So Jumacim (ph) is homeless with a son and elderly mother dependent on her and apparently now with a broken back.

(on camera): Even now it's clear that medical facilities are barely making do. This is one floor of the public car park attached to the main provincial hospital here in Yogyakarta. It's now a makeshift ward for 130 people. And on the floor below the scene is exactly the same.

(voice over): It is increasingly organized, but still at times painfully crude. We meet a woman with a severe back injury, her spine clearly unstable. It is agonizing just to watch.

Twenty-one countries are now delivering aid, plus charities. Scientologists have turned up, offering touch therapy.

More conventional aid from a U.S. Marine field hospital. They're trying here to save a young woman's leg.

COMMANDER CARLOS GODINEZ, U.S. MILITARY SURGEON: And so she has deep space (ph) infection, which really -- it threatens her limb, certainly, and even -- even her life potentially.

RIMINTON: Sheer traffic congestion continues to hamper food deliveries, which when they get to people, still have a slightly random air. And for half a million people homeless, many with their families shattered through death or injury, there is simply no road back to their lives of a week ago.

Hugh Riminton, CNN, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: All right. Let's take you to Iraq now and the anger stirred by the killings in Haditha. Still fresh, the investigation still ongoing, but now even more allegations of U.S. troop misconduct in Iraq are unfolding.

HOLMES: The locations and the dates do differ, but the cases all involve U.S. forces and dead Iraqi civilians.

GORANI: The U.S. military says it's now conducting four investigations. One into the killing of the 24 civilians in Haditha, one in Ishaqi, where a disputed number of civilians were killed.

HOLMES: Another in Hamandiya. That's where a civilian was shot to death. And the last in Samarra, where two women were killed at a checkpoint.

Let's get an update now on all of this. Our John Vause has been looking into the incident in Ishaqi. He joins us now from Baghdad.

Hi, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Michael.

At a time when the Iraqi prime minister accuses U.S.-led force of daily violence against civilians, it seems some old accusations now have new meaning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE (voice over): No one doubts that on March 15, innocent civilians died in this farmhouse in the town of Ishaqi. But there is not agreement on how they were killed or even how many were killed.

Iraqi police citing witness accounts say 11 people, all from the one family, including women and children, were shot dead. And these bullet casings, they say, could have only come from the U.S. military.

Iraqi police say they were told again by witnesses that the family was kept in one room for an hour before being shot dead by U.S. forces. A resident who did not want to be identified was interviewed on the day and made similar accusations.

"Children were stuck in the room alone surrounded," he said. "After they handcuffed them, they shot them dead. Later, they struck the house with their planes. They wanted to hide the evidence."

And from the brother of one of the victims, no doubt about who is to blame. "He and his 11 family members were shot dead by U.S. troops at 2:30 in the morning," he said. "Then the house was blown up by aircraft and artillery."

But at the time, U.S. officials gave a very different account, claiming an insurgent with suspected ties to al Qaeda was inside the house. There was a firefight. An air strike was called in, the building destroyed, and four people, three of them civilians, were killed.

On the day, this is how CNN's Arwa Damon reported the story...

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It started out as a straightforward mission to route out foreign fighters. But military success came at a terrible human price.

VAUSE: The U.S. military confirms this and other incidents involving the deaths of civilians are being investigated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would have to get exact number, but I know there's about at least three or four going on at this time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: What may or may not have happened at Ishaqi still remains unclear. But it's adding to a growing perception here that Iraqi civilians are being increasingly targeted. And the Iraqi prime minister says that may play a role in any decision on how long U.S. forces will be asked to stay -- Michael.

HOLMES: And John, specifically, let's talk about one of those investigations, Haditha. What's the political leadership, the prime minister saying about what allegedly happened there?

VAUSE: Well, the Iraqi prime minister has been blistering in his attacks on the U.S.-led forces about their general treatment of civilians. And today he has demanded that the U.S. authorities here hand over all of the investigations, the file, all of their evidence that they've collected on this Haditha investigate. He has called for a fair investigation for all of those involved. Separately in all of this, the speaker of the U.S. House, Dennis Hastert, was here in Baghdad today. He was asked specifically whether or not the U.S. government would offer an apology for all of the incidents, and he responded, "If wrong was done, people will be punished and America will offer its deepest apologies" -- Michael.

HOLMES: John Vause, in Baghdad.

Thanks, John.

GORANI: The dangers of protesting in Egypt.

HOLMES: Taking a strong stance against the government could put you in prison and worse, perhaps. We'll tell you one man's story when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

The Lebanese capital and other parts of the country have returned to relative calm after some riots erupted overnight. The unrest sparked by a satirical television program that mocked Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. He's the leader of Hezbollahl, the party of god in Lebanon.

The show aired just after midnight local time on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, the LBC. That's a privately owned Christian channel. Now, at least two people were injured as Shiite Muslims took to the streets in protest and in support of Nasrallah.

HOLMES: Well, Friday also marks one year since the assassination of a very popular Lebanese journalist.

GORANI: A short time ago a statue -- and here it is -- of Sameer Qassir was unveiled in Beirut.

HOLMES: Now, Qassir, of course, was killed in a car bomb explosion last year, murdered. Qassir was a columnist for the Lebanese daily "An-Nahar" and a prominent vocal critic of Syrian occupation in Lebanon.

GORANI: His death is one of a string of attacks against anti- Syrian politicians and journalists in Beirut.

HOLMES: You see there in that picture his widow, and also the prime minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora.

Earlier, I did speak with his widow, the widow of Sameer Qassir. And I asked her about Qassir's writings and his legacy a year after his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GISELE KHOURY, WIDOW OF SLAIN JOURNALIST: I don't know what you mean by his work. If you mean the intifada of the independence, yes, because we don't finish the revolution yet now.

We have a president very near from Syrian regime, and we have parties very near from the Syrian regime. I don't want to say only near, but I want to say agents from the Syrian regime. It's why we continue, and we think that we will arrive to really freedom in Lebanon, and that is the work of Sameer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Gisele Khoury there, a very brave woman, an anchor, a television talk show host in Lebanon. She's trying to continue her husband's work. We're going to have more on that interview with her a little later in the hour.

GORANI: In another part of the Arab world, there's been a struggle going on in the streets of Egypt over that country's past and the independence, among other things that protesters are angry about, the independence of the judiciary.

HOLMES: One of those protesters who was trying to call attention to how political prisoners have been treated, well, he found himself in custody. And what resulted are shock allegations of how he's been treated ever since.

GORANI: Kevin Flower is in Cairo and brings us this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN FLOWER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was at this anti-government rally that Mohammed Sharkawi (ph) was last seen in public. The 24-year-old blogger and democracy activist came to call for the release of political prisoners. He did not expect to become a prisoner himself.

Sharkawi (ph) was arrested by Egyptian security forces. The charge, protesting illegally, obstructing traffic, and attacking police. Attorney Ragia Omran met with Sharkawi hours after he was detained and was shocked by what she saw.

RAGIA OMRAN, ATTORNEY: Someone just completely like beaten up to the pulp. You know that, like, expression? And I've never seen someone so up close like that.

FLOWER: In a letter snuggled from prison, Sharkawi (ph) himself tells a harrowing account of sodomy and torture at the hands of the police. "They hit me in several places on by body until someone ordered them, 'Take his pants off.' He took down my underwear and tore it to pieces and kept on hitting me on different parts of my body, asking me to bend down."

"I refused, but they forced me. Then, this man, the one with the angry, rough voice, inserted a paper in my anus."

(on camera): While confirming that Sharkawi (ph) was arrested, the Egyptian government categorically denies that he was sexually abused or torture. They say the allegations are part of an organized effort to tarnish the reputation of the interior ministry.

(voice over): A reputation that is beyond repair for many Egyptians.

SAAD EDDIN IBRAHIM, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: The details we read, we learned about what happened makes any human being feel disgusted, feel nauseated, feel angry.

FLOWER: This incident caps off weeks of small, yet vocal anti- government protests demanding more political freedom. The government stands accused of attempting to muzzle judges critical of last year's parliamentary elections and intimidate those who ran against the ruling party.

The response has been harsh. Hundreds of protesters and activists have been arrested and dozens more beaten up. And it is a dynamic that is unlikely to fade, according to political observers.

HISHAM KASSEM, "AL MASRY AL YOUM" NEWSPAPER: You feel this growing opposition is digging its heels in, and so is the regime. And it's easy to foresee that if this pattern continues there will be a major crisis.

FLOWER: A situation Egypt's most important ally says it is monitoring closely.

SEAN MCCORMACK, U.S. STATE DEPT.: Well, we have both in public and in private talked about -- talked about our concerns regarding the evolution of Egyptian democracy.

FLOWER: Those concerns are shared by Egyptian democracy activists who are increasingly thinking twice before taking to the streets.

Kevin Flower, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, for our viewers in the United States, you're going to get a check of the latest U.S. headlines coming up.

GORANI: The rest of us will look in on Wall Street.

And later, with a week to kick off, World Cup worries over U.S. team security.

Stay tuned. You're with YOUR WORLD TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

A question for you. Do you recognize this man? Police call him the suspect in a mass killing in Indianapolis. Gunmen burst into a home late last night and slaughtered three generations of one family. Seven victims in all. Not a single survivor. One officer calls the crime one of the worst the city has seen in decades.

Reporter Russ McQuaid has been at the scene throughout the morning. He is with CNN affiliate WXIN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSS MCQUAID, WXIN REPORTER: Indianapolis police are investigating the murders of seven people here on the city's east side. I'll step out of the way as you take a look at this house on Hamilton Avenue, where seven people, the Emma-Valdez (ph) family, ages 56 all the way down to five years old were found shot to death Thursday night.

A witness tells me that at about 10:00 he saw a woman run up to the front porch of that house screaming. When she got to the front door, she was dragged inside that house by her assailant. Perhaps 10 or 12 gunshots rang out. That's when officers responded.

At this point, they know who they're looking for. They're looking for a man who literally grew up in this neighborhood. His name is Desmond Turner. We heard from Indianapolis Police Chief Mike Spears that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

CHIEF MICHAEL SPEARS, INDIANAPOLIS POLICE: It's helpful to get this out to the public. Someone knows where this man is, and we want to know. And I would suggest to anyone that knows where Mr. Turner is that they treat him as armed and dangerous.

MCQUAID: Chief Spears says investigators are also looking for a second suspect. We do not have his name yet at this time. It looks like this case started out as a home invasion robbery and became very violent, perhaps the most violent mass killing in the history of the city of Indianapolis.

I'm Russ McQuaid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: She's getting better and she's talking, too. Hospital workers say CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier is off a respirator, breathing on her own now. Dozier was seriously injured in a bomb blast in Iraq on Monday. Doctors weren't sure if she'd make it.

Dozier remains in critical but stable condition at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany. She is expected to return to the U.S. this weekend for medical treatment.

Dozier has been visiting with family and colleagues in Germany. Her mother talked about what it was like to see her daughter so critically injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOROTHY DOZIER, KIMBERLY DOZIER'S MOTHER: I've had all kinds of rumors, watched the news that first day. But when I walked into the room and saw her, it really impacted what -- what that was all about and how closely we came to maybe losing her. I didn't at that point until I actually saw her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And now on to immigration. All eyes will soon be on the immigration battle in Texas. Millions of eyeballs, in fact.

The state's governor has announced a plan to use Web cams at hot border crossings. Surveillance cameras will be installed on private ranches. Residents will be able to watch the live feed on the Internet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: This video will be available 24 hours a day because cameras will be equipped with night vision capabilities. When citizens witness a crime taking place, they will be able to call an 800 number that will be routed to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The governor compared it to a neighborhood watch program. Its price tag a little bit higher, though. About $5 million.

Meanwhile, a truce in an immigration battle between the Bush administration and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. For more than two weeks, Schwarzenegger has balked at the administration's plans to crack down on illegal immigration by using National Guard troops at the Mexican border.

The governor's beef? The cost. Schwarzenegger wanted the federal government to foot the bill, but yesterday he backed down and promised to send his state's share of the 6,000 troops that will beef up border security.

And now going the distance for love. That is what a Florida woman has done with a pup with some major challenges.

Red the pit bull was hit by a car during Hurricane Katrina, paralyzed, and then abandoned. But he's been recovering these last nine months at an animal hospital in Cypress, Texas. When Diane McDermott heard about his plight, there was no turning back. This week she traveled all they from Florida to adopt Red, a true love story for sure.

Coming up at the top of the hour, the latest on the tragic case of mistaken identity involving two college students. One family has a blog on their horrifying experience.

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.

HOLMES: She is, I'm Michael Holmes. Let's update you now on the top stories of the day. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany have agreed on an incentive proposal, that's what they're calling it. And it's designed to convince Iran to drop its nuclear program. Details of the offer, however, have not yet been released. The deal would also carry the threat of U.N. punishment, likely sanctions, should Iran refuse to agree to the deal.

GORANI: Also in the headlines, relief supplies are making their way to many of the victims of Indonesia's earthquake. You can see chaos there, though, in some cases. But the U.N. says an additional $100 million in aid is urgently needed. Aid groups have yet to reach remote areas on the island of Java, where some 650,000 are now homeless. More than 6,000 were killed in the 6.3 magnitude quake last Saturday

HOLMES: The U.S. military says it is investigating allegations of four case of misconduct by its troops in Iraq. One involves the killing of civilians in the town of Ishaqi. Witnesses say eleven civilians, five of them children, were killed in a U.S. raid back in March. Now, at the time U.S. troops said four people died, including a person they described as an insurgent. The military now says only the investigation is ongoing

GORANI: High level delegations from around the world are assessing the effort of the last five years to fight HIV/AIDS. A short time ago, the first lady of the United States addressed the conference at the United Nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: AIDS respects no national boundaries, spares no race or religion, devastates men and women, rich and poor. No country can ignore this crisis. Fighting AIDS is an urgent calling, because every life, in every land, has value and dignity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the U.S. made more than $8 billion available for global AIDS response back in 2005.

GORANI: A recent U.N. report cited a good deal of progress in fighting the disease but also spotted some worrying trends. The U.N. estimates nearly 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS.

HOLMES: There were roughly 4 million new cases reported last year, and it is estimated nearly 3 million people lost their lives to AIDS last year. GORANI: In just a few hours, those assembled for the U.N.'s mega meeting will hear from the only person from the private sector scheduled to speak. Bill Roedy is chairman of the global media AIDS initiative, as well as a UNAIDS ambassador. He joins us now live from New York, with more on the media's role in this fight against AIDS. What are you going to tell the assembly?

BILL ROEDY, UNAIDS AMBASSADOR: Well, a couple of things. One is that media has a big role to play here. You know the U.N. has said two thirds of all infections, new infections, can be stopped with proper education and until there's a vaccine, education can actually be a vaccine. And further, the U.N. has also said the media can actually save more lives than doctors, and that's not to denigrate the medical field obviously, but just to give you an idea that the power the media has, both in prevention and stigma.

Secondly I want to talk about testing. Because everyone should be tested. There's two ways to do it, mandatory or voluntary. It should not be mandatory. It needs to be voluntary.

GORANI: Why not?

ROEDY: Well, for a number of reasons. One, because we haven't cracked the stigma yet. So everyone should get tested but it has to be voluntary, much more accessible, with confidentiality, of course, counselling and treatment wherever it's possible. And with those four criteria, I think, testing would be much more successful, you know, the vast majority of people that are infected don't know they're infected and that hurts not only prevention but also treatment, so we do have to have much more testing.

GORANI: All right. You're a UNAIDS Ambassador, you're also the president of MTV Networks International and you talk about the role the media can play in AIDS prevention, specifically what do you mean?

ROEDY: Well there's a lot of things media can do, but very specifically, we have a charter, for example, we want everyone to sign up, all media companies. We now have 130 media companies by the way, and many media companies have done a great job, but the charter should consist of a number of different activities. One is a very specific commitment to air time. Or if it's non-broadcast, whatever the inventory is. Very specific, on broadcasts, you know, we have some television companies around the world devoting some of the MTV channels, for example, up to five minutes a day.

It needs to be part of the DNA of every media company. It also needs to produced rights-free. All the programming for prevention and stigma needs to be produced rights-free and made available to everyone, particularly those media companies that may not have the resource. It needs to be relevant messaging, locally, and it needs to be done in partnership with other media companies. There's no competition here when it comes to fighting the epidemic.

GORANI: But here's the question, Bill Roedy, media companies are in the business of producing content to make money. How do you convince a media company to set aside air time for what is essentially a public service message?

ROEDY: This is the most devastating epidemic in recorded history. It's also preventable and treatable and the fact that we haven't gotten ahead of the numbers is really a tragedy. And media companies increasingly understand the role they have here, and not only the role, but the opportunity to make a difference. And we can save lives. You know, how many times have you heard about media being a force of good in the world? Well in this case, media can actually be a force of good and save lives.

GORANI: All right. Bill Roedy, thanks very much, Chairman of the Global Media AIDS Initiative, addressing the General Assembly at 5:00 p.m., I believe?

ROEDY: Thank you, yes, yes, thank you, this afternoon.

GORANI: Thank you very much for being with us on YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: Alright, don't go away. Still to come, right here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we're going to look at the ongoing investigation into last year's string of deadly bombings in Lebanon.

GORANI: And we'll hear, we heard a little bit from her earlier in the program, we'll hear from the widow of Sameer Qaseer as young Lebanese turn out to mark the assassination of her husband one year ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Here with YOUR WORLD TODAY, a very warm welcome back. Lebanon is waiting and remembering. A U.N. investigation into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri continues, but the international team of investigators is looking at more bombings that have targeted politicians and journalists.

Hariri's supporters put the blame for his death squarely on Damascus Syria. Damascus denies it. But prominent voices that spoke out about Syria's heavy influence on Lebanon's politics and its economy have also been targeted. Mae Shidia (ph), the talk show host, was badly wounded in one bombing. Gibran Twani (ph), a publisher of "Al-Nahar" and the journalists who raised the call for Syrian troops to leave Lebanon was assassinated in a bombing earlier this year. He'd been a self-imposed exile outside the country after the U.N. warned him that he was a target.

And one year ago, another a famous Lebanese journalist, who also wrote for "Al-Nahar," was killed by remote-controlled bomb planted in his car. Samir Khoury spoke the language of Lebanon's younger generation, and they have organized numerous memorials for what they consider his martyrdom for the liberation of Lebanon, but thus far those who've organized the assassinations of some of Lebanon's best and brightest, as they've been called by their supporters, have still have not been brought to justice.

HOLMES: Now earlier, we spoke with Giselle Khoury, a Lebanese journalist and the widow of Samir Kassir. It's still very difficult to be a journalist in Lebanon, and I asked her whether that climate had changed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GISELLE KHOURY, WIDOW OF SAMIR KASSIR: I think that journalists are very afraid. I'm not the prototype (ph), because they kill me. But for the others, and especially for the other journalists on "Al- Nahar" or NPC (ph), I think they are afraid and they try to be more moderate in their opinion and their articles.

HOLMES: You speak of a revolution in Lebanon, one that is not yet complete. How do you see democracy in Lebanon at the moment?

KHOURY: It's difficult to say about the democracy in the Middle East. But I think that Lebanon is always a Democratic country. They try to be a dictator regime in 15 years, but there some journalist like Samir, who wrote and said that we have to broke the shield wall and they do it. They did it. And just now I think that you have some kind of democracy with our government, with our new law of elections, with the young people, the new parties, the Left (Ph) Democratic Party, the party of Samir. And we can change. We have the possibility to change. And this is a democracy, I think.

HOLMES: You know what they described as the Cedar Revolution, I think the demonstrations we saw on the streets in the last year or so. Tell me this, what is the mood on the street? What are people of Lebanon saying, not journalist, not the politicians, what are the people saying about this situation?

KHOURY: I think the people gave another chance to the politician and the 14th of February. But the politician didn't get this new opportunity. I don't know really. I think that they're not afraid, but they are -- they have deception. But if we have a project for a new revolution, I think that little by little, we'll go to the street for principle reason and the right reason, yes.

HOLMES: A year after your husband's murder, do you feel more or less optimistic about your country's future?

KHOURY: I'm very optimistic for my country, but very pessimist to my life.

HOLMES: Explain that for me.

KHOURY: I'm very optimistic because we have to fight. His friends have to fight. And we lost one of the most prominent journalists and thinkers in the Middle East. We lost Rafik Hariri, and we lost (INAUDIBLE). Really there were four more important personalities in Lebanon, and I think that Lebanese people will not go back again. And that history is always in front of us and not in our back. And I think more and more, like Samir wrote, the (INAUDIBLE) regime big mistake. And I don't know why, but I feel that they will finish their whole role in the (INAUDIBLE), and very soon.

I'm pessimistic of my life, yes, sure, because I lost my lover, and my master and my protector.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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GORANI: After six years of planning, it's now seven days to kick off. Germany says it's ready, willing and able for the biggest global sporting event.

HOLMES: And Tim Lister gets on the ball for a look at last- minute preparations for the 2006 world cup.

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TIM LISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Exactly a week to go before the World Cup kicks off, and the city of Hamburg is making special security arrangements for the U.S. team. The area around their hotel has been sealed off, and police will escort the team bus at all times.

Hamburg police spokesman Ralph Mair (ph) says it's a special scenario for the Americans, unlike say the Angolan or Czech teams, because of developments since 9/11.

The U.S. team is currently higher than Argentina in the world rankings. But the South Americans feel this could be their year, but they wouldn't mind better weather. The Argentines had their first training session at a very soggy (INAUDIBLE) on Thursday in front of a few diehard fans.

They have a tough group, but Scaiger Hernan Crespo (ph) says, at last the team can banish the memory of their early exit in 2002. "Then," he said, "We were crying in the corners, wanting to kill ourselves. Now we have a chance to start from zero. That's how football is."

Brazilian midfielder Ed Milon (ph) knows only too well how cruel the game can be. He's back in San Paulo with a knee injury and will take no part in a World Cup. It can't have helped that he was reportedly involved in some rough tackling during practice last week.

Thousands of Brazilians are going in the other direction, including these footballing friends from Rio. Sixty of them, all men, will follow their heroes in a convoy of motor homes, taking their drums with them.

Claudio Karrero (ph) says if it's God's will, Brazil will bring back their sixth World Cup. He was there in 2002, oh, and in 1998. The guys have to make some concessions. Rualto Bathazard (ph) says they have to leave their credit cards behind so their wives can spend the same amount of money on shopping as they're wasting on soccer -- or something like that.

Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) GORANI: World Cup frenzy is in full flow nearly everywhere -- everywhere except the United States.

HOLMES: But why does the beautiful game leave most Americans cold? For that and more, we're joined by World Cup analyst Tommy Smyth. Good to see you, Tommy.

The world is watching -- even Australia, where they have their own football, their own cricket. And they're watching. But not the U.S. We hear a lot of "World what"? Why that?

TOMMY SMYTH, WORLD CUP ANALYST: Well, hope springs eternal, Michael. You know, the National Spelling Bee finished last night and now perhaps the attention of the country will be focused on the World Cup. I mean, if you can get engrossed by a spelling bee with kids spelling words that practically nobody knows how to pronounce, you should be able to get involved in the World Cup, surely.

GORANI: All right, well, networks who are airing portions there of the World Cup are pulling out all the stops in terms of ads to try to get Americans interested. We're going to show our viewers a little bit of one of those ads that have been airing on TV. Let's take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a simple thing, just a ball and a goal. But once every four years, that simple thing drastically changes the world. It closes the schools, closes the shops, closes the city, stops a war.

GORANI: The World Cup changes the world, it stops wars? Is that going to get Americans excited, do you think, Tommy?

SMYTH: I think it's going to get Americans excited. You know, I've been here a long time and, you know, everything is -- a lot of it is culture. I mean, for many, many years, the Americans never looked out. I mean, if you have a World Series with the Red Sox and the Mets, Boston against New York, you know, how big a world series can it be? I think it's starting to change.

Everything has changed with the Internet. And I think this time, you know, you're starting to see it in newspapers, you're starting to see ti in magazines. And ESPN will carry all 64 games in high definition. So I think the change is coming. The tide is starting to take over, and you know what happens when the tide starts to take over, Hala. It just pushes everything out of the way. I'm not saying it's going to be the number one sport in America, no.

HOLMES: Well, Tommy, I mean, that's the interesting thing. What we have seen is, as you know, it seems like every kid in the country, in the U.S., plays soccer. And so -- are we just going to wait for them to grow up or something?

SMYTH: Yes, that's what we have to do. I mean, if you go back and you look at history, I mean, soccer moms elected a president of this country, but we still haven't managed to get them to watch the World Cup. I think it's coming.

You know, I once -- I always go back to the story, Michael -- I took a very famous player from Ireland, Frank Lynch (ph), and I took him to Yankee Stadium. And Mickey Mantle ran under the ball and he made a catch and the crowd stood up, they erupted. It was a great play. And this guy was looking at me, he said, what happened? And I said, did you not just see the play he just made? He said yes, but there was nobody marking it.

You know, and a lot of Americans tell you about the score. You know, there's not enough of scoring soccer. So my answer to that is, we do what the NFL does. Every time there's a goal scored, we say it's six points. Or, you know, we do like baseball. You know, you get four guys, three guys to touch the ball, one guy comes up and he hits it into the stands. So that's four.

GORANI: Tommy, let's -- we're running out of time, so quickly, one last question in terms of the chances not only of the United States, but of the teams that are expected to do well and reach the final?

HOLMES: It's not as if the U.S. isn't in this. They are.

GORANI: No, no, no, they are in it and they did really well four years ago, and in fact, you had American fans that starting to get excited about it all. Tommy, give us your prediction?

HOLMES: Australia, isn't it, Tommy?

(CROSSTALK)

SMYTH: Well, Australia was (INAUDIBLE) lucky. They will do very well to get out of the group. I think that Italy will win it. The United States, unfortunately, ended up with in a very tough group with the Czech Republic and Ghana. They have a shot at getting out of it. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't come out. But they certainly could. If they do come out, they'll probably be second. If Brazil wins their group, they will have to play Brazil. So that could be curtains. That could be the story. But me, I'm going for the Italians.

GORANI: Wow.

HOLMES: Interesting.

SMYTH: The Australians -- the Australians have a good shot, but they've got to beat -- Michael, the Australians have to beat Japan in the first game. That's the key.

HOLMES: This what depresses me. We finally qualified for the World Cup for the second time in ever, I think, and what do we get? We get Japan one; Brazil, two.

GORANI: Brazil, what...

SMYTH: And Croatia. I mean, there's a couple of Croatians (INAUDIBLE) Australia.

HOLMES: Yes, true, true. Now, what -- sorry, Hala, go ahead.

GORANI: No, I was going to say, Germany, home advantage. What about Germany?

SMYTH: Yes, I don't think Germany are good enough. I really don't think that they have the team. Juergen Fensmen (ph) has come up with a lot of problems. There's been a lot of problems. I know they're only friendlies. The home cooking will certainly help the Germans, but I just don't think they're good enough. Sauerkrauts won't make it this time. Sauerkrauts, hot dogs, whatever it is.

HOLMES: We've got one minute left, Tommy. I was going to ask you this, though. For -- we do have an American audience at the moment. Do you think it's a matter of -- for it to be popular here -- sports are business, after all. Do you think that you get the popularity first or the TV coverage first? I mean, it's a chicken or egg thing?

SMYTH: I'm not sure which we you go. I mean, people tell you you have to have a good league to have the sport popular. I don't agree with that. I mean, a pile of manure on a hot day draws more flies than the Irish League, but yet northern Ireland's international football is very, very popular. So I think it's just a case of getting the people to appreciate what you have and appreciate what soccer is. And I think it's eventually going to make it to the U.S. It's the last holdout. Something has to give, Michael.

HOLMES: All right. Tommy Smyth -- well, we've got to get you back to talk politics or something else.

SMYTH: Yes, that's good idea. Yes, why not?

GORANI: Yes, absolutely. And definitely not shy with his opinions or his projections. Italy...

HOLMES: He's great.

GORANI: Italy. We'll get him back once we know.

HOLMES: You can catch Tommy on ESPN-2. He's great.

GORANI: All right, yes. And by the way, you just have to appreciate the one goal.

HOLMES: That's right.

GORANI: It leads up to something pretty exceptional when it happens.

And that is it for this hour on YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: Yes, LIVE FROM is next for our viewers in the United States. Stop watching football.

GORANI: And for viewers elsewhere, another hour of YOUR WORLD TODAY is next.

HOLMES: I'm Michael Holmes. This is CNN.

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