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Efforts to Reform Iraqi Security Forces; The President and Congressional Races; Israeli Children Back to School

Aired September 05, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Clean-up operations. The new head of Iraq's Interior Ministry plans to root out corruption and criminality.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Partisan politics. Democrats and Republicans jockeying for votes ahead of November elections. The war in Iraq expected to feature prominently.

HAMMER: Shock and sorrow in Australia. Graphic details about the death of famed naturalist Steve Irwin emerge.

FRAZIER: And will it be blue ribbons or pink? An anxious nation awaits a royal birth in Japan. And at stake, the throne and some long-held traditions.

Hello, everyone. And welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.

I'm Stephen Frazier.

GORANI: And I'm Hala Gorani.

From Baghdad to Tokyo, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

Well, with violence overshadowing almost every aspect of life in Iraq, lawmakers are giving security forces another month of far- reaching powers there.

FRAZIER: They're extending the country's state of emergency. This was a priority for parliament as it came back from a month-long recess.

GORANI: Now, half a world away, U.S. lawmakers are also returning from the summer break, keeping a very close eye on Iraq. The war could be pivotal for elections, now just two months away.

Well, we'll get an update from Capitol Hill in a moment, but we begin with Iraq's struggle to keep an upper hand on the brutal insurgency once and for all. As security forces fight off attacks, they're also fighting a perception that they're actually part of the problem at the highest levels of government.

Michael Holmes explains the dilemma and looks at the determined man -- at the man who is determined, and determined to end it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It had been the most problematic of Iraqi ministries responsible for a police force many believe has been infiltrated by those it has pledged to fight. A lot of the claims are bad press, insurgents buy fake uniforms in Baghdad's thieves' market and use them to carry out death squad missions. But it's not all bad press.

Real policemen have been involved in killings, corruption, kidnappings and more. Enter Jawad al-Boulani, interior minister for just two months and already making waves.

JAWAD AL-BOULANI, IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): We cannot obliterate everything in this ministry and start from the beginning, but our job is to identify those who do the right thing and praise them while at the same time always questioning and punishing those who break the law.

HOLMES: Already he is phasing out old and easily-copied national police uniforms, replacing them with these new ones. He's promising to shut down tailor shops that copy uniforms, and he is sweeping a broom through his own ministry.

(on camera): In little more than two months on the job, the minister has removed nearly 2,000 of his own people. As one U.S. Officer put it, "They've been retired, fired or arrested." But that's not all. Teams of trusted men are going to police stations around the country, checking up on individual cops, going through their paperwork.

AL-BOULANI (through translator): This clean-up includes those involved in any kind of abuse of authority, bad management, corruption, those convicted of crimes.

HOLMES (voice over): Al-Boulani, engineer by profession, is seen by most moderates as a straight shooter. The U.S. military praises him as someone determined to sort out a ministry widely distrusted on the Iraqi street.

He's one of the very few ministers prepared to go to those streets to meet with ordinary Iraqis, leaving the security of the fortified Green Zone to find out what people actually think.

AL-BOULANI (through translator): We should always be close to Iraqis so we can understand the whole situation.

HOLMES: One senior U.S. officer said when he took the job, the minister had to be persuaded to accept a security detail. He preferred driving around solo in his own car. A tough assignment and a dangerous one. And Jawad al-Boulani knows it, but he says that won't slow him down.

AL-BOULANI (through translator): It's natural to be afraid, and especially for an official. To be afraid doesn't help us move forward. I feel more afraid to see Iraqi people come under threat.

HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: U.S. President George W. Bush is getting set to make a major speech later today on the war against terrorism, the latest in a series of talks by the administration which tout themes of national security.

Bush aides are hoping that the speech will help to boost the president's approval ratings which haven't help changed much over the past few weeks. There's a brand new CNN poll out which shows 41 percent of Americans approve of his job performance, 55 percent do not.

In the United States, Democrats are hoping the president's unpopularity will be an issue in congressional races this fall. So Republicans are doing their best to put the focus individual candidates and leaving Mr. Bush out of the equation altogether.

Andrea Koppel has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Republican to-do list is long.

REP. ROY BLUNT (R), MISSOURI: We're dealing with energy policy, immigration policy, national security in a way that I think we can explain we're for.

KOPPEL: And that's not all. Over the next five weeks the Republicans' ambitious agenda includes whether to authorize warrantless wiretaps and legalize military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees, completing a bill to authorize defense spending for next year, and wrapping up negotiations on money for homeland security. But privately, Republicans admit, only days away from the 9/11 anniversary and only weeks before midterm elections, their primary goal, to convince voters Republicans are strong on national security while Democrats are weak.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: The main thing to remember is that we went on offense after 9/11 in order to protect Americans here at home. That policy has been a 100 percent success.

KOPPEL: And a new CNN poll by Opinion research Corporation shows why that's their strategy. Iraq and terrorism rank among voters' top concerns.

But Democrats are fighting back...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This time with liquid explosives.

KOPPEL: ... firing the opening salvo in what they say will be an intense partisan battle to cast Republican leaders as incompetent while insisting Democrats are tough on security, too. SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: The overall grade the government gets in homeland security is C-, better than failing. Not a D, but close to not good enough.

KOPPEL: Also this week, Democrat leaders penned a highly- critical letter to President Bush about his Iraq policy, telling him he must replace civilian leaders at the Pentagon. And later this week Senate Democrats also intend to call for a vote of no confidence on Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld.

Still, political strategists say don't expect much substance to get accomplished.

STUART ROTHENBERG, ROLL CALL: It's an opportunity for photo-ops. This is much more about strategic positioning than passing legislation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: And with that in mind, Democratic leadership aides tell CNN they plan to go toe to toe with Republicans on national security, determined not to repeat their errors from the '02 and '04 campaigns when they found themselves on defense. Instead, Democrats say they will be focusing in keeping that drumbeat on national security with events planned every day this week -- Steven.

FRAZIER: We will listen for the drumbeat. Andrea Koppel, thank you.

GORANI: All right. Let's take you to Afghanistan. A major offensive to crush a revitalized Taliban in the southern part of the country is, according to NATO, at least, pushing the group into a corner.

As heavy fighting continues, officials say they've got Taliban sources pinned in Kandahar province. NATO launched Operation Medusa last weekend. It's the alliance's largest ground operations since 2001 and comes after NATO forces took over from U.S.-led troops in the south.

Casualties have been high. NATO says it has killed more than 200 guerrillas, a claim the Taliban disputes. At least 20 NATO forces, including Canadian and British troops, have been killed during the operation.

FRAZIER: Well, in Lebanon, is it a ray of hope now, or just another disappointing turn of events so common in the Middle East?

GORANI: Well, the U.N. secretary-general says he's hopeful that Israel will lift an air and sea blockade on Lebanon soon. Kofi Annan made the comments during his stop in Egypt, where he met with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Israel has said that the blockade will stay in place until Hezbollah was prevented from rearming. Annan also said he would appoint a secret mediator to work for the release of the two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: I have accepted to appoint a facilitator who will work with the two parties to find a solution to this problem, and I'm hopeful that we will be able -- or my -- my facilitator will be able to work expeditiously with the parties to come forward with a mutually-acceptable solution for both parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, meantime, as Israeli troops move out of southern Lebanon, more U.N. troops and tanks are moving in. Lebanese and French troops have begun taking up positions in Bint Jbeil. The Shiite town was the site of some of the fiercest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. More U.N. troops are set to arrive in the region in the upcoming days and weeks -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: And while the guns have now been silenced, things are far from back to normal on either side of the border. In Israel, children are going back to school finally, but as Chris Lawrence reports, both the schools and the children bear scars of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): In northern Israel, this is the new normal. Students who used to show off school trophies show us where rockets ripped through their school, classrooms blasted apart and the cleanup will take months.

TEREZ ABU MURAD, ISRAELI STUDENT: It's not easy to go through something like this when you're 15 or 16 or 17 years old.

LAWRENCE: And almost impossible when you're 10. Ten-year-old Noah (ph) says she helped look after her grandparents whose home was hit by a Katyusha. Her friend, Shere (ph), is still afraid because of speeches she's heard from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

More than 1,000 rockets landed near Kiryat Shmona. The girls' classroom took a direct hit. It's one of the few places where repairs were finished in time for the first day.

Eventually the bomb shelters can be reinforced. The schools rebuilt. But restoring some children's sense of security could be a lot harder.

ALAN COHEN, PSYCHOLOGIST: Some of them are so reluctant to leave their parents they won't even go to the shower or bathroom by themselves.

LAWRENCE: Teams of psychologists are being dispatched to northern Israel to support the parents and teachers there.

COHEN: Children want assurance from their parents that it's not going to happen again and they can't, in all honesty, give that.

LAWRENCE: Students are coming back to class, having spent half the summer in bomb shelters.

ABU MURAD: It's not easy to forget war, especially when people die and soldiers die.

LAWRENCE: Some kids are naturally resilient. They've already bounced back. After all, these are Israeli children.

ALMOG BITTON, ISRAELI STUDENT: First of all, it's not our first war.

LAWRENCE: Almog Bitton is starting his last year of school.

BITTON: In my life, I have experienced like -- at least I remember three wars. I know there were more.

LAWRENCE: Almog, and the other seniors, are keeping a close eye on the peace process. Because of Israel's mandatory military service, this time next year they'll be soldiers, not students.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Kiryat Shmona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, further north from there, in Lebanon, there was an assassination attempt this day. A senior police officer who investigated last year's killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri narrowly escaped death, but four other people in his convoy were killed when a roadside bomb went off south of Beirut. Colonel Samir Shehadeh and three other people were wounded in the blast. Shehadeh was responsible for the arrests of four senior security force officers last year suspected of involvement in the murder of the former prime minister, Hariri.

FRAZIER: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, ending the power struggle. A Mexican court puts a stop to the battle over the man who would be president. Or will it?

GORANI: And the man who would be king of the crocs. The world grieves for a fearless conservationist who finally got a little too up close and personal.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY, where we bring CNN's viewers around the globe up to speed on the most important international stories of the day.

There's been an official recommendation on who will be Mexico's next president. In a preliminary ruling, the federal electoral tribunal has named the winner of July's bitterly-disputed polls. The decision still must be accepted later today by a panel of judges, but even then the controversy isn't likely to end in Mexico.

Harris Whitbeck joins us via broadband from Mexico City with the latest -- Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Hala.

There might be a bit more clarity in terms of the official results of Mexico's presidential election once that panel of judges vote later today, but there is little clarity as to how that is going to sit with members of the opposition. The ruling that will be voted on today is final and cannot be appealed. That means that officially the process would be over, and everything at this point indicates that official party candidate Felipe Calderon, a pro-business conservative, is, in fact -- or will be, in fact, Mexico's next president-elect.

His main opponent, Manuel Lopez Obrador, has called his supporters to the streets. They've been out in the streets for several weeks now, camping out in Mexico's City main square, camping out along Mexico's important thoroughfare.

They say that they will not accept -- at any rate, they will not accept today's ruling. They say they will continue to carry out acts of civil disobedience. Lopez Obrador himself has said that he wants to form a "parallel government" -- that's a quote -- and that he would be named president of that parallel government.

So the question here is, no matter who wins or no matter who becomes Mexico's next president, is how well will he be able to govern the country? He will be facing a divided Congress, he will be facing a divided society as to what course this country's government their should take -- Hala.

GORANI: Now, you are saying no matter who wins, Harris Whitbeck. Is it pretty much a done deal as far as Felipe Calderon is concerned? Is that what we're expecting him -- to be confirmed as the president of Mexico?

WHITBECK: That is what we are expecting. Again, the preliminary results already indicate that he has won the majority of votes in the election that took place last December 2nd -- last July 2nd.

Right now the seven-member panel of judges is going over all the allegations that the process itself, starting from the campaign season through the electoral process itself and the vote-counting process, was filled with irregularities. One of the main acquisitions being put forth by the opposition is that the President Fox had an effect on the campaign by proposing a lot of social programs that would have benefit Felipe Calderon -- Hala.

GORANI: Harris Whitbeck in Mexico City.

Thanks very much -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: Hala, if there's any uncertainty about Mexico's future, there shouldn't be about Cuba's future. "The most critical moment has been left behind," according to Cuban president Fidel Castro. That's a quote from him in a statement published with new photographs in the communist party daily, "Granma." The Cuban presidents says he has lost more than 41 pounds more than a month after he underwent intestinal surgery. Remember, he ceded power temporarily to his younger brother Raul on July 31st, following the medical procedure.

GORANI: All right. Developments in Sudan in the Darfur region there. There's been another aid worker killed, according to the International Rescue Committee in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. That brings to 12 the number killed since May.

The news comes as Sudan tells African Union peacekeepers there they are no longer welcome in Darfur.

Tim Lister has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIN LISTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The African Union mission in Darfur hasn't been effective. Too small and poorly equipped to make a difference in such a huge, desolate area. It's been unable to contain fresh violence in recent months in which 12 aid workers have been killed. But it was something, a presence while the United Nations continued to press Sudan to accept a larger force.

Now Khartoum says the African troops must go because the U.N. sees them as part of an international force. Presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail held a news conference Monday that Sudan rejects such a force and said the Africans must leave by the end of the month.

In Egypt Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was unhappy with Sudan's decision on the African Union troops.

ANNAN: I thought they were going to stay on, but apparently they're going to leave, which, put simply, leaves hanging in the air the question of what happens to the internally displaced people and the people who are in need of help in Darfur?

LISTER: The U.N. is hamstrung under current Security Council resolution it can't deploy peacekeepers without the consent of the Sudanese government, but security in the region hangs by a thread, and so do the lives of millions.

ANNAN: The international community has been feeding and helping about three million people in camps and elsewhere, and if we have to leave because of lack of security, lack of access to the people, then what happens? The government will have to assume responsibility for doing this, and if it doesn't succeed it will have lots of questions to answer to the rest of the world.

LISTER: Sudan says its troops will move into Darfur, setting the stage for another confrontation with the international community. Several of its army commanders are suspected of collaborating with pro-government militia, the Janjaweed, in human rights atrocities. One reason, analysts say, the government rejects international peacekeepers, anxious they might arrest officials suspected of war crimes.

For the displaced, the hungry, the desperate in camps across Darfur, an even more uncertain future.

Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: Still ahead, early word now about a possible state farewell for renowned animal enthusiasts.

GORANI: While Australia mourns the loss of a native son, impromptu memorials spring up as Steve Irwin's zoo and other sites across the country remember "The Crocodile Hunter."

That and more when we return.

You're with YOUR WORLD TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. I'm Tony Harris at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check of stories making headlines in the United States.

Nearly five years after the September 11th terrorist attacks al Qaeda is not as strong as it was, but it's still dangerous. That's the gist of a new report put out by the White House today.

And just past the top of the hour President Bush will talk about progress in the war on terror in a speech in Washington. You'll want to stay right here for live coverage on the president's speech. It's coming up at 1:20 Eastern Time.

On the stump and on the defensive. A new poll shows President Bush has good reason to worry about the public's unhappiness.

Forty-one percent approval of how President Bush is handling his job. That's the number. But 55 percent disapprove.

There's also dissatisfaction with Congress. Of more than a thousand people surveyed, 55 percent say they're more likely to back a challenger on this year's ballot.

All these numbers were compiled by the Opinion Research Corporation for CNN.

President Bush picks Mary Peters to be his secretary of Transportation. That announcement expected this afternoon at 2:30 Eastern.

Peters ran the Federal Highway Administration and Arizona's Department of Transportation. If confirmed by the Senate, Peters will replace Norm Mineta. We're learning new details about the death of "The Crocodile Hunter." Steve Irwin's manager says Irwin lived long enough to pull a stingray's venomous barb from his chest. Irwin's body has been returned home. Officials have offered his family a state funeral, and tributes are pouring in from around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FABIEN COUSTEAU, OCEANIC EXPLORER FILMMAKER: He was a warrior for the -- the planet. He's an environmentalist that -- that leaves behind quite a legacy and quite a message that's essential that we listen to, whether it's to thrill and interest the younger generations into caring about the animals, or what's going on, for example, with global warming. I think he was a man that really portrayed his care and love for the planet and for the inheritance that future generations will -- will take on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Steve Irwin's longtime manager was one of his best friends as well. John Stainton has also viewed the tape that shows his good friend dying. He joins "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

It is a tribute to the croc hunter.

Rugged terrain, it is making one of the biggest manhunts in New York history more difficult today. Police say finding fugitive Ralph "Bucky" Phillips is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Phillips is the prime suspect in the shooting death of one state trooper. Two others have been wounded. Police say Phillips grew up in the mountainous area and knows it well. It's filled with swamps and dense woods.

More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, an update to tell you about on St. Rita's nursing home. Thirty-four people died there in the floodwaters. The owners were charged with negligent homicide.

Now, just minutes ago their lawyer announced lawsuits against a number of state and local officials. James Cobb says they failed to uphold their responsibility to prevent the deadly flooding and rescue those who fell victim to it.

What to talk about first, Jacqui Jeras? The need for rain in the West, or to put out those wildfires there? But you're going to start with that storm that is growing in the Atlantic.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: This just in to CNN. A key polygamist, Warren Jeffs, is on the move right now. We've just received word that Warren Jeffs is on the move from Las Vegas to Utah to face charges.

Once again, this just in to CNN, accused polygamist Warren Jeffs on the move at this hour from Las Vegas to Utah to face charges.

You'll want to stay right here on CNN. We've got President Bush's war on terror speech covered for you coming up live this afternoon at 1:20 Eastern.

Then Congressman John Murtha joins Kyra Phillips in the "NEWSROOM." He'll respond to the president next hour in the "NEWSROOM."

Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Tony Harris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

FRAZIER: And I'm Stephen Frazier. Here are some of the stories we've been following.

Iraqi lawmakers come back from a month-long summer recess and have extended the country's state of emergency for 30 days more. The extension follows a dispute that emerged in the past week over the transfer of security control from the U.S.-led coalition directly to the Iraqi government. The handover is a key part of scaling back international troops there.

Mexico's a step closer to the decision on who will be the next president. In a preliminary ruling, the federal electoral tribunal has recommended the winner of July's bitterly-disputed poll. The conservative presidential candidate, Felipe Calderon, appears to have won out over his leftist opponent, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. When the court decision is approved, it cannot be appealed, but it may not end the controversy.

The U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says he is hopeful that Israel will lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon soon. He said that during a visit to Egypt to meet with President Hosni Mubarak. Annan also said that would appoint a secret envoy to help win the release of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah. Israel says Annan's role personally would be to secure the release of the soldiers, not to mediate.

Well, to Afghanistan now, where fighting between a resurgent Taliban and U.S. and NATO forces has left hundreds dead in the past four months. The mounting casualties among British forces in the country are causing political problems for the U.K. prime minister, Tony Blair.

European political editor Robin Oakley has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice-over): The aftermath of another suicide bombing, the first time a British soldier had died this way in Afghanistan. And into the deaths of the crew on a Nimrod aircraft crashed. It meant 16 British soldiers this died in four days, 32 in a month.

Afghanistan has become the most dangerous assignment in the world for British forces, and a growing test for NATO. The NATO troops now leading the fight against the Taliban are finding it tougher than expected. Budgets are affecting how many helicopters can fly. Critics say there are even limits on how many bullet can be used. Some countries are restricting where their troops will fight.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: NATO has been understaffed since it went into Afghanistan several years ago. It's always been promising more troops than it's delivered.

OAKLEY: The upsurge in Taliban resistance has been a shock for NATO, and especially for Britain. Back in January, then Defense Secretary Dr. John Reid said he hoped the troops might be able to leave in three years without a shot being fired. Dr. Reed said British troops were not being sent with the purpose of waging war, and would not be seeking out and destroying terrorists.

This month, General David Richards, the NATO commander in Afghanistan, acknowledged British troops were in their most intense conflict for 50 years: "This is persistent, low level, dirty fighting."

The Taliban have been boosted by their readiness to use suicide bombers and by cache from the heroin poppy drug barons, who have shared interest in continued chaos. The NATO forces have been hampered by squabbles.

WILLIAMS: The military commanders there are some of the best in the world. They have excellent troops under their command. Except the political leadership has really put them in a bind. This is similar to Kosovo, where you had lots of haggling and indecision at the political level because of domestic concerns.

OAKLEY: Tony Blair insists the troops are fighting not just in Afghanistan's interests, but in Britain's, too.

TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN: It's very tough for our armed forces at the moment, as it is for all the NATO forces, particularly in Afghanistan, where the fighting is difficult and is hard, but it is also absolutely vital.

OAKLEY: The latest deaths could hardly have come at a worse time for a prime minister whose poll ratings have plummeted.

(on camera): Mr. Blair is coming under increasing pressure to stand down, the latest prompting a private letter from 17 lawmakers in the 2001 parliamentary intake. A growing number of troop deaths in Afghanistan, to add to those in Iraq, isn't going do anything to help him regain the confidence of public or party.

Robin Oakley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FRAZIER: New developments on behalf of Iran's president, who is asking university students to speak out against liberal professors on campus. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said these professors taint the Islamic Republic's universities with secular ideas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): Our educational system has been under the influence of secular plots for 150 years. The cornerstone of the royal figimity (ph) is ridiculing cultures and eliminating self-dependence within nations, and imposing its favored ideals on them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRAZIER: There are some people in Iran who say several professors or senior college administrators whose views have been viewed liberal have already been forced into retirement or replaced.

GORANI: Well, let's stay in Iran. There was an announcement over the weekend that that country would host a conference to examine what it called exaggerations about the Holocaust. The announcement came as Kofi Annan condemned an exhibition of Holocaust cartoons in Tehran.

Aneesh Raman now has more on the anti-Israel sentiment in Iran, and one lawmaker's fight against it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Tehran, it doesn't even turn heads. Just one of many anti-Israel posters around the capital. This is, of course, a country whose president has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, who has claimed the Holocaust a myth and who is finding allegiance support among Iran's conservatives.

But to others in Iran, Israel is a highly-sensitive topic, which is why it's difficult to get people to talk about it on camera. That is, unless you're the only Jewish member of the Iranian parliament. Sixty-one-year-old Morris Motamed was born and raised in Iran, one of over a 100,000 Jews in Iran before the revolution, and now one of about 25,000 that has stayed. He does not feel persecuted here, but does feel insulted at times by his president on his denial of the Holocaust.

MORRIS MOTAMED, JEWISH MEMBER OF IRANIAN PARLIAMENT (through translator): The tragedy of this magnitude is documented from thousands of films and photos and books, and the Nuremberg Trials. It all proves the Holocaust was a very historical fact. It is not a myth, as the president unfortunately said.

RAMAN: Motamed also is angry over a recent exhibition of Holocaust cartoons. Some here are anti-American, but most are anti- Israeli and incredibly vulgar.

MOTAMED (through translator): I did write to the mayor on behalf of the Jewish community expressing my objection. I considered it to be an insult to the Jews and to the greatest tragedy in human and Jewish history.

RAMAN: Motamed's letter was ignored, and the exhibition will run for another couple of months. But interestingly, when it comes to Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel to be wiped off the map, Motamed acknowledges his president's right to express his opinions, a right not afforded to many ordinary Iranians.

MOTAMED (through translator): One of the first principles of democracy is freedom of speech and opinion, and he expressed his own opinion and view.

RAMAN (on camera): This is one of a handful of synagogues that actually exist here in Tehran. Like the others, it is tucked away in this residential community. And the sense you get here from Jews is that they feel like they're treated like anyone else, but they know that to be an Iranian Jew means you must first have allegiance to the Iranian government before showing any support for Israel.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: In Iraq, officials -- sorry, in Australia, officials in Queensland, the state that was home for Steve Irwin, is considering the possibility of a state funeral for him as fellow Australian citizens and fans around the world mourn famous naturalist and crocodile hunter Steve Irwin. People are also trying to remember his extraordinary life.

Brad Schmidt (ph) has more on that effort.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRAD SCHMIDT (ph), AUSTRALIA NETWORK 9 REPORTER (voice-over): At his beloved Australia Zoo, they mourn Steve Irwin with tears and flowers. The man who was larger than life has saddened the nation with his death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just sad that he's gone. It really is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was just a silly guy just like everybody else is. I just can't believe it.

SCHMIDT: An Aussie icon we could all relate to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like I've lost a son. I've never met the man personally, but I just feel gutted. As I wrote on his shirt, I just said, crikey, he'll be missed, mate.

SCHMIDT: Today the zoo made the decision to open its doors as it's done for more than 30 years. Management and staff say the crocodile hunter would have wanted it that way. MICHAL HORNBY, AUSTRALIA ZOO: When it (INAUDIBLE), when we heard the confirmation, there was never a doubt that we had to come back, and you know -- it would be what Steve wanted everyone to do.

GAYLE GIPP, AUSTRALIA ZOO: This morning we've all been remembering experiences with him, funny things that have happened to us, and his character and some of the amazing things he's done for his staff.

SCHMIDT: After undergoing a post-mortem in Cairns late today, Irwin's body was flown back to the Sunshine Coast. Police are now examining underwater footage that shows the moment the adventurer was attacked a giant bull stingray, film his long-life friend and manager says is both shocking and terrible.

JOHN STAINTON, IRWIN'S MANAGER: It shows Steve come over top of the ray, and then the tail came up and spiked him here, and he pulled it out. And then the next minute, he's gone. It's a very hard thing to watch because you're actually witnessing somebody die.

SCHMIDT: While such attacks are considered extremely rare, veteran filmmaker Ben Cropp narrowly escaped a similar encounter with a stingray.

BEN CROPP, FILMMAKER: It just suddenly stopped, spun around, stirred up the sand and then up came its tail and went wack at me. And it missed me, and I backed away and it went whack again. Steve was very unlucky. And that's really what it boils down to. Very unlucky.

SCHMIDT: Brad Schmidt, National 9 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: Coming up, we will turn our attention to the U.S. midterm elections. They're only weeks away now.

GORANI: Right, and that means an already intense partisan battle is heating up as the U.S. president gets ready to deliver a speech on terrorism. Both Republicans and Democrats say they're tougher or security issues. A report card on the issue with Bill Schneider, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: A warm welcome back. Seen live in more than 200 countries around the globe, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International. Now the U.S. president will take the stand to defend his administration's war on terrorism shortly. He's set to give the second in a series of speeches on the topic about 45 minutes from now. The war in Iraq is also expected to top the agenda at a meeting between George W. Bush and the emir of Kuwait. The emir arrived at the White House earlier. The two are meeting at the Oval Office this hour.

FRAZIER: So as we've seen, the president's approval ratings are holding steady at a pretty low level, and Republicans are doing anything but holding steady. They're trying to set the agenda in Congress and run on their own, rather than with the president.

For more on all of this, we are joined now from Washington by our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. Bill, I know we have a new poll here, and is it me, or are the wording of these questions kind of unusual? They talk about emotion rather than policy.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Well, because emotions drive politics and sometimes policy. And one of the emotions this year finding that's very strong is anger. We asked the question, are you generally content with the way things are going in the country, or do you feel angry about something?

And three-quarters of Americans -- that's over three-quarters, 76 percent, say they're angry about something. Remember the angry voters of the early 1990s? Those were the voters who supported Ross Perot and passed term limits. They kicked out a Republican president, the first President Bush, and then they kicked out a Democratic Congress? Well, they're back. And what they're angry about is not just the war in Iraq, but also the nation's economy, which they think is not doing too well.

FRAZIER: So does that mean they're mad at the president or the Congress, too? Or the Supreme Court for that matter?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they're mad at everybody, the president and the Congress, and they're taking it out on the Republicans. There's a tremendous desire for change. That's what angry voters want. They want change. And when we asked them, how do you intend to vote for Congress right now? The election is two months away, but if they had to vote right now, they'd give the Democrats a 10-point lead, because they identify very clearly the Democrats as the party of change, because they're of course the minority party in both houses of Congress, and they don't control the White House either.

So the Democrats have the advantage right now, because they are identified with the change issue in a country that's filled with angry voters.

FRAZIER: And is that a good way to vote? Do they like the Democrats because of any specific policy proposals, or just because they're not the other guy.

SCHNEIDER: Well, not the other guy is important this year, because when we asked people, are you satisfied with what Congress has done, only 12 percent say they're happy with what Congress has done. Congress is under the control of Republicans. That's an extraordinary figure, 12 percent. One in eight voters say Congress is doing what they want it to do. What they understand is that Congress has not passed immigration reform, doesn't seem to be able to do much about gas prices, health care. There's wage stagnation that bothers a lot of voters, and they haven't haven't been able to pass lobbying reform, so there's a lot of dissatisfaction out there. The Democrats benefit from it not so much because there's a surge of confidence in the Democrats. We are not seeing that at all in the polls, but simply because the Democrats are the out party, the minority party in Congress, and as I said, that's an advantage right now.

FRAZIER: Right. So as you look across the landscape, Bill, which of the races that you're following is most going to be affected by that kind of anger that you've been describing?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they all will be, but the ones mostly will be the races for Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House in particular is the focus of the battle this year because Democrats have a chance, they believe, of taking control, of winning the majority in Congress. They only need 15 out of 435 seats to do it. That is a gain of 15 seats.

But there are some important Senate battles as well, in states like Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, where Democrats think they have a chance of picking up seats. Republicans, on the other hand, think they have a pretty good chance in a couple of seats as well, like Minnesota. So it's a strong battle in both houses, but the House of Representatives is the main event this year, because there control really does seem to be a touch and go matter.

FRAZIER: Yes, with about 35 hotly-contested seats.

SCHNEIDER: Exactly.

FRAZIER: All right, Bill Schneider, thanks very much with that analysis.

GORANI: Well Japan is preparing for a new member to join the imperial family.

FRAZIER: So coming up on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we'll bring you the latest chapter in the tale of two princesses, one pregnant, both the subject of tabloid chatter. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: The whole country is on tenterhooks, Stephen. The Japanese eagerly awaiting the birth of the child, no pressure on the kid or the mother, by the way. A possible heir to the Chrysanthemum throne.

FRAZIER: This is Princess Kiko, who is scheduled to undergo a Caesarean section in the coming hours. There has been no official announcement yet. This is the kind of scene you get on New Year's Day, when they wish the royals a happy new year. The tabloids say though they know that the child is a boy, and if so, the birth would avert a succession crisis for the monarchy and take a lot of pressure off another Japanese princess.

Here's Atika Shubert.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Princess Masako married Japan's crown Prince Naruhito in 1993, she was hailed as an icon of modern Japanese woman, her flourishing career as a diplomat put aside for the gilded, but strictly traditional world of the imperial family. Her most important duty, to bear a male heir to the thrown.

Thirteen years later, there is still no heir. Masako has a daughter, Princess Iko, but only male offspring can ascend to the throne. At 42 years old, Masako's chances of having another child are slim, and has what doctors call an adjustment disorder, a form of depression.

Now, another royal has stepped into the succession crisis. Princess Kiko, wife of Prince Akishino, who is second in line to the throne, is pregnant. If the child is a boy, he will be the only male heir born into the imperial male family in more than four decades.

(on camera): Princess Kiko is due on Wednesday, but as the country waits, the tabloids have turned a success succession crisis into a rivalry between two princesses.

(voice-over): "Popular Women's" magazines compare career-minded Masako with the more reserved and traditional Kiko. A rare smile from Masako during a family holiday in Holland, with Prince Naruhito and their daughter. Why, the critics ask, does she never look happy at home?

The most heated comments come from the blogosphere. This blogger writes about Masako, "She shifts all of her royal duties to Kiko. She is about the princess, she is a wife who isn't a mother. I wish Kiko could raise Masako's child instead."

But another blogger complains, "Do they think that Masako is just a machine for producing baby boys? I'm sorry, but I can't be happy about Kiko's pregnancy when I think of how Masako must be feeling."

But on the streets and playgrounds and in front of cameras, many Japanese women say they feel sympathy for both princesses.

"I wonder if they're really happy," this woman says. "I think they serve the country, but there is such pressure on them, and they don't have much privacy. I feel pity for them."

Japan's imperial family is both revered and the subject of constant gossip, and the imminent arrival of a new prince, or princess,won't end the relentless media spotlight on the royal household.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: All right, well we have an update there on that famous head butt that Zinedine Zidane gave to Marco Materazzi in the final of the World Cup.

FRAZIER: Huge mystery here, one of the biggest stories of the summer. What was it Materazzi said that would have provoked one of the world's best players into an incident that would cost him the chance to continuing playing. Materazzi's now speaking out on what he said.

GORANI: Right, and because Zidane normally keeps his cool, people thought it might have been something outrageous. Well guess what it was? Apparently when Materazzi tugged at Zidane's shirt, Zidane told him, well you can have my shirt at the end of game and Materazzi said, Stephen I'll let you say it.

FRAZIER: He says, "I'd rather have your sister's shirt."

GORANI: And there you go. Head butt, he was sent off and there you can go.

FRAZIER: And he cost the nation the World Cup, possibly.

GORANI: Maybe.

FRAZIER: That's it for this hour. I'm Stephen Frazier.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani. This is CNN. Stay with us.

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