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President Bush Meets With Pakistani President Musharraf; Fight for Iraq; Hezbollah Rally in Beirut

Aired September 22, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM and stay informed.
I'm Heidi Collins. Hi, everybody.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

The U.S. and Pakistan, minutes ago, allies in the terror battle, affirming a solid relationship.

COLLINS: The pope reaching out today. He calls a meeting with prominent Muslim hoping to soothe tensions.

Live to Rome for that.

HARRIS: And 392 days after Katrina, the Louisiana Superdome reopens. The Saints ready to go marching home this Friday, the 22nd of September.

You're in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A little bit of fence-mending today between President Bush and GOP senators. We're going to get to that in just a moment and go straight to the White House about the deal that was struck about terrorism and interrogation and potential terrorists, suspects, also.

Earlier today we were covering the news conference between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and United States President George Bush. There was an issue talking about something that was said by then secretary deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage and whether or not Pakistan was kind of forced, if you will, to come into agreement about how they're going to handle terrorism and the war on terror shortly after September 11th.

Now let's listen to some sound from that news conference. President Bush discussing that issue, those thoughts from Richard Armitage and a conversation he had with Colin Powell shortly after September 11th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All I can tell you is that shortly after 9/11 Secretary Colin Powell came in and said, "President Musharraf understands the stakes and he wants to join and help rout out an enemy that has come and killed 3,000 of our citizens." As a matter of fact, my recollection was that one of the first leaders to step up and say that the stakes had changed, that attack on America that killed 3,000 of the citizens needs to be dealt with firmly, was the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Elaine Quijano standing by now at the White House to give us some thoughts on that.

I don't know. We keep saying it's a little bit of he said-he said because nobody who's talking about it was in the room.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's so fascinating, Heidi. I apologize for being late, but I actually was trying to get some information from Tony Snow about whether or not it was anticipated that Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's leader, would essentially invoke what one reporter to referred to as the book publisher privilege, essentially saying that -- you know, looking for a clarification, a reporter was asking, saying that, "Well, I can't really comment on that. I have obligations contractually not to comment."

Tony Snow said just a moment ago that, in fact, this issue of the quote attributed to Richard Armitage about Pakistan being threatened in those days after September 11th, Tony Snow saying that did not come up at all, that specific quote did not come up at all, and he suggested that really, it was a surprise to everyone to hear President Musharraf react in that way.

Nevertheless, what we have heard from President Bush is a reiteration of what Richard Armitage, himself, has said, and that is that U.S. policy certainly at that time was to make very clear to countries around the world that, in fact, they had a choice to make, that they could either stand with the United States in fighting terrorists, or they would, in fact, be against the United States. We heard President Bush today outline why he feels still five years later Pakistan is a critical ally, one that has cooperated with the United States in this war on terrorism.

The President highlighting how, in fact, Pervez Musharraf has paid a price for his cooperation with the U.S. in several attempts on his life. So this is really, in appearance, to highlight and underscore that ominous issue of cooperating in the war on terrorism. There is no daylight. That's the message, anyway, that the White House intended to send and, in fact, we heard President Musharraf himself say that he has great trust and confidence in President Bush, and President Bush obviously sending the signal that he feels the same way.

All of this, Heidi, in advance of that complex summit that's set to take place on Wednesday, a meeting not only with Pervez Musharraf and President Bush, but also bringing into the mix a neighboring U.S. ally on the war on terrorism, Afghanistan. A complicated relationship. There have been tensions between the two countries. Both sides essentially blaming each other for the resurgence of Taliban activity. Now, though, we have the president, President Bush, saying that obviously he wants the two sides to recognize there are mutual benefits to coming together and cracking down on extremists. So we expect to hear that kind of message from this White House, from this president in the days ahead -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Elaine Quijano outside the White House for us.

And want to take you right now -- thanks, Elaine -- to this meeting billed as a town hall meeting. It's a regular thing that happens all of the time, but we do see Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, there, joined up with Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressing members of the military, likely talking about progress in Middle East, Iraq, and all around where our troops are deployed at this time.

Meanwhile, a fence-mending today between President Bush and GOP senators. Their differences over the treatment of prosecution of terror suspects resolved.

The senators say their compromise leaves the Geneva Conventions untouched, but much of the language of the agreement is open to interpretation. The detainee compromise stipulates suspects get access to any evidence the jury is shown, but sensitive detail could be removed from classified evidence. This was a major sticking point.

The deal prohibits what is called grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, things like torture and rape. It would allow hearsay evidence and coerced testimony at trial under certain circumstances. And it grants the president flexibility to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions.

Arizona Republican John McCain said the president got what he wanted, even if it wasn't what he asked for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Let me just say the agreement that we've entered into gives the president the tools that he needs to continue to fight the war on terror and bring these evil people to justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: This is not jet a done deal yet, however. Congress has yet to pass the bill. Congressional leaders are optimistic final legislation can reach the president's desk by the end of next week. So we'll watch that.

HARRIS: Before we take you to Iraq, let's take you to New York and check in on the president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, as he speaks right now before the U.N. General Assembly. We will monitor these comments for you throughout the morning. The president of Iraq right now speaking at the U.N. General Assembly. Forty-eight people found dead in Baghdad just within the last 24 hours. Many had been tortured. This string of attacks shocking even by Baghdad's standards. U.S. troops and Iraqi police are trying to stop the escalating violence in the Iraqi capital.

CNN's Arwa Damon filed this report while embedded with U.S. troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It looks more like a surreal version of "The Pied Piper" than an operation intended to secure Baghdad neighborhoods. Captain Brad Velotta leads a joint Iraqi-U.S. unit, part of what's called Operation Together Forward. The mood is light, but the topic of conversation, serious.

CPT. BRAD VELOTTA, U.S. ARMY: The insurgency hidden in the people, in the population.

DAMON: And scratch beneath the surface and you will find the fear that many Iraqi citizens mask so well.

This Barhan Jassim (ph). As every corner of his home is searched, bloated (ph) gestures.

VELOTTA: Here, murder? Here?

"We hear in other neighborhoods," Jassim says, gesturing back. Waiting outside, Jassim's wife Batul says she has lost hope. "As things got worse and worse," she says, "my hope for the future just vanished."

The troops tie a marker nicknamed the "angel of security" to the gate of homes they've searched, but it is a false sense of protection in an environment where people fear an enemy that they can't always identify.

(on camera): But the calm seen in these streets can be deceptive. After 12 months up north, this company suffered its first casualty in Baghdad right on the streets of this neighborhood.

(voice over): It was a single shot and the attacker faded away. The enemies everyone faces here remain in the shadows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are sophisticated. They're very assertive, they're very intelligent, just like we are. And it's a mind game. It's almost a chess game.

DAMON: Part of the Operation Together Forward is a more focused effort on getting the people the basics.

Head mistress Imad Jathir's (ph) school is getting one of these generators, but she thinks this small gesture just creates other problems. "Who's going to provide the fuel?" she says, adding she doesn't want to see the little issues being dealt with. She wants the big issues like security addressed. She wonders if a life of uncertainty is a life worth living.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's what's been the hardest to get across to people, to have the faith to believe.

DAMON: But for these people who have been waiting for over three years to live again, who are still shocked at how their country is unraveling, that may take more than faith. It may take a miracle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And Area Damon joins us live now.

Arwa, give us a sense. Is it too early to have an indication of what kind of an impact this Operation Forward Together is having on security?

DAMON: Well, if we look at the small picture, and that is the last two months, there has been approximately a 17 percent decrease in violence in Baghdad which some are attributing to this operation. But for the average Iraqi citizen that's living here, really, they are not looking at the numbers. They're judging their own sense of security by the comfort with which they lead their lives.

And just in the last 24 hours, with 48 bodies found in Baghdad, four of those being the bodies of women and they, too, bearing the signs of torture, what a lot of people are looking for here is just that sense of being able to leave their homes. They're not really looking at the numbers, the percentage of how much violence is decreasing -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Arwa Damon for us in Baghdad.

Arwa, thank you.

An ambush in southern Afghanistan to tell you about. Taliban fighters today attacked an Afghan road crew in Kandahar Province. The interior minister says 19 Afghan workers were killed, a bus carrying the workers was hit by a roadside bomb, then fired on by militants.

COLLINS: And huge crowds defied voices and cheers of victory. Hundreds of thousands of people -- Hezbollah supporters, that is, turn out for a Beirut rally. They are celebrating what they call a victory over Israel.

More now from CNN's Brent Sadler, our Beirut bureau chief.

Hundreds of thousands of people there, Brent?

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, indeed. A very heavy turnout for Hezbollah.

We saw for the first time since the start of the July-August Lebanon-Israel war the reappearance of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. He came out despite, he explained to the crowd, a rapturous crowd, despite security concerns that Israel might have wanted to kill him at such an event as this. However, Nasrallah said it was in his best interest and that of Hezbollah and that of Lebanon that he appear before these people.

Now, he's already had some interesting things to say, not the least the fact that he claims that Hezbollah still holds more than 20,000 rockets. Remember during that 34-day conflict, Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets into Israel. The resistance leaders saying that basically they have got more weapons than they had now, he claims, before the start of the war. He's claiming that Hezbollah has recovered all its organizational and the military capabilities despite that heavy bombing of its headquarters in the southern suburbs where this rally was held, and that, therefore, not only is Hezbollah still armed, it is still very dangerous as far as Israel is concerned -- Heidi.

COLLINS: And it's interesting, too, to think about what Hamas might have to say about the announcement that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas made at the General Assembly here in New York about the government recognizing Israel.

Is that something that Hamas is really ready to do?

SADLER: Well, we've heard already that -- that Hamas, their leaders are willing to take part in a new Palestinian government if a prerequisite of that was to recognize Israel. But, of course, here, although there are some ideological similarities between Hamas and Hezbollah, Hezbollah, the movement which is led by Hassan Nasrallah, here in Lebanon, as far as politics here are concerned, is now demanding a new unity government in Lebanon that would basically figure around a more pro-Syrian, Iranian access.

They want the pro-Western government Fouad Siniora to basically throw in the towel and to pave way for a new cabinet that would have more pro-Syrian, more pro-Iranian, more pro-Hezbollah members within the cabinet. Hezbollah already has two members of parliament, and Nasrallah is saying they want more. That's a demand that has been rejected by Fouad Siniora here, but you can bet in the weeks and months ahead that Hezbollah will continue to go after the government here and try to use this so-called divine victory that Hezbollah is claiming over Israel to try to boost its standing in this country -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Brent Sadler live for us from Beirut.

Brent, thank you.

HARRIS: And still ahead, the pope reaches out to Muslim leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "Let's hope that with dialogue we can manage to overcome this difficult moment to calm down the spirits and quench down the tension."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Will a Monday meeting end the controversy and ease worries about the pontiff's safety? A closer look is next.

COLLINS: And E. coli linked to spin itch. Is it to blame for a second death now?

Details just ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And the Louisiana Superdome. Just say the words and the chaos of Hurricane Katrina comes to mind. Now another image, a new and improved Superdome. We'll talk to someone who witnessed the arena's destruction and rebirth.

That is coming up in the NEWSROOM.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Pope Benedict XVI meeting with Muslim envoys on Monday. The pontiff hopes to smooth over tensions that followed his recent remarks on Islam.

Our Delia Gallagher will joins us live with more on that in just a moment. But first, she takes a closer look at growing concerns about the pope's safety.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GALLAGHER (voice over): The normally peaceful Vatican is on high alert. Adding to that tension, a letter sent by Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot the previous pope, John Paul II, in 1981, to the Italian newspaper "La Republica."

He wrote, "Pope Ratzinger, listen to someone who knows these things very well. Your life is in danger. You absolutely must not come to Turkey."

Ali Agca claims he's been in contact with both Vatican and Western intelligence services, though he offered no evidence. Then he goes on to ask the pope to step down, writing, "For your own welfare you must make a grand gesture of honor and resign. Then you must return to your native land, and in your place an Italian cardinal can be elected pope."

Ali Agca was freed from an Italian prison in 2000 and is now serving time in a prison in Istanbul.

Around the world, some Muslim leaders have accepted the pope's apology, but others remain angry. In Pakistan, this cleric and about 1,000 others demanded his removal.

One of Italy's top Islamic spokesmen is calling for calm. "Let's hope that with dialogue we can manage to overcome this difficult moment to calm down the spirits and quench down the tensions."

Not surprisingly, the faithful visiting St. Peter's Square are supporting their spiritual leader JOE MARZANO, VISITING FROM ARIZONA: He apologized for what he said, but mostly it sounds to me like it was misinterpreted because the pope don't have a bad bone in his body. You know what I mean? He's so pure and beautiful. So nothing was meant. It's like anything in the world, people misinterpret and translate things the way they want.

GALLAGHER: One Vatican expert agrees.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: I really believe he thought that that academic audience would take it into that spirit. And to the be honest, they did. I mean, the people who attended that lecture, you know, didn't think -- didn't walk out thinking, we've just seen a historic, you know, poke in the eye at Islam from the pope. It took, you know, 24 hours for that one phrase lifted out of context to make its way around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Delia Gallagher joins us now live.

Delia, good to see you.

I'm trying to bottom-line this as best I can. If you could help us here.

What is the discussion? The pope says he hopes in the end all of this leads to a discussion. He's going to hold one coming up, as you mentioned. What is the discussion the pope wants to have with Muslim leaders about Islam?

GALLAGHER: Well, look, Tony this is not a pope to sort of gloss over the difficult points. And I think the thing to look out for on Monday is whether he revisits that very difficult point that he brought up about connection between violence and Islam that caused all this consternation in the first place.

And it's important to keep in mind that he has brought that up in previous writings of his before when he was cardinal, and also discussed the connection of violence in Christianity. I mean, he called the crusades a diseased form of Christianity.

So, all of this is not to be a troublemaker, but it is to say that he has a larger point with dialogue, that he thinks it has to start with self-assessment, it has to start with every religion having a clear idea of their own identity and understanding of their beliefs and their authorities. That includes violence. And from that, then, there can be a dialogue. He doesn't think that a dialogue without addressing those difficult points is worth it.

HARRIS: OK. And Delia, you know what? Let's role those pictures again from Wednesday of the pope there in Vatican City. And I have to ask you about security. Where is the bulletproof glass on that pope mobile?

GALLAGHER: Well, as you can see, Tony, obviously the Vatican is coming out with a semi-statement there, kind of saying, look, we're not going to be intimidated by any kind of threats to the pope's life.

Now, behind the scenes and what you don't see are the undercover policemen that are crawling all around there. And, of course, the Vatican also has their own intelligence services.

But in terms of the pope's day-to-day sort of schedule, they are not changing it. And, by the way, they are not changing this upcoming trip to Turkey in November.

So, you know, they are continuing with those audiences, they're continuing with the pope in the open air pope mobile, and everything on schedule as far as they are telling us.

HARRIS: Delia Gallagher joining us from Rome.

Delia, good to see you. Thanks.

GALLAGHER: Thanks.

COLLINS: A possible second death linked to E. coli in spinach. This time it is a little boy from Idaho.

Two-year-old Kyle Algood died at this Utah hospital this week. He had kidney complications, which is a common symptom of E. coli poisoning. Friends say the boy got sick after he drank a smoothie that was blended with spinach. Test results are expected next week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. CHRISTINE HAHN, IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We're investigating a report that he may have consumed spinach in the days -- fresh spinach in the days prior to becoming ill. So we are investigating to see whether he may be related to this nationwide outbreak related to fresh bagged spinach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ALGOOD, KYLE'S FATHER: That's what we suspect it is. He ate spinach, what we thought was kind of bad spinach. And so we didn't use anymore after that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have been through all the ranges of emotion, the grief, the sadness, the guilt. Some anger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Again, stressing that investigation is ongoing. Another death has already been linked to the tainted spinach, and 158 other people across 24 states now, the latest Tennessee, have gotten sick. Federal health investigators are trying to pinpoint the source. They are zeroing in on several California farms, but for now, consumers are remind and warned to avoid all fresh spinach.

To get your daily dose of health news online, you can always log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address, once again, cnn.com/health.

HARRIS: Hey, time to get to some e-mails here in a moment with Gerri Willis.

And Gerri, your viewers are hot about Social Security.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You bet, Tony. Hi there.

We got lots and lots of questions about Social Security. "Top Tips" is up next up with the answers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The Palestinians still splintered over Israel. Two rival political parties seemed close to a unity government, but that won't happen, at least for now. Hamas refusing demands to recognize Israel to get Western aid restored.

CNN's Ben Wedeman joining us now from Jerusalem for the very latest on this -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we heard today from the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniya, who is a member of Hamas, that he has no intention whatsoever of heading any government that recognizes Israel. And that is the key sticking point in attempts by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to form a unity government. And at this point, it does look like there's a political crisis in the offing, because we are hearing that President Abbas may when he returns to the West Bank or Gaza in the coming days declare a state of emergency, and in that case he may simply form with emergency powers a new Palestinian government, which is something Hamas will be most unhappy with.

So, as I said, it does seem that there is a mounting political crisis in the Palestinian territories. Not just a political crisis, there's, of course, an economic and humanitarian crisis caused by the fact that the United States and Europe have cut off all assistance or most assistance to the Palestinian Authority, and that further complicates a very complicated situation.

COLLINS: Ben, I just want to remind everybody what Mahmoud Abbas did say. He said that he would like to reaffirm any future Palestinian government will commit and abide with all of the agreements that the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Palestinian National Authority have committed to in the past, particularly the letters of mutual recognition back on September 9 of 1993.

What does all of this dissension now when you talk about a state of emergency mean for the people of the country?

WEDEMAN: What it means is that the Palestinian territories will, for the foreseeable future, until this conflict, this crisis is resolved, they will not be really having a functioning government. It means that until a unity government is formed that is acceptable to the United States, Israel, the European Union and so forth, until that is formed, there will be very scant aid for the Palestinians, so that the humanitarian crisis we see developing over the recent months is only going to get worse.

Therefore, there are concerns about increasing lawlessness and chaos in the Palestinian territories as the humanitarian situation declines.

M. O'BRIEN: Ben Wedeman, watching the situation for us from Jerusalem today. Ben, thanks.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Social Security, it was a hot topic with viewers this week in Gerri's top tips, and it's back today.

CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here to answer the e- mail questions.

Hi, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony. Good to see you.

HARRIS: Let me understand this, so we talk about topics, top tips during the week, and you then check the inbox, and you're telling us that you were flooded with e-mails this week about Social Security, right?

WILLIS: That's absolutely right, Tony. We did get a lot. And people have all kinds of questions, so hit me with the first one.

HARRIS: I have them right here. OK, Jeff says, "It is my understanding that if one defers Social Security payments and drops dead prior to beginning to receive the benefits, one's spouse gets nothing, zip."

Gerri, is that correct?

WILLIS: Well, I have bad news for you Jeff, but good news forest of us -- you're wrong. If you defer your benefits and then happen to meet your maker before you start collecting your check, your spouse is absolutely entitled to survivor benefits, as long as they meet the normal requirements. So good news there.

HARRIS: Good. OK, Michael from Indiana writes, I've been told it is simply not worth the hassle of replacing a lost Social Security card. Should a lost for years Social Security card be replaced, Gerri?

WILLIS: Well, this is a good question, but I've got to say, Michael, the first thing I would be worried about if I lost my Social Security card is who found it. A Social Security card is I.D. theft made easy. Now, there's no rule that says you have to replace the card, but some employers require it for starting a new job, and more states like New York now require it to get a driver's license. It takes weeks to replace a card, he's right, it's a hassle. So if you are starting a new job or you need a license, plan ahead. If you lost your card and suspect foul play, you definitely call the Social Security agency hotline and make sure nobody is cashing in on your retirement money.

Let me give people that phone number -- it is 1-800-772-1213. You can see it on the screen right there.

HARRIS: And, Gerri, in my hand, I hold the final question for you today. All right. Here it is. And it is from...

WILLIS: I feel like Karnak.

HARRIS: Yes. It's from Jeffrey who writes, "I am 29 years old. What are the chances I will actually see these contributions again when I retire in 35 years? I can't help but feel I am funding the baby boomers' retirement."

WILLIS: Well, that's because you are funding the baby boomers as a practical matter. But it's a great question, and anybody who says they can tell you they know the answer are wrong. People on both sides agree that the system needs surgery, whether it's a facelift or a heart transplant, it's all in the debate, but the short answer is that by most accounts, there will be something for you in 35 years, but probably not as much as your parents are going to get.

What's worse, more employers are discontinuing health benefits for retirees, so that would put even more on a burden of your generation. My advice, focus on other retirement vehicles, like the 401k, the IRA. You're going to have to sock a bunch of money away, because Social Security probably won't be what it's been. Just remember, though -- that's right, remember, you're young, though, so you have lots of time to save. And just the fact that he's asking this question I think is a really good sign that he's getting ready to really do the right thing.

HARRIS: Hey, Gerri, give us a bit of a preview. Look ahead for us. What's coming up on the big "OPEN HOUSE" show tomorrow?

WILLIS: Oh, yes, "Open House," Saturday morning, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right her eon CNN. We'll be talking about foreclosure, a very serious topic that many, many people are worried about. We go to where some of the foreclosures are worst in Colorado and tell you how people got into trouble there, and what you can do if you are worried about the burden of your mortgage payments. So we'll have lots of fun, but also some serious topics there for "Open House" Saturday morning. Join us.

HARRIS: Gerri, thank you. Good to see you. Have a good weekend.

WILLIS: Good to see you, sir. You, too.

HARRIS: OK.

COLLINS: The Louisiana Superdome -- just say the words and the chaos of Hurricane Katrina instantly comes to mind. But now, another image, a new and improved Superdome, and a little bit of football. We'll talk to someone who witnessed the arena's destruction and its rebirth. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A makeover to rival all others. The New Orleans Superdome has been rebuilt. Its first big event just three days away, a highly anticipated football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. But it's the before picture of the Superdome that many people remember. Tens of thousands of people sought shelter and comfort there during Hurricane Katrina, but what they got was something very different.

Jill Gottesman Menard is the wife of the Superdome's general manager. She was there during Katrina and joins us now live from New Orleans.

This is going to be a very happy and exciting event for the people of New Orleans. But for a moment, Jill, if you would, take us back to those days, because you were there. What do you remember most?

JILL GOTTESMAN MENARD, WIFE OF SUPERDOME GEN. MGR.: I remember distinctly thinking that they will never play football in this stadium again. When we -- when the roof tore off, the building during the storm, I remember look up and just thinking, this is the end of the Superdome as we know it and the end of our lives as Saints' fans as we know it.

COLLINS: But you specifically -- you remember, Jill, words like the water is rising, the water is rising, you have to get out, you have to get out. That was s something that...

MENARD: Right.

COLLINS: ... you had never, ever experienced before. Especially because you're not from area.

MENARD: I'm not from the area. I'm from California, so I'm an earthquake girl. And I just remember waking up on Tuesday morning after the storm and putting on my walkman and hearing WWL, which is the radio station here, hearing Walter Mastry (ph), the emergency manager director, saying the water is rising, you must get out. If you can get out, you should get out. The Crescent City connection is your only way out, and that's the bridge that crosses the Mississippi right by the Superdome.

And so I was fairly anxious to get out at that point. And we walked outside and we realized at that point that the dome was surrounded by a moat and we weren't getting out.

COLLINS: No water...

MENARD: And so we were there.

COLLINS: That's right. No water, no lights, no bathroom facilities. How did you eventually get out?

MENARD: We eventually were helicoptered out on Thursday morning. So we got there Sunday afternoon, and stayed until Thursday morning. In the middle of the night, we were helicoptered out to Baton Rouge.

COLLINS: Tell us what the last year has been like, though, for you and for the city.

MENARD: Well, there's been a lot of frustrations. Obviously, so many of us lost our homes. My husband and I lost our home in Lakeview. We had 10 feet of water. And there's been a lot of frustrations, a lot of stops and starts, in rebuilding the city on every level, from just the infrastructure to our neighborhoods, to our communities, to our churches and synagogues.

You know, it's -- there's been a lot of frustration. And I think for everybody to see the Superdome coming back online, just a little over a year after it was ripped to shreds, is, I think, really inspirational and it's going to serve a as symbol of hope for everybody., especially Monday night. It's going to be amazing.

COLLINS: It reminds me a little bit of the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks playing shortly after September 11th. The whole city was enveloped in something positive and hopeful.

MENARD: It's going to be something else. This city is buzzing about this game. I was out last night and it's the only thing that people can talk about. This city is going to be like Mardi Gras. Everybody is going to be out. Everybody is leaving work early. It's -- it's a huge celebration and a huge celebration for the future.

COLLINS: Well, very good. Football has never meant so much, possibly safe to say. We certainly appreciate your time today, Jill, and we're not going to pick a team, since it is Saints/Falcons.

MENARD: Great.

COLLINS: Thanks again, Jill, for your thoughts.

HARRIS: Well, they're both 2-0.

MENARD: Go Saints!

COLLINS: It's going to be a good game.

HARRIS: They're both 2-0. You have to root -- yes, we're from in Atlanta. We're living in Atlanta...

COLLINS: I'm a Vikings fan.

HARRIS: Oh, that's right, that's right.

Some video here you need to see. This is why there are police officers in the courtroom. Details of the dust-up, coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With a hiss and sizzle, one fast food company is making unexpected health history. Wendy's has removed the majority of the transfats from the oil used to make fries and chicken.

LORI ESTRADA, SR. VICE PRESIDENT, R&D, WENDY'S: This reduction in transfat is part of our ongoing effort to improve the nutritional profile of our food without impacting taste or quality.

GUPTA: So why is this important? Scientists estimate there are over 50,000 premature deaths each year linked to eating transfats. Transfat is bad for your heart because it raises your bad cholesterol and it also lowers what doctors call your good cholesterol.

DR. ROBERT EXCKEL, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION: We know from large numbers of nutrition-based studies over decades now that saturated fats and transfats, both tend to raise the bad cholesterol. And we certainly know that people with higher levels of bad cholesterol appear to have more heart disease and stroke.

So we have no alternative enzymes that we can...

GUPTA: Dr. Exckel says that Americans on average eat about three times as much transfat as recommended. Transfat is on the menu at just about all the fast food giants: Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Arby's, Hardees.

McDonald's tried to lose the transfat. They company announced in 2002 it would reduce transfats, but it hasn't eliminated them, at least not in the United States. In countries like Denmark, where laws severely limit transfat foods, McDonald's fries are transfat-free.

And McDonald's issued this statement in response to CNN's questions about transfat. McDonald's "takes the matter of trans-fatty acids seriously, and we continue to work on diligently ways to reduce the TFA levels in our food. Our test procedures in the United States are taking longer than anticipated."

According to McDonald's Web site, a single large serving of fries has eight grams of transfat. That's four times the amount the FDA says the average American should eat in an entire day.

The threat to our health from transfat is so serious the FDA required the manufacturers to list them on nutritional labels beginning this year.

Food writer Kim Serverson says as soon as the labels change, processed food makers eliminated transfats from about 40 percent of their products. Snacks like Oreos and Frito Lay chips are now marketed as transfat free.

KIM SERVERSON, AUTHOR, "TRANS FAT SOLUTION": The battleground now are restaurants and fast food companies. And that's, I think, where you'll really see the changes coming.

GUPTA: The FDA doesn't require restaurants to tell customers how much transfat they're eating, which might explain why the change there is so slow.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

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HARRIS: Was Ginger having a coffee there? Perfect! It has been two years since Starbucks has raised the prices. Now lattes, cappucinos and other drinks will be a little bit more pricey. On October 3rd prices will go up by five cents per drink. Coffee beans will also cost more, about 50 cents per pound. But not all drinks are higher. Starbucks is not raising prices on those prepared drinks it sells. What's behind the price increase? Starbucks says it's not one specific thing, but it admits costs like fuel and energy are going up.

COLLINS: OK. Ahead, there's why there are police officers in courtrooms. Take a look at this. Details of the dust-up. Apparently we can't give you much sound, because there are a lot of bleeps, coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up! Back up! Back up!

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HARRIS: All right. Now, what is this all about?

Oh! Courtroom video from New Hampshire -- yikes! -- it shows an enraged spectator, someone in the courtroom, diving at a suspect in a double-homicide case. Police stopped the 22-year-old man from striking the defendant. They didn't say what his relationship with the defendant might be or what the relationship with the victims might be, but he now faces multiple charges.

COLLINS: Wow. Emotions run high in a case like that, I'm sure.

Carol Lin here is here now with a preview of what's coming up in the NEWSROOM in the afternoon.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tough to top that one. But we've got a bit afternoon straight ahead, you guys. It is the outrage store of the day. Wait until you hear what he said to the family of the victims in a Washington courtroom.

And also two presidents together talking about the war on terror, but are they really on the same page when it comes to track down Osama bin Laden? We're going to talk about it later. You'll also going to hear some of those remarks. And you know, can you imagine being a fly on the wall behind the scenes, President Bush and President Musharraf?

COLLINS: We'll wait to hear it all. All right, Carol. Thank you.

LIN: You bet. OK.

CNN NEWSROOM does continues just one hour from now. Stick around for that.

HARRIS: And "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next, with news happening around the globe and here at home.

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