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War on Terror; Tension Between Allies; U.S. Courthouse Evacuated; Owens Suicide Attempt?; Jeffs to Remain Incarcerated Pending Hearing
Aired September 27, 2006 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story that's jarring the sports world this morning. There are numerous reports that NFL superstar Terrell Owens may have attempted suicide last night. He was rushed to the hospital after reportedly overdosing on pain medication. Owens is such a stand-out performer that fans starting referring to him just by his initials, T.O., but he's also a lightning rod of controversy, taunting opponents and even publicly mocking his own teammates. Again, reports today that Terrell Owens tried to commit suicide. We will bring you more on this story and the very latest as it develops.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And we have the very latest right now. Reporter Rebecca Lopez of WFAA, our affiliate in Dallas, has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REBECCA LOPEZ, WFAA: Yes, we obtained a copy of the police report. And according to a police report by the Dallas Police Department, it says that he may have attempted to commit suicide. Now according to the report, a woman was with him at the time. She saw him put two pain pills in his mouth. She tried to get those pain pills out.
She also noticed that a prescription bottle of pain medication was empty. She said that on September 18th she filled that bottle. There were 40 pills inside. He'd only taken up to five up until yesterday and then she noticed that the bottle was empty. At that time she called 911.
Now when police went to Baylor Medical Center, which is where they took Owens, they asked him if he had taken the remainder of the pills and he said yes. When they asked him if he was intending to harm himself he said yes. So it appears that he may have tried to kill himself, according to a Dallas police report.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And we will continue to follow the latest developments in the Terrell Owens story throughout the day here in the NEWSROOM.
For the president's eyes. Today, anybody can see for themselves after a leak to the media. The White House goes public with a few pages of the intelligence report on terrorism. And both the Democrats and Republicans are pounding on one of its rather dark conclusions. The terror threat is spreading. CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The abridged version of the report pretty much mirrors what we have already heard from a variety of administration officials. But there's one point you don't hear much about. That five years into the war on terror, Muslims who identify themselves as Jihadists are increasing both in number and geographic dispersion. Robert Hutchings used to head the National Intelligence Council which prepared the report.
ROBERT HUTCHINGS, PRINCETON'S WOODROW WILSON SCHOOL: To me, it says that we've gotten ourselves off on a fundamentally wrong track by over militarizing the struggle.
ARENA: Intelligence officials say they pushed to keep the report secret. They say it is not something that is meant for public distribution. It's written for top-level policymakers.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I think analysts will be more reluctant to make tough judgment calls if intelligence products are thrown out into the public arena every time there's a political firestorm.
ARENA: The portion of the report that caused such a ruckus in the first place had to do with the war in Iraq. The report says that conflict is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders. And that it has become the "cause celebre for Jihadists." On the other hand, if fighters fail there or think they've failed, the report says that will hurt the movement.
MCLAUGHLIN: So it presents a very dynamic picture on Iraq.
ARENA: The war in Iraq is just one reason cited for the growth of extremism. Other reasons are the slow pace of reform in many Muslim nations and pervasive, anti-U.S. sentiment. But it's not all negative. The analysts who wrote the report say moderate Muslim leaders are stepping forward to denounce the violence.
MCLAUGHLIN: The paper makes the point that that mainstream Muslim movement could be the factor that would tip the scales, the most potent weapon in the anti-terrorist movement.
ARENA: So what else might tip the balance? Well, the report says if Osama bin Laden or other al Qaeda leaders are caught, that could fracture the movement.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right, Kelli, let me pick up on a point. I'm just sort of curious about trends in this area, reporting in this area. How many times a year are reports produced by the intelligence community on Iraq?
ARENA: Well, that we don't know. We know that there are about 20 or so of these reports done a year on a variety of issues. It could be on anything from drugs, to technology, to country-specific reports. We know that there was a report that was requested in July that is specific to Iraq and that is being worked on. This report was a much broader look at Islamic extremism as a whole.
HARRIS: Got you. Try to figure out who might have leaked this. I mean, was there anything to be gained by the intelligence community, let's say, pushing back against some claims that it's a tough fight but we're winning?
ARENA: Well, first, let's back up and this report is usually -- these reports are usually disseminate to about 200 people, including members of both the Senate and the House. So it's really on a need- to-know basis. The intelligence community was very adamant, at least the officials that I spoke to, in that this should not be made public. That this is -- this represents the best thinking of the intelligence community. It's meant for the highest level policymakers. These are people who are telling it as straight as they can. And that when you have information like this out in public hands, because these are not -- you and I basically are not intelligence consumers -- things can be taken out of context, misunderstood and that that poses some problems.
HARRIS: Pure politics?
ARENA: Well, that's the allegation. You know, very close to the upcoming elections.
HARRIS: All right, Kelli Arena for us. Kelli, appreciate it. Thank you.
COLLINS: They are friends, they are neighbors and, like most, they don't always get along so well. President Bush sits down tonight with two key players in the war on terror. He hosts a dinner meet with the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two have been taking jabs at each other over the fight against terrorists along their borders. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf dropped by "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: He is not oblivious. He knows everything, but he's purposely denying, turning a blind eye like an ostrich. He doesn't want to tell the world what is the fact for his own personal reasons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: We will have complete coverage of President Bush's meeting with Presidents Musharraf and Karzai at the White House this evening. Watch "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer beginning at 7:00 Eastern. We expect to hear from the three leaders around 7:50 Eastern Time.
Let's go ahead and talk about some of the issues facing these three allies now in the war on terror. Gary Berntsen was field commander of the CIA's jawbreaker team that tracked Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora. He is the author of the book "Jawbreaker." He's joining us this morning from New York.
Gary, thanks for being here. Give us a little perspective, if you would. You know President Karzai very well. In fact, since before he even came into office. We have heard an awful lot about public support for him in his country waning. Why is that?
GARY BERNTSEN, AUTHOR, "JAWBREAKER": Well, Afghanistan's a very complex country with many tribes. He was the one man that they could rally around because he was a pashtun. It was better that you had a pashtun in power. But still, it's a nation that is controlled from afar. It has a conglomeration of groups that have got to be held together. He's the only glue right now that will hold it together. There is so much animosity between many of the other tribal leaders that Karzai truly was the right guy at the right time.
It's understandable that he has problems with Musharraf. You know, the Taliban is organizing inside of Pakistan. They're launching attacks from that side of the border. And there's always been this sort of tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan because, for Pakistan, they have the problem with India. But then this thing with Afghanistan always impacts on their security.
COLLINS: In fact, just hearing those comments from Musharraf and calling Karzai, you know, someone who's got his head in the sand, like an ostrich, cannot help the situation directly before this meeting is to happen today.
BERNTSEN: Well, you know, clearly, you know, the two men have a long history. You know, Karzai lived in Pakistan, you know, while he was outside of Afghanistan, during the time of the Taliban. So he knows the Pakistanis pretty well.
Still, he needs Pak's support. He needs to encourage greater efforts by Pakistan, on their side of the border or, you know, the Taliban will more firmly re-establish themselves inside of his country. He has got to have Pakistani assistance.
COLLINS: And so the deal with the tribal leaders, as Musharraf put it when we heard him explain to our country and after the meeting with President Bush, with tribal leaders to help curb some of the resurgence of the Taliban, Karzai obviously skeptical of that. Do you really think that this plan will translate into fewer attacks?
BERNTSEN: Well, the problem that the Pakistanis have, is they've got 70,000 forces in the federally administered tribal areas and there's 27 million people in that area.
COLLINS: On the border?
BERNTSEN: They don't have anywhere near enough forces to do what they say they want to do.
COLLINS: So what happens then, you know, as far as the border? And, you know, we talk a lot about our border security here with 27 million people down there on their border. That's a heck of a lot of people. We've now got $70 billion more that has been appropriated to Iraq and Afghanistan. Will the border be a priority or will we be talking about spending that money on intel? Will we be spending it on troop forces? Where should it go?
BERNTSEN: Well, it's going to be all of those things. But what we really need is the Pakistanis to be in a position to assist U.S. and NATO forces. When Taliban crossover, conduct attacks inside Afghanistan. And when they begin to flee back, we need hot pursuit by Pakistan. We need hot pursuit and continued engagement of the enemy to destroy those forces. Without that, we are in some serious trouble and they're going to have to be selective in where they place those forces and they have to be very, very quick on the response and it has to be very good coordination. My understanding is the coordination has been good recently, but this is an enormous problem. It's a very long border.
COLLINS: Osama bin Laden. President Musharraf says he's in Afghanistan. President Karzai said he's in Pakistan. Where is Osama bin Laden?
BERNTSEN: Clearly bin Laden would not be in Afghanistan. If he was in Afghanistan, the U.S. could bring the full brunt of forces that it has with it at him and around him to eliminate him. Bin Laden understands that. Inside of Pakistan, he is safer because he recognizes that it's -- the U.S. would only do that at great political cost. You know, clearly, I have to believe that he would be on the Pakistani side of the border. He'd be foolish to be in Afghanistan where we can do direct attacks on him without having to coordinate with Pakistan.
COLLINS: We will be watching this meeting tonight, 7:50 Eastern Time, to see if there are any major, major developments to report.
And, Gary Berntsen, thanks for your time.
BERNTSEN: It's been a pleasure, Heidi.
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. Want to take you to Washington, D.C., now. Pictures from a short time ago. A U.S. district court building there has been evacuated because of a suspicious package. This news coming to us just a short time ago. As you can see, the caution tape is up. There is a lot of police activity around the building. Not much more information available at this time. We'll continue to work it.
But, once again, the breaking news just in to CNN that a U.S. district court building in Washington has been evacuated because of a suspicious package. We'll continue to follow it for you.
A tough week for attacks in Iraq. That understated assessment from a U.S. military commander today. Seventy-seven bodies have been found in Baghdad since Sunday. Police say all of them show signs of torture. Unfortunately, not unusual in the Iraqi capital. They were found with their hands tied, gunshot wounds to the head.
To the north, in Baquba, a raid turns deadly after coalition troops come under fire. The military says the battle left four suspected terrorists and four female civilians dead.
Billions more for military operations. The House approving another $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's part of a record $448 billion Pentagon budget. The Senate is expected to give its approval this week. Iraq alone costing about $8 billion a month. That means more money will have to be set aside in the spring.
COLLINS: T.O., a star so bright he's known by only his initials. But late-breaking reports of a dark development now. Did Terrell Owens try to kill himself last night? A closer look ahead in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And, Heidi, we are watching the markets. Watching the markets. Up 28 points. Not a full hour into the trading day. Could we see an all-time record high for the Dow today? We will check.
You're in the NEWSROOM. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: And we have that to report right now. Fire alarms going off this morning just moments ago, in fact, at the U.S. district court building in Washington, D.C. A suspicious package. People are now evacuating. We want to go to our CNN producer in Washington. Paul Courson is on the line.
Paul, what do we know right now?
PAUL COURSON, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, good morning, Heidi.
We were standing out in front of the U.S. district court here at Constitution at Third Street this morning waiting for the arrival of Special Council Patrick Fitzgerald, when we saw some of the court security officers walk around the side of the building and find apparently something suspicious. They then called a bomb-sniffing dog, explosive sniffing dog, who must have turned positive because then we had this whole deployment of security forces around the courthouse. And around about 9:40 they ordered an evacuation of the courthouse. Obviously the 10:00 hearing for "Scooter" Libby in the leaked spy case isn't going to happen on time.
COLLINS: Paul, when they go that second step to evacuate everyone, does that tell you that this is quite a bit more serious of a threat?
COURSON: Yes, our first clue that this was a little more serious was how many emergency vehicles they deployed to this. This area is an area where the homeless often congregate because there's a wide open plaza between the U.S. district court and the Canadian embassy. So they have these kind of alerts every so often.
Once we saw the number of vehicles showing up and then we heard the building evacuation alarm, which is a little bit distinctive from your basic fire engine siren, we knew it was more serious than typical. COLLINS: All right. Well, we know you will be watching it for us. Again, U.S. district court building evacuated at this time in Washington, D.C., because of a suspicions package. We'll follow it and check back with Paul.
Tony.
HARRIS: All right. And we're following a developing story that's shaking the sports world this hour. There are reports NFL superstar Terrell Owens attempted suicide last night. He was rushed to the hospital after reportedly overdosing on pain medication. The Associated Press quotes police as saying Owens even tried to shove more pills into his mouth after rescue personnel arrived. Let's check in now with Will Selva of CNN Sports.
All right, Will, where do we start with this? Let's talk about some of the reporting that you've seen and you've been able to uncover yourself.
WILL SELVA, CNN SPORTS: Well, last night the report was he had an allergic reaction to pain medication for a hand injury he has. He has a broken bone in his right ring finger. So he is recovering from that. His publicist then came out and denied it and said that it wasn't considered serious at all. And that was the thinking. And he said that he was going to be ready for the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Philadelphia Eagles . . .
HARRIS: And that's a big game for Terrell Owens.
SELVA: A huge game not only for the Dallas team, but also for Terrell Owens because that's a former team. And you have to remember that former team that he played with, he had several confrontations there, a feud if you will, with Donovan McNabb, the quarterback there. And it ended up ending very, very badly there. And that's the reason why he ended up signing a three-year deal worth $25 million with the Dallas Cowboys.
HARRIS: Now just to be clear about this. He had a broken finger. He was prescribed painkillers for this broken finger. But it is disturbing that there was a woman at the house at the time who says, you know, she was trying to stop him from taking these pills. So we should add here that CNN radio has contacted the Dallas Cowboys organization and they have no comment on the story at this time.
SELVA: And Drew Rosenhaus, Terrell Owens' agent, has not made any kind of comment or statement at this point in time that we know of.
HARRIS: OK. I don't want to go too far. I mean, I know he's had a troubled past. Anybody watching us this morning talk about this and has any idea of his history knows that he has had several battles with several former teams, former teammates, Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, problems with the coach in Dallas, correct?
SELVA: Well, he had -- let's start from the beginning. He started at San Francisco. He really made a name for himself by doing all those crazy end zone celebrations. Who could forget when he whipped out the Sharpie . . .
HARRIS: Yes. In Dallas.
SELVA: Exactly. When he stepped on the star there right in the middle and . . .
HARRIS: The Sharpie story. Tell the Sharpie story. That's good too.
SELVA: The Sharpie story is when the 49ers were playing the Seattle Seahawks and he decided to whip out a Sharpie, which was in his sock, and he decided to sign his autograph on a football. Then another time he ended up taking pom-poms from the cheerleaders after the end zone celebration. So he became pretty well known for that. He's also fantastic when it comes to having the ball and then running thereafter.
HARRIS: He is a big play receiver without question.
SELVA: That he is. That he is. But then you started to see some of the confrontations that he had with coaches. Greg Knapp, for example, who's now the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. When he was the coordinator there for the San Francisco 49ers, there was a confrontation that they had on national TV with the two of them jawing it out.
He also had made some disparaging comments to his quarterback in San Francisco, who at the time was Jeff Garcia. And he had supposedly told "Playboy" that he thought Jeff Garcia was gay. So he certainly had this pattern of developing controversy everywhere that he's gone.
HARRIS: And, Will, look, there was controversy connected with the new team. I mentioned there were problems with the coach, with Coach Parcells, in Dallas, in the preseason. He didn't play because of the hamstring injury.
SELVA: Well, the reason why, because he had a hamstring injury. And all the pictures that we saw from all the TV cameras is of Terrell Owens dressed like Lance Armstrong, complete with the bike helmet on the exercise bike. And he's there. And those were the pictures. So I think a lot of people in the Dallas organization were questioning where Terrell Owens' mind was.
But you have to say this about Terrell Owens. The man has exhibited some toughness. If you remember, he had that leg injury in the Super Bowl. He rehabbed himself and he came back strong and he almost helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
HARRIS: OK. So what we're saying is, this is a guy that's had a brilliant career, checkered past and some on the field, off the field problems with teammates. Not so much off the field, but certainly on the field with teammates and organizations, other football organizations. We don't know if any of this is connected to what we're reporting now, that there may have been a suicide attempt. But that's just to sort of give you the back story on Terrell Owens.
SELVA: Exactly.
HARRIS: Did we cover that?
SELVA: Exactly. I think we covered it pretty well. I mean one other part of this story is, he had an autobiography that was out and he was misquoted in that autobiography as well. Again, it's just, he seems to find himself in these controversial situations.
HARRIS: All right. We'll just continue to follow it. If you get some more, just give us a shout, all right?
SELVA: Sure.
HARRIS: Appreciate it.
SELVA: Yes.
COLLINS: Something else we're following. Look at these numbers. Whoa! We are getting closer and closer to the Dow being at a record high. We'll be talking about that in just a moment. And, more importantly, how you can make the most out of this particular economic moment. Buy, sell, buy, sell. Make some money.
HARRIS: Please.
And Gerri Willis will be joining us next with her top five, maybe top, well, top three tips on getting a raise.
Good morning, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony, do you need a raise?
HARRIS: Sure, why not. Come on.
WILLIS: Well, next up on "Top Tips," we'll tell you the best way to go about getting one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: All right. So here's a good story of the day. The Dow Jones, it is hopefully going to continue to skyrocket. It's getting very, very near its record high. The highest its been right now in about almost seven years. The Nasdaq down just a little itty bitty bit. But we'll just focus on the Dow for today because that's more fun.
Tony.
HARRIS: Well, that nip in the air means the end of the year is coming up pretty soon. With it, year-end bonuses, raises. But with median income actually dropping last year, it may be a lot tougher to squeeze your boss for a few more nickels. In today's Gerri's Tips, how to make a case for yourself.
Gerri Willis, good to see you this morning.
WILLIS: Good to see you, Tony.
HARRIS: All right. Help us all out here. The first thing you advise us to do is to lay a good foundation. Explain please.
WILLIS: Well, you know, remember, the first step in getting a raise is to actually ask for one. But you've got to lay a good foundation. Don't overlook basic things like punctuality, attitude, professionalism. They all count. Get on the same page with your boss about exactly what's expected of you and how your success will be measured. Ask for performance feedback long before you ask for a raise. Above all, listen to the feedback. I know it's hard. It's also a good idea to look at the average salaries for your job. And you can find these numbers on the salary calculators on sites like hotjobs.com and salaryexpert.com. Great places to go.
HARRIS: You know, you get in the room with your boss and you want to ask for a raise. You know you've got the foundation there and you still feel a little anxious, a little nervous. The conversation. How do you control that conversation?
WILLIS: It's tricky. You know, timing is crucial. Don't surprise your boss in the hallway. Set up a meeting ahead of time so everybody's prepared. Also, it's important to know how your company and your industry are doing. No one wants to talk about giving you a raise if the company is taking a beating.
Tony.
HARRIS: I've got to ask you something. I've been punctual. My attitude has been solid.
WILLIS: I think you're a prize employee.
HARRIS: So I'm ready to go forward. But you say, make maybe a great case, not just a good case, but a great case, huh?
WILLIS: Yes. Remember, it's not enough to need a raise. You've got to deserve a raise, right?
HARRIS: Right.
WILLIS: When you step into that meeting, you should be armed with a detailed document that shows how well you performed. Did you get a good performance review? Bring a copy. Did the boss send you a great job e-mail? You need to have that too. You should also understand your role in the company and how it relates to the bottom line. Do you create business? Do you bring in revenue? Or maybe your support is crucial to getting the product out on time. All of that matters. You need to provide the proof.
HARRIS: And you know what, Gerri, oftentimes we don't ask for a raise because we don't want to hear no.
WILLIS: Yes. Well, you know, if the answer is no, don't despair and don't give up. According to careerbuilder.com, most people don't succeed right away. So, remember, you're starting a conversation. Make sure you understand exactly why if the answer is no. Is it based on the company's situation, your performance. You need to know. If the company cannot afford to give you a raise, then try bargaining for other things like maybe you can work from home on Fridays.
Now if you're turned down because of your performance, get a detailed description of how you can improve. And finally, our research showed that a universal no-no is being too defensive. Look, it drives your boss nuts and it kills your chance of getting good, open input on how you can improve your performance. So take a deep breath and listen because being defensive gets you nowhere.
HARRIS: That's good. Yes, I like that.
Hey, Gerri, are you back with us next hour?
WILLIS: Hey, yes, I can't get enough of you. The Dow Industrials closed yesterday at its second highest level ever. You guys have been talking about this. So I bet you're looking for some hot stocks to buy.
HARRIS: Sounds good to me, yes.
WILLIS: Well, not so fast. We'll tell you what to watch out for when the market rallies.
HARRIS: Gerri, see you next hour.
WILLIS: OK.
HARRIS: OK.
Heidi.
COLLINS: We're following a developing story in the sports world today. There are reports that NFL superstar Terrell Owens attempted suicide last night. According to a police report, he was rushed to the hospital after overdosing on pain medication.
Owens is a stand-out performer, so much so that fans started referring to him by just his initials, T.O. But he's also a lightning rod for controversy, taunting opponents and even publicly mocking his own teammates. Again, reports today that Terrell Owens tried to commit suicide. We are watching this story as it develops. We'll bring it to you just any more information may come into us.
HARRIS: And just want to show you the latest pictures out of Washington, D.C. now. As we've been telling you, oh, for the last 15, 20 minutes or, U.S. district court building there at Third and Constitution evacuated this morning because of a suspicious package. A lot of police activity. The building has been evacuated.
Still no particulars on the package that we're talking about here. But a bomb-sniffing dog did turn positive, and that led the authorities there to evacuate the building. Once again, this is a U.S. district court building in Washington, D.C. We will continue to follow the developments on the story and bring you the very latest. COLLINS: A little perspective here. It's as big as the city of Chicago. Putting a huge fire in southern California, as you say, in perspective. The 226-square-mile blaze began Labor Day, the day fire. Now three weeks, still not yet halfway contained. The wildfire is burning out the Los Padres National Forest. That's about 70 miles northwest of L.A. Officials telling residents in rural mountain communities to evacuate. Right now, bulldozers, water tankers are guarding homes, trying to keep them out of the line of fire. So far, six buildings have burned.
HARRIS: A frayed alliance. President Bush tries to smooth tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan at a three-way meeting. He's hosting the presidents of both countries together at the White House this evening. One point of contention between the allies, the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and the border issues that arise if he's found.
We'll have complete coverage of the president's meeting with Presidents Musharraf and Karzai at the White House this evening. Watch "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, 7:00 p.m., 4:00 Pacific.
The hunt for Osama bin Laden, using high-tech spyware to track a terror mastermind.
CNN's Barbara Starr has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. intelligence sources tell CNN that two months ago there were signs of sudden activity in the remote mountain regions of Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding. Analysts describe signs of people and movement in an area where the pace of activity is normally predictable.
Part of the movement may have been Arab fighters or Taliban trying to avoid the Pakistani military, but according to one official, there was a source in the region who saw someone, possibly bin Laden himself. There have been tips before, but this time it was all enough to persuade the U.S. intelligence community to once again order reconnaissance assets into a particular area of the tribal border region.
The high-tech hunt, using spy planes and sensors, essentially is aimed at putting an electronic fence around an area where bin Laden might be. Spy satellites are used to look for changes in the landscape below. For example, fresh tire tracks on a mountain pass could mean medical aid is being brought to bin Laden.
(on camera): Intelligence analysts say there is a new generation of highly classified sensors capable of looking for the most minute signs of communication. But the major challenge remains -- how to up that electronic fence before any sign of bin Laden evaporates.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And a reminder for you. This weekend, CNN and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Why he says the war is not a mistake. An exclusive interview, candid comments. "RUMSFELD: MAN OF WAR," CNN Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8:00 Eastern.
COLLINS: T.O., a star so bright he's known by only his initials. The latest breaking reports of a dark development now. Did Terrell Owens try to kill himself last night? We'll take a closer look ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Heidi, look at this. Look at this. The Dow...
COLLINS: Skyrocket.
HARRIS: Up 45 points already, getting ever closer to that all- time high. We will continue to watch this. Once again, Gerri Willis will be back shortly to give us some perspective on what is happening right now with the markets as it -- the markets continue to surge towards that all-time high. We'll continue to follow it.
COLLINS: And something else happening in Washington, D.C. Some live pictures now of the situation there, outside the U.S. district court building. This is Constitution and Third, if you know the area well. The building evacuated. It's very, very close to the nation's capital. There were fire alarms that went off -- suspicious package is what they are calling it and what they are investigating. Bomb- sniffing dogs sort of reacting, if you will, to what they may have found, although we do not know exactly what that is. They have been evacuated and we will continue to follow that story for you.
HARRIS: And pictures now from Utah. Oh, we lost the live picture. OK, but just let me just tell the story a bit for you. We're also following a story out of Utah, where we're expecting the captured polygamist leader Warren Jeffs to be in court today. Jeffs, as you know, is charged with two counts of first-degree rape as an accomplice. Authorities say he forced a teenage girl into a polygamist marriage with an older man.
Pictures now from just outside of the courtroom -- the court building, actually. Jeffs, as you know, also facing charges in Arizona. Sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. We're expecting a press conference. Microphones were being set up a short time ago. Expecting to hear from the prosecutor in the case. When that happens, we will monitor that for you.
COLLINS: To the war in Iraq now. Is it helping or hurting the U.S. in the war on terror? We'll take a closer look at that in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And the last moments of life for Anna Nicole Smith's son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: The day of his death, take us through that step by step. Where were you? What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'd want to start with the night when I picked him up from the airport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Smith's lawyer describes Daniel Smith's death and reveals big news about her new baby. Details from Larry King's interview, in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Today could be an historic day on Wall Street, and we are right here witnessing it. Cheryl Casone is joining us now from the New York Stock Exchange to explain.
(MARKET REPORT)
COLLINS: We want to get to this story now right away. Warren Jeffs back in court, the polygamist sect leader accused of arranging a marriage between an underage girl and older man.
CNN's Gary Tuchman covered today's hearing in St. George, Utah. Joining us now live. We just saw Warren Jeffs' brother go into the courthouse. What's happening at this time, Gary?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's right behind me, Heidi. Just about ten seconds ago, Neefi Jeffs (ph), the brother of Warren Jeffs, walked out of the courthouse here. There's some activity behind me. The reason there's so much activity is because the security is much more elaborate from the story that happened inside the court.
Let's tell you what happened during this status hearing. The major headline, Warren Jeffs' attorneys have not asked for bond. He will remain in jail right now. They say at this point, they are not ready to ask for a bond amount to get him out of jail. It's very unlikely that Warren Jeffs would get out of jail anyway here in Utah.
The jail he's in, by the way, is called the Purgatory Jail, very ironic, very symbolic. That's the name of the jail in the town of Hurricane, Utah, about 25 minutes away from here, where we are in St. George, Utah, which is all of about 15 minutes away from Colorado City, Arizona and Hilldale, Utah, the twin towns where Warren Jeffs' fundamentalist church is based.
Warren Jeffs is accused of arranging marriages of underage girls to older men. He could face the possibility of life in prison. He was on the FBI ten most wanted list before he was arrested last month.
The reason I'm looking behind me is because Warren Jeffs' brother right now is just walking out. That is Neefi Jeffs with the cameras facing him. He was very quiet in court when his brother walked inside. Warren Jeffs walked inside the courtroom, and it was very unusual. He was wearing a black suit, he was wearing a white tie. He smiled, he shook the hands of all his attorneys.
And I saw something in court that I've never seen before, and I've covered a lot of terrorism cases and cases with heavy security. There was more security here than I've seen at some terrorism cases I've covered, with sheriff's deputies holding rifles.
But what I hadn't seen before is when Warren Jeffs took his seat at the defense table, you had two huge sheriff's deputies who stood on each side of him and wouldn't get out of the way. And there was no room for Warren Jeffs' attorneys to sit. And that's something that I've never seen before.
But the headline here today, Warren Jeffs is not asking for bond right now. A preliminary hearing will be held on November 21st. That hearing, the prosecution has to prove it is probable cause to keep Warren Jeffs in prison. He faces the possibility of life in prison if he's convicted of these charges.
A news conference is about to start momentarily, Heidi, by the prosecutor who will talk about today's hearing. But we'll go back to you right now.
COLLINS: Now Gary, quickly, it must speak to, when you mention all the security, it must speak to the flight risk -- I think we are going to the microphones?
Let's go ahead and listen in for a moment.
BRIAN FILTER, SR. DEPUTY WASHINGTON CTY. ATTNY.: I'm Brian Filter, I'm the senior deputy Washington County attorney. Those of you who were in court heard, Mr. Jeffs' preliminary hearing has been set for November the 21st at 8:30 in the morning.
The purpose of the preliminary hearing is to make a determination whether a crime was committed and if Mr. Jeffs committed it. The burden of proof at that type of hearing is a probable cause level. That determination is made by the judge. We do anticipate that the victim in this case, who has been identified at Jane Doe Number Four, will be present at that time and will testify.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) on those two counts.
FILTER: There are two different instances where a rape occurred, we believe. A rape, where Mr. Jeffs is legally culpable, we believe.
QUESTION: ... sex with her husband, or does that mean of something that Mr. Jeffs did? Mr. Jeffs, I take it, it is not alleged that he had sex with this?
FILTER: There is no allegation that Mr. Jeffs was personally present during the acts. It is accomplice liability.
QUESTION: Was Jeffs brought here today, sir, was Jeffs brought here today, or had he been here before, security-wise? FILTER: He's been incarcerated at the Washington County jail, at the Purgatory Correctional Facility. He was transported by the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
QUESTION: This morning?
FILTER: I'm not going to comment on the specifics of when and how he was transported.
QUESTION: Two counts of what?
FILTER: Rape as an accomplice.
QUESTION: Yes. Two instances of sex or two instances of conduct by Mr. Jeffs?
FILTER: I'm not going to comment on the specifics of the basis of the charges at this point. There's an affidavit that's out there, that lays out the foundation for that, and I'm going to leave it with that for the time being.
QUESTION: Do you have any evidence that any other crimes have taken place that, if this is representative of other crimes that Jeffs may have performed in his capacity as (INAUDIBLE) leader?
FILTER: I would say that evidence will be received from whatever source it comes. The investigation is continuing. We're not ruling in or out any other charges at this time. We, in fact, encourage any other victims to come out and seek help if they believe that they have been victimized.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) talk to you?
FILTER: I'm not going to comment on any...
QUESTION: Is security a distraction?
QUESTION: How has he been as an inmate so far? His behavior?
FILTER: You have to talk to the jail about that.
QUESTION: Is the security a distraction? I mean, the court, the judge...
FILTER: It's actually not unusual to have that level of security, really. The SWAT team, obviously, is unusual. But the bailiffs in the courtroom do usually stand near the defendants.
QUESTION: Well, the bailiffs, though, were not making room for the attorneys.
FILTER: It's unusual to have that many attorneys in the courtroom, frankly.
COLLINS: You are listening in to -- this is the Washington County prosecutor in the Warren Jeffs case, the polygamist who has been charged with two counts of first-degree rape. We are learning that on November 21st will be the preliminary hearing to talk about whether or not a crime was committed and whether or not Warren Jeffs actually did it. This is all sort of protocol, if you will.
The big story here is the security and everything that they are witnessing at that courthouse. According to our correspondent on the ground, Gary Tuchman, a phenomenal amount of security to keep Warren Jeffs safe. Don't even know when he arrived at the courthouse, and also to sort of maintain him as a flight risk. He was gone and on the lam for a very long time before he was picked up, as I'm sure you remember.
We will follow this story for you, and bring you anymore information if it comes to us.
HARRIS: And we continue to follow a flurry of reporting out of Dallas, Texas today that suggests that star wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, Terrell Owens, may have attempted suicide last night with prescription painkillers he was taking for a broken finger. Much of the reporting coming from a police report from the Dallas police.
And we're just hearing that at the top of the hour -- let's go to a live picture here for just a moment. At the top of the hour, we will hear from the Dallas Police Department. That department will be holding a press conference to bring us the very latest on this story. We will, of course, bring that to you live here in the NEWSROOM when it happens.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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HARRIS: A lot going on this morning. Let's see if we can bring you up to date on all of this.
Right now, we are standing by, waiting for a news conference from Dallas, Texas, scheduled at the top of the hour, where we are going to get more details on the flurry of reporting coming out of Dallas this morning that star wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, Terrell Owens, attempted suicide last night with prescription painkillers he was taking for a broken finger.
A lot of the reporting on this has been coming from a police report, from the Dallas Police. So it makes sense that the Dallas Police will hold a news conference coming up at the top of the hour, just to clarify what's going on here and maybe give us -- shed more light on the facts of the case, as we know it so far. But once again, this is scheduled for 10:00 -- make that 11:00 this morning -- from police headquarters there in Dallas. And we'll bring that to you live in the NEWSROOM when it begins.
COLLINS: Also a lot of activity in Washington County, Utah. You know this man, Warren Jeffs, the polygamist sect leader who was on the run for quite a while before authorities picked him up. Charges of sexual misconduct, actually two counts of first-degree rape. Preliminary hearing today, but the preliminary hearing was actually scheduled in these proceedings today for November 21st.
Again, Warren Jeffs there will go to that preliminary hearing on November 21st. A huge amount of security at that courthouse today, to the point where there was not even any room at his defense table for his attorneys, there were too many sheriffs deputies surrounding him. So interesting story there we'll be watching.
HARRIS: And one other story on our radar. We're going to put in on yours. We're following the situation out of Washington, D.C., where a U.S. district court building has been evacuated because of a suspicious package.
Let's get the latest now from CNN producer Paul Courson. Paul, good to talk to you. What's the latest?
PAUL COURSON, CNN PRODUCER: ... a little more than an hour now. We were on stakeout, awaiting the special counsel in the Scooter Libby case to show up for a hearing at 10:00. Around about 9:30, we saw some court security officers doing their usual walk-around. And then they called in Federal Protective Service explosive sniffing dog. And soon after that, we saw a major deployment of emergency vehicles.
In the past 10 or 15 minutes they've conducted a sweep of a -- I guess you could call it the courthouse complex outside. Also, not only where the construction trailer is next to where this package was observed, but all the way around the courthouse just to make sure what's what. We don't think they're done yet because we've been watching some people apparently preparing to do another, perhaps more detailed, sweep.
The picture that you're seeing right now is looking down Constitution toward the Federal Trade Commission building. And we think they're going to go to the right, on your screen, where this package was first observed this morning.
HARRIS: OK so, Paul, it sounds like still a lot of work to be done on this. We trust you'll bring us updates as you get more information. That's our CNN producer Paul Courson. Paul, thank you.
COURSON: You're welcome.
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COLLINS: Something else that we are watching, we are awaiting the Dallas Police Department and a news conference -- that you see here they're preparing for -- on the possible attempted suicide of Dallas Cowboys football player Terrell Owens. Watching that one very closely. We'll bring it to you just as soon as it happens.
HARRIS: And still ahead, the war in Iraq. Is it helping or hurting the U.S. in the war on terror? A closer look, in the NEWSROOM.
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