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Will Situation in Iraq Improve?
Aired October 21, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America will stay. We will fight. And we will win in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Sticking to the game plan, the top brass brainstorms, day two. How to improve the situation on the ground. And is it time to bring U.S. troops home?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People don't like to see soldiers patrolling through their villages and cities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: A war with no easy choices.
Plus, tight living. Inmates forced to live in close quarters may get their shipping papers to a location near you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of feel like you're in a coffin to be honest with you. It's pretty enclosed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not humane, you know. It's unbearable, frustrating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: And leaving nothing to the imagination, young teens bare all. And some parents don't even know about it. It's 10:00, do you know where your children are online? You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the NEWSROOM, your connection to the world, the Web, and what's happening right now. I'm Carol Lin. You've been busy today, so let's get you plugged in.
Let's start with the headlines. Suicide bombing in Baghdad. The attacker killed himself and four others today inside a crowded commuter bus. 15 other people were hurt. It happened next to an Iraqi police checkpoint. Now the monthly death toll for U.S. troops in Iraq is now the highest of the year. Three U.S. Marines were killed today fighting in Iraq's Anbar Province. That brings October's American military deaths in Iraq to 78.
And talking tactics with the commander in chief. President Bush assembled the top generals from the Iraq War for what the White House says will be a regular strategy session. Many war opponents say now is the time for a phased or a partial pull out of troops. The full story in just a minute.
And that bring us to our last call. We want to hear from you. Should U.S. forces start to partially pull out of Iraq? An upcoming guest will talk about that, but give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. We're going to air some of your responses later this hour.
Now surprisingly, undiplomatic words from a top American diplomat.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator): History will decide what role the U.S. played. And god willing, we try to do our best in Iraq. But I think there is a big possibility for extreme criticism and because undoubtedly there was arrogance and stupidity from the United States in Iraq.
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LIN: Wow, Alberto Fernandez with the U.S. Near Eastern Affairs Bureau. He gave that assessment during an interview in Arabic to the al Jazeera network. Later, Fernandez told CNN he was speaking in the context of how the U.S. will likely be judged.
The New York Senate race is not a setup for a presidential race. That assurance, more than once last night from incumbent Senator Hillary Clinton. She and her Republican challenger John Spencer held their first televised debate in Rochester.
A horrifying scene right before their eyes. Thousands of people watching a base jumping event. A veteran jumper fell to his death during the annual Bridge Day Festival in West Virginia. Brian Lee Shubert had been base jumping since the '60s and was considered a pioneer of the sport.
And this is a six alarm fire. The Army's Fort Meade in Maryland, a 90-year-old brick building caught fire Friday afternoon, and burned through the night. No word on what started that fire and nobody was hurt.
And now it's your turn to choose the news. Is there a particular story you want to hear more about? E-mail us your question at weekends@CNN.com and we're going to get you the answer within the hour.
In the meantime, the president and his generals, face to face, in person and via satellite. The issue, what else? Iraq. They focused on military strategy at a time when the president's critics are sensing political victory at the polls. CNN's Elaine Quijano reports from the White House.
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ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the face of continued violence in Iraq, and amid political pressure for the White House to change course, President Bush huddled for 90 minutes with top members of his security and defense teams Saturday for an Iraq strategy session. While the White House tried to downplay the meeting's significance, Department of Defense officials told CNN General John Abizaid, the head of U.S. Central Command, was summoned to Washington to meet with the commander in chief face to face.
Friday, the two also met to discuss both Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet the president insists his goals and overall strategy remain unchanged.
Still, in his weekly radio address, he argued he has made tactical adjustments.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have a strategy that allows us to be flexible and to adapt to changing circumstances, and we will continue to be flexible and make every necessary change to prevail in this struggle.
QUIJANO: The recent focus on flexibility is a clear effort to push back against critics who charge the president's stay-the-course strategy has failed. The Democrats are blasting the Bush administration, calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to be fired. And they used the weekly Democratic radio address to urge voters to hold Republicans to account during next month's congressional midterm election.
DIANE FARRELL, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE, CONNECTICUT: They hoped for the best, but the situation has worsened. We will be dishonoring the servicemen and women on the front line, as well as their families here at home if we simply stay the course. We need a new direction in Iraq.
QUIJANO: The White House is also facing concerns from some prominent Republicans. Recently, Senator John Warner, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, suggested a change in course might be needed if the situation in Iraq did not improve in the next few months.
(on camera): As for this weekend's session, a White House spokeswoman says that it focused in part on the challenges in Iraq, as well as how better to pursue the administration's strategy there. While no policy changes were announced, clearly with pressure mounting, the Bush administration is taking a serious look at its options there.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Now back in Iraq, the insurgents strike with no regard for high level meetings going on in Washington. Three U.S. Marines were killed today in the Anbar Province. That is a heavily Sunni area west of Baghdad.
And the picture gets worse. 78 American service members have been killed in Iraq just this month. That makes October the deadliest month this year for U.S. forces in Iraq.
Now Iraqi civilians are still under attack as well. Iraqi officials say at least 18 people were killed today outside Baghdad. They say motorcycles rigged with explosives went off at an outdoor market and it got worse from there. Mortar rounds struck the area shortly after the explosion.
Now the gradual handover of territory to Iraqis, well, it's supposed to make their country more peaceful. But the outbreak of violence in Amara this week tells a far different story. CNN's Arwa Damon has more.
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ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amara was supposed to be secure, secure enough to be an example of how Iraq's armed forces could eventually keep the peace across the country.
For five weeks after British forces left, it stayed peaceful until Wednesday. That's when a bomb killed the provincial intelligence chief. Thursday, members of his tribe stormed the offices of the Mehdi militia, kidnapping the brother of a senior commander.
Outraged by that kidnapping, members of the Mehdi militia, loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr, attacked two Iraqi police stations, triggering a fierce two-day gun battle.
Ultimately, the Iraqi police fled. And the supposedly secure Amara was in Mehdi militia hands. By the time the fighting stopped, at least 16 people were dead and more than 90 wounded.
Then Friday, as Iraqi police arrived with reinforcements, the Mehdi militia dispersed. And the town was back in government hands.
MAJ. CHARLIE BURBRIDGE, BRITISH MILITARY SPOKESMAN: This represents a very serious test. And the Iraqi forces (INAUDIBLE). But there is some development yet to go.
DAMON: What wasn't clear was whether the government won back control because of overwhelming force, or whether it was because Muqtada al Sadr told his militiamen to behave.
Meanwhile in Ramadi, gunmen briefly paraded down a main road, waving weapons and banners that read, "We announce the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iraq, signed by the Mujahadeen Shirra Council", the umbrella group led by al Qaeda in Iraq.
No one tried to stop them.
(on camera): The incidents raise these questions, who controls the streets of Iraq? And are the militias and insurgents preparing for a much bigger struggle over who controls the country?
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: So should coalition forces pull out of Amara? Coming up, my special guest says yes.
Also, you probably remember Pat Tillman, NFL player turned Army Ranger. Well, for the first time, his brother speaks out and holds nothing back.
Plus, the Mark Foley case took another turn this week. In fact, it's taking us all the way to Malta. CNN's Alessio Vinci is there knocking on doors. Stay right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Here's what you're checking out on CNN.com tonight. An Atlanta community is on edge after finding out John Mark Karr is its newest resident. The man who was briefly a suspect in the death of Jonbenet Ramsey has moved into his father's home in the neighborhood. Karr hadn't hasn't been convicted of any crime that would restrict where he can live or work.
And George Michael has hit a sour note with anti-drug advocates. The singer praised marijuana and apparently smoked a joint during a recently taped TV interview.
And a crater of diamonds park in Arkansas is living up to its name. A visitor found an almost 5 1/2 carat canary diamond during a trip this month, and he gets to keep it. Visit cnn.com for details on those stories and a whole bunch of others. The NEWSROOM returns in just a moment.
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LIN: Now before the break, we showed you what happened this week in Amara. The Iraqi city was supposed to be an example for the rest of the country, but it exploded in violence. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday that the U.S. military is responding to the changing conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The situation in Iraq has changed over the years and evolved, not surprisingly. And the commanders there are constantly adjusting their tactics and techniques and procedures, just as the enemy has a brain and makes adjustments as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: Well, earlier tonight, I spoke with Rory Stewart. He served as a deputy governor in southern Iraq for the British government. And he spent time in Amara. I asked him how coalition forces are perceived in that region.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RORY STEWART, FMR. DEP. GOVERNOR IN IRAQ: We're perceived as foreign occupiers. And even in the Shia areas in the south that suffered very badly under Saddam, people have been pushing from the end of 2003 for coalition troops to leave the cities and retreat to bases on the edge of towns. People don't like to see soldiers patrolling through their villages and cities.
LIN: But people actually don't see them protecting them. I mean, a record -- bodies pile up on the road side. There's one town that has been nicknamed "the graves" because so many bodies have been dumped there. Shiites are saying that the militias offer them some sense of security. If you don't have a gun, you're never going to be safe. Does the coalition ever overcome this perception?
STEWART: I think it's very difficult for us. You saw, of course, two days ago, big fighting between two militia groups in Amara and southern Iraq. In that very same town three years ago, the police chief was shot dead on the steps of the main mosque when I was there. And we had almost identical fighting between the two same groups. And that's repeated itself again and again in the south.
LIN: But wouldn't it be seen as a sign of weakness, a retreat, an abandonment if the coalition were, to say even just pull out of the Amara region?
STEWART: I think it certainly would be seen as a sign of weakness. We'd have to present it, of course, as empowering the Iraqis. But we're in a situation now where there are no good choices. Almost whatever we do is likely to be bad in one respect or another.
So yes, it will be seen as a sign of weakness by some people. Yes, there are going to be negative consequences. But I believe it's the best choice we've got now.
I don't think we're improving the situation on the ground. I don't think we have the kind of knowledge or respect on the ground to provide the kind of political solutions required. And therefore, I think we need to empower the Iraqis and if necessary, almost force the Iraqis to do that themselves without our assistance.
LIN: So your reaction when President Bush goes on the radio today and speaks to all Americans saying that this is a fight for democracy. We cannot abandon that fight.
STEWART: Well, I think the unfortunate facts, of course, is that what we've created there is not a fully functioning democracy. What we've created there is an elected government.
But the people that are being voted for in the elections are overwhelmingly conservative Islamic parties, who have supported the banning of alcohol, a tax on Internet cafes, a tax on music shops, who, as I say, killed a woman in Basra in February 2004 for wearing jeans, who have pulled innocent people out of their cars and assassinated them simply for associating with the coalition.
So we have a very serious problem here. We're having elections. People are turning out and voting overwhelmingly in the elections, but the people they're voting for are not the kind of people we dreamt of when we decided to invade Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: One more note on Iraq, the brother of Pat Tillman is speaking out against the war. And he is not holding back.
Now you might recall Pat Tillman, of course, is the former NFL player who joined the Army with his brother Kevin after 9/11. Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004. Kevin Tillman was discharged last year. And in a posting on the website, truthdig.com, Kevin Tillman called the invasion of Iraq illegal. In his words, "somehow the same incompetent narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country."
So do you know this man? He needs your help to remember his life.
And he's in a gorilla suit, but this is no laughing matter. We're going to show you some video you just won't believe.
And don't forget tonight's last call. Should U.S. forces start to partially pull out of Iraq? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. We're going to air some of your responses later this hour.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Politicians and policy can be affected by an opinion that's expressed on an Internet blog.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politicians could use a blog to promote themselves to people who they wouldn't usually see.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For just your average voter, the Internet is really a very valuable resource.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see the Web basically being the future of politics.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: 60 million Americans say the Internet helped them make major decisions in their lives in the past two years. But when it comes to politics, how much will the Web affect what we hear, what we see, and how we vote?
(voice-over): Henry Ferrell of George Washington University says personal websites, known as web logs or blogs, will continue changing the political landscape.
HENRY FERRELL, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Blogs are becoming more and more a way in which ordinary people can communicate, can express their political opinions, can engage in certain kinds of political action, and can have real consequences as a result.
O'BRIEN: It was chatter on the so-called blogosphere that ultimately led to Trent Lott's resignation as Senate Majority Leader. And Howard Dean effectively used the Internet to raise interest and money, making him a viable contender for the 2004 Democratic presidential run. In the future, Ferrell says while its role is ever changing, the Internet is sure to remain a political force.
FERRELL: The future impact of the Internet on politics is enormous. Politics is going to become much more unpredictable than it has been in the past, much more difficult to control, a lot more interesting, a lot more lively.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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LIN: Well, you hear about amnesia all the time in the movies or on television. But in the real world, not so much, until now.
Meet a man struggling to remember his identity and his past. He turned up in Denver, where the earliest thing he remembers is waking up on a downtown sidewalk last month. He wandered around for hours until he found a hospital. Mental health experts say he is, in fact, suffering from retrograde amnesia. Yesterday, the man who police call Al spoke publicly. He hopes someone will recognize him.
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"AL", AMNESIA VICTIM: I don't know how to -- if I remember how to drive. I don't know how to cook. I want my past. I want who I was or who I am. I feel totally lost and totally alone. Very depressed and I don't fit in anywhere. I don't know who I am. I don't know what kind of a person I am. Didn't know where I was or who I was. There was no drugs, no alcohol, or anything found in my system. If anybody recognizes me, knows who I am, please let somebody know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: And tragedy at the Annual Bridge Day Festival in West Virginia today. A 66-year-old man was killed when his parachute opened too late after he jumped off the New River Gorge Bridge. It's the first death in almost 20 years at that popular event.
And a child snatched from his parents. The suspect, a man wearing a gorilla suit. Now it sounds unreal, but it happened to a Seattle family. Was it a joke or a crime? Jesse Jones from our affiliate KING has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JESSE JONES, KING NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): August 2nd at the BNI Marketplace. Check the top left of your screen. It's there where you will see a man dressed in a gorilla suit abduct a 5-year- old child and try to race out of the store with him.
ANTHONY SANTIAGO, STOPPED SUSPECT: I didn't realize what happened until I heard my son screaming in terror. That's the minute that I knew that it was him.
APRIL SANTIAGO, STOPPED SUSPECT: We had to stop the guy. I mean, it was up to us. We were right there. He was right next to us.
JONES: Anthony and April Santiago desperately chased and then caught the man who grabbed their son, Noah.
ANTHONY SANTIAGO: I asked him what was you thinking, what were you doing? He said that it was a joke.
JONES: The man was detained by store security, who called Lakewood Police. But security officers and the family tell us that after some questioning, the police let the man go.
APRIL SANTIAGO: You know, they had pictures of the guy in the costume, out of the costume. Security saw the guy take the mask off. There was no denying he was who he was. And they physically had him in his hands and they let him go.
JONES: Lakewood Police did not return our calls, however, crimestoppers did release this picture of the suspect tonight. The Santiagos are relieved that they got their son back, but they fear what this man could do next.
APRIL SANTIAGO: Who knows how many times he's done this? Who knows how far he's gotten? Who knows if he's ever actually succeeded and just nobody's ever seen his face?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Wow, that was Jesse Jones reporting from our affiliate, KING. Police started searching for the suspect again after the boy's family threatened legal action. He finally turned himself in yesterday and was booked for investigation of unlawful imprisonment.
Now the parents are still considering suing the police for the way they originally handled the case, letting the guy go.
Hillary Clinton spoke out last night about running for president.
Well, they shook hands today, but these two Tennesseans are definitely not on good terms.
Also, our Alessio Vinci is chasing down the priest who admitted to molesting Congressman Mark Foley.
And don't forget, it's not too late for you to choose the news. E-mail us your questions at weekends@CNN.com. We're going to get you the answer in the next half hour.
Also, finally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any sexy petite, blond, or brunette females under 21 want to make a sexy 20-year old male feel better? I'm really stressed out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: She's Internet savvy and she's teaching parents what she knows. You might be surprised about what your kids are not telling you.
Stay with us in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Our top story tonight, talking tactics with the commander in chief. President Bush assembled the top generals from the Iraq War for what the White House says will be a regular strategy session. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq also attended by teleconference.
And that bring us to our last call. We want to hear from you. Should U.S. forces start to partially pull out of Iraq? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. We're going to air some of your responses later in this hour.
Now it is your turn to choose the news. Just 30 minutes ago, we asked you to send us your questions regarding stories you haven't seen covered in the media.
Well, Mikayla from Texas wants to know the latest on the crisis in Darfur. Friday, the European Union, Mikayla, joined the U.S. in calling on Sudan to let U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur. Sudan has long opposed that idea.
Now right now, only a small force of African union troops are they. And even they say they are ill-equipped to bring peace to the region. Now in three years of violence, some 200,000 people have died in Darfur and 2.5 million others are displaced.
A Clinton presidential run in two years? Maybe yes, maybe no. For now, anyway, New York Senator Hillary Clinton says she is looking at re-election, not at the White House. She and opponent John Spencer faced one another for the first time in Rochester last night. And the springboard question came up more than once.
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SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I am focused on this election. I am focused on my work in the Senate. I have worked hard every day, once New Yorkers did take a chance on me in 2000.
Now obviously, people are talking about whether or not I will or should run for president. And I'm flattered by that. And if that is a concern to people, they should factor that into the election in November.
But I have made no decisions. I said I haven't made any decisions. You know, it's hard not - Dominique, it is hard to think about it because people talk to me about it all the time. But I have not engaged in any planning or serious thought about it. And I've certainly made no decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Well, the Clinton/Spencer debate was a relatively cordial one. We can't say the same thing about the Senate contest in Tennessee, however. Harold Ford, Junior, the Democrat; Bob Corker, the Republican - it got downright nasty yesterday in Memphis when someone popped into Corker's news conference, someone definitely not on the guest list.
Here's Ursula Madden from our affiliate WMC.
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URSULA MADDEN, WMC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He wasn't invited, but he came anyway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to get this bus off our premises, please, now!
MADDEN: Harold Ford, Junior crashed opponent Bob Corker's news conference in Memphis. The two shook hands, but there was nothing civil about this meet and greet.
BOB CORKER: I came here to talk about ethics. And I have a press conference. And I think that it's a true sign of desperation that you would pull your bus up when I'm having a press conference.
HAROLD FORD, JUNIOR: No, sir. I can never find you anywhere in the state.
MADDEN: What's desperate, says Ford, is Corker's latest ad knocking his family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has junior ever had a job outside of politics?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Ford family business is politics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, he does look good on TV.
MADDEN: Ford wanted to debate Corker on the spot, but Corker didn't take the bait.
FORD: So tell me, what do you think about this Iraq thing? I know you're here to talk about my family. I thought you made a promise right after...
CORKER: No, no, no, I'm here to talk about you.
MADDEN: Ford insists showing up at Corker's news conference was not a breach of campaign etiquette, nor was it a desperate move.
FORD: I mean, every poll in the country shows us running - every poll in the state demonstrates it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go vote early...
MADDEN: But Ford knows the lead in those polls is slim, so he rallied in downtown Memphis to push people to vote early.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, there's plenty of campaigning left until election day and plenty of opportunity for candidates nationwide to irritate one another. Tomorrow, we look at some of the nastier advertisements you're seeing out there.
Now crime is always a big issue at election time. So you may be interested to know that some of the California's criminals may be coming your way. It's all because of prison overcrowding. There are so many inmates, the state plans to export some of them to other places. They're going to go to private institutions in Arizona, Oklahoma, Indiana and Tennessee.
CNN's Kareen Wynter takes a look at the crisis.
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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): California prison inmate Tony Doles compared his bed on the bottom of this shared triple bunk to a grave.
TONY DOLES, INMATE: You kind of feel like you're in a coffin, to be honest with you. It's pretty enclosed.
WYNTER: A few rows down inside this converted gymnasium at California State Prison Solano, inmate Jowell Finley complained about barely having enough room to lay his head.
JOWELL FINLEY, INMATE: It's not humane, you know? It's unbearable. It's frustrating.
WYNTER: And dangerous, says this convicted felon, serving a 17- year sentence for carjacking.
FINLEY: You know, I done seen a lot of violence escalate due to, you know, frustration, you know what I'm saying, on inmates and staff.
WYNTER: Each day, correctly officer Daniel Jackson rubs shoulders with some of California's most dangerous.
DANIEL JACKSON, CORRECTIONAL OFFICER: It's not a safe environment. It's a lot of inmates living everywhere inside the building. WYNTER: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says a prison population spike across the state has triggered a crisis -- inmate overcrowding at facilities like this one. The state's prison population is reportedly at a record high, more than 171,000 inmates, 16,000 of them currently living in areas not designed for housing.
(on camera): This is traditional housing here at California State Prison in Solano, where you have two inmates per cell. But the overcrowding issue has forced officials to turn not just gymnasiums, but also dormitories into cramped, permanent living spaces.
(voice-over): Schwarzenegger proposed several reforms this year to build new state prisons. They passed the senate but got stuck in the assembly. The speaker's office says it didn't even vote on the proposals, because they came too late in the legislative session for members to research the issues.
Some opponents felt they didn't address all the problems of the state's prisons. This forced the governor to declare an emergency proclamation.
MICHAEL MACHADO (D), CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE: The governor did not have any room to be able to deal with the influx of inmates and so we have to do something in order to provide some bed space and that would give us also the room then to start looking at a longer-term solution.
WYNTER: The emergency proclamation allowed prison officials to negotiate immediate contracts with correctly facilities in four other states, to temporarily house inmates. The Department of Corrections says the state must move quickly. It could run-out of prison bed space in a matter of months.
SECRETARY JAMES TILTON, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: If I get to the point this summer where I'm out of beds, what happens in California is I'll put up a no vacancy sign, inmates will stack up in county jail. It's not like these inmates will be released. But it means other inmates will be released on the street.
WYNTER: Some will end back up behind bars, a vicious cycle that could further cripple California's prison system.
Kareen Wynter, CNN, Sacramento, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LIN: Now as we wind down to election day, remember, you can get all the 2006 election information you need any time. You just click on CNN.com/ticker.
Now do these pictures make you uncomfortable? Well just ahead, do you know what your teens are doing online? If not, maybe you should. An expert joins me next with tips on keeping your kids safe. You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: Well there's yet another investigation in the Mark Foley scandal, but it doesn't focus on the disgraced former congressman. Instead, the spotlight is on the man accused of molesting Foley decades ago. The Catholic church is searching for other allegations against the priest. He now lives on an island in the Mediterranean. CNN's Alessio Vinci is looking for him there.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And some people are leaving notes.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One day after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with Mark Foley 40 years ago, Father Anthony Mercieca is now unavailable.
(on camera): Father Anthony, don't because want to talk to us? (voice- over): Seeking clarifies about his claim that fondling Foley when he was a teen was not abuse, we tried to catch up with him, but his lawyer refused to talk to us, so did does his brother, who is also a Catholic priest, sharing a house with him on the tiny Maltese island of Gozo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call the police. I have to... VINCI: Many locals here seem to have little knowledge about the sexual allegations involving one of their own priests, including this shop owner, who did not want to be identified by name. But says one of her own children enjoys talking to Father Mercieca.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really? Is it true? I don't believe it. VINCI: She says Mercieca still celebrates mass several times a week at a local parish down the road from her business.
(on camera): As a mother, I mean, how do you feel about this? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) be careful and I tell him things to be more careful with whom he meets. Be more aware now when I let him go. VINCI: What really strikes you here in Gozo is how little outrage there is to father Anthony Mercieca, the shopkeeper we just spoke with, for example, told us that she's concerned and worried, however, she also told us that she will not prevent her kids from seeing the priest again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the priest work with children...
VINCI (voice-over): Residents who know Father Mercieca describe him as a quiet priest involving community projects.
ANTON FALLUGIA, HEAD OF CATHEDRAL LIBRARY: You take any book, for example, this one, you will find that it is donated -- this book has been donated by Father Tony.
VINCI: The head of the cathedral library says he met Mercieca almost 30 years ago and has kept a close relationship with him ever since. FALLUGIA: Most people would say that if there was something in the past, that is past -- in the past. But at the moment, he's a very good minister of religion.
VINCI: Gozo diocese priests say the bishop has constructed a panel of laymen to investigate the allies surrounding Father Mercieca.
REV. ANTHONY REFALO, GOZO ISLAND PRIEST: It's the procedure. If anyone comes before the bishop with an allegation of sexual abuse, the bishop hears him, informs him, if we have information, we give it to the (INAUDIBLE).
VINCI: Mercieca moved back to Gozo only a few years ago after retiring from a ministry in the U.S., expecting to spend the rest of his life in the peace and quiet of this remote island, unaware that his past would eventually catch up with him.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, Gozo, Malta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: We'll be following that story closely.
In the meantime, asking teenagers if they have a page on Myspace is like asking Bill Gates if he uses e-mail. A Myspace profile has become the calling card of the online generation, especially teenagers. And it's meant to help people meet online, but some say it makes kids easy prey.
Well, this week, Myspace was in the news for inadvertently posting profiles belonging to some seven hundred convicted sex offenders. And earlier this month, a teenager was grilled by the Feds for jokingly posting a death threat against President Bush.
Teens can see and do so much on these sites. And most of the time, parents have no idea. Here's CNN's Dan Lothian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE0
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...the things that these kids are getting into online.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Katie Leclerc is an Internet savvy 23-year old, holding the hands of parents as they take an eye-opening excursion through cyberspace.
KATIE LECLERC, INTERNET INSTRUCTOR: And so you can know what's really going on. I don't take it lightly. It's not - I do say I'm not trying to scare you, but it's scary out there. So I'm honest.
LOTHIAN: With the explosion of social networking sites like Myspace, and growing concerns over online predators, more and more communities in places like Massachusetts and Florida are finding that parents, not just children, need to be educated.
WALTON: We want them to be as comfortable as they can be in order to be able to help their kids.
LOTHIAN: Walton is part of a team training parents in Florida. Leclerc works for the Massachusetts attorney general's office.
TOM REILLY, MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL: We had some cases. And then decided, you know, we better start some education here.
LOTHIAN: So Leclerc was hired full-time to criss-cross the state, offering more than just tips and talking points. She logs onto live chatrooms, poses as a 14-year-old blond girl with blue eyes, and shows these Massachusetts parents how easy it is for chatter to turn dark and potentially dangerous.
LECLERC: See, I just got offered a cyber sex chat.
LOTHIAN: Then comes this offer.
LECLERC: Any sexy petite blond or brunette females under 21 want to make a sexy 20-year-old male feel better? I'm really stressed out.
LOTHIAN: Leclerc then goes back and forth instant messaging a 20-year-old male, who jokes he doesn't mind that she's 14.
REILLY: We show them and they realize what their children have access to.
LOTHIAN: Maryanne Ellis, a mom, says she now understands the potential online dangers facing her 17-year old daughter and others like her.
MARYANNE ELLIS, PARENT: Well, her friends have her pictures from a prom on the Internet. And they can be tapped into -- in various places. And it's out of her control.
LOTHIAN: This effort isn't aimed at pulling the plug on the Internet or Myspace, just a tool to help parents make good decisions and ask their children the right questions.
LECLERC: What are you doing? Who are your friends? What are you using? Show me how to use it?
LOTHIAN (on camera): All of the sites have safety guidelines. And some have age restrictions. So if your child is too young, then those sites should probably be blocked.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: I'm joined now by Larry Magid. He is co-director of blogsafety.com and co-author of "Myspace Unraveled: A Parent's Guide to Teen Social Networking."
Now we also want to point out that we're not here to bash Myspace or other networking sites. In fact, your book is featured on Myspace.com as an additional educational tool for parents. So we appreciate your time here.
LARRY MAGID, AUTHOR, "MYSPACE UNRAVELED": Pleasure.
LIN: But I have to ask you, we took a look -- just a random look at what kinds of profiles and photos are out there, Larry. The pictures are shocking, some of which we are going to show, but we have to digitize, Larry, because they were practically pornographic these young girls posing on these social networking sites. Before we get to the tips, give me an idea of the mindset that these kids have? Who are these kids?
MAGID: These are every kid. And they range from kids that are trying to be provocative, perhaps like the ones that you're showing, because they are trying to become extremely popular. Maybe they want thousands of people coming to their profile to kids who may want to stay in touch with folks from school or folks from church or folks from Little League. It really runs the gamut, because virtually very teen in America practically is on these services.
LIN: They can't be that dumb, Larry.
MAGID: Well, yes...
LIN: I mean, these pictures are telling everybody in the world, you know, maybe their 16-year-old boyfriend, but the 60-year-old pedophile, too, come get me.
MAGID: It's really a mistake to put sexually provocative photos on these sites. And we, of course, advise that you don't do that.
Ideally, we'd like to see no photos. But the kids are going to put their pictures up. And parents need to look at these sites and be aware of this, and talk with your kids, and remind them that they are sending out a message. And not only can they be seen now, but they can be archived. Somebody can copy this onto a hard drive and post it onto another site. So...
LIN: Or even dupe their heads on someone else's body?
MAGID: Well, that could be, too. So that is one of the things that you should definitely avoid. And of course, there's no -- if there is hardcore pornography, it's taken off. But you can be very sexually provocative and still be fully clothed or...
LIN: Oh, absolutely.
MAGID: Yes.
LIN: There was a girl sitting on the stairs. And then you could see the shoes that she was wearing and the pose that she had.
So putting those pictures aside, how do you have that conversation with your child, without them feeling like they're being grilled and having them just shut down? Or do you just take the computer away?
MAGID: No, you don't just take the computer away. Because if you did, they'd just go into stealth mode. They might access it from a friend's house or even a cell phone. Believe it or not, that's possible.
You do have that conversation. You find a teachable moment. And it may only be a moment. You may only speak with them for a few seconds at a time.
Bring it up over dinner. Ask them what they're doing on Myspace. You know, it turns out, believe it or not, that kids do listen to their parents. We don't believe that. They don't give us any clues that they are, but you need to be a parent.
You know, they may know more about technology. But you have more wisdom. You've been on this planet longer than they have. And just remind them.
One of the things we do in the book is we say don't overreact, don't freak out, you know, pick your battles carefully. And you as parents ought to go online. You know, we talk to folks about how they can set up their own Myspace profile. It's free.
LIN: Yes.
MAGID: How to search for your kid, how to find what your kid's doing online.
LIN: Maybe even do it with your kid. I mean, what do you think are the tactics of this young woman who was teaching parents of the dialogue that could happen in these chatrooms?
MAGID: Yes.
LIN: I mean, sitting down with your teenager, and going in, and posing as someone and seeing what happens together?
MAGID: Well, I think it's a really good idea to go online with your kid. It's also important to distinguish between chat and Myspace. I couldn't see the video, but it sounded like you were talking about chatrooms, where you've got live interactive. And a pedophile can go in there and essentially try to groom somebody interactively.
It's a little different on services like Myspace, because although they have a chat feature, it's mostly kids putting up profiles. Them publishing inappropriate material, and also allowing strangers to become friends.
You have to -- you can have a private profile that's only accessible to your friends, but make sure that they're really a friend. So remind your kids that a friend is someone you know from the real world, not somebody who just seems cool when you met them online.
LIN: You know what? That's a good point of conscience. Larry Magid, thank you so much. I'm sure so many parents out there are going, wow, I got to deal with this. Appreciate it.
MAGID: Thank you.
LIN: Well, you've chosen the news. We're going to have your stories when we return.
And then it's last call. Do you think a partial pull out in Iraq is the thing to do?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Well, I came over here to the CNN Weather Center to talk to our meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. We might as well call it the Natural Phenomenon. You've got - covered so much, including a tropical storm that you say may become a hurricane.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. We're really tracking tropical storm Hall, because this storm has already intensified since early today.
Carol, we're going to take a look at our satellite perspective now. And we'll show you in the corner of your screen what Paul looks like right now on our satellite imagery.
And maybe it doesn't look that impressive, but the thing to note is it's still days away from potentially becoming a stronger storm, maybe even a hurricane. The latest coordinates now show that the storm is maximum winds at 50 miles per hour. And the movement's to the west at seven.
But as we take a look at the track, look how close it gets to the Yukatan, the cone of uncertainty certainly right through this region. But landfall is expected sometime on Wednesday here along the Mexico west coast.
And it's important to note that this storm could actually wobble further to the north or to the south. So it's something that keep an eye on very closely.
Now there's also something else we're watching. And that's Mount St. Helens going all the way to the north. We're getting new video just coming in, because there was a 3.5 magnitude earthquake earlier today around 3:13 p.m. And what's interesting, it's actually going to change the shape of what you see here is called the lava spine. And that's indicated right here on this picture.
It looks like a tall mound of lava, but a piece of it actually broke off right in the center. So we'll be watching to see the new shape of this lava spine as a result of the earthquake.
And also, some of the people that were in the vicinity reported some rocks falling. So that's something to keep in mind.
And speaking of pictures, we want to show you very quickly a picture of an eye report that we got in from one of our viewers coming to us from Canada. This is actually a picture of a meteor. And this was from Bristen Bork. And he took these pictures right at the end of the day, during daylight. Very unusual to see the bright lights of a meteor in the afternoon. Usually you see them in the overnight hours or just before dawn. So we appreciate that.
And if you have an eye report that you'd like to submit, just go to CNN.com/exchange. Carol?
LIN: We're getting some really cool pictures...
SCHNEIDER: Definitely.
LIN: ...from our viewers. Thanks, Bonnie.
Well, every weekend night, we like to give you the chance to choose the news. And we heard from April Reese, who wants to know about the latest on the military coup in Thailand. She asks, "Will democracy be restored, or will the military hang on to power?"
Well, April, the prime minister who came to power after last month's bloodless coup visited Indonesia today. He was quoted as saying that Thailand will consider lifting martial law. He was also quoted as reconfirming his government's commitment to staying in power for just one year. See what happens.
Check of the hour's headlines after the break. But first, your responses to our last call question. Should the U.S. start to partially pull out of Iraq? Here's what you had to say.
CALLER: Yes, the time is now for U.S. troops to pull out of Iraq. We've been there too long. There were no weapons of mass destruction found. And we need to concentrate our forces on other areas in the world.
CALLER: Yes, they should pull out of Iraq because it just seems like it's getting to be a Vietnam.
CALLER: Yes, the U.S. should have a partial pull out of Iraq. A full pull out would be even better.
CALLER: No, I don't think we should even be talking about it. I think it lends aid and comfort to the enemy. I think the news media in the United States is guilty of almost treason, even discussing things like this.
CALLER: Yes, because a lot of the soldiers don't have a mission. They don't know why they are there.
CALLER: They should never have been in there in the first place. So yes, not just partially, we should pull out.
CALLER: Yes, I believe that we do need to start pulling our troops home, basically because it's not doing any good over there.
CALLER: No, I don't think the U.S. forces should start to pull out of Iraq. I don't see how we can leave, but I don't see how we can stay there either. It's just quite a dilemma.
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