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Search Under Way For Kidnapped American Contractors in Iraq; Cruise-Holmes Italian Wedding Set For Tomorrow; Storm System On Path Of Destruction Across Country; Brazilian Model Dies Of Anorexia

Aired November 17, 2006 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don Lemon.

PHILLIPS: Americans ambushed, a fake checkpoint, kidnappers posing as police -- now an aggressive hunt for contractors seized in Iraq.

LEMON: Nature on rampage -- a killer tornado shreds a North Carolina town. And the storm moves on, pounding rains, winds and floods, from Maryland, all the way to New York.

PHILLIPS: Forget the garter and bouquet. Grab a pen, a comb, and a cat -- the poetry of vows, as Scientology steals the spotlight in the Cruise-Holmes wedding. We're live in Bracciano, Italy.

Our developing story: the search for five contractors kidnapped in southern Iraq.

Just a short time ago, Iraq's Interior Ministry told us that two of the kidnapped Americans were freed today in a raid by Iraqi troops just south of Basra. The U.S. military can't confirm it. Also, the Associated Press is quoting Basra's provincial governor as saying one of the captives is dead. Besides the four Americans, a former Austrian soldier was kidnapped yesterday at gunpoint by insurgents in police uniforms. All five are security workers.

Let's get straight to the newsroom now -- T.J. Holmes working details on a developing story -- T.J.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, just to continue there with what you're talking about there, of course, we're getting word, identifying one of those contractors as a Paul Reuben out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

We got some sound in now. And, of course, you can imagine, the family is going through a tough time now, waiting for news, waiting to hear the fates, any information that is coming out of Iraq about the -- about just how their family members are.

We're hearing now from his brother and sister-in-law. We are going to hear now from Patrick Reuben, and then from Jennifer Reuben, the sister-in-law. But, first, just hear what they had to say a short time ago, Patrick Reuben, the brother of Paul Reuben, one of those contractors who has been nabbed in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK REUBEN, BROTHER OF AMERICAN ABDUCTED IN IRAQ: The latest I heard was that, right now, the Department of State is assuming that everyone is still alive right now.

QUESTION: Have you heard that from the State...

(CROSSTALK)

P. REUBEN: Yes.

QUESTION: So, have you been in touch with the government...

(CROSSTALK)

P. REUBEN: Oh, they have been in touch with me.

QUESTION: Have they been pretty good about updating you?

P. REUBEN: I would say so, yes. I don't think they know very much.

QUESTION: OK.

So, what are you guys doing to -- like, this is a really tough time for your family. How are...

(CROSSTALK)

P. REUBEN: Oh, we're just talking about -- just talking to each other, and getting lots of phone calls, and getting a lots of phone calls from family members, and officers, and just friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: You know, it's so tough to watch. It seems like we have seen so many family members, just over the past several years of this war in Iraq, with so many Americans, at times, at least, being nabbed, being held hostage, people waiting for word -- another family here going through the same thing.

You could see. We're just getting that. He looked relatively calm, waiting on information, waiting on it to get in.

We also heard from Jennifer Reuben, who is a -- is the sister-in- law of Paul Reuben. We got some sound from her as well. We're going to listen to her now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER REUBEN, SISTER-IN-LAW OF AMERICAN ABDUCTED IN IRAQ: I talked to him on Saturday. He was planning to come home this week. And that is what we're still hoping for, a safe return home, and hopefully very soon.

QUESTION: He was planning to come home this week?

J. REUBEN: Yes.

QUESTION: Which day?

J. REUBEN: Well, I had thought it was going to be -- I talked to him on Saturday. And I thought within three days. But someone else said it was going to be tomorrow. So, I'm not sure.

I assumed he was on a plane on his way home. And we're just still hoping that happens really soon. And his entire family is just asking for everyone's prayers, and know that we care about him so much and want him home safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So, as you can hear there, as you can imagine, a lot of people sending out prayers, and the family asking for prayers right now for that gentleman, Paul Reuben, who is believed to be among those who has been kidnapped, abducted, in Iraq, with those other contractors.

Paul Reuben, as you see there, a former police officer there in the Minneapolis area, and described as a fun-loving guy, and even a big teddy bear by some people. So, we're -- we just wanted to bring that to you, the sound there from the families, of course, going through a tough time.

We're going to, of course, continue to monitor that situation for you here -- Don.

LEMON: All right, T.J., thank you so much for that report. We will check back in with you.

And we are going to talk about Iraq.

Security work pays big bucks in Iraq. And there is a reason. It's extremely risky. The people who do it are as tough as you will come across.

CNN's Nic Robertson filed this report just last summer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

"GONZO," PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTOR: Locking and loading.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Last-minute preparations for one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth, private military contractor in Iraq.

GONZO: I'm a gun truck commander. Basically, I drive the truck. I set the lead pace for the convoy. My call sign is "Gonzo." ROBERTSON: The moments before the mission are loaded with bravado.

GONZO: Rambo!

This is "Mr. G.Q." He's our babe magnet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The military doesn't even like to go where we are going.

ROBERTSON: And a sobering dose of reality.

GONZO: Carson (ph), Cameron (ph) and Cadence (ph), that's my three reasons for being. We all got to be over here for a reason. Mine is so that I can provide a better life for my wife and kids.

ROBERTSON: Amy Clark is there when Gonzo leaves. I wanted to find out how this gutsy industry works, and Amy will show me.

She runs the Baghdad end of a small military contracting business and has agreed to open the door to CNN, so long as we agree not to disclose the name of her company.

AMY CLARK, PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTOR: The biggest thing I think about is that, is my team going to get wiped out tonight?

ROBERTSON: What Clark doesn't know is that, in less than three weeks, they will be hit hard in an attack, and she will close down operations.

When we meet Clark, she's running a tight-knit outfit, struggling to find a niche, competing against the titans of the industry, where contractors fill a void left by U.S. and Iraqi troops.

CLARK: I call it outsourcing conflict. And a lot has been outsourced. And where you have got a military where the -- the assets and the personnel are strained thin, private contractors have had to step in and fill the void. And it's unprecedented, like in no other conflict.

ROBERTSON (on camera): He's a Brit, right?

CLARK: Yes, he's British, and he's great.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Industry insiders estimate the total value of logistical and security contracts in the multibillion-dollar range.

CLARK: The front lines are the logistical supply lines. That's where a lot of the IEDs are being focused. They are focusing on the major supply route.

ROBERTSON: And that's where Clark has found space in the market, on the front lines. Her employees put their lives on the line protecting, among other things, drivers and trucks full of gravel destined for U.S. Army bases. In a 150-mile journey, the gravel's value can soar six times its original cost.

GONZO: I have lost several friends to IEDs, roadside bombs. I have been hit by an IED twice.

ROBERTSON: This is Gonzo's second tour as a private military contractor in Iraq. He doesn't know if he will survive.

GONZO: Right here is my MP-5, automatic weapon, complete with nine round -- or .9-millimeter rounds.

ROBERTSON: So, when he came back, he started a video diary. And, as he shows me his video, he explains exactly why he's prepared to risk his life again.

GONZO: My wife and I are pretty frugal. My goal is pretty simple. I just want to be able to pay off a house, get some property.

ROBERTSON: He can earn in three months what it would take him a year to earn back home. His motivation is high.

GONZO: I have a good insurance policy, you know? Either way, it's a win-win situation for my wife and kids. Right now, they're collecting a paycheck at home. If anything happens to me, God forbid, then they will be taken care of.

ROBERTSON: A former combat engineer, he served in Gulf War I. Back home, he would either be driving a truck or working as a carpenter.

GONZO: If we get ambushed and cut off, yes, then, we're going to fight back. That's -- that's what we're paid to do, to protect the clients, to protect the asset. That's our job. It's a sound crew. And our job basically is to be a bullet sponge.

ROBERTSON: Gonzo is exactly the sort of guy on which Amy Clark has built her small contracting operation, ex-military, over 30, married, and most critically, won't freeze up if called upon to shoot back.

CLARK: We had an incident Monday, where the retaliation was much more complex than anything we have had. And, you know, one of these days, I'm going to have to -- instead of going to one family and talking about a funeral, I will have to go to three or four families.

ROBERTSON: That day almost came.

Just three weeks after our first interviews, Amy Clark's teams were hit in multiple IED, roadside bomb, ambushes. We went back to find out what happened.

CLARK: Two IEDs went off simultaneously, downing one of our security truck and wounding two of our people. At that point, they took on heavy small-arms fire from rooftop positions.

ROBERTSON: Gonzo was out with another team when he got the call his buddies had been hit.

GONZO: The blood in the back seat of the truck, all the bone fragments and flesh, it pretty much told the tale. They got hit pretty bad.

ROBERTSON: But the attacks that night were far from over.

CLARK: They took three IEDs, one in the front and two in the rear. By this point, we were down one security truck.

ROBERTSON: Clark lost two men. Five more were wounded, including Tony (ph), who had given the security briefing only three weeks earlier.

But, if her situation was bad enough then, Iraqi police, she said, were accusing her team of killing civilians. And then came a devastating blow. The U.S. military withdrew her license to operate near Fallujah. Overnight, she says, she was closed down.

CLARK: I'm the type of person, I like to know exactly what the rules are, what the boundaries are. And, if so, where do you violate those?

ROBERTSON: Gonzo and the others were given a week to find other jobs. Amy Clark's margins were so thin, she couldn't afford to keep them on.

GONZO: In 10 years tops, there's going to be five major players. And we all know who they are, without even having to name them.

ROBERTSON: Clark is bitter. Insiders told her a bigger contractor has already picked up at least one of her jobs.

CLARK: But where is the transparency? I have gone above board to try to be transparent, offering myself and any of our contractors open for questioning by anybody in this particular arena. And no one has taken me up on it.

ROBERTSON: She is still awaiting an answer, she says, but, on the question of the future of the company she was working for, she already knows that answer.

CLARK: If you fail here, no matter what the reasons are, it will be very difficult after this.

ROBERTSON: Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Four Americans, one Austrian, security contractors, all kidnapped yesterday in southern Iraq -- today, we're getting conflicting reports about their fates.

For the latest, CNN's Arwa Damon is in Baghdad.

Arwa, first, the Americans, what do we know? ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, all that we know, really, at this point is that they are still in captivity.

Now, there were some reports that two of the Americans taken hostage had been released. However, those appear to be false. The U.S. Embassy, the U.S. military and the security company itself cannot confirm that report.

Now, the four were taken host hostage, along with an Austrian contractor, just outside of Basra. Their convoy was traveling from Kuwait to Tallil Air Base, when they came upon a checkpoint. It turned out to be a fake checkpoint, according to a military source.

There, the local militiamen were masquerading as Iraqi security forces, as Iraqi police. They were taken captive, along with nine of the drivers. We have heard, though, that the nine drivers, all of South Asian origin, were released. The five -- the four U.S. contractors, the one Austrian contractor -- right now still appear in captivity -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Arwa, now, there was another clash today, same area, also security workers. What do we know about that one?

DAMON: That's right, Don.

The second attack also happened. And it came just about 24 hours after the first one, also happening in the vicinity of Basra. Now, they work for a different contracting company.

And what we know is that five operators were in a vehicle when they, too, came upon a checkpoint. It could have been Iraqi police. It could have been national guard, or it also could have been militiamen posing as Iraqi security forces.

The details are still unclear. What we do know is that one of the British contractors was wounded. He was picked up by the British military, taken to a field hospital. We do also know that another British civilian was killed. It is unclear if he worked for that security company -- Don.

LEMON: Arwa Damon, live in Baghdad -- thanks for the updating us, Arwa.

PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to the newsroom -- T.J. Holmes working details on a developing story out of Florida.

T.J., what do you have?

HOLMES: Yes, this is out of a high school in Florida, where 50 to 60 students may be sick there. This is at Hialeah High School. You're looking at a live picture of what his happening at this high school now -- a lot of emergency personnel and whatnot, police officers, as well, at the school -- but 50 to 60 students -- there they are -- complaining of shortness of -- in breath -- shortness of breath -- and some of the students kind of getting a bit sick here. And what they say -- or what's being reported as a foul odor or a heavy smell at the school. And you can see that the school, the students, have been brought outside. And police officials, fire officials, are trying to figure out exactly what is going on at the school, what may have caused this foul odor, exactly what it is, if it's toxic, or what.

May not be anything too serious, and no serious injuries right now with the students, but, still, something serious enough that 50 to 60 students are feeling ill, not feeling well, shortness of breath. And they're smelling this odor. They certainly want to get a good handle on exactly what it is, and if it is in fact hazardous in any way -- again, no report of any serious injuries just yet, but certainly something we're keeping an eye on, again, at Hialeah High School, a bit north of Miami there in Florida.

It's certainly -- also 3:15 now, the end of the school day. So, maybe the students will just be allowed to go home here shortly, but certainly something we are going to keep an eye on to find out exactly what that foul odor may have been, and if any students are going to report any serious injuries here -- guys.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, T.J.

LEMON: All right.

Show me the honey. The connubial countdown continues in Bracciano, Italy. Of course, the NEWSROOM's mobile matrimonial unit is there, as TomKat prepares to tie the knot.

Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: With the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding tomorrow, it's probably a good time to remind you that Italy invented the term paparazzi. You can expect the media circus to be maximus.

Whipping out all the Italian stuff here.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Our Alessio Vinci is in Bracciano with every possible detail.

Hi, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Don.

Yes, in Bracciano, but not as a paparazzi. I consider myself a little more serious reporter than that, no offenses, of course, to the paparazzi.

Anyway, this is one of the best places in Italy money can buy. We understand that Tom Cruise paid upwards to $400,000 to rented this castle right behind me in Bracciano, Italy. We're looking at a volcanic lake just in our north Rome, the capital of Rome, of course, where Tom Cruise is sleeping tonight.

And the total cost of the wedding, we understand, $1.5 million. Now, there is something that money cannot buy, that Tom Cruise has requested that the airspace above the castle be -- be closed to helicopters or -- for -- to carrying paparazzis, but that request was denied.

Now, although there is no official confirmation that this is indeed the place where they will get married, the mayor of Bracciano has received flowers from Tom Cruise. She has given the couple a present. So, all expectations are that the couple will show up at some point here tomorrow, Saturday.

We have see VIPs from Hollywood arriving, yesterday, Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey. Brooke Shields is also here. And that latest arrival included, earlier today, Will Smith, and also international football star David Beckham, accompanied by his wife, Victoria, the former Spice girl -- Don, back to you.

LEMON: All right, Alessio, thank you so much for that.

PHILLIPS: Well, the TomKat kerfuffle isn't lost on savvy marketers in the U.K., who don't plan to be caught with their knickers down, when it's their chance to make a buck -- or a pound.

The British chain Woolworth's says that the date is the only thing that is missing from prototypes of Prince William's mug on mugs, plates, tea towels, mouse pads.

Finally, Prince Will is seen with his longtime gal, Kate Middleton, just in case the two get matrimonial. Well, (INAUDIBLE) makers say that they lost millions last year, when they didn't have enough lead time on Charles and Camilla trinkets.

High water, strong winds -- the storm system that ripped through North Carolina, with tornadoes now soaking the mid-Atlantic. We are going to have an update -- straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, low-cost airlines have been gaining ground on traditional carriers for some time. And now Southwest is claiming an important victory.

Susan Lisovicz, live from the New York Stock Exchange, to tell us about it -- hey, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

Southwest Airlines flew more passengers than any other U.S. carrier for the first time ever in August. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Southwest carried 8.7 million people, which topped American Airlines' 8.5 million passengers.

American's total, by the way, includes two million international travelers. Southwest flies only here in the U.S. -- Southwest, the biggest low-fare airline. And it's seen huge growth over the last few years, even as traditional carriers have been contracting.

American is still the largest carrier by a different measuring stick, revenue per miles flown -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's not just Southwest that is going to be dealing with huge crowds this Thanksgiving, right?

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: Yes.

Airlines are predicting the busiest Thanksgiving air travel period ever, starting today. During the 12-day period that ends the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, they expect 25 million Americans to fly. That's up 3 percent from last year.

The crowds could be even more difficult to handle this year, because of the new federal restrictions about bringing liquids, gels and aerosols, those kind of things, on board. The rules have confused some screeners, as well as passengers. To deal with the problem, the Transportation Security Administration says it's taking steps to educate passengers, and adding temporary screeners at the busiest airports.

And Hefty is planning to give away more than one million one- quart plastic bags to help fliers meet security requirements.

(MARKET REPORT)

And, now, first, it's Friday. Let's take a look at someone who is doing "Life After Work." After nearly 36 years working in corporate America, Murray Scureman felt like he belonged somewhere else.

Valerie Morris tells us how he rediscovered his passion and started his own home remodeling business.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Murray Scureman spent his career working in the computer industry and for the federal government,, but, these days, you will find him with his crew on construction sites.

MURRAY SCUREMAN, RESIDENTIAL REMODELING CONTRACTOR: My dad believed in training young men. And when I was like 9 years old, he gave me a power tool and taught me how to use it. And, so, you know, he helped instill in me a love of using my hands.

Great.

MORRIS: Now at the age of 67, Murray is putting those lessons into action, remodeling homes and running Denman Development Group.

SCUREMAN: It wasn't until I got involved renovating my own house that this hidden desire to do this kind of stuff sort of bubbled up. MORRIS: This Princeton and Harvard graduate says, what appeals to him most is the opportunity to be creative.

SCUREMAN: Remodeling has got a lot of puzzle-solving to it. We have no idea what's in that wall until we open it up.

I see you got the columns wrapped.

I really like working for myself. I have pressure on me now, but it's stuff I can control. And I also have -- I have a great social life, you know, outside of work. So, it's a nice balance.

There you go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it, Murray.

SCUREMAN: It's like magic.

MORRIS: Valerie Morris, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Change majority to minority as voters did to congressional Republicans ten days ago and you've got John Boehner's new title. This morning Republicans in the House chose the lame-duck majority leader to lead them in the Democratic run Congress come January. Boehner of Ohio says he is eager to get to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MINORITY LEADER-ELECT: I'm pleased to introduce the new Republican team, who is going to work together to earn our way back into the majority in two years. I know of my case, it's an honor to be chosen by your colleagues to be their leader. I pledge to them to do everything I could to bring our team together and to work hard so that we can earn our way back into the majority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Boehner rose to the House majority leader and Tom DeLay resigned in February and he's been in Congress since 1991. Before entering politics he had a packaging business and he is married and today is his 57th birthday.

LEMON: She lost a big vote and possible some of her clout the very day she became speaker-elect. Now Nancy Pelosi is mired in another personal predicament -- chairmanship or chairwomanship of the House Intelligence Committee. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two accomplished powerful women with long histories in California's Democratic political machine. Both married to successful businessmen whose fortunes have made them two of the richest members of Congress.

With Nancy Pelosi set to become House Speaker, she, alone, decides who chairs the powerful House Intelligence Committee. So why not pick ranking member Jane Harman, the woman waiting in the wings? A question Wolf Blitzer asked Pelosi who responded this way.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE SPEAKER-ELECT: There is no seniority on the Intelligence Committee.

TODD: Pelosi's and Harman's offices wouldn't speak publicly for this story but several Capitol Hill sources tell CNN it's becoming less likely that Pelosi will elevate Harmon to the top House intelligence job.

(on camera): Sources close to both women say they don't believe it's because of any personal falling out. As one says there's been no nuclear event between them.

TODD (voice-over): The most widely cited reason -- Pelosi's frustration that Harman, who voted for the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but has since become more critical, wasn't tough enough on President Bush over the war.

JULIAN EPSTEIN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Nancy Pelosi has taken a much stronger position that the U.S. troops ought to be withdrawn and redeployed. Jane Harman has had a much more moderate position.

TODD: But according to Hill sources, personal style has played into this. Harman, known as an ambitious gloves off fighter, tough, hard to work for. Pelosi, outwardly warm, subtle, and confronted with an aggressive behind the scenes campaign for intelligence chair by Harman.

THOMAS MANN, CO-AUTHOR, "THE BROKEN BRANCH": She has persuaded a number of people to contact Pelosi. And Nancy Pelosi, by all accounts has not taken kindly to this.

TODD: The possible beneficiary, Congressman Alcee Hastings, who brings his own baggage. Before joining Congress, Hastings was removed by Congress as a federal judge after being acquitted on bribery charges in a jury trial.

But some powerful Republicans actually showed support for Hastings after that, and he does have a respected seven-year record on House Intelligence. Also in Hastings' favor, considerable pressure on Nancy Pelosi from the Congressional Black Caucus after some if its members were wedged out of key committees or passed over for leadership positions. But some believe Pelosi is going to pass over both Harman and Hastings and go with a more obscure but safer choice, Congressman Silvestre Reyes of Texas.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: It's days are numbered but the GOP controlled 109th Congress still has a few things to do. High on the list -- confirmation of Defense Secretary nominee Robert Gates. The Senate Armed Services Committee plans to start hearings December 5th. Gates is already making the rounds on Capitol Hill where even the Senate's top Democrat sees smooth sailing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER-ELECT: Unless something comes up before the hearings, which I don't expect, he should be confirmed. The one thing he has going for him, as I mentioned, is we want the change to take place very quickly. So it's to our interest to have this change at the head of the defense department as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: President Bush chose Gates to succeed Donald Rumsfeld who resigned last week.

LEMON: Over the line e-mails to under-aged pages. The scandal already cratered Mark Foley's political career. Now the disgraced former Congressman has something else to worry about from authorities in Florida. CNN's Susan Candiotti has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's not clear what triggered this upgrade from a preliminary inquiry launched about a month and a half ago to a criminal investigation. Everything has been kept well under wraps because the change, I am told, happened within recent weeks, despite regular phone calls from the news media asking about any change in the investigation.

The focus in Florida, by the Florida department of law enforcement, is on any e-mails, communications, or any meetings between Mr. Foley and minors, including former pages. The FDLE is assisting the FBI, not only in this investigation, but one being conducted by federal agents nationwide.

Authorities here in Florida will be issuing subpoenas, conducting interviews with suspects and any witnesses and possibly seizing computers that belong to Mr. Foley. The disgraced Congressman recently spent more than a month at a pricey rehab center in Arizona.

We don't know exactly when he left there but we do know that programs like these have different phases. Mr. Foley is now in Florida to attend this weekend's funeral of his father who died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: It's a visit filled with symbolism, if not pure irony. An American president presiding over an unpopular war, visiting Vietnam to talk about economic progress and freedom. President Bush is in Hanoi for this weekend's Asian economic summit. Today he met with the government and Communist Party leaders and launched with Australia's prime minister, or lunched rather with Australia's prime minister. As for possible parallels between Vietnam and Iraq, the president says the U.S. can't back away from its commitments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We'll succeed, unless we quit. The Maliki government is going to make it, unless the coalition leaves before they have a chance to make it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: In his meetings, Mr. Bush also brought up the POW/MIA issue. More than 1,300 U.S. personnel are still unaccounted for in Vietnam.

LEMON: Face-to-face with disaster. People in a tiny North Carolina town return to what is left of their storm-ravaged neighborhoods. We'll take you back to Riegelwood. And Rob Marciano explains a storm system that started in snowy, Colorado.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: One storm system on a path of destruction across the country. It's drenching the Northeast after hammering the Northwest just days ago.

Our meteorologist Rob Marciano has been following its deadly track.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Tuesday, the rains had turned into a severe snowstorm, dropping nearly two feet in the Colorado Rockies. That storm system pulled cold air down and spun it into the plains, drawing warm, moist air in from the Gulf of Mexico as it moved east.

By early Wednesday, the system caused strong thunderstorms, some developing the swirling winds that produce tornadoes. A twister dropped north of New Orleans, cutting a path two miles wide and three miles long through Greensburg, Louisiana. When it had passed, one man was dead, his home destroyed.

Eleven homes were left damaged or devastated in Lamar County, Mississippi, and it wasn't finished yet. Next up, Alabama. Five confirmed tornadoes, taking down an elementary school and a skating rink with its busy day care facility inside.

The storm continued on its deadly path, feeding off the Gulf and moving all the way to another source of moisture: the Atlantic Ocean. It pushed into South Carolina, killing a utility worker checking on power lines. But North Carolina took the worst beating, with young children among the dead and injured.

Then that same storm system continued up the coast, bringing torrential rains to Virginia and Maryland. Sandbags brought in to stop the water couldn't prevent flooding in the streets and businesses in Annapolis, Maryland.

(on camera): Then Binghamton, New York -- upstate New York in spots seeing upwards also of close to four inches of rain and flooding and mudslides blocking parts of I-88 eastbound in that part of the state. Up to 200 people needed to be rescued.

The good news is the storm has moved up into Canada and will continue to move off towards the north and east, calmer, cooler weather in behind this system. We're in part of New York Westchester County where this past summer they had a tornado move through.

Pretty rare event but nonetheless damage still from splintered trees across this part of the area just to the east of the Hudson River. Goes to show tornadoes, although rare in spots, can happen just about anywhere.

In Hawthorne, New York, I'm Rob Marciano.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: In the meantime, back in North Carolina, Governor Mike Easley agrees the state needs to look at Riegelwood's tornado warning system. He has seen the damage for himself. While he doubts it's enough to qualify for federal assistance, he says the state will do all it can. The governor also urges people to help the town through donations to Red Cross and to the Salvation Army.

PHILLIPS: As you may well know if you live within a mile of big box retailers, Sony PlayStation 3 went on sale at midnight. A super Wal-Mart store in California was actually forced to shut down after some shoppers got out of hand.

In Ohio, armed gunmen stormed the electronics storm and made away with all five of the store's consoles. In Wisconsin, a man was hurt when he ran into a pole in his rush to get a spot outside a Wal-Mart. This caught on someone's cell phone.

But it gets worse. Muggers tried to rob people waiting in line in Connecticut. One man was shot. No word his condition.

And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse. Check out this video from Fresno, California. Police were called to a Best Buy store overnight where a virtual stampede broke ahead of the debut of Sony's PlayStation 3. Two people were arrested. No one hurt and, unfortunately, for these folks, the store had only had 34 of the coveted consoles in stock.

LEMON: Just think about this one. She was 5'8" and only 88 pounds. It's a look to die for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MIRIAM RESTON, RESTON'S MOTHER: (through translator): She would say mother, don't be mad at me, I don't want to eat. The food won't go down. I should have quarreled with her but I didn't say anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: When the need to be thin turns deadly. That's ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Her look was her livelihood until it killed her. A Brazilian model living on apples and tomatoes has died of anorexia. Today a desperate plea from the young woman's mother.

CNN's A.J. Hammer that has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RESTON (voice-over): People, for God's sake look out for your children. Open your eyes so you don't lose them as I lost Ana.

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ana Carolina Reston's mother, tearful and emotional, just days after the death of her 21-year-old daughter from anorexia. Reston weighed a frightening 88 pounds when she died, the average weight of a 12-year- old.

Reston's dream of becoming a model began when she was just 13 years old. It ended eight years later in this hospital in Brazil where she was being treated for kidney failure, a complication of anorexia. Carolina's grieving mother says it was a struggle to get her to eat.

RESTON (through translator): She would say mother don't be mad at me. I don't want to eat. The food won't go down. I should of quarreled with her but I didn't say anything.

HAMMER: Even tough she was literally dying to be thin, Carolina didn't keep her anorexia a secret. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" discovered an interview the model did seven months ago with a Brazilian newspaper where she admitted she had lost control saying, "there were times I felt fat. I had a distorted image of myself."

Carolina's family says the 5 foot 7 model stuck to a terrifying diet of just apples and tomatoes. They say she would eat very small portions and throw it up afterwards.

RESTON (through translator): She even said she had a fat belly, despite being very slim.

HAMMER: Carolina's tragic death comes as the outrage grows over the fashion world's use of super-skinny models. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" told you all about the super-skinny model ban in Madrid this past fall and it wasn't long after that when we showed you this -- a bone-thin model walking the runway for Guy Laroche in Paris. Images like this touched off an international uproar with many people worried that thin models were promoting anorexia in young women. Well, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" can tell you the uproar hasn't died down. A heated debate among fashion's elite is going on right now. Supermodel Iman tells us it's time for reality check.

IMAN, SUPERMODEL: It's a bad image not to promote, especially for young girls who already have self-esteem issues and that is the last thing that they need. So, yes, I'm totally against it and it doesn't look good.

VALENTINO, FASHION DESIGNER: It's very difficult for a designer to take model and they are not skinny. I'm sorry. Skinny, I don't know what you mean about skinny.

HAMMER: Designers like Valentino may think skinny is glamorous but we can tell you there is absolutely nothing glamorous about the senseless death of young Anna Carolina Reston.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a family feud pitting the lady of the House against fellow Democrats. After a bitter battle, they say they've made up, but our Jeanne Moos wants to know can you feel the love.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Behind the smile...

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER-ELECT: How are you?

MOOS: ... she didn't want him...

REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER-ELECT: Hey, hey, hey.

MOOS: ... to be her second in command. The speaker-to-be wanted Jack Murtha.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's in-fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bitter family feud.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Internal mess.

MOOS: To sort it out, Democrats holed up behind closed doors while the press waited...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Test, one, two, three.

MOOS: ... and waited and waited. Reporters knew the wait was almost over when they started moving in the flags, one flag, two flags, three flags -- pretty soon a whole forest of flags, the perfect background for the impending lovefest.

Remember, this is the guy the speaker-elect didn't want to be House majority leader, but there they were holding hands. He's the one with the funny name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steny Hoyer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steny Hoyer.

BASH: Steny Hoyer.

MOOS: Steny comes from his father's Danish name, Stein. Steny won, Nancy's man lost.

REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Because I know you'd like to know why I didn't win. I didn't have enough votes.

PELOSI: We've had our disagreements in that room and now that is over.

MOOS: What happens in that room stays in that room. Let the lovey-dovey times roll.

PELOSI: The distinguished new leader, Leader-Elect Steny Hoyer.

(MUSIC)

MOOS: There were hugs and kisses, rivals shook. There was round after round of progressively weaker applause.

PELOSI: We're applauding each other in any event.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All smiles from the new House Democratic leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Quite a performance.

BASH: Unity, unity, unity.

HOYER: I want to make one comment on that.

MOOS: Unity except for when the new majority leader took the mic one more time. His defeated rival apparently had enough. Jack Murtha decided to just walk away. There was one final bumpy moment of togetherness.

HOYER: Oh, we didn't get our...

PELOSI: A picture. We didn't get a picture.

MOOS: And while the Democrats were trying to project unity, President Bush was more into harmony on his Asian trip. Those clapping along seem more coordinated than the Democrats. Sometimes body language can get lost in translation.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Time to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. PHILLIPS: That's exactly how I hug Wolf.

LEMON: Is it?

PHILLIPS: Yes, it drives him crazy. Doesn't it Wolf?

LEMON: I hope it's real.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Good hug like that. Thanks guys. We've got a lot of news coming up. President Bush is in Vietnam for an economic summit drawing parallels to the ill-fated U.S. war there and the beleaguered U.S. mission in Iraq. We'll have details of what he is saying.

Also, he's one of the few Republicans to come out shining in the midterm election. So what can the party learn from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Plus I'll be joined by the incoming Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott of Mississippi. He's back in a leadership role after a few years in exile.

And "Borat" is sweeping U.S. box offices and creating controversy for the film's blatant prejudice. Now in a rare move, the actor Sacha Baron Cohen is speaking out as himself. All that coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

LEMON: All right Wolf. Look forward to that, thank you, sir.

Well, playing with your food isn't always a bad idea. Just ask Steve -- Steve is called the grape guy -- the grape guy Spalding. He just won the world grape catching championship. Yes, there is such a thing. It was held yesterday in Sidney, Australia. Spalding caught 116 grapes in his mouth from 15 feet away in three minutes. I know what you're thinking. Three minutes, big deal. But Spalding, a Texan, also set a personal best for endurance more than 1,200 grapes in half an hour. Now, chew on that.

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