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Iraqi, U.S. Forces Sweep Sadr City For Hostages; Iraq's Intellectual Elite Flees Country; Lebanon's Instability Threatens U.S. Foreign Policy

Aired November 18, 2006 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. You're in NEWSROOM.
Straight ahead, the search in Iraq. U.S. troops hunting for the American contractors kidnapped on this desert highway.

Plus, this from Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so glad I was here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And so was he. A father breaks down in tears, thanking a woman who found his missing son.

And if castle walls could talk, an Italian wedding for an all- American couple. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, starring in their own Roman holiday.

First, here is what is happening "Now in the News": This developing story out of Illinois. A deadly ending to an armed standoff at a hospital, in the town of Aurora. A patient holed up in his hospital room with a gun has died. Police say SWAT officers heard a gunshot and returned fire. They say the suspect apparently died from a single gunshot from his own weapon. We'll have more details on this story as they become available.

President Bush is in Vietnam trying to convince world leaders to maintain a unified position on North Korea's nuclear program. He was partially successful. We'll tell you what the president wanted from South Korea, but didn't get. A report from Hanoi straight ahead.

A sweeping raid of a Shiite stronghold in Baghdad. Iraqi soldiers, backed by U.S. helicopters, moved into Sadr City searching for dozens of abducted Iraqis and their kidnappers.

When asked if hostages were rescued, the U.S. military would only say, quote, "No one was killed, injured or detained."

Five security contractors reportedly apprehended at an Iraqi checkpoint are all accounted for. Their British-based company says one of its employees was killed and four are hospitalized with injuries. Details of Friday's incident are still unclear. It came a day after the abduction of those American and Austrian contractors near the Kuwaiti border.

The biggest college football game of the season is in full swing and so are the post-game security plans. Top-ranked Ohio State and number two Michigan are battling for a crack at the national title. The team's 2002 match-up was followed by riots and car fires. This year, Michigan sent its own campus police to Columbus to better protect the fans.

First this hour, a mom in Minnesota issues a plea for the life of her son. Former policeman Paul Reuben is one of four American contractors kidnapped in southern Iraq. The names of the other three Americans still are not known; their health and whereabouts also unclear. Reuben's family says he relished his dangerous work in Iraq until very recently. Here is CNN's Ed Lavandera in Minneapolis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNNIE REUBEN, PAUL REUBEN'S MOTHER: I came home from work. I was really tired. And I found this note on my door.

ED LAVENDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY MORNING (voice over): This little scrap of paper has never meant so much by Johnnie Reuben, left by her son when he was just a high school senior.

J. REUBEN: It said "Important: Please open immediately. I love you very much, love Paul. 1985." And he was always like that.

LAVENDERA: Twenty-one years later, Paul Reuben is an American contractor held hostage in Iraq. This simple note is one of the few things that brought a smile to her face as we talked with her, and his sister, in their Minneapolis home.

J. REUBEN: I thought about him so much last night. I said -- wondered if he's cold, if he's hungry, if he's injured, or if he's here.

LAVENDERA: Before heading to Iraq, Paul Reuben spent eight years working as a police officer in a Minneapolis suburb. Three years ago, he was lured by high-paying security contractors to work in Iraq. His family says the longer he stayed, the more he loved the work.

But a week ago Paul called to say he was done, and he'd be home in a few days. The job was becoming too dangerous, too violent. Paul's family could sense something had changed.

J. REUBEN: I -- I always saw his strength every time when he could admit that part of that fear, that was the reality fear, but not let it overtake him.

LAVENDERA: Paul Reuben's family says they're receiving updates from the U.S. State Department, but there's little information, leaving them fearful and upset.

SUZANNE REUBEN, PAUL REUBEN'S SISTER: I cry in spurts. And I just hope that my brother, whom I love very much, comes home safe and sound. LAVENDERA: To those holding Paul Reuben hostage, his mother pleads for mercy.

J. REUBEN: If there's any goodness or kindness left, or anything that you can show a fellow man, show it, because that kindness will come back to you, too.

LAVENDERA: Johnnie and Suzanne Reuben say they're holding on to shreds of hope, that Paul will soon be home, alive, to celebrate his 40th birthday with a twin brother. Ed Lavendera, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: North Korea's nuclear program topped the agenda today at the summit of Pacific Rim nations in Vietnam. President Bush is pushing Asian leaders to enforce U.N. sanctions on North Korea to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons efforts. CNN's White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano is with the president in Hanoi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM (on camera): Trade was not the main focus here in Hanoi, Vietnam, host city to this year's annual Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Instead, one security issue dominated the discussions President Bush had today with his Asian counterparts. What to do about North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.

Now the president's day was capped off by a gala dinner, here in Hanoi, with the 20 other leaders of Pacific Rim countries that are APEC members. Earlier, though, Mr. Bush sat down with a president of South Korea, president Roh Moo-Hyun and though he tried, President Bush was not able to persuade the Korean leader to support intercepting ships suspected of carrying nuclear weapons supplies headed to North Korea.

Instead, Mr. Bush emphasized after the meeting that the two leaders do agree on the overarching goal.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our desire is to solve the North Korean issue peacefully.

And as I made clear, in a speech as recently as two days ago, in Singapore, that we want North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions that we will be willing to enter security arrangements with the North Koreans, as well as move forward with new economic incentives for the North Korean people.

QUIJANO (on camera): On Sunday, North Korea will once again be the focus when President Bush sits down with China's president, President Hu Jintao, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Also expected on Sunday, a statement from all 21 member nations of APEC, expressing concern about North Korea's nuclear activities. The White House has endorsed that statement. Elaine Quijano, CNN with the president in Hanoi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Security is being tightened in Indonesia, ahead of President Bush's planned visit there on Monday. A top police official says the threat of a terror attack has jumped in recent days. And there have also days of anti-Bush protests in the capital of Jakarta. Mr. Bush is due to meet with Indonesia's president on his way back from the APEC Summit in Vietnam.

A thief steals a car with a three-year-old inside. But don't worry, there is a happy ending. The emotional story coming up.

A powerful show of support for thousands of Georgia soldiers about to head back to Iraq. We'll take you there live.

After recent violence in Lebanon, it is time for reality check. What is all the political uproar? And is the White House helping or hurting? Find out straight ahead in the NEWSROOM

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: "News Across America", a former Homeland Security press aide behind bars. Brian Doyle was sentenced to five years in prison for sending sexually explicit Internet messages to a police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. Doyle resigned from his Homeland security post shortly after his arrest in April.

Top musicians, including Stevie Wonder are singing the praises of the late Gerald Levert. A memorial service was held yesterday in Cleveland, Ohio, and thousands of people turned out. Levert died at his home, last week, at the age of 40. A preliminary autopsy indicates he had heart disease.

Investigators are trying to find out what caused a deadly fire at a fraternity house in Lincoln, Nebraska. The blaze killed one student at Nebraska's Wesleyan University and critically injured three others. Officials say the house did not have smoke detectors or sprinklers, that is.

A new New Orleans revealed. A model of the city made entirely of Lego blocks was unveiled yesterday. The sculpture was based on drawings submitted by children who donated the Legos. It took the artist 330 hours to glue the 120,000 Lego pieces together.

And Georgia is really showing some love today to military families at Fort Benning. Knowing that thousands of soldiers from the fort are heading back to Iraq, a major rally is currently under way. Our John Zarrella is in Columbus.

John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Hey, Fredricka, that's right. This is a huge event here at Columbus, Georgia, outside Fort Benning, about 30,000 people coming in and out of here today, along with thousands of troops from nearby Fort Benning.

It is a chance for the people here to just say thank you to the men and women in the military for their service. And, of course, there is all kinds -- there's music here, and we've got lots of food, and there is a -- hug a hero booth, as well, here. And all kinds of military hardware that has been on display. Kids getting a chance to walk through some of the gear here, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

And lot of folks here, including a veteran, himself. And it's Val McGowan

Right, Val?

VAL MCGOWAN, FATHER OF A SOLDIER: Yes, how you doing?

It is a great day here in Columbus for people to come out and say hello to the veterans and thank them for the service they've been doing. I'm been in a war, the first Persian Gulf, and I have a loved one currently in the war right now.

ZARRELLA: Your son here, Christian, just got done with a Little League football game.

Hey, Christian, how are ya?

CHRISTIAN MCGOWAN, SON: Fine.

ZARRELLA: You want to tell us a little bit about your mom. Where is she?

C. MCGOWAN: The 14 Cav, over in Afghanistan.

ZARRELLA: She's in the 14th in Afghanistan. What does she do?

C. MCGOWAN: Nurse.

ZARRELLA: She's a nurse. She coming home soon?

C. MCGOWAN: In two weeks.

V. MCGOWAN: Two months.

ZARRELLA: Two months? I'll bet you're excited, huh?

C. MCGOWAN: Yes, sir.

ZARRELLA: Yes, sir. You're all set, though? You'll have a late Christmas when she gets home?

C. MCGOWAN: Yes, sir.

ZARRELLA: I see you got your CNN hat on, too. One of the things he got.

Val, thanks very much to you and Christian for stopping by.

And we want to take another look over here. Another one of the things that is here with us today, of course, CNN brought Warrior One down. Warrior One was one of the HUMVEES that CNN used in the Gulf War for it's news crews.

It looks a little different than it did back then. It has been clearly re-outfitted, overhauled on TLC. They did this work in a week. And you can see the spectacular job that they did.

What they're doing is touring the country with this. And in January, it is going to be auctioned off. And that auction will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona. And the proceeds are going to go to the Fisher House. The Fisher House provides assistance and housing to military families who have loved ones who are getting medical care at VA and military hospitals.

So, they expect to get several $100,000 for this vehicle at auction, which will be great. One of the things, too, if you want to see that show on the 21st of November and the again, on the 21st of December on TLC, you can see them actually -- how they did this in one week -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. I love it. Thank you, John.

If folks want to learn more about this overhauled HUMMER, you can go cnn.com/warriorone and learn a little more about it. See what it looked like before the overhauling team got their hands on it. And where Warrior One is headed next. And look at the photo gallery there as well.

You can also read all about the Fisher House. The Fisher House Foundation and how it is supporting our troops and their families.

Now coming up, details on the new Cruises. Alessio Vinci is live from the castle.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST, CNN NEWSROOM: I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Weather Center. The skies will light up tonight with the Leonid meteor shower. Will the weather cooperate? Find out with your weekend forecast coming up.

WHITFIELD: Boy, was it a close call. This little boy, now safe, after some heart stopping moments. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, how can you go wrong? Take a romantic Italian castle, one of Hollywood's hottest couples, and a guest list full of celebrities and you got one heck of a wedding bash for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

No surprise, the paparazzi are salivating. And who better to guide us through the crush of flashing cameras, and all of those what, 6,000 burning candles? Crazy number. Our Alessio Vinci is there.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Well, Fredricka, Paparazzi right now are extremely disappointed. Look at behind me here. We can't see the castle anymore. A thick fog has descended over Bracciano, and we can't see anything. We don't even see the candles anymore.

We do know, however, is that the wedding did take place, a least Tom Cruise's publicist has announced this. He will release many details perhaps later on today. We do understand the ceremony lasted about one hour, or so.

And we understand that this is a day that people in this country, and in this city, will remember as a day that Hollywood had descended here in this little town of Bracciano.

It was a star studded ceremony. Among those who attended this wedding here where in Bracciano, were Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Brooke Shields, just to name a few.

And the people here absolutely going crazy and enjoying every moment of it as they arrived in their tinted -- window-tinted limousines here, trying to take a snapshot. Tom Cruise arrived a little bit after Katie Holmes here. They arrived separately. She was waiting, watching his arrival from the window of the castle.

And as I said, a wedding that is perhaps -- costs between a $1.5 million and $6 million, 6,000 scented candles. There were supposed to be fireworks tonight, but with this kind of weather, I'm not sure that either we will be able to see them. Perhaps we will be able to hear them. This is really a fine finale for an incredible day here in Bracciano, and we are perhaps beginning to see the people going back home.

Because even the fact that the mayor of Bracciano had requested for the couple to appear perhaps on the balcony, and thank the city of Bracciano for their hospitality, well unless the fog goes away, they will not be able to be seen.

So, really a weird finale here, perhaps, after a crazy day in Bracciano, where Hollywood really met a small village in Italy. Back to you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Alessio, I guess, you know, a bit of a disappointment for the paparazzi and the fans. But it is almost as if the celebrity couple planned it this way with the fog moving in. So you can't convince me that the party is over. People already leaving just after a couple of hours?

VINCI: No. I'm talking about the local residents here, who were hoping to get a glimpse of the stars perhaps appearing on the window or something like that. They are probably leaving because they know they can't see anything anymore, and it is getting cold. They are leaving.

WHITFIELD: OK, just checking.

VINCI: The guys inside, they're warm there. And I'm sure they're enjoying every moment of it. As a matter of fact, they're enjoying it even more now because helicopters can't film, the crews can't take a snapshot. We can't do -- this is exactly what they were hoping for. Tom Cruise spent $6 million on this wedding, but he couldn't buy enough fog. Look at this. He got his way this time around.

WHITFIELD: It looks like he did at bargain basement prices. All right, Alessio, thank you very much.

Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras who is in the Weather Center.

And I guess no one would have predicted that kind of fog to move in.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I they're probably happy about that. I guarantee you, despite that fog, you know there will be pictures. They'll get some.

WHITFIELD: Oh, you know there are going to be great photos.

JERAS: They should have just had their wedding at home. Look how beautiful it is. Beautiful weather, across, in fact, most of the country.

One of the big questions about the fog tonight is it going to be rolling in early enough to prevent us from seeing the Leonid meteor shower. That will be taking place later on for tonight. We think we'll see some fog in the San Francisco. We think we'll see cloudy conditions across parts of the Pacific Northwest.

And we already have the clouds across parts of the Great Lakes and into the Northeastern quarter. But some great viewing across parts of the South.

We have some pictures we want to show you from a couple of years ago. And take a look at that show. Astronomer aren't predicting we'll see activity like that this go around but could see a couple dozen meteors, or shooting stars, as we call them here, through the nighttime hours.

Best viewing around midnight Eastern Time. Should be able to see them from 11:45 to 1:30 in the morning. The Earth passing through some of the debris from the comet Temple Tuttle. Hopefully get out there and have a chance to see that tonight. The best viewing, if weather conditions were good, would be across the Northeastern part of the country. Might have a real tough time seeing it across parts of the South and across parts of West as well.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: This one, hard to imagine how a Dallas father felt when a thief drove off, not only with his car, but with his three- year-old son inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so glad I was here.

WHITFIELD: Huge relief when it turned out to have a happy ending. You don't want to miss this. Coming up next in the NEWSROOM. Plus, months of turmoil in the Middle East begs the question, is the Bush foreign policy working? Are a reality check coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at what is happening "Now in the News". This developing story out of Illinois. A deadly ending to an armed standoff at a hospital outside of Chicago. Officials say a patient who was holed up in a hospital room with a gun, has been shot and killed. And apparently self-inflicted. We'll have more details on this story as they become available.

Also President Bush finds consensus among Pacific Rim leaders in condemning North Korea's recent nuclear tests. A joint statement, to that effect, will reportedly be issued tomorrow. Mr. Bush is in Hanoi for today's kickoff of the Asian Pacific Economic Summit.

Back in the U.S., Illinois Senator Barack Obama says he won't be pressured into a run for the White House. The 45-year-old senator is widely viewed as a viable Democratic presidential candidate for the '08 race. Obama says he'll make his decision in the next coming weeks. Don't miss CNN's Don Lemon's interview with Senator Barack Obama on Monday, in the NEWSROOM, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Current Massachusetts Governor Mit Romney says he's giving serious thought to a possible presidential bid in 2008. Romney, the Bay State's exiting Republican governor, met with supporters of his political action committee today. But says he's not organizing a presidential exploratory committee just yet.

Rhythm and blues fans are saddened by the death of Singer Ruth Brown. Brown's first brushes with fame came from hit singles such as "So Long" and "Tear Drops From My Eyes" in the 1950s. Years later her career resurged on Broadway, where she won a Tony Award for her performance in "Black and Blue."

Ruth Brown died last night in Las Vegas at the age of 78.

A big phew. A three year-old boy is now safe, and his father extremely thankful after the man's car was stolen last night with his son inside. The boy was found a half an hour later, thanks in part to an observant Good Samaritan. From CNN's Texas affiliate KDFW, reporter Dionne Anglin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIONNE ANGLIN, REPORTER, KDFW (voice-over): Tears and relief after some heart-stopping moments.

BUDI CHUGITO, FATHER: Thank you all. Thank you.

ANGLIN: The reunion after this father's car was stolen with his 3-year-old son strapped inside. It happened here on East Division in Arlington, just west of Highway 360. The keys in the ignition and the boy left inside, Chugito says he went back inside the place where he works for just an instant. CHUGITO: I just go back five seconds. I don't know nothing. I can't think of nothing. I just called 911 right away. The police are doing the best work. They'll take care of everything.

ANGLIN: Police say the car thief, minutes later and miles from the scene, made a stop here at South Davis Elementary school and apparently put the boy's jacket on him and then left him in the parking lot.

CHUGITO: Thank you very much.

NICOLE FRAGOSA, FOUND MISSING CHILD: I'm so glad I was here.

ANGLIN: It all leaves this woman. Thanks to her alert hearing, now considered an angel.

FRAGOSA: I had to look outside. He was screaming, "Help, help," screaming for his mom. And when I looked outside I just saw the neighbors across the street. So I thought it was coming from them. But when I opened the door, he came running from the corner of the building straight to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, so glad it was a happy ending. That was from Dionne Anglin from CNN affiliate KDFW in Dallas. At last report, both the car thief and the vehicle were still at large.

A murder mystery, a government's future and a stability of a critical region are all on the line right now in Lebanon. Events this week have threatened to plunge the government into chaos. It could have serious implications for U.S. efforts to encourage democracy in the Middle East.

Joshua Levs is here to walk us through the story with this CNN Reality Check.

JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're talking about the place on earth that President Bush can best point to and say, look, democracy can work in the Arab world. That is Lebanon.

But given what's happened just in the past few days, it is possible that the Lebanese government could fall apart. If that happens, we're talking serious implications for U.S. foreign policy.

So what we wanted to do here was just take a step back, show you what happened, how things got this point. And this story, just like too many other stories coming out of the Middle East these days, begins in the aftermath of a bombing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS (voice-over): February 14th, 2005, 23 people killed in a Beirut bombing, including former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a top critic of Syria's military presence in Lebanon. It's the final straw for hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, who call for the ouster of the Syrian army. Within weeks, Syria pulls out. A preliminary U.N. investigation into Hariri's assassination finds evidence pointing at Syrian involvement. Syria denies it.

Fast forward to summer 2006. Israel's war with the Shiite militant group Hezbollah in south Lebanon leaves a new era of Lebanese factions jockeying for power. Last weekend the four Hezbollah's members of Lebanon's cabinet, and two others, quit hours before a vote on approving an international investigation into Hariri's death. Their departure leave no Shiites in the cabinet possibly violating the constitution call for equal representation.

Hariri's son calls it an effort by Hezbollah supporters, Iran and Syria, to stop an investigation.

SAAD HARIRI, LEADER, PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY: They tried to create a little bit of uncertainty in Lebanon.

LEVS: An accusation that brought annoyed denials.

IBRAHIM MOUSSAWI, HEZBOLLAH'S TV EDITOR: I can accuse of you anything, but you have to bring one shred of evidence about the authenticity, the validity, of your accusations.

IMAD MOUSTAPHA, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: We do not interfere in purely Lebanese domestic issues.

LEVS: Plans for a tribunal move forward, because the remaining 18 cabinet members approve it. Now Hezbollah is threatening to use its popularity to bring down the government unless the Shiites get a third of the cabinet, plus one. Enough for veto power. Shiites make up a third the country. The prime minister denies his government could collapse and he's calling for unity.

FOUAD SINIORA, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER: This country is a country of minority. No one single group can take the country wherever it needs. This country has to be really governed by consensus.

LEVS: A consensus that seems hard to reach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS (on camera): And if that consensus is not reached, obviously it causes problems in Lebanon and for the region, but also for Washington.

Here's why. First of all, Lebanon is an ally of the United States right now. If that government falls apart, if there's a new government that comes into place, will it still be an ally?

We don't know.

But there's also something much broader going on here. President Bush's chief foreign policy initiative is to spread democracy throughout the world, nowhere more so than in the Arab world.

If something happens in Lebanon, a chief example is lost. President Bush has often pointed to Lebanon as an example. He has said it in speeches, pointed to democratic institutions in Lebanon and said, look, this can work right here.

But, if instead of growing more democratic, the Lebanese government falls apart, then what we'll see, Fred, is a much more difficult time for President Bush to argue that democracy can flourish everywhere.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Joshua Levs, thanks so much from the NEWSROOM.

Well, they leave Iraq with mixed emotions. Iraqi teachers, doctors, businessmen seeking safety in other lands.

CNN's Paula Hancocks looks at the country's brain drain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT:: In the heart of the Jordanian capital is little Baghdad. Restaurants like al Mahar (ph), filled with Iraqis who have fled the violence and bloodshed in their own country.

Abu Haytham left two years ago. He's recreated his popular Baghdad restaurant here in Amman.

ABU HAYTHAM, IRAQI RESTAURANT OWNER: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC)

HANCOCKS: Abu Haytham says "We don't feel like outsiders here, but it's not the same. It's not our country."

The United Nations estimates at least half a million Iraqis are now in Jordan. That number is expected to rise after the mass kidnapping at the Ministry of Higher Education.

Increasingly, Iraq's intellectual elite, teachers, doctors, are being specifically targeted by militias. Hassan Al-Bazzaz is a professor at Baghdad University. He wanted to stay in his country. But three months ago, he fled the violence with his wife and four children.

HASSAN AL-BAZZAZ, IRAQI PROFESSOR: You miss your relatives, your family. You miss your friends and your colleagues. You miss your job. And you miss all the good memories.

HANCOCKS: He used to teach political science. Now he's becoming politically active in Amman to try and help his country. While driving to work, these days, he thinks back to his commute in Baghdad.

AL-BAZZAZ: I have to pray 50 times before I leave my house. And I have my hand on my heart all the time because I don't know if I'm going reach my school safely. HANCOCKS: The professor says the brains of Iraq must be saved to rebuild his country. And he prays that day is not too far.

AL-BAZZAZ: We did not take the keys of our houses to keep it in our pockets for years and years to come. No. We will never let what happened to the Palestinian to happen to the Iraqis. Never, ever.

HANCOCKS: But for now, Al-Bazzaz and more than one and a half million other Iraqis live outside Iraq, safe, but psychologically tied to a nation in the throes of a horrific war.

Paula Hancocks, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And now coming up, they're back. Silicone implants get the green light from the FDA.

And want to live a longer, healthier life? Results from a new study coming up next, how a college education, even hand strength play a part.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A group of scientists were studying human brain tumors when they stumbled across something totally unexpected.

Venom from a scorpion might help cure cancer.

DR. JOHN FIVEASH, DEPT. OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY: They realized it would bind to a variety of tumor types, particularly malignant brain tumors, and didn't bind to the normal tissue, including the normal brain. It was further tested and found out that it would stop brain tumors from growing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they began producing synthetic venom in the lab, tagging it with radioactive iodine and injecting it directly into the space from which the tumor was removed.

FIVEASH: So we want to look at other methods, or other ways that we could deliver this drug. But we'd also like to be able to treat different types of tumor, not just brain tumors because there will bind to breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The drug is still in clinical trials, but the Transmolecular, Inc. hopes to have the drug on the market within five years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Banned in 1992, now silicone breast implants have the green light to go back on the market.

CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the FDA ban of silicone breast implants in 1992, only a small number of women in clinical trials have been able to receive them. But now the FDA is giving two companies, Inamed, now a part of Alocen (ph), and Mentor the green light to sell them broadly again.

DONNA TILLMAN, FDA: We have more information that's enabled us to determine that these devices are safe and effective. We have more information that's enabled us to provide women information about risks and benefits so that they can make informed choices.

FEIG (on camera): Although most studies have failed to link the implants to serious diseases, some studies show that over a 10-year period 14 percent of implants will rupture. And questions still remain over what happens when silicone enters the body.

(voice-over): The agency says often women will have to have more than one surgery. And that has some women's advocates concerned.

DIANA ZUCKERMAN, WOMEN'S ADVOCATE: After all these years and all this publicity and all this controversy, the FDA was willing to make an approval decision before we had the answers to the most basic questions.

FEIG: To help answer these questions, the FDA is requiring both companies to each follow 40,000 women who get these implants for 10 years to look for medical problems. And the implants won't be available for everyone.

Women wanting larger breasts must be age 22 or older. Women needing them for reconstruction, like after breast cancer, will be able to receive them at any age.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Statistically women live longer than men. But a new study on aging may help middle aged men close the gap on getting to their golden years.

Dr. Bill Lloyd is live in Sacramento with more on this surprising points of the study.

Good to see you.

DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIV. OF CALIF.-DAVIS MED. CTR.: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So we're talking about 6,000 middle aged volunteers, at least they were middle aged in 1965, and they were studied over the years. And nearly half of them lived until the age of 85. Pretty impressive. Why?

LLOYD: Well, it's impressive because they kept track of them. They lost less than 1 percent of them. Fredricka, I can't even keep track of my magazine subscriptions. But what they did -- they collected these 6,000 men. They were all volunteers, part of the Honolulu Heart Program.

And it's like a time machine. Back then, they looked at a variety of factors, including their vital signs, their weight, were they slim or not, things like their grip strength. And they followed these men for 40 years.

And they found out that 40 percent of them made it to their 85th birthday. But Fredricka, it's more than simply surviving. Eleven percent of them had no chronic diseases. They had their full brain. They were fully active and engaged in life at the age of 85. These were essentially powerful senior citizens that had made it to 85 in very, very good health.

WHITFIELD: And so, what was also learned from the study is, to underscore all those thing you talked about, they didn't have chronic diseases, they had a good, you know, grip, hand grip. And they remained very active. These were things that we're learning from the study, if men do in their midlife years, they can perhaps better preserve their body so that maybe they can enjoy these spectacular life longevities.

LLOYD: They certainly can. And, Fredricka, if you want to have a fountain of youth, the best one is the one you're going create yourself. So, yes, keeping yourself fit -- that's where that hand grip strength comes from, it just tells you how physically robust you were -- keeping your weight down, not getting diabetic, watching your blood pressure, not smoking -- never smoking.

All of these factors that go into decisions that you make in midlife will pop up again later in life. And they found with high predictability that if you had none of these factors, living a healthy life to your 50th birthday, then you had over a 70 percent chance of making it, not just your 85th birthday, but making it in the best of health.

WHITFIELD: And education played a factor as well, right?

LLOYD: Folks with an advanced degree, a college degree, a master's or doctorate, live longer and lived healthier. They think it relates to just general intellectual skills, that people that went to college, you know, they quiz each other, they read a lot, they do cross word puzzles, the exact things that neurologists tell us will ensure a very robust intellectual life once you get past your 70th birthday.

Now to close that gender gap, Fredricka. Women outlive men three to one to their 80th birthday, four to one to their 90th birthday, and there's not many guys hanging around after that 100 mark.

WHITFIELD: Wow, those are remarkable stats.

All right, Dr. Bill Lloyd, thanks so much.

I guess the bottom line lesson is keep your mind and your body active.

LLOYD: Certainly.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

WHITFIELD: You too.

Well, here are some of the most popular stories on CNN.com today. A Texas teenager is sentenced to life in prison. David Henry Tuck was convicted of beating and sodomizing a Hispanic teen. Witnesses say Tuck shouted "White Power" during the attack.

People are also interested in photos from Fidel Castro's early years. This week U.S. officials said the Cuban leader has terminal cancer and is unlikely to live through next year.

And a man known only as the Secret Santa has roamed Kansas City for decades, giving away Christmas cheer in the form of $100 bills. Well, he is now revealing his identity. We'll tell you more about him and why he is talking.

And we'll learn more about that later on in the NEWSROOM with Carol Lin.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right.

WHITFIELD: Just like that.

LIN: I'll take that. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: But it was in $100 bills.

LIN: Very different for you and me.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LIN: I didn't have $100 to give you.

But imagine if you were just dirt poor. And he had these people in tears. And his story has an element of surprise, as you know. And we want to share it with our audience in the next hour. So it's really terrific that they're seeing it on the web.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LIN: I want my 20 back, by the way.

WHITFIELD: I had a feeling -- I'm still holding out. I'm like, OK, I'm not sticking it in my pocket.

LIN: He's amazing, though.

WHITFIELD: Yes, the difference is, he doesn't take it back.

LIN: Yes, he doesn't take it back.

I need the money.

At 10:00 tonight, we have a really interesting story. You know, you've heard of bloggers. And now there are video bloggers, people who are getting clips and putting them on the Internet.

I'm interviewing a guy at 10:00 tonight who has a bunch of video bloggers around Iraq. And you're going to see their video clips and a completely different side of Iraq.

There was one clip that we saw of a neighborhood watch, their own neighborhood watch, except, you know, they have automatic weapons. But it's the only way these people feel that they can keep their street safe.

So we're going to do the story about these video bloggers out of Iraq and the man who is bringing their story to the world.

WHITFIELD: Another look at Iraq, which is great because so many people feel like they've seen it all.

LIN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: But there's still other things to see there.

LIN: Now, if you need the 20, I can always loan it to you.

WHITFIELD: I know you've got my back.

LIN: OK.

WHITFIELD: I appreciate it.

Thanks, Carol.

All right, well, they've been some of the most powerful men in the world. So what's with all this doodling? Scratch pad secrets of the American presidency next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, you might call it worthless scribbling, random sketches or squiggles, even. But when a president does it, well, people pay attention. Now a new book is showcasing presidential doodles.

Our Jeanne Moos gives us a peek.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You see them signing bills and signing autographs, but rarely do you get to see a president doodling.

DAVID GREENBERG, CO-AUTHOR, "PRESIDENTIAL DOODLES": There's a person with horns. Is it a mutant cat or rabbit?

MOOS (on camera): A devil cat.

(voice-over): It is a doodle by LBJ.

GREENBERG: And there's a kind of whip there.

MOOS (on camera): Where's the whip? I mean...

GREENBERG: Well, I see this as a whip.

MOOS (voice-over): Whatever it is, President Eisenhower doodled it.

"Presidential Doodles" is a collection of scribblings from George Washington's filled-in alternating squares to FDR's fish and ships.

The most recent presidents, Clintons and Bush, wouldn't hand over any doodles.

GREENBERG: Even a doodle might in some way subvert the public image.

MOOS: But at least JFK left us words in boxes and sailboats. This was what he was doodling during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

GREENBERG: Blockade Cuba. It's like he's reminding himself to pick up his dry cleaning.

MOOS: You could actually dry clean these doodles, Herbert Hoover's intricate geometric designs ended up on a lint of childrens' clothing.

So how do doodlers in chief stack up?

GREENBERG: Benjamin Harrison, not a great president, but a great doodler.

Reagan is a terrific doodler.

MOOS: He once considered becoming a cartoonist, though he had a much analyzed habit of leaving off the ends of limbs, ironic when you consider the part he played as an amputee in "King's Row".

RONALD REAGAN, ACTOR: Where's the rest of me?

MOOS: All of him seemed crazy about Nancy. Check out his love doodles.

GREENBERG: It says, there I was, doodling away and I began to think about you. So...

MOOS: It gets mushier.

GREENBERG: My cuddly-wuddly little pink honey pot.

MOOS: And reaches a crescendo with:

GREENBERG: Dear Mommy, Poo Pants, first lady, Nancy and signs it, I love you, Papa Poo Pants, first guy.

MOOS: Speaking of bathroom talk, this is the closest thing to a doodle the authors could get from President Bush. He was at the U.N. when a photographer captured a note he slipped to Condi Rice, saying, "I think I may need a bathroom break. Is this possible?"

GREENBERG: Here's a guy who said we didn't need a permission slip from the U.N. to go to war, but he did need a permission slip at the U.N. to go to the bathroom.

MOOS: beware of over-analyzing doodles. When Tony Blair left an economic summit, reporters pounced on doodles he'd apparently left behind. Experts analyzed the prime minister's scribblings. Chaotic script, aggressive, unstable, death wish.

Turns out the doodles were done by Bill Gates.

And finally, the saddest doodle.

GREENBERG: It's hard to find a doodle that's moving. But this one is.

MOOS: Penned by JFK the night before his assassination, this doodle suggests JFK longed to be in a sailboat rather than a motorcade.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still much more ahead in the NEWSROOM, including a CNN investigation. It turns out America's most tightly secured prison may have sprung a leak. New concerns now that not all communications from supermax are letters home. That's just one of the stories we're watching here in the NEWSROOM.

From the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Carol Lin and the day's top stories three minutes from now.

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