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Your World Today
Baghdad Curfew Lifted, Fear Runs Rampant; Poland, Britain Announce Troops Withdrawal Plans From Iraq; Three People Undergo Radiological Testing After the Death of Alexander Litvinenko
Aired November 27, 2006 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: They have been part of the war in Iraq for years. Now British troops prepare to perhaps pack up and leave.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: He was the apparent victim of a diabolical poisoning. Now there are fears others may fall victim to the same illness as a former Russian spy.
HOLMES: Why are so many people in Turkey so angry over an upcoming visit by the pope?
MCEDWARDS: And India gets more than it bargained for in the latest Brangelina visit.
It is 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 7:00 p.m. in Istanbul. Hello and welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.
I'm Colleen McEdwards.
HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes.
From London, to Istanbul, to Mumbai, wherever you're watching us, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
Troop withdrawals, a high-profile visit to Tehran, and a palpable sense of fear in the Iraqi capital. There is a lot happening on the Iraq front this hour.
MCEDWARDS: There sure is.
Both Poland and Britain going public with plans to get out of Iraq in large numbers, and relatively soon as well. The word comes as Iraq's president heads to Tehran and the American president prepares for two days of face-to-face meetings with Iraq's prime minister and Jordan's King Abdullah.
HOLMES: That's right.
Let's begin in the capital, Baghdad, where a curfew has been lifted and fear is the dominant emotion, fear of unending sectarian violence, fear of vengeance killing, fear of merely getting caught up in the crossfire. All of that as Iraq's president does head to Iran in an effort to stem the spiraling violence.
Arwa Damon is live for us in the Iraqi capital. Arwa, let's start with that visit, first of all. Is there any sense there that it might achieve something?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, right now few people have any hope left that anything is really going to achieve any sort of change here, be it the Iraqi president's visit to Tehran or the Iraqi prime minister's upcoming meeting with President George Bush. For them, when they see their politicians holding these high- level talks, it really doesn't mean much for the Iraqi people anymore.
Their lives are so traumatic right now. Just stepping outside -- the fear here is so palpable these days is what they are really looking for is action on the ground that's going to change their lives -- Michael.
HOLMES: And what sort of action will that be? And talk a little more, Arwa -- I know that you do get out and about, as dangerous as it is there. That mood on the streets, the sort of feeling there that this is not getting better and there's nothing on the horizon, what is that doing to people's mood there?
DAMON: Well, Michael, it's really tragic. I mean, what you're seeing -- and having been here for the last three and a half years, you see people's spirits really starting to die. There is very little hope left out there.
Even today, the first day that there was no curfew in place, only 50 percent of the capital's professionals went out to work. Why didn't the rest go out? Put simply, fear of retaliatory violence.
Sectarian killings here have escalated to a new level. The fear of being a victim of sectarian violence here has really peaked after the deadly bombings that we saw in Sadr City that happened on Thursday, to the point where there are, for example, Internet blogs about how to better defend yourself.
Residents of Baghdad comparing notes on attacks that happened in their areas, giving one another advice on how to shoot weapons, how to fortify homes. Text messages swirling around about the Iraqi police handing -- handing police uniforms out to the Mehdi militia.
I mean, the rumors here about various attacks that are happening, brutal, grotesque descriptions, really, are crossing throughout the capital through a variety of mediums. And fact or fiction, Michael, right now, the rumor just of itself, could be such a reality for people here, that it really doesn't matter if it's true or not. Just the fear that it could be true is enough to further paralyze the society -- Michael.
HOLMES: It's truly chilling, Arwa. Tell me this, though. I know that the police force is problematic in terms of infiltration by the militia. But what about the military? Is there any sign of the military on the streets, U.S. or Iraqi, for that matter, trying to provide some sort of sense of comfort and security?
DAMON: Well, we heard yesterday at a press conference that there was going to be beefed-up increased security at joint Iraqi security force checkpoints. We also heard that the U.S. military curfew, while its curfew was in place, was going to provide additional security, additional checkpoints in some hotspots around the capital.
But speaking with Baghdad residents today, when you ask them, "Did you see this increased security force in the streets?" They say, "No, not really."
In some neighborhoods, in fact, it wasn't the Iraqi security forces that were out in the streets. Residents were telling us that they were seeing the Mehdi militia providing security. And additionally, some other individual Iraqis who we spoke to said that they actually feared this increase of Iraqi security forces in their areas -- Michael.
HOLMES: Indeed.
A good picture there laid out for us by Arwa Damon in Baghdad.
Thanks, Arwa.
MCEDWARDS: Well, even as the violence and the fear grows, the western presence in Iraq will soon be getting smaller. Poland's president, Lech Kaczynski, says his country will pull its 900 troops still serving in Iraq, pull them out by the end of next year. Britain is also readying a large troop withdrawal.
Becky Anderson has that part of the story for us now from London -- Becky.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Colleen. Britain has said today that it expects to pull thousands of troops out of Iraq by the end of the year. Now, that since the -- or the end of next year, sorry -- the U.K. commits to handing over those two provinces in the south that is still run by its forces.
How many thousands, though, well, the defense secretary, Des Browne, wasn't prepared to say today. And with a commitment to leading a quick reaction force to mentor and back up that Iraqi army and police, I spoke to him earlier. And I put it to him that this is redeployment of the 7,000-strong British force there and not the withdrawal that many, many people across the U.K. are looking for.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DES BROWNE, BRITISH DEFENSE MINISTER: We're in a process. You're right to say that the first stage in that process is to withdraw the troops from the front line, as I explained and as everybody knows, and that we will continue to provide overwatch (ph) for the Iraqi forces. Then, once we're satisfied that they're able to take responsibility of themselves, we'll be in a position to draw down. What I was doing today was merely putting a scale on to that ambition as far as we are concerned in the nature of our planning, and we believe that we can achieve it.
ANDERSON: You say you won't be driven out by arbitrary deadlines. You said that before. I'm sure you'll say it again.
Will you be driven out by arbitrary death at this point?
BROWNE: No. I think we have to -- first of all, we have to honor the sacrifice of those who have died, made the ultimate sacrifice in seeing this policy through. And we will not honor that by cutting and running. So there's no sense of that.
We are dealing with people who focus some of the violence on us so that they can for their own political and other reasons claim that they have driven us out, when, in fact, you know, we are merely seeing through a process that we ourselves have described and planned.
ANDERSON: Do you agree with Tony Blair that this has been a disaster?
BROWNE: I don't accept, first of all, that that very particular interpretation of what the prime minister said is the correct one. I mean, I have the benefit of having actually seen the footage of the interview, so I don't think that's an appropriate interpretation of what he said.
ANDERSON: I want to talk to you about the involvement of Iran and Syria in strategy going forward.
BROWNE: There is some indication that there is a diplomatic improvement in relation to Syria, but as I said in the speech, we'll need to see that the actions live up to the words. As far as Iran is concerned, the challenge is very clear. They can and should deal with the violence as they do -- and it will not be in their long-term interests. And they will, in my view, risk international isolation if they're not prepared to deal with that issue.
ANDERSON: The Iraqi government of al-Maliki, effective, efficient, good enough going forward?
BROWNE: It's an improving government, in my view, facing some quite significant challenges. But it's been in existence for only six months. We have an obligation to support them, and we will continue to support them in facing that challenge. There is no alternative.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Defense Secretary Des Browne speaking to me earlier.
So he says he wants thousands of British troops out of Iraq by the end of next year. He will not say just how many thousands he is speaking about. But in a somber warning, he says as any handover of the south takes place, we will see increasing violence against those troops -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: Becky, just quickly, if you will, I mean, just remind us of how much pressure the British government is under here.
ANDERSON: Yes. A lot of pressure. As much as the U.S. government is. I mean, there are questions now being asked all the time in parliament here. Calls for a debate once again on Iraq and why those troops are still there.
It's extremely difficult for the U.K. government at present and indeed for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was asked on another network recently whether this had been a disaster. He said it has and went on to say other things.
You heard Des Browne talking about that there, suggesting that he had been sort of misquoted on what he said. But extremely difficult for the U.K. government at the present, and they are looking at least to convince the British government -- the British public that they will be out, as I say, by the end of next year.
MCEDWARDS: All right. Becky Anderson in London.
Thanks a lot, Becky -- Michael.
HOLMES: OK, Colleen.
Coalition countries say they are keeping a close eye on a group in the United States known as the Iraq Study Group. You may have heard of it. The bipartisan panel is considering U.S. strategy on Iraq.
It is expected to present its report soon, and there is speculation it's going to recommend intensive regional dialogue, including talks with Iran and Syria, two members of the president's "axis of evil." However, it is thought the group won't set a schedule for withdrawing U.S. troops.
MCEDWARDS: Well, with the report looming, U.S. President George W. Bush heads for a midweek summit in Jordan. Also to be there, Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.
Bob Franken has a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The host of the summit, Jordan's King Abdullah, is warning of a larger crisis engulfing the Middle East.
KING ABDULLAH, JORDAN: We're juggling with the strong potential of three civil wars in the region, whether it's the Palestinians, that of Lebanon, or of Iraq.
FRANKEN: But President Bush is focused on what can be done in Iraq without leaving behind a country consumed by sectarian war.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm open to any idea or suggestion that will help us achieve our goals of defeating the terrorists and assuring Iraq's democratic government succeeds.
FRANKEN: The administration is looking for help throughout the region. Vice President Cheney met with Saudi Arabia's rulers over the weekend to ask them to exert pressure on their fellow Sunni Muslims, in Iraq.
And there are diplomatic efforts to engage Iran and Syria. The two countries seen as hostile to U.S. interests, but who wield their own influence in inside Iraq. Back in Washington, the Iraq Study Group is trying to agree on which of the tough choices to recommend as U.S. policy, but its final report is not due for several weeks.
In the meantime, the newly elected Democratic majority in Congress is trying to assert itself on Iraq. Congressman Ike Skelton will chair the House Arms Services Committee, and says President Bush needs to tell the Iraqi premiere that the recent elections signal a change for the U.S. role in his country.
REP. IKE SKELTON, (D-MO.) CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: He should make it clear that the election has its results, and that in truth and fact, there should be a redeployment beginning soon. And that the Iraqis will have to take the security burden on themselves more and more. The American people want that. And I think President Maliki should understand that.
FRANKEN: Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCEDWARDS: All right. Well, Israel's prime minister makes an unprecedented offer to the Palestinian leadership, but will it lead to any kind of a lasting peace in the Middle East?
HOLMES: Yes.
Also ahead, the numbers help tell the story. Why did New York City police fire so many shots into a group of unarmed men?
Stay with us on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MCEDWARDS: Welcome back to CNN International.
HOLMES: That's right. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY. We bring CNN's viewers right around the globe the most important international stories of the day.
MCEDWARDS: All right.
Well, three people in Britain are undergoing radiological testing as authorities open a formal inquest now into the mysterious poisoning death of former KGB agent-turned-Kremlin-critic Alexander Litvinenko.
Paula Newton joins us now live from London with more on this.
Paula, what's going on?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's the kind of story that seems to change by the hour.
John Reed, the home secretary here, stood up and did confirm that three people were going through further testing. Also, there have been media reports that more polonium radiation has been found in other buildings.
One is actually in Grosvenors Square, where that Millennium Hotel was. And on top of that, that is a location where the American Embassy here in Britain is located. So we're going to have to stand by to see exactly how much Polonium they find in that area.
In the meantime, though, the body of Alexander Litvinenko is still in a London mortuary, and authorities don't even know if they'll be able to do an autopsy. It may just be too dangerous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (voice-over): His doctors called it chemical torture. And in the hours before his death, former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko bared the scars of it. His organs failing, his body surrendering. But not his mind.
Until the last, he fingered the Kremlin, a charge echoed by his father.
ALEXANDER LITVINENKO'S FATHER (through translator): "This regime is a mortal danger to the world. He fought this regime, he understood it, and this regime got him."
NEWTON: What actually got him, investigators say, is a rare radioactive element called Polonium-210. And now trying to figure out when and how he was poisoned is turning into a sensational whodunit. His friends say the Polonium should be like a fingerprint for police; it implicates Russian intelligence executing the government's orders.
ALEX GOLDFARB, VICTIM'S FRIEND: We know that the Russian regime has evolved into a kind of authoritarian dictatorship by now, with no checks and balances.
NEWTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin denies any and all involvement.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I hope that British authorities would not contribute to instigation of political scandals. It has nothing to do with reality.
NEWTON: It's now up to Scotland Yard to sort all of this out. Investigators are combing through Litvinenko's north London home, the sushi restaurant where he had lunch on November 1st, and the hotel where earlier that same day when he met with two Russian men.
All the sites are now contaminated with radiation and authorities are asking people who may have been affected to come forward.
JILL MEARA, BRITISH HEALTH PROTECTION AGENCY: Because we can analyze for it, and this is potentially a serious incident as a whole, we are pleased to offer this reassurance to people.
NEWTON: But police remain challenged by this bizarre murder that now threatens to strain relations between Britain and Russia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: What all the British authorities will say about that is that they have spoken with Russian diplomats here in the city and have said that they expect their full cooperation in this investigation -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: All right.
Paula Newton in London.
Thanks a lot for bringing us up to date there, Paula -- Michael.
HOLMES: What a story.
Well, Israel's prime minister says it could be a new opening for peace on the heels of a cease-fire that is shaky but in effect. Ehud Olmert is offering to hold direct talks with the Palestinians. And for the first time, he's publicly talking about a prisoner exchange, although prisoner exchanges have been talked about before. It's significant that he's doing it publicly.
Paula Hancocks is in Jerusalem.
How is it all being taken there, Paula? A lot of this isn't all that new.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Michael. He has said much of this before. But it is quite interesting that he is focusing on the release of the Israeli soldier who was kidnapped back on June 25th, Gilad Shalit, and in the way that he has said if Gilad Shalit is released, then many Palestinian prisoners will be released as well.
Now, many Israeli officials in the past have tried to shy away from saying there would be a prisoner swap because obviously they were worried that militants would try and kidnap more Israeli soldiers so that they could get more Palestinian prisoners released. So this is an interesting point.
And he's also saying that the Palestinians really are at a historical crossroads. They have to now decide whether or not they want the path to peace or the path to violence.
He's suggested other things, saying that he could ease restrictions on the checkpoints in Palestinian territories. Also saying that he could actually release frozen funds. There's hundreds of millions of dollars that have been frozen from the Palestinian authorities since Hamas came to power.
So all these things he is saying will go ahead if the Palestinians try and talk to Israel and if Gilad Shalit is released. Now, we've had preliminary reaction from President Mahmoud Abbas' office, saying deeds obviously are more important than words themselves, but it's a positive step at this point. But Olmert really is pointing that this is a significant moment and they should pick a path.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I hope very much they will show responsibility and goodwill. This could be the beginning of a serious, true, and open direct negotiations between us and the Palestinian authorities, between myself and Abu Mazen, in order to advance in the direction of a comprehensive settlement between us and the Palestinians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: So in the second day of the cease-fire that was announced and started 6:00 a.m. local time Sunday morning, and in the past few hours, we have had further rocket attacks on Israel. No casualties, though. And at this point Olmert does appear to be telling his military to restrain itself and see if there's going to be a full-blown violation of a cease-fire.
So no reaction at this point -- Michael.
HOLMES: Paula, as always, thanks.
Paula Hancocks in Jerusalem.
MCEDWARDS: All right. Well, let's check some other stories making news around the world now.
HOLMES: Let's do that.
(NEWSBREAK)
HOLMES: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, police kill an unarmed man just hours before his wedding.
MCEDWARDS: And Pope Benedict heads for Turkey, his first visit to a Muslim country since his controversial remarks earlier this year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check of stories making headlines in the United States.
Anger and demands for answers in New York. A young bridegroom is dead, two of his friends in the hospital after plain-clothed officers fired as many as 50 bullets. All of this happened Saturday night outside a Queens strip club after a bachelor party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: Undercover officer number two: Undercover officer number two was in front of the club when he heard an individual, later identified as the driver of the Altima, Sean Bell, say, "Let's F him up," in reference to an unidentified male standing by a black SUV in front of the club. The undercover officer said that he heard the individual, later identified as Joseph Guzman (ph), say, "Yo, go get my gun."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE: We must first deal with what actually happened that night, the prosecution of that, so that people understand that policemen and everyone else are not above the law. Police can not go to a scene and become the judge, the jury and executioner. That's the first thing.
So whether your switch police chiefs or not -- and that may be what we have to do -- that doesn't answer the fact that we have someone that has been killed here, and two wounded. And there must be accountability of those officers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And these pictures live now. We have been waiting for quite some time to hear from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. They have been in a closed-door meeting, along with community leaders, to discuss what has happened in New York.
We are joined on the set now by Mike Brooks, CNN security analyst.
Mike, I know that you have had quite a bit of experience...
MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Right.
COLLINS: ... especially in training officers in a case like this. When we look back at the developments and the way that this story happened, what to you is sort of the key and the highlight of it all?
BROOKS: Well, you know, whenever you have 50 rounds fired, Heidi, that's going to -- everybody's going to say, wow, that's a lot of rounds. It only takes one round to kill a person.
COLLINS: Sure.
BROOKS: So let's take the 50 rounds and put that aside a minute. But the bottom line is here, was this a good shoot or was it not? What brought the officers to stop this vehicle to begin with?
And, you know, when you have comments that we just heard from Commissioner Kelly made about -- from Sean Bell, the driver of the car, that said, "Let's F him up," and then you've got one of the other in the group that says, "Go get my gun," Is that probable cause for the officers to pull these people over? Probable cause.
When you first start at the academy, any fact or set of circumstances that would lead a reasonable and prudent officer to believe a crime is being committed, is about to be committed, or has been committed. So, is there a crime getting ready to be committed here? Absolutely, if there's talk about getting a gun and doing harm to someone else.
Now, did they identify themselves to the -- to the people in the van as police officers when they were coming up? That's going to be another question that investigators...
COLLINS: They said they did, right?
BROOKS: They said they did. That's what we heard from Commissioner Kelly. But we're also going to hear statements from witnesses there, from the other officers, from everybody else in the car.
COLLINS: Let's step back for a minute, if we could, Mike, as we wait for this press conference there. We have a split screen up. We're waiting for them to come out, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Let's remind everybody what happened.
We talk about this vehicle. This happened about 4:00 a.m. in the Queens, Jamaica section of New York. The guys were coming out of a strip club there. Apparently, they say, that as this group of men were leaving this bachelor party -- this is according to Commissioner Ray Kelly -- they said that, as the undercover officer approached the front of the car, the car moved forward striking the undercover officer. It then plowed into the front of the police minivan. So that was the first incident.
BROOKS: Exactly. And apparently there'd been a confrontation just prior to this with another separate group of people coming out of the club.
COLLINS: Separate group.
BROOKS: So we've got to find out from (INAUDIBLE), who was inside the club, because apparently I'm hearing from sources that there was one undercover officer inside the club. What happened inside that club to bring -- to have this spill outside. Was there a transaction? Was there a weapon mentioned there? That's what investigators are also going to have to find out, to say why these officers took this action.
But then let's go forward to the number of rounds that were fired. We talked about that, put that aside. We talked about that. Put that aside for a minute. Let's get back to that, 50 rounds. One officer fired 31 shots. That's going to be looked at.
COLLINS: Will they look at his experience level? Is this a new officer, the first time that he has fired...
BROOKS: Well, apparently, the most experienced person on the scene was a 17-year veteran, and there's supposedly also one boss, or sergeant, lieutenant on the scene, so that -- they haven't said anything about that either. I'm hearing that from sources.
Now they're going to take a look -- let's take a look at weapons discipline. When you're taught to encounter someone, look, they're going to have to show a gun or make a movement toward a gun, and you use two to three-round bursts. Now what happened here? That remains to be seen. But 31 rounds -- people are going to say that's excessive. From first look, it looks like it might be, because the person shot, had to reload, and shot again. But keep in mind, 4:00 in the morning, a lot of muzzle flashes going off, a lot of confusion, other officers who might have been on the other side of the car also who was shooting into the van might have thought it was coming from inside.
COLLINS: They obviously had to have thought -- we don't want to speculate, of course. We were not there.
BROOKS: Right, no.
COLLINS: they had to have thought that they were taking fire.
BROOKS: Exactly, to fire that many rounds, and then they found out they found no weapon.
Keep in mind, again, a lot of confusion. Things do happen. There might have been a weapon, maybe somebody got it out. Who knows? And they're talking about possibly even one other person who was in the car who left the scene. Could that person have left the scene with evidence? Absolutely. But that remains to be seen. It's still early on in the investigation, and we're going to hopefully going find out a little bit more this morning.
COLLINS: Right. In fact. We see New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the microphones. He is joined by Reverend Al Sharpton. That's who we see there now.
Let's go ahead and see if we can listen in for just a moment as they position themselves close enough for everyone to hear at those microphones.
As we wait for the mayor there and Reverend Al Sharpton to address the crowd, reminding everyone, one man is dead here. This is 23-year-old Sean Bell. He was the groom to be married several hours later that Sunday. This again happened 4:00 a.m. early, early Sunday morning. Two other friends of his are injured at this time, Joseph Guzman (ph) and Trent Bennefield (ph), stable condition now with three bullet wounds for Mr. Bennefield. Critical wounds for Mr. Guzman, again, 31 years old. Let's try again to listen in here now to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
MYR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: District attorney brown is having a meeting with a lot of the clergy and elected officials. But I just wanted everybody to get their picture and understand we have just met together. And I'll describe the meeting after those that have to go leave.
REV. AL SHARPTON: Thank you.
BLOOMBERG: You're welcome.
OK. If we can -- miss if you could sit down so everybody can -- thank you.
This morning, I invited elected officials and member of the clergy to discuss the shooting that occurred early Saturday morning. As you know, it took the life of a young man on his wedding day and left two others injured, one very seriously. Our hearts go out to all of the family members and the loved ones who are now hurting. We don't know yet exactly what happened. We don't have all of the answers. There's a lot that needs to be explained. But when a shooting like this occurs, there are legitimate questions about it, and it's essential to the city to do a fair and thorough investigation, to accept its consequences and to make sure that everything is done to prevent future incidents like this from occurring.
Since Saturday morning, our administration has been reaching out to elected officials and leaders to make sure they have all of the information that we have. To hear their concerns and insure them that a fair and thorough investigation will occur and uncover all of the facts. That process continued this morning. Our administration, as always, had a policy of open door communications with all community leaders, as you know.
And at times like this, I think it's absolutely essential that all of us come together, share what we know, and commit ourselves to fairness, openness and justness. I want to thank everyone here for making that commitment with us.
Over the weekend, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and I made phone calls to a wide range of community leaders. And Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott (ph), together with our community-assistance unit, helped lead our outreach efforts. Both the deputy mayor and representatives of the community affairs unit were present at the crime scene, as well as at the hospital.
At yesterday's rally, Deputy Mayor Walcott also spoke with Mr. Bell's mother and members of the other two families. And Bishop Lester Williams, who is there clergy person, has offered to set up a meeting with the family and myself. I have talked to the fiance on the phone. But I have not met with the family of the deceased yet. They, as you can imagine, are in the process of making final arrangements, and we will get together in the immediate future.
This morning, Police Commissioner Kelly and I, along with Deputy Mayors Walcott and Skyler sat down with the community leaders here to brief them on how the situation is being handled, listen to their concerns and assure them that we're going to conduct a thorough and fair internal investigation, and that we are urging District Attorney Brown to proceed with his investigation as quickly as possible.
I spoke with the district attorney this morning, and I expect that he will impanel a grand jury to investigate this incident. I think that district Attorney Brown is a spectacular law enforcement official, district attorney. He knows exactly what he's doing, and he's going do the kind of investigation that we all want, something that discovers the truth and something that is conducted in a manner that doesn't prejudice his ability to continue it to its final conclusion.
Again, I want to stress that the investigation is ongoing, and that it's much too early to arrive at conclusions. We simply don't have all of the facts. And I think it would be wrong for us to rush to judgment, and we will not do that, and we will conduct a complete investigation as quickly as possible, and we are committed to doing exactly that.
As we conduct the investigation, we have placed the five police officers who fired their weapons on administrative duty, and they have turned in their weapons. There were seven police officers on the scene. Two did not shoot, and we have questioned them. The five police officers who did shoot, with an agreement we have with the district attorney, which is common throughout the country, the police department will not question those officers. It will be the district attorney's responsibility to do so, and the reasons that we do that is so we don't jeopardize his investigation going forward.
We have talked to one of the three men who were shot. One is obviously deceased. One is in very critical condition, and we did talk to the third person in the car.
To the best of my knowledge, at the moment, there are no other witnesses, so we really only talked to three people. What we've tried do is make sure that we put out the information that we have and nothing more than that. We are not going to speculate. We're just going to make sure that the public gets every bit of information we have when we get it and as clearly as we get it, and not be involved in trying to fill in the blanks. That's for the investigation of the district attorney and the investigation of the police department.
Before Introducing Commissioner Kelly, let me emphasize that the NYPD has been successful in driving crime down because it holds its members the highest standards. And when an incident like this occurs, Commissioner Kelly and I remain fully committed to upholding these standards, finding the truth, accepting the consequences, and insuring that justice is served. Ray you want to ... Ray will be happy to answer questions, as would I. Sir?
QUESTION: In a tragedy like this, there's really no success, but with the last two hours, the fact you have everyone here, (INAUDIBLE) is that evidence you have been able to ally the fears that there would not be a fair ...
BLOOMBERG: Well, I don't know. All I can do is do the best job I can. I have complete confidence in our police commissioner. He will be the police commissioner for the rest of my term. I think he's the best police commissioner that this city has ever had. And I think he's done a masterful job of training and diversifying our police department.
Can I promise you that every one of the 40,000 police officers always conducts themselves in the manner we would like? No, but I can tell you that the police officers that were at this incident have records of never firing a gun. They have been receiving on-going training during their times they have been employed by the police department. And what exactly happened? I just don't know.
I can tell you that it is, to me, unacceptable or inexplicable, how you can have 50-odd shots fired, but that's up to the investigation to find out what really happened. You should know that it is not the policy of the police department where a police officer can shoot at a car when the car is being used at a weapon. So, at least in that case, it would appear that the policies of the police department were broken. But we don't even know that because there were allegations of a gun. We did not recover a weapon. And we have been unable to so far find people that were in the club with the two unarmed undercover officers were working. We have been unable to find other people yet, but it's just the beginning of the investigation -- sir.
COLLINS: We have been listening to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg there on the heels of something that happened over the weekend. Saturday morning, 4:00 a.m., the Jamaica section of Queens, New York. There was a fatal shooting of a young man a few hours before he was to be married.
He and some friends were leaving a strip club in that area and a series of events took place that left that bride-groom dead. Sean Bell was his name. Two of his friends are in the hospital, one in critical condition. Joseph Guzman and the other, Trent Benfield, in stable condition now. Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaking with the press, holding a news conference after meeting with commissioner Ray Kelly and some other community leaders and members of the clergy to discuss what happened and how these events took place.
Mike Brooks is with us now. Quickly Mike, it seems to me that he didn't say a whole lot, but there is this 48-hour rule before these officers who took part in these events, really have to talk.
BROOKS: That's exactly right. They can try to seek legal counsel for themselves. And that's what they probably did. So, now, the investigation will start now. But they did interview the two other people that were in the car that the police were shooting at. So they do have the statements there. But Mayor Bloomberg said that there were no other witnesses. So, hopefully, the community services office will get more witnesses. Because people are very hesitant to come forward in instances like this just because they're afraid of reprisal.
COLLINS: Definitely a lot more questions to be answered. Mike Brooks, CNN law enforcement and security analyst. Thanks for being with us.
BROOKS: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: We go back to "YOUR WORLD TODAY" now in just a few minutes. Everybody, I'm Heidi Collins.
HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY. and welcome back to our viewers in the United States as well. Let's go to Turkey now where they're already protesting over Pope Benedict's visit. You saw some of it on that tape there.
The visit begins on Tuesday. Many Muslims however, haven't forgiven a speech he made in which he talked about Islam and violence. It's going to be Pope Benedict's XVI's first visit to a mostly Muslim nation. Our Alessio Vinci looks ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Pray for the success of my journey," Pope Benedict asked pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, on the eve of his difficult trip to Turkey.
At exactly the same time, though, in Istanbul, thousands of nationalist Turks gathered to protest the pope's upcoming visit. There were far less than the hundreds of thousands organizers hoped would show up, but a vociferous minority, nevertheless, closely watched by security officials.
Days after a small group chanting, "Allah is Great" stormed one of the buildings the pope is expected to visit. And weeks after a gunman fired shots outside an Italian consulate in Istanbul, shouting that he would strangle the pope.
Not enough to deter the Vatican. The pope is expected to meet with the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Churches, and gather in prayer with other Christian minorities. But this marks his first trip to a Muslim country since quoting a controversial statement by a 14th century emperor, linking violence with Islam.
JOHN ALLEN, NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER: The clash of civilizations that Benedict sees in the world today, is not between Islam and the West, it's between belief and unbelief, that is, between a culture that prizes religion and the supernatural, and cultures that don't. And in that struggle, he thinks of Muslims as natural allies.
VINCI: The pope expressed regret for the damage his speech in Germany last September caused, but did not offer a full apology. Vatican officials confirm that as a sign of respect towards the Muslim faith, Pope Benedict plans to visit the Blue Mosque, essentially emulating his predecessor, John Paul II, widely credited with building bridges with the Muslim world, by becoming the first pope to enter a mosque when he traveled to Damascus in 2001.
ALLEN: I think Benedict believes that those bridges, having been built, that you know it's now time to walk across them. In other words, dialogue has to be more than being polite to each other, has to be more than tea and cookies.
VINCI: The pope is on a delicate mission, with all sides willing to talk and, perhaps, finally willing to listen to each other.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES And a programming note for you. Our own Anderson Cooper will be anchoring his shows out of Turkey right through Thursday this week to coincide with the pope's visit. Be sure to stay with us for that.
MCEDWARDS: All this week, we've got our eye on Brazil. And today, an issue that the South American country cannot ignore -- the gap between the rich and the poor. In Brazil, that gap is the widest in the world. And in Rio de Janiero, the stark contrasts are most visible. More now from CNN's Jim Clancy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The sparkling beach' front apartments, the displays in fashionable storefronts, all entirely out of reach for tens of millions of Brazilians. In this, South America's largest economy, one in every five people lives below the poverty line.
"We're not starving for food. We're starving for opportunities," Rene tells us. He says people in Brazil's shanty towns or favellas (ph) work hard and manage to put food on the table, but in his words, all the things we dream about we can't reach.
Magnifying the disparity between Brazil's rich and poor is the reality they live right alongside one another. The haves in the high rise condominiums look out on the ramshackle housing of the have-nots spread across the hillsides next to them.
CLANCY (on camera): In some neighborhoods, high walls insulate the haves from intrusion and crime. While literally across the street, the have-nots stand by ready to do any job at any price, buffeted by crime, drugs, and violence.
CLANCY (voice-over): This favella (ph) fares better than most. Drugs aren't a problem here. A key indicator -- even the police are comfortable enough to drop by for lunch. But Brazil's unemployment rate of 10 percent hits hard in every community in the shadow of wealth. The glaring gap isn't lost on those who have prospered.
"There's a lot of injustice and violence, and people's heads are being filled with illusions and promises. There's so many things that need to be changed."
The left-leaning government of President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva has made many promises and kept some. It adopted a program to give 11 million low income families a monthly stipend of around $40 dollars. Bolsa Familia or family grants, require children to go to school, get vaccinated, and get health checkups.
Jobs, education, this woman told us, Lula's behind the poor. I think there should be a quality among people, and we expect the government to support us poor people so we can change the situation. that's what I hope for. Critics argue payouts to 40 million of Brazil's poorest won Lula re-election, but won't solve the problem. This is the illusion that only masks the real problems.
Brazil needs to create millions of new jobs. More importantly, it needs to improve the education so the poor can move up into positions of skilled labor rather than menial service jobs. In a very real sense, part of the good life for Brazil's relatively wealthy is supported by the poor.
A cleaner, a nanny, a gardener, a cook, all affordable to those in the upper floors of society. Says one Brazilian, it's ingrained in our society, Brazil's poor don't dream of becoming the boss. They dream of having a good boss. Brazil needs reform in everything. Within the tangle of jobs, education, and health care, its young people even need a better dream for their future.
Jim Clancy, CNN, Rio de Janiero
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. Going ahead after the break, Hollywood royalty visits India to film a movie.
MCEDWARDS: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of course on the streets on New Delhi and Mubai. The paparazzi followed them wherever they go, but who really cares? We'll take a look.
HOLMES: Welcome back. From Hollywood to Bollywood. celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are causing some chaos on their trip to India believe it or not.
MCEDWARDS: Traffic is bad enough let alone throwing these two in the mix, but as Seth Doane reports, some of their Indian hosts are starting to feel a little stifled by all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SETH DOANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Visitors might describe India as chaotic. But if you're Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, chaotic is an understatement.
The public hasn't seen much of the star couple, but not because the paparazzi hasn't tried. Lots of video of cars driving off, presumingly carrying the Hollywood royalty. But here's Angelina quietly reading, and here, she looks a lot like Mary Ann Pearl, the role she's playing in the film "A Mighty Heart", but the life of Daniel Pearl, the "Wall Street Journal" reporter slain in Pakistan.
To onlookers, the film almost seems like an afterthought. There have been mixups outside a Mumbai (ph) school landing three of the couple's bodyguards in court. A bike accident reportedly caused by one of their drivers -- or this, a member of the paparazzi, apparently being strangled by one of Brangelina's bodyguards. POONAM SAXENA, TV CRITIC, "HINDUSTAN TIMES": You can't come here and do what you want. If you're going to come here and shoot a film, you do it nicely and you should be good to people. Don't behave like you own this place because you don't.
DOANE (on-camera): It has been one eventful trip for Brangelina, from alleged death threats by al Qaeda due to the political nature of the film, to scuffles, to being mobbed by the media. But at the end of the day, do Indians really care?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We definitely care more about the Bollywood stars because we see them every day. We watch their movies and we have grown up with their movies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) there's just no comparison. Because when we talk about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, we're just talking about a minuscule population who knows about them.
DOANE: So then why all the media fuss?
SAXENA: For Indian newspapers and magazines, it's grows more out of, oh my God, we better do this because if we don't do this, maybe somebody else will do it. And maybe they'll get a picture and then we won't and we'll look silly, so we better track them. I think it's more of that rather than any sort of overpowering interest in what they're doing.
DOANE: Somehow, Angelina found time for her role as goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, visiting a refugee from Myammar. Also visiting a center for Sihk Afghan refugees in West Delhi. Jolie is known for her political activism and at least from her time in India, a very busy schedule.
Seth Doane, CNN, New Delhi
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Angelina who? I'm Michael Holmes.
MCEDWARDS: And I'm Coleen McEdwards. This is CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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