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Status of U.S. Pilot Unknown; Self-Imposed Curfew; Pope Starts Four-Day Visit to Turkey

Aired November 28, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Duty status and whereabouts unknown, the status of a U.S. pilot whose F-16 went down yesterday west of Baghdad.
CNN's Jamie McIntyre is at the Pentagon with the very latest for us -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, the U.S. military has launched an investigation into what caused this F-16 to crash yesterday while it was conducting a low-level strafing run in Al Anbar province in support of U.S. troops on the ground. And also, what happened to the pilot who is believed to have perished in the crash but is officially listed as missing because by the time the U.S. military got to the scene, the pilot's body was missing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: The cause of the crash is unknown, but at this time there is no indication suggesting the plane was shot down. For now, the Air Force has officially classified the pilot as "duty status and whereabouts unknown." A board of investigation has convened to determine why the plane went down, and information on the pilot's status will be made available as soon as we have further knowledge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, in an interview with CNN, Major General Caldwell says that it is believed the pilot perished in the plane because there's no evidence that he ejected. There was no signal from the emergency beacon that would have gone off automatically had that ejection taken place.

One witness said the plane was flying erratically up and down before it nose-dived into this farm field. All of those are indications that the pilot would have been unable to safely eject from the plane. But until they're able to find the body and confirm what happened, they are officially listing the pilot as missing.

DNA samples have also been collected from the crash site. It took the U.S. military several hours to get to the crash site because of the level of fighting in the area -- Don.

LEMON: And Jamie, let's talk about the plane. Do we know why an F-16 would be used in this operation and why it would be flying so low to the ground? MCINTYRE: Well, you know, a lot of times these planes are used to drop precision-guided bombs from a very high altitude. But in this case, the plane was apparently conducting what's called close air support.

It was actually flying very low, using its guns to strafe an enemy position. And that's a very dangerous maneuver.

You know, obviously, the plane is flying very fast. It's close to the ground. If the pilot becomes disoriented they could fly into the ground. They're subject to taking a lucky shot from ground fire that could disable the plane's single engine and cause it to crash, or there could just be a mechanical malfunction from which there's not enough time to recover from.

So it's a dangerous maneuver for an F-16 to be conducting, but it also shows that these pilots are right in the thick of the combat there. And this very much is a war zone -- Don.

LEMON: It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out and what exactly happens.

Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

Thank you.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Attacks in Iraq of course don't just bring curfews, they also bring revenge, which brings more attacks, which brings more revenge, and the morgues can't hold all the victims. For that reason many Iraqis are living under their own curfews.

Here's CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the religiously- charged atmosphere of Baquba, blindfolded and handcuffed bodies contorted in death arrive at the morgue. The local government said the dead were found scattered through the city. Most Shia, some Sunni.

As bodies in this ethnically-mixed city piled up for the second day, this man rages at anyone who will listen. "The government is responsible for this!" he shouts. "The criminals who are running the government!"

After Thursday's attack in Sadr City that killed at least 200 Shia, the government imposed a three-day curfew in Baghdad, keeping the body count relatively low. But there was no curfew in Baquba, and the slaughter went on.

"Why? Why?" this woman shouts. The Sadr City bombing, the single deadliest sectarian attack of the war, enraged Shia militias and sent the sectarian bloodletting to a whole new level. As one man told us, "Out here, it's now each man for himself." Sunni Web sites urge their so-called brothers to carry weapons and share details about attacks in their neighborhoods. Residents and insurgents trade tips on defense against Shia militias. "Prepare your weapons and ammunition," it says. "With the first bullet you shoot your fear will go away."

"Plant bombs and tactically position snipers at entrances to your neighborhoods. Fighters should not waste their bullets. Think about your family, and remember that they, the militias, burned children with gasoline."

Fact or fiction, the Internet traffic is fueling fear, hatred, and encouraging violence. And this video posted on an extremist jihadi Web site shows a new level of brutality. The Mujahedin from Adamiya (ph), a Sunni neighborhood, prepare to behead this man whom they claim is with the Shia Mehdi militia. The killing, moments later, takes place as people record images.

And throughout Iraq, the agony of loss. The failures of the government now painfully obvious as the country comes even closer to full-scale civil war.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: The cause of chaos in Iraq? Well, Iran's supreme leader blames America. State TV reports that in a meeting with Iraqi president Jalal Talabani in Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the U.S. of hiring terrorists and former members of Saddam Hussein's regime to destabilize Iraq. The solution, Khamenei says, is a withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops.

The Bush administration accuses Iran of aiming (ph) and training Iraqi Shiite groups. Iran denies it.

PHILLIPS: Well, Britain says it plans to pull troops out of Iraq by the end of next year. No word how many, but the defense chief says it will likely be in the thousands depending on conditions on the ground.

Britain has about 7,000 troops in Iraq at the moment. Most are in and around the southern city of Basra.

LEMON: The venue is Latvia, but the focus is on Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush is in Riga meeting with fellow NATO leaders and looking ahead to his next stop, Jordan and a meeting with Iraqi prime minister al-Maliki.

In a search (sic) at the University of Latvia -- a speech, rather, at the University of Latvia, Mr. Bush vowed U.S. troops won't leave Iraq before the mission is complete. And he warned the world is facing new dangers from new enemies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The most basic responsibility of this alliance is to defend our people against the threats of the new century. We're in a long struggle against terrorists and extremists who follow a hateful ideology and seek to establish a totalitarian empire from Spain to Indonesia.

We fight against the extremists who desire safe havens and are willing to kill innocents anywhere to achieve their objectives. NATO has recognized this threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Mr. Bush's talks with the Iraqi prime minister take place tomorrow and Thursday in Jordan.

PHILLIPS: He's asking reconciliation, but will he find forgiveness, too? Pope Benedict XVI is in Turkey, two months after a single sentence from a papal lecture sparked Muslim outrage across the globe.

CNN brings you all-day coverage of the pope's trip. Our faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, now joins us live from Istanbul.

Hi, Delia.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

All eyes were on the pope this morning as he arrived here in Turkey. The big question being, would he bring a message that was more conciliatory, or would he revisit some of those difficult points that he raised in his talk at Regensburg?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GALLAGHER (voice over): Pope Benedict XVI caused more than a stir when he quoted an obscure 14th century Byzantine emperor. It wasn't the first time he would speak so pointedly about Islam.

In the months since that now-famous speech and the furor that followed it, he may have issued an apology of sorts, but he hasn't backed away from his message. Vatican watchers say that's not unexpected. It says a lot about the man who made the comments.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: And I think if you read that 5,000-word speech in context, it's very clear it's not really about Islam at all. It's about the relationship between reason and faith. But what is characteristic is that this is a very tightly-packed academic argument. And in that argument, he simply is not willing to observe the kind of P.C. taboos about things you're supposed to say and not say if he thinks it serves the point he wanted to make.

GALLAGHER: In his 1997 book "Salt of the Earth," then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote, "We must recognize that Islam is not a uniform thing. In fact, there is no single authority for all Muslims, and for this reason, dialogue with Islam is always dialogue with certain groups. " He said those groups run the gamut from noble Islam to extremist terrorist Islam.

And in a meeting with Islamic representatives in 2005, he called on elders to teach their young tolerance and cooperation. But he follows a pope who tried over and over again to befriend the Muslim community. And Benedict's tougher talk has some wondering if John Paul II's hard work may be destroyed by Benedict's hard-line approach.

ALLEN: No question that Benedict XVI has a slightly tougher message on Islam than his predecessor, John Paul II. John Paul was the great bridge builder with Muslims. He met with Muslims more than 60 times over the course of his pontificate. He was the first pope to go inside a mosque, which he did at the Grand Omayyad Mosque in Damascus in 2001.

I think Benedict believes that now that those bridges have been built, it's time for us to walk over them.

GALLAGHER: In the immediate aftermath of that speech in September, protesters filled the streets. Effigies were burned. A nun and priest were murdered. But Benedict hasn't backed down.

He called a meeting in Rome of Muslim ambassadors and religious leaders and apologized, not for what he said, but that his remarks spurred a violent reaction. The pope called for continuing dialogue with the Muslim community. But he insists that dialogue cannot take place unless the issues he spoke about in Regensburg become part of a meaningful discussion.

ALLEN: It's got to be more than tea and cookies. We have got to be able to actually talk out real issues. And certainly the two issues above all that he wants to put on the table are violence and terrorism, and then also religious freedom.

GALLAGHER: Will Benedict's steadfast approach open that dialogue, or will it burn the bridges built by his predecessor? His reception on this historic visit to Turkey will go a long way in showing whether Muslims are ready to accept this outspoken pope as an ally.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GALLAGHER: And Kyra, in fact, the pope did today, in his public messages, say that he was here for reconciliation with Islam, with the Muslims, and he suggested that they have a lot in common with the Christian religion, both believing in the one god. So he's taken both the sense of being an ally with Islam and hoping that this message of a straight talk, the dialogue that he really wants, will happen here in Turkey -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Delia Gallagher live from Istanbul.

Thanks.

LEMON: Secular by law, Muslim by faith. Turkey finds itself at a spiritual and political crossroads.

Here's a CNN "Fact Check."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice over): Tens of thousands of protesters in Istanbul. Turks denouncing Pope Benedict as anti-Islamic in advance of his visit to Turkey, a symbol of the great divide in modern turkey. The burning question, should Turkey, a secular nation by law, move westward towards Europe? Or should Turks, 99.8 percent of whom are Muslim, face eastward toward their Islamic neighbors?

Some 100,000 Christians and other religious groups are a mere drop in a vast Islamic sea. In 1453, Ottoman Turks defeated a Christian force, capturing Constantinople, the former name of Istanbul. Another symbol of the discord, Istanbul's Haghia Sophia Museum, a Christian church in the 6th century converted to a mosque when the Turks conquered the city.

Today public opinion has been inflamed by perceived anti-Muslim actions in the West. As evidence, Turks point to the pope's September remarks on Islam, setbacks on talks on admitting Turkey to the European Union, and the Iraq war.

The powerful military and members of the urban elite fear conservative Muslim prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may push the country closer to hard-line Islamists, something he repeatedly vows will not happen. And there is another internal problem with explosive regional implications -- Kurdish insurgents. Some 3,000 are based in Kurdish northern Iraq where they launch attacks inside Turkey. The conflict has claimed more than 30,000 lives since the early 1980s.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And don't miss this. It's called "When Faiths Collide," a special edition of "AC 360." Anderson Cooper is live in Turkey with a full report on the first day of Pope Benedict's visit and Muslim reaction. That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

PHILLIPS: A drug raid, a woman's death, an informant's claims. Now a federal investigation. The FBI wants to know. Atlanta police burst into the home of an 88-year-old woman who fought back and was promptly killed in the shootout.

That's straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Neither safe nor sound. Police in Missouri say the deadly fire at a group home is grounds for a criminal investigation. Disturbing questions next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: There's some news breaking this hour out of Iraq. CNN's Arwa Damon joins us.

Arwa, we're hearing civilian casualties caught in the crossfire. Where -- what region? What part of Iraq? DAMON: Kyra, that happened in the volatile Al Anbar Province, just west of the capital, Baghdad. Six Iraqis died caught in the crossfire.

This is what happened, according to the U.S. military. Troops were operating in an area just northeast of Ramadi, incredibly volatile area. They came upon a roadside bomb in a spot where they have historically found roadside bombs in the past. As they were clearing and securing the area, they came under small arms fire.

They initially responded using small arms fire and machine gunfire, but as the firefight intensified, the U.S. forces fired a main gun tank round. They entered the house where the round had impacted and found six Iraqi civilians, one male, five females, ages ranging from teenager to infant.

According to local reports in the area, they do believe that one insurgent was wounded, but Kyra, again, tragically, Iraqi civilians caught in the crossfire of the battle that is still ongoing here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Arwa Damon.

We'll keep checking in with you out of Baghdad. Thanks.

LEMON: Two fires in three days. One of them deadly and suspicious. Investigators in Missouri have a mystery on their hands as they sift through the rubble of a group home. Was it an accident or arson that left 10 people dead?

CNN's Jonathan Freed is in Anderson with the latest on this probe -- Jonathan.

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, it is indeed a mystery, because we were speaking to investigators just a short while ago, and they are still describing this as a fire and death investigation and not a criminal investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREED (voice over): The fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. on Monday, shocking neighbors and passersby with its intensity. The building was the Anderson Guest House, a group home for the elderly and mentally ill. Thirty-four people were inside when it started, including two staff members on the overnight shift.

Steven Spears lives next door and says he saw flames erupt from the building.

STEVEN SPEARS, NEIGHBOR: It was just a big rush of fire, enough to either blow out the door or open the door in front.

FREED (on camera): Did you hear an explosion of any kind?

SPEARS: No sound whatsoever. FREED (voice over): State police say firefighters pulled more than a dozen people out of the burning building. Eighteen were taken to area hospitals, six were treated at the scene.

GOV. MATT BLUNT (R), MISSOURI: We're not ruling out a criminal investigation, and indeed, we're treating this as if it were a crime scene. We're not saying it's definitely a crime scene, but we're treating it as if it is and trying to determine if the fire was set by somebody that had a nefarious motive.

FREED: Anderson, Missouri, is about half an hour south of Joplin. And in a town of 1,800 people, a fire this big and deadly will stay with you for a while.

Betty Wood lives across the street.

BETTY WOOD, NEIGHBOR: I can see the building that this happened. It was totally engulfed in flames. And you could hear screaming. It was horrible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREED: Now, you are looking live at the site of the building and an area investigators were giving a considerable amount of interest just a short while ago. It's an air-conditioning and heating unit. And they were tugging at the wiring as well. And we can see some of the investigators moving around in the back now.

Some of them are electrical engineers with the ATF that have come -- that have been brought in to take a look at the scene. And so far, investigators are telling us that there are no suspects or persons of interest even at this point -- Don.

LEMON: Jonathan Freed, Anderson, Missouri.

Thank you so much, Jonathan.

PHILLIPS: Well, it took almost 11 months and two autopsies, but now there are criminal charges in the death of a teenager at a juvenile boot camp in Florida. Seven guards and a nurse are accused of aggravated manslaughter in the death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson, who collapsed during an exercise drill in January and died the next day.

Guards said he was uncooperative, and a camera caught them forcing the boy to the ground. The first autopsy showed Anderson died of natural causes. A second found that he was suffocated.

LEMON: Did a steering problem lead to that deadly school bus crash in Alabama? The 17-year-old driver of the car that veered into the bus before the bus plunged off a highway overpass told police he lost control. And now investigators say the car itself and not the young driver may have been at fault. The crash killed four teenage girls on the bus, and police say the driver of the car has been receiving death threats. PHILLIPS: East is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet. Too bad Kipling's not around to see modern-day Turkey. Muslim versus Christian, church versus state. We're checking it all out next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Can the pope bring Christians and Muslims closer, or are the two faiths forever destined to collide?

CNN brings you continuing coverage of Benedict XVI's first trip to a Muslim nation since becoming pope. His visit to Turkey comes just two months after a papal lecture that enraged Muslims around the world.

So joining us now from Washington is Father Paul McPartlan, a theology professor at the Catholic University of America. And Al-Haaj Ghazi Khankan, from New York, of the American Muslim Alliance.

And Mr. Khankan, I'll start with you.

Are folks skeptical, Muslims especially in Turkey, skeptical of this visit by the pope? If so, why?

AL-HAAJ GHAZI KHANKAN, AMERICAN MUSLIM ALLIANCE: Skeptical, you said?

LEMON: Yes.

KHANKAN: No, they're -- I think wondering. But our hope is that the pope would have, number one, a safe journey, that he would continue implementing the policy of Pope John Paul, who said to establish peace you must work toward justice, and to continue the dialogue.

I believe Pope Benedict could continue the dialogue by expanding on what Pope John Paul did, because we have, indeed, common denominators between Christianity and Islam. We have the belief in one god. We have -- we believe in the virgin birth of Jesus -- peace be upon him.

LEMON: I'm going to get to that one god, but I want to ask Father McPartlan about this.

Do you think -- the previous pope, Pope John Paul, was viewed as a unifier. And it seems like everything this pope does -- or at least some -- he's been a bit of a lightning rod when it comes to saying what he has to say. And it seems like now the whole world is watching every time -- every time he makes a statement or says something.

Do you view this pope as a unifier?

REV. PAUL MCPARTLAN, THE CATHOLIC UNIV. OF AMERICA: Oh, I think this pope is certainly a unifier. He worked very, very closely with Pope John Paul for over 20 years. And therefore, I think his -- his credentials as a man who shares the spirit and the outlook of Pope John Paul are impeccable.

He was at Pope John Paul's right hand for so many of the key moments of his pontificate, and his key policy decisions in his pontificate. And certainly the world "dialogue," which has been used already today with the pope's arrival in Turkey and in Ankara, a word which we associate very much with Pope John Paul wanting dialogue in so many different spheres, among Christians, but also between Christians and non-Christians, is absolutely the word at the forefront of Pope Benedict's mind at the moment. He has already said on his arrival in Ankara that this is a trip of dialogue and of brotherhood and of reconciliation.

LEMON: Well, maybe this is...

MCPARTLAN: And I think that's a marvelous note on which to start.

LEMON: Well, maybe this is just a matter of getting used to the job. Everyone has to adjust. But it seems he has a huge platform.

Should he be more careful? When we're talking about the speech back in September, do you think the pope should be more careful about the magnanimity of his platform and careful about what he says?

MCPARTLAN: Well, of course there are adjustments to be made from the role which our present Holy Father had prior to his election to his role now, and he is now very much in the spotlight and on the big stage. And, of course, there are all sorts of adjustments.

LEMON: Right.

MCPARTLAN: And I think it's most remarkable to see, in fact, how a man of 78 years old being thrust into that position has coped with it with such serenity, I think, and such a wonderful sense of composure, which speaks of his deep spiritual roots, and I think gives us great confidence for the well springs from which he draws what he wants to say to us.

LEMON: And first I want both of you to respond to this, but Mr. Khankan, from your own communities and from what you're hearing, can there really be healing? I mean, for lack of a better term, can't we all just get along?

KHANKAN: Well, of course. We have been getting along for a long time.

As you'll recall, in the Muslim world, there are -- that's where Jesus Christ -- peace be upon him -- began his preaching in the middle of the Arab world, in Palestine at that time. And therefore, there are many Arabs who are Christians who live among us since time and memorial. And that will continue.

The dialogue begun with Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, when he 1400 years ago met with the Christians of Najaron (ph) from the south of Arabia and did the first dialogue in his own mosque. And when time for prayer came, they both prayed in the same hall, the Christians on one side and the Muslims facing Mecca. And so dialogue is a must. We are for -- a dialogue among civilizations and not a clash of civilizations. But I hope that the pope will take advantage of this visit and complete the apology because so far it is half of an apology.

LEMON: Yes, many in the Muslim world feel it's half an apology, an apology for the reaction and not in effect for what he said. So, I ask you the same question Father McPartlan, can there be healing? He answered one God part of it. I don't know if you feel the same, but can there be a healing between or at least a consensus between the Christians and Muslims?

MCPARTLAN: Oh, absolutely, I'm absolutely convinced that there can be healing because we are moving forward in a manner of dialogue, and it's so heartening to see those early pictures from Constantinople, from -- sorry, not Constantinople, that's where the pope's going to be going, but from Ankara on his arrival, to see parties around whom there has been controversy, sitting down and talking with one another brings us joy at a very deep human level and a great sense of hope and optimism.

And this is something that, within the Christian family, has been happening over the last 30, 40 years. There's all sorts of parties and churches and leaders who have never spoken for centuries, perhaps, have been embracing one another, sitting down with one another, talking with one another. And now, if you like, this is a wider ripple of dialogue when Christians speak to those of other faiths. And there is always hope and lots of good things lie ahead through the path of dialogue.

KHANKAN: Another common denominator is that we believe Mary, the mother of Jesus, both are mentioned in chapter 19 of the holy book of Koran. Mariam (ph) is given to the name of Mary. Indeed, it brings us closer for understanding. In fact, the first letter, Prophet Mohammed sent to the monks of St. Catherine in Mt. Sinai, tells them if I may just quote one paragraph ...

LEMON: We're running out of time, so if you'd just give us the chapter and verse, we'll have our viewers look it up.

KHANKAN: It is just a letter.

LEMON: Right.

KHANKAN: That he calls them his citizens, and he defends their presence within the Islamic state.

LEMON: Well, I'd like to thank both of you for joining us today. The world is watching this trip and we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us on CNN NEWSROOM

"When Faiths Collide." A special edition of "AC360." Anderson Cooper is live in Turkey with a full report on the first day of Pope Benedict's visit and Muslim reaction. That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN.

PHILLIPS: Was it the right house or not? Atlanta police defend a drug bust that left an elderly woman dead, but now an informant narcs on them. We're on the case from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Contradictory information from a confidential informant. Atlanta police say a tip on a drug buy led to that disastrous raid on the home of an elderly shut-in. The so-called tipster says he never said any such thing. Now the shut-in dead, the feds investigating and the chief of police admits he doesn't know what to believe.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Police say it was the information from this man that led them to raid the home of 88- year-old Kathryn Johnston. They say he brought drugs at the house. "No way," says the man who claims to be the informant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never went in that house. I'm telling them I never went in that house.

DORNIN: When police burst through Johnston's door, she opened fire and was shot and killed. The police informant says he then got a call from officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They called me immediately after the shooting to ask me -- I mean, to tell me, "This is what you need to do. You need to cover our ass."

DORNIN: Atlanta police chief Richard Pennington says the informant has told internal police investigators the same story.

CHIEF RICHARD PENNINGTON, ATLANTA POLICE: After we brought that informant in and interviewed that informant, he told us that he had no knowledge of going into that house and purchasing drugs.

DORNIN: The officers had obtained what's called a no-knock search warrant for Johnston's house. A judge granted the warrant after police said they had watched their informant buy drugs at the house from a man called "Sam." They also said the informant had claimed there were surveillance cameras inside. Police refused to comment on whether those cameras were found.

Seven narcotics officers and a sergeant have been placed on paid leave.

DAVID NAHMIAS, U.S. ATTORNEY: This is now an FBI investigation, and anyone who lies or obstructs justice will be committing a serious felony.

DORNIN: Neighbors say Johnston was a shut-in. Nina Robinson spoke to the 88-year-old four or five times a day.

(on camera): So she never let anybody into the house that she didn't know?

NINA ROBINSON, NEIGHBOR: No. Even if I went there and I didn't tell her I was coming, she wouldn't open the door for me.

DORNIN (voice over): Johnston family spokesperson Reverend Markel Hutchins welcomes federal investigators.

REV. MARKEL HUTCHINS, JOHNSTON FAMILY SPOKESPERSON: At best, this was poor judgment on behalf of the police officers involved. At worst, it's an egregious and gross violation of Ms. Johnston's civil and human rights.

DORNIN: That question will now be up to the FBI to decide.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We have some developing news happening right now. Let's go to T.J. Holmes in the NEWSROOM with all the details.

T.J.?

HOLMES: Don, this is a story we kept a close eye on, had a lot of the country's attention earlier this summer. Ralph Buck Phillips -- a lot of people might remember that name -- a fugitive who was accused of shooting three state troopers in upstate New York. One of those troopers died. Well, we're getting word now -- AP is reporting that Buck Phillips is now set to enter a plea deal and enter an agreement with prosecutors that will keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Now, according to AP, this deal, he will plead guilty for the shooting of one state trooper and wounding him back in June, and then another incident in which he shot two state troopers in August. And at that point, one of those troopers later died. And at that point it was right there in upstate New York where we were all keeping an eye out for several days, really, on what authorities up there called one of the largest manhunts maybe ever in that area.

But, again, Ralph Buck Phillips, who has been described as a career criminal by authorities, set now to enter a plea deal, according to the AP. Law enforcement officials are say that this was done, family members kind of wanted to avoid having to go through a trial. So it appears that, in fact, yes, Ralph Buck Phillips will enter into a plea deal that will keep him behind bars the rest of his life.

Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right, T.J., thanks.

He's crossed hundreds of miles, but can he cross the religious divide? In Turkey, under heavy guard, Pope Benedict XVI on his first trip to a Muslim nation, just two months after a speech that outraged Muslims around the world. The pope is finding protests in Turkey, even as he looks for reconciliation.

Here's what he said after meeting with Turkey's top Islamic cleric.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE BENEDICT XVI: I pray that it may be a sign of our joint commitment to dialogue between Christians and Muslims and an encouragement to persevere along the path in respect and friendship. May we come to know one another better, strengthening the bonds of affection between us and our common wish to live together in harmony, peace and mutual trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: CNN is bringing you all-day coverage of the pope's trip, capped off by a special "ANDERSON COOPER 360," "When Faiths Collide," live from Turkey, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

LEMON: Guided by faith and constantly looking to a higher power. We're not talking about the pope this time. Here's CNN's Zain Verjee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe that god wants everybody to be free. And that's part of my foreign policy.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A president, anchored by his faith and driven by a higher purpose, especially after 9/11.

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: It's given him something of a messianic view of what America's role is in the world.

VERJEE: Presidential historians say it's the most religious White House in memory.

RALPH REED, FMR. CHRISTIAN COALITION LEADER: The president's faith brings moral clarity to his beliefs and conclusions.

VERJEE: A strong, clear belief of good and evil and of what he views as a god-given duty to promote democracy worldwide.

BUSH: The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is god's gift to humanity.

VERJEE: He says he wants to give that gift to Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon. But the U.S.-led war on terror is viewed by many in the region as pitting East against West, Christianity against Islam. BUSH: This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while.

This nation is at war with Islamic fascists.

VERJEE: Those words have inflamed the Muslim world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He would rather learn about terrorists than my faith.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He created this problem between the West and the East.

VERJEE: Previous presidents have believed in spreading democracy, but not as fervently as President Bush.

GERGEN: I think it's very unusual, and I do think, to a partial degree, springs from his religious devotion.

VERJEE: Faith also appears to have guided this president on humanitarian issues evangelicals care about. Aid to Africa has nearly tripled under the Bush administration, with a focus on fighting HIV/AIDS. The president also took decisive steps to end the war in southern Sudan, where millions of Christians were killed, and he remains engaged in the Darfur crisis.

Like other evangelicals, the president also shares a strong sympathy for Israel.

TIM SHAH, THE PEW FORUM: A lot of evangelicals believe that Israel will play an important role in the end time, when Christ returns again.

VERJEE (on camera): Some experts say the president's faith helps make him a decisive leader. Once he determines it's god's will to act, he's difficult to sway. They also add, it makes him inflexible and less likely to change course.

Zain Verjee, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, U.S. fighter jet down in Iraq: Was it shot down, and where's the pilot? We'll have the latest from the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Bond, James Bond. Back on top. What do critics think now? Our Jeanne Moos takes a look next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice crisscrossing the globe as the diplomatic sands shift in Iraq and in Washington, D.C. The top U.S. diplomat lands a nomination as "Time Magazine's" Person of the Year. ROMESH RATNESAR, WORLD EDITOR, "TIME": Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, I think has emerged as the pivotal figure in the Bush administration's national security team. As secretary of state, she's come under -- she's developed a level of influence within the administration that I think only the vice president possibly can match. Her main accomplishment is sort of shifting the rhetoric of the administration's foreign policy away from this kind of unilateralist "with us or against us" approach that we saw in the first term. We could see next year or the year after Condoleezza Rice really being thrust to the forefront as the U.S. tries to deal both with managing some kind of withdrawal from Iraq and also dealing with the threats from Iran and North Korea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the new James Bond, buff, blond, blue-eyed, a box office smash. Not what the critics expected. CNN's Jeanne Moos shakes things up and stirs up a new 007 debate. Oh, my.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We just wanted to say, sorry, James. Sorry for all those cheap shots. For making you seem like a wimp when they first introduced you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: James Bond, wearing a life jacket? Give me a break!

MOOS: We tittered when your tooth got knocked out doing a stunt. We compared Sean Connery's manly furry chest to yours.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We also are hearing that he has shaved his chest.

MOOS: Well, puff up that hairless chest, Daniel Craig. Here's what they are saying now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has a great body. I love it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His whole persona was just wonderful.

MOOS: Naysayers repent. "Casino Royale" is the No. 1 movie in the world. The critics are raving, and so are movie goers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen every single one. This is the best Bond ever.

MOOS: Even hard-bitten reporters seem smitten by the new Bond.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You weren't anxious about having to achieve a certain chiseled perfection. Which you do, by the way.

DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR: Well, thank you.

MOOS: The scene featuring 007 frolicking in his blue swim suit has been compared to Ursula Andress coming ashore in her bikini. That was "Dr. No," but even men are saying yes to the new Bond.

A male critic for a British paper described the swimsuit scene as "so scorchingly hot I feel embarrassed watching it, even when alone."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is more grittier. He's darker. He's more realistic.

MOOS: Sure, Sean Connery could drive a stick shift and still manage to eject a bad guy. And we must confess to making fun of Daniel Craig when we heard he didn't know how to handle the stick in his Aston Martin.

But now that the movie's out...

(on camera): Did he seem to know how to drive a stick shift?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he did fine.

MOOS (voice-over): And that Web site called CraigNotBond, the one that morphed Daniel Craig's face into one of the Three Stooges? It's gone.

And so, in this age of apology for weightier transgressions...

MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry.

MOOS: ... we, too, need a license to grovel.

(on camera): We're sorry, Daniel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, Daniel. I'm very sorry that I doubted you. You are terrific.

MOOS: And hot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very hot.

MOOS (voice-over): He's gone from being called a girly boy with a girly gun to could be the best 007 yet.

(on camera): It's enough to make a guilt-ridden reporter eat her words. Or at least those rave reviews.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We're going to change the mood a little bit. His remarks offended millions. Now the pope travels to Turkey to preach brotherhood between Muslims and Christians. We're live in Turkey. That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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