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U.S. Fighter Pilot Disappears Following Jet Crash; Pope Benedict XVI Visits Turkey; President Bush Set to Meet With Iraqi Prime Minister

Aired November 28, 2006 - 15:00   ET

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

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

A U.S. fighter jet crashes near Baghdad. Ground forces find the wreckage, but where's the pilot? We will get the latest on the search from the Pentagon.

PHILLIPS: Well, there's no business but snow business in much of the Northwest. It's a major storm. Well, one could be headed your way.

LEMON: And check out this little patch of pavement. It costs more than most homes. Would you believe it's a parking space?

Hit the brakes. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Five young girls apparently caught in the crossfire, Anbar Province, Iraq, scene of yet another deadly firefight between U.S. troops and insurgents.

CNN's Arwa Damon is in Baghdad with the latest -- Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hello.

More civilians caught in the crossfire, as the battle here for control rages on -- this is what happened, according to the U.S. military. The incident took place just northeast of Ramadi. That is in the ever-volatile Al Anbar Province, just west of the capital.

U.S. forces, at early dawn, were traveling along a route where they came upon a roadside bomb in an area where, historically, they have found roadside bombs in the past.

As they were securing the area, clearing the IED, the roadside bomb, they observed two men who appeared to be watching them from rooftops. At one point, they started to come under small-arms fire. Initially, the troops responded with small-arms and machine gun fire. But, as the battle intensified, they fired one main gun tank round into a house. They then entered the house and found one male dead, five females, ages ranging from teenager to infant, Kyra, more civilians here caught here in the crossfire.

Really, it happens on a near day-to-day basis. It is the civilians here that are bearing the brunt of this fight. They also found at the house one wounded woman. She, however, refused help. According to reports they received from the area, one insurgent, suspected insurgent, was wounded as well.

But, again, Kyra, it is the civilians here that are always paying the ultimate price.

PHILLIPS: It's become an everyday story.

Arwa Damon, live from Baghdad, thanks.

LEMON: Some developing news in Washington.

Let's get -- get straight to CNN congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel with details. She joins us now by phone from the Capitol.

What is going on, Andrea?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, good afternoon.

As CNN had indicated last week, the -- the question regarding the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee has been a burning one here on Capitol Hill. And the name that was topping the list, at least the short list, as one of the main candidates for the position, Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida, he was -- he was in the running of it for this position.

And now, CNN can report, that he is no longer in the running. According to a Democratic aide, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker-elect of the House, had a meeting this afternoon with Alcee Hastings, in which she said, basically, that he is not going to be the chairman.

Now, this is a real disappointment for Alcee Hastings, who has been on the Intelligence Committee for the last seven years. The Congressional Black Caucus, of which he is a member, felt that he was the best qualified candidate, now that Jane Harman, who was the top Democrat on the committee, basically, her name was taken out of the running.

So, that leaves basically three candidates out there whose names are swirling -- among them, Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who would be the first Hispanic chairman, if he were selected; Sanford Bishop, who is a congressman of Georgia, and is not a member right now of the Intelligence Committee; and Congressman Norm Dicks of Washington State, who is also not a member, but is one of the names that is out there, John, as possible chairmen.

We expect a decision to be made very soon. We are told, at the moment, that no decision has been made.

LEMON: Andrea, not to put you on the spot, but we all thought that Alcee Hastings -- at least that was the common wisdom, I should say. They're not giving any idea of why this turn of events? KOPPEL: Well, certainly, what Alcee Hastings and his supporters would say is that they believe that the trial that -- that Hastings had then -- when he was a federal judge back in 1983 in Florida -- he was accused of, and then acquitted of, trying to extort a $150,000 bribe that was in a case that came before him.

He was acquitted in that jury trial, but, then, five years later, he was found guilty and basically convicted in the -- in the Senate -- he was impeached, rather, by the Senate in 1989. So, even though Hastings says, in a court of law -- it was a one-month-long trial by jury -- that he was acquitted, he believes, and his supporters believe, that the sort of aura that sort of hung over him following his -- his impeachment by the Senate is basically what -- what was the -- the blackball in preventing him from getting this position -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Thank you for bringing this story for us and giving it some context.

Andrea Koppel, on Capitol Hill, thank you.

Duty status and whereabouts unknown -- the status of a U.S. pilot whose F-16 went down yesterday just west of Baghdad, that's what we're talking about with Jamie McIntyre. He is live at the Pentagon with the latest.

Jamie, we know anything new?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, this investigation is under way into why this F-16 crashed northwest of Baghdad yesterday while conducting a low-level strafing operation -- the whereabouts of the pilot unknown, although the U.S. military believes that he may have perished in the crash.

By the time the U.S. military got to the crash scene, a farm field, again, about 20 miles away from Baghdad, several hours later, all they found was the wreckage of the F-16, smoldering in the late afternoon sun. You could see the markings on the tail there of the home base of the plane, Cannon Air Force Base, in New Mexico.

But the identity of the pilot has not yet been released. You could see the -- the canopy of the plane and a tangled -- what appeared to be a parachute harness. But the U.S. military says they believe that the pilot did not eject from the plane, because they have no indication of an ejection or the emergency beacon that would have gone off during that ejection.

And the pilot's wingman, in another F-16, reported that, as the plane went down, it was essentially swarmed by insurgents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN HOOG, AIR COMPONENT COORDINATION ELEMENT DIRECTOR, U.S. AIR FORCE: Immediately after the crash, we had both additional fighters overhead, as well as intelligence and surveillance assets. Those assets did observe insurgents in the vicinity of the crash site. And that is one of the reasons that they conducted ongoing operations to make the crash site safe for ongoing investigations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Again, this was hostile territory in Al Anbar Province, an insurgent stronghold.

By the time the U.S. military got to the scene several hours later, again, the pilot's body was missing. He is still listed as missing. It's not entirely clear if he died from the crash or may have died afterwards. But, at this point, that's something that the U.S. military is trying to determine, as they're looking for the body, in this case, or perhaps to recover the pilot.

But, again, it went down during an area of heavy fighting. The pilot was -- was conducting a mission, essentially to protect U.S. troops on the ground, using the guns of his F-16 to strafe an enemy position -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, Jamie, who actually conducts this investigation? Is it members of the U.S. military. Is it a certain unit that does this, and looks for remains, or -- and -- and makes the decision on whether they think he is still alive or not?

MCINTYRE: Well, there's two things going on.

One is, he is, of course, presumed to be alive, contrary -- you know, in the absence of definitive evidence to the contrary. They have taken some DNA samples from the crash site as well. And there are two things going on. One is the search for the pilot. And the other one is an investigation to try to figure out what happens.

And they're both being done essentially by the U.S. military. Any time, of course, there is a crash, there is an investigation. But they will -- they will examine the -- the wreckage to try to figure out if there was a mechanical problem with the plane, or whether it might have taken some ground fire, flying at that low level. They will rely on the accounts of the other pilots who were flying with them. You know, these F-16s don't fly by themselves, as well as accounts from on the ground. And they will try to piece together what happened.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jamie McIntyre, at the Pentagon.

LEMON: "When Faiths Collide" -- CNN brings you all-day coverage of the pope -- of Pope Benedict's visit to Turkey, his first to a Muslim country. He will be seeking dialogue, brotherhood, and reconciliation, but he's facing skepticism, protests, and outright anger. Benedict arrived in Ankara today.

And CNN's Alessio Vinci was waiting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: If Turks were expecting a change in tone from Pope Benedict, that's what they got on his first day here in Turkey.

Even before touching down at the airport in Ankara, on the plane, carrying him and reporters to Turkey, he said that he was embarking on a mission of dialogue, brotherhood and reconciliation. And, as a sign that he really meant it, during the first few minutes that he was here in Turkey, meeting with the Turkish prime minister, the pope said that, although it was not up to the Vatican to decide, that he would no longer oppose Turkey joining the European Union.

It's a significant statement, considering that, as a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger was opposing Turkey's entry into the European Union, citing religious and cultural divisions, those divisions that he is trying to bridge now with this trip here in Turkey.

And his desire to reconcile mend fences was also evident -- evident -- during his meeting with the director of the Religious Affairs Directorate here in Ankara, when he said that, we're called to work together.

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 in our common wish to live together in harmony, peace and mutual trust.

VINCI: The head of the Religious Affairs Directorate echoed the pope's words, saying there is a need to work together, but he also offered a clear rejection that Islam is a religion based on violence.

He also said that we, the Muslims, condemn all types of violence. Killing an innocent, he said, is a crime and a sin. But he also said that insulting Islam breeds violence.

ALI BARDAKOGLU, TURKEY RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE CHIEF: (through translator): In the recent periods, there are issues that affect that Islam religion promotes and encourages violence, religion -- violence and terror. Islamophobia is increasing, escalating, trying to spread these wrong views. These claims do not have a base in reality. And anyone who spreads these claims are to be condemned.

VINCI: So, all sides on this first day here in Turkey appear to be willing to talk to each other, and to listen to each other.

But there was also a clear call coming from the Muslim side, saying, don't judge us. Let's work together on an equal footing.

Reporting from Ankara, I'm Alessio Vinci.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: "When Faiths Collide," a special edition "A.C. 360" -- Anderson Cooper is live in Turkey with a full report on the first day of Pope Benedict XVI's visit and Muslim reaction. That's tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

PHILLIPS: U.S. troops won't leave Iraq in the lurch. That's the message from President Bush today on the eve of his high-stakes meeting with the Iraqi prime minister.

Before he heads to Jordan for that, Mr. Bush is wrapping up a NATO summit in Latvia.

CNN's Robin Oakley joins us now from Riga, where Mr. Bush gave a pep talk today on freedom.

Hi, Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hi, Kyra.

Well, at the working dinner tonight, Mr. Bush is joining 25 other leaders in talking about the recasting of NATO, what kind of alliance it's going to be for the next 10 or 15 years, also focusing very much on Afghanistan, the tough battles there against the Taliban, many people worried NATO members are not putting in enough forces, and not giving them enough resources to do the job.

But the focus, as you say, is also on that forthcoming meeting between Mr. Bush and Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, with the escalating violence in Iraq.

And we did get a clue from Mr. Bush in that pep talk he gave before the NATO summit opened. He gave us a clear idea of what his priorities are going to be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tomorrow, I'm going to travel to Jordan, where I will meet with the prime minister of Iraq. We will discuss the situation on the ground in his country, our ongoing efforts to transform more responsibility to the Iraqi security forces, and the responsibility of other nations in the region to support the security and stability of Iraq.

We will continue to be flexible. And we will make the changes necessary to succeed. But there's one thing I'm not going to do. I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: Mr. Bush began his day today in Estonia, first of all. And, there, he made clear, in other remarks about that meeting, that he will be asking Mr. Maliki to say what his ideas are for ending that escalating violence, which Mr. Bush still denies is a civil war -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Robin Oakley in Riga -- Riga, Latvia. LEMON: Well, their son is dead, killed by police on his wedding day. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg meets with the grieving parents -- what they said straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Was it tough love that got too tough? Eight employees at a Florida boot camp now face manslaughter charges in the death of a 14-year-old boy -- a live report straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: 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 he was suffocated.

PHILLIPS: Now a suspected case of contagious shooting in Queens -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the NYPD are looking into the shooting early Saturday by undercover cops of three unarmed civilians, one of them a groom-to-be on his wedding day.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened in less than a minute, 50 shots fired by five cops at three unarmed men wrapping up a bachelor party.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: It is, to me, unacceptable or inexplicable, how you can have 50-odd shots fired.

FEYERICK: It's unclear when all the shooting started, whether it was before or after the car driven by the men hit an undercover cop and an unmarked police van. But, of the 50 shots fired, 31 were by a single officer.

BLOOMBERG: It sounds to me like excessive force was used.

FEYERICK: Also unclear, whether the undercover cop, dressed in street gear, identified himself as a police officer when he pulled his .9-millimeter semiautomatic.

The relative of one victim shot three times says the men in the car thought they were under attack.

SHAMEL O'NEAL, SHOOTING VICTIM'S COUSIN: They feared for their lives. They didn't know that they was cops.

FEYERICK: No gun was found, and the shell casings at the scene all matched the officers' weapons. So why, then, did five officers, who never before fired their weapons on duty, all start shooting?

One theory: a phenomenon some experts call contagious shooting , in which one officer opens fire, and it quickly spreads among fellow officers.

EDWARD MAMET, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT CAPTAIN: It has to do usually, when a person feels threatens and shoots, and the people around them feel threatened as well, and, in defense of that person, whether it's a police officer or a soldier, will fire also. It is -- it's sort of like a Pavlovian response. It is automatic. It's not intentional.

FEYERICK: New York City's police commissioner, Ray Kelly, admitted, contagious shooting does happen, which is why officers are trained to fire three times, stop, and assess the situation.

RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: It is a phenomena that does happen in policing. There's no question about it. And we try to guard against it with training actually on the range.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: A new twist in a drug raid that left a grandmother dead here in Atlanta -- a man who says he's a police informant tells reporters that police told him to lie about the Johnston case.

Eighty-eight-year-old Kathryn Johnston wounded three police officers who burst into her home. They had a no-knock warrant based on a tip on a drug buy at that address. The FBI is investigating. And police have put the eight-member narcotics team involved in the case on paid leave.

But here is what the purported tipster told CNN affiliate WAGA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Had you ever, in your years an as an informant for Atlanta Police Department, had you ever made a buy at 933 Neil Street?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Had you ever, as your years as an -- as an informant for APD, ever even been to 933 Neil Street?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I'm telling you all this story. I never went to that house. I'm telling them, I never went to the house. The police can't me say I went to the house.

CHIEF RICHARD PENNINGTON, ATLANTA POLICE: According to the informant, after we brought that informant in, interviewed that informant, he told us that he had no knowledge of going into that house and purchasing drugs. That's what he told us. I don't know if he went in or not. We don't know if he's telling the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Well, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department is also reviewing the case.

PHILLIPS: The former spy, the mysterious poison, the deathbed accusation -- but was Alexander Litvinenko wrong about who shut him up? Could it have been the Russian mob and the not the Russian government? New theories abound in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the deadline has passed for thousands of Ford employees to make a big career decision.

Susan Lisovicz joins us now live with all the details -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

To leave or not to leave, that was the question. No, it's not "Hamlet." It's what the -- what basically 75,000 Ford workers had to decide -- Ford, of course, plagued with a declining market share, rising costs, and a $7 billion loss in the first nine months of the year.

So, now the automaker is hoping that 30,000 workers will take one of eight buyout or retirement packages. Depending on the worker's seniority and age, the packages range from $35,000 to $140,000. Some include health insurance. Some don't.

While it's too early to tell how many workers took the deal, Ford says it's pleased with the numbers. The company will announce the results later this week. GM offered similar packages. And the acceptance level there exceeded the company's expectations -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, what do you think? A smaller work force, will it really help Ford?

LISOVICZ: Yes, and no, Kyra.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: I mean, primary -- primarily, it makes cars, right? So, it has to make cars people want to buy.

And we told you this a few months ago, that Toyota surpassed Ford in U.S. auto sales in July, for the first time ever. Ford's bloated cost structure, however, is a big problem. By cutting down the size of its work force, Ford will have to pay out a lot less in benefits.

Ford, GM and Chrysler have also cited rising health care costs as one of their biggest burdens -- Ford also closing 16 plants, which should help Ford to cut costs by $5 billion through 2008.

Let's take a look what is happening on Wall Street. We had a lot of information thrown at investors today, but, certainly, one of the headlines, comments by Fed Chief Ben Bernanke, which have been cited as holding back the bulls. But prices have turned around yet again, so now slightly higher. Stocks had turned lower, after Bernanke dimmed hopes of an early interest-rate cut. In a speech this afternoon, the Fed chief said the economy is poised for a bit of a slowdown in the near term, and, in his words, core inflation remains uncomfortably high.

And before the opening bell, a read on durable goods orders showed more signs of a slowing economy. Orders for big-ticket items, like computers and appliances, fell more than 8 percent last month, the biggest drop in more than six years.

No big drops today, after the worse sell-off in four months -- the Dow is up 16 points. The Nasdaq is up five points, or a quarter- of-a-percent.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. I will be back in about 30 minutes for the closing bell.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Will the pope help to reconcile two faiths by visiting Turkey, or will he just widen the rift? We're bringing you all-day coverage of Benedict XVI's first trip to a Muslim nation since becoming pope. It comes two months after Muslims around the world were enraged by a single line in a papal speech.

Earlier, I talked with a U.S. Catholic leader right here in Atlanta about the pope's trip and much more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about how the pope has approached Muslim extremism. How do you think -- what do you think of how he's handled it thus far?

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM GREGORY, ATLANTA: Obviously, it's an extraordinarily sensitive issue, but one of equal importance. And he's determined. He's determined to advance the conversation because it's necessary for the promotion of peace in our society and in our world. He's resolute. And I don't expect that he will shy from the task because he sees it as critically important.

PHILLIPS: Why is he doing this? Why is he stepping out, reaching out? This is a bold move.

GREGORY: Yes. Well, the trip to Turkey was really organized over a year ago and it was at the invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Obviously, events in the past year have shifted focus and highlighted certain dimensions of the trip that may not have been primary when it was first established, but have certainly been of incredible importance.

PHILLIPS: Do you believe that Muslims and Christians have the same God? GREGORY: I believe that there is one God and that Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all expressions of the great Abrahamic religions of the world, the monotheistic religions of the world. So I believe that there is much that we could pursue together, respecting the diversity of our religious traditions, heritages, and customs.

PHILLIPS: There is a decision now about allowing condom use in certain situations in order to prevent the spread of the disease. This is pretty progressive, just talking about the use of condoms.

GREGORY: It certainly is. And it's a conversation that has to take place in light of the fact we are dealing with a pandemic. It is contextualized, however, to look at the issue of those married couples where one of the partners is HIV positive while the other is not, how can they engage in conjugal affection without risking the infection of the other partner. That really is the context in which this study is being pursued. So it is an attempt to address the needs of married couples who must live with the infection of one of the partners and, yet, enjoy the marital affection that belongs to married couples.

PHILLIPS: So in no way could this ever lead to a discussion about birth control or the acceptance of certain types of birth control?

GREGORY: You know, I think it's a very focused and contextualized conversation. And no doubt there will be people who will say, well, this is the beginning of...

PHILLIPS: Right. The talk is already starting.

GREGORY: ... a broader conversation. But certainly, the report that the Holy Father has and the ongoing conversation in the Holy See is very focused and very narrow.

PHILLIPS: Archbishop William Gregory, always great to have you here. Thank you.

GREGORY: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, if the pope wants an example of Muslim-Christian harmony, he ought to visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

CNN's Sean Callebs explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cedar Rapids, Iowa: look deep into the Heartland. Among the snapshots of Americana tucked away on a lazy suburban street, you'll find the oldest mosque built in the United States.

(on camera): Are you proud that Cedar Rapids has this designation?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You bet I am. That's good. You know, it's a good feeling.

CALLEBS (voice-over): Built in 1934, today this Islamic worship site is called the Mother Mosque of America. It's part cultural center, part library and, of course, partly a place of worship.

Sixty-eight year-old Al Aossey is among those volunteering his time to restore the mosque.

AL AOSSEY, IOWA MUSLIM: That pride comes from maybe early on or protecting the heritages that our parents established, carrying it on. We're on our forth generation of American-born Muslims.

CALLEBS (on camera): In the late 1800s, Cedar Rapids saw its first influx of immigrants from a region today known as Lebanon. The Muslim roots this area took and today, this section of Iowa has a small but active Islamic population.

AOSSEY: This picture...

CALLEBS (voice-over): Aossey says the first Lebanese here were merchants, peddlers. Over the years, the community has grown.

Taha Tawil, the imam, or Islamic cleric, came to Cedar Rapids from Jerusalem 23 years ago. After 9/11, Tawil says relations were strained between Muslims and local residents. But the imam says local government leaders were quick to offer their support.

TAHA TAWIL, IMAM, MOTHER MOSQUE: I remember, the mayor told me I will put two extra cars to patrol the area for the mosque.

CALLEBS: There was no violence, no vandalism.

Farther Mark Osterhaus says Imam Tawil came to the priest's Catholic church, answering pointed questions about Islam.

FATHER MARK OSTERHAUS, CATHOLIC PRIEST: And he spoke to our people for a couple of hours. And it was a way of saying, we want to know more and we want to recognize that you are not part of this extremist action or philosophy.

CALLEBS: Today, Father Mark and the imam are active in an interfaith council and the priest believes the community could do more to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.

OSTERHAUS: But I still wonder if you stop ten people on the street here at Cedar Rapids and say, "Are you aware that the oldest mosque is located here in Cedar Rapids?" I wonder how many of us would pass the quiz.

TAWIL: Ah salaam wa allecoom (ph) ...

CALLEBS: Cedar Rapids has a newer, much larger mosque to accommodate the 2,000 or so Muslims in the area with a large kitchen and gym for the kids. But for all of the amenities, it will never have what the Mother Mosque across town has: a place in history.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: "When Faiths Collide," a special edition of "AC 360." Anderson Cooper is live in Turkey with the 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: Washington, Idaho, Utah getting a jump on winter. Grab a shovel, stick around. THE NEWSROOM's knee-deep-in-snow reports. We'll have all the details for you coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live to Tallahassee. 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. The lawyer, Benjamin Crump, speaking right now. He says this is just one step toward justice.

BENJAMIN CRUMP, PARENTS' ATTORNEY: They didn't have the energy to go on. The NAACP is taking a stand and continuing to say we're going to fight for civil rights and justice in this matter.

You know, the charges, when you think about it, really what they're saying is those guards, you wanted them to be humane. When they watched what was going on to this 14 year-old kid, you wanted one of them to say, guys, stop, this is enough. This isn't right. You wanted a nurse, instead of putting her hands on her hips, to come with her hands and push out and tell them stop, this is a child! This is somebody's child. Don't do this to him.

That's what we believe these charges are about. And I know there's a lot of issues of whether they will be convicted with the charges as brought and so forth. When you really think about it, nobody who watches that videotape will have any doubt that they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of not acting humane, not at least saying you wouldn't do this to your dog, stuffing ammonia tablets up his nose, pulling his neck back, covering his mouth. It's just simple justice, as Thurgood Marshall would always say.

I think a certain debt is owed to the Hillsborough County Sheriff Department and their sheriff, David Gee, for assisting the Special Prosecutor Mark Ober. It's a tough situation for everybody. It's a difficult situation for everybody. And so Mark Ober showed great courage today in doing what he did. We met with him this morning so he could tell the family before he announced it to the world what charges he was bringing and why and to explain to them why it took so long and that he wanted to make sure that he got every fact right and wherever the facts led, he wanted to bring them out. And so he shared that with them and it was a very emotional time.

Ms. Gina Jones, who has always not held back her thoughts on this -- it was a tough meeting initially because we didn't know if they were going to arrest anybody, you know. You wanted to believe, but so much time has passed that you say, do I let myself believe again? And I remember almost 11 months when Ms. Gina Jones told me that, you know, they killed my baby and they going to get away with it, they're not going to do anything. And I begged her to have faith in the system.

So, today, her prayers have been answered that they have been arrested, as I understand it. And it is clear that the real, real heroes here are the people who, regardless of whatever intimidation, whatever backlash they were going to get from their colleagues and so forth, had the courage to go stand for right and stand for justice, Gina Jones, Robert Anderson.

PHILLIPS: Seven guards and a nurse now accused of aggravated manslaughter in the death of 14 year-old Martin Lee Anderson. That's his attorney right there talking, Benjamin Crump, his mom, Gina Jones, on one side, dad, Robert Anderson, on the other.

You may remember this young boy collapsed during an exercise drill back in January. He died the next day. Guards said that he was uncooperative, but the camera -- the videotape that we have seen time and time again, the camera video, this right here that helped win this case -- the guard said while he was being uncooperative, you can see they're forcing the boy to the ground.

And then the first autopsy showed that Anderson died of natural causes. Well, the second one found that he was suffocated. We'll continue too follow the case.

LEMON: Well, we often use the term fallout to mean repercussions or consequences, but in this story we mean fallout. It's a case of the poisoned former spy in London. More people are being tested for radioactive contamination while Britain's prime minister says police are determined to find out who is responsible.

Our Matthew Chance has this update.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the British authorities now confirming as many as eight people have been referred to a specialist London clinic to undergo tests for radiation poisoning as investigations continue into the death of the former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

British police say they're trying to retrace his steps on the day he was poisoned on the first of November. Minute traces of the powerful radioactive material responsible have already been detected in at least five locations across central London, including here at the offices of the exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky. The two were close associates.

The scandal is threatening to place severe strains on relations between Britain and Russia. The Kremlin has denied ordering the killing, but requests have been made to Moscow for any information the authorities there can offer.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the case was very serious and that he would discuss it with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in person, if necessary. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: First of all, I haven't spoken to President Putin. But I will do so at any time that is appropriate. The police investigation will proceed. And I think people should know that there is no diplomatic or political barrier in the way of that investigation going wherever it needs to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Well, we are expecting more information on the poisoning in the days ahead. Pathologists have now been given the go-ahead to carry out an autopsy on Mr. Litvinenko. They had been concerned it would be too dangerous for them to do so because of high levels of radioactivity.

It's also been confirmed that a key figure in this intrigue, Mario Scaramella, had returned to London and has been placed in some kind of protective custody. He was the Italian contact who met with Alexander Litvinenko at a London sushi bar on the day he was poisoned. It may well be that he has some further information that could police with their inquiries.

Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

PHILLIPS: One hundred and forty-two inches of fresh snow in a week. The lure of one ski resort. Of course, getting there could be a problem. The Northwest is white.

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PHILLIPS; Well, politics are a popularity contest and we're not saying it's not, who would win? Well, a Quinnipiac University poll gives the prize to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Respondents were asked to rate twenty politicians on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher the number, the warmer their feelings towards that person. Giuliani finished first with an average rating of 54. Then he's followed by Senators Barak Obama and John McCain. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former President Clinton. Senator Hillary Clinton came in ninth with a 49 rating. President Bush got 43, but he didn't come in last. That distinction goes to Senator John Kerry with a 39.

LEMON: Here's a guy who is always in the running for the top of the TV list.

PHILLIPS: He's a 120.

LEMON: Yes, Wolf Blitzer.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey guys. Thanks very much. Very nice of you to say that. Let's get to what is coming up at the top of the hour. In terms of fixing Iraq. The current president says victory is the only option. A former president, though, says military victory is impossible. We'll speak about all that with Jimmy Carter.

I'll ask him about the various options on the table, the stakes for Iraq. That's coming up in a one-on-one interview. Also, anti- U.S. forces joining forces. A senior U.S. intelligence official tells CNN Iraq's Mahdi Army, a deadly Shia militia is now getting training from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Our Brian Todd is standing by with a full report. All that Kyra, coming up right at the top of the hour.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good, Wolf. We'll be watching.

LEMON: And now from the town that pitched a fit over the high price of tea.

PHILLIPS: We're spilling the beans on a bunch of bricks in Boston that just sold for a cool quarter mill. Say what?

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PHILLIPS: Otis, our audio guy, makes me crazy. We don't know how much parking fines run in Boston but a quarter million bucks would probably pay a lot of tickets.

LEMON: And in some cities though, probably not Boston, it would also buy a nice house, but I digress. Property values, personal values, personal space are at the heart of this story from Shirley Chen from CNN affiliate WFXT.

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SHIRLEY CHEN, WFXT REPORTER (voice-over): If you've ever tried to park in parts of Boston, like downtown, Beacon Hill, or the Back Bay, you know these signs well. No parking. Tow Zone. And if you risk it, you risk one of these. But how much are you willing to pay for a parking spot? An anonymous buyer purchased this space for what some might consider mad money.

MICHAEL GALASSO, TOURIST: Parking space. Under all is the land, right? Quarter of a million dollars, $250,000 dollars to park.

CHEN: Sir, you heard it right. So what exactly does a quarter million dollars get you? If you think it's paved with gold, think again. You'll have to drive over a curb, contend with cracked bricks, and if you're a woman beware of getting your heel caught in one of those dreaded storm drains as you exit the car and it's an outdoor spot so you'll still have to shovel out on those snowy mornings.

JACQUI GRAY, MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENT: Crazy, crazy money. I can't even imagine paying that. I mean, I couldn't afford that to live around here, never mind just for a parking spot.

CHEN: it's the most expensive parking space ever sold in the city. It was listed at $250,000 and the seller got their asking price. The space measures 17 by 8, that comes out to over $1,800 dollars per square feet. One man said it might be worth it.

SAM MITCHELL, BOSTON RESIDENT: No, for the price that you pay, parking per day and the longer, it may be beneficial in the long run.

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LEMON: $250,000 dollars?

PHILLIPS: That's why we work at CNN, one of the perks of the job, don't have to worry a darn thing about parking. Another story though for Susan Lisovicz, but then again, no. Susan, you're in New York, you just take the underground.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A good parking space is priceless, but you know that one is outdoors so it's not that good. But, I want to add a P.S. to that. We got new figures today that showed the median price of a home in the U.S. was $221,000 in October. So less than that parking spot in Boston. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Closing bell rings. A little bit of a rally after the worst selloff in four months. Now it's time for THE SITUATION ROOM and Wolf.

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