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Amber Alert Issued in Ohio; Leaked White House Memo; Controversial Comments on Iraq From Colin Powell

Aired November 29, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Wednesday, the 29th of November. Here's what's on the rundown.

A secret memo leaked. The White House raising doubts about the Iraqi prime minister, and on the very day he will meet with President Bush.

HARRIS: Video games. A parent watchdog out this hour with new ratings and amazing images of the teen brain on video games.

COLLINS: And striking parallels for the Christmas season. A pregnant unwed teen portraying history's most famous unmarried teen mother. The Virgin Mary with a twist in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And talk about developments coming into the NEWSROOM, at this hour we are learning that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has decided not to launch a run for president of the United States. Widely considered to be a contender for the '08 Republican nomination, Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee deciding that he will not run for president of the United States in '08.

Expecting a full announcement of the senator's intentions a little later this afternoon. And when he makes that more formal announcement, we'll, of course, bring it to you here in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Want to tell you about this story as well. An Amber Alert has been issued in Ohio. Our Fredricka Whitfield is in the newsroom with more details on this.

What's happened here, Fred?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you, Heidi.

Well, two Middletown, Ohio, boys make up that Amber Alert. Officials believe that they were abducted by their father yesterday. So police have issued a couple of photographs of the children, 9-year- old Julius Crosty (ph) and 8-year-old brother Julian Crosty (ph).

It is believed that according to officials there, Julius Crosty Sr. (ph), who drives a 1999 gold Ford Taurus with Ohio license plate with the number DQM6260 allegedly abducted the two boys yesterday.

It is believed, according to police, that the father has suicidal tendencies, so they're very concerned about the well-being of the two children. The father allegedly assaulted the boys' mother and left her critically injured. So authorities are asking that anyone who may recognize these two little boys, ages 9 and 8, alert the authorities, and as well as if they see that vehicle that I've just described -- Heidi.

COLLINS: A boy and a girl, or two boys, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Two boys.

COLLINS: Two boys. OK. I have different pictures here. Just want to make sure.

Also, I think we had -- we were able to put up the license plate number as well. DQM6260 is the license plate number. There you see it, the Taurus, Ohio tag, a live shot to look at.

Fred, I know you're working on another story as well coming out of Ohio.

WHITFIELD: Right. Also in Ohio, not far away, near Cincinnati, in the suburb of Norwood, Ohio, and there a live picture of police investigating what believes -- what they believe to be a suspicious device under the underpass of I-71, just outside of Cincinnati. They believe that this suspicious device is comprised of some form of liquid, wires, a clock and a nine-volt battery. This according to the Norwood Police Department. Bomb-detecting dogs have sniffed the device, and technicians are now asking for an x-ray machine as well to try to further assess this device.

So two stories being worked there in Ohio, and we'll continue to keep you updated.

COLLINS: All right. Very good. Fredricka Whitfield, thank you.

Meanwhile, his country racked by violence, his capability is now questioned. A leaked memo raises doubts about Iraq's prime minister ahead of his meeting today with President Bush.

The story from White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, who is traveling with the President.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The NATO summit is wrapping up here in Riga, Latvia, but all eyes on a once-classified memo, five-page, that was leaked to "The New York Times," authenticated by senior administration officials, which reveals impressions about the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley had a meeting with Maliki in late October, wrote a memo, shared it with the president in November, gives his impressions, and indicates some serious doubts, questions over whether or not Maliki has the capabilities to control the sectarian violence in his country.

This memo highlights -- saying that "Maliki's intentions seem good when he talks with Americans, and sensitive reporting suggests he's trying to stand up to the Shia hierarchy and force positive change. But the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggest Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action. There are steps that Maliki could take, including bringing his political strategy with Muqtada al-Sadr to closure, shaking up his cabinet, and announcing plans to expand the Iraqi army."

Some steps the Bush administration could take: "Let Maliki take more credit for positive developments, continue to pressure Iran and Syria to end their interference in Iraq, and also step up our efforts to get Saudi Arabia to take a leadership role."

It also talks about the possibility of increase in American troop levels, saying , "We might also need to fill the current four-brigade gap in Baghdad with coalition forces if reliable Iraqi forces are not identified."

Now, senior administration officials who do not like to publicly talk about Bush and Maliki discussions, they say that the president remains confident in Maliki's intentions. It is the abilities, the capabilities of this government that have been called into question. Those are the kind of questions that are going to come up between the meeting between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Riga, Latvia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And right now some breaking news, a developing story into the NEWSROOM. Let's take you to Dubai now.

CNN's Hala Gorani is on the phone reporting on some -- what will be viewed as controversial comments from former secretary of state Colin Powell -- Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tony. Well, within the context of the leaders conference in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and also within the context of this debate, this semantics debate over whether to call what is going on now in Iraq a civil war, the former U.S. secretary of state, Colin Powell, told me that he thinks we can call it a civil war, and then added if he were still heading the State Department, he would probably recommend to the Bush administration that those terms should be used in order to come to terms with the reality on the ground.

I'm paraphrasing what he told me. This was closed to cameras and this is something that he said within the context of this academic debate, with 2,000 or 3,000 people watching on in the region very interested in finding out former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell's thoughts on what's going on in Iraq, as many people here, as they are in the U.S., extremely concerned with what they see as a situation that's deteriorating in that country -- Tony.

HARRIS: Did the former secretary of state suggest why calling it what he thinks it is would change anything on the ground or anything as to how the war is prosecuted?

GORANI: Yes, he said it has to be a twofold solution. He's calling what's happening now in Iraq phase three of the war. Phase one being the invasion, phase two being the emergence of that insurgency. And what he's saying is there has to be a two-part solution to the problem.

One, you have to keep U.S. troops there. Eventually reduce their numbers, of course. One, keep U.S. troops there. But two, the solution, Colin Powell told me, has to be political.

It has to come from within Iraq, not imposed -- whether imposed -- I shouldn't use that word because it's loaded...

HARRIS: Yes.

GORANI: But rather than concede outside of the country. So those are two important things that he said. I also asked him, Tony -- and I apologize. I'm on my way on to a plane right now, so I'm going to have to hang up in 10 seconds.

HARRIS: OK. We'll let you go. We'll let you go.

GORANI: But one -- one interesting thing, though, is that he said to me when I asked him, "Do you regret the statement that you made at the U.N. Security council in 2003 where you presented what was billed as evidence of WMD in Iraq and the basis for which the country was invaded by U.S. forces?" He did pick that term up again and said, "Yes, indeed, I do regret it" -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Hala Gorani in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, just fresh off a conversation with former secretary of state Colin Powell.

Hala, we appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINS: As we continue to look at some notes from that conversation with Hala, also seeing on here that Colin Powell said he does not have any ambitions to run for president.

Also another person that CNN has been able to confirm who does not have ambitions to run for president any longer, Bill Frist. He is currently the Senate majority leader, as you well know. A live shot there of the White House. And he will not be running for president.

He will make a formal announcement apparently a little bit later on today. I'm quite certain we will carry that for you live if and when it does happen.

HARRIS: President Bush now headed to Jordan. His vision for Iraq in jeopardy, fear of failure extending well beyond one nation's borders. CNN's Ben Wedeman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It would hardly seem like the best time to visit the region. President Bush's grand ambitions for the Middle East lie in disarray.

In Iraq, what was supposed to be a beacon of democracy has become a black hole of sectarian violence and anarchy. The administration still insists it's not civil war, though what Iraqi officials describe sounds almost as bad.

MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is a war between the extremists and the moderates in the whole region. And that's why it's concentrating its effort in Iraq. If they lose, they lose in the whole region. If they win, god forbid, they will disrupt the whole region again.

WEDEMAN: Perhaps glimpsing post-pullout reality, Iraqi president Jalal Talabani is now rubbing shoulders with the leaders of Iran, who seem as determined as ever, threats of sanctions notwithstanding, to pursue a nuclear option, flushed with growing regional clout.

In Lebanon, the U.S.-backed government is under siege.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And that government is being undermined, in my opinion, by -- by extremist forces encouraged out of Syria and Iran. Why? Because a democracy will be a major defeat for those who articulate extremist points of view.

WEDEMAN: Across the region, hopes for a blossoming of democracy have been dashed as almost every experiment in political liberalization in Egypt, in Iraq, in the Palestinian territories has empowered or emboldened Islamic hard-liners.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us now from Amman, Jordan.

And Ben, does the withdrawal of al-Sadr's faction from the al- Maliki government threaten the summit before it even begins?

WEDEMAN: Well, the Sadr faction has five ministers in the Iraqi government, so it's not an insignificant number. We do know that the Sadr faction has made this threat to pull out of the government in the past. This time they actually carried through.

So this is really going to bolster those who think that Nouri al- Maliki really does not have the wherewithal to deliver, to bring the militias under control, to create some modicum of calm on the streets in Iraq, in Baghdad. So it really does complicate things further, in addition to the already -- the doubts already expressed by administration officials, specifically Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser to President Bush, who did say that there are doubts whether he really understands what's going on.

So the two of -- those two developments together certainly already put a damper on expectations from the summit, the Maliki-Bush summit that's set to happen here tomorrow.

HARRIS: CNN's Ben Wedeman for us in Amman, Jordan.

Ben, thank you.

COLLINS: CNN has just confirmed this information about Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader. There had been some speculation that he may be running for president in 2008. Not true. He will no longer be seeking that position.

We want to go ahead and go to Andrea Koppel, who is in Washington, D.C., for the very latest on this.

Andrea, how serious of a contender was Bill Frist?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Heidi, he has been the majority leader for the last four years. He has a lot of visibility and name recognition.

So he was definitely seen not as the front-runner -- John McCain has been seen as the front-runner -- but he definitely was a contender. And it was something that he was clearly considering. And we're told by someone close to Frist that he made the decision during Thanksgiving that, in fact, he would not run.

And as you know, he is a doctor. He said he's going to go back, at least in the short term, to his -- these regular medical mission trips that he would make around the world. He's been very active in the third world to try to alleviate poverty, famine, things of that nature. So he says he's going to stay active in that.

He served two terms in Congress, and he'll be coming back for the lame-duck session next month. And then he's going to leave politics, at least for the short term -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, reading here on some of our reports coming in to us, Andrea, apparently he says the biggest factor was timing, just needs a sabbatical from public service. Very interesting.

We want to also ask you, Andrea, is there any confirmation that Senator Frist will actually come to a microphone somewhere and make this announcement formally today?

KOPPEL: Well, what I can tell you, Heidi, is that according to the senator's office, he will not be making any kind of public statement...

COLLINS: OK.

KOPPEL: ... on camera about this. He has just issued a written statement explaining sort of the -- a little bit as to what went into making the decision not to run for president. COLLINS: All right. Very good.

Andrea Koppel, our congressional correspondent, live from Washington, D.C.

Thank you, Andrea.

HARRIS: And then there's the weather to contend with today.

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: Developments in the NEWSROOM. Heavy snow, plunging temps. Denver to St. Louis, near-record warmth turning to Arctic cold today. Watching the thermometer. We are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: An Iraq war veteran makes a stop at an Army medical center. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, a tour of duty for CNN's Warrior One.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A letter from Iran to you. The country's president issued the communication just minutes ago.

His message from our senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth.

And Richard, I have this in front of me as well. It is lengthy. I know you're just thumbing through it.

What do you make of it so far?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's an appeal to the American people. It's harshly critical of the Bush administration and of Israel. The letter includes criticisms of Bush administration policies in Iraq and internally.

The Iranian leader does not break any new ground upon first skimming of this. The letter says, "The U.S. administration does not accept accountability before any organization, institution or council. The U.S. has undermined the credibility of an international organization such as the U.N. and the Security Council."

He says, "I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of wiretapping, judicial due process rights being trampled upon by the Bush administration, suspects arbitrarily arrested."

So he's appealing to the American people, going around the Bush administration in this five-page letter. He said he was going to do it. He said he had met the people of America when he came here in September to the U.N. General Assembly. He had wanted to deliver this letter, and we've now obtained this letter.

There is some religious thoughts at the end of the letter. He says, "I'm confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world." He says what he has stated throughout this letter represents some of his anxieties and concerns -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Any idea, Richard, what his intent is with this letter? What would be the purpose?

ROTH: Well, in his view, I think, and we've seen this before throughout history, he's hoping that this letter may make some kind of impact on the people of America. Maybe he's hoping that election results have persuaded some people to change their minds about some of the issues that concerns the Iranian leader.

He's hoping that this is sort of his op-ed, you might say, to the American people through his own letter. There's also the timeliness of it with President Bush in the Middle East region, and the Bush administration and the Iraq Study Group considering further options which may include Iran or not.

The Iranian leader, Ahmadinejad, in this letter says, "Since the commencement of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed. The presence of the U.S. military has done nothing to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure, or alleviate poverty. The U.S. government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but it later became clear this was a lie and a deception. The pain of the Iraqi people persists and has been aggravated even though Saddam was overthrown."

So he's saying to the American people, "I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to the spending of billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military misadventure."

COLLINS: Richard, who's going to print this?

ROTH: I don't know who's going to print it. Since I'm on the broadcast side of things, that's up to -- I'm sure it will be on the Web, and people will be able to read it for themselves.

COLLINS: All right.

Richard Roth from the U.N.

Thanks so much, Richard.

HARRIS: More breaking news into the CNN NEWSROOM. Fredricka Whitfield is following a pretty dramatic -- it looks like a house fire in Columbus, Ohio.

Fred, what can you tell us?

WHITFIELD: Yes, a pretty significant fire. It looks like a business fire, according to the information we're getting from sources there on the ground.

Ohio, a very busy state from that Amber Alert we reported earlier, to also that suspicious device. Still stories we're working on. But now this one, we're told, according to information from sources, that this is a business. Even though it does appear to look like an apartment building, doesn't it?

HARRIS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Well, this significant fire taking place in Columbus, Ohio. The north side of Columbus, Ohio. Taking place around the Dilmont Drive (ph) area near High Street, just north of 270, if you happen to know the Columbus, Ohio, area.

They are working on this sizable fire. We haven't heard anything about any folks who may be in danger, whether this building has been evacuated or not. Perhaps it may be one of those businesses that takes place in those structures that look a lot like apartment buildings.

HARRIS: Yes.

FREDRICKA: Not sure. But I'm just going with the information that our sources on the ground are giving us.

HARRIS: Got you. And Fred, I tell you what, we're seeing the white smoke which usually -- and we follow a lot of these -- seems to indicate that the firefighters, for the most part, have it -- well, it looks to be under control.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's a tough one to surmise, and I don't want to guess at this point...

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

WHITFIELD: ... because we are just relying on these visuals right now. And I don't know if your monitor looks any better than mine, but it looks a little hot.

HARRIS: A little dicey?

WHITFIELD: You know, a little iris up. So it's difficult to tell exactly what we're seeing. Sorry about that.

HARRIS: OK. Appreciate it, Fred. Thanks for the update.

WHITFIELD: OK.

Shoveling and shivering in the West. Snow, ice, freezing temperatures making for treacherous conditions in Colorado to be sure.

Our Rob Marciano -- looking good out there, bud, in Breckenridge. Good to see you, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.

Boy, it is cold out here. Still snowing. It's been a mess across most of Colorado.

This storm, as you know, started in the Pacific Northwest, unusually low elevation snow right down to sea level, right through the Seattle area. That gave you an idea of how cold this air mass was. And now it's moving through the Intermountain West and into the Plains.

Winter storm warnings are still up for this area, and roads are treacherous. We've already seen a couple of fatal accidents, both last night and this morning on I-70, coming this way and on I-25 going south from Denver. So roads are still slick. If you're going up and over the passes, you need, at the very least, chains, if not four- wheel drive as well.

What's going on here at Breckenridge? They had 10 inches of snow at mid-mountain. Down the road in Beaver Creek, they're trying to get the Alpine Men's World Cup downhill under way. Just a practice run.

Couldn't do it yesterday because of bad visibility and heavy snow. Probably can't do it today. They're still waiting to see about that. So almost too much of a good thing. But it is certainly cold.

The mountain is over my left shoulder behind me. You can barely see it. I mean, it is -- it is -- I can't even imagine the conditions up there right now.

Right now here, it's one degree above zero. So up at the top of the mountain at about 13,000 feet, you're looking at probably five or more degrees below zero. And that does not include the windchill.

To give you an idea also, Tony, about how cold it is, this is snow. You can't make a snowball. There's no way.

HARRIS: My goodness.

MARCIANO: There's no moisture in it. It's so cold. And -- well, it feels cold, too. I can tell you that from firsthand experience.

HARRIS: And let' see, you've got about 30 more live shots there, you've got "Headline News," you've got Anderson Cooper tonight. Enjoy.

MARCIANO: Just bring it. We're ready.

HARRIS: Just bring it. OK, Rob. Appreciate it.

Let's check in now with Reynolds Wolf.

Oh, hi, Heidi.

COLLINS: Hi. Reynolds Wolf is what he was going to say, standing by in the weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Hey, question for you. Got game? Do those violent video games equal violent behavior? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has got answers ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Want to quickly get you back to a developing story that we told you about just moments ago here on CNN. A suspicious device found under an overpass near Cincinnati, Ohio.

You see the scene there now. Some responders on the ground, trying to make sure that this device is not some sort of explosive. The area, just to be safe, is evacuated.

But we have our CNN law enforcement analyst, Mike Brooks, on the line to sort of lay this whole thing out for us.

Mike, what do you know at this point?

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, Heidi, you've got I-71 shut down. The Ohio State Patrol, out of an abundance of caution, went ahead and decided to shut down Interstate 71 and all of the roads feeding into that for right now. Because of this device that looks to them to be some kind of a device with possible some kind of liquid and wires coming out of it.

So, what they'll do is you've got the FBI, some of their bomb tech agents out there along with the Cincinnati, Ohio, fire department bomb squad. They're evaluating it right now. They're trying to get a robot down to detect to try to take a closer look and an x-ray machine, to x-ray it to see if there are any -- the total components if you will of an improvised explosive device. Still early on, but out of an abundance of caution, they decided to do this until they decide whether or not this is a viable device or not.

COLLINS: Mike, we saw one of those robots. I imagine it was about a month ago or so here on CNN, detonate another suspicious device in a parking lot of a school. It's pretty amazing what they do. How long does it take to get something like that there, and what would warrant that type of device?

BROOKS: Well, the Cincinnati fire department bomb squad is an excellent E.O.D. unit. And they have one. They can also use the robot to go down and try to get a closer look. If they decide it looks like it could be viable but go ahead and try to get an x-ray. Take a look at that x-ray, see whether or not it is a real device or not, and then what they can do, they actually don't detonate it. They go down and they'll shoot it in place. It's what's called a render safe procedure. And if it is a real device, what that does, it disrupts the electrical current inside the device and will go ahead and will go ahead and render safe.

But it's still early on right now. They're trying to decide exactly what they're going to do with it, how they're going to go ahead and proceed, whether they will shoot it in place, whether they'll render it safe or whether they'll take it, put it in a total containment vessel and take it somewhere else. But, it's still early on right now, Heidi, and they're in the evaluation process as we speak.

COLLINS: All right and as we look at those pictures, once again, I-71 closed at this point just outside of the area in Ohio called Norwood. Liquid and wires, a clock, a very suspicious device found there. Our Mike Brooks on the line to lay it out for us. Mike, thank you.

HARRIS: In Iraq, yet another division emerges. And the so- called unity government faces another test. At the center, anti- American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Lawmakers and cabinet members loyal to the militia leader are suspend suspending participation in the government. They're protesting today's meeting between President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Meanwhile, al-Maliki is already in Amman, Jordan for that meeting. He and President Bush will discuss the escalating sectarian violence in Iraq and the training of Iraqi troops to take the lead in securing the country. President Bush says he won't withdraw U.S. troops until, quote, the mission is complete.

His intentions seem good, but his capabilities are questionable. That's what a leaked White House memo says about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. It outlines doubts about al-Maliki ahead of his meeting today with President Bush. It questions whether the Iraqi leader can rise above the bloody sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq.

The memo was first reported by the "New York Times" and confirmed by CNN. It was prepared by President Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley. The document outlines what the U.S. can do to strengthen al-Maliki's position.

From Iraq, reports of shifting assignments for U.S. troops. ABC news has reported the Pentagon may pull out U.S. forces from the violence-plagued Anbar province. They would be moved into Baghdad to help secure the capital. There are now about 30,000 U.S. troops in Anbar, the deadliest province for American forces. Most of those deployed in that region are U.S. Marines.

COLLINS: It is the seventh stop on a tour of duty for CNN's Warrior One. The refurbished hummer drove CNN coverage during the early days of the war, now it is touring military bases and other spots as a tribute to those who served. Today we find it at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Joining us now, commander of Womack Medical Center, this is Colonel Terry Walters. Colonel, thank you for being with us. A great day for you. Glad that Warrior One could be with you at the center there. Talk to us, if you would, a little bit about what your facility, what types of crises your facility handles.

COL. TERRY WALTERS, CMDR. WOMACK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: Well, Heidi, it's great to be here. Obviously, we were busy before the war as a major medical facility for the Army, and we've just become busier. We continue our everyday mission of taking care of soldiers and family members. We're getting a few more babies, as to be expected, but we're also providing care for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries such as blast wounds from IEDs, gunshot wounds. We've run the whole gamut of injuries, with the exception of amputations which are taken care of at Walter Reed and Brook Army Medical Center. We also have a major mission here on deploying soldiers, making sure soldiers are fit to deploy, and also about 35 percent of the medical center's personnel, military personnel, medical personnel, have deployed to provide health care in Iraq and Afghanistan, so we're pretty busy. It's a juggling act here.

COLLINS: Boy I can only imagine. As our viewers at home know, Warrior One is going to be auctioned off to benefit the Fisher House. Talk to us, if you would colonel, about the Fisher House and just exactly what it really means to the families of some of these victims of wartime injuries.

WALTERS: Well, in short, it provides a home away from home. It's right across the street, provides, I think they have ten rooms with a minimal fee of like $10 a night. And we have the Junior League of Fayetteville who is actually volunteered her -- who has come up with $20,000 which they have donated, so soldier's families don't have to pay anything to stay at the Fisher House.

And it's really a home away from home. They have a kitchen. It's much more homely and comfortable than an average hotel room. And we have family members from all over the United States, since we're a major deployment post, and this is comfortable. And if something should happen in the middle of the night, you can just cross the street and be with their loved ones to provide them care. So it's a home away from home.

COLLINS: It is terrific. We're looking at some pictures and video inside the Fisher House. It looks to be of great comfort to those people who would be going through a situation like this. In fact, if you would, tell us a little bit more about how the Iraq war has impacted your facility and the people you work with every day.

WALTERS: Well, what it's done is it's sharpened our focus. I think when the history of the Iraq war is written, that one of the bright, shining lights will be Army medicine. We have the lowest died of wounds rate ever in the history of warfare. It's absolutely incredible how many soldiers we're saving -- soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, but we're getting more seriously injured soldiers back, which means their rehabilitation needs are so much more and much lengthier.

So the acuity or the degree of sickness of our casualties in Army medical facilities and at Womack has increased. Thereby the need for the Fisher facility and the Fisher House isn't just at Fort Bragg, it's at every Army major medical facility and Navy and Air Force. So it's all across the United States. And they're even expanding to the Veteran's Administration, too. So it's really a wonderful, wonderful capacity.

COLLINS: It certainly is. And we so appreciate your time here. Colonel Walters, I could talk to you all day, but unfortunately we have information coming in to us ...

WALTERS: I would love to.

COLLINS ... from the Pentagon about some troop movements. So, we're going to go on to that. But thank you for your time and as a reminder to our viewers, CNN's Warrior One will go to the highest bidder at auction in January. Proceeds will benefit the Fisher House foundation, it offers comfort and shelter as you saw to families of hospitalized veterans.

HARRIS: And as Heidi just mentioned -- a developing story right now U.S. troops on the move in Iraq. Jamie McIntyre is at the Pentagon for us. And Jamie, clearly you've been working your sources since we last spoke. What can you tell us as an update on this story?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, a senior Pentagon official tells CNN that the U.S. military is planning to reinforce the number of American troops in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, moving at least three battalions into the capital city from other areas of Iraq where it is a little more peaceful.

This is a reflection of the fact that Baghdad remains the top priority in the U.S. strategy for trying to bring the violence there under control. The theory is secure Baghdad first. But I would note that this official says none of these troops will be coming from al Anbar province, the insurgent stronghold where the U.S. Marines, about 20,000 or more, have been battling insurgents there. That hot spot, we are told, will keep the same number of troops it has.

These troops will come from other areas including possibly up north where there is a Stryker battalion, that's the wheeled vehicle that gives the troops more mobility, maybe move down into Baghdad as well as other troops, including some that are already in the general Baghdad area, but will be moved closer into the city. Again, this is a reflection of the U.S. strategy and priority to try to bring more stability to Baghdad while not taking troops away from other areas that really need them -- Tony.

HARRIS: And we'll learn more about all of this, I imagine, Jamie, when we hear from the chairman of the joint chiefs, Peter Pace. That briefing scheduled for 1:45 Eastern time this afternoon, is that correct?

MCINTYRE: I'm not sure how much General Pace is going to want to say about these troop movements before they're actually taking place, but, again, our sources tell us that that's the plan at the moment.

HARRIS: Great. Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, thank you.

COLLINS; A deadly frat house fire in St. Louis. Authorities say at least one person died in a blaze at the Pi Kappa Alpha house (INAUDIBLE) on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The fire broke out before dawn today. A man's body was found on the second floor of the brick house. We will keep you updated as details on this story become available.

COLLINS: Meanwhile, got game? Do those violent video games equal violent behavior? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has answers coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: In our daily dose of health news, how do violent video games affect kids? We have a unique look at ten brains on video games.

Our neurosurgeon, CNN senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, videogaming really is a remarkable industry, about $13 billion a year it generates had revenue, which rivals Hollywood, by the way.

But new studies out suggest you might want to pay more attention to what your kids are playing. Actually looking specifically at what's happening in the brain. They show the part of the brain that's responsible for emotional arousal is actually increased, while that part of the brain that controls inhibitions is dampened down a bit.

Now there's been a lot of studies out there that have actually shown some concrete relationships between violent games, violent movies and subsequently violent behavior. But for the first time now, you're seeing a study out from radiologists who actually show what's happening in the brain, using what is known as functional MRI scans.

Now, what these do is actually measure blood flow in different parts of the brain. You see there, look at the image on the left. This is someone who is playing a nonviolent video game. You see different parts of the brain lighting up all over. And then you see the other image, where one specific area of the brain -- that's called the inigdula (ph) -- is actually lighting up.

I want to take you on a little bit of a tour here inside the brain to show you what I'm talking about. Just flip this around, and actually the inigdula is located deep in here. That's the part of the brain that controls conflict. That lights up, whereas all that part of the brain that's responsible for focus, behavior and concentration doesn't light up as well.

So, again, we've known for some time that there is a link between violent movies, violent games and violent behavior. Now we can specifically see why.

And if you're curious as to why it's hard to get those video games out of your children's hands, it's because that emotional arousal area, that conflict area, is so brightly lit up.

We talked to several doctors about this from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most striking, the question you should really ask yourself when talking to your kid, how sensitive is your child to these games? Can you get some sense of that? How mature is your child emotionally? Do you have a 13-year-old that acts like a 15- year-old or a 13-year-old that acts like an 11-year-old? And You might want to watch these games with your children, state your objections if you have some as well. Remember, the study was only done over 30 minutes. And most people play these games far more each week. So it's important for parents to keep an eye on what they're playing.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK. And then there's this. A media watchdog group, Heidi, is out with its buying guide for parents. Among the top five games rated most violent, "Gangs of London," "The Sopranos," "Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories," "Reservoir Dogs" and "Mortal Kombat Unchained." Now that list from the national institute on media and the family. Their five most recommended games for children are "Legos Star Wars 2," "Mario Hoops 3 on 3," "Super Monkey Ball," "Banana Blitz" -- I just like saying that -- "Roboblitz," and "Madden football '07," baby.

COLLINS: All right, good deal.

Meanwhile, should the pain reliever Celebrex be used to treat children with rheumatoid arthritis? That question today before a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel. Drugmaker Pfizer wants FDA approval to sell its blockbuster pain reliever as a treatment for children as young as 2 years old. But there are concerns Celebrex is in a class of drugs found to elevate the risk of heart attacks and strokes in adults. It is the only one still on the market.

To get your daily dose of health news online, log to on our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: We've got some weird news here for parents. You might have to think about having a talk with your youngsters. A report says the lead singer for the Wiggles, the yellow Wiggle here, is leaving. Greg Page (ph) has been missing from some of the group's recent shows. It's reported that he's been having some problems with a serious health issue. The group will reportedly make what's billed as a major announcement tomorrow. The Wiggles are big stars among the little ones. Last year, the preschool set pushed the super group to the top spot among Australian entertainers. I did not know that, and now I do.

COLLINS: And then there's this, Snoop Dogg -- he raps for Jay Leno, then the police move in. What's going on? We'll tell you about all of this, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And playing the Virgin Mary, the teen actress pregnant in real life. What is the Vatican saying?

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COLLINS: Life imitating art. A teenager playing the Virgin Mary now pregnant herself.

The story from CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not be afraid Mary. You have found favor with God. You will give birth do a son.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When Hollywood decreed it would take on "The Nativity Story," Catholics the world over heralded its 21st century arrival.

KIERA MCCAFFREY, THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE: This is a film explicitly about the birth of Christ. We don't see very many of those these days.

VARGAS: A major studio backed the movie, New Line Cinema, a sister company to CNN. And enlisted director Catherine Hardwicke, and Oscar-nominated star Keisha Castle-Hughes as the Virgin mother. Filmmakers even got approval from on high -- the Vatican would host the movie's world premiere - a first for the holy see. But, then, this fall, after filming wrapped, Keisha Castle-Hughes had some news. The 16-year-old actress announced she and her boyfriend were expecting a baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know how much disgrace you have brought upon yourself?

VARGAS: The parallels were striking. Un-wed teenaged actress gets pregnant deciding to keep a baby. That alone is unusual. The fact that she also happens to be the actress playing the most famous un-wed teenager of all time -- what are the odds.

CATHERINE HARDWICKE, DIRECTOR, "THE NATIVITY STORY": Life imitating art.

VARGAS (on camera): You must have, at some point, it has to cross your mind that you know, it just crossed all of our minds, this is amazing.

HARDWICKE: I know. And her boyfriend is in construction, too, he's a carpenter too, but he's not named Joseph.

VARGAS: Castle-Hughes was a no-show at the L.A. premiere and has been absent from all of the film's publicity events including the press junket. Filmmakers say that's only because she's busy shooting another movie in Australia and not because they feared religious fallout as had been speculated.

VARGAS (voice-over): On Sunday, one important world premiere put the religious fallout rumors to rest. 7,000 gathered and cheered at the Vatican's screening, including a number of high-ranking Cardinals.

MCCAFFREY: She isn't the blessed mother. Although she's portraying her. She did a job. She did a very good job in this film acting. Now she finds herself in this spot. It's something that people understand.

VARGAS: And Iit certainly adds an unusual twist to the story of the nativity.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK. You already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. until noon Eastern right here on CNN in the NEWSROOM, right? But did you know you can take us with you anywhere on your iPod. The CNN NEWSROOM podcast available 24/7 right on your iPod.

COLLINS: Well, it's pretty grand for a fake, isn't it? This is Europe's tallest artificial Christmas tree continue all lit up in Lisbon. It's about the height of a 25-story building with more than two million bulbs, 12,000 mini lamps, just like your house, right?

HARRIS: yes.

COLLINS: Not to mention a heck of a lot of neon, as you see there. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend New Year's celebrations under the tree. Tens of thousands of people right under the tree? Must be wide.

Anyway, CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: But before we go, live pictures, Air Force one, arriving in Amman, Jordan at this hour for meetings scheduled later today with the president of the United States and the prime minister of Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki. Those meetings taking on all kinds of additional significance today. A bit of a gloomy forecast over this meeting with the news coming from the national security adviser, a memo leaked from Stephen Hadley.

"YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next.

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