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Trouble on Pakistani-Afghan Border; Health & Taxes; Senators on Iraq

Aired January 25, 2007 - 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: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today.

Trouble on the border. The Pakistani-Afghan border, that is. U.S. officials say the training camps are full. And you know what that means? Al Qaeda activity.

LEMON: Was Scooter Libby sacrificed to save Karl Rove in Plamegate? The allegations are coming fast and furious at Libby's perjury trial.

NGUYEN: And did a love's triangle lead to murder at 12,000 feet? Belgian police say a fatal jump was no accident.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: The Afghan-Pakistani border has long been a focal point of the war on terror. Now an agreement between Pakistan's government and tribal leaders may be making the region even more dangerous for U.S. troops.

Let's bring in CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, are more troops heading that way?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, what has happened is the Pentagon announced this morning that about 3,200 troops from the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan that were scheduled to come home are going to stay put for at least another four months, up to four more months on duty in Afghanistan. Why? Because of the rise, the continuing rise in attacks, by the Taliban.

And as you say, there is growing concern that it is from across the border in Pakistan that many of these attacks are being organized and mounted into Afghanistan. U.S. officials say -- but it's not just the Taliban that worry them. There is a growing feeling that al Qaeda's central core, al Qaeda leadership, is reorganizing in Pakistan, that they have found safe haven along that border region. And as one official told us just yesterday, the assessment is, in Pakistan, the training camps are full, he said.

LEMON: Now, Barbara, officials who have been there, including senators who have been to the region, have been reporting that that was a problem there, and you've also been following the spread of al Qaeda cells in that region.

What do you know about that?

STARR: Well, you know, what happened, it all sounds pretty bureaucratic, but for the U.S. intelligence community this is all extremely significant. Last year, the Pakistani government reached an agreement with the tribes in that frontier area that the Pakistani military basically would take a hands-off attitude. They wouldn't go in there, they wouldn't try and hunt down al Qaeda, as long as the tribes promised they wouldn't shelter terrorists and extremists. But there was no penalty, of course, if they did shelter them.

So what's happened in the last several months with this hands-off attitude, is that basically it has become a safe haven. U.S. intelligence officials, again, feel that the training camps are operating. As one official said, the training camps are full, and that once again, Pakistan has basically become a safe haven for al Qaeda.

Not just Taliban, but al Qaeda. And that is a concern, because in Pakistan, basically, the U.S. troops really cannot cross into the border, and they really can't lay a hand on them -- Don.

LEMON: Barbara Starr, thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, back here in the U.S., health and taxes in the heartland. President Bush is in Missouri this hour promoting the healthcare and tax education measures that he proposed in the State of the Union Address.

White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano is standing by for us just outside of Kansas City with today's developments.

Hi there, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Betty.

Well, you know, some might say this is not exactly a made-for-TV topic, a proposal to change the tax code in order to encourage people who don't have health insurance to go ahead and get it. But that complexity is exactly why President Bush is here today in Lee's Summit, Missouri, near Kansas City, to try to explain, and basically to sell this idea.

Now, earlier, one of the first things he did here in Lee's Summit was tour the local hospital here, St. Luke's. And he is now taking part in a roundtable discussion, really trying to push his plan that he unveiled in the State of the Union Address.

Now, let's take a look at one of the basic outlines, really, of the components of this plan.

The president is proposing a $7,500 tax deduction for people who sign up for an individual health insurance plan, either through an employer or on their own. And a $15,000 tax deduction for people who sign up for a family health insurance plan.

Now, the idea here is to try to encourage people who don't have insurance to sign up for a plan and make it more affordable for them to do so. But, the White House is also acknowledging that 20 percent of workers with employer-based insurance could see their taxes go up.

Nevertheless, officials argue, that more people will be helped in the end than hurt. But, already, of course, the political rhetoric over this approach is heating up.

One Democrat, in fact, pronouncing this idea "dead on arrival." And Democrats, generally, Betty, are criticizing this approach, saying that it really doesn't do enough to address the fundamental problems facing healthcare in America -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Let's talk now about Iraq, because the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had a resolution yesterday on Iraq. Now, what is the White House saying about that?

QUIJANO: Well, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, Betty, was asked about this aboard Air Force One on the way here to Missouri, and what he said was that this resolution put forth opposing the president's plan for increasing the number of troops in Iraq is not surprising. He said that basically the president understands people have political concerns at this point. But bottom line, he reiterated the president's appeal laid out in the State of the Union Address, simply saying that lawmakers need to give this plan a chance to work -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Elaine Quijano in Missouri for us.

Thank you, Elaine.

LEMON: And this just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. We're getting reports of some type of chemical release that's in La Porte, Texas, which is near Houston. Let's take a look now at some of the video there.

La Porte emergency officials say no injuries so far have been reported, and they are ordering, though, a shelter-in-place order, issues for people and businesses, plus La Porte schools near this plant. It is a DuPont plant. Shelter in place, of course, means you say where you are and put towels under your doors and windows, anywhere you might have cracks.

Now, this is according to The Associated Press. Witnesses reported seeing a lingering vapor cloud in the area, and some nearby highways had to be closed just as a precaution. And the type of chemical involved is not immediately known. But it is a DuPont plant in La Porte Texas.

That's in the Houston, Texas, area. Order in place, and some type of chemical release has happened there. Not sure exactly what that chemical is, but we'll stay on top of it for you and bring you the very latest right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Now to Iraq. One side surge; the other side, no surge. Iraq war resolutions, non-binding though they are, are still coming hot and heavy on Capitol Hill. The latest from a powerful Senate Republican.

Now let's get or scorecards out. CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash is here to sort all of this out for us.

Hi, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Well, essentially what's going on today on Capitol Hill is everyone is kind of trying to regroup from the vote that we saw yesterday about this time. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voting 12-9, essentially to rebuke the president, saying that they do not agree with his plan to send more troops to Iraq. So, especially Republicans who agree with that idea, say -- say that sending more troops is really the only way to go right now, that they are trying to figure out what to do when this whole thing comes to the head on the Senate floor, which could be next week or the week after.

Senator John McCain has been one of the leading voices and advocates for more troops in Iraq for some time. And what he said today is that he's trying to come up with an alternative for senators to vote for, something that Republicans understand that they could kind of say that they sign on to, that would, perhaps, set some benchmarks for the Iraqis or, even, maybe the Bush administration. He says that it is just in the beginning stages of what he's trying to develop, but also make clear that Congress has oversight in terms of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I think that there's a legitimate concern about lack of congressional oversight, about sending General Petraeus there, saying we don't approve of his mission, even though we're sending him on a mission and we're all fine with him individually. So we want to -- I think -- I think one of the areas that we really need to work on is setting some benchmarks so the American people and the Congress know whether we are making progress or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: What McCain is essentially saying is that he understands that his fellow Republicans are, in his words, frustrated because of some of the rosy talk that has come from the White House on Iraq. And meanwhile, the situation on the ground there has continued to deteriorate. So he said he's looking for way to put that on the record while still preserving what he hopes will be -- will be some kind of support for the president's plan, which is to increase -- increase troops in Iraq.

So, we're going to see a lot, Don, of competing proposals once this gets to the Senate floor. A debate, frankly, the kind of which we have not seen in the past four years when it comes to this war. LEMON: And Dana, of course that subject a big topic in that interview with Wolf Blitzer and the vice president. Let's listen to the vice president explain success in Iraq to Wolf Blitzer, and I want your reaction on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, Wolf, if the history books were written by people who are so eager to write off this effort, to declare it a failure, including many of our friends in the media, the situation, obviously, would have been over a long time ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Dana, what's the reaction on Capitol Hill to that?

BASH: Well, the thing that the vice president said right after that is the bottom line is that we've had enormous successes and we will continue to have enormous successes. Well, the number two Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin, in a briefing this morning with reporters, unsolicited, really, brought that up and went after the vice president, saying that he believes that that proves that he is delusional. I'll read you the full quote.

He says, "To have Vice President Cheney suggest that we have had a serious of enormous successes in Iraq is delusional. I don't understand how he can continue to say those things when the president calls them a slow failure."

So you hear the top Democrat saying that he saw that interview and saying that this is proof that the White House still doesn't understand the reality and is not being maybe forthcoming with the American people when it comes to the war in Iraq. But it's not just Democrats.

I have to tell you, I talked to some Republicans, some Republicans who have been openly frustrated about -- about the president's Iraq policy, who said what they heard from the vice president on this issue, but also with him saying flatly that no matter what Congress says or does, the president will go ahead with the troop increase, that they did not think that was helpful at a time when a lot of Republicans here are trying to stay loyal to the president but also feeling a lot of pressure from their constituents looking at the polls to not stick with him when it comes to Iraq policy -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Dana Bash, thank you so much.

And of course another topic, another big topic yesterday in that interview, was Dick Cheney's daughter. And we've been asking viewers their reaction to that. We're going to have more of that right here later on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

David Petraeus, well, he looks like a shoo-in. He's a three- star, soon to be four-star, Army general tapped to take over command of coalition forces in Iraq. The full Senate is expected to vote tomorrow after yesterday's unanimous approval of the Armed Services Committee. Confirmation is all but guaranteed.

NGUYEN: Also, oily, black smoke rising from the scene of yet another suicide car bombing in Baghdad. Officials believe the bomber was targeting an Iraqi police patrol in a bustling shopping district. At least 25 people were killed, twice that number hurt. Police found another car bomb near a mosque nearby and they removed that one before it went off.

LEMON: Fall guy, scapegoat, sacrificial lamb, whatever you call it, Scooter Libby's lawyers, well, they just aren't having it. We'll have the latest on a high-stakes perjury trial with legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: High-stake pie in the skies, a thrill that killed. But was it a skydiver's death that is an accident or a crime of passion at 13,000 feet?

We're checking the evidence. That's next here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. Who remembers what and what told whom about Valerie Plame? That is the focus of the perjury trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. On the witness stand today, Kathy Martin (ph), Cheney's former spokeswoman.

CNN's Kelli Arena tells us Martin testified the White House was obsessed with trying to manipulate media coverage as it geared up for war in Iraq. Martin also testified that she told Libby that Joe Wilson, a prominent administration critic, was married to Plame, a CIA agent, days before Libby said he'd learned it from a reporter.

Watching all this from New York, our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.

We're going to take this apart, Jeffrey, because there are a lot of different issues here.

The defense, first of all, is trying to say that Libby is just being used as a scapegoat and trying to protect Karl Rove. How much weight is there to this argument?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it's interesting. You know, one of the things about Washington, D.C., is that most people on a jury pool really don't like this administration very much. And what Ted Wells, Libby's defense attorney, appears to be saying is, look, that White House was circling the wagons around Karl Rove, trying to protect him, and throwing Scooter Libby to the -- into the meat grinder, as he -- as he kept saying.

And that's -- and, so, it's not precisely a legal defense, because it doesn't really go to the specific allegation in the case, but it suggests that Scooter Libby was doing his best in a difficult situation, and the White House, the bad guys, were out to get him.

NGUYEN: Yes. I want to show you a memo that the defense attorneys presented -- this one from Dick Cheney, Libby's boss, which essentially said, as you mentioned, that meat grinder, 'Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the guy who was asked to stick his neck in the meat grinder because of the incompetence of others."

Besides this memo, what kind of evidence does the defense have?

TOOBIN: Well, at this point, they have very little. The prosecution's case has begun, and a series of witnesses have been called, yesterday and today, who are saying, I told Scooter Libby that Valerie -- Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.

That's important, because Scooter Libby testified in the grand jury that Tim Russert of NBC, he was the one who told her -- who told him about Valerie Plame. That -- the -- so the defense hasn't really had a chance to develop the theory very much. And the prosecution, very methodically, very effectively, I think, is saying, look, this is how Scooter Libby learned of Valerie Plame's status, not how he said he did.

NGUYEN: Well, connecting the dots is really complicated. And that's really the defense's strategy, because today, as we just mentioned, Kathy Martin (ph) was testifying that she is the one who told Libby about Valerie Plame being married to Joe Wilson before Libby said he learned it from a reporter. So, again, I mean, the argument is, OK, so and so told to it so-and-so, and of course he's going to get confused, there are too many people in the picture here.

Is that a pretty good argument?

TOOBIN: Well, that -- you know, that -- the defense in this case appears to be mostly, look, Scooter Libby was a busy guy, he was dealing with life-or-death issues in the White House, this issue about Valerie Plame-Wilson seems significant now, but at the time it was at the bottom of his agenda. He didn't remember how he learned of this, he had more important things to worry about. Maybe he told Tim Russert, maybe Tim Russert told him, maybe these other people mentioned it.

That confusion is what the defense is trying to persuade the jury of, that anything Libby said to the grand jury that was false, was not an intentional lie, it was simply a mistake, because the situation was so confusing and so fast-moving in 2003.

NGUYEN: Well, in a few weeks we're going to hear from Vice President Dick Cheney, Libby's boss.

How is that testimony going to change the dynamics of this trial?

TOOBIN: Well, you know, when you have someone of that prominence testify in a trial, it's going to be a dramatic event. There's no question about it.

What's going to be interesting is whether Cheney, who obviously is very supportive of his former chief of staff, Libby, concedes that the White House was in a kind of chaos at the time, desperate to try to defend their claim that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and how much he tries to distance himself from it, as he has subsequently, and said, look, there was no chaos, we were just doing our best. That's the -- it's certainly going to be a very dramatic moment in the trial when the vice president testifies.

NGUYEN: Well, another thing, another connection that maybe we can make, does this bring to light any memories of the Martha Stewart trial? Because she wasn't exactly accused of the crime, per se, but she was accused of lying about it.

TOOBIN: You know, it is so funny, because it is really almost identical in structure. Martha Stewart was investigated for insider trading. She was never charged criminally with insider trading. She was charged with lying about -- in the course of this investigation.

The investigation of the Wilson situation began because people were upset, was there an illegal disclosure of classified information, the fact that Valerie Wilson worked at the CIA? Scooter Libby is not charged with improperly disclosing classified information. He is charged only with lying in the course of the investigation. So, the old Washington line, it's not the crime, it's the cover-up, is vindicated once again.

NGUYEN: Well, we'll be watching.

Jeffrey Toobin, senior legal analyst for us here at CNN.

We appreciate it, Jeffrey.

TOOBIN: OK, Betty.

LEMON: Some new information just in to CNN. We are learning that the Bush administration will ask Congress for an additional $10.6 billion in security and reconstruction assistance for Afghanistan.

According to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday, Rice told reporters $8.6 billion would be dedicated to training and equipment. Equipping Afghanistan, that army and police forces, $2 billion toward reconstruction.

Again, the Bush administration will ask the U.S. Congress for an additional $10.6 billion in security and reconstruction funds for Afghanistan.

Too young for a beer, but not for battle. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, young soldiers grow up fast on the front lines in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Brrr, I guess you could say, for Washington, D.C. There you go, arctic blast.

This video taken just a few minutes ago right outside of the White House in Washington, D.C. It is coming down. And as I said, an arctic blast is blowing into the East Coast.

I think this is the start of it, Rob Marciano. Is that right?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. They're finally getting a piece of the action.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right. Don't go anywhere, because we're going to tell you about a thrill that killed. But, was it a skydiver's death, an accident, or a crime of passion at 13,000 feet?

We're going to check the evidence. That's next, here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone.

I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips today.

A skydiver jumps to her death. But, police say it was no accident. We have details on a possible lover's triangle and whether it could have motivated murder at 13,000 feet.

You're in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Police in Belgium say it was murder at 13,000 feet. A trio of skydivers, rumors of a love triangle and a jump that went horribly wrong.

CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh is following the case for us in London.

He, Alphonso.

ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don.

That's right. It's one of these stories that's hard to believe is true. But if police are right in their hunch, it's very much a love triangle gone terribly wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): When an experienced member of this Belgium skydiving club plunged to her death, it was thought the tragedy was a dive gone horribly wrong. Now police suspect Elsa Van Doren's (ph) death was a murder at 13,000 feet.

MICHAEL SEGERS, CHIEF PROSECUTOR'S SPOKESMAN (translated): Both her main parachute and her reserve parachute had been tampered with, the first by binding it and the second by cutting the strings. She died after a spectacular fall. We have a suspect under custody.

MARSH: The suspect, police say, is a friend of Van Doren's, a fellow jumper from the same skydiving club. Police arrested the 22 year-old woman for questioning last week. Now it's emerged the suspect and victim may have been dating the same man, who is also a member of the same dive club.

SEGERS: The motives of this case have to be found in the area of passion.

MARSH: Van Doren hit the ground at 200 kilometers, about 130 miles per hour. Police have Van Doren's own video footage her last jump that reportedly shows the 37 year-old's desperate attempts to save herself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated): Well, my neighbor was standing in her garden and all of a sudden something fell from the sky and she went looking. She sees something lying in the bushes. It turns out it's the woman whose parachute didn't open. She started screaming.

MARSH: Authorities say they turned their attention on the suspect after she attempted suicide just before she was scheduled to make a statement to police. The case continues on February 16th.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH (on camera): That's right. Now, whether the police investigation leads to charges or even an eventual conviction, the true tragedy here is that somebody died a very tragic, very scary and very frightening death -- Don.

LEMON: So, Alphonso, real quick, no charges for the woman or the other person, the man, right? No charges filed yet?

MARSH: Well, at this point we know that the case will continue on February 16th. What will be probably be key to this case is this video, the video of -- the actual victim herself had a camera on her as she was falling to the earth. Police are taking a look at that video. It hasn't been made available to the public or to reporters at this point. But that will probably be key in determining just the process she went through, again, before she hit the ground at over 200 kilometers, over 120 miles per hour.

LEMON: Alphonso, I think they said they were ruling out suicide, because it looks like the woman was in distress when she was trying to open her parachute, and if she were going to commit suicide, she would not have been in distress that way, so that video will be a key in determining that.

Alphonso Van Marsh in London.

Thank you so much.

NGUYEN: Well, a military curfew is in effect in the volatile capitol of Lebanon. Earlier today what started as a fight among students turned into a series of deadly attacks spreading beyond Beirut University. Sunnis and Shiites battled for hours -- you're looking at some of it now -- leaving several people dead and dozens wounded, also prompting pleas for calm from across the political spectrum.

On Tuesday Iran-backed Hezbollah led a general strike against the Sunni-led Lebanese government supported by Washington. Today, though, the group's leader called for an end to the confrontation.

Well, friends of Lebanon passed the hat today in Paris. French President Jacques Chirac hosted a donor's meeting that brought in $7.6 billion in pledges, more than expected. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the conference told the conference Lebanon's too important to lose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The future of Lebanon is important not only to the people of Lebanon, but also to the future of a troubled region because, Mr. Prime Minister, we know that the people of Lebanon want a Lebanon that is peaceful, unified, that respects Lebanon's great cultural and religious diversity and that shows that people who are different do not take that difference as a license to kill, but rather as a license to live together in peace, in honor and prosperity. That is a message that is important not just for Lebanon, but for the region.

And we will stand with you in that quest.

Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And apart from the current upheaval, Lebanon faces staggering costs from the Israeli invasion last summer.

LEMON: All right, take a gander at this new piece of Army gear. It's new. It looks harmless enough, right? Well, but it could light up like a Roman candle. Check that out. It's a crowd buster, a non- lethal way to take the bite out of an angry crowd.

Watch it in action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (YELLING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. Well, these are volunteers, we hope. You know, I call it a heat ray. The Army calls it an active denial system, millimeter waves that make you feel like your skin is on fire.

NGUYEN: Wow.

LEMON: Yes.

NGUYEN: I wonder why they were running.

LEMON: Yes, I'm like, well what's going on? Field commanders say the effect is temporary but very effective. And best of all, it gives them a little elbow room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. JOHN DECKNICK, U.S. AIR FORCE: The active denial system gives us an advantage to deal with folks that we need to deal with at a great distance, without engaging them close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So it's kind of like a -- almost like a stun gun, but it makes you, you know...

NGUYEN: Yes, feel the heat.

LEMON: The Pentagon says the heat-beam system could go into the field within three years. That's not far off.

NGUYEN: No, a very interesting way to do it there.

Well, we always marvel at the images that emerge from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, unbelievable acts of bravery, endurance, hardship and leadership by the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. And when we learn of how many of those troops are in their teens, amazement turns to awe.

Here's CNN's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Place yourself here if you can here, Haifa Street in Baghdad, earlier this month. Now imagine you're 18, 19 years old. Perhaps just a year or so out of high school. From the heat of battle to routine patrol, from teenager to war veteran.

SPEC. JESUS BECERRA, U.S. ARMY: Going to be dreaming about it a lot, nightmares and stuff. You miss your family a lot. You think about them every day. Especially when you go out on a mission. You don't know what's going to happen. It could be your last mission every day. Kind of messes with your mind a little.

HOLMES: Back on base, boys will be boys.

(on camera): So what's with being in a war zone and playing war games?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can't get enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can't get enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Private First Class Ben Squires from Michigan, just turned 20, has had to pull the trigger more than once and deals with the unknown every day.

PFC BEN SQUIRES, U.S. ARMY: Yes, sometimes. I mean, you have to know whether a car is, you know, coming up behind you, whether or not they're going to try to blow you up or whether they're just not paying attention.

HOLMES: Sergeant Cody O'Brien signed up at 17. Six months later he was here. Now 21, he's a sergeant on his second tour in Iraq.

SGT. CODY O'BRIEN, U.S. ARMY: You've got to kind of grow up and mature quick, because if you act like a little kid over here it might get someone hurt, you know, pretty bad.

HOLMES: Most of these young men told us they were trained for the realities on the ground here. Some said the toughest thing was not being able to have a legal beer when on leave.

BECERRA: They messed up -- we're going to go to war and we can't even go to a bar and have fun before we come.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They talk tough like it's all routine stuff, but their commander says they see things few young men do. He tells of teenage soldiers having to scrub their vehicle of the blood of wounded or dead friends.

LT. COL. AVANULAS SMILEY, U.S. ARMY: The things that the soldiers go through here, your average American at that age, at that kind of wisdom, and experience and education, isn't seeing what these soldiers see here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You kind of grow up a little quicker. You kind of have to.

HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, bearing witness in Washington. A son honors his father's sacrifice at Ground Zero. His story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: A Mississippi cold case heats up all the way to Washington. Now, a former sheriff's deputy faces federal charges in the 1964 murder of two black teenagers. That story straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, last week we told you about a huge data breach at the parent company of T.J. Maxx. Now there are new indications of fraud.

Susan Lisovicz, at the New York stock exchange.

This story just keeps going on and on and on.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a big chain, Don, a lot of customers. And it was a big breach. And it was no accident. The Massachusetts Bankers' Association says fraudulent purchases have surfaced in several states, including Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana, and overseas in Hong Kong and Sweden. These are purchases using credit and debit card information stolen from TJX. That is the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, Bob's Stores, Home Goods and A.J Wright discount chains.

You may remember TJX said last week that hackers broke into its computer systems and potentially had access to information on transactions involving credit , debit cards and even returned merchandise. The personal information of millions of customers may have been stolen and this is just the beginning -- Don.

LEMON: Yes, not good. Identity fraud and all that stuff that's going on, not good.

So, since we're talking about debit cards and credit cards, overdraft fees really, really hitting new highs?

LISOVICZ: That's right. And there are a few reasons for this. And one of them is the attractive revenue that they bring. More banks, Don, are charging fees to customers who overdraw their bank accounts, even with small debit card transactions.

And the fees themselves are going up, too. The average fee for overdrawing your account hit a record $27.40 last year, that, according to bankrate.com. That's up 11 percent from five years before. A few years ago you would only see one of these fees if you bounced a check, while debit card purchases were simply rejected if accounts didn't have enough cash. But the Center for Responsible Lending says more banks are now allowing customers to overdraw with debit card purchases and at ATMs, then hitting them with those hefty fees.

On Capitol Hill today, a Senate committee began a series of hearings on the disclosure, marketing and billing practices of credit card firms. What you don't know, can really hurt you, Don.

LEMON: Yes, right, in the old pocketbook, where you keep those debit and credit cards.

So what about the losses on Wall Street today? Hefty ones?

(MARKET REPORT)

NGUYEN: Straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT".

Hi there, A.J. What's on tap?

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty.

Well, I'm going to you about a supermodel who's actually at a healthy weight.

Also, I'll tell you about one Hollywood star's trip to the hospital.

That's all coming up next on the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. Ten short years ago, Tyra Banks graced the cover of the "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue. But lately she has been the subject of some less than flattering tabloid photos and headlines. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" A.J. Hammer weighs in now from New York.

What do you mean you weigh in? Do you like a woman with a little meat on her bones, is that what you're saying, A.J.?

HAMMER: Well, you know, in this case...

Let me explain the story.

NGUYEN: OK, go ahead.

HAMMER: It requires explanation, because the fact is, Betty, in life, it's a fact people can be mean, particularly tabloids, when it comes to matters of weight.

And today, yes, I'm dealing with a weighty issue for Tyra Banks, of all people. Now, she has been called one of the most beautiful women in the world, deservedly so. But now she's under siege because she's put on, well, more than a couple of pounds.

Let me take you back. Now, the fuss all started after these unflattering pictures of Tyra in a bathing suit on vacation in Australia appeared on the web. And then the tabloid headlines followed, proclaiming her to be America's top waddle. That's not nice.

Well, now Tyra is fighting back. In an interview with "People Magazine" she's telling them she still feels hot. The 5'10" stunner says that she's 30 pounds heavier than she was when she was on the cover of the "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue some ten years ago. She still only weighs around 160 pounds now. For most people that's a pretty healthy weight.

Tyra says she's very comfortable with how she looks. She's not planning on dieting at any time soon. She says, as a matter of fact, "I may be putting on five pounds a year for the next couple of years."

So my hat's off to Tyra for having a healthy attitude.

NGUYEN: Yes, more power to her. Geez, in those pictures she looks great.

Let's talk about another story, though, because I hear Anna Nicole Smith is back in the news again. What's this all about?

HAMMER: Anna Nicole is in the news every day, Betty. She's in the middle of this paternity suit that's been going on. The lawyers for both sides in this case are fighting over a DNA test. The battle is over Anna's daughter, Dannie Lynn Hope Marshall Stern (ph). Now, Anna's personal attorney, Howard K. Stern, says the baby is his. But Anna's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead (ph), is also claiming that he's father.

Well, Anna was scheduled to give a DNA sample from the baby to a court-appointed doctor. Yesterday was the deadline. But one of her lawyers stepped in. It didn't happen.

I spoke with him last night on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" to find out who's to blame for this latest delay.

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RON RALE, ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S ATTORNEY: The guy sitting right here in front of you. I'll take the blame.

I instructed Anna, "You're not proceeding with the DNA test because I'm going into court because we have some legal problems."

That's what happened.

I went to court yesterday, and the court, in fact, agreed and it was stayed.

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HAMMER: Now, the attorney did tell me that Anna Nicole will comply with the courts, whatever they decide. Birkhead's attorney called this a stalling tactic, although it didn't buy them a lot of time. The new headline is next week.

So it's going to happen one way or the other. But he basically did tell me that they're not avoiding doing this test.

NGUYEN: All right. In another story, though, we are hearing, just hearing, that Nicole Kidman was apparently involved in an accident on the set of her new movie?

HAMMER: Yes. The details of this story are just emerging right now and coming into our newsroom. According to several reports, Nicole Kidman was filming a car chase for her new movie "Invasion" when the stunt driver, Tony McCourt (ph), lost control on some slick pavement. The car apparently hit a pole and a garbage can. Kidman was in the car with her co-star, child actor Jackson Bond, but it appears they're both OK, although they were taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Glad to hear they're doing fine, though.

Coming up tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": rehab or refuge. Isaiah Washington's joining the seemingly endless list of celebrities who enter treatment after scandal. Is rehab rescuing the stars' lives or is it rescuing their career? The truth and the consequences tonight on TV's most provocative entertainment news program, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT", at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN Headline Prime. Betty, we will get to it bottom of it, I assure you.

NGUYEN: Well, we count on you. And it's going to be really interesting. Looking forward to it.

Thank you, A.J.

HAMMER: You got it.

LEMON: Did Vice President Cheney bristle when asked about critics of his lesbian daughter's pregnancy. Now, here's what he had to say during an interview with our Wolf Blitzer in the "SITUATION ROOM".

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DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm delighted I'm about to have a sixth grandchild, Wolf. And, obviously, I think the world of both my daughters and all of my grandchildren. And I think, frankly, you're out of line with that question.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I think -- I think all of us appreciate your daughter. No, we like your daughters. Believe, me, I'm very, very sympathetic to Liz and to Mary. I like them both. That was just a question that's come up. And it's a responsible, fair question.

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LEMON: Well, earlier, we asked you to send -- send us your e- mails to tell us what you think about Vice President Cheney's reaction to Wolf Blitzer's question. And here's what some of you have to say.

This is Mike in San Antonio, Texas.

he wrote, "The question was irrelevant and clearly an attempt to bait the vice president into an angry quote. V.P. Cheney's eventual answer was appropriate, as was his suggestion the question was out of line. Wolf Blitzer probably should not accept an invitation to quail hunt with Dick Cheney any time in the near future."

NGUYEN: That's not fair. Mike, come on.

All right.

Well, Andrew disagrees with Mike, because he wrote this: "I thought the question was fair, considering that Cheney is representing the conservative party, who claims to be the moral authority. But when he is involved in the behavior his party is condemning, the rhetoric does not apply to him or his family, just everybody else."

LEMON: All right. Jay in San Juan Capistrano had a different take on it all.

"I think it is wonderful that Mary Cheney and her partner have started a family. I am appalled, however, that they are not allowed to marry. It is unfortunate that her father is unwilling to defend her and her partner."

Let us know how you feel about the vice president's interview with Wolf Blitzer. E-mail us at newsroom@CNN.com.

NGUYEN: Yes, looking forward to those replies there.

And this, too: she knows all about life on the street. Now a former prostitute is helping others, saving sexual slaves in Cambodia. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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