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Fatal Bronx Blaze; Pentagon Approves More U.S. Troops to Iraq to Quell Violence; Aiding Terrorists?
Aired March 08, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. You are in the NEWSROOM.
I'm Heidi Collins.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Rob Marciano, in for Tony Harris.
COLLINS: For the next three hours, watch events come in to the NEWSROOM live on Thursday, March 8th.
Here's what's on the rundown.
Desperate drama in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. Eight children, one adult die in a Bronx house fire. Other kids live when they're dropped out of windows.
MARCIANO: And he worked aboard this military ship. Now a former sailor charged with spying and helping terrorists.
COLLINS: Co-workers claim these accused bank robbers had a day drop -- stripping. The teens post-robber shopping spree and beauty makeovers -- "Blonde like Barbie" in the NEWSROOM.
Horror in New York. Eight children and an adult killed in a fire. Witnesses describe children being tossed from the burning building and people screaming for help.
CNN correspondent Jim Acosta live now from the Bronx.
Good morning to you, Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
And it's being called one of the worst fires in recent memory in New York, not because of the scale of this fire -- this is only a four-story building behind me -- but because of the human cost. Nine people dead, as you mentioned, eight of them children in a building neighbors say four families called home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice over): As a fast-moving fire roared through this building, neighbors said they heard screaming and then ran to the rescue. At the back of the four-story building, the neighbors urged a desperate mother trapped inside to throw her children from a third- story window.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lady was screaming and yelling, "Please, save my babies. Save my babies!" So me and a friend of mine, we ran, we jumped the gate, and she started tossing the babies out the window.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, the kids that were out there were hollering. So we told them to jump. And we caught them, you know.
ACOSTA: After the mother jumped out of the window to escape the flames, this was the horrific scene -- children rushed from the burning building, children receiving CPR from paramedics. It seemed everybody on the scene was in tears.
Neighbors say most of the people who shared this row house were immigrants from Mali. The survivors are now at area hospitals.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: And 10 other people were injured in this fire, six of them serious. As we just reported, recovering this morning at area hospitals. And at this moment, fire investigators are on the scene combing through the wreckage, surveying the neighborhood, talking to neighbors, trying to determine what caused this fire -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Just devastating, Jim. Those pictures are horrendous.
Where are the people who -- who lived in this building now? Is it a total loss? Do they have anywhere to go?
ACOSTA: Well, they do have family members and neighbors right across the street, so we assume that many of the survivors will just move right in here. Also, there are local churches that are also making their way to the scene. I've already talked with one pastor this morning who says that the church community in this neighborhood will open its arms to these families -- Heidi.
COLLINS: That's good news. Jim, any idea how long it will take to find out what the cause of the fire was, when investigators will be finished?
ACOSTA: You know, we should hear something later today, I would think. At this point, investigators aren't saying too much.
They're not indicating whether or not this was an arson or whether this was caused by perhaps a space heater or something like that. But you have to take into consideration four different families in this building, perhaps in each of these different flats in the building, but also perhaps also sharing the entire space -- it's not certain -- but 17 children in this building. And when you have that many people inside a building with a major fire roaring through, something like this obviously it's something very bad, could have happened and did happen.
COLLINS: That's right. Well, Jim, we expect to hear from Mayor Michael Bloomberg a little bit later today in his weekly briefing. He may mention this, so we will monitor that as well. Jim Acosta for us this morning in the Bronx.
Thanks, Jim.
MARCIANO: And the crackdown to end the bloodshed in Iraq may take months, not just days or weeks. That's the assessments this morning from the commander of U.S. forces. But on new comments this morning, General David Petraeus says military might alone won't stop the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: Putting Iraq above personal and sectarian agendas will be critical as Iraqi leaders and the Iraqi people grapple with some very tough issues in the months ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins us.
Barbara, given this, is Petraeus now asking the Pentagon for any additional assistance?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Rob.
Yes, he is. General Petraeus has long said that the military won't be the solution to Iraq. It will require economic and political progress. But he does need some more troops at the moment.
General Petraeus now has asked for an additional 2,000 military police to handle part of the security crackdown in Baghdad. They think they're going to obviously arrest a significant number of people, have a number of detainees that they're going to need to take charge of. So, he's already asking for an additional 2,000 military police.
How long the security crackdown could last, well, the Pentagon yesterday acknowledged now that the their planning scenario, in fact, to possibly keep all of these extra troops in place through much of 2008. It's not definite that they will, but they're going to start planning in that direction because they have to plan for the troop rotation, what units they will continue to send in over the next several months. So, it's beginning to shape up as a very long haul -- Rob.
MARCIANO: You know, Barbara, General Petraeus spoke a lot this morning, but he mentioned little, if anything, about the Mehdi militias and the death squads there. Is there any sort of strategy for that, or is mum the word right now?
STARR: Well, you know, it's very interesting you point that out, because he's not saying much about it. It's been a long time now, many days since we've heard anybody talk about Muqtada al-Sadr, the Mehdi militia that he controls, the Shia death squads. It's like they disappeared off the face of the earth. And to some extent in Baghdad they have.
They are laying low. They haven't been out on the streets much. They haven't been seen much.
U.S. commanders think that they're laying low, and if they lay low long enough that they'll be able to put enough security in place so the militia groups won't be able to regroup and come back. But that may be more of a hope than a reality at the moment. Nobody's really clear what exactly is going on and whether behind the scenes all of these people are laying low only to regroup and come back in the days and weeks ahead -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Well, we certainly hope that does become reality.
Barbara Starr from the Pentagon.
Thanks, Barbara.
STARR: Sure.
COLLINS: A former sailor facing charges this morning. He is accused of helping a suspected terrorist network and espionage.
Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve now joining us live from Washington.
Ad Jeanne, who is this man and what exactly is he charged with?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, his name is Hassan Abujihaad, they he was once known as Paul R. Hall. The allegations are that in 2001, when he was serves on the Navy ship USS Benfold in the Middle East, he provided classified information to people the government alleges were providing material support and resources to terrorists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
He provided details of a battle group's transition or battle group's movement from one place to another as they engaged in missions concerning al Qaeda and as they were enforcing sanctions against the Taliban.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: According to government documents, Abujihaad discussed the battle group's perceived vulnerability to terrorist attack, described a forced protection briefing given on board his ship, and even praised the attack on the USS Cole which had taken place a year earlier. Abujihaad allegedly provided this information to a London based group called Azzam Publications, which experts describe as a clearinghouse for jihadist information. It ran a Web site.
Two men associated with that site are in currently in custody in Britain, fighting extradition to the United States for trial. They are alleged to have provided money and equipment to jihadists in Chechnya and Afghanistan -- Heidi. COLLINS: And Jeanne, remind us, what was going on? This is obviously pre-9/11, but what else was going on by way of possible other terrorist activities?
MESERVE: Well, the Cole was the most recent event, and it was a big one. And, of course, it also targeted the Navy. But let me tell you, there's another twist to this case.
Abujihaad was discharged from the Navy in 2002 when no one knew, of course, about any of these allegations. And he was living in an apartment complex in Phoenix, and he lived for a time with a man named Derrick Sharif (ph). Sharif (ph) was arrested in December, charged with plotting to set off grenades at a Rockford, Illinois, shopping mall during the holiday season.
According to the criminal complaint, Sharif (ph) told authorities after his arrest that he had been with Abujihaad when Abujihaad read an article about the classified Navy information found during the investigation of Azzam Publications. According to Sharif (ph), Abujihaad said, "I think this is about me." He began to cry and then threw away certain Azzam publications and deleted related computer files.
By the way, if he's convicted of the charges of espionage and providing material support to terrorists, Abujihaad faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Jeanne Meserve, we will be following this one. That's for certain.
Thanks so much, Jeanne.
MESERVE: You bet.
MARCIANO: Well, someone is feeling like a million bucks, or considerably more. That's for sure.
Georgia truck driver Ed Nabors is enjoying being a newly-minted millionaire. He won half the record $390 million Mega Millions lottery. After taxes, he's expected to net about $80, not bad. Neighbors talked about what happened when he found out he was a winner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED NABORS, LOTTERY WINNER: I just went numb from (ph) my arms. You know, I just sat there and looked at both the paper and the ticket, you know. And sat there I know for probably 15 or 20 minutes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: What's he going to do with all that money? Well, going fishing is high on his agenda. That's what he's scheduled to do right now.
The other winning ticket was sold in Woodbine, Oregon (sic) -- Oregon -- New Jersey, but the winner for that ticket has yet to come forward -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And, you know, he bought this boat, this big fishing book, but I don't know for sure, maybe Chad knows, if he bought it before he won the ticket or if he ran right out and got that boat.
Do you know, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I don't know, but that would have been the first thing that I would have bought.
COLLINS: Yes -- really?
MARCIANO: If he bought it before he certainly could pay it off now.
COLLINS: Yes, definitely. He could buy all the fish he wants, really. Forget the fishing.
MYERS: He could buy an ocean at that point.
COLLINS: That's true.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Want to quickly get you to this now. As we anticipated, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in his weekly address, he mentioned this horrendous situation with the fire in the Bronx overnight that took the lives of eight children and one adult, the residential section of the burrough of the Bronx.
Let's go ahead and listen in to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK: Sadly, just after 11:00 last night, a fire raced through a building in the Highbridge section of the Bronx. The Highbridge section is just up the hill from Yankee Stadium. And the fallout from that fire really is heartbreaking.
At least nine people have died in the fire. There are some injuries that are very serious. And we would think that number has a chance of going up. That means that excluding 9/11, this is the worst loss of life in a fire in our city since the Happy Land social club fire in the Bronx in 1990.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What a horrendous situation. We will continue to follow that one. We have a correspondent there, Jim Acosta, trying to learn as much as he can about what may have caused this horrible fire in the Bronx.
So we'll watch that for you.
Meanwhile, seven days, five countries. President Bush visiting the neighbors to the south. That will be coming up in the NEWSROOM. We know he is already on board on his way to Andrews Air Force Base at this time.
MARCIANO: And getting U.S. troops out of Iraq. Some Democrats in Congress may be ready to set a timetable. Will they tie their demands to the money going to that war? We'll be live with the details in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Born in a war zone with severe nerve damage. A baby boy from Iraq finds hope and healing here in America. His story coming up in the NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: And this woman in a minimally conscious state for seven years. One morning she startles her mother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I always say, "Hi, baby. How you doing?" And she says, "Fine." And then I knew, you know, that she was awake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: That mother's visit with her daughter turned out to be a brief one. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at this baffling case in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Heading south this hour. President Bush leaves on a weeklong swing through five Latin-American nations. Yesterday he told CNN en Espanol the trip is "to remind people that we care."
The trip starts in Brazil, where the president is expected to sign a deal on ethanol. He'll also visit Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
Protesters already turning out in some countries opposing the president's visit. This was the scene in Colombia. In Brazil, demonstrators shut down a mine in protest.
COLLINS: Strange but true. A woman in a minimally conscious state for six years wakes up and talks to her family.
Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here with this pretty unbelievable story.
Tell us the story first, and then what we think happened. Obviously, as a neurosurgeon, you know what possibly could be going on here.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, it's fascinating. And I think a lot of people, even neurosurgeons and neurologists, sort of scratch their heads when things like this happen. But it is an amazing thing.
A 43-year-old woman six years ago had a heart attack, and as a result of that heart attack, it decreased the amount of blood flow to her brain. You see her there. She has been in this state, at times been referred to as a persistent vegetative state, but more recently now being called a minimally conscious state.
COLLINS: Which is different how?
GUPTA: Which is different -- well, these are sort of vague terms. These are terms that people define clinically. There's no test or blood test or MRI or anything to say that, but because she woke up. She was woken up a few different times, actually has been able to speak, been able to eat, been able to interact with her mother, who has been her primary caregiver over this time.
So it really raises a lot of questions.
I mean, one of the things I want to show you on this brain model really quickly, if I can...
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: This brain model -- when someone has a state like this, there are certain parts of the brain that are more affected. The left part of the brain, for example, responsible for speech. The ability to execute speech, the ability to write down words, all that sort of stuff.
Could these cells in that area, instead of actually having died outright, were actually sort of rendered into this less functional state, and for some reason are allowed to function from time to time? We don't know why, but the neurologist who examined her said he was shocked when she actually walked into his office one day and was able to talk after a long period of time when he thought she was in this state.
COLLINS: I'm sure.
And we were talking during the break about the movie -- I guess it was "Awakenings" with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. Encephalitis patients, and then gave them all kinds of drugs, found sort of the right cocktail, and they, too, woke up for a certain amount of time and were completely functional, went back into it.
GUPTA: Went back into it. And we heard a similar story, you may remember, with a firefighter not that long ago.
After nine and a half years actually woke up. His doctor believed that it was due to the medications. He gave him a does of neurotransmitters, dopamine, noreprenephrine. And he thinks the combination, just the right combination, seemed to have woken him up as well.
Is that happening here as well, and they just don't know what the combination is that works? We're not sure.
COLLINS: Any possible way to -- I mean, I guess it would be drugs again -- to keep her awake?
GUPTA: Yes. Well, I don't know. But, you know, I imagine her neurologist -- I would, if I were her doctor -- would be looking at what is similar about all the times that she woke up?
COLLINS: Sure.
GUPTA: What were the combinations of medicines, what were the doses? Were there any foods, for example, that may have made a difference, stimulation?
COLLINS: Well, that's what I was going to ask. Could it be food stimulation?
GUPTA: Certain foods release more neurotransmitters, because they cause the body to release it or they have neurotransmitters in the food that seem to raise the levels in your brain as well.
We don't know. But I think it's going to be -- it's going to be interesting.
She has drifted back down now again into this mentally conscious state after being awake and being able to talk to people for a period of time. So it's interesting. We'll certainly keep an eye on it.
And I'm curious, just professionally as well to know what causes something like this.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. It's got to be hard, though, for the family, too, to have her and to lose her.
GUPTA: I'm not sure if it gives hope or it takes away hope. I'm not sure which one it is.
COLLINS: I don't know. It's got to be tough.
All right
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you.
GUPTA: Thank you.
MARCIANO: A major integration separates babies from their mothers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Young fathers, they come to me and they come to my wife in the middle of the night to ask how to prepare a bottle for the babies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Family outrage in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: The accused Barbie bandits. They took the money and ran. What did they do with it? Got their hair done, of course.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "And what are we going to do today?" And she goes, "I want you to make me really blonde. I want to be blonde like Barbie."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: OK. What were they thinking? Well, find out in the NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: And we're "Minding Your Business." Ali Velshi here with a preview.
Good morning, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rob.
This one's for you, actually. It's because of all that weather we had in February that retailers are saying they didn't do as well as expected.
I'll have that story for you in the NEWSROOM in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Outrage in a Massachusetts city today over the fallout from a major immigration raid. Three hundred twenty-seven undocumented workers, mostly women, were detained after the Tuesday raid at a New Bedford factory.
The company owner and top managers face charges of hiring illegal immigrants. Advocates for the detained workers say about 100 children were stuck with baby-sitters, caretakers and others. Some said not equipped to take care of the youngest children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of the young fathers, they come to me and they come to my wife in the middle of the night to ask how to prepare a bottle for the babies. This is not right.
MARK MONTIGNY, MASSACHUSETTS STATE SENATE: It's troubling to me that it took 300 agents to shut these five lawbreakers down. And in the end, my sense is they'll be free long before many of the detainees will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Federal officials say no children were stranded and 60 detainees were released, mostly for childcare issues. As for those still detained, the "Boston Globe" reports a local congressman got assurances from the feds social workers will be allowed to visit them.
MARCIANO: Getting close to the opening bell. Time for a stock market check.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT) COLLINS: A horrific blaze in the Bronx. Several children killed, others tossed from a burning building.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lady was screaming and yelling, "Please take my babies! Take my babies!" So, me and a friend of mine, we ran, we jumped the gate, and she started tossing the babies out the window.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: A live report on the deadly inferno coming up in the NEWSROOM.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash in Washington.
Democrats in the House of Representatives are presenting a plan to the rank and file as we speak about what they want to do to change course in Iraq.
We'll have more on that coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: There you have the opening bell, just about a minute ago or so. Looking at these numbers today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average went down about 15 points yesterday and ended up at 12,192. Today opening up about 70 points or so, so we'll be watching this one. Of course tomorrow a big day, unemployment numbers will be out. The beige book we already have out, so we'll get a look at how all of those things will be affecting those numbers right there and your wallet as well.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: A deadly blaze in the Bronx. Eight children and one adult killed. At least 10 other people injured including firefighters and one emergency worker. The fire broke out overnight and a relative says most of those killed were immigrants from the West African nation of Mali. Witnesses describe a woman tossing children through broken windows in hopes of saving them from the raging inferno.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were a lot of flames, smoke, couldn't see nothing. I couldn't see the kids coming down either, I just took a guess and they fell right in my arms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lady was screaming and yelling please save my babies, save my babies. So, me and a friend of mine, we ran, we jumped the gate and she started tossing the babies out the window. And the first one I caught and I leaned against my friend and he sent the baby towards my other friend David Todd and David Todd he took the baby and covered the baby up with some warm blankets and stuff.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Fire investigators are on the scene trying to find out what caused that blaze.
Military force alone won't end the bloodshed in Iraq, that assessment today from the new U.S. commander in his first briefing since taking over last month. General David Petraeus says improving security for the Iraqi people will be the top priority of the crackdown. But it's going to take some time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR., MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: We are in any event still in the early days of this endeavor, an endeavor that will take months, not days or weeks, to fully implement, and one that will have to be sustained to achieve its desired effect. Putting Iraq above personal and sectarian agendas will be critical as Iraqi leaders and the Iraqi people grapple with some very tough issues in the months ahead. If they can do this, and again I believe they can, Iraq's leaders will be honored as the founding fathers of the new Iraq. And Iraq's citizens will be respected as a wise and courageous people.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the Pentagon will send additional troops to Iraq to serve as military police. That's on top of the more than 21,000 troops already deployed.
COLLINS: Timetable for withdrawal. House Democrats may use money for the war to try and change U.S. policy in Iraq. We expect to hear from Democratic leaders at the top of the hour. Congressional correspondent Dana Bash joining us now from Washington with a preview of this, she's part of the best political team on television. We love to say that Dana. So what do we know about this latest plan?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Heidi as we speak, House Democratic leaders are presenting that plan to the rank and file that will, as you said, try to force a change in course in the president's Iraq policy by placing conditions on funding for the war. Now this is binding legislation, it would have the force of law. Now we've been reporting on the nuts and bolts of this plan since last week, but Democratic leaders who are trying to please a very fractured caucus have been fine-tuning it and now, according to Democratic sources, the measure has been refined to set a date certain for troops to come home by the end of next year. Here's what the plan would do. It would withdraw U.S. combat troops by the fall of 2008. It would set benchmarks for the Iraqi government. And the president would have to certify that those benchmarks were actually met. If he does not or cannot do that, this plan would make it so that troops would actually start coming home by the end of this year, 2007.
It also would set readiness standards for troops making sure that they have rest between deployments and also the president would have to sign a waiver if those are not met. Now this is the product of a very intense, emotional debate Heidi inside a Democratic caucus about just how to use their new majority to force the president's hand on Iraq.
COLLINS: Yeah there are so many questions to ask here. First of all, as we know that some of this will mean the president has to agree that these benchmarks have been met. I imagine there would be some subjectivity in all of that, number one. Number two, are dems really united on this? I mean we know they're presenting the plan today, but is it even a done deal?
BASH: Heidi it is not a done deal at all. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that meeting that's going on right now would be quite interesting. Because the differences are very real and they're very raw inside the Democratic Party. It is unclear if the House Democratic leaders will even have the votes in their own party to pass this plan. On the one hand, there are the self-described out of Iraq caucus lawmakers, out lawmakers about 70-plus democrats who say that the voters' message in November was to bring troops home now and they won't stand for anything less. But on the other hand, Speaker Pelosi has moderates in her caucus who say you know what hold on, this is not the way to go. You don't want to place conditions on war funding because they say that's just micromanaging the president and they don't want to do that. Finding a consensus on this is to say the very least, Heidi, not easy for the speaker or other Democratic leaders in the House.
COLLINS: It could be potentially embarrassing if they don't promote that united front. All right Dana Bash, we know you'll be watching it very closely for us. Thank you.
BASH: Thanks Heidi.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Born in a war zone with severe nerve damage. A baby boy from Iraq finds hope and healing here in America. We'll have his story coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 until noon eastern, but did you know you can take us with you any where on your iPod. I love that. The CNN NEWSROOM podcast available 24/7 right on your iPod.
MARCIANO: A baby boy from Iraq needing surgery to prevent permanent paralysis. CNN's David Mattingly has the story of the surgeon who stepped in to save a family's dreams.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You wouldn't know it to hear him laugh and giggle, but this Iraqi baby boy named Karm has already seen a lifetime of trouble. It began at home in Baghdad.
KARM'S MOTHER: In our culture, the first baby is our hope, is our miracle, is our everything. So all this emotion was killed and we are only crying for nearly 3 days when we see the baby.
MATTINGLY: Tearful that associating with Americans could bring them harm, Karm's parents keep their identities concealed. His mother recalls the night her dreams of having a healthy baby boy fell apart. Turned away by gunfire and unable to reach the hospital where her husband worked as a pediatrician, Karm's mother, also a doctor, had to give birth at home in the care of a midwife. And a long and agonizing delivery left her baby's right arm paralyzed.
KARM'S MOTHER: Sometimes at night, I wake up and see my baby maybe he moves his arm and see his frail arm like this and then I cry. I couldn't do anything.
MATTINGLY: Karm's father was able to diagnose the problem. He says the inexperienced midwife using forceps caused severe nerve damage to the baby's shoulder and neck, a condition that could become permanent without prompt surgery. But no surgeon in Iraq could help.
KARM'S FATHER: It was difficult for me. It's like my heart is broken.
MATTINGLY: So Karm's father appealed with video over the internet to fellow doctors in Europe and the United States. But of all the doctors he contacted, only one answered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said he'd do anything in the world possible for his son.
MATTINGLY: Could you relate to him as a father?
DR. RAHUL NATH, BRACHIAL PLEXUS SURGEON: Of course, yes, I have two children of my own and the same sentiments exactly.
MATTINGLY: Agreeing to do the surgery for free, Dr. Rahul Nath in Houston, Texas was just the first of several miracles to fall into place. Permission for doctors to leave Iraq is almost impossible. Visas to enter the U.S. can also take precious time, time the child didn't have. But by chance, the story of Karm's plight spread through Houston's medical community and caught the attention of "People" magazine. And one big humanitarian effort later, Karm and his mother are in Houston looking for that last big miracle. But now 8 months old, there is still concern his chances for a dramatic recovery may have diminished.
(On Camera): Dr. Nath performs hundreds of these surgeries every year but he says this one might be one of his toughest, it's because he's not sure how extensive the nerve damage might be, so he's going to have to conduct a few tests first. The question is will this little boy's luck continue to hold out?
(Voice-over): Almost immediately, the damage proves to be worse than had been feared. Electrical impulses are sent through the nerves in the baby's arm, but the hand never moves.
NATH: It's a much more severe type of injury. This would definitely have been a permanent paralysis.
MATTINGLY: The good news here, the surgery had come in time. Nerves that were damaged could be repaired.
NATH: It's just a question of getting those fingers to close voluntarily, get some feeling down there. And that's what we're going to do right now.
MATTINGLY: In this advanced procedure, Dr. Nath rerouted nerves from the shoulder into the baby's arm. In a matter of months, he should start to have feeling and movement all the way down into his hand.
NATH: I think this is really the only place that we could have taken care of it. So it is really just one little miracle on top of another that everything worked out within the right time frame. And to have the ability to offer something like that is really great.
MATTINGLY: And eight time zones away, Karm's anxious father hears the good news.
KARM'S MOTHER: Everything is good.
KARM'S FATHER: Ok, ok, sweetheart, ok, ok, ok, ok. Praise be to God!
MATTINGLY: For the first time in months, he feels good about his child's future as they prepare for his return to the uncertainty of their Iraqi home. David Mattingly, CNN, Houston.
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COLLINS: The accused "Barbie Bandits", if they took the money and ran, what did they do with it? They got their hair done, of course.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are we going to do today and she goes, I want you to make me really blonde, I want to be blonde like Barbie.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What were they thinking? Find out in the NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: And speaking of someone who wears a wig, prosecutors say it began with a road trip, but NASA says it ends here. A new chapter for Lisa Nowak, ahead in the NEWSROOM.
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MARCIANO: Lisa Nowak's days as an astronaut -- over. NASA fired her effective today. Nowak, you recall, is accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival last month. She's pleaded not guilty. The space agency says her firing has nothing to do with whether she's innocent or guilty. Nowak will return to her job in the navy. COLLINS: The alleged "Barbie Bandits," just what were they thinking? Like many other teens, going out to dinner and getting their hair done. CNN's Rick Sanchez has a follow up.
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RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police say this is 18-year-old Ashley Miller. She's the brunette on the left caught by a surveillance camera during a bank hold-up. She and her friend, who police identify as Heather Lynn Johnson, 19, and blonde, were later arrested. So, what did the pair do the day after the alleged bank heist with their picture splattered in news accounts all over the world? The answer -- they went to a hair salon where they were greeted by hairstylist Amy Cooper.
AMY COOPER, HAIR STYLIST: As soon as she walked in, you know I went out and greeted her and I introduced myself and I said, so what are we going to do today? She goes, I want you to make me really blonde, I want to be blonde like Barbie.
SANCHEZ: Like Barbie? Doesn't she know that's exactly how she and her alleged accomplice will be forever known?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The "Barbie Bandits."
SANCHEZ: Whatever the case, here they are again, caught by another surveillance camera, this time at the hair salon to the amazement of salon workers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's them right there and then they're going to walk over at this section.
SANCHEZ: Police now say the two young women with the help of 22- year-old teller Vinnie Allen, pulled off an inside job at the suburban Atlanta bank and escaped with a considerable amount of money. All three are now charged with felony theft. But when these images were captured at the salon, the alleged teen bandits were still on the loose. Did they seem anxious? Not according to salon manager Melissa Methier who says all they wanted to talk about was their planned dinner that night at the Cheesecake Factory.
MELISSA METHIER, SALON MANAGER: They said that they had been at the pool all day, they were hanging out so they came in with like real short shorts on and see-through tank tops and stuff and that's the only thing that really had caught our eye about them.
SANCHEZ: And what did they talk about with their hairstylist? Same thing everybody in these parts seemed to be talking about that day, the "Barbie Bandit" case that was captivating Atlanta.
COOPER: So I was like, isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard? I said somebody would go rob a bank wearing sunglasses and think nobody would recognize them? She said yeah I know that's crazy right. And then she got real quiet.
SANCHEZ: The girls are seen on tape mulling over a flat iron and splurging on some new earrings.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Now the two may be mulling over the serious charges against them. Conviction could actually mean up to 10 years in prison. One of their attorneys says they are expected to plead not guilty.
MARCIANO: And will House Democrats put strings on war funds to force troops home from Iraq? I'll have ifs and buts to tell you about, there news conference live soon in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: A new mother all pumped up. Her baby comes into the world at a gas station.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt the urge to push. Husband said, don't push.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Full service delivery in the NEWSROOM.
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COLLINS: Busted in Phoenix, the serious accusations against a former navy man. Was he trying to help Middle Eastern terrorists? We'll have an update on the story coming up in the NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: But first, maintaining muscle mass. Should I show the guns?
COLLINS: Oh please.
MARCIANO: Maintaining muscle mass is key if you want to stay in shape as you age. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen take a closer look at the importance and benefits of weight training.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you think this sort of workout is only for professional bodybuilders, you're wrong. Athletic trainers say anyone can benefit from a weight training program and that it's even more important as you age.
DEBBI MACLEAN, COCA-COLA ATHLETIC TRAINER: You lose about five to seven pounds of muscle mass per decade as you get older, so as a result your metabolism slows and you start to gain weight.
COHEN: In your 30s, it's all about your metabolism. Your body is changing, you're burning fewer calories and now is the time to add more muscle and definition. Focus on the back of the arms. This can begin to become a problem spot for people in their 30s. And the abs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abdominals, lateral obliques. COHEN: You may not have six-pack abs, but you certainly don't want a keg sitting there either.
PHIL WRYE, AGE 39: It just helps me to feel like I'm still younger and able to play the sports I like to play and do things I do.
COHEN: In your 40s, maintaining your muscle tone is key. Working on your leg muscles will alleviate common knee problems when you're 40-something. And your lower back. Sitting at a computer may give you pain, strengthening the back will help that. In your 50s, it may be time to modify your weight training routine to slow down the effects of arthritis and osteoporosis. Focus on strengthening your upper back and shoulders to avoid the 50-something shoulder slump.
GAYLE GARDNER, AGE 50: As (INAUDIBLE) tone, my clothes fit much better. I feel much better.
COHEN: You may want to check first with an athletic trainer to find the best workout for you and to help prevent injuries. Also, you still need to exercise.
MACLEAN: If you don't do the cardio, if you don't do something to work your heart and lungs, if those don't work it doesn't really matter what your bicep can do.
GARDNER: I personally feel like age is just a number, and if you can walk every day, you can weight train.
COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
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COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
MARCIANO: Hello to you, I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris. Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown. The top commander in Iraq conceding U.S. troops alone won't get the job done. Peace he says will take military muscle and political will.
COLLINS: Bronx tragedy, eight children and an adult lose their lives in a house fire. Other children tossed from windows to save them from the flames.
MARCIANO: And a Florida city taking steps to fire its town manager, that's because Steve says he'll soon be Susan. It's Thursday, March 8th, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well eight children didn't stand a chance. A raging fire swept through their home in the Bronx. One adult also died. Witnesses describe other children being tossed from the burning building.
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