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Army's Top Doctor Loses Job; Children of War

Aired March 12, 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. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Kyra Phillips is on assignment.

The Army's top doc a casualty of the Walter Reed Army hospital scandal. We're live from the Pentagon.

LEMON: Halliburton heading out of town? Well, the Texas-based military contractor will soon have a new address. It's in Dubai.

CHETRY: And reunited. This little baby snatched from her hospital crib is now back in her mother's arms and her suspected kidnapper is in court.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Top of the hour, we start with a developing story. Live pictures now of those wildfires in California. This is Orange County. You're looking at picture from our affiliate KCAL.

The new information in all of this, those mandatory evacuations have been lifted. They are now allowing people to go back into their homes.

We're also hearing that these fires are about 80 percent contained. This has burned over 2,000 acres out in California. And it was a small area in hidden canyon -- of a hidden canyon that caught fire and then spread to a very large area.

And here's the deal. They believe all of this may have been set by a stolen car that was set ablaze.

And certainly all of the wind conditions, the dry temperatures out there and the wind, Rob Marciano -- check me if I'm wrong, but that contributed to all of this, did it not?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Certainly, yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHETRY: The Walter Reed Army hospital scandal claims another major casualty. CNN has learned that Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the Army's top doctor, has been fired.

We are following the latest developments in this story in the NEWSROOM today. Let's go straight to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

Hi, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Kiran.

The Army's top medical officer, Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the Army surgeon general, the latest casualty in the aftermath of the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the treatment of soldiers and other wounded service personnel as outpatients has come under fire since that "Washington Post" series that exposed the problems there.

Kiley turned in his resignation or submitted his resignation papers over the weekend to acting Army secretary Pete Geren, who told the staff at Walter Reed about it in a meeting this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE GEREN, ACTING ARMY SECRETARY: We have already moved out, working with many of you here in this room, and are aggressively making much needed reform, implementing the action plan led by the vice chief of staff of the Army, General Dick Cody. Of equal importance are the changes under way in the leadership of Army medicine and at Walter Reed.

Yesterday, Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley submitted his request for retirement. General Kiley is a dedicated physician, and our nation is grateful to his -- for his service to our country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Now, Kiley becomes the third major Army figure to be forced out in the wake of the scandal. Up first was Major General George Weightman, who was the commander at Walter Reed. Then the Army secretary, Francis Harvey, was asked for his resignation by Secretary of Defense Gates. And a senior Pentagon official tells us that General Kiley was asked to step aside by acting Army Secretary Pete Geren.

In a statement, Kiley said that he decided to seek retirement, immediate retirement, because he felt that it was in the Army's best interest. And in his words, "It shouldn't be and isn't about one doctor."

Kiran.

CHETRY: So, is this pretty much it? Or are we going to see more people being asked to step aside or step down in the wake of this?

MCINTYRE: Well, it looks like this is it for now, but there's now going to be a breathing period where they're going to let this new Army leadership try to implement some reforms. But the feeling here is, if we don't see some real results, some real changes in the next month to 45 days, then more heads could roll.

CHETRY: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thank you.

They've been called high-value detainees held in secret CIA prisons, then transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This happened last fall. The question now, should three men suspected of plotting the 9/11 attacks be classified as enemy combatants?

The cases of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others were taken up by secret military review panels over the past few days. And if they are deemed enemy combatants, they can be held indefinitely and prosecuted by military tribunals. Some rights groups have criticized these closed-door hearings, saying the panels can weigh evidence and not reveal it to the detainees, and the detainees have no legal representation.

LEMON: A British journalist is missing in Gaza. The BBC says correspondent Alan Johnston may have been kidnapped in the Palestinian territory. Johnston's armored car was found abandoned in Gaza City. Now a Palestinian minister is calling it a criminal act which the government is investigating. The BBC says Johnston has been based in Gaza for three years.

CHETRY: Well, we can only imagine their shock and fear when a newborn's family learned that she was stolen from the hospital on Saturday. This morning we got our first look at the reunited family and the baby, Mychael Darthard Dawodu, who slept peacefully in her mother's arms after a dramatic weekend.

After she was snatched from a Lubbock, Texas, hospital, tips led police west to Clovis, New Mexico, where they found Mychael there yesterday. After doctors checked her out, she was whisked back to her worried parents. They didn't say much this morning at a press conference, but the baby's grandfather explained why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARRELL DARTHARD, MYCHAEL'S GRANDFATHER: We're just happy to have her back, and it's not that we're not grateful. We just want some privacy with the family, and spend some time with her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: In a hearing today, kidnapped suspect Rayshaun Parson agreed to be extradited back to Texas. The 21-year-old may also face federal charges.

LEMON: Well, look who is moving. We'll show you where Halliburton is moving its corporate headquarters and why they're doing it.

That's straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Also, it's a milestone that has followers of Osama bin Laden hosting a frenzy of tributes and praise. Why they're celebrating the al Qaeda leader's life, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

LEMON: Well, in the best of all worlds the most painful traumas of childhood are bad dreams, skinned knees, maybe some hurt feelings. But for kids in Iraq, childhood growing pains run much deeper.

CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reports for us now on the children of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's a brutal reflection of daily life in Iraq. "Die!" they shout. "Die now!" Plastic machine guns and pistols, a game of "kill the insurgents".

"We learned this from the American. It's my favorite game."

DR. SAIED AL HASHIMI, PSYCHIATRY PROFESSOR MALE: Our children are our surrounded by violence. They -- in every direction they look, they see violence.

ECCLESTON: Car bombs, kidnappings, air strikes, and mass displacement. Doctor Saied Al Hashimi is a professor of psychiatry.

AL HASHIMI: Now I can say that almost -- almost all the Iraqi children, especially in Baghdad and around Baghdad -- these are what we call the hot zones -- most of them are traumatized.

ECCLESTON: Mustafa Karim (ph) is a seemingly happy young boy, despite living in a squalid refugee camp in the Shiite Baghdad slum of Sadr City. His family was brutally driven out of their village by insurgents. "They killed my father and uncle in front of my eyes."

Iraq's healthcare system is reeling from victims of the physical brutality of war, too overwhelmed to deal with the victims of the psychological battle. Many of Iraq's best and brightest doctors have either been murdered or fled the country.

Helping is left to a small team of doctors like Haidar Abdul Mosen. He runs a one-man psychiatric clinic. He says it's the only one in Iraq.

Despite meager resources, he treats up to 15 patients a day, patients like 8-year-old Dahra (ph). When bombs burst in her neighborhood, she suffers seizures. And 13-year-old Kita (ph). When she hears blasts, she hits her mother.

DR. HAIDAR ABDUL MOSEN, PSYCHIATRIST: Our children became very violent, became very aggressive. They talk badly. They behave in a bad manner. And we think this is one of the effects of war.

ECCLESTON: Sixteen-year-old Saman (ph) is severely depressed. She screams and cries in the middle of the night, too afraid to sleep. Saman (ph) was kidnapped by someone, we don't know who, outside of her school. She was held for nine days in a windowless room with 20 other girls, beaten and forced to sleep next to the dead body of a girl who was raped and killed.

Her family paid $20,000 for her release. She asked us to conceal her identity. Saman's (ph) mother pleads with Dr. Haidar to help her daughter.

"It's OK. It's OK," he says to her. "Calm down."

But to me, he says a generation is lost.

Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Let's talk about a priest, a troubled boy, dark crimes of long ago. In a special report, Thomas Roberts of CNN HEADLINE NEWS shares a painful secret with CNN's Anderson Cooper. It's part of our special programming tonight, "Sins of the Father."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, ANDERSON COOPER 360 (voice over): In the fall of 1986 Thomas Roberts started his freshman year at the prestigious Calvert Hall. He adjusted quickly to the new school, but the strain of his parents' divorce was a constant source of struggle.

THOMAS ROBERTS, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: My relationship with my parents through that time and with my mom going back to work and all these changes, I pulled back. I kind of disconnected from my family environment.

COOPER: By Thomas' sophomore year his mother, Michelle, realized the emotional and financial difficulties at home were too much for her son to deal with alone. Struggling herself just to make ends meet, she looked to a familiar face to help mentor her son, someone she felt she could trust. She turned to the man who already helped Thomas get into the school, Father Jeff Toohey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt he needed a male influence. Who better, you know, than a Catholic priest who's charming and kind and wonderful, you know. I wanted Thomas to be just like him.

COOPER (on camera): Who better?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

ROBERTS: That night I remember getting dropped off at Father Jeff's house. And we began a conversation in his den where he just started to ask what's going on with you. So he took a kind ear, you know, and listened to me. I remember it was a conversation that I cried. I let Father Jeff know that my relationship with my parents wasn't where it should be.

From this conversation forward he pretty much knew that I was a kid without anybody, you know, to talk to.

COOPER (voice over): No one to talk to except, of course, Father Jeff. After that first conversation, Thomas believed he finally had someone he could confide in. He trusted Father Jeff and continued to return to the priest's house on Cottage Lane.

COOPER (on camera): When you see the house, what do you think?

ROBERTS: I wish I had never seen it. I wish I had never seen this house. Never.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, just a short time ago, Thomas talked with our fellow NEWSROOM anchor Heidi Collins about what he's gone through in the years since.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Did you ever think back then when this was all going on that, you know, I've got to tell somebody about this? I've got to make sure that people know this has happened to me and I have been abused?

ROBERTS: No, I couldn't. I mean, the situation was my parents were divorcing, I was upset by that. I get sent to Father Jeff, he got me into this high school. I was afraid I'd be expelled.

I had nobody to turn to. I didn't think anybody would believe me. I figured I would just crush my parents to know their failure at marriage, set me up for the type of abuse that then happened for my counseling.

So there was nowhere to turn. The only thing I could do as a kid was just remain quiet and pretend like everything is fine, everything is normal.

COLLINS: I'm sure there are so many kids who have had that same exact feeling when going through something like this. How did you get strong enough to tell now and then go through this incredible court case?

ROBERTS: It's taken years of actually being able to talk about this in therapy. You know, started in therapy. That really helped. And they explained to me it's like your hand in front of your face, so close you don't realize it's a hand. And when you start to pull the hand back you can recognize what that is.

What this abuse is. How this is a crime. And for me, that's what happened through talking about this and finally being able to cry it out, basically, and understand that this was a crime committed against a kid. And I should tell, I should tell and scream it from the hilltops until everybody hears.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: You can see more on Thomas Roberts' heart-wrenching story tonight. Don't miss this story. It runs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," only on CNN.

CHETRY: Well, look who's moving. We're going to show you where Halliburton is moving its corporate headquarters and why.

That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Plus, it's a milestone that has followers of Osama bin Laden posting a frenzy of tributes and praise for public enemy number one. Why they're celebrating the al Qaeda leader's life.

That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. We have some news on a story we told you about this weekend. This is developing news.

There's been an arrest in this fire in Chicago. Police believe it was deliberately set. This is on the north side of Chicago, in a neighborhood called Wrigleyville, which is very close to Wrigley Field. Thus, the name.

A woman has been charged there with first-degree murder for allegedly starting this fire that killed four people. Her name is Mary Smith. She's in her 40s. She was charged with two counts of aggravated arson, four counts of first-degree murder. That's according to the Cook County State Attorney's Office.

But again, someone has been charged with murder for this fire in Chicago over the weekend where four people lost their lives. There were a series of fires in that neighborhood. This one by far the biggest one. When police found this woman, said she smelled like smoke, interviewed her, and now they've come up with these charges.

Details to come right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

CHETRY: And meantime, more trouble for mortgage lenders and homebuyers. Rumors of a bankruptcy filing have been swirling, and now one big lender is stepping closer to falling over that edge.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange and she brings us details.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. This just in to the CNN NEWSROOM.

We all saw those horrendous fires happening this weekend, some of them still burning, most of them contained. But there is some new information in all of this. We've been telling you about a stolen car that was set ablaze, and apparently, police are calling this an arson. Our Dan Simon in California with the latest for us.

What do you have, Dan?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Don.

We're getting confirmation that this was indeed a case of arson. Not in the traditional sense, though, Don.

You talked about a car being set on fire. What happened is authorities say that a stolen car was intentionally set ablaze, perhaps to hide some evidence. And when that car was set on fire, sparks from that car fire apparently ignited some nearby brush, and suddenly you had this massive wildfire that you had yesterday, Don. So, again, they're looking at this as a case of arson.

No suspects have been named. Right now they're really in the investigative stage.

Don, in terms of where we are now with this fire, perhaps you can see some of the smoke behind me, or kind of a white haze of smoke. This fire is now said to be 80 percent contained. They really got an upper hand on this fire last night. Really what happened is the winds died down and also you had the temperatures drop, and that really enabled firefighters to get an upper hand on this blaze.

Most of the folks who were told to leave their homes are now back in their houses. About 1,000 people were told to leave their homes, either by a mandatory evacuation order or voluntary evacuation order. All but one of the evacuation orders have been lifted. There's still a voluntary evacuation order for about one community about 100 people at this point still out of their homes -- Don.

LEMON: So, Dan, again, a stolen car, right, and not sure by whom, who stole it, but again this car they're calling an arson, because they set this car on fire?

SIMON: Yes, that's right, not a traditional case of arson, in the sense that you don't have somebody intentionally setting some wildlands on fire. What they say happened is they had a stolen vehicle and somebody set that car on fire, perhaps to hide some evidence.

LEMON: Hey, Dan, can you get your camera guy to pan off a little bit, because we want to look at -- it looks like you're standing in an area and that area is unaffected. But still just over the ridge, or over the mountains where you are, you can see that smoke. It's still billowing there, isn't it?

SIMON: Yes. You can still see that haze of smoke. What I'm told is happening now is they're burning out some areas just behind the containment line. There is still some fuel behind there, and basically this is a preemptive strike so things don't get worse. At this point, no homes are currently being threatened, and again 80 percent containment, Don. LEMON: Yes. And we spoke to a captain in one of the fire departments there, Dan, and he said because of -- they were able to get ahead of this fire, one, because of the weather. It changed on them. Usually this is a rainy time for the folks there in California, Dan. And then now because of the dry conditions a little bit unusual here. But he's saying two structures, and those were sort of outhouses, like maybe sheds where people keep things in their homes that actually burned, so -- and no lives lost. They were very lucky in all of this.

SIMON: No question about it. You know, firefighters really did an outstanding job here. You have to take your hat off to them. At this point only two homes have damage -- partial damage to their roofs. In terms of the other damage, yes, you had two outhouses destroyed.

And as far as the rainy season goes, we haven't had any rain. We are in, of course, March, and typically fire season begins in May or June. So we are much earlier this year. And the fact that they have had little rain does not bode well at all for the upcoming fire season -- Don.

LEMON: Dan Simon on top of it all, bringing us breaking news, the latest news in this. This is being declared an arson. Thank you so much for your report.

CHETRY: And we're going to get some new details as well from the spokesman for the City of Anaheim, John Nicoletti. He joins us on the phone.

Hi, John.

JOHN NICOLETTI, ANAHEIM CITY SPOKESMAN: Hi. How are you guys?

CHETRY: Great. I guess you guys are actually doing better because the news was that that mandatory evacuation was lifted and firefighters are making some progress. What else is the latest?

NICOLETTI: You know, we've had a really good day after a tough battle yesterday, as your reporter was saying. It really was miraculous that we were able to hold this fire currently to only two outbuildings and two homes with minor damage to the roof. But we have lifted the mandatory evacuations in the City of Anaheim.

All mandatory evacuations have now shifted to voluntary evacuations in the Hidden Canyon neighborhood, the neighborhood that we kept under mandatory evacuation overnight. So all 244 homes that were affected, the folks are being told that they can return to their homes. But they need to keep an eye on the hillside as we get changing winds throughout the afternoon.

CHETRY: You had about 500 firefighters working that fire. It is 80 percent contained now. Are they all still out there in rotation?

NICOLETTI: Yes, we do have firefighters, and I think our last count was that we had more than 800 out here, so a real tribute to those guys who worked so hard yesterday and are continuing to battle throughout the day today. We had a lot of air support yesterday, had some more this morning, so it's really key for us to keep knocking this blaze down anytime we see a hot spot.

CHETRY: Now you're talking about people being able to return, you called it voluntary. Why is that? Would you recommend that maybe they stayed away for a couple of more days?

NICOLETTI: Well, I think the big thing is, is that we're only opening up to residents. Obviously these residents -- some of the residents had to stay away from their homes last night, they're concerned about the condition of their homes. So they would like to come in and even check on it, and gather a few belongings that they weren't able to gather before.

So we're giving them the opportunity to do that. But if they do come back and stay for any extended period of time, we want to make sure that they stay very aware and listen to reports of any changing conditions with the fire.

CHETRY: Yes. Especially those winds, I'm sure. Spokesman for the City of Anaheim, John Nicoletti, thank you for joining us.

NICOLETTI: Any time.

CHETRY: Well, one of the major corporate players in the war in Iraq is moving its base of operations overseas. The impending move to Dubai announced today by Halliburton is not being welcomed by many in Washington. With more on that we go to CNN's Brianna Keilar.

Hi, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kiran. Halliburton, of course, the energy services company -- and energy services company, rather, also the company that Vice President Dick Cheney headed up before becoming vice president, as you said, has announced it is moving or opening, rather, a corporate headquarters in the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

It is also moving its CEO, Dave Lesar, to Dubai, and that is where he is going to head up all of the worldwide operations. As you said, some outrage, some concern on Capitol Hill.

Also Vermont Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said: "It's an example of corporate greed at its worst. This is an insult to the U.S. soldiers and taxpayers who paid the tab for their no-bid contracts and endured their overcharges for all of these years. At the same time, they'll be avoiding U.S. taxes. I'm sure they won't stop insisting on taking their profits in cold, hard U.S. cash."

Now, Congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, not going as far as Leahy, but certainly some concern there. He said: "This is a surprising development. I want to understand the ramifications for the U.S. taxpayer and national security." And, Kiran, an aide for that committee saying that hearings on this are a possibility.

CHETRY: All right. And, Brianna, if there are hearings, what could we expect -- or what would we expect to maybe come out of them?

KEILAR: Well, at this point they are preliminary, they are certainly not in place, but maybe some of what we're hearing now on one side, critics who say, look, this is just Halliburton outsourcing for the bottom line. Obviously a lot of companies have come under fire for that.

But then some analysts on the other side say, you know what, this makes sense as a business decision. They already do a lot of business in the Middle East. And this puts them geographically in a place where they can have the upper hand in negotiating contracts with national oil companies.

CHETRY: And avoid paying some big taxes as well. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much.

LEMON: It is a milestone that has followers of Osama bin Laden posting a frenzy of tributes and praise. Why they're celebrating the al Qaeda leader's life. That's coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPODENT: With the ongoing violence in Iraq, it is estimated that more than 2 million Iraqi citizens have fled to other countries in what one United Nations officials is calling a simmering crisis. You can get the details at cnn.com.

Iraq has a population of about 26 million people. And the U.N. estimates that in addition to those who have fled, another 1 to 2 million are internally displaced. Take a look at this map showing where Iraqis have sought refuge. Up to 1 million have gone northwest to Syria, while Jordan estimates 700,000 Iraqis are now living in the country.

Thousands of others have also fled to Iran, Lebanon and Egypt. The United States currently has only admitted about 500 Iraqi refugees, that's according to the State Department, but the Bush administration says it will increase that number to about 7,000 this year. You can read more at cnn.com/iraq.

For the .com Desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: The world's most wanted man may have just hit a milestone. Osama bin Laden turned 50 over the weekend, they think, and his followers marked the occasion with tributes, prayers, pledges of allegiance. The al Qaeda leader and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks is believed to be hidden near the Afghan-Pakistan border. It cannot be confirmed though whether or not he is alive. He last appeared in a video more than two years ago. His date of birth isn't crystal clear, either, though many believe it was March 10th, 1957.

LEMON: And for many, Osama bin Laden is synonymous with suffering and terror. But you're about to meet a man who was once bin Laden's best friend. He is shedding new light on the al Qaeda leader and his faith.

CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Khaled Batarfi sat down with us just one day after arriving in the United States for an international journalist exchange program.

(on camera): I practically know you, please have a seat.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): And our very first question to this childhood friend of the world's most wanted terrorist, is Osama bin Laden alive or dead?

KHALED BATARFI, BIN LADEN'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND: If Osama died, they will notify the family within 24 hours, mostly.

GRIFFIN (on camera): That would included bin Laden's family?

BATARFI: Of course.

GRIFFIN: So rumors of his death that come and go you feel are just that, and when and if he does die, that news will be out?

BATARFI: Yes.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Though Batarfi has not seen Osama bin Laden since 1990, he remains in close contact with his family in Saudi Arabia, a family he says that knows little more than the rest of the world.

(on camera): Not a letter, not a message, nothing?

BATARFI: Nothing.

GRIFFIN: So this family learns about news of Osama bin Laden the same way the world does by these (INAUDIBLE) that come out?

BATARFI: Yes, from the media.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): There has been precious little about bin Laden in several years. Audio tapes reportedly of his voice, but no video, no photos to show the state of the al Qaeda leader's health. Batarfi says that has driven bin Laden's mother into near madness.

BATARFI: She is sitting there every day in her room watching TVs and listening to radios and reading newspapers, looking for any information. It's a very difficult life for a mother, and she doesn't meet with other than close family, because she doesn't like people to see her in this state.

GRIFFIN: Batarfi and bin Laden spent their teenage years as best friends growing up in this middle-class neighborhood in Jetta, watching American Westerns and Bruce Lee movies, playing soccer.

BATARFI: This is the place where we used to play football.

GRIFFIN: And Batarfi watched as the shy, patient boy he knew grew more and more religious, more and more angry about Palestine. Then in 1979, three events would change the world and change the boy: the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran; the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, became a battleground as Saudi troops fought with Islamic militants; then the soviets invaded Afghanistan, a Muslim country.

BATARFI: And I could imagine him feeling that -- under siege, that now the outside world is attacking Islam.

GRIFFIN: Soon, Batarfi says, Osama bin Laden would break a promise with his mother not to fight, and pick up arms and join the fight in Afghanistan. The boy became a man, a leader, then a radicalized killer. Batarfi says he now carries the ultimate power, with little more than box cutters, bin Laden was able to send 19 men to take over planes, kill themselves and change the world.

Recently we learned another frightening truth about bin Laden's ability to lead. These tapes of two of the 9/11 hijackers smiling and laughing at the same time they were plotting their attack and their deaths.

BATARFI: Yes. The power of (INAUDIBLE) found to convince someone to give his life for what he wanted, it's sheer power.

GRIFFIN (on camera): What does he want?

BATARFI: He wants to go back in history to the golden age of Islam -- of pure Islam.

GRIFFIN: How would you characterize your old friend right now? Is he bigger than just a military leader?

BATARFI: Well, he's a legend now, he's a myth, and I believe he isn't the one who is running things.

GRIFFIN: He's not?

BATARFI: No, it's an ideology, he started -- he built this ideology, and then now you have people believing in this ideology all over. And they will create their own selves following the same model.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Batarfi says the day will come when bin Laden's mother learns her son is dead, but bin Laden's cause among his followers, Batarfi says, will survive. The quiet friend who once played on this soccer field will remain a threat to the world, even after death.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: And straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer. We're going to check in with A.J. right now to see what's on tap.

I usually see you in the green room in New York City.

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: And now you're down there in Atlanta, Kiran. It's nice to see you.

CHETRY: Yes, with Don, it has been fun.

HAMMER: Well, coming up, Heather Mills McCartney is making headlines on both sides of the Atlanta for very different reasons. I'm going to tell you all about it when the NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. These are live pictures coming out of Chicago. We are awaiting a press conference to happen in Chicago regarding that fire that killed four people over the weekend in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. They have arrested a woman who is believed to be a homeless woman, we'll get the update on that from the police department. But again, four people were killed here. And then one person is still in the hospital, because that person jumped from a third-floor window to try to escape this fire.

This all happening very near Wrigley Field, where the Cubs play baseball, a neighborhood where a lot of young people live, and so we're going to find out from the police department in a very short time exactly what happened, why they're charging this woman with arson, also, and murder, and also in connection with several other fires that were also set in that area. Details to come in the CNN NEWSROOM.

CHETRY: And now to a fire that spanned much more acreage but thank goodness did not have the same outcome. This is the fire -- these pictures coming to us from KABC out of Orange County, a wildfire there that the fire officials are saying was arson as well. No one hurt, though, thank goodness. Two buildings destroyed, two homes damaged. It was in an upscale Anaheim Hills neighbor of Orange County, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

But 80 percent contained at this point, several hundred firefighters working to make sure it stays that way. They've had the weather on their side today, some of the high Santa Ana winds calming down a bit, but this has been one of the driest winters on record and firefighting season certainly starting early for the firefighters out there in Southern California.

So 2,000 acres burning, and more than 1,200 people living in the area asked to leave yesterday, and told they can come back, but it is on a voluntary basis right now. And we spoke a little earlier with the spokesperson for the City of Anaheim, saying that if people are going to return, keep an eye on the news and make sure you know what's happening with the winds, because the situation could change at a moment's notice as well.

LEMON: Yes. And both of these fires, one in Chicago, California, both believed to be arson.

Let's move on now to entertainment news. It's a new season of "Dancing with the Stars" and it kicks off next week. It remains to be seen whether competitor Heather Mills McCartney is light on her feet. One thing seems certain, her wallet is going to be pretty heavy pretty soon. And you know what, A.J. Hammer, it is -- we have talked about this and everything, there's already this commercial out there, a promo for it, talking about her leg...

HAMMER: Yes.

LEMON: I mean, she is making fun of it and whether or not it's going to fall off or fly off. That's according to her. I think it's just amazing.

HAMMER: Well, a lot of people are talking about that. And we're going to give you a glimpse of that promo you speak of in just a moment, Don. But first off, it is looking like finally there is a divorce settlement perhaps under way between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. Now the reports are coming out of Britain saying that Mills has agreed to a deal that yes, would make her wallet a bit heavier, giving her $56 million in cash and property, plus joint custody of their 3-year-old daughter Beatrice.

Now that's a lot less than what some observers thought she would be getting. There was talk that Mills might receive as much as a quarter of McCartney's $1.6 billion fortune. Now apparently there is no gag order in place here, so, Don, we just might see some of the couple's dirty laundry airing out in public. And if you believe the reports, there's quite a bit of that dirty laundry.

LEMON: Yes. And that money is coming from him, not from "Dancing with the Stars." That's where all of that cash is coming from. So we talked a little bit about this. There's some bad P.R. swirling around her in the U.K., but here in the States she's making news with this, I guess we can say it is a much lighter vein?

HAMMER: Yes. I think that would be a fair way to assess the situation. Now Mills lost a leg in 1993 road accident, and yes, as you mentioned, Don, she's one of the contestants in the new season of "Dancing with the Stars," which will premiere a week from today.

And as you mentioned, there are these promos for the show where she pokes fun at her artificial limb and what might happen if something should go awry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Monday, March 19th, TV's sexiest show returns, but Heather Mills will face the ultimate dancing test.

HEATHER MILLS, CONTESTANT, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": My main concerns are keeping my leg on. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Dancing with the Stars," Monday, March 19th, 8:00, 7:00 Central only on ABC.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: There you go, a little free promo for the show. Believe it or not, there's actually an online betting Web site that's taking odds on whether her artificial leg will fall off during a dance routine on the show.

LEMON: A.J., you're kidding me, come on.

HAMMER: I'm guessing, Don, sensitivity is not the strong suit of this particular site.

LEMON: But you know that this leg is going to come off. Something is going to happen with this leg in the show, don't you...

HAMMER: Now why would you say that? Why do you think she's not taking whatever precautions are necessary so that doesn't happen?

LEMON: Oh, come on, they're going to do it because it's going to be good ratings and we are all going to talk about it. And, you know. Oh, well.

HAMMER: Well, according to the people betting on this particular Web site, on the odds of whether or not it's going to fall off, the heavy voting is towards no at the moment, Don, you could be wrong about that.

LEMON: OK. All right.

HAMMER: Let me get to what's coming up tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," shall I?

LEMON: Yes.

HAMMER: The unexpected and surprising legacy of Anna Nicole Smith is what we'll be dealing with, why everyone from law professors to life coaches are saying her death can actually teach us some hard lessons about planning our own lives. That's coming up tonight, the most compelling story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HEADLINE Prime. We'll see you for "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

LEMON: Oh, I'll be watching. And, A.J., thank you, thanks for putting up with my antics too.

HAMMER: And you got it.

LEMON: I know it challenges you every day but (INAUDIBLE).

HAMMER: Everybody will be watching closely to see if I've proved you wrong, Don.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, A.J. Hammer, we'll be watching tonight.

And as of tonight, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could be called the rock and roll/rap hall of fame.

CHETRY: That's right. A lot of controversy surrounding tonight's inductees. You remember these guys? Let's take a look. For the first time a hip-hop act will be inducted into the -- stop dancing, we still have more show to complete here, but Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, they were pioneers behind 1982 single "The Message." Credited by some with actually creating the term "hip-hop." So they are going to be honored tonight.

And from hip-hop to big hair...

LEMON: I'd like to know -- "it's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under." And this is Van Halen. They'll be rocking into the hall tonight. Lead singer Eddie Van Halen recently announced he's rolling into rehab. The other new inductees are Patti Smith, the Ronettes, and also R.E.M.

CHETRY: Yes, but the weird this is, Eddie Van Halen isn't showing up. Phil Spector can't show up for the Ronettes. And David Lee Roth says he is not coming because of a dispute. It looks like the only one who's coming is Sammy Hagar.

LEMON: Did you call them all before to find out this information?

CHETRY: I know.

(LAUGHTER)

CHETRY: Well, we're going to find out more as we go to break. We're going to take a look at how the stocks are doing on Wall Street. We're just one hour away now from the closing bell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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