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Will Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Survive?; Behind the Lines in Iraq; Luxury Pizza; Speed Limit on the Autobahn; Correspondent Discusses Life in Iraq

Aired March 15, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right. The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
Hello. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry, in for Kyra Phillips.

We're still waiting and watching in New York, where a grand jury is expected to rule shortly. Will indictments be handed up against police officers accused in the shooting death a groom on the day of his wedding?

LEMON: And he has still got a friend at the White House, as in President Bush, but can Alberto Gonzales hang on to his job as attorney general, with so many others turning against him? Well, we will try to answer that for you.

You're live, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is the top of the hour. We're talking about the White House. The White House is pushing back today against calls to fire Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Officials say Gonzales still enjoys the backing of President Bush, despite Mr. Bush's annoyance at how the Justice Department handled the controversial purge of eight federal prosecutes.

And here with the very latest from the White House is CNN's Kathleen Koch -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, yes, Don, those calls are still coming.

Obviously, the concern at the White House is that now they have started to come from Republicans, Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire being the latest to call for the resignation or the firing of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

White House spokesman Tony Snow says, obviously, the White House is disappointed in Sununu's position, but he points out that President Bush still has confidence in Gonzales, and, as a matter a fact, will be sending him to Capitol Hill to -- quote -- "do some outreach," or, in other words, damage control. Now, that's certainly something the White House counsel Fred Fielding has been deeply involved in, the last couple of days -- Fielding talking with senators who are discussing the possibility of subpoenaing top White House aides, like Karl Rove, like former counsel Harriet Miers, though Snow today would not say whether or not President Bush would invoke presidential privilege to block them from testifying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Fred Fielding is busy conducting talks with people in the House and Senate, with Democrats. And I'm not going to tell you what's going to be decided. I'm going to let them go ahead and have their conversations.

Again, we're going to give them the information they need in a manner that's consistent with the presidential prerogatives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: White House and administration officials do tell CNN that it is unlikely that either Miers or Rove will be cleared to testify on the Hill.

Now, this has not come to a head yet, because, right now, the Senate Judiciary Committee, at least today, did indeed vote to wait until next week to have a final vote on issuing any subpoenas, to White House officials, at least.

Now, the bottom line, again, from the White House is that it does believe that the firings of these eight U.S. attorneys was proper, that the administration had the right to do it. They say that the only mistakes that were made were in the way that the U.S. attorneys weren't notified of their firings, and in the fact that what the White House calls incomplete information about the process was given to lawmakers on the Hill -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Kathleen Koch, thank you so much.

KOCH: You bet.

CHETRY: He's locked up at Guantanamo Bay and confessing to acts of terrorism that span the world, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, long regarded as a key 9/11 player.

But, if what he's telling a military panel is true, he's had a hand in much, much more.

He's our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr`.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Some very disturbing language from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- the Pentagon releasing a transcript of what he told a military panel last week. He confessed to an extensive list of attacks, planned attacks, involvement in a number of activities. Perhaps the most disturbing, however, was his statement about his role in the murder of "The Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Of course, Mr. Pearl was beheaded. That had been known.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's involvement had long been understood by the U.S. intelligence community. But listen to his very chilling, very disturbing words.

He said to this military panel -- quote -- "I decapitated, with my blessed right hand, the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. For those who would like to confirm, there are pictures of me on the Internet holding his head."

In fact, the Pentagon delayed for several hours putting out that part of the transcript, because the U.S. government wanted to make sure that Mr. Pearl's family had been notified that this very specific information would be coming out in public.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed went on to say that he had been involved in a long list of other attacks. He said he had been involved in the planning of the 9/11 attacks from A to Z, in his words. That's not a surprise. He also went on to talk about the 1993 World Trade Center attacks, the shoe bomber, Richard Reid, airline plot, assassination attempts or plots, if you will, against President Clinton and Pope John Paul II, plans for attacks in California, Chicago, and New York, a long, lengthy list.

Perhaps only the intelligence community knows at this point how many of these claims of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed may actually be true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHETRY: And, so, that brings us to our "(r)MD-BO¯Quick Vote" on CNN.com. The question, do you believe all of the claims allegedly made by suspected 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? Right now, only 25 percent of you say yes, that you believe all of these claims, 75 percent saying no.

You can log on to CNN.com to cast your "Quick Vote."

LEMON: A jury divided, but, in Florida, majority rules, and a convicted killer, child killer, hears the recommended sentence.

The victim's father takes note.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A majority of the jury, by a vote of 10-2, advise and recommend to the court that it impose the death penalty upon John Evander Couey -- Couey -- for the murder of Jessica Marie Lunsford.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, you can see the family's faces there.

The jurors took about an hour to reach their recommendation. They had already convicted the 48-year-old Couey of kidnapping and killing the child, a 9-year-old girl, snatched from her home in the middle of the night, abused, then buried alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER OF JESSICA LUNSFORD: This is justice for Jessie, but not just Jessie. I'm sure there's other victims out there that may have felt like nothing ever -- that they didn't get justice. If you crossed paths with Couey, and he hurt you, today is justice for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It is up to the judge to make the final decision on Couey's fate. He says he will rule in several weeks.

CHETRY: Well, he was unarmed, but died in a hail of police gunfire on his wedding day -- a grand jury in New York now deciding whether to indict any of the officers involved.

Senior correspondent Allan Chernoff has been following the case. He joins us live from New York.

And I understand there's been a new twist in the case.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kiran, a dramatic turn of events here.

Yesterday, a man walked into a police precinct here in Queens and said that he did witness the shooting back in November, and he had some very critical evidence, according to the president of the detectives union. That president of the detectives union said that this man claimed that he saw a person shoot at the police officers that very night, one or two bullets. He wasn't quite sure.

And this is very critical information, because, on that night, this all happened as the police officers fired 50 bullets at the car in which Sean Bell and two of his friends were. Now, it's very important, because, until now, it was believed that the police officers were firing at three unarmed men, Sean Bell, who was killed, and his two friends, who were wounded.

This would mean that there was a fourth man, a man who was armed. And it could provide at least some justification for the police using lethal force that night.

That has been the critical issue, and, of course, the issue before the grand jury. Now, we understand from a source that, in fact, this man did testify this morning before the grand jury.

Of course, the timing of all this is extremely strange. And the Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been representing the family of Sean Bell, says, it all smells. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We are collectively calling on the governor and the attorney general of this state to begin looking seriously at bringing a special prosecutor in this matter. The fact of the matter is that the story as told not only is extraordinarily suspect; it is -- in fact, smells of high heaven.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Lawyers for the police officers say that they hope this witness was telling the truth, and they also say they hope that the grand jury makes up its mind very soon, and makes a decision whether or not to hand up indictments against the police officers.

Of course, the entire city continues to wait as well -- back to you, Kiran.

CHETRY: Why did the guy take so long to come forward?

CHERNOFF: It's a very good question. He had been interviewed previously by the district attorney's office, but didn't come forward with this information.

Now, the detectives union is saying that the man apparently was scared. They say that he does not speak much English. He speaks Spanish, 55-year-old man who works right nearby the strip club where Sean Bell actually was having his bachelor party that very night.

But these are very good questions. And we don't have answers to them. Nobody does right now.

CHETRY: And any sense on whether or not they will be able to corroborate his story, or find any other evidence or witnesses to back it up?

CHERNOFF: Well, the police actually did not find any -- any additional bullets, aside from the bullets that the police officers shot that night. So, that would not provide any backup to this witness' testimony.

So, again, that's another very critical issue here -- a lot of material for the grand jury to consider. And, clearly, they are taking their time. They actually have been considering evidence in this case since late January.

CHETRY: All right, Allan Chernoff, senior correspondent out of New York today, thank you.

LEMON: Take a look at this video, underwater and overwhelmed -- this community, that is -- they're calling out for help. We will have the details later for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

CHETRY: Roadside bombs, insurgent fire fights, on-the-job hazards for working in a war zone -- ahead in the NEWSROOM, CNN reporter Arwa Damon, fresh from the front lines in Iraq, shares the unique pressures, the challenges, and the dangers of daily life in Baghdad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It was a desperate rescue effort and a tragic ending. You may have seen it here in the NEWSROOM yesterday. Look at that, rescue crews in central Texas reaching out to an elderly couple, their car caught in a flash flood. The force of the water dragged Fred and Kathlyn -- Kathlyn, List, dragged them downstream. She managed to grab a rope thrown by the rescuers, and was pulled to shore. Her husband, however, drowned -- his body recovered late yesterday.

CHETRY: Well, now the latest confirmation that a picture truly is worth 1,000 words.

This March 4 surveillance video showing a mugger attacking a 101- year-old woman has not only enraged New Yorkers; it's inspired action. Police have assigned dozens of detectives to the case. A New York state senator has introduced a bill that would make it a felony to assault anyone over 70.

And senior citizens have been signing up for self-defense courses as well.

CNN's Anderson Cooper discussed the phenomenon with TV crime- stopper John Walsh.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ANDERSON COOPER 360")

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": In New York, we have seen, in the last couple days, elderly women taking self-defense classes, martial arts classes.

Is there -- is there anything an elderly person, a senior citizen, can -- can do to protect themselves?

JOHN WALSH, HOST, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": Well, I think we, as a society, have to value them like we value children now.

You know, I look back 25 years ago. When my son Adam was kidnapped and murdered, there wasn't such attention to crimes against children. I think we have to look at the elderly.

Yes, self-defense classes are a good thing. It's mostly about being street-smart. It's -- it's mostly about elderly people saying: Look, I can be easily victimized. I have got to be a little bit more street-smart, and I have got to ask for help.

And it always falls back on to -- to us to protect the elderly.

Thank God for the videotape, or this guy -- you know, this would have been a tiny, tiny one line in the newspaper: two elderly women mugged, beat up badly.

But, when you see it firsthand, when you see that coward punching those -- that woman twice in the face, and grabbing her purse, then, it kind of brings it home. And thank God for the videotape. We're going to profile him on "America's Most Wanted" Saturday night. And, if he isn't caught by then, I think the world is going to be a much smaller place for this coward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Well, the victim of the attack we saw was treated at a hospital. She had a fractured cheekbone from when he hit her. At least $18,000 in reward money has been offered now for the arrest of that thug.

LEMON: It has been estimated that 25 million Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Some of them are people you know or people you know of.

Their agony will be explored tonight on CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

And Paula joins us from New York with a preview of that.

Paula, you know what? There's a new study just out today from the National Center of Addiction on addiction and substance abuse at Columbia University, I think, with some pretty shocking numbers.

What do those numbers say?

PAULA ZAHN, HOST, "PAULA ZAHN NOW": I don't know about you, Don -- I mean, you have seen them. I -- I was numbed by them -- I think a lot of people floored by the statistics.

One-point-eight million full-time college students meet the so- called medical criteria for substance abuse and dependence. That's almost three times the substance-abuse numbers in the general population. Over the 13-year period of the study, the proportion of students abusing painkillers, such as Vicodin and OxyContin was up 300 percent, and the students abusing tranquilizers, like Valium, was up almost 450 percent.

The study also found that more and more kids are abusing illegal drugs. But, Don, our goal isn't necessarily to analyze those numbers tonight. The real heart of our hour is the personal stories of substance abuse and addiction.

And Headline News' Glenn Beck opened up to me about his 17-year battle with drug and alcohol abuse.

Let's listen to that clip right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "PAULA ZAHN NOW")

ZAHN: When you were at your absolute rock bottom, walk me through a typical day.

GLENN BECK, HOST, "GLENN BECK": I would get up, do the show, run the radio stations, come home, by 5:00, not a second after, I would pour myself one tumbler. I would smoke a bong, and take it from there. ZAHN: Were you doing this with kids in the house?

BECK: Mm-hmm.

ZAHN: Did your kids see you...

BECK: No.

ZAHN: ... get stoned?

How disgusted...

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: You know what, Paula? It's -- I don't know if you can see it with all the makeup on. I still am embarrassed. And I am still -- it's the worst -- it's the worst thing I have ever done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: ... that interview with Glenn Beck points out, it's very powerful, addiction.

But you know what? I want to say, it's like -- we shouldn't judge people for addictions, because it's just sort of a matter of degree. Some people are addicted to drugs, some alcohol, some cigarettes, or some -- everybody sort of has the same sort of addictive behavior.

But you will also be talking, too, ways to prevent addiction from taking over. Is that correct? Montana billionaire Thomas Siebel will be on. He put a lot of money into a campaign which is meant to scare teens out of doing meth, right...

ZAHN: Oh...

LEMON: ... by showing that reality?

ZAHN: Yes. Have you -- I don't know whether you have seen these ads. Have you seen any of them, Don?

LEMON: I have.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I have seen them, yes.

ZAHN: I think they work. I think they're effective.

And we're going to show you all an example of one of them, this ad showing a girl being introduced to her meth dealer, her meth boyfriend, her meth baby. And this happens to be one of the tamer ads. They -- they really are designed to scare. And Montana is finding that they're working.

A number of other states are also considering running these ads in their states. You know, I have got a teenager.

LEMON: Yes.

ZAHN: Most of the teenagers in these countries have been exposed to, you know, some of these just-say-no campaigns. But the -- the rawness of this video, I think, probably should scare the majority of teenagers who see it, and hopefully scare them away from ever getting started with the stuff in the first place.

LEMON: Does it offer -- because it's a very -- addiction is very powerful. Do you offer any ways for -- to get it out of folks' lives on the show tonight, Paula?

ZAHN: Yes. We're going to be interviewing a mother who has watched her daughter reach her nadir. She -- addicted to methadone, addicted to heroin.

She actually went through the process of having her arrested. She thought that that would probably be the -- the only thing that could get this kid, once and for all, out of rehab successfully. Well, it didn't work. As you will see tonight, she's still having enormous problems.

But, you know, there are so many ways families have tackled it. There are ways to rehab. There are different ways, through, you know, prevention, exposing the -- the kids to the dangers of this, that can stop them.

But you're going to hear of a -- a lot of different examples of what people have done to get themselves unhooked.

LEMON: Wow. Yes. And you know what? Just about every family, every person has dealt with someone that has some sort of addiction in their family.

And, Paula, thank you for bringing this subject to us. We're going to catch your special tonight. It's called "Addiction: Out in the Open." It's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

Should be very interesting.

CHETRY: Absolutely.

Roadside bombs and insurgent fire fights, on-the-job hazards for working in a war zone -- and, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, reporter Arwa Damon, fresh from the front lines in Iraq, shares some of the unique pressures, challenges, and dangers of daily life in Baghdad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, here's an interesting idea. What if doctors were paid based on how well they cared for their patients?

Susan Lisovicz, that's a unique program, certainly. And I don't know how many doctors would go for that.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No.

And it -- it is a story that's generating a lot of controversy, you would say, Don.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: The idea here is that, when doctors do a good job of keeping people healthy, it helps lower medical costs in the long run. So, a number of health insurers, including the federal Medicare program, are reportedly testing out a program in California that would rate and reward physicians.

According to "The L.A. Times," consumers could use that information to choose a doctor. And health plans could use it to determine pay or to drop low-performing doctors from their provider networks. Currently, there is no national set of performance standards to measure doctors' performance -- Don.

LEMON: Yes. So, I said, you know, not everybody's going to be happy about it. I guess the answer to that, doctors, yes, not happy?

LISOVICZ: Among the groups here -- you know, there are so many things that you could consider. There are so many different types of medical care, after all, that are -- that we're talking about.

A lot of doctors say they're concerned such standards could wind up penalizing good doctors. They point out that performance measures recently introduced by some private health reward doctors who provide the cheapest care, not necessarily the best care.

Proponents see it differently. They say such programs are needed to correct a system that rewards doctors, even if they run up patients' bills with excessive or unnecessary treatments. You are sure -- we are sure that this story is certainly going to be one that will be generating a lot of interest.

Turning to Wall Street, well, we have got our finger on the pulse of Wall Street. It looks pretty good today. Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan the latest to weigh in on that whole subprime lending crisis -- he says the trouble could spill over into other sectors of the economy, but conceded no evidence of it yet.

The market retreated briefly following those comments, but quickly regained its footing. Right now, the Dow is up 26 points, or a fifth-of-1-percent. The Nasdaq's up a quarter-of-1-percent.

That's the latest from Wall Street. I will be back in 30 minutes for the closing bell -- back to you, Don.

LEMON: Oh, yeah. We're going to be anxiously awaiting that closing bell.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Thank you so much, Susan. We will check back with you.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: From the trenches with U.S. troops in Iraq, to the NEWSROOM with me and Kiran here, don't miss CNN's Arwa Damon, coming up, live, with life in the war zone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: In Washington today, they cleared the way for the congressional probe into the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys. The Senate Judiciary Committee approving a move to subpoena the testimony of five Justice Department officials and six of the fired prosecutors.

A vote to approve the subpoenas for current and former White House officials including Karl Rove was put on hold for a week. Meantime, the White House is being bombarded today with questions about the future of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; stock in the nation's top law enforcement official has taken a series of hits this week amid new disclosures surrounding the purge and suggestions that the attorneys were fired for putting the law above partisan politics.

Just minutes ago, White House spokesman Tony Snow said that Gonzales still enjoys President Bush's support. We will have a live report with more coming up a little bit later.

Meantime, it happens to almost every president who wins a second term, and President Bush is no exception. The people that a president trusts the most call them the inner circle, rarely stick around for all eight years. Anderson Cooper has more on the wave of one-time Bush aides who have headed for the exits and others who are now under fire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): President Bush was thousands of miles away, but he couldn't escape the mounting troubles facing his inner circle. One by one, some of his most trusted lieutenants have been forced out, or fallen under a cloud of suspicion.

Let's look back at his war cabinet from this "Vanity Fair" cover picture taken before the invasion of Iraq. Only Vice President Cheney and Condoleezza Rice are left.

COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We came to the mutual agreement that it would be appropriate for me to leave at this time.

COOPER: Secretary of State Colin Powell stepped down in 2004. So did CIA Director George Tenet.

Last year, Andrew Card resigned as White House chief of staff. Like their boss, they all pushed for a military response to Saddam Hussein. In the forefront, Donald Rusted.

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We will win this war. It's a test of wills. And let there be no doubt that is what it is.

COOPER: The president handpicked the defense secretary to lead the war effort. He was the architect. The plans began to crumble, however, and so did his support.

Remember Harriet Miers?

HARRIET MIERS, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE NOMINEE: I am very grateful for the confidence in me that you have shown by this nomination.

COOPER: the president nominated the White House counsel and fellow Texan for the U.S. Supreme Court. But her qualifications faced questions. And, ultimately, her nomination was withdrawn.

Then, later, she resigned from her White House post, another Bush loyalist to go. Like Miers, Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales have worked for the president in Texas. Now both are under fire for the dismissals of eight federal prosecutors. Then, of course, there's the Cheney factor.

RICHARD B. CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Frankly, you're out of line with that question.

COOPER: His influence in the White House may have lessened, especially after the conviction of his former chief of staff, Lewis Scooter Libby.

Those in the inner circle have suffered, and they have paid a price. Judging by the polls, the president may have, too.

Anderson Cooper, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, you know her from our coverage of the Iraq war, CNN's Arwa Damon. She's brought us the stories of deadly roadside bombings, assaults on insurgents, and civilians trying to live in a war zone. It is a difficult and dangerous job being based in Baghdad, and now she is with us live here in the CNN NEWSROOM. And you're just back for a break, I would imagine.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

LEMON: You know, I told people I was going to be talking to you, and I have to admit, I saw Arwa in the NEWSROOM and I just ran up to you and I said, you know, what you do a fantastic job, and do you realize the impact you're making because your reports, I mean, just stunning, stunning reports.

Everyone said ask her why do you keep going back? Why do you keep going back, Arwa?

DAMON: That's what everyone always wants to know, and that is perhaps one of the more difficult questions to answer in a way that makes sense.

And I think for me it's a number of reasons. I mean, first and foremost, we as the media, as journalists, have a responsibility towards telling the story. But I also think that as members of the global community, we have a responsibility not to forget Iraq.

And for me on a personal level, I'm half Arab, half American. And so it's quite close to me. And I've been there for so long, and I've met such amazing and inspirational people. And at the same time you're seeing the worst that one person does to another and at the same time you're seeing the amazing ability of people to survive in such devastating circumstances.

LEMON: I wonder, too, also, and we're going to talk about Iraq and the changes there, but do you ever get a chance to step back and look at the big picture and look at your stories and look at what you're doing?

I remember in November, not long after I got here, I saw you. You were in the middle of a firefight. I think it was night vision that they were using. As a matter of fact, we have it. Let's take a look at it, and then we'll talk about it. Obviously, Arwa, that's not it. And as soon as we get it, we'll talk about it.

What changes have you seen now? Do you know where this is?

DAMON: Yeah, that's actually a story that was called "Chasing Ghosts." And you know, we'd gone out just to go on a normal patrol, although again, nothing is ever really normal in Iraq.

But the unit we were with just wanted to go out and get to know the neighborhood and meet and greet with the people. It was a day that started out fairly calm in terms of Iraq terms, but then we ended up spending the rest of the afternoon getting sniped at.

So the mission went from trying to meet the people, to trying to figure out who was sniping at them and target those snipers. In an instant, the entire mood had changed.

LEMON: Yeah. You're constantly aware, I would imagine, and you probably get used to it, of the security issues and wearing your armor and that kind of thing. Do you always think about it, or is it something you get used to?

DAMON: I mean, look, the security -- your own security, everyone's security is constantly on the back of your mind. There's an awareness of the danger that's out there and a respect for it as well. And you do what you can to keep yourself relatively safe.

LEMON: When you see stories like reporters, like Bob Woodward, and you see that and how he was injured in Iraq, what do you think?

DAMON: I've been lucky. You roll the dice every time. And you know, I've been lucky. We've been lucky.

LEMON: That's all, just luck. Is that it?

DAMON: Sometimes it is just luck. You can be in the wrong place at the right time and an explosion happens. And it's not just us. It's what the Iraqis face every day and the U.S. soldiers. But can you imagine? You need tomatoes for lunch, you go out to a marketplace, and it just explodes.

LEMON: Let's -- speaking about security and the dangers, let's take a look. We have that now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAMON: As the platoon was passing through, another unit spotted a man ducking into the fields just as the men walked by. They've now gone back to check it out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That's right in the middle of it all.

DAMON: Yes, yes. And actually, in that specific story, the troops we were with were trying to catch people that were placing roadside bombs.

LEMON: Yeah. And I know the answer to this. I said, do you ever stand back and look at it and go, oh, my gosh, what am I doing? What is going on here?

DAMON: Sometimes, you know, when you watch the stories afterwards, you don't believe that you were actually there experiencing them. But at the same time, you know, you're not really stepping back and looking at an entire body of work because you are on some levels so immersed in it. And like for me personally, what really gets to me is the people's stories, the Iraqi civilians or the U.S. soldiers.

LEMON: Absolutely. Life there, obviously, you do not get a day off. You're not -- very little down time. You don't go out to the movies and hang out with your friends, as do -- most people don't in Iraq, or in Baghdad at least.

DAMON: No, they don't. And it's not us. It's the Iraqi civilians as well. I mean, their entire lives are but nothing compared to what they had before. They don't go to a coffee shop and meet friends. They don't go out anymore.

LEMON: And for you and for them, how has it changed since -- you've been there four years. How has it changed for you and for the Iraqi people?

DAMON: I couldn't even begin to describe it. I mean, it is completely changed. In the beginning, in 2003 right after the fall of the regime, you could still go to these lovely fish restaurants that lined the Tigris River. Right now you cannot do that anymore. I mean, life there is really in some ways completely and totally utterly paralyzed. There was hope in the beginning. There was hope that things would get better, that doors would be open. Now, a lot of times when you speak to Iraqis, they say there is just no hope left.

LEMON: We were showing pictures of you just before working in the bureau there. It seems like a pretty safe environment. What about the surge that we have been talking about and that we're seeing in Iraq? Is it going to help? Can you answer that question?

DAMON: The hope is that it is going to help. I mean, most certainly everybody who's involved in Iraq for the most part wants to see things get better. But the reality is that there are so many moving parts that need to come together at the same time. Everybody is pretty much fully aware that Iraq is not going to be solved purely by a military solution.

There are politics that need to also be worked out. And then there's the insurgency. And the only thing predictable about the insurgency is its unpredictability. They have a say in how things play out, where and when an attack takes place. Added to that, you've got the issues of the sectarian violence that's been raging out of control. It's incredibly complex.

LEMON: Yes, and they're telling me in my ear we don't have any time. I just want a real quick answer. Four years, the same person as when you left?

DAMON: Of course not. You change. It changes you. It impacts you. I don't think anyone could go through Iraq or anyone who's been through Iraq is the same person.

LEMON: Arwa Damon, thank you so much.

DAMON: Thank you.

LEMON: Glad you're safe.

DAMON: Thanks, me too.

LEMON: And she's going back, she says.

CHETRY: Unbelievable. Well, underwater and overwhelmed. A community calls out for help. We have details on that later in the NEWSROOM.

Plus, speeding? On this stretch of highway, there is no limit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we're doing 230 kilometers an hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: But the Autobahn may soon face a change. That story also ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: No speed limit, no problem. Germany's Autobahn is a roadway with a reputation. But that might change. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The old German saying goes something like this: liberated roads for free people. Though there are some speed-restricted areas, the Autobahn is among the few highway systems in the world with no general speed limit. Something that could change with the EU in the driver's seat.

(on camera): The European Union is asking Germany to impose a general speed limit on its highways. Now, the speed limit would be 130 kilometers an hour. That's about 80 miles an hour. And the rationale behind it is simple -- cars that go slower emit less carbon dioxide.

So today we've gotten ourselves a very fast car, and we're going to find out how much fuel drivers can actually save by going slower.

(voice over): To find out, we have to go fast. Very fast.

The car's fuel consumption rises to almost 20 liters per 100 kilometers, or just over five gallons per 62 miles.

(on camera): Right now, we're doing 230 kilometers an hour. And that's about 140 miles an hour.

Now, at this speed, really, any car would use a lot of fuel. So, right now, what we're going to do is we're going to bring the speed down and see how much fuel we can actually save.

(voice over): Down to 130 kilometers, or 80 miles an hour, the proposed speed limit. The car's fuel consumption is cut almost in half within moments.

We pick up Vana Rie (ph), from the Union for Environmental Protection. He says drivers could cut carbon emissions on the Autobahn considerably simply by taking their foot off the gas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The speed limits cut down the CO2 emissions by two or three percent. That is three million tons of CO2. They have an immediate impact. They don't cost anything. And the majority, the vast majority of people in Germany, want it.

PLEITGEN: But some of the drivers we spoke to while in traffic said they were against the general speed limit. "Sometimes I just want to drive the car as fast as it goes," this man says. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"I think not having a speed limit is a cultural thing in Germany," another man says. The industry says German automakers are against the idea, and politicians are divided on the issue. In the end, pressure from the European Union may force the Germans to downshift their love affair with the automobile.

Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

CHETRY: Yes, he's standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys, thanks very much. We have an interview with the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today he signed legislation moving up the California primary from June to February 5th. That's going to cause all sorts of ramifications in this race for the White House. We have extensive details on what that means and a full interview with the governor.

I also asked him, by the way, about any plans he might have for seeking office beyond the governor's office in California. As you know, there are some in Congress who want to pass a constitutional amendment that would give the right to those not born in the United States to actually become president of the United States. Schwarzenegger, born in Austria. And I asked him if he would rule out the possibility of running for the presidency if that constitutional amendment, and that's a big if, if it were ever to be enacted. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I don't even want to think about all of this, running for president, not running for president. I'm happy the job that I have, and I'm not even thinking about, OK, this is something I can't do, because I wasn't born here. I only think about the things that I can do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And what he can do is serve as governor for the next four years. He was just decisively re-elected. He's pretty popular out in California. He says he's representing not only his fellow Republicans, but Democrats as well. And he thinks that that's a strategy. That's something that all the candidates should be looking for as they seek the race for the White House. It's going to be a good interview.

CHETRY: We're looking forward to it. Wolf, thanks so much.

BLITZER: Thank you.

LEMON: You can tune in for more on Wolf's one-on-one interview with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at 7:00 p.m. Eastern tonight on "THE SITUATION ROOM." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's freaking delicious, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: That's a description of that incredibly expensive pizza, by the way. We're going to have more on that. Pizza for the upper crust for sure, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: A small-town struggling to recover. You're looking at Browns Valley in western Minnesota, where the flood waters were neck high in some places, fast-melting snow and ice the big problem. More than 100 people were evacuated, about 50 homes damaged, including the mayor's. Several highways and bridges into town are still shut down. Minnesota's governor is planning to visit the area tomorrow.

LEMON: It's just awful. And I guess we're wondering -- we'd want to know from Reynolds Wolf, is the worst over for those folks? Are they going to get more flooding or is it going to go down?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Check this next story out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINO SALIMAJ, RESTAURANTEUR: I call it luxury pizza. It's not for everyone because it's expensive, let's face it, but the ingredients and whatever I put in, it's worth every penny. And of course people without job, they cannot afford a pizza of $1,000, but it's worth every penny and it's a great buy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: I think it's funny, a $1,000 pizza. And that guy's still folding over the slice. But yes, that's how much it costs. Nino's Restaurant on Second Avenue in Manhattan has joined the ranks of the super pricey eats. It's $250 a slice. They cut it into fourths. It's a medium. But it comes loaded with caviar, lobster, gourmet cheeses, and one satisfied customer called it quote, "freaking delicious, the best I ever ate."

LEMON: She was trying to figure out like exactly how much it was going to be...

CHETRY: Right, so if you cut it into 16 pieces, for Don, for Don's salary if we cut it into eight pieces you could afford a slice. That would be 125 bucks. For mine we'd have to cut it into 16ths. It would be $62.50 a slice. OK? That's a bargain.

LEMON: The closing bell and a wrap-up of all the action on Wall Street straight ahead. You're going to buy it for me, so it doesn't really matter.

CHETRY: No way. Domino's, that's it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Well, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day. One more day to go, Susan.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Now let's go to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.

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