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Search for Missing Boy Scout Continues; NYPD Officers Involved in Fatal Shooting Plead Not Guilty

Aired March 19, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm there, I'm Brianna Keilar live from the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don Lemon. Legendary record producer Phil Spector faces the music. He's on trial today in the murder of a Hollywood actress, all the details in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: Rescue workers, volunteers, dog teams, united in a grueling search in the North Carolina mountains. Twelve-year-old Boy Scout Michael Auberry hasn't been seen since Saturday afternoon. He and his troop were camping. They say he was there one minute and gone the next. Today, searchers widen their area and authorities took a precautionary step.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twelve- year-old Michael Auberry, the Boy Scout who has been missing since Saturday has still not turned up in the very heavily wooded area of the Blue Ridge mountains in back of me, in spite of an intensive search since Saturday that has yielded only in a couple of clues but no result whatsoever. So officials, in abundance of caution, as they said, decided that they would take one extra step.

TINA WHITE, NATIONAL PARK RANGER: We actually have issued an Amber Alert for this young man in case, for some reason, he is not on the area in which we're searching. We also have state and county sheriffs departments out looking for this individual too, in case that is the case and he may be out of the search area.

FRANKEN (on camera): Officials also announced the young Boy Scout had attention deficit disorder and does not have his medication with him, which causes them some sort of worry. But they continue to maintaining a determined optimism. There have been a couple of clues that they've spotted over time. They have dogs on the ground and they have search parties overhead, they aircraft with heat sensing devices. Just a very intensive search, which they're going to continue to have.

Meanwhile, they're looking for some possibility in the Amber Alert, for instance, that maybe he wandered on to a highway and got a ride somewhere. So, the whole watch word is optimism and really a -- really frustration that they have not been able to find him this quickly. Bob Franken, CNN, McGrady, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Bob.

Acting in good faith or acting recklessly, three New York police officers, well they head to court in the November killing of Sean Bell just hours before his wedding. CNN's Jason Carroll joins us from the borough of Queens, where the victim lived.

Jason, we know they turned themselves in. Any court appearances yet?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Don. The arraignment took place just a short while ago. All three officers in court plead not guilty. Those officers being Detective Michael Oliver, Detective Gescard Isnora, and Detective Marc Cooper, once again, all pleading not guilty during their arraignment today.

Also at that arraignment was the Reverend Al Sharpton who showed up just before. He wasn't alone either, Don. He showed up along with Sean Bell's fiancee. Sean Bell, of course, is the young man who was killed during that shooting, along with the two -- two of Bell's friends who were injured during the shooting, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. All of them showing up, all of them saying they wanted to be here, they wanting to see the officers as they were formally charged.

And as you know by now, all three of those officers were indicted by a grand jury. These charges that they face, detective Michael Oliver, he's the one who fired 31 times, pausing once to reload. He faces first and second-degree manslaughter charges as well as felony assault and reckless endangerment.

Detective Isnora also faces the same charges. Those men face a maximum sentence of 25 years if convicted. Detective Marc Cooper was indicted on two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment. He faces a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison if convicted.

Reverend Al Sharpton obviously has been actively involved throughout this entire investigation representing Bell's family as well as the other two young men as spokesperson.

Little earlier today, before all this got underway, he talked about how disappointed he was. He basically said he felt as though all five officers who were involved in the shooting should have been indicted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: This case, at its best, is a return to grief for all those involved. I would immediately remind the public that Nicole Paultre Bell, as she prepared for her wedding, was given the news that her husband was shot dead, the father of her two children. So, in those ways, from the day that it occurred until this day, and from this day forward, will there be a cause for joy, celebration, or revenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Bail was set for Oliver and Isnora at $250,000. Cooper was released without bail. Their next court appearance scheduled for April 11 -- Don.

LEMON: And, Jason, while I ask you this question, let's get back to the new video because this is the first time we've really seen those guys in court and it's just coming in now of them in court there.

There was also some concern, too, as we see these guys walking in here about the situation in New York, the temperament there because there have been a number of police shootings involved recently. With three of them -- at least three of them being indicted here, I think that the cause for concern for that may have been squashed a little bit about possible violence. Is the mayor talking about that or anything at all?

CARROLL: I think you are right. I think, you know, those types of fears have somewhat been dissipated. You know, over time. You know, a little earlier today, the mayor came out. He spoke about that, basically saying that specifically he wanted the city and the department to learn from what had happened during the shooting.

And, in fact, I actually spoke with Sean Bell's fiancee last week and you know, some members of her family and those people who are supporting her and throughout this entire ordeal, they've been calling for calm among the people in the city as well, given what has happened with these indictments, I think their hopes are going to be realized.

LEMON: Jason Carroll, on top of it all in Queens. Thank you so much for joining us.

KEILAR: We've been keeping an eye on Wall Street because you know stocks have been all over the place the last few weeks here. Last week was a downer. But things are starting to look up at the start of this week. Let's check in now with Susan Lisovicz, she's at the New York Stock Exchange.

Hi Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brianna. Look up quite literally, we'll put that big board up there for you so you can tell the story. You know, here's the flipside of volatility. We've been talking a lot about it over the past three weeks. You get some very tough sell-offs and then you do get some nice gains. We're coming off a tough week, but Europe and Asia rallied today, and so has Wall Street.

All day we haven't seen any declines. Three major averages each up about one percent on the session, so far. We're in the final hour of trading. Of course, they're all down two percent year to date. But one of the things that we're seeing today is, I think, an indication of how investors are buying on the dips. There's a lot of strength in the housing and the financial markets. And while there's few people who say all the worries about those risky mortgages are behind us, they do see some opportunities to buy here and that's what's happening. Twenty-eight of the Dow 30 stocks are higher. There are two stocks rising for every one on the decline here at the New York Stock Exchange.

And you know, we could see a more cautious tone starting to emerge as of tomorrow. We get housing starts, and obviously, that's been a big area of concern and on Wednesday, we get a decision by the Federal Reserve.

It's all but a given that the fed has its hands tied. It won't do anything. It is concerned about the slowing economy. It's also worried about this very stubborn inflation, so that it will keep rates unchanged, that's the consensus, at 5-1/4 percent. But what policymakers say about the state of things, given the sell-off, the volatility, all the concerns about the housing sector is of great interest on Wall Street, so today say nice day, looks like we could have a nice close to the first day of the trading week. And I'll end it on that optimistic note. Back to you, Brianna and Don.

KEILAR: Thanks Susan.

LEMON: Well, the insurgency has grown. Public support has shrunk and Iraqis and Americans have died by the thousands. After four years of fighting in Iraq, does it look like there's an end in site sight? Well, our Kyra Phillips was on an aircraft carrier the Persian Gulf when the invasion started, now she's on the ground in Baghdad as the war enters its fifth year -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Don, four years ago when I was on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and the and the war was starting and I remember Baghdad eliminating, I never thought four years later I'd be on the ground in Baghdad, meeting refugees. Two million people live outside this country right now and because of security, they're scared to come back home. I'm going to introduce you to one family and how they've had to separate and how tough it is for them coming up in just a little bit.

LEMON: All right, Kyra, we look forward to that. See you soon.

KEILAR: Four years after he started the war in Iraq, President Bush says the U.S. needs more time to win it. The president spoke to the nation this morning saying a new plan to stabilize Iraq is still in its early stages. Let's go now to the White House and CNN's Ed Henry.

Hi, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Brianna. That's right, the president also saying that if he gets more time, he can win in Iraq, not guaranteeing he will win. That's a far cry from four years ago when the president, shortly after the beginning of the war, said that major combat operations in Iraq were over and that the U.S. and coalition forces had prevailed. This is a reminder, of course, that a lot of the rosy scenarios, a lot of the predictions made by the administration at the beginning of the war have not panned out, so the president very much on the defensive after a secure video conference with Nouri al Maliki. He basically told Democrats on Capitol Hill, in these brief remarks, that they cannot tie his hands with strings attached to this Iraq war funding bill that's being debated right now. While Democrats like Steny Hoyer say it's time for them to step up and ask tougher questions about the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run. But I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating.

REP STENY HOYER (D-MD), MAJORITY LEADER: The only strings attached are those benchmarks and standards endorsed by the president himself, our commander in chief. And let me add, is there anyone who believes that Congress would be strongly asserting itself today if the president's policy were succeeding? The answer, I think, is clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: The president also saying today that the U.S. is just in the early stages of this increase of troops into Iraq and that General Petraeus, the commander on the ground, is saying he needs more time, it's in the early stages. But Democrats responding basically that after four years, their patience is running thin -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Ed Henry live for us from the White House. Thanks, Ed.

HENRY: Thank you.

LEMON: Many Iraqis seeking better lives pay a big price. Meet a family torn apart by war coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: And he's standing firm on Iraq. Senator John McCain, he's supporting the war when support has faded. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Hey, we're going to have that ahead in the NEWSROOM. And you're looking at live pictures coming out of Temescal County, California. This is from our affiliate KABC, Los Angeles. Rescued hiker, there, details coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, look at that. Football champs meeting at the White House, there. That's the 2006 NCAA champions. See the big "F" for Florida, there's a gator right there. The president is meeting with him. Let's listen -- that's some cool music. What is that? Must be their fight song. We'll have to get someone from Florida to translate what they are saying in that fight song, but congratulations to them and it must be quite an honor for them to meet with the president today. This is happening now live at the White House. Good for them and congratulations, right?

KEILAR: Certainly. And a lot of folks around here know that would be the fight song. We'll have to check in with them.

LEMON: And speaking of the president, right? One hopeful, right?

KEILAR: That's right. Presidential hopeful, John McCain, he's hoping for popular support, while supporting a war that gets less popular the longer it drags on. CNN's Candy Crowley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Observe a moment of silence in memory of this brave young man.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether it is the death of a local soldier or a question from the audience, presidential candidate John McCain cannot avoid the subject, even if he wanted to.

MCCAIN: Well, will it be there possibly as long as our troops have been in Korea and Germany?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you would do as our commander in chief to protect our troops.

MCCAIN: How we doing, guy?

CROWLEY: Traveling through Iowa aboard his bus, the Arizona senator ponders whether his fierce support of the war will hurt his presidential ambitions.

MCCAIN: I just have to do what I know is right and articulate what I think is right and best for the country. This is not a minor issue, it's a huge issue.

CROWLEY: Which is to say, McCain believes the Iraq war has now become part of the broader war on terror.

MCCAIN: The consequences of failure are chaos, genocide, and sooner or later, we come back and most importantly, they'll follow us home.

CROWLEY: McCain is the war's most visible supporter at a time when only a third of voters think it was worth the price. Because of his years as a Vietnam POW and his staunch support of the military, McCain strategists believe voters will give him leeway on Iraq. Regardless, he is where he is.

In the community centers and town halls of Iowa and New Hampshire, John McCain generally enters the room to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."

MCCAIN: This conflict we are in between good and evil, between the forces of radical Islamic extremism that are trying to destroy America and everything we believe in, I am qualified, I know the face of war, I know the face of evil. I will win. We will win and we will never surrender.

CROWLEY: Candy Crowley, CNN, Mason City, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We want to get you back to that breaking news story we were telling you about. This is Temescal Canyon, it's in Orange County, California. You can see our affiliate there from KABC. Helicopters on the scene, there. They have just lowered something from a rescue helicopter.

Brianna Keilar is from that area, from Orange County, and is familiar with this Temescal Canyon. It is very popular with hikers.

KEILAR: Popular hiking area. I think it's considered moderate. We were looking at it online, a sort of moderate hike. But this is near Pacific Palisades, very scenic. You go on this hike if you want maybe some views of the ocean, that kind of thing.

LEMON: Yeah, and Brianna, it looks like -- I'm not sure what they're doing -- maybe they are saying back off. But they were lowering something and this appears to be what they were lowering. We're getting these pictures in just as you are. Information is very slight when it comes to this story. But it's just sort of an unbelievable scene when you look at the helicopter and terrain there. Not exactly sure of the conditions, why this hiker needed to be rescued. But we're going to stay on top of this story for you.

There it is, there's that helicopter lowering the stuff in there. And you can see -- probably having a little bit of difficulty with the terrain. But Brianna, we're going to stay on top of this right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. As the situation develops, we'll monitor it for you and bring it to you live, if it warrants.

Let's move on now and talk about Iraq. Many Iraqis seeking better lives paying a big price for that. Meet a family torn apart by war. That is coming up right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Sub-Saharan Africa is home to two of every three HIV patients in the world. And this man, a politician, mind you, not a doctor, says he can cure AIDS with the homemade concoction. CNN Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange reports from Gambia, a sliver on Africa's Atlantic coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Three-year-old Suleiman is getting his daily dose of a concoction of herbs and roots. This bottle that once contained an Aunt Jemima pancake syrup mix contains seven herbs and spices and a spoonful of day, he's told, will make him better. His mother, Fatuma, does the same for herself. As do several dozen other patients here, all guinea pigs in an experiment that's as controversial as it is unconventional.

It all started when this man, a 41-year-old former army colonel, now the country's president, announced to foreign diplomats two months ago that he, personally, would begin treating AIDS patients with the mixture of plants told to him in a dream by his ancestors.

The president, who insists on wearing all white robes and always carries a copy of the Koran, has no formal medical training, but he does claim his family has a history of healing people through traditional African medicine.

The president says he can only heal AIDS patients on Mondays and Thursdays, while he heals asthma and bronchitis patients only on Wednesdays. Friday is a day of prayer in this mostly Muslim nation of 1.5 million people.

Two weeks into her treatment, Fatuma swears she's fast regaining her appetite, feels strong enough to run a mile and has nothing but food things to say about her healer president. Nothing can convince her that his powers are anything sort of super natural.

"It's incredible," she says, "I thought I was going to die. Now I feel like I've been reborn."

Ousman Sow, says he's been HIV positive since 1996 and had been taking antiretrovirals for the last four years, until he volunteered for this program. Four weeks later, he says he's gained 30 pounds and feels like a new person.

OUSMAN SOW, AIDS PATIENT: I am cured at this moment.

KOINANGE (on camera): What, you don't have any HIV symptoms?

SOW: I have -- no, I don't. As I stand I honestly tell you that I have ceased to have any HIV symptoms.

KOINANGE (voice-over): It's the same thing we get with patient after patient here. None of them appears as if they've been coached or coaxed into telling us how they feel.

FATUMA: I'm jumping, I'm running, I eat fine, I drink water plenty, I'm happy now.

SOW: Give 100 percent credit to this treatment, yes, 100 percent, you know of credit.

KOINANGE: It's difficult to check the authenticity of their testimony, though the government has scientific evidence it did not provide any to CNN.

(on camera): We came to the Gambia at the specific request of the office of the president. We figured he was ready to tell his story to the world. We've been here five days now and every time we make an attempt to call the president's office, we're given one excuse or another.

Then we tried the next best thing. Trying to get medical records of the so-called AIDS patients to prove they are indeed on the mend. That, too, has not been forthcoming.

(voice-over): One man who's willing to put his medical license on the line in defense of his president's so-called herbal cure is, not surprisingly, the country's health minister. A trained physician, Tamsir Mbow Bow, boasts degrees from medical universities in Ireland and the Ukraine.

DR. TAMSIR MBOWE, GAMBIAN HEALTH MINISTER: I can swear 100 percent that this medical -- this herbal medication, His Excellency is using, is working. It has the potency to treat and cure patients infected with the HIV virus.

KOINANGE (on camera): Because there are people who are going to watch this interview and say, come on, man. You guys must be kidding. What do you tell them?

MBOWE: I will tell them as a western medical trained doctor, I've seen His Excellency, my leader, coming up with herbal medications that are able to treat and cure patients infected with HIV virus.

DR. JERRY COOVADIA, SOUTH AFRICA MEDICAL COUNCIL: And it makes you wonder what motivates such people.

KOINANGE (voice-over): But not everyone is convinced a medicine man with a bunch of plants has been able to find a cure for a disease that's wiped out entire generations across Africa. In fact, some, like Professor Jerry Coovadia of the University Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa, insists with the Gambian president is doing is both misleading and damaging to not only the patients, but the health profession as well.

COOVADIA: But when someone like the president of a country in Africa comes up publicly with a suggestion which is certainly not rooted in any credible experiments or any credible proof, then one is especially worried.

KOINANGE: Gambia's health minister welcomes any and all so- called doubters.

MBOWE: Any scientist, any professor, any medical doctor who wants to verify whether the treatment is effective or not, you are welcome.

KOINANGE: A spokeswoman for the United Nations based in the Gambia, who spoke out against the president's so-called cure, found herself in deep trouble, kicked out of the country within 48 hours.

No one around here dares question a man whose face appears just about everywhere in this tiny nation. A nation so impoverished and underdeveloped, it's been ranked among the world's poorest. Experts say it's in places like the Gambia that the poor and desperate will latch on to anything resembling hope. In this case, hope provided by a man who claims he has healing powers.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Banjul, in the Gambia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's get you back to the scene of our breaking news, here. This is a Los Angeles City fire department. You see it listed there on the side of the chopper. Look at that person. They rescued this person, this hiker, with unknown injuries, not exactly sure what the extent of the injuries were, from a hiking trail, very treacherous conditions there. Pulled them up into that chopper and now they are taking them off to be treated by whomever they're going to be treated by. But just look at the heroics of these folks out in Temescal Canyon, this is in Orange County, California. This is from our affiliate KABC in Los Angeles. Just amazing stuff happening there. That's the latest new video into the CNN NEWSROOM. It appears all is fine. The person is on their way to be treated.

KEILAR: Many Iraqis are seeking better lives and they pay a big price for it. We're going to meet a family torn apart by the war, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Lots of people have heard of Phil Spector's music, but who will hear his testimony? Coming up, we'll talk about jury selection in the record producer's trial, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: For many, living in Iraq means living in fear. So thousands, maybe even millions of Iraqis have fled their homes in search of better, safer lives. But they can't forget what they left behind. Our very own Kyra Phillips joins us now live from Baghdad with one family's story.

Hi, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Hi, Brianna. Two million refugees to be exact, possibly more now, living in Syria, Jordan, Egypt. Here's just one heartbreaking story we found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): "I miss him so much" Rabia (ph) Sudanee says. "I'm dying to see him." Rabia and her son Bahaa are 800 miles apart. He, in Cairo, his parents in Iraq. Bahaa, a successful doctor, made a life or death decision to risk living in constant terror in Iraq or get his family out.

BAHAA SUDANEE, IRAQI REFUGEE: I miss the city and the (INAUDIBLE), looking to the sky of Baghdad. It is really hard to leave everything behind you and go to the unknown future. It is very difficult.

PHILLIPS: But that meant leaving behind his career and his beautiful home. But most excruciatingly of all, Bahaa was forced to leave his parents.

"We are old people," Kareem (ph) Sudanee tells me. "We can't afford to leave what we've gathered, like money and a house. If we die, we've had a long life, and it will not be a big loss." That decision broke their son's heart.

SUDANEE: The hardest things in separation that you are when troubling, you see the tears in the eyes of your home (ph). You can't bear (ph) it, and you don't know when you'll return.

PHILLIPS: There are more than 2 million Iraqi refugees now forced by fear to separate. Many of them must choose between the life of an exile or the constant threat of war. Rabia sleeps with her Koran next to her head every night. Kareem waters his son's garden every day, both waiting for their son to come home.

SUDANEE: We are -- still trust that our nation is patient (ph) and strong and can solve all of the problems inside the country quickly so we can return again to our country.

((END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Well, you said it there, Kyra. An excruciating decision for Bahaa to leave his parents behind. But why wouldn't they go with him?

PHILLIPS: Well, there are two reasons, really. What's interesting, Brianna, it's very much a cultural thing. Kareem as the father, the grandfather, he sees it as his duty to protect the home and protect his family. So he wanted to stay rooted here in his homeland.

And another thing is that he has lots of medical problems. His wife has a lot of medical problems, too. And he didn't want to be a burden to his son. It was amazing just the love that they had for each other, but it was really tough when Bahaa decided to take the kids and his wife and get out of there and his parents wouldn't come along. It was fascinating to learn more about the culture.

KEILAR: All right. Kyra Phillips, live for us from Baghdad and bringing us really amazing stories from there all day today. Thanks, Kyra.

LEMON: One of the biggest casualties of the Iraq War is public support. It has dropped 40 percentage points since the end of 2003. That's one number from a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. Now let's break it down for you. Only 32 percent now favor the war in Iraq. That's down from 72 percent at the end of 2003. Almost half now strongly oppose the war. You can see that number at the bottom left. And only 19 percent strongly opposed the war in March 2003. And there's a major partisan divide. Democrats' opposition is now almost unanimous, 91 percent. But even now, only 24 percent of Republicans oppose the war.

And on this fourth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War, a community gathers to honor a fallen hero, 19-year-old Private First Class Cory Kosters. He was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on March 5th. Five other soldiers also died in that explosion. Kosters' family says Cory would have been home on leave, but he let another soldier take his time so that soldier could be home for the birth of his child.

Now residents of The Woodlands, Texas, lined the streets to show support for the family. They waved flags and saluted as a hearse caring Kosters body passed by. Kosters was laid to rest this afternoon at the Houston National Cemetery.

Private First Class Cory Kosters is just one of 3,220 military men and women who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq. And while the toll for Iraqi civilians is hard to pinpoint, it's estimated at least 50,000 have been killed since the war began four years ago today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Phil Spector let his hair down a bit today. Not to make light of the fact he's on trial for murder, but you can't help but notice how subdued in dress and demeanor and how he was minus that large mop of hair he normally has when he arrived at an L.A. courthouse for jury selection in his murder trial today.

The '60s era music producer is accused of killing actress Lana Clarkson back in 2003. So what can we expect out of this big name trial and what are both sides looking for in a jury. A little while ago I talked to lawyer Harvey Levin of TMZ.com.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: It's not on a level of O.J. Simpson where people are just so tainted. I think they are looking for people with an open mind. I really believe that. There are cases when I don't think that's happening. But in this one, I think they are.

I think the defense, though, wants people who are a little bit suspicious of law enforcement because Spector made a couple of comments to people in law enforcement after Lana Clarkson died that really could come back to haunt him if the jurors believe the cops.

KEILAR: So we're looking at new video here of Phil Spector. And he has straight hair. I mean, normally he has got this crazy mop of hair. What do you think? Do you think that this is an attempt to sort of tame down his image because he definitely looked pretty wild before?

LEVIN: Yes. I mean, I think clearly that's what's going on here. But I don't think it's going to work. I mean, when you look at Bruce Cutler, who is just a flamboyant though very good defense lawyer, combined with Phil Spector, and I mean, I don't know how else to put it. He's a nut. And everybody in Hollywood has known that for a long time. He's a genius but he's a nut. And I don't think he can be contained over the long haul in a trial. It's going to be an unbelievably entertaining trial.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: Testimony isn't expected to begin until the end of April.

LEMON: Well, the Phil Spector of today is a far cry from the man who shook up the rock 'n' roll stage of the '60s. Here's a look at a legendary career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): It was a song that made Phil Spector a star and won the hearts of teenagers around the country.

(MUSIC PLAYING "TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM")

LEMON: "To Know Him Is to Love Him" came out in the late '50s. At just 17, Spector not only wrote the song, borrowing the title from his grandfather's gravestone, he recorded it with his band, The Teddy Bears. Within a couple of months, "To Know Him Is to Love Him" had soared to the top of the rock 'n' roll charts.

Instant fame proved costly for the kid born in the Bronx in 1940 and who moved to L.A. after his father committed suicide. The Teddy Bears broke up after a fight over royalties. That turned out to be a stroke of luck for Spector. He turned to producing records and became a legend.

The songs he wrote and the artists who performed them are a major part of rock 'n' roll history. Just a few examples, "Da Doo Ron Ron," and "He's a Rebel" by The Crystals," "Be My Baby" and "Walking in the Rain" by The Ronettes, "Lost that Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers.

After the heyday of top 40 radio in the late '60s, Spector produced, among others, the Beatles' "Let It Be," John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band," and George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass."

Spector was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Shock and awe started it. Insurgents and sectarian strife fuelled it. And now dismay and disgust surround it. The fight for Iraq entering its fifth year. Special coverage all day right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, today on this fourth anniversary of the Iraq War, we're taking a personal look at the people who serve and also sacrificed. People such as retired Marine Lance Corporal Rick Turner. Turner survived this bomb attack. You see that crater there? Despite having 3,000 pieces of shrapnel blown into his body, he survived that. How does anyone recover from that? Let's find out from Lance Corporal Turner himself.

How does anyone recover from that? How are you doing? LANCE CPL. RICK TURNER, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.): I am doing well now. I had a long road of recovery, but, you know, I think I'm pretty much back to as close as 100 percent as I can be.

LEMON: Yes. Tell us about your injuries. Take us back to that day. Was it August 1st, am I correct, 2005, when it happened? You went in in March of 2005 and then several months later you were involved in this attack.

TURNER: Yes. Well, at first, I didn't know exactly where I was hit. I just felt nothing but a flame around me. It just felt like a huge fireball that hit me. My body felt like it was on fire. When I kind of snapped out of it, I looked down and my legs were bloody and I knew I had shrapnel all in my legs. I had no clue that my eye was punctured or wounded in any way.

LEMON: Yes. As we look at these pictures, Corporal, it's unbelievable. We were just looking at the Humvee that you were in and it was just basically demolished. Is there a day that goes by that you don't think about that attack?

TURNER: No, actually, it's on my mind every single day. It's on my mind when people -- they might take a second glance at me because of my eye or, you know, I think about some of the Marines that we've lost, some friends that I have had that, you know, are either injured or not here with us anymore, parents of Marines that me and my wife are friends with, during (ph) the Marine Corps Ball.

LEMON: They look at you, they don't know you've had at least 15 or 20 surgeries. Members of your battalion, how many of them died in this and do you -- I hate to ask you this, any guilt or do you ever wonder why you survived?

TURNER: Yes. We actually had 48 Marines that were KIA from our battalion and sometimes I do wonder why I survived and why others didn't. You know, at the time, there were some Marines there that had a lot more going for them than I did. They already had families and kids.

You know, I -- of course, I wanted to go home to my family, but I just thought, sometimes I wonder why them and not me.

LEMON: Yes, I am sure. I am sure, as most people do, many of the troops we've spoken to. You got a Purple Heart.

TURNER: Yes, I do.

LEMON: And we see you there in the hospital bed while you were recovering. Now you recovered at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. And a lot of these folks who are injured have been recovering at Walter Reed Hospitals. What do you make of this whole thing about the service being provided, the medical care for people who are coming back from the war?

TURNER: Well, I know that the actual medical care is excellent because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't. It's so far advanced, especially in Iraq. And...

LEMON: But when you hear stories like Walter Reed Hospital and the conditions under which people were living there, or at least trying to recover from their war injuries, what do you make of that?

TURNER: I mean, I am sure some of it can be improved, but, I mean, I was never there firsthand. I was in Bethesda, so I really -- haven't really followed that much.

LEMON: When you hear the word anniversary, what comes to your mind? Do you think that we should be calling this an anniversary so to speak?

TURNER: I mean, I don't know. I don't know if it's an anniversary because it's nothing to celebrate, but it is a four-year mark of basically something horrible. You know, anytime we lose any Americans, we -- I mean, the nation is suffering. I don't care if it's one or 1,000. I mean, like I said, I think it's just a four-year mark. I wouldn't really call it an anniversary.

LEMON: Yes. All of the guys who are over there, we've been talking about that and -- guys and young ladies who are over there. Do you think that -- what do you think of this whole surge, about more troops going to the region? Do you think that will help?

TURNER: Well, I think it will help in some areas. When my battalion was there, we only had 3,000 Marines and we were covering 90,000 square miles and we definitely did not have enough Marines in our area. We could have used at least 6,000 more Marines. So yes, I think that if they want to put more troops in, they need to put a large amount of troops in and just push as hard as they can for as long as they can.

And if they don't get anything solved, then think about pulling out. But right now while we're under -- basically understaffed, it's kind of -- I don't know, it's not for nothing, but I think it's harder. It's definitely harder to get the job done.

LEMON: Yes. Retired Marine Lance Corporal Rick Turner, we thank so much for joining us today and we appreciate what you went through for us and for the country. Take care of yourself.

TURNER: All right. You, too. Thanks for having me.

KEILAR: The first court appearance today for three New York City police officers indicted in the killing of an unarmed man on his wedding day. Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora are charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter. Those are felonies that are going to mean prison time if the two are convicted. A third detective, Marc Cooper faces misdemeanor endangerment charges. Two other officers are not charged in the shooting outside this nightclub in November that killed Sean Bell and seriously wounded two of his friends.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICHARD BROWN, QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It deserves repeating that a grand jury does not decide whether a person has been proven guilty. That's a trial jury's job. The grand jury decides whether or not a person should be formally charged with a crime, whether there is legally sufficient evidence of a crime having been committed and whether there is reasonable cause to believe that the accused committed that crime.

The prosecution will now move forward. In the meanwhile, I remind all of you that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Speaking for Bell's fiancee and the two wounded men, Al Sharpton said the indictments, quote, "fall short of what we want and all five officers should be charged."

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

KEILAR: 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, Brianna, thank you, Don. President Bush making an appeal to Americans on this fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. But have Americans and Congress run out of patience? We'll speak about it with the House majority leader, Steny Hoyer. We'll talk about the Democrats' push to set timelines for the redeployment of U.S. troops.

And wait until you hear what the mayor of Salt Lake City in Utah has to say about President Bush and the war in Iraq. He'll be here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

And as we enter the war's fifth year, where's the political fallout? Where is it heading? I'll ask James Carville and J.C. Watts, that's in today's "Strategy Session." All that, guys, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM," back to you.

KEILAR: Thanks, Wolf. We'll see you in just a moment.

LEMON: The closing bell and a wrap-up of all the action on Wall Street just ahead.

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