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Cancer Diagnosis for White House Press Secretary Tony Snow; Commander's View of Iraq War

Aired March 27, 2007 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Tuesday, the 27th of March.

Here's what's on the rundown.

A cancer diagnosis for presidential spokesman Tony Snow. Just a short time ago, the White House announced the disease has returned and spread to Snow's liver.

HARRIS: Rush hour on the runway. How to avoid on-the-ground collisions. Government experts taking a look this morning at high- tech way to warn pilots.

COLLINS: Scenic and serene, the town of Nelson, British Columbia, is known as a haven from manmade violence. Meet the war resisters in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And let's get the view on our top story this morning, the recurrence of cancer for White House Press Secretary Tony Snow.

From the White House, CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us now.

And Elaine, when did we learn this news?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we just learned it about an hour or so ago. Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters in the off-camera briefing known as the gaggle. An emotional briefing, we should note. Certainly, as Dana Perino announced the news that she had just spoken to Tony Snow earlier that morning, in fact, just gotten off the phone with him before entering the briefing room, and -- at which point he told her that, in fact, the cancer had returned.

This was, of course, a surgery Tony Snow had yesterday to remove what he described on Friday as a small growth from his lower abdomen. Dana Perino said that he essentially told her that there was cancer in his liver. An emotional moment. But as you know, Snow is a colon cancer survivor. In fact, it was about two years ago that he was diagnosed with colon cancer and actually had his entire colon removed.

This was the disease that killed his mother at the age -- when he was 17 years old. He spoke very emotionally about it, in fact, when he held his first press briefing at the White House about 10 months ago. Tony Snow on the job for less than a year.

And, of course, his health issues had been a concern. But he had assured everyone that doctors had given him a clean bill of health and that he had undergone and undergoes very regular screenings.

Well, it was in the course of one of those screenings that doctors did discover that small growth, again, as Tony said Friday was in his lower abdomen. But at that time, he was very upbeat and said, "We just don't have any indications at this point that, in fact, it is cancer," and said to hold off on making any kind of assumptions until the surgery was completed.

So now we have the news, and Dana Perino saying, of course, as you might expect, a very difficult day here at the White House, in the West Wing as well. But she said that Tony Snow, in characteristic fashion, was trying to joke with her, saying that -- speaking of reporters, "Tell them not to bug me." And Perino also saying that he was trying to help her with some talking points on all this.

It's certainly an emotional day. President Bush, in fact, just a short time ago, upon returning from an event here in Washington, making remarks on tape, saying that he spoke to Tony Snow this morning, that he's staying upbeat, and that Snow said he would not let this cancer whip him -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes, Elaine. He said he was -- he said, "I'm going to beat it again," didn't he?

QUIJANO: Absolutely. And this is, of course, characteristic of the spirit that we have heard from Tony Snow.

One thing that he has been quite adamant about is the importance for regular screenings for cancer survivors. And, of course, this news coming on the heels of the announcement by Elizabeth Edwards. An emotional moment then.

But, you know, I talked to Tony Snow yesterday -- last week, I should say, off camera, after he made that announcement that, in fact, he was having this growth removed. And he said, "Look, the bottom line is, we just don't really know at this point. And until we have some definitive word, we're just going to take every precaution and remove what is in there." But he was very emphatic about the fact that he was going to be coming back.

HARRIS: Yes.

QUIJANO: Says, you know, "I'll be out for four or five weeks because I'll have this major surgery, but I'll be back." And certainly difficult, difficult news. A difficult day here at the White House.

HARRIS: For Tony Snow, for the White House, for Tony's family. He is married with three young children. Is that correct?

QUIJANO: That's correct. And we understand that, of course, his wife, Jill, was with him. In that short briefing, truncated briefing this morning, Dana Perino didn't know whether or not the children were there as well, but he has one son and two daughters. But certainly an emotional, emotional time for them as well, of course -- Tony.

HARRIS: Elaine Quijano at the White House for us.

Elaine, thank you.

COLLINS: Let's talk more about the breaking news that we have this morning regarding Tony Snow. Presidential spokesman Tony Snow dealing once again with the cancer diagnosis that we've just been talking about here.

We want to get live to our John Roberts now in New York.

And John, I know you covered both medical news and the White House in your career. Your thoughts on all of this?

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's never good when have a diagnosis that you have metastatic cancer, and that is cancer that has spread beyond the original location to other sites in the body. And also, the period to recurrence is important as well.

But, you know, I talked with Tony about this just before he went in for surgery. Said, you know, "Our thoughts and prayers are with you, hope that it just turns out to be a big nothing." And he said, "I hope it turns out to be a big nothing, too." But, you know, left the door open that it might be more than a big nothing.

But here's what he's got going for him. Liver cancer has a very high mortality rate. That is, low survivability. But usually for the reason that by the time that liver cancer is discovered, it's because the patient is symptomatic. They're having pain in the abdomen. They're having jaundice -- you know, the skin turns and the eyes -- whites turn a sort of a yellowish color.

And that's usually indicative of diffuse disease within the liver. And by that time, the only treatment would be a liver transplant, and that's why there's such a low survivability.

COLLINS: Right.

ROBERTS: But they found Tony's cancer when they went in to get this other mass that was discovered through highly-sensitive medical imaging techniques. So the fact that the doctor was actually in there looking around and discovered it might mean that they caught it earlier than most other cancers.

COLLINS: Right. Hey, John, I apologize for interrupting, but we apparently are getting some tape now of the president discussing his thoughts about Tony Snow.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This morning, I got a phone call from Tony Snow. He called me from the hospital. He told me that when they went in and operated on him, they found cancer. It's a recurrence of a cancer that he -- that he thought they'd successfully dealt with in the past.

His attitude is one that he is not going to let this whip him, and he's upbeat. My attitude is, is that we need to pray for him and for his family. Obviously, a lot of folks here in the White House are -- you know, worry a lot about their friend, as do Laura and I.

And so my message to Tony is, stay strong. A lot of people love you and care for you, and they'll pray for you. And we're hoping for all the best.

I'm looking forward to the day that he comes back to the White House and briefs the press corps on the decisions that I'm making and why I'm making them.

In the meantime, I hope our fellow citizens offer a prayer to he and his family.

Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: There you have President Bush speaking to the microphones there about Press Secretary Tony Snow and the recurrence of his cancer, the fact that it has spread now to his liver.

There was a small growth that was removed. This happened just yesterday. And that was found to be cancerous. And now this news that it has spread to the liver.

John Roberts standing by now.

And, you know, it was interesting, John, as we heard Elaine Quijano just moments ago talk about the kind of guy Tony Snow was, and how he beat it once before, two years ago, with colon cancer, and he will beat it again.

I mean, this type of attitude has -- it's very important.

ROBERTS: Yes, he's a fighter, no question about it. And, you know, he thought that he had successfully battled colon cancer.

What I have learned this morning is that it wasn't only that small mass that he had surgically removed and apparently another site in the liver. There was some other sites in the same general area. But the mass did come back in the area where he had initially had the colon cancer. So it doesn't appear at this point as though it's, you know, widely spread throughout his body. It seems to be still in a very small area, which could bode well for the ultimate prognosis.

And again, Heidi, that fact that, because they found it through visual inspection, as opposed to him become symptomatic from it, also bodes, perhaps, well for the potential for treatment. The doctors saw these masses. They didn't actually find them through either scans or because Tony had started to feel discourt or something else.

So, you know, maybe chemotherapy. Maybe embolism therapy, which is when they block off blood vessels to tumors in the liver. Maybe that might be effective. And certainly everyone is hoping that that will be the case, that he will be able to, through a course of perhaps chemotherapy, radiation, maybe even some surgery, get back on his feet and be able to come back to work.

COLLINS: Boy, that's definitely everybody's hope. I'm certain of that.

All right. John Roberts, thank you.

HARRIS: Let's get you back to the White House now and Elaine Quijano.

And Elaine, Dana Perino told everyone this morning that Tony Snow said he was feeling pretty good, said that, "I'm going to beat it." He's talked about being a cancer survivor in the past, hasn't he?

QUIJANO: Absolutely. In fact, at his very first briefing, back in May of last year, that was one of the last questions that was asked, about why in fact he wears the "Live Strong" yellow cancer bracelet on his wrist. And if we could take a listen to that, here is what Tony said that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's going to sound stupid and I'll be personal here, but...

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

SNOW: No. Just having gone through this last year -- and I said this to Chris Wallace -- was the best thing that ever happened to me.

It's my Ed Muskie moment.

I lost a mother to cancer when I was 17, same type -- same type, colon cancer. And what has happened in the field of cancer since then is a miracle.

I actually had a chance to talk today with Lance Anderson (ph) about this, because, you know, it's one of these things where miracle -- whatever we may say about our health care system, the technologies that were available to me that have me standing behind this podium today, where the doctor has said, "You don't have to worry about getting cancer, just heartburn talking to these people," that's a wonderful thing. And I feel ever day's a blessing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, talking about his own personal experience with cancer. Something that certainly he has been vigilant with.

He talks about -- if you ask him about how he's doing, he will talk about how he is overly cautious in terms of having these screenings more often than, perhaps, is even recommended. But it was in the course, again, Tony, of the screenings, that in fact this growth was discovered, leading to this discovery just yesterday that, in fact, it had metastasized, as we have now heard.

But Tony Snow there certainly sharing this deeply personal story, but wanting to also at this same time in doing so send a message that it is very important for people to keep very vigilant over a situation like this, the importance of these regular checkups in -- after someone has survived cancer -- Tony.

HARRIS: Sure. And Elaine, in that clip that we just played for everyone, Tony Snow talked about the amazing medical advancements in cancer treatment. Is he still at this point trying to determine with his doctors treatment options and a course for treating this?

QUIJANO: Absolutely. Dana Perino, the deputy White House press secretary, said this morning in the briefing that in fact that's something that has not been fully decided yet, as far as she knew, that doctors were still looking at what kind of perhaps chemotherapy treatment might be best for this situation.

But at this point, there were no specifics offered about what the course of treatment might involve. It sounded as though they were still in the midst of trying to decide that -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK.

Our White House correspondent, Elaine Quijano, for us.

Elaine, thank you.

Let's bring in our medical correspondent, Judy Fortin.

Judy, great to see you. Thanks for your help this morning.

Let's begin with what we know about Tony Snow's condition.

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's important to stress at this point that medically there's a lot we don't know. We haven't spoke within his doctors and we haven't spoken with him.

HARRIS: That's right.

FORTIN: But here's what we do know. And some of this we've heard already, but it's worth repeating. Tony Snow is 51 years old. He was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2005, and presumably went through six months of chemotherapy. Also had surgery at the time.

Well, yesterday, doctors removed a small growth in the lower right portion of his pelvis. We know now that it tested positive for cancer. And doctors are saying that the cancer has metastasized, or spread, to his liver.

We spoke to an oncologist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee who says this type of recurrence is not unusual. Of those who have the cancer returning, about 75 percent of patients' cancers will recur in two to three years. That's happened in this case, apparently.

The goal of doctors is to either remove all of the tumor sites, and if that can't be done, give chemotherapy to shrink the tumor for as long as possible.

HARRIS: Judy, let's be clear about the type of cancer that Tony Snow has here. What are we talking about? Is it liver cancer? Is it -- what is it?

FORTIN: Well, we haven't spoke within his doctors and we don't have all the details, so let's explain that.

The cancer experts we spoke with say it is very likely for colon cancer to come back in the liver. So, quite likely, this is colon cancer, but we don't know for sure.

We don't know what stage his original cancer was at. But for patients with Stage II colon cancer, who hadn't spread to the lymph nodes, the cancer hadn't, the average recurrence is about 15 percent after three to four years.

Now, if it did spread beyond the colon to the lymph nodes and they got chemotherapy, recurrence is about 25 to 30 percent after three to four years. So, Tony Snow really falls into this time period here for guessing.

HARRIS: Judy, what are the options? How do you go about treating the cancer now?

FORTIN: Well, what we're told by experts is one growth was removed. We know that for sure, which was done out of what he calls an aggressive sense of caution. That's what he told us a couple days ago.

Even though other tests he said came back negative, we're told by our experts that some of those tests aren't always 100 percent positive. So, our expert said he did the right thing by getting this growth removed.

Now the question is, did they get it all? In which case, he may be in remission.

Now, if there are other growths that can't be surgically removed, chemotherapy drugs can be used to shrink the tumor and slow it down, and make them small enough for more surgery.

HARRIS: How about survivability?

FORTIN: That's a tough question to talk about at this point. It really is too early to tell, some experts say.

Colon cancer, as a whole, is the third most common cancer in men and women. It's also very treatable and curable if it's caught early.

Now, if this is, indeed, metastasized colon cancer in the liver, and they got all of it, we're told by our cancer expert he has a 10 to 15 percent cure rate. But he's also optimistic.

He's got that fighting spirit.

HARRIS: Yes.

FORTIN: He could be back at work. If he feels well enough on the chemo, if that's what he gets for treatment, he may very well be able to return to work.

HARRIS: And he and his doctors are working out that regimen now.

Judy Fortin...

FORTIN: And perhaps we'll hear more about that later.

HARRIS: Judy, thanks for your time.

FORTIN: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Great information. Thanks.

FORTIN: Thanks.

COLLINS: And we know what -- we know what killed her. That would be Anna Nicole Smith. But we are not sure what killed her son. We're going to have more on that investigation that is starting today.

Details on those coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kyra Phillips, live in Baghdad.

How many of us have asked this question, when will U.S. troops come back from Iraq? I put that question to the new commander of U.S. CENTCOM.

We'll have that from the NEWSROOM, straight ahead.

HARRIS: And still to come, bare stage, bare emotions. A high school play about the Iraq war is pulled because of community concerns.

That story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: Pulling U.S. troops from Iraq, some lawmakers say it may be a matter of mere months. Some analysts say it could take generations.

The single best authority right now may be the new top U.S. commander in the Middle East. Admiral William Fallon is in Iraq getting a first-hand look now at the challenges ahead.

CNN's Kyra Phillips spoke with him in an interview you'll see only on CNN.

Kyra, what did the admiral have to say?

PHILLIPS: Well, Heidi, you know I had to ask him, "Sir, when are U.S. troops going to be able to leave Iraq and come back to the United States?" And he said there's this belief within the inner circle that there's two clocks ticking, one on Baghdad time, one on U.S. time, and they're both moving at a different pace.

So, I asked him, "Is there any way you can tell me when troops will come home?" This is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: You mentioned Americans coming home. Former Iraqi ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said democracy could take generations. Could U.S. troops be here for generations?

ADM. WILLIAM FALLON, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We have U.S. troops that have been in places in the world for decades, but in a different construct, and -- but trying to provide stability and security. We would certainly not envision the number of troops that are here now doing this.

The idea that we're going to put a mirror image of the U.S. system in place here in a matter of months or even a couple of years is not realistic.

PHILLIPS: What do you have to see on the ground for those U.S. troops to come home?

FALLON: We clearly need more pervasive security. We clearly need the government of Iraq to continue to implement those steps towards a more inclusive society. And as they move forward in that direction, I think that will be giving a confidence that's necessary to the people that they will be more supportive of us and less afraid of the terrorists and the killers, and more likely to help the Iraqi security forces and us to make life better for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So, Heidi, what I heard, not in a matter of months, not in a matter of years. So it should be interesting to see how things unfold, especially up on the Hill there in Washington, D.C.

Now, we did go to the University of Baghdad, sat in on a political science class. I wanted to hear what students were talking about, how they were talking about democracy, how they were talking about the war, even anti-war protests.

And I asked them, "Do you want U.S. troops to leave?" And hands down, everybody said, "No, not now, because we're concerned about our safety."

So -- but they want U.S. troops to leave, but they all even -- I mean, these are all working young students. They all have families. Some of them have kids. And they don't want the troops to leave yet until they feel their country is safe.

COLLINS: Is there any way to know, Kyra, because we ask that question so very often here, whether or not that is a majority or a minority opinion?

PHILLIPS: Yes. I mean, I've asked the question to Iraqis down on the streets of Baghdad that run local shops. We went to the University of Baghdad and talked to students. We talked to U.S. military sources. We've even talked to Iraqi officials and leaders here in Iraq.

Everybody -- nobody will commit to a time, but everybody talks about, well, when this country is secure and when Iraqis have the confidence to walk the streets and feel that they can live a somewhat normal life, that is when they would feel right about U.S. troops leaving. But the military, on the other hand, they feel the same way.

I mean, they have a duty here to finish out the mission. And when that happen, they'll come home. The question is, when will that be?

COLLINS: All right. Kyra Phillips, live for us, coming from Baghdad this morning.

Kyra, thank you.

And this morning, the Senate debates changing course in Iraq. Lawmakers could provide war funds with strings attached. A $124 billion emergency spending bill would set a timetable for the return of troops.

The House passed a similar bill with a fixed deadline. All troops must be home by September of next year. The Senate measure sets a goal for next spring.

The president would have the flexibility to ignore that time frame. President Bush has vowed to veto any measure that carries a deadline for troop pullouts.

HARRIS: His job is to manage the news out of the White House. Today, he is the news. And it is bad. Press Secretary Tony Snow's surgery reveals cancer. Details ahead in the NEWSROOM.

And we know what killed her. What about him? A formal investigation into the death of Anna Nicole Smith's son gets under way today.

Details in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Good morning, once again, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

We are following this story just in this morning. The White House saying presidential spokesman Tony Snow's cancer has returned and has spread to his liver. A growth from Snow's abdomen yesterday was found to be cancerous.

A White House official says Snow is vowing to beat the disease again. The treatment plan hasn't been decided. Just a short time ago, we talked to an Emory University doctor about possible treatment options.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. OTIS BRAWLEY, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Almost certainly, he's going to get more chemotherapy. Hopefully -- we all have to hope that it was just one lesion and the surgeon was able to get the entire lesion out. There are some people who can do very well, very well meaning they can actually even be cured. If there's one lesion to the liver, which is resected. But more often than not, if there's the one lesion there in the liver, there's additional disease in the abdomen. Assuming, again, that this is a relapse of this colon cancer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Snow underwent surgery two years ago for colon cancer. Doctors gave Snow a clean bill of health before he took the White House job last year.

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: A town accepting war resisters for decades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I walk around shops here and, you know, I see war resisters welcome here signs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Also where Americans from two generations and two wars meet. That story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: In Iraq, more deadly attacks from insurgents. Today several mortar rounds sailed into a Shiite enclave in Southern Baghdad. At least four civilians were killed and 14 wounded. Even deadlier, a suicide car bombing in Iraq's Anbar province. Police say it exploded near a shopping area just north of Ramadi. At least 10 civilians killed, more than two dozen wounded. It comes one day after U.S. forces launched a major offensive against al Qaeda in the area.

HARRIS: Call to duty in Iraq. The U.S. Marine Corps says a shortage of volunteers is forcing the recall of Reservists. Some 1,800 members of the individual ready reserve will begin receiving letters this week. The plan for now, report for duty in October. Deploy early next year. The individual ready reserve is made up of Marines who left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year commitment.

Resisters, draft dodgers, deserters. That's what they've been called. They found a home in a Canadian town.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nestled in the shadow of the Selkirk Mountains is the town of Nelson British Columbia. You could call it a peace town, a region hundreds of American expatriates call home.

(on camera): Nelson is a town of 9,200 people, some residents claim per capita, there are more U.S. war resisters living in this area than in other city in Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of the guys I know have really never been public with it.

GUTIERREZ: Why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just think they just want to live their lives and forget about it, really.

KYLE SNYDER, ARMY DESERTER: I joined when I was 19...

GUTIERREZ (on camera): Many war veterans have fled to Nelson to get away from it all, men like 59-year-old Doug Stamp (ph), a Vietnam vet, and 23-year-old Kyle Snyder, who are fought in Iraq and deserted. It's a world away from the wars they're trying to forget.

SNYDER: I sat back, I put my weapon down beside me, and then, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, real quick, very, very loud, I could just remember the look on the man's face.

GUTIERREZ: Snyder grew up in foster care, moving from home to home in Colorado. He says he joined the Army when he was 19 for health benefits and college money, then went to Iraq. SNYDER: I was a .50 cal. machine gunner and I was an escort for very high-ranking officials. What drew the line for me was one mission in particular where I had witnessed an innocent civilian shot in front of me.

GUTIERREZ: Shot by a U.S. soldier, he claims. Snyder says he filed a formal complaint. He says no disciplinary action was taken. The Army concluded the shooting was justified because the soldier felt threatened.

SNYDER: I was first angry at that. And then I became angry at the fact that there was no repercussion. This -- there was nothing done to prevent this from happening again.

GUTIERREZ: Snyder was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He says he was granted leave while serving in Mosul, Iraq, but he deserted and fled straight to Canada.

SNYDER: I made my decision off of the things that I personally witnessed in Iraq. I didn't just wake up one morning and say, I'm going to leave my country, I'm going to leave my friends behind, I'm going to leave everything that I know and everything that I love and built my entire life on, nobody does that.

GUTIERREZ: In Nelson, Snyder learned he wasn't alone. Artist Ernest Heckanen (ph) came to Nelson from Washington State in the '60s to avoid serving in Vietnam. Teacher Irene Mauch (ph) from New York followed her boyfriend here when she was 21. Ryan Johnson volunteers with the War Resisters Campaign in Canada, a group that helps resisters settle in Canada and gain required refugee status and work permits.

He came from a farm community in central California and says he went AWOL just five hours before he was supposed to deploy to Iraq.

RYAN JOHNSON, ARMY JOHNSON: My family has a strong military background, so that part of the family doesn't agree with my decision to come here and haven't spoken to me since I've been to Canada.

GUTIERREZ: But in Nelson, these expatriates say they feel welcome.

SNYDER: I can walk around shops here and, you know, I see "war resisters welcome here" signs. I see community getting involved and getting together. High schoolers come up and say, what can I do to support the anti-war movement?

GUTIERREZ: All part of a long relationship going back to the 1800s.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The entire fabric of who we are as a community is about peace.

GUTIERREZ: From Russian pacifists to anti-war Quakers who settled the valley, to draft dodgers during the Vietnam era, and now Americans fleeing the Iraq War. SNYDER: I saw an innocent man that was shot.

ISAAC ROMANO, CANADIAN WAR RESISTERS CAMPAIGN: The opportunity for Vietnam veterans and current deserters and war resisters to begin to share their stories, I think, is really critical. I think that there's some opportunity with these stories to help Americans really reflect on both wars.

GUTIERREZ: Kyle says, leaving Iraq was the hardest thing he has ever done. He has been called a traitor, he's wanted on desertion charges, and he can no longer go home. But like other war opponents here, Kyle says, for now, this is home.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Nelson, British Columbia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Bare stage, barred emotions. A high school play about the Iraq War is pulled because of community concerns. It's up next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: And, Heidi, let's get you to T.J. Holmes now in the NEWSROOM. And T.J. is following the story of an attempted bank robbery. And now it looks like what we have is a standoff.

T.J. what's the update?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: The update is -- and this will help you update it here, Tone, is that we're seeing people being brought out of -- this is a building across the street actually from that bank. Again, Commercial Bank of Florida in Miami Beach. Let me explain to you what you're seeing here is police -- actually, you see one police officer with gun in hand checking out people coming out of a building. This is actually across the street from the building where the bank robbery was reported. But they are certainly checking everybody out, because they're not exactly sure how many suspects they're dealing with and exactly where those suspects are.

Set the scene for you a little bit -- not too long ago, call from the commercial bank of Florida there was a bank robbery in progress. Police showed up, at which point they were able to take one suspect into custody. Well, after that, police got a few calls from inside the bank, from someone saying that if that suspect was not released, that they would start shooting people inside of that bank.

A short time later, people started running out of the bank, yelling and screaming, pretty frantic, and saying that there were two guys in there with guns.

So police now believe possibly they have two suspects on their hands that are barricading inside of that bank. We are keeping an eye on this situation, keeping an eye on this video, we will get back to you with updates we have, Tone.

HARRIS: OK, T.J., appreciate it. Thank you.

A play closed before it was open. No bad reviews, but some strong feelings about the warn.

CNN's Kiran Chetry reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was supposed to be a high school play about the Iraq War. Instead, it's become a battle of a different kind.

DEVON FONTAINE, WILTON HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR: I believe we were censored. We wanted to do a piece of theater that was challenging and educational to us. And we were ending up -- it ended up we weren't allowed to do it.

CHETRY: Devon Fontaine is one of 15 advanced theater students at Wilton High School. In January, they decided to create a play to honor Nicholas Maderas (ph), a graduate who died in Iraq.

BONNIE DICKINSON, THEATER TEACHER, WILTON H.S.: Before I did, I ran it by Tim Canty, our principal. And I said, I'm thinking about doing a project of -- about the Iraqi veterans. This is a book that has their exact words. It might be a little controversial. He aid no, I think that sounds great. I think it sounds like a good human interest story.

CHETRY: The book is called "In Conflict." Teacher Bonnie Dickinson had the students read it and other sources to find troop monologues they wanted to act.

SETH KOPROSKI, WILTON HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: I got to get over there. The night -- that night I prayed to God I could go to Iraq.

ALLIE RIZZO, WILTON HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN: The enemy could be anyone that you see. You don't know where to focus your attention.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We went under a bridge and a roadside bomb went off.

CHETRY: Barbara Alessi has a son, Zach, in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a very proud day.

CHETRY: And a daughter, Gabriella, at Wilton High. She says that she was assured the piece would be balanced. But then she saw a script.

BARBARA ALESSI, MOTHER OF STUDENT: It was at that point that I realized that there would be no balance, that there would be no academic exercises in broadening their base of understanding.

CHETRY: She claims the monologues were mostly picked from an anti-war documentary, "The Ground Truth." The teacher and students say that was an early draft.

KOPROSKI: We're very willing to remove parts, if they told us what parts they found controversial or what parts they found were too biassed.

CHETRY: Principal Canty canceled the performance.

TIMOTHY CANTY, PRINCIPAL WILTON HIGH SCHOOL: I was concerned, based on the last draft that I saw, that we would run the risk, if this performance were to go forward this semester where students, families and community members would be hurt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The principal is encouraging the students to keep working on the idea. There's a chance the play might be performed in the future.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up at the top of the hour, 11:00 minutes from. Hala Gorani standing by with a preview.

Good morning, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Tony.

We're going to bring you the latest on those 15 captured British marines captured by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. A picture has been released of the single female marine that was taken captive. Also, we're going to be hearing from the family of some of the detained in Iran and what the U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair says he is going to do next if things don't change.

Also, we will take you to Gaza, from bad to worse in the Gaza Strip. There's already violence there and poverty. Now a sewage flood has killed four people and forced the displacement of many, many others. Also, among other things. The MG. Do you like that car, the classic British sports car? Well, guess where it's being manufactured now, everyone -- China. Yes, new lease of life for the British MG, the sporty Brit car. We'll bring you that story with our John Vause and much, much more at the top of the hour.

All right.

HARRIS: I think Heidi, you know all about that?

COLLINS: Well, yes, Ali Velshi was telling us about that.

HARRIS: Oh, that's right.

COLLINS: They tried to rename it and everything. Very interesting. Hala, thank you.

GORANI: All right, thank you.

HARRIS: Singing like canaries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sittin' in the morning sun ...

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: He's not Otis, but that wasn't bad. Arizona inmates, trying to be the next jailhouse idol. The competion coming up in the NEWSROOM. (

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Quickly want to get you over to T.J. Holmes. T.J. working on this story, sentencing phase for a very well-publicized antifreeze death right here in Georgia.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the so-called black widow -- her life has been spared. Lynn Turner, who was on trial, and had been convicted for killing her boyfriend, her firefighter boyfriend back in 2001 by using antifreeze.

Well, she has been given life without parole. That is the sentence recommended by the jury. She had already been convicted and serving life for killing her husband the same way back in 1995. That husband was a police officer. But an update there. Certainly more on the afternoon NEWSROOM.

You can read the details at CNN.com. But just wanted to get you a quick update, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, very good, T.J., thank you.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, a sheriff with unorthodox methods is at it again.

HARRIS: And this time, he's giving inmates a chance to strut their stuff. CNN's Jeanne Moos takes a look at "inmate idol."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The production values may not be as great as on the real "American Idol." Instead of dressup, these performers really do wear jailhouse stripes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Looks like nothin's gonna change

MOOS: Instead of going down into the crowd, the main audience here is stuck behind a fence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Because I've got friends in low places.

MOOS: Low as the Maricopa County jail in Arizona this is "Inmate Idle," i-d-l-e. And who dreamed it up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The toughest sheriff in the United States of America ...

MOOS: That would be Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The sheriff was one of the judges, along with Alice Cooper and an Elvis impersonator.

ELVIS IMPERSONATOR: ... jailhouse rock with me, let's rock ...

MOOS: Now "Inmate Idle" is odd enough. But this sheriff is one tough guy. Famous for his tent city where inmates get no TV, no salt, no coffee, and prisoners have to wear pink underwear because, as the sheriff says, they hate pink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): There's a hunger longin' to escape.

MOOS: No escapes at this talent contest. Christopher Marsh is in for burglary. Katrina Duhart (ph) is in for forgery.

KATRINA DUHART, INMATE (singing): Supersonic hypnotic funky fresh ...

MOOS: Notice the sheriff didn't join in the clapping. It's obvious who the Simon Cowell of this group is.

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Well, you know, she can dance, but I don't think she can sing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Sittin' on the dock of the bay ...

ARPAIO: You may go places when you get out of jail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): But you'll never hear me complain ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I long to hear you sing beneath the clear blue skies ...

MOOS: Not to mention the clear eyes of watchful guards. And the winner is.

COREY BROTHERS, INMATE IDLE WINNER (singing): I've got sunshine ...

MOOS: Corey Brothers, in on a probation violation related to theft and assault.

BROTHERS: Ooh, ooh, ooh.

MOOS: The prize for the winner and his podmates, pizza, big macs, milk shakes, cake. No recording contract.

BROTHERS: On a cloudy day and it's definitely cloudy today, huh? Got a little sunshine out of it.

MOOS: We'd say put your hands together for Corey Brothers. But here someone might snap on the cuffs.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Yikes.

HARRIS: A little David Rough (ph) in there. That wasn't too bad.

COLLINS: CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening around the world and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. See you later, everybody. --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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