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Your World Today
Pakistan In Crisis: Authorities Battle Militant Islamic Students Holed Up In A Mosque; Militants Want A Taliban-Style Government; The Olympic Committee Meets To Decide Venue For The 2014 Winter Games
Aired July 04, 2007 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN JOHNSTON, FREED BBC JOURNALIST: It's just such a relief that it's over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIM CLANCY, CO-ANCHOR, YOUR WORLD TODAY: The taste of freedom -- after nearly four months of captivity, BBC journalist and reporter Alan Johnston savors his day in the sun.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, CO-ANCHOR, YOUR WORLD TODAY: A key development in the Red Mosque showdown could ease the pressure on Pakistani Pervez Musharraf.
CLANCY: And a former resident of the Oval Office pitches in to help his wife's presidential campaign.
VASSILEVA: And Olympic sized ambitions -- a small South Korean city nestled in the mountains dares to think big.
It is 7:00 p.m. In Jerusalem, 9:00 p.m. In Islamabad.
And welcome to our report, broadcast around the world.
I'm Ralitsa Vassileva.
CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.
From Gaza to Seoul, wherever you are watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
BBC reporter Alan Johnston says being free is a -- and these are his words -- "a surreal experience." That after 114 days as a hostage in Gaza. Johnston, now free, he will soon head home to the United Kingdom. The journalist was kidnapped in March by a militant group that calls itself the Army of Islam.
Johnston is now in Jerusalem and he says the experience was, at times, terrifying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. JOHNSTON: It was the most, as you can imagine, the most appalling experience. On and on, like -- as I said before, it was like being buried alive, removed from life. And sometimes, occasionally, quite terrifying and always frightening in that I just didn't know when it would end or how it would end. And when you're laying in one of those hideouts for three months, you wonder why you shouldn't maybe be lying here in nine months or 18 months. And it's just such a relief that it's over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Johnston there in a very long discussion with journalists there, very typical of a lot of hostages once they get out. They want to talk about their experience. They want to exchange ideas and tell what they felt the whole time they were held.
Ben Wedeman, who knew Alan Johnston, has more details of his journey to freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Free at last -- the BBC's Alan Johnston appears for the first time in public.
A. JOHNSTON: There were times when I was really, really worried that perhaps I might not survive it. They did talk occasionally about the possibility of me being killed in one way or another. When the negotiations were going badly, then they suddenly started -- the time when they chained me up for this 24 hour period, they talked about the possibility of killing me over the next few days.
WEDEMAN: Johnston was kidnapped in Gaza on the 12th of March by a shadowy group called Jaish al Islam, the Army of Islam.
In early June, the kidnappers released the first video of Johnston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. JOHNSTON: First of all, my captain captors have treated me very well. They've fed me well. There's been no violence towards me at all and I'm in good health.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: The tape laid out demands, including the release from British detention of Abu Katada, a man described as Al Qaeda's spiritual ambassador in Europe.
But the most chilling video came a few weeks later, when he appeared to be rigged with a bomb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A. JOHNSTON: As you can see, I've been dressed in what is an explosive belt, which the kidnappers say will be detonated if there's any attempt to storm this area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: Since Hamas took over Gaza in mid-June, Hamas officials repeatedly insisted that freeing Johnston was a top priority -- part of their effort to impose order in lawless Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY REUTERS NEWS)
MAHMOUD AZ-ZAHAR, SENIOR HAMAS LEADER: We are going to implement security for every Palestinian, for every guest, especially for the press/media and for the diplomatic people. It's a new era, a new era.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: Hamas sources tell CNN they were moments away from an assault on the kidnappers' hideout -- an assault aborted when another militant faction interceded and diffused the standoff.
(on camera): Shortly after his release, Alan told me on the phone that one of the things that had kept his spirits up during those long weeks of captivity was a small radio provided by his captors, allowing him to listen to the BBC World Service and hear that his friends and colleagues had not forgotten him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, (INAUDIBLE).
A. JOHNSTON: Thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
WEDEMAN: (voice-over): Now he's out of Gaza, free again and heading home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good luck, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you, Alan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good luck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good luck.
WEDEMAN: Ben Wedeman, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
VASSILEVA: As Ben reported, that radio was so important to Johnston, who says that hearing messages of support from the BBC and around the world while in captivity helped him keep hope alive and just keep going.
Throughout the ordeal, the BBC held a weekly campaign to encourage his release.
Karl Penhaul looks now at how his colleagues are celebrating Johnston's release. (BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Workman, take that poster down!
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): The banner comes down at BBC headquarters in London. Relief beams across the faces of Alan Johnston's parents as they arrive at the BBC's World Service. And the BBC announces news of the release of one of their own.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The BBC journalist, Alan Johnston, enjoys his first hours of freedom after being held hostage in Gaza for nearly four months.
PENHAUL: As Palestinian gunmen were freeing TV reporter Johnston after 114 days captivity in Gaza, his coworkers on night shift back in London heard the news.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean coming from what we thought was a, you know, a pretty normal night shift, and then this suddenly broke at just after 2:00. And the newsroom went mad. There were people hugging each other. And it was wonderful, really wonderful.
PENHAUL: Patchy communications and the chaos around his release meant Johnston only managed a brief call to his parents. But as he talked to CNN from Jerusalem, the interview was interrupted so he could listen in to his parents' reactions in a live news conference.
A. JOHNSTON: But it was a huge battle. You can imagine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Alan, if you can just hold there just one moment, because we've got, actually, a press conference taking place now involving your parents. I know you'll want to hear what they have to say.
A. JOHNSTON: OK.
Thanks.
GRAHAM JOHNSTON, FATHER: So that's all we've had from him so far. We've seen him on the box.
PENHAUL: His father, Graham, last saw his son on TV, apparently rigged to explode, pleading for his life.
G. JOHNSTON: It's been 114 days of a living nightmare. And just to hear his voice -- he telephoned us. There was a lot of noise in the background. And I think he was being jostled a lot. And all he said was, "Hello, dad."
And I said, "Hello, son. How are you? Are you all right?"
He says, "I'm 100 percent."
Fox News cameraman Olaf Wiig understands a little about that nightmare. He was held hostage last August for two weeks by the same group that snatched Johnston. OLAF WIIG, FORMER HOSTAGE: I'm not sure that you're ever really aware of just how destructive kidnapping can be. The pressure it puts on your loved ones and your family is -- is just so intense. You know, they -- they don't have any word from you. They don't know whether you're alive or dead.
PENHAUL: Friends and colleagues never lost hope, staging weekly vigils at the BBC and in newsrooms across the world, keeping up pressure for his handover.
But the wait is over, and for now, BBC bosses are focusing on welcoming Johnston home and giving him time to recover.
MARK THOMPSON, BBC DIRECTOR GENERAL: Alan has not had many choices himself over the last few months. This is for him and his family. Alan is going to be reunited with his parents, Graham and Margaret, soon. And I hope he's going to take a few days to figure out what he wants to do, how long he wants to take to work this through. This is an enormous experience for anyone to digest and make sense of.
PENHAUL: (on camera): Even before flying back to Britain, Johnston in Jerusalem joined his coworkers in London by a satellite linkup to celebrate his return to freedom.
Karl Penhaul, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
CLANCY: And we'll keep you updated with his progress as he heads back to the United Kingdom.
But now to Pakistan, where hundreds have streamed out of a mosque that is surrounded, under siege by government forces. Many others, though, thousands, remain defiant as a deadline for their surrender expired.
Some 700 students left a hard-line Islamabad mosque on Wednesday. Authorities issued the surrender order after a months long standoff escalated into deadly violence.
Reports say the leading cleric tried to slip away disguised in a woman's burka, but he was caught and arrested.
The crackdown comes after gun battles between students and security forces killed 16 people. Mosque followers have been challenging the government by running Taliban style anti-vice campaigns against civilians in the streets.
Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has been struggling with Islamic extremists in the remote regions of his country. But this mosque standoff is very different. It's taking place in the heart of his capital, the scene of an unlikely uprising.
Jonathan Mann has some insight.
JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are parts of Pakistan that are essentially off limits to its own government, where local clans and the Koran are the only law. The Pakistani Army has moved cautiously to reign in the men in control of those regions.
But how about teenaged girls right in Pakistan's capital city?
General Musharraf's problem these days is something more serious than girls gone wild.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): They have opened fire on us. One girl is injured and we will start suicide bombings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: The standoff is centered at the Lal Masjid, the Red Mosque, in Islamabad. It is run by two brothers, Maulana Abdul Rasheed Gazi, whose whereabouts right now are unknown, and Maulana Abdul Aziz, who's calling for Jihad in Afghanistan and Iraq, who praises Al Qaeda and has been held on terror charges related to a planned attack on the U.S. Embassy.
Now, Abdul Aziz is the one who was arrested trying to escape dressed as a woman.
Their mosque is more than a place of worship. It's a number of buildings, in fact, in Islamabad, that houses a school for girls called the Jamia Hafsa and one for boys a few blocks over called the Jamia Fareedia. Now, the Fareedia, the boys school, used to send its students to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan with the help of Pakistan's intelligence agency, which has its own headquarters also in Islamabad, just a few blocks nearby.
The Jamia Hafsa, the girls school, has about 4,000 students. And they have turned into Mujahedeen of a different kind. Since late January, its students have been occupying a municipal children's library right near the school, right near the government, right near the mosque. Then, the girls raided what were apparently two local brothels, kidnapping women they identified as prostitutes, even kidnapping police who have been on the case. Now, this has been going on for months. Now the young men and women are inside the mosque complex. The army has the area surrounded. But so far it has been very, very restrained.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY A.P.)
MOHAMMED ALI DURRANI, PAKISTANI INFORMATION MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The government has used all peaceful options to solve this issue -- through dialogue, through discussions, for a long time. We have kept all doors open. The government is now using all its powers to try to settle this red mosque issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MANN: The government has even offered the students money -- pocket money -- to help them just go home if they get up and leave the mosque. And hundreds have been doing exactly that over the last little while. No one is sure precisely how many young women and young men remain inside. But there are reports that the leaders who have been running the school -- remember, one of them has tried to escape -- but there are reports that they've been trying to prevent the students themselves from escaping what's ahead -- Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: And speaking of the students, we heard one girl talk of suicide attacks.
How real of a threat is that?
MANN: This is something completely new in Pakistan. They are stunned to see young women become suddenly so militant, so violent. When it comes to the possibility of suicide bombings, they're taking it very, very seriously. In fact, President Musharraf said that believes that, in fact, these young people are being manipulated by some well-known terrorists in a group called the Jaysh Muhammad, the Army of Muhammad, which is a terror group that's been operating in Pakistan for quite some time.
He says they have explosives inside the mosque. He says they are quite serious about making this a much, much bigger and more violent problem. And that's part of the reason that the government has proceed so slowly and let this drag on in a place where -- I mean it's literally under the general's nose. It's an affront to him. Not only is he being challenged by clerics, he's being challenged by teenaged girls in burkas.
VASSILEVA: And right in the center of Islamabad.
MANN: Under his nose.
VASSILEVA: OK, Jon, thanks so much.
CLANCY: All right. Well, authorities have uncovered some new evidence in Britain's terror probe.
VASSILEVA: That's right.
Ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, an apparent suicide note from one of the suspected bombers.
Plus, why police say the doctors craved recognition.
CLANCY: And campaigning for Clinton -- a heavy hitter lends a helping hand to his wife's race for the White House.
VASSILEVA: And Cuba's president picks up the pen. His people share their thoughts on his outpouring of editorials.
You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Hello, everyone.
And welcome back to CNN International and YOUR WORLD TODAY.
VASSILEVA: We're covering the news the world wants to know and giving you some perspective that goes deeper into the stories of the day.
Well, a suicide note left by two would-be suicide bombers -- that's one piece of evidence gathered by investigators looking into the terrorism plots in Britain. International security correspondent Paula Newton joins us now live from London with more on that story -- Paula, what do those notes tell us?
PAULA NEWTON, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ralitsa, the people close to this investigation who have been speaking to us say the language is unequivocal. It basically shows their intent, their motive and the fact they really did intend to die in that incident in Glasgow.
Also interesting, Ralitsa, is they left apparently -- they were there with their passports, apparently. And that really mirrors what we saw during the July 7, 2005 bombings, where the suicide bombers were carrying their passports. Again, it kind of goes with the reasoning -- if you can call it that -- from suicide bombers, who want to make sure that they get recognition for the attack and there can be no doubt about their identification, about who they are.
This investigation is continues to try and cross Ts and dot Is. We're continuing to be told that they believe the majority -- the core of this group is now in custody. They're not ruling out more arrests, but they do believe that they have the cell intact. Again, the great worry right now is what kind of influence Al Qaeda had in all of this.
The new prime minister, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, not in office just a week today, addressing a lot of this in parliament and trying to reassure the public specifically by announcing a review of how medical personnel are recruited here in Britain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: In the light of the events of the last few days, I do hope that the country can come together and agree to these measures. I've offered conversations with them on a number of issues, including the intercept. On other issues we are prepared to cooperate not only with the leaders of the opposition, but with their other parties.
It is vitally important that the message is sent out to the rest of the world that we will stand strong, steadfast and united in the face of terror.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Ralitsa, we are told that the government continues to review the threat level. It's at its highest level -- critical. That means that they expect an attack imminently. They might try, in the next few days, to move that to severe, which means that an attack is highly likely. It's been at that point for quite some time now, and for good reason. They continue here to try and grapple not just with this new type of plot, but with the continuing threat of homegrown terror -- Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: Paula, how are people responding to the fact that all of these suspects are, indeed, medical workers?
NEWTON: I mean I think it's starting to dawn on a lot of people here exactly what that could mean. They are looking to the National Health Service, the NHS, to really explain its recruiting procedures. That's why Gordon Brown, you know, basically announced the review.
But I think the specter of this is really starting to frighten people here when you consider that in a very real sense, the health service here depends on its foreign recruits, because there is such a shortage of doctors.
At the same time, a lot of people are urging caution, that people are not hysterical. It's a very small number of people here that are in custody -- I should point out, still yet to be charged. And, you know, obviously, many groups here are saying that people should not be all painted with the same brush and that they're waiting to see what comes out of this review from the government in terms of their recruitment procedures -- Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: Paula Newton in London, thank you very much -- Jim.
CLANCY: Well, out of sight for the past year, Cuba's ailing leader trying to make sure he doesn't remain out of mind, as well.
Fidel Castro has already published dozens of columns in state newspapers, communicating his views on a variety of subjects.
Morgan Neill reports on how El Commandante's message is being received on the streets of Havana.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MORGAN NEILL, HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: (voice-over): It used to be when Fidel Castro had something to say, it was dynamic and aggressive, marching at the front of thousands or waving an accusing finger.
These days, this is how the ailing leader communicates -- columns in Cuba's state-run newspapers called "Reflections of The Commander- In-Chief."
Last week, when U.S. President George Bush made this comment --
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One day the good lord will take Fidel Castro away.
NEILL: -- Castro answered with this headline: "The Good Lord Protected Me from Bush," a bit of humor from the leader of the once officially atheist nation.
But Castro's reflections aren't limited to snappy rebuttals. He's written some 24 pieces since late March. But is anybody reading them?
This woman, looking a bit embarrassed, says she hasn't had time to read the latest.
OK, but which have been her favorites?
"Come on, sweetheart," she says. "Not everyone is going to take these things in word for word."
This cook, named Fidel just like the president, says he hasn't read the latest either.
But which most interests him?
He hesitates for a moment.
"They're all interesting."
The topics can sometimes seem haphazard -- weighty discussions of biofuels, a wandering piece on CIA attempts to kill him, a diatribe against a new British submarine. They certainly show that Castro is following world events.
But are they a sign he could soon return to power?
Analyst Hal Klepak doesn't see it that way.
HAL KLEPAK, ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE: My first reaction that this was just what I would expect from an elder statesman who feels quite confident that his brother is in charge and that he can relax and sit back and say some of the things that he's wanted to say for a long time.
NEILL: (on camera): For those who don't have time to study the articles, not to worry -- they're read aloud in their entirety on radio and television. So while Castro hasn't appeared publicly in nearly a year, he has found a way to stay in the picture.
Morgan Neill, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
VASSILEVA: Well, still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, an unfamiliar role for a familiar face.
CLANCY: That's right, Ralitsa.
Bill Clinton is on the presidential campaign trail again. This time, though, the candidate he's backing is his wife.
VASSILEVA: And later, eating hot dogs is a Fourth of July tradition in the United States. But eating 60 hotdogs could win you a championship.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Welcome back to our viewers joining us from more than 200 countries and territories around the globe, including the United States. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Ralitsa Vassileva.
CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. And these are some of the stories making headlines in YOUR WORLD TODAY.
Investigators in Britain say they now believe the Glasgow airport attack was meant to be a suicide mission. Their evidence? A note that reportedly indicates the two suspects intended to detonate the explosives while they were still inside that sport utility vehicle.
VASSILEVA: Hundreds of Islamic students have surrendered to government forces encircling a mosque in Islamabad. Reports say a cleric leading the protest tried to slip away disguised in a burkah (ph), but was caught and arrested.
Authorities issued the surrender order after a months-long standoff escalated into clashes on Tuesday, which killed at least 16 people. Many students, though, are still holed up inside the mosque.
CLANCY: BBC journalist Alan Johnston, a free man after nearly four months of captivity in Gaza. Johnston was kidnapped in March by a militant group called the Army of Islam. His release was part of a prisoner exchange with Hamas.
VASSILEVA: Johnston's parents say they overjoyed that their son is now free. So far his parents have only briefly spoken to him on the phone. Of course, they've seen him on TV. We all have. His family has traveled from Scotland to London to await his arrival. Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson has more from Scotland.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSTON, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was the moment Alan Johnston's parents, Graham and Margaret, had been waiting for.
GRAHAM JOHNSTON, ALAN JONSTON'S FATHER: It's a wonderful morning. I can't tell you. We got the phone call late last night from the BBC, and we're absolutely overjoyed. It's been 114 days of a living nightmare.
ROBERTSON: Their joy shared in the picture postcard Scottish village of Loch Gurlhead (ph), where posters of Alan have been a constant reminder of his and his parents' suffering.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's been talking about Alan for months, you know. Since he was captured, everybody -- I really personally, didn't really know Alan, but my daughter knows him quite well. I'm greatly relieved he was released. We'll see him back home soon. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It means everything to the village. We've all given him our support. It just Graham and Margaret are a lovely couple. We're just delighted for them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's terrific. We called them up right away. We're very good friends with them. We're so happy with them all. Nice family.
ROBERTSON: Alan's father described his worst moments, the night a video of Alan, in a suicide vest, was released by his captors.
G. JOHNSTON: I had butterflies in my stomach that whole day, dreading seeing this. When I saw it, I was -- the butterflies went. I was so pleased. He looked fit.
ROBERTSON: Alan's mother, Margaret, worried because she knew her son would worry about them.
MARGARET JOHNSTON, ALAN'S MOTHER: I knew he would be worried about us, and just we always wished we could get across to him that we were doing all right, as he wanted to get across to us.
ROBERTSON: For some coming into the village, Alan's overnight release still news.
(On camera): Did you hear that Alan was released?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did not, no! Well, that's great news. I was down at Kurrick (ph) Castle the other day I seen his picture on the wall, with his kid, so I thought perhaps he's got a connection with the area. That's great. Great. When you look at all the disasters that happen in the Middle East, the guys we didn't get, you know, that's wonderful news.
ROBERTSON (on camera): This is the beginning of the end of a very long journey for the Johnstons, leaving now for London to be reunited soon with Alan, 114 days they've been apart, 114 days since they last saw their son. Nic Robertson, CNN, Scotland. Nic Robertson, CNN, Loch Gurlhead (ph), Scotland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: We want to return to a very important story now, taking place in Pakistan, that mosque standoff. And the challenge it presents to Pakistan's President Musharraf, a man some say is the U.S.'s most important ally in the war on terror.
Islamic students occupying the mosque have been waging a vigilante campaign for months in an effort to impose strict Sharia law in the capital city of Islamabad. Let's bring in Marvin Weinbaum, a former U.S. State Department analyst on Pakistan; and get some perspective on the situation.
Marvin, share with us, why should this situation be a particular of concern to the U.S., to anyone, concerned about the war on terror? MARVIN WEINBAUM, FMR. U.S. STATE DEPT. ANALYST: Well, if we are concerned about the stability of the Pakistan government, we have to recognize the fact that this standoff here, which has been going on for six months, is a dagger in the heart, really, of a secular Pakistan. This is part of a larger process of Talibanization, which up until this time had been pretty much confined to the border areas, although spreading.
This represents a leap over to the capital itself, and it's something which has challenged the credibility, the authority of this military government.
CLANCY: Marvin, how can the government of Pakistan really diffuse this situation and turn it into a success? Because, all right, they can stop it in one place, but most people believe it will just simply raise its head in another.
WEINBAUM: Well, there is some possibility here that if this doesn't end any worse than it is now -- of course, there have been deaths, and many people injured -- that this could strengthen Musharraf, give him additional credibility as he faces this challenge from Islamic radicalism.
On the other hand, if more die and if the army and the irregular forces are not able to extend their aggressiveness against these groups, they may indeed be provoked, and we may see more of these events.
But this is significant. Unless this is handled now, directly on, unless they get to something that they should have been really attacking months and months ago, I think that the very future of Pakistan's stability is at issue.
CLANCY: All right. A key question here, how much support do these Taliban groups, like this madrasa, how much support to they have among the wider population of Pakistan?
WEINBAUM: Well, it's interesting that, as they have been using slogans there, a great many slogans are anti-American slogans, so it's more than a parochial matter. This has taken on, reflecting what has become in Pakistan a great deal of animosity toward the United States and the West. And in the sense that these religious students and their leaders are able to portray this as somehow a greater campaign against the West, against the war in Afghanistan, then they may very well resonate broadly in Pakistan.
CLANCY: All right. Marvin Weinbaum, former U.S. State Department analyst on Pakistan. I want to thank you very much for sharing your insights into this ongoing siege that we're watching minute by minute, hour by hour, in Islamabad right now.
VASSILEVA: We'll take a short break now. When we come back, a different kind of story; 18 holes with Tiger Woods.
America's top golfer giving back to military servicemen and women on this Independence Day. VASSILEVA: But it's also a way for Woods to honor the man behind much of his success. A live report from the Congressional Country Club when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Welcome back. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.
VASSILEVA: Seen live in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe.
The most famous new father in professional golf is celebrating the U.S. Fourth of July by hosting a tournament. The Earl Wood Pro-Am is dedicated to Tiger Woods own father, it's a fitting tribute to a former military man on the day the United States celebrates the men serving in their country's armed forces. CNN's Brianna Keilar is covering the story from the Congressional Country Club, in Bethesda, Maryland.
Hi, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Ralitsa.
Today is the Earl Woods Memorial Pro Am. But official tournament play, with the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods, the first-ever tournament of this kind, kicks off tomorrow at Congressional Country Club right outside of Washington, D.C.
Today it kind of kicked off with a lot of fanfare, and also with the ceremonial first tee shot. This was courtesy of former President George H.W. Bush. The military featuring very prominently in this event. Even in Tiger's foursome today, at the Pro Am.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SGT. MIA KELLY, U.S. ARMY: That's a good one.
KEILAR (voice over): Aside from Army Sergeant Mia Kelly's home course, at Virginia's Fort Belvoir, the only place this career military woman may spend more time is overseas.
KELLY: I've been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, also, you know, places like Germany, Korea, Panama, Japan, all over.
KEILAR: But this Independence Day, Kelly is taking the tour of a lifetime; 18 holes with Tiger Woods in a pro am tournament ahead of the AR&T National, which Woods is hosting. Woods' father Earl served in Vietnam, spending 12 years as a Green Beret. Tiger says growing up in a military family gives him first-hand knowledge of the sacrifice troops make.
TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I know I can't serve with them, but I just want to say thank you in some way.
KELLY: It is the Fourth of July, celebrating our Independence Day. In order for us to maintain our independence we have to have a strong military. So I think this is just an awesome thing.
KEILAR: Kelly who works with an army information operations unit started playing golf in 2004, and now she's hooked.
KELLY: It's the never-ending pursuit of that perfect golf game. The perfect shot, the perfect putt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Tiger Woods actually grew up on a military base playing on military courses. He said if he wasn't a professional golfer he was thinking of going into the military, and that this was his way to say thank you, Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: Brianna, thank you very much.
Well, in just a few hours, one of the three very different cities will be celebrating an Olympic triumph.
CLANCY: That's because the International Olympic Committee is meeting in Guatemala. They will be deciding who will host the 2014 Winter Games. A lot of anticipation for this, Austria's Salzburg, Sochi (ph), Russia, and South Korea's Pyeongchang, are vying for hosting rights.
VASSILEVA: They're all in Guatemala City to support their country's bids. Russia has been touting the security arrangements at Sochi (ph), while the Austrians have cited their long history with winter sports.
CLANCY: Now, South Korea, of course, hosted the 2006 Summer Games, but they've never hosted a Winter Olympics.
VASSILEVA: That's right. They say they're ready, though, so ready, in fact, they've already started building, even though the winner has yet to be announced. Sohn Jie-Ae has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Four years ago, the South Korean city of Pyeongchang came out of virtually nowhere to nearly snatch the 2010 Winter Olympics away from Vancouver. Buoyed by it's near victory, the small skiing city nestled in a mountainous area east of Seoul put hard money and great effort into getting a different result this time around.
"This time we are not relying on mere plans," says the governor of the province. "We took action. We are building, and we are preparing. We are already a prepared Olympic venue."
Indeed, heavy machinery is already laying the foundations for a four-season resort complex that could also house Olympic athletes. Named the Alps in Asia, or Alpensia, the resort rivals luxurious skiing villages of Europe. It is also adjacent to the main stadium, as well as other snow venues that are being constructed. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here is a cross-country, then also we have a ski jump, plus Olympic village here, so all the athletes, who is doing this kind of venue, they're within a 10-minute walking distance.
JIE-AE: A half-hour drive takes you to the city of Kangnum (ph) where skating events would be held. Here it is easy to see the other argument for hosting the Olympics. The Kangwan which houses Pyeongchang, also shares a border and seashore with North Korea. Security's always high and for good reason.
Just 10 years ago, North Korea had sent this submarine filled with commandos on a spy mission to the South. The captured sub is displayed here as a reminder. North Korea is reportedly backing the Pyeongchang bid, and promised to enter the opening ceremonies hand in hand with the South Korean athletes, if the bid is successful.
Another reason why, according to an official poll taken by the International Olympic Committee, more than 90 percent of Pyeongchang's citizens support the bid.
"We have always loved winter sports, and it would be such a good thing to have it here," says this man.
Sungjin Ho (ph) owns a small noodle restaurant in Pyeongchang and hopes it will boost his business and help the economy of this small town, and the country as a whole. When his customers heard CNN was taping a story for the Winter Olympics, they were more than happy to let us know which city they thought should be the host in 2014.
Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Pyeongchang, South Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: There's the a lot of celebrations going on, the anticipation going on in South Korea. What would any U.S. Independence Day be without good old-fashioned hot dog eating contests?
VASSILEVA: It wouldn't be Independence Day. Ahead, the heavyweights frankfurter set square off in a gut-wrencher of a battle. After the break, YOUR WORLD TODAY. Don't want to miss that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: All right, they say every dog has his day. Today is the day for the humble hot dog.
VASSILEVA: It's the Fourth of July tradition. Americans will be consuming millions of them this holiday.
CLANCY: But one person is going to eat a lot more hotdogs than the rest of us, literally.
VASSILEVA: CNN's Allan Chernoff has been watching the annual drama unfolding at Nathan's Famous restaurant at Coney Island.
How are they doing? ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Ralitsa, the competition has just finished. And it is a dog-to-dog competition. Both contestants, both leading contestants, Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi appear to have eaten 63 hotdogs and buns in 12 minutes. The most astounding performance of competitive eating ever seen on this planet.
The judges are still trying to make sure that the two contestants, the two contestants, get all those hot dogs and buns down. As long as it's in the mouth at the end of 12 minutes, it counts as long as they keep it down. So they have not yet called a winner.
But this would be an astounding performance not only by Joey Chestnut, the American challenger, but even more Takeru Kobayashi who had a jaw injury going into this competition. It seems they may be about to announce a winner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An unbelievable match --
CHERNOFF: So far they haven't. They still have them both at 63. We may have co-champions here. But a new world record set today at Coney Island at hot dog eating, 63 hot dogs, and buns, in 12 minutes.
CLANCY: I mean, that is eating -- what? One hot dog and bun every, what, 12 seconds? For a period of 12 minutes. It's unbelievable.
CHERNOFF: Jim, Joey Chestnut actually is an incredibly fast eater out of the gate. During the very first minute of this competition, Chestnut actually ate 10 hot dogs. So he was speeding at the start. Kobayashi is more of a consistent eater, and he was able to keep up. It's really astounding that Kobayashi was able to do this, because he had a jaw injury, in fact, he had a wisdom tooth taken out only last week. We had a dentist inspect it, he confirmed that was a fact. Kobayashi, this morning, had acupuncture. He had a massage. He's been holding back and apparently was he able to perform here on game day.
VASSILEVA: All right.
CLANCY: All right, Allan Chernoff.
VASSILEVA: A new record set -- 63 hot dogs.
CLANCY: It looks like a tie, Kobayashi and Chestnut.
An important note for you, though, before we leave you on YOUR WORLD TODAY CNN has just confirmed that Britain has lowered its terror threat level from critical to severe. This is something we're getting from our office in London and confirming that the terror threat level there is now down a notch, from critical just to severe.
We have to go now. That's it for this hour. I'm Jim Clancy.
I'm Ralitsa Vassileva.
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